Citations 24

The ischemic cascades in contemporary patients: five distinct phenotypes assessed by ABCDE stress echocardiography

European Heart Journal - Cardiovascular Imaging | February 9, 2022 | Volume: 23 | Issue: Supplement_1 | Pages: No page available

10.1093/ehjci/jeab289.111

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. OnBehalf Stress Echo 2020 study group of the Italian Society of Echocardiography and Cardiovascular Imaging (SIECVI) Background The classical pathophysiological cornerstone of stress cardiac imaging is the ischemic cascade: alterations in coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR) come first, regional wall motion abnormalities (RWMA) second, and global alterations of left ventricular diastolic and systolic function last. Aim To evaluate the ischemic cascade with stress echo (SE) assessed with ABCDE protocol. Methods We analyzed 1616 patients (age 66 ± 10 years, 1156, 72% males) with chest pain and angiographically documented coronary artery disease (CAD): 928 (57.4%) with previous myocardial infarction and 1451 (89.8%) with previous coronary revascularization. CAD patients were studied with ABCDE-SE protocol by 13 certified laboratories of 5 countries. Stress modality was exercise in 427 (26.4%) dobutamine in 173 (10.7%) and vasodilator stress in 1016 (62.9%) patients (dipyridamole in 982 – 60.8% and adenosine in 34 – 2.1% patients). Step A assessed RWMA; step B, B-lines (diastolic function); step C, left ventricular contractile reserve based on force; step D, CFVR in left anterior descending artery; step E, heart rate reserve. SE response ranged from score 0 (all steps normal) to score 5 (all steps abnormal). Follow up was obtained in all patients. Results Results were abnormal in 350 (21.7) % for step A, 572 (35.4%) for B, 666 (41.2%) for C, 546 (33.5%) for D and 643 (39.8%) for E. The distribution of positivity is shown in figure. The dominant "solitary phenotype" (only one biomarker abnormal during the test) was step A in 10 (0.6%), step B in 124 (7.7%) step C in 100 (6.2%), step D in 64 (4.0%) and step E in 157 (9.7%) patients. The overall sensitivity for CAD detection including each step of ABCDE score (≥1) was 95.7%. During median follow-up of 22 months [IQ range: 13-37 months] 279 coronary revascularizations occurred. ABCDE score predicted coronary revascularization with score 1: HR: 3.182, 95% CI: 1.699-6.067; score 2: HR: 4.921, 95% CI: 2.571-9.420; score 3: HR: 7.234, 95% CI: 3.743-13.979; score 4: HR: 24.570, 95% CI: 13.390-45.086; and score 5: HR: 38.720, 95% CI: 20.975-71.478 Conclusion Inducible ischemia with CAD is characterized by the complexity and multiplicity of diagnostic phenotypes. The overall ABCDE score predicts clinically driven revascularization. Abstract Figure. The 5 circles of ischemia biomarkers
Prognostic value of ABCDE stress echocardiography

European Heart Journal | October 20, 2021 | Volume: 42 | Issue: Supplement_1 | Pages: No page available

10.1093/eurheartj/ehab724.047

Abstract Background Stress echocardiography (SE) was recently upgraded to the ABCDE protocol: step A, regional wall motion abnormalities; step B, B-lines; step C, left ventricular contractile reserve; step D, Doppler-based coronary flow velocity reserve in left anterior descending coronary artery; and step E, EKG-based heart rate reserve. Aim: to assess the prognostic value of ABCDE-SE in a prospective, large scale, multicenter, international, effectiveness study. Methods From July 2016 to November 2020, we enrolled 3,574 all-comers (age 65±11 years, 2,070 males, 58%; ejection fraction 60±10%) with known or suspected chronic coronary syndromes referred from 13 certified laboratories. All patients underwent ABCDE-SE. The employed stress modality was exercise (n=952, with semi-supine bike, n=887, or treadmill, n=65 with adenosine for step D) or pharmacological stress (n=2,622, with vasodilator, n=2,151; or dobutamine, n=471). SE response ranged from score 0 (all steps normal) to score 5 (all steps abnormal). All-cause death was the only end-point. Results Rate of abnormal results was 16% for A, 30% for B, 36% for C, 28% for D and 37% for E step. During a median follow-up of 21 months, 73 deaths occurred. At univariable analysis, predictors of all-cause mortality were step B (hazard ratio, HR: 2.621, 95% Confidence Intervals, CI: 1.654–4.152, p<0.001), step D (HR: 2.578, 95% CI: 1.624–4.093, p<0.001), and step E (HR: 2.955, 95% CI: 1.848–4.725, p<0.001), but not step A (HR: 1.333, 95% CI: 0.731–2.430, p=0.349) and step C (HR1.581, 95% CI: 0.997–2.506, p=0.051). At multivariable analysis, ABCDE-SE was an independent predictor of mortality with score 3 (HR: 3.472, 95% CI: 1.483–8.135, p=0.004), 4 (HR: 4.045, 95% CI: 1.595–10.259, p=0.003) and 5 (HR: 5.678, 95% CI: 2.106–15.313, p=0.001) (Figure). Annual mortality rate ranged from 0.4% person/year for score 0 up to 2.4% person/year for score 5. Conclusion ABCDE-SE allows an effective risk stratification of patient global vulnerability. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None. Survival curves based on ABCDE score
Stress Echo 2030: The Novel ABCDE-(FGLPR) Protocol to Define the Future of Imaging

