Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in pregnancy: Nationwide analysis of patients characteristics and outcomes

INTRODUCTION

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) poses unique challenges in the management of pregnant patients due to the complex interplay of physiological changes of pregnancy. Despite its relatively low prevalence among pregnant women, HCM can significantly impact maternal and fetal outcomes. This study aims to enhance understanding of pregnant patients with HCM and the associated outcomes through a nationwide analysis of patient characteristics and outcomes.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted using data obtained from the Agency for Healthcare Research in Quality (AHRQ) Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database from January 2016 to December 2020. 3,599,855 pregnant patients without HCM and 187 pregnant patients with HCM were identified using International Classification of Disease (ICD) codes, and baseline characteristics, medical comorbidities, and outcomes were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

Significant differences were observed in baseline characteristics, including age distribution, racial composition, and prevalence of systemic organ disease, between pregnant women with and without HCM. Women with HCM had higher odds of experiencing maternal complications, such as acute heart failure and peripartum cardiomyopathy, as well as higher rates of fetal distress and obstetric interventions, including preterm delivery and caesarean section.

CONCLUSION

Comprehensive cardiovascular assessment and risk stratification are essential in pregnant women with HCM to optimize maternal and fetal outcomes. Moreover, disparities in baseline characteristics and outcomes among black pregnant women with HCM highlight the need for a multifactorial approach to addressing pregnancy-related complications.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Peripheral Vascular Disease Admissions Using a Nationally Representative Sample

Our study aimed to identify clinical outcomes and resource utilization associated with race and ethnicity in patients admitted with peripheral vascular disease (PVD) across the United States. We queried the National Inpatient Sample database from 2015 to 2019 and identified 622,820 patients admitted with PVD. Patients across 3 major race and ethnic categories were compared in terms of baseline characteristics, inpatient outcomes, and resource utilization. Black and Hispanic patients were more likely to be younger and of the lowest median income but incur higher total hospital costs. Black race predicted higher rates of acute kidney injury, need for blood transfusion, and need for vasopressor but lower rates of circulatory shock, and mortality. Black and Hispanic patients were less likely to undergo limb-salvaging procedures and more likely to undergo amputation than White patients. In conclusion, our findings indicate that Black and Hispanic patients experience health disparities in resource utilization and inpatient outcomes for PVD admissions.

Rare Variant of Meigs Syndrome Associated With Pericardial Effusion

Meigs syndrome is an uncommon entity associated with benign ovarian tumor, pleural effusion, and ascites. Its association with pericardial effusion is extremely rare. We report a case of Meigs syndrome associated with recurrent pericardial effusion that resolved after surgical resection of the ovarian tumor. (Level of Difficulty: Beginner.).

Pregnancy and Fetal Outcomes in Patients with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: A Nationally Representative Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Cardiovascular (CV) disease remains one of the leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality globally. CV complications occur frequently in Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). Pregnancy outcomes, however, are not well established in patients with EDS. We aim to evaluate pregnancy outcomes in this population compared to patients without EDS.

METHODS

We conducted a population-based, retrospective, cohort study using the national inpatient data sample to evaluate and compare pregnancy and fetal outcomes in patients with and without EDS, delivering between 2016 and 2019. Regression analysis was performed and adjusted for maternal age and race to compare maternal and fetal outcomes.

RESULTS

Of the total 5,887,050 births in our cohort, 1,016 were to patients with EDS. The EDS cohort was more likely to be older and white with multiple gestations and comorbidities, such as smoking, mitral valve prolapse, and chronic hypertension. When we adjusted for age and race, patients with EDS were more likely than those without EDS to require Cesarean-section, develop postpartum hemorrhage, experience intrauterine growth restriction, and deliver preterm.

CONCLUSION

In this nationally representative study, patients with EDS experienced higher rates of maternal complications, however, aortic aneurysmal rupture was not among them. Further studies regarding each type of EDS and its obstetric complications may aid in pre-pregnancy counseling, antenatal care, and formulating a multidisciplinary obstetric approach for this patient population.

SHORT ABSTRACT

Cardiovascular complications occur frequently in Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). Pregnancy outcomes, however, are not well established in patients with EDS. We conducted a population-based, retrospective, cohort study using the national inpatient sample to compare pregnancy and fetal outcomes in patients with and without EDS, delivering between 2016 and 2019. Regression analysis was performed and adjusted for maternal age and race to compare both groups. Of the total 5,887,050 births in our cohort, 1,016 were to patients with EDS. The EDS cohort was more likely to be older, white and have multiple comorbidities, such as smoking, mitral valve prolapse, and chronic hypertension. When we adjusted for age and race, patients with EDS were more likely than those without EDS to require Cesarean-section, develop postpartum hemorrhage, experience intrauterine growth restriction, and deliver preterm. In this study, patients with EDS experienced higher rates of maternal complications, however, aortic aneurysmal rupture was not among them.

