Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal abnormality encountered in clinical practice with 50%of them having associated congenital heart disease(CHD).Shunt lesions account for around 75%of all CHDs in Down syndrom...Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal abnormality encountered in clinical practice with 50%of them having associated congenital heart disease(CHD).Shunt lesions account for around 75%of all CHDs in Down syndrome.Down syndrome patients,especially with large shunts are particularly predisposed to early development of severe pulmonary hypertension(PH)compared with shunt lesions in general population.This necessitates timely surgical correction which remains the only viable option to prevent long term morbidity and mortality.However,despite clear recommendations,there is wide gap between actual practice and fear of underlying PH which often leads to surgical refusals in Down syndrome even when the shunt is reversible.Another peculiarity is that Down syndrome patients can develop PH even after successful correction of shunt.It is not uncommon to come across Down syndrome patients with uncorrected shunts in adulthood with irreversible PH at which stage intracardiac repair is contraindicated and the only option available is a combined heartlung transplant.However,despite the guidelines laid by authorities,the rates of cardiac transplant in adult Down syndrome remain dismal largely attributable to the high prevalence of intellectual disability in them.The index case presents a real-world scenario highlighting the impact of severe PH on treatment strategies and discrimination driven by the fear of worse outcomes in these patients.展开更多
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement(TAVR)has emerged as a formidable treatment option for severe symptomatic aortic stenosis ahead of surgical aortic valve replacement.The encouraging results from large randomized ...Transcatheter aortic valve replacement(TAVR)has emerged as a formidable treatment option for severe symptomatic aortic stenosis ahead of surgical aortic valve replacement.The encouraging results from large randomized controlled trials has resulted in an exponential rise in the use of TAVR even in the low-risk patients.However,this is not without challenges.Need for permanent pacemaker(PPM)post-TAVR remains the most frequent and clinically relevant challenge.Naturally,identifying risk factors which predispose an individual to develop high grade conduction block post-TAVR is important.Various demographic factors,electrocardiographic features,anatomic factors and procedural characteristics have all been linked to the development of advanced conduction block and need for PPM following TAVR.Amongst these electrophysiological variables,most notably a prolonged QRS>120 ms regardless of the type of conduction block seems to be one of the strongest predictors on logistic regression models.The index study by Nwaedozie et al highlights that patients requiring PPM post-TAVR had higher odds of having a baseline QRS>120 ms and were more likely to be having diabetes mellitus that those who did not require PPM.展开更多
The incidence of both atrial fibrillation(AF)and coronary artery disease(CAD)increases with advancing age.They share common risk factors and very often coexist.Evidence points to an intricate relationship between atri...The incidence of both atrial fibrillation(AF)and coronary artery disease(CAD)increases with advancing age.They share common risk factors and very often coexist.Evidence points to an intricate relationship between atrial tissue excitability and neuronal remodeling with ischemia at the microcirculatory level.In this review,we delineated this complex relationship,identified a common theme between the two,and discussed how the knowledge of this relationship translates into a positive and meaningful impact in patient management.Recent research indicates a high prevalence of CAD among AF patients undergoing coronary angiography.Further,the incidence of AF is much higher in those suffering from CAD compared to age-matched adults without CAD underlying this reciprocal relationship.CAD adversely affects AF by promoting progression via re-entry and increasing excitability of atrial tissue as a result of ischemia and electrical inhomogeneity.AF in turn accelerates atherosclerosis via endothelial dysfunctional and inflammation and together with enhanced thrombogenicity and hypercoagulability contribute to micro and macrothrombi throughout cardiovascular system.In a nutshell,the two form a vicious cycle wherein one disease promotes the other.Most AF recommendations focuses on rate/rhythm control and prevention of thromboembolism.Very few studies have discussed the importance of unmasking coexistent CAD and how the treatment of underlying ischemia will impact the burden of AF in these patients.Inflammation and endothelial dysfunction remain central to both disease processes and form a handsome therapeutic target in the management of the two diseases.The relationship between AF and CAD is complex and much more than mere coincidence.The two diseases share common risk factor and pathophysiology.Hence,it is impractical to treat them in isolation.Accordingly,we share the implications of managing underlying ischemia and inflammation to positively impact and improve quality of life among AF patients.展开更多