Journal of Clinical Medicine | August 17, 2021 | Volume: 10 | Issue: 16 | Pages: 3641

10.3390/jcm10163641 | PMID 34441937

With stress echo (SE) 2020 study, a new standard of practice in stress imaging was developed and disseminated: the ABCDE protocol for functional testing within and beyond CAD. ABCDE protocol was the fruit of SE 2020, and is the seed of SE 2030, which is articulated in 12 projects: 1-SE in coronary artery disease (SECAD); 2-SE in diastolic heart failure (SEDIA); 3-SE in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (SEHCA); 4-SE post-chest radiotherapy and chemotherapy (SERA); 5-Artificial intelligence SE evaluation (AI-SEE); 6-Environmental stress echocardiography and air pollution (ESTER); 7-SE in repaired Tetralogy of Fallot (SETOF); 8-SE in post-COVID-19 (SECOV); 9: Recovery by stress echo of conventionally unfit donor good hearts (RESURGE); 10-SE for mitral ischemic regurgitation (SEMIR); 11-SE in valvular heart disease (SEVA); 12-SE for coronary vasospasm (SESPASM). The study aims to recruit in the next 5 years (2021–2025) ≥10,000 patients followed for ≥5 years (up to 2030) from ≥20 quality-controlled laboratories from ≥10 countries. In this COVID-19 era of sustainable health care delivery, SE2030 will provide the evidence to finally recommend SE as the optimal and versatile imaging modality for functional testing anywhere, any time, and in any patient.
Prognostic value of stress echocardiography assessed by the ABCDE protocol

European Heart Journal | July 14, 2021 | Volume: 42 | Issue: 37 | Pages: 3869-3878

10.1093/eurheartj/ehab493 | PMID 34449837

Abstract Aim The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic value of ABCDE-SE in a prospective, large scale, multicentre, international, effectiveness study. Stress echocardiography (SE) was recently upgraded to the ABCDE protocol: step A, regional wall motion abnormalities; step B, B lines; step C, left ventricular contractile reserve; step D, Doppler-based coronary flow velocity reserve in left anterior descending coronary artery; and step E, electrocardiogram-based heart rate reserve. Methods and results From July 2016 to November 2020, we enrolled 3574 all-comers (age 65 ± 11 years, 2070 males, 58%; ejection fraction 60 ± 10%) with known or suspected chronic coronary syndromes referred from 13 certified laboratories. All patients underwent clinically indicated ABCDE-SE. The employed stress modality was exercise (n = 952, with semi-supine bike, n = 887, or treadmill, n = 65 with adenosine for step D) or pharmacological stress (n = 2622, with vasodilator, n = 2151; or dobutamine, n = 471). SE response ranged from score 0 (all steps normal) to score 5 (all steps abnormal). All-cause death was the only endpoint. Rate of abnormal results was 16% for A, 30% for B, 36% for C, 28% for D, and 37% for E steps. During a median follow-up of 21 months (interquartile range: 13–36), 73 deaths occurred. Global X 2 was 49.5 considering clinical variables, 50.7 after step A only (P = NS (not significant)) and 80.6 after B–E steps (P < 0.001 vs. step A). Annual mortality rate ranged from 0.4% person-year for score 0 up to 2.7% person-year for score 5. Conclusion ABCDE-SE allows an effective prediction of survival in patients with chronic coronary syndromes.