Citations

BACKGROUND: The impact of life-course blood pressure (BP) trajectories on later-life focal left ventricular (LV) fibrosis by late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) remains elusive. METHODS: MyoFit46 prospectively recruited ≈500 participants from a 1946 birth cohort for a cardiovascular magnetic resonance scan at 77 years, assessing LV LGE calculated using the 3-SD method or 5-SD method. Systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP were recorded at 36, 43, 53, 63, 69, and 77 years. For each participant, annual rates of BP change (steepness) and area under the BP trajectory (cumulative burden) for each age interval were calculated using mixed-effects models. Associations between life-course BPs and LGE were tested using generalized linear models, adjusted for antihypertensives, demographics, lifestyle, and comorbidities. Time-to-event associations between LGE and incident major adverse cardiovascular event (hospitalizations for coronary artery disease, stroke, heart failure, and atrial/ventricular arrhythmias; n=29) were also evaluated. RESULTS: Among 472 participants (54% male), each 10 mm Hg greater individual SBPs at 36 to 69 years were associated with 6% to 11% greater LV LGE calculated using the 3-SD method (all P ≤0.033), whereas each 10 mm Hg sustained greater SBPs on any age interval from 36 to 69 associated with 16% to 24% greater LGE calculated using the 3-SD method at 77(all P ≤0.005), independent of SBP at 77 years. Each 1 mm Hg/y steeper SBP rise during age intervals 36 to 43, 43 to 53, and 53 to 63 was associated with 6% to 12% greater LGE calculated using the 3-SD method at 77 years. LGE presence was associated with greater major adverse cardiovascular event rates (hazard ratio, 2.5 [95% CI, 1.2–5.2]). CONCLUSIONS: Higher life-course BPs, cumulative burden, and steeper increases were associated with greater older-age LV LGE, which was linked to incident major adverse cardiovascular events. BP trajectories, beyond single-point BP measurements, warrant further investigation as tools to guide BP management strategies.

A 48 year-old female with a history of metastatic lung adenocarcinoma to the brain presented with acute onset dizziness for 12 hours. The neurological exam was notable for subtle sustained nystagmus on right and upward gaze. A code stroke was called and CT brain revealed no acute intracranial abnormality. MRI brain demonstrated new subtle restriction diffusion and FLAIR hyperintensity along the anterior surface of the brainstem and the middle cerebellar peduncles without evidence of enhancement, concerning for leptomeningeal disease. The remainder of the supratentorial metastases were stable. Lumbar puncture was performed and CSF analysis confirmed metastatic adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Left atrial (LA) stiffening augments the LA V wave, pressurizing the pulmonary artery (PA) out of proportion to left ventricular end-diastolic pressure. We characterized the pathophysiologic, diagnostic, and clinical implications of LA stiffening, as defined by prominent V waves, in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and less than moderate mitral regurgitation at rest underwent invasive hemodynamic exercise testing. Patients with heightened operant LA stiffening were defined by the PA wedge pressure (PAWP) V wave exceeding mean PAWP by ≥10 mm Hg. A previously used formula for V wave–corrected PAWP was validated against the PAWP waveform pressure-time-area to explore impact of the V wave on transpulmonary pressure gradients. Clinical, echocardiographic, hemodynamic, and outcome data were compared for patients with and without prominent V waves. RESULTS: Compared with patients without prominent V waves (n=844, 79%), those with prominent V waves (n=225, 21%) were older and more likely to be women, with more severe LA myopathy, evidenced by greater LA volume index (42.2±15.0 versus 32.5±13.0 mL/m 2 , P <0.001), lower LA reservoir strain (16.4±7.5% versus 23.2±8.3%, P <0.001), more atrial fibrillation (61.3% versus 22.9%, P <0.001), and increased operant LA reservoir stiffness (0.59±0.25 versus 0.23±0.24 mm Hg/mL, P <0.001). Patients with prominent V waves had markedly higher PA systolic pressure than those without (54±16 versus 38±12 mm Hg, P <0.001) despite no difference in end-diastolic PAWP-PA pressure gradient (3±5 versus 3±4 mm Hg, P =0.950). Incorporating the V wave into PAWP improved correlation between directly measured PAWP pressure-time integral compared with mid–A wave PAWP (R 2 =0.96 versus R 2 =0.86, P <0.001 for comparison). In patients with prominent V waves, the prevalence of combined pre- and postcapillary pulmonary hypertension decreased from 60.2% to 29.3% after V wave correction for the transpulmonary pressure gradients. Despite similar corrected pulmonary vascular resistances in patients with and without prominent V waves, apparent PA compliance was much lower in patients with prominent V waves (3.03±1.56 versus 4.90±2.27 mL/mm Hg, P <0.001), augmenting right ventricular afterload, and these changes were coupled with more severe right ventricular dysfunction, tricuspid regurgitation, blunted cardiopulmonary exercise reserve, and increased risk of hospitalization for heart failure or death in patients with versus without prominent V waves (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.09 [95% CI, 1.53–2.86]; P <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: More than 1 in 5 patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction display prominent V waves in excess of end-diastolic PAWP. This augments right ventricular afterload due to backward transmission of the V wave, contributing to right heart failure that is independent of the pulmonary vasculature. Failure to account for the V wave during hemodynamic assessment overestimates the severity of pulmonary vascular disease present.

