Citations

Objective Female sex is a known risk factor for cardiac surgery, and tricuspid valve (TV) disease is more common in women. There are few data on sex-stratified surgical outcomes for isolated TV surgery. An administrative database was used to compare acute in-hospital outcomes between men and women undergoing isolated TV surgery. Methods Patients aged >18 who underwent TV repair or replacement from 2004 to 2013 were identified using the National Inpatient Sample. Patients were excluded if they had congenital heart disease, endocarditis, or were undergoing concomitant cardiac surgeries except coronary bypass. Results were weighted to represent national averages. Sex-stratified analysis was performed using propensity score matching to compare in-hospital mortality, postoperative complications and hospital costs. Results Over 10 years, women represented 58% of the 5005 TV surgeries performed. With propensity matching, hospital mortality (7.9% vs 7.7%; P=0.99) and median length of stay (11 vs 11 days; P=0.99) were similar between men and women. However, median hospital charges were higher for men ($166 000 vs $155 000; P=0.04). Conclusion Isolated TV surgery is rare, but women more commonly undergo the procedure. In-hospital mortality was similar between men and women after propensity matching, but remains markedly high for both men and women in comparison to that reported for left-sided isolated valve surgery.

Uric acid is a risk factor for coronary artery disease in postmenopausal women, but the association with inflammation and coronary endothelial dysfunction (CED) is not well defined. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship of serum uric acid (SUA), inflammatory markers, and CED. In this prospective cohort study, SUA, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels, and neutrophil count were measured in 229 postmenopausal women who underwent diagnostic catheterization, were found to have no obstructive coronary artery disease, and underwent coronary microvascular function testing, to measure coronary blood flow response to intracoronary acetylcholine. The average age was 58 years (interquartile range, 52–66 years). Hypertension was present in 48%, type 2 diabetes mellitus in 5.6%, and hyperlipidemia in 61.8%. CED was diagnosed in 59% of postmenopausal women. Mean uric acid level was 4.7±1.3 mg/dL. Postmenopausal women with CED had significantly higher SUA compared with patients without CED (4.9±1.3 versus 4.4±1.3 mg/dL; P =0.02). There was a significant correlation between SUA and percent change in coronary blood flow to acetylcholine ( P =0.009), and this correlation persisted in multivariable analysis. SUA levels were significantly associated with increased neutrophil count ( P =0.02) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels ( P =0.006) among patients with CED, but not among those without CED. SUA is associated with CED in postmenopausal women and may be related to inflammation. These findings link SUA levels to early coronary atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women.

Background Endothelial dysfunction is an early stage of atherosclerosis. Single‐nucleotide polymorphisms ( SNP s) have been associated with vascular dysfunction, cardiac events, and coronary artery remodeling. We aimed to detect SNP s associated with endothelial dysfunction and determine whether these associations are sex specific. Methods and Results Six hundred forty‐three subjects without significant obstructive coronary artery disease underwent invasive coronary endothelial function assessment. We collected data from 1536 SNP s that had previously been associated with vasoreactivity, angiogenesis, inflammation, artery calcification, atherosclerotic risk factors, insulin resistance, hormone levels, blood coagulability, or with coronary heart disease. Coronary vascular reactivity was assessed by the percent change in coronary artery diameter ≤ −20% after an intracoronary bolus injection of acetylcholine on invasive coronary physiology study. SNP s significantly associated with coronary epicardial endothelial dysfunction were ADORA 1 , KCNQ 1 , and DNAJC 4 in the whole cohort, LPA , MYBPH , ADORA 3 , and PON 1 in women and KIF 6 and NFKB 1 in men ( P <0.01). Conclusions We have identified several significant SNP s that are associated with an increased risk of coronary endothelial dysfunction. These associations appear to be sex specific and may explain gender‐related differences in development of atherosclerosis.

