Citations

Abstract Functional MRI (fMRI) is widely used to spatially localize neural activity in the brain associated with functional stimuli. Functional MR Elastography (fMRE) has recently been introduced as a complementary approach that measures the mechanical response to functional stimulus. The hypothesis of the current study is that the stiffness change in fMRE is proportional to the underlying neural activity. This hypothesis is tested by measuring the median stiffness change in the visual cortex as a function of luminance-matched contrast intensity of a checkerboard visual stimulus in 16 healthy subjects. The fMRE signal in the visual cortex was observed to be proportional to the contrast intensity of the visual stimulus. In regions of activation, fMRE signal increased in the range of 2 ± 1% to 5.8 ± 1% and fMRI signal increased by the expected 0.4 ± 0.2% to 0.9 ± 0.2%, for contrast levels of 5% to 100%, respectively. In conclusion, this study shows that the fMRE signal in the visual cortex can be directly modulated by the contrast intensity of a visual stimulus. The presence of some overlap between fMRI and fMRE regions of activation may suggest two distinct mechanisms governing the fMRI and fMRE signals, which will be investigated in future studies.

Background Acute ischemic stroke attributed to basilar artery occlusion is known to be associated with high rates of mortality and disability. However, the previous clinical trials did not provide evidence to support the efficacy of endovascular treatment (EVT) in patients with basilar artery occlusion. The purpose of this study was to provide updated evidence about EVT's benefits and safety profile with the recent update from both the Endovascular Treatment for Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion (ATTENTION) and the Basilar Artery Occlusion Chinese Endovascular Trial (BAOCHE) trials. Methods We searched for eligible articles from inception to November 1, 2022, in 5 databases and included all randomized controlled trials with no restrictions on the publication date or language. Meta‐analysis statistics were performed using R software version 4.2.1. Results The rate of modified Rankin scale score of 0 to 3 was significantly higher in the EVT group compared with best medical treatment (risk ratio [RR], 1.54 [95% CI, 1.16–2.04]; P value = 0.002), and the same was observed for the rate of modified Rankin scale score 0 to 2 (RR, 1.83 [95% CI, 1.08–3.08]; P value = 0.024). Moreover, there was a significant reduction in the 90‐day mortality in the EVT group (RR, 0.76 [95% CI, 0.65–0.89]; P value = 0.002). However, there was a significantly higher rate of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage in the EVT group compared with best medical treatment (RR, 7.48 [95% CI, 2.27–24.61]; P value <0.001). Conclusions EVT may confer a clinical benefit to patients with acute ischemic stroke caused by basilar artery occlusion. Because of the small number of included studies and because all of them were conducted in the Chinese population, further trials might be needed to confirm and further investigate the generalizability of these results.

Introduction: Graves’ disease (GD) is known to cause menstrual changes and has been linked to infertility in women. This can be due to the increased production of androstenedione and testosterone induced by the excess thyroid hormone. However, screening for sex hormone levels in all women diagnosed with GD to identify patients more likely to have infertility is not cost-effective and not clinically indicated. AI-augmented ECG can identify the signature of female with an AUC of 0.97. In this model, AI- ECG gives a probability number between 0-100% of being female, with higher numbers indicating high probability of being female. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that this inexpensive AI ECG tool is reflective of hormonal levels and the resulting changes in menstrual cycle and fertility associated with GD in women. Methods: Patients diagnosed with GD (2009-2019) at our institution were included. Three intervals were identified: 1) Before GD: >2 months before GD diagnosis 2) During GD: within 2 months before GD and before attaining euthyroidism 3) After GD: after attaining euthyroidism. The matched-pairs t-test was used to compare probability of being a female; patients acted as their own controls. A subset analysis was done on females <45 years at GD diagnosis to study the association between female probability during GD and menstrual changes (defined as shorter, lighter, or newly irregular menstrual cycles). Results: 154 females with ECGs both before and during GD were identified. AI ECG female probability decreased with GD diagnosis (85% vs. 77%, P<.001). On the other hand, 137 females with GD had ECGs during and after GD. Female probability increased after attaining euthyroidism (76% vs 83%, P=.005). Moreover, 72 females <45 years were identified; 30 (42%) developed menstrual changes and had significantly lower AI-ECG female probability [77 (58-94)% vs 98 (92-100)%, P<.001] Conclusions: AI-enabled ECG signature of female gender in women was altered by GD and was associated with menstrual changes, likely reflecting changes in sex hormone levels. Future studies to confirm its role in screening for infertility in women with GD are needed.