BACKGROUND Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic unmasked the huge deficit in healthcare resources worldwide.It highlighted the need for efficient risk stratification in management of cardiovascular emergencies.A...BACKGROUND Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic unmasked the huge deficit in healthcare resources worldwide.It highlighted the need for efficient risk stratification in management of cardiovascular emergencies.AIM To study the applicability of the old,available and affordable nonconventional biomarkers:albumin and fibrinogen in their ability to predict angiographic severity and clinical outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome(ACS).METHODS In this prospective,observational study,166 consecutive patients with ACS were enrolled.Fibrinogen,albumin and their ratio were determined from serum.Patients with underlying chronic liver disease,active malignancy,autoimmune disease,active COVID-19 infection and undergoing thrombolysis were excluded.RESULTS Mean age of the population was 60.5±1.5 years,74.1%being males.ST elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI)was most common presentation of ACS seen in 57%patients.Fibrinogen albumin ratio(FAR)≥19.2,had a sensitivity of 76.9%and specificity of 78.9%[area under the receiver operating characteristic curves(AUROC)=0.8,P=0.001]to predict≤thrombolysis in myocardial infarction(TIMI)1 flow in culprit artery in STEMI patients.Even in non-STEMI patients,FAR≥18.85 predicted the same with 80%sensitivity and 63%specificity(AUROC=0.715,P=0.006).CONCLUSION Novel biomarkers,with their high cost,lack of availability and long turn over time are impractical for real-world use.Identifying≤TIMI 1 flow in the culprit artery has significant impact of management and outcome.Our study has shown that readily available biomarkers like fibrinogen and albumin can help identify these high-risk patients with good accuracy.This allows risk-stratification and individualization of treatment in ACS.展开更多
The deleterious effects of long-term right ventricular pacing necessitated the search for alternative pacing sites which could prevent or alleviate pacinginduced cardiomyopathy.Until recently,biventricular pacing(BiVP...The deleterious effects of long-term right ventricular pacing necessitated the search for alternative pacing sites which could prevent or alleviate pacinginduced cardiomyopathy.Until recently,biventricular pacing(BiVP)was the only modality which could mitigate or prevent pacing induced dysfunction.Further,BiVP could resynchronize the baseline electromechanical dssynchrony in heart failure and improve outcomes.However,the high non-response rate of around 20%-30%remains a major limitation.This non-response has been largely attributable to the direct non-physiological stimulation of the left ventricular myocardium bypassing the conduction system.To overcome this limitation,the concept of conduction system pacing(CSP)came up.Despite initial success of the first CSP via His bundle pacing(HBP),certain drawbacks including lead instability and dislodgements,steep learning curve and rapid battery depletion on many occasions prevented its widespread use for cardiac resynchronization therapy(CRT).Subsequently,CSP via left bundle branch-area pacing(LBBP)was developed in 2018,which over the last few years has shown efficacy comparable to BiVP-CRT in small observational studies.Further,its safety has also been well established and is largely free of the pitfalls of the HBP-CRT.In the recent metanalysis by Yasmin et al,comprising of 6 studies with 389 participants,LBBPCRT was superior to BiVP-CRT in terms of QRS duration,left ventricular ejection fraction,cardiac chamber dimensions,lead thresholds,and functional status amongst heart failure patients with left bundle branch block.However,there are important limitations of the study including the small overall numbers,inclusion of only a single small randomized controlled trial(RCT)and a small follow-up duration.Further,the entire study population analyzed was from China which makes generalizability a concern.Despite the concerns,the meta-analysis adds to the growing body of evidence demonstrating the efficacy of LBBP-CRT.At this stage,one must acknowledge that the fact that still our opinions on this technique are largely based on observational data and there is a dire need for larger RCTs to ascertain the position of LBBPCRT in management of heart failure patients with left bundle branch block.展开更多
文摘Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal abnormality encountered in clinical practice with 50%of them having associated congenital heart disease(CHD).Shunt lesions account for around 75%of all CHDs in Down syndrome.Down syndrome patients,especially with large shunts are particularly predisposed to early development of severe pulmonary hypertension(PH)compared with shunt lesions in general population.This necessitates timely surgical correction which remains the only viable option to prevent long term morbidity and mortality.However,despite clear recommendations,there is wide gap between actual practice and fear of underlying PH which often leads to surgical refusals in Down syndrome even when the shunt is reversible.Another peculiarity is that Down syndrome patients can develop PH even after successful correction of shunt.It is not uncommon to come across Down syndrome patients with uncorrected shunts in adulthood with irreversible PH at which stage intracardiac repair is contraindicated and the only option available is a combined heartlung transplant.However,despite the guidelines laid by authorities,the rates of cardiac transplant in adult Down syndrome remain dismal largely attributable to the high prevalence of intellectual disability in them.The index case presents a real-world scenario highlighting the impact of severe PH on treatment strategies and discrimination driven by the fear of worse outcomes in these patients.
文摘Transcatheter aortic valve replacement(TAVR)has emerged as a formidable treatment option for severe symptomatic aortic stenosis ahead of surgical aortic valve replacement.The encouraging results from large randomized controlled trials has resulted in an exponential rise in the use of TAVR even in the low-risk patients.However,this is not without challenges.Need for permanent pacemaker(PPM)post-TAVR remains the most frequent and clinically relevant challenge.Naturally,identifying risk factors which predispose an individual to develop high grade conduction block post-TAVR is important.Various demographic factors,electrocardiographic features,anatomic factors and procedural characteristics have all been linked to the development of advanced conduction block and need for PPM following TAVR.Amongst these electrophysiological variables,most notably a prolonged QRS>120 ms regardless of the type of conduction block seems to be one of the strongest predictors on logistic regression models.The index study by Nwaedozie et al highlights that patients requiring PPM post-TAVR had higher odds of having a baseline QRS>120 ms and were more likely to be having diabetes mellitus that those who did not require PPM.