Date presented: April 25, 2026 Primary Author and Speaker: Randi Bukovac Nagyvathy, rb@bukie.net

Abstract Background Lung transplant (LT) recipients are at high risk for severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection, but predictors of worse outcomes remain poorly defined. Methods Retrospective multicenter cohort study of adult LT recipients hospitalized with PCR-confirmed RSV infection between January 2016 and December 2019. Clinical characteristics, treatments, and outcomes within 90 days were analyzed. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of outcomes, while Cox proportional hazards models assessed risk factors for mortality. Results 155 LT recipients were included. Median age was 61 years, RSV occurred a median of 14 months post-transplant. Risk factors for hypoxic respiratory failure were baseline oxygen use [OR 4.8, (1.29–23.93)] and lower respiratory tract symptoms [OR 3.74, (1.49–10.18)]. Older age increased the risk of mechanical ventilation [OR 1.06, (1.02–1.12)], while oral ribavirin was associated with reduced risk [OR 0.34, (0.14–0.82)]; this association was attenuated when oral and inhaled ribavirin were combined into a single exposure variable [OR 0.77, (0.22–2.66)]; oral ribavirin was not associated with reduced 90-day mortality [HR 5.27, (0.68–40.83)]. Secondary bacterial or fungal infections occurred in 33.5%, associated with prior mechanical ventilation. Lung function declined significantly post-RSV infection, with nearly half experiencing &gt;10% decrease in FEV1. Ninety-day all-cause mortality was 7.7%, with mechanical ventilation independently associated with death [HR 7.79, (2.47–24.60)]. Conclusions RSV infection in LT recipients is associated with high morbidity, graft function decline, and mortality. The association between older age and severe outcomes suggests the importance of preventive strategies in this high-risk population.

The conventional workup for suspected early-stage lung cancer requires multiple visits, anesthetics, and procedures. Single anesthetic event lung cancer surgery integrates shape-sensing robotic bronchoscopy, cone-beam CT, rapid on-site cytologic evaluation (ROSE), endobronchial ultrasound staging, lesion localization, and minimally invasive resection into one operative encounter. In this narrative review, we describe the technical components of this pathway, summarize the supporting literature, and offer expert, institution-based troubleshooting guidance for common intraoperative dilemmas. Reported diagnostic yields for shape-sensing robotic bronchoscopy range from 80 to 96%, with approximately 90% concordance between ROSE and final pathology. Published single-institution series report reductions in time from detection to resection of 15–51 days, cost savings of approximately $3000–$10,000, and perioperative outcomes (length of stay 1.8–3.6 days; complication rates comparable to traditional pathways) similar to staged care. The supporting evidence is retrospective and derived from small, single-institution, high-volume referral cohorts; no prospective comparative trials or long-term survival data yet exist. Single anesthetic event lung cancer surgery is therefore best regarded as an emerging, resource-intensive care pathway for carefully selected patients at experienced centers rather than an established standard of care, pending prospective, multicenter validation.