Introduction: Reduced peak oxygen consumption (VO 2 ) is common and associated with adverse outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF) and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). According to the Fick principle, VO 2 is equal to the product of cardiac output (CO) and arterial-venous O 2 difference (AVO 2 diff). Patients with HFpEF display abnormalities each component, but no study has yet evaluated their prognostic impacts. Methods: Patients with HFpEF (n=501) and controls without HF (n=207) underwent invasive hemodynamic exercise testing with expired gas analysis and clinical follow up for the composite event of HF hospitalization or death. Results: Compared to controls, patients with HFpEF displayed slightly lower CO at rest with higher pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP). On exercise, subjects with HFpEF displayed blunted increases in CO and greater increase in PCWP (Figure A). As compared with controls, the slope of the increase in CO relative to VO 2 was lower in HFpEF (6.4 ± 3.3 vs 5.4 ± 3.2 L/L; P =0.0004), while augmentation in AVO 2 diff relative to VO 2 was greater in HFpEF (7.7 ± 5.4 vs 10.0 ± 5.6 min/dL; P <0.0001). Over a median 2.8 (1.1-4.6) years of follow up, 101 patients experienced the composite event. Patients with CO reserve below the median and increases in AVO 2 diff below median displayed higher risk of the composite endpoint (Figure B-C). After adjustments for age, sex, BMI, atrial fibrillation, LV mass, and EF, CO reserve remained strongly associated with the primary outcome (HR [95%CI] = 0.51 [0.38-0.68]; P <0.0001, per 1 SD increase) and the change of AVO 2 diff remained significant, but was less predictive (HR [95%CI] = 0.74 [0.60-0.92]; P =0.007, per 1 SD increase) in patients with HFpEF. Conclusions: Impaired ability to augment CO and peripheral O 2 delivery are associated with increasing risk of adverse events in HFpEF. Further study is required to identify therapeutic interventions targeting these hemodynamic perturbations to improve outcomes in HFpEF.

Introduction: Many patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) display normal N-terminal-pro-B type natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP)levels. Mortality and hospitalization rates are lower in this group compared to patients with high NTproBNP, but it remains unclear whether these patients represent a fundamentally different phenotype or an earlier stage of disease. Methods: 213 subjects with HFpEF defined by invasive hemodynamics underwent serial echocardiographic examinations &gt;1 year apart. Clinical, cardiac structural, functional, and hemodynamic characteristics were examined. Results: Exam 2 was performed a median of 3.2 years (IQR 2.2-5.1) following Exam 1. From this cohort, 66 (33%) displayed normal NT-proBNP levels (≤125pg/ml, nBNP) and 147 (67%) displayed high NTproBNP (hBNP). Compared to hBNP, nBNP patients were younger (62±10 vs 71±9 years, p&lt;0.0001) and more obese (35±8 vs 32±7 kg/m 2 , p=0.005). At Exam 1, approximately 50% of nBNP displayed left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction defined as LV longitudinal strain (GLS)&lt;16% ( Figure A ) and LA dysfunction defined as left atrial (LA) reservoir strain&lt;26% ( Figure B ), but right ventricular (RV) systolic function as relatively preserved ( Figure C ). At Exam 2, LV, LA, and RV strain decreased in both groups (Panels A-C), with no difference between nBNP and hBNP in the velocity of change (p&gt;0.6 for all). More patients crossed the threshold definition for LV systolic and LA dysfunction in nBNP compared to hBNP ( Figure D and E ), but the prevalence of RV dysfunction increased more in hBNP ( Figure F ). Conclusions: In patients with HFpEF with normal NT-proBNP, biventricular systolic function and LA function deteriorate over time at similar pace. These data suggest that patients with HFpEF are not a fundamentally different disorder, but rather represent an earlier stage of disease that progresses from LV and LA dysfunction in early stages to RV dysfunction in advanced stages.