文摘The incidence of both atrial fibrillation(AF)and coronary artery disease(CAD)increases with advancing age.They share common risk factors and very often coexist.Evidence points to an intricate relationship between atrial tissue excitability and neuronal remodeling with ischemia at the microcirculatory level.In this review,we delineated this complex relationship,identified a common theme between the two,and discussed how the knowledge of this relationship translates into a positive and meaningful impact in patient management.Recent research indicates a high prevalence of CAD among AF patients undergoing coronary angiography.Further,the incidence of AF is much higher in those suffering from CAD compared to age-matched adults without CAD underlying this reciprocal relationship.CAD adversely affects AF by promoting progression via re-entry and increasing excitability of atrial tissue as a result of ischemia and electrical inhomogeneity.AF in turn accelerates atherosclerosis via endothelial dysfunctional and inflammation and together with enhanced thrombogenicity and hypercoagulability contribute to micro and macrothrombi throughout cardiovascular system.In a nutshell,the two form a vicious cycle wherein one disease promotes the other.Most AF recommendations focuses on rate/rhythm control and prevention of thromboembolism.Very few studies have discussed the importance of unmasking coexistent CAD and how the treatment of underlying ischemia will impact the burden of AF in these patients.Inflammation and endothelial dysfunction remain central to both disease processes and form a handsome therapeutic target in the management of the two diseases.The relationship between AF and CAD is complex and much more than mere coincidence.The two diseases share common risk factor and pathophysiology.Hence,it is impractical to treat them in isolation.Accordingly,we share the implications of managing underlying ischemia and inflammation to positively impact and improve quality of life among AF patients.
基金American college of Cardiology,No.3445007European society of Cardiology,No.1036629.
文摘BACKGROUND Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic unmasked the huge deficit in healthcare resources worldwide.It highlighted the need for efficient risk stratification in management of cardiovascular emergencies.AIM To study the applicability of the old,available and affordable nonconventional biomarkers:albumin and fibrinogen in their ability to predict angiographic severity and clinical outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome(ACS).METHODS In this prospective,observational study,166 consecutive patients with ACS were enrolled.Fibrinogen,albumin and their ratio were determined from serum.Patients with underlying chronic liver disease,active malignancy,autoimmune disease,active COVID-19 infection and undergoing thrombolysis were excluded.RESULTS Mean age of the population was 60.5±1.5 years,74.1%being males.ST elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI)was most common presentation of ACS seen in 57%patients.Fibrinogen albumin ratio(FAR)≥19.2,had a sensitivity of 76.9%and specificity of 78.9%[area under the receiver operating characteristic curves(AUROC)=0.8,P=0.001]to predict≤thrombolysis in myocardial infarction(TIMI)1 flow in culprit artery in STEMI patients.Even in non-STEMI patients,FAR≥18.85 predicted the same with 80%sensitivity and 63%specificity(AUROC=0.715,P=0.006).CONCLUSION Novel biomarkers,with their high cost,lack of availability and long turn over time are impractical for real-world use.Identifying≤TIMI 1 flow in the culprit artery has significant impact of management and outcome.Our study has shown that readily available biomarkers like fibrinogen and albumin can help identify these high-risk patients with good accuracy.This allows risk-stratification and individualization of treatment in ACS.
文摘The deleterious effects of long-term right ventricular pacing necessitated the search for alternative pacing sites which could prevent or alleviate pacinginduced cardiomyopathy.Until recently,biventricular pacing(BiVP)was the only modality which could mitigate or prevent pacing induced dysfunction.Further,BiVP could resynchronize the baseline electromechanical dssynchrony in heart failure and improve outcomes.However,the high non-response rate of around 20%-30%remains a major limitation.This non-response has been largely attributable to the direct non-physiological stimulation of the left ventricular myocardium bypassing the conduction system.To overcome this limitation,the concept of conduction system pacing(CSP)came up.Despite initial success of the first CSP via His bundle pacing(HBP),certain drawbacks including lead instability and dislodgements,steep learning curve and rapid battery depletion on many occasions prevented its widespread use for cardiac resynchronization therapy(CRT).Subsequently,CSP via left bundle branch-area pacing(LBBP)was developed in 2018,which over the last few years has shown efficacy comparable to BiVP-CRT in small observational studies.Further,its safety has also been well established and is largely free of the pitfalls of the HBP-CRT.In the recent metanalysis by Yasmin et al,comprising of 6 studies with 389 participants,LBBPCRT was superior to BiVP-CRT in terms of QRS duration,left ventricular ejection fraction,cardiac chamber dimensions,lead thresholds,and functional status amongst heart failure patients with left bundle branch block.However,there are important limitations of the study including the small overall numbers,inclusion of only a single small randomized controlled trial(RCT)and a small follow-up duration.Further,the entire study population analyzed was from China which makes generalizability a concern.Despite the concerns,the meta-analysis adds to the growing body of evidence demonstrating the efficacy of LBBP-CRT.At this stage,one must acknowledge that the fact that still our opinions on this technique are largely based on observational data and there is a dire need for larger RCTs to ascertain the position of LBBPCRT in management of heart failure patients with left bundle branch block.