ObjectivesWe aimed to assess the utility of changes in systolic and diastolic function by isoproterenol challenge in predicting symptom resolution post‐myectomy in selected patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and labile obstruction.BackgroundIn a subset of symptomatic HCM patients without resting/provocable obstruction on noninvasive assessment, isoproterenol challenge during hemodynamic catheterization may elicit labile left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction, and demonstrate the effect of obstruction on diastolic function. These changes may determine whether patients achieve complete symptom resolution post‐myectomy.MethodsBetween February 2003 and April 2009, 18 symptomatic HCM patients without LVOT obstruction on noninvasive testing underwent isoproterenol provocation and septal myectomy due to presence of provocable gradient and were followed for 4 (IQR 3–7) years.ResultsThirteen (72.2%) had complete symptom resolution, while 5 (27.8%) had improved, but persistent symptoms. Those with provoked gradient >100 mm Hg or increase in left atrial pressure (LAP) with isoproterenol had symptom resolution.ConclusionsSymptomatic HCM patients without LVOT gradient on noninvasive testing may demonstrate labile obstruction with isoproterenol. With isoproterenol, patients with high LVOT gradient or increase in LAP concomitant with an increase in gradient achieved complete symptom resolution post‐myectomy. Thus, improved diastolic filling as well as outflow gradient production in patients with HCM may predict symptom response to myectomy. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

ObjectivesTo determine the feasibility of automated co‐registration of angiography and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) to facilitate integration of these two imaging modalities in a synchronous manner.BackgroundIVUS provides cross‐sectional imaging of coronary arteries but lacks overview of the vascular territory provided by angiography. Co‐registration of angiography and IVUS would increase utility of IVUS in the clinical setting.MethodsForty‐nine consecutive patients undergoing surveillance for cardiac allograft vasculopathy with angiography and IVUS of the left anterior descending artery (LAD) were enrolled. A pre‐IVUS angiogram of the LAD was performed followed by an ECG‐triggered fluoroscopy (ECGTF) during IVUS pullback at 0.5 mm/s using an automatic pullback device. ECGTF was used to track the IVUS catheter during pullback and establish a spatial relationship to the pre‐IVUS angiogram. Angio‐IVUS co‐registration was performed with a research prototype (Siemens Healthcare, Germany) and accuracy was evaluated by distance mismatch between angiography and IVUS images at vessel bifurcations.ResultsMedian age was 54 (44.5, 67) years. The population was 82.6% male with minimal risk factors. The median (IQR) co‐registration distance mismatch measured at 108 bifurcations in 42 (85%) patients was 0.35 (0.00–1.16) mm. Seven patients were excluded due to inappropriate data acquisition (n = 3) and failure of tracking (n = 4), e.g., due to overlapping sternal wires. Estimated effective radiation dose for ECGTF was 0.09 mSv.ConclusionThis study demonstrates the feasibility of angio‐IVUS co‐registration which may be used as a clinical tool for localizing IVUS cross‐sections along an angiographic roadmap. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Background— Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is an increasingly recognized nonatherosclerotic cause of acute coronary syndrome. The angiographic characteristics of SCAD are largely undetermined. The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of coronary tortuosity in SCAD and whether it may be implicated in the disease. Methods and Results— Patients with confirmed SCAD (n=246; 45.3±8.9 years; 96% women) and 313 control patients without SCAD or coronary artery disease who underwent coronary angiography were included in this case–control study. Angiograms were reviewed for coronary tortuosity and assigned a tortuosity score. Tortuosity was common in patients presenting with their first SCAD event (78% versus 17% in controls; P <0.0001; tortuosity score, 4.41±1.73 versus 2.33±1.49 in controls; P <0.0001) despite a low prevalence of hypertension (34%). Recurrent SCAD (n=40) occurred within segments of tortuosity in 80% of cases. Severe tortuosity (≥2 consecutive curvatures ≥180°) was associated with a higher risk of recurrent SCAD (hazard ratio, 3.29; 95% confidence interval, 0.99–8.29; P =0.05). Tortuosity score >5 was associated with a trend toward higher risk of recurrent SCAD ( P =0.16). Prespecified angiographic markers of tortuosity including corkscrew appearance and multivessel symmetrical tortuosity were associated with extracoronary vasculopathy including fibromuscular dysplasia ( P <0.05 for both). Conclusions— Coronary artery tortuosity is highly prevalent in the SCAD population and is associated with recurrent SCAD. Recurrent SCAD most often occurs within segments of tortuosity. Angiographic features of SCAD are associated with extracoronary vasculopathy, including fibromuscular dysplasia. These findings suggest that coronary tortuosity may serve as a marker or potential mechanism for SCAD.