Introduction: Obesity is a known risk factor and causes worse cardiovascular outcomes in obstructive sleep apnea. With the growing use of cannabis in the US, so we aimed to assess the impact of cannabis use disorder (CUD) on risk of atrial tachyarrhythmias (atrial fibrillation, AF; atrial fibrillation, AFL) and stroke in young patients with obesity-associated obstructive sleep apnea (OOSA). Methods: The National Inpatient Sample (2015Oct-2017) with relevant ICD-10 codes were used to identify admissions among young adults (18-44 years) with OOSA. We then matched (1:1) two cohorts of cannabis use disorder (CUD+) vs. without (CUD-) with controlling potential sociodemographic confounders. Primary outcomes of interest were frequency and risk of atrial tachyarrhythmias and stroke assessed by multivariable analysis. Results: Of 7470 demographically-matched OOSA admissions, CUD+ and CUD- cohorts had 3735 hospitalizations in each cohort. Both cohorts were comparable mean age of 38 years and CUD+ cohort more frequently included male (66.6% vs. 53.5%), African American (40.0% vs. 30.1%) patients admitted non-electively (92.3% vs. 84.5%). Rates of drug abuse, hypertension, smoking and chronic pulmonary disease were higher but diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, and renal failure were lower in CUD+ cohort vs. CUD- cohort (p<0.001). The frequency of AF/AFL (5.7% vs 7.4%) related admissions were lower; however, the risk of AF/AFL (OR:1.64, 95%CI:1.17-2.30, p=0.004) and stroke (OR:4.41, 95%CI:1.41-13.77, p<0.011) admissions were significantly higher in the OOSA-CUD+ cohort vs. CUD- cohort in the multivariable analysis controlled for relevant cardiovascular/extracardiac comorbidities and concomitant alcohol/drug abuse and smoking. Conclusions: This propensity-matched analysis highlights that recreational cannabis use in young patients with OOSA may alarmingly increase emergency hospitalizations and independently increase the risk of AF/AFL and stroke.

Introduction: Obesity is an independent risk factor for heart failure in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Bariatric surgery is associated with improved cardiac function in obese patients with heart failure, but the safety of this procedure has not been evaluated in HCM patients. In this study, we examined national trends and early outcomes in bariatric surgery for patients with HCM. Methods: Using the weighted discharge data from the National Inpatient Sample, we identified adult patients with HCM who underwent elective bariatric surgery for obesity between 2011 and 2017. Patients with a history of bariatric surgery or having malignant neoplasms in the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, or pancreas were excluded. Results: A total of 443 obese patients with HCM were identified, and 41.8% (n=185) had obstructive HCM. The annual number of patients increased from 18 in 2011 to 130 in 2017, and nearly half of the patients (48%) had bariatric surgery in 2016 and 2017. Overall, the median (IQR) age was 50 (43-57) years, and 85 (19%) patients were 60 years or older. Approximately 20% (n=90) of the patients had heart failure at the time of operation. Atrial fibrillation was present in 83 (19%) patients, and 22% (n=95) of the cohort had a pacemaker or automatic cardiac defibrillator implanted prior to the operation. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (72%, n=318) and laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (25%, n=110) were the most commonly performed bariatric procedures. Overall, patients stayed in hospital for a median (IQR) of 2 (1-2) days. During the hospital stay, 1% (n=5) of the patients had acute worsening of chronic heart failure, but there were no deaths, cardiac arrests, or cerebrovascular accidents post procedure. Conclusions: Bariatric surgery in patients with HCM is performed more frequently in recent years and is safe and associated with few perioperative complications. Given the impact of obesity on long-term survival, clinicians should strongly consider bariatric surgery for HCM patients who do not respond to conservative weight loss measures.

