Tschöpe, Carsten

Myocarditis is generally a mild and self-limited consequence of systemic infection of cardiotropic viruses. However, patients can develop a temporary or permanent impairment of cardiac function including acute cardiomyopathy with hemodynamic compromise or severe arrhythmias. In this setting, specific causes of inflammation are associated with variable risks of death and transplantation. Recent translational studies suggest that treatments tailored to specific causes of myocarditis may impact clinical outcomes when added to guideline-directed medical care. This review summarizes recent advances in translational research that influence the utility of endomyocardial biopsy for the management of inflammatory cardiomyopathies. Emerging therapies for myocarditis based on these mechanistic hypotheses are entering clinical trials and may add to the benefits of established heart failure treatment.

Abstract Aims We aimed to evaluate the frequency, clinical features, and prognostic implications of cardiac arrest (CA) in takotsubo syndrome (TTS). Methods and results We reviewed the records of patients with CA and known heart rhythm from the International Takotsubo Registry. The main outcomes were 60-day and 5-year mortality. In addition, predictors of mortality and predictors of CA during the acute TTS phase were assessed. Of 2098 patients, 103 patients with CA and known heart rhythm during CA were included. Compared with patients without CA, CA patients were more likely to be younger, male, and have apical TTS, atrial fibrillation (AF), neurologic comorbidities, physical triggers, and longer corrected QT-interval and lower left ventricular ejection fraction on admission. In all, 57.1% of patients with CA at admission had ventricular fibrillation/tachycardia, while 73.7% of patients with CA in the acute phase had asystole/pulseless electrical activity. Patients with CA showed higher 60-day (40.3% vs. 4.0%, P < 0.001) and 5-year mortality (68.9% vs. 16.7%, P < 0.001) than patients without CA. T-wave inversion and intracranial haemorrhage were independently associated with higher 60-day mortality after CA, whereas female gender was associated with lower 60-day mortality. In the acute phase, CA occurred less frequently in females and more frequently in patients with AF, ST-segment elevation, and higher C-reactive protein on admission. Conclusions Cardiac arrest is relatively frequent in TTS and is associated with higher short- and long-term mortality. Clinical and electrocardiographic parameters independently predicted mortality after CA.

Background Myocarditis is an important cause of acute and chronic heart failure. Men with myocarditis have worse recovery and an increased need for transplantation compared with women, but the reason for the sex difference remains unclear. Elevated sera soluble (s) ST 2 predicts mortality from acute and chronic heart failure, but has not been studied in myocarditis patients. Methods and Results Adults with a diagnosis of clinically suspected myocarditis (n=303, 78% male) were identified according to the 2013 European Society of Cardiology position statement. Sera sST 2 levels were examined by ELISA in humans and mice and correlated with heart function according to sex and age. Sera sST 2 levels were higher in healthy men ( P =8×10 −6 ) and men with myocarditis ( P =0.004) compared with women. sST 2 levels were elevated in patients with myocarditis and New York Heart Association class III ‐ IV heart failure ( P =0.002), predominantly in men ( P =0.0003). Sera sST 2 levels were associated with New York Heart Association class in men with myocarditis who were ≤50 years old ( r =0.231, P =0.0006), but not in women ( r =0.172, P =0.57). Sera sST 2 levels were also significantly higher in male mice with myocarditis ( P =0.005) where levels were associated with cardiac inflammation. Gonadectomy with hormone replacement showed that testosterone ( P <0.001), but not estradiol ( P =0.32), increased sera sST 2 levels in male mice with myocarditis. Conclusions We show in a well‐characterized subset of heart failure patients with clinically suspected and biopsy‐confirmed myocarditis that elevated sera sST 2 is associated with an increased risk of heart failure based on New York Heart Association class in men ≤50 years old.

Abstract There is an unmet need for effective treatment strategies to reduce morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Until recently, attention in patients with HFpEF was almost exclusively focused on the left side. However, it is now increasingly recognized that right heart dysfunction is common and contributes importantly to poor prognosis in HFpEF. More insights into the development of right heart dysfunction in HFpEF may aid to our knowledge about this complex disease and may eventually lead to better treatments to improve outcomes in these patients. In this position paper from the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology, the Committee on Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction reviews the prevalence, diagnosis, and pathophysiology of right heart dysfunction and failure in patients with HFpEF. Finally, potential treatment strategies, important knowledge gaps and future directions regarding the right side in HFpEF are discussed.