Relationship Between Body Mass Index and Outcomes in Acute Myocardial Infarction

Background

The prevalence of obesity in the United States is high. Obesity is one of the leading risk factors in the development of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Nevertheless, how obesity impacts AMI in-hospital outcomes remains controversial.

Methods

Using National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database, we identified patients diagnosed with AMI from the year 2015 to 2018. We divided these patients into five subgroups based on their body mass index (BMI). We compared outcomes such as mortality, length of inpatient stay, and inpatient complications between our subgroups. Statistical analysis was done using the program STATA. Our nationally representative analysis included 561,535 patients who had an AMI event across various weight classes.

Results

Most of our sample was obese (BMI > 30 kg/m²) and male. Obese patients were significantly younger than the rest. Length of stay (LOS) for AMI was highest for those with a BMI of less than 24 kg/m². In-hospital mortality is highest for those with a BMI of < 30 kg/m² and lowest for those with a BMI of 30 - 40 kg/m². Inpatient complications are highest in the lower BMI population (BMI < 24 kg/m²).

Conclusion

The current analysis of a nationally representative sample showed the clinical implications of BMI in patients with AMI. Patients with a BMI of 30 - 40 kg/m² had more favorable LOS, inpatient complications, and in-hospital mortality when compared to those with an ideal body weight. Hence, this supports and expands on the concept of the "obesity paradox". Further studies are needed to further investigate the possible mechanism behind this.

Disparities in the Prescription of Statins in the Primary Care Setting: A Retrospective Observational Study

OBJECTIVE

Despite the high disease burden of atherosclerosis, evidence exists for the disparity in the prescription of guideline-indicated medications between genders, racial groups, socioeconomic groups, and ages. We aim to perform a retrospective study looking at the disparity in statin prescription for primary and secondary prevention in these groups.

METHODS

Data were collected from a single center and included patients with an LDL level> 190 mg/dL, diagnosis of diabetes mellitus with LDL level >70 mg/dL, and diagnosis of cardiovascular disease regardless of LDL level. Patients older than 75 or younger than 21 were excluded from the study. Complex samples multivariable logistic and linear regression models were used to calculate the adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence interval.

RESULTS

The total study population was n=56,995. Of those, 57.89% (n=32,992) were female. Only 59.56 % of these patients for whom statin therapy was indicated received it. Most patients were White (53.21%) followed by African Americans (35.98%), Asians (2.43%), American Indian/Native Alaskans (0.40%), and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (0.18%). There is a clear disparity in statin prescription favoring males, the elderly, and people of white ethnicity. Interestingly, Asians were more likely to be prescribed statins as opposed to whites. Self-pay patients were more likely to receive statins than patients on Medicare.

CONCLUSION

Despite being indicated, Statins are underprescribed. Disparities based on race, gender, and insurance type mirror previous trends in the literature. Some results have shown a reversal in trends such as the higher prescription for Asian-Americans. Multiple patient-specific, provider-related, institutional factors might explain these disparities and must be investigated.

Predicting the Severity and Outcome of Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn Using New Echocardiography Parameters

OBJECTIVE

To examine echocardiographic (ECHO) parameters correlation with clinical severity indices, Alveolar- arterial gradient (A-a gradient), oxygenation index (OI) and clinical outcomes in newborns with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN).

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study of 67 subjects, >35 weeks' gestation with the diagnosis of PPHN admitted to the University of Kentucky neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) between September 2014 and December 2016.

RESULTS

High left ventricular end-systolic eccentricity index (EIs) correlates with the overall clinical severity of PPHN as it is associated with higher A-a gradient and OI (p=0.0003 and p<0.0001, respectively). Elevated EIs was also predictive for the use of inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) (p=0.0004 and p<0.0001, respectively). EIs value of >1.38 provides cutoff value as an objective marker for the need for ECMO.

CONCLUSION

EIs can be used to assess clinical severity and outcomes and should be reported routinely. Further studies are warranted to confirm these results.

Transfemoral aortic valve replacement in a nonagenarian with aortic stenosis and cardiac amyloidosis: case report

BACKGROUND

Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is diagnosed with increasing frequency in the elderly population with severe aortic stenosis (AS), especially with the low-flow, low- gradient phenotype. Prognosis is poor with no treatment.

CASE PRESENTATION

The patient is a 94-year-old active male who presented with a stroke that fully resolved. He was found to have low-flow, low-gradient severe AS, along with concomitant CA. Gradients across the aortic valve worsened with the dobutamine challenge test. He underwent successful transfemoral aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and did well postoperatively, where he remained in the hospital for only one day. Treatment of his CA with Tafamidis was recommended; however, the patient declined due to its cost and personal preference.

CONCLUSION

To our knowledge, we report on one of the oldest patients to undergo TAVR for low-flow, low-gradient AS with concurrent CA (AS-CA). It might be prudent to screen elderly patients with AS for CA, as prognosis is worse with medical management alone. TAVR has overall improved survival in patients with AS-CA and is considered the procedure of choice, as these patients are typically older and at higher risk for surgical intervention.

Exhaustion of coronary vasodilatory reserve in the resting state: Clinical characteