Association between common cardiovascular risk factors and clinical phenotype in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) EurObservational Research Programme (EORP) Cardiomyopathy/Myocarditis registry

AIMS

The interaction between common cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is poorly studied. We sought to explore the relation between CVRF and the clinical characteristics of patients with HCM enrolled in the EURObservational Research Programme (EORP) Cardiomyopathy registry.

METHODS AND RESULTS

1739 patients with HCM were studied. The relation between hypertension (HT), diabetes (DM), body mass index (BMI), and clinical traits was analysed. Analyses were stratified according to the presence or absence of a pathogenic variant in a sarcomere gene. The prevalence of HT, DM, and obesity (Ob) was 37, 10, and 21%, respectively. HT, DM, and Ob were associated with older age (P<0.001), less family history of HCM (HT and DM P<0.001), higher New York Heart Association (NYHA) class (P<0.001), atrial fibrillation (HT and DM P<0.001; Ob p = 0.03) and LV (left ventricular) diastolic dysfunction (HT and Ob P<0.001; DM P = 0.003). Stroke was more frequent in HT (P<0.001) and mutation-positive patients with DM (P = 0.02). HT and Ob were associated with higher provocable LV outflow tract gradients (HT P<0.001, Ob P = 0.036). LV hypertrophy was more severe in Ob (P = 0.018). HT and Ob were independently associated with NYHA class (OR 1.419, P = 0.017 and OR 1.584, P = 0.004, respectively). Other associations, including a higher proportion of females in HT and of systolic dysfunction in HT and Ob, were observed only in mutation-positive patients.

CONCLUSION

Common CVRF are associated with a more severe HCM phenotype, suggesting a proactive management of CVRF should be promoted. An interaction between genotype and CVRF was observed for some traits.

Monitoring testosterone replacement therapy with transdermal gel: when and how?

PURPOSE

Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is recommended for the treatment of most cases of male hypogonadism. Transdermal testosterone (T) gels are commonly used in clinical practice; however, there is little evidence concerning how to monitor dosage to bring and maintain serum T levels in the normal physiologic range.

METHODS

We examined 30 hypogonadal patients undergoing treatment with 40 mg/day transdermal 2% testosterone gel. After a week from treatment onset, all patients underwent a total of four measurements to assess serum total T, bioavailable T and free T at + 2 h (samples A and A') and + 23 h (samples B and B').

RESULTS

No significant difference was found concerning total, free and bioavailable T between the two samples taken at the same time points (A vs A' and B vs B'). A repeated-measures mixed effects regression model showed significantly lower serum levels of total, free and bioavailable T at + 23 h compared to + 2 h (total T, β = - 3.050 ± 0.704, p < 0.001; free T, β = - 85.187 ± 22.746, p < 0.001; bioavailable T, β = - 1.519 ± 0.497, p = 0.003) without a significant between-sample variability. Serum T > 3.5 ng/ml at + 2 h was reached in 21/30 patients (70%), but only 11 (36.7%) still had adequate serum T at + 23 h.

CONCLUSION

Assessment of TRT with transdermal gels at its peak and at its minimum could be useful in providing a finely tailored treatment for hypogonadal men, both preventing supra-physiological levels and maintaining adequate concentrations through the day.

[1st reported case of pneumothorax caused by sternal puncture]

The case of a woman aged 65 who presented pneumothorax following sternal marrow needle biopsy after diagnosis of thrombocytosis is reported. The complication was certainly attributable to the biopsy because chest X-ray immediately prior had been perfectly normal. No other cases of the kind have been reported. It is probable that this complication occurred because air passed into the pleural cavity, probably through a fracture rim at the internal face of the sternal bone trabeculae.