Background Studies have demonstrated neighborhood structural inequities are associated with cardiovascular outcomes among breast cancer survivors. We investigated the associations between bias in mortgage lending practices (contemporary redlining and racial lending bias) and cardiovascular outcomes in women with breast cancer. Methods Using the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results)–Medicare database, we identified 51 007 Black and White women diagnosed with breast cancer between 2010 and 2014 with follow‐up through 2020. We used Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data to calculate census‐tract contemporary redlining index and racial lending bias index, and assessed indices continuously and categorically (low, moderate, or high). We used Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate multivariable‐adjusted, cause‐specific hazard ratios (HRs) for major adverse cardiovascular events, ischemic heart disease, heart failure, stroke, and cardiovascular death. Results In the overall population, a 10%‐unit increase in redlining was associated with increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (HR, 1.04 [95% CI, 1.02–1.06]). Among Black women, those in high redlining neighborhoods had an increased heart failure risk compared with those in low redlining neighborhoods (HR, 1.22 [95% CI, 1.05–1.41]). Similarly, White women in high redlining neighborhoods had an increased risk of ischemic heart disease (HR, 1.23 [95% CI, 1.15–1.30]) and stroke (HR, 1.09 [95% CI, 1.03–1.16]). Black women in high racial lending bias neighborhoods had reduced cardiovascular mortality risk compared with those in low racial lending bias neighborhoods (HR, 0.69 [95% CI, 0.54–0.90]). Conclusions We identified associations between contemporary redlining and cardiovascular outcomes among breast cancer survivors. High racial lending bias was associated with reduced cardiovascular mortality risk among Black women. Bias in mortgage lending practices may serve as a structural driver of cardiovascular disparities.

Objective To investigate the utility of tumoral and peritumoral [ 18 F]-fluorodeoxyglucose PET-based radiomics models for predicting tumor spread through air spaces (STAS) in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods A total of 104 patients with NSCLC were retrospectively included and classified as STAS-positive or STAS-negative according to postoperative histopathology. Three radiomics models were developed based on tumoral and peritumoral volumes of interest (VOIs). Peritumoral models were constructed by defining VOIs with 5 and 10 mm expansions from the tumor margin (PR-5 and PR-10). Conventional PET-derived parameters were calculated. Each group was randomly divided into training (70%) and testing (30%) sets. For prediction, five machine learning algorithms were applied. Model performance was assessed by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score. Results Of the 104 patients, 60 (57.7%) were in the STAS-positive group, and 44 (42.3%) were in the STAS-negative group. Statistically significant differences were found in 27 tumoral, 62 PR-5, and 89 PR-10 radiomic features between the groups. Support Vector Machine achieved the best performance for the tumoral model (AUC: 0.70), whereas Logistic Regression was optimal for the PR-5 and PR-10 models, with AUCs of 0.79 and 0.74, respectively. The mean F1 score values for the tumoral, PR-5, and PR-10 models were 0.67, 0.72, and 0.68, respectively. Maximum standardized uptake value (SUV max ), SUV mean , and SUV peak did not differ significantly between groups. Tumor size, total lesion glycolysis, and metabolic tumor volume were significantly higher in the STAS-positive group. Conclusion Our findings suggest that peritumoral PET-based radiomics may help predict STAS status in NSCLC. The PR-5 model demonstrated the highest predictive performance, while conventional SUV-based parameters showed limited predictive value.