Background: In animal studies, scallop consumption has been shown to reduce atherosclerotic aortic burden, body weight, visceral adipose tissue, serum lipid, and leptin levels. Data in human models, however, is scarce. We aim to assess baseline demographic and cardiovascular health characteristics of scallop consumers and compare them to non-scallop consumers in the United States. Methods: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data between 1999 and 2016 were analyzed. This descriptive analysis compares baseline characteristics and cardiovascular health risk between scallop-consumers and non-consumers using demographics, comorbidities, laboratory values, dietary and lifestyle factors. Results: Of the total 4,177 individuals in this cross-sectional analysis, 11.6% of individuals report consuming scallops. The data show older individuals tended to consume scallops (p <0.001). Caucasian ethnicity was associated with scallop consumption (p< 0.0001), while Mexican Americans had a significantly negative association with scallop consumption (p< 0.0001). Scallop consumption was more common among married and divorced individuals (p<0.0001)). Regarding medical comorbidities, more scallop consumers had baseline underlying coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia as compared to those who did not consume (p= 0.0026, p< 0.0001, p=0.0023, p<0.0001). There was notably no significant association with baseline congestive heart failure, asthma or stroke history, and scallop consumption. Conclusion: Scallop consumption is likely associated with the prevalence of coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia. Prospective studies and clinical trials are needed to determine further the relationship between scallop consumption and cardiovascular health risk.

Introduction: A significant portion of patients with aortic stenosis (AS) have low-gradient AS (LGAS) defined as aortic valve area ≤ 1.0 cm 2 and a trans-aortic mean systolic gradient and peak velocity < 40 mmHg and < 4 m/s, respectively. LGAS has been shown previously to have worse mortality compared to high-gradient AS (HGAS). Etiologies for LGAS include diastolic dysfunction, heart failure, other significant valvular disease, and atrial fibrillation (AF). AF is associated with worse outcomes compared to sinus rhythm (SR) in HGAS. AF is common in LGAS, but whether AF is associated with worse outcomes versus SR in LGAS has not been elucidated. Hypothesis: We hypothesize that AF is associated with higher mortality compared to SR in patients with LGAS. Methods: We retrospectively identified and reviewed charts of patients who were diagnosed with LGAS on transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) from 2010-2020 at Mayo Clinic. Patient were classified according to rhythm at the time of TTE and history of AF was ascertained among those in SR. Patents were divided into 3 groups; SR without history of AF (group 1), SR with history of AF (group 2), and AF during TTE (group 3). Primary endpoints of overall mortality and cardiac mortality were ascertained. Results: A total of 3400 patients were included: n=2036 in group 1, n=519 in group 2, and n=845 in group 3. After adjusting for age, sex, and the Charlson index, group 2 and group 3 patient had significantly higher overall mortality (HR 1.22 and HR 1.52, respectively, p<0.0001 for both) and cardiac mortality (HR 1.37 and HR 2.05, respectively, p<0.0001 for both), Figure . Conclusions: In LGAS, AF is a significant prognostic indicator of overall mortality and cardiac mortality. LAGS associated with AF may need different management strategies given the higher mortality associated with the presence of AF.

Introduction: Epsilon wave, one of the major criteria for the diagnosis of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM), is present in only 30% of ACM patients. Fontaine Leads have been shown to facilitate the visualization of Epsilon waves. Hypothesis: Modified Fontaine leads may help in better visualization of Epsilon waves in ACM patients than standard Fontaine leads. Methods: We prospectively enrolled ACM patients under our follow-up. Fontaine and the modified Fontaine EKGs were recorded ( Figure 1A ). The duration and amplitude of Epsilon waves, when present, were measured. Duration-amplitude product (DAP) was computed and compared. Results: EKGs of seventeen patients were available for analysis. Four patients (24%) had an Epsilon wave on a 12 lead EKG. Thirteen patients (76%) had Epsilon waves either on 12 lead EKG or Fontaine modification leads. These 13 patients (10 males and 3 females; mean age: 40.5 ±13 years) were included in the analysis. ( Table 1 ) Epsilon waves were seen in 10 (77%) patients in Standard Fontaine Leads. In the rest of the modifications, Epsilon waves were seen in 85% (11), 77% (10), 80% (8), and 80% (8) in Right, Left, Right-Left, and Left-Right Fontaine leads, respectively. ( Table 1 ) In only one patient (8%), the Standard Fontaine Epsilon wave had maximum DAP. Right, Left, Right-Left, and Left-Right Fontaine leads had maximum DAP in 5 (39%), 3 (23%), 2 (20%), and 3 (30%) patients, respectively. Conclusions: A modified Fontaine lead position may facilitate the Epsilon wave visualization in patients suffering from ACM when standard EKG and Fontaine lead EKGs fail to do so. A well-designed randomized study may be needed to evaluate the utility of modified Fontaine Leads in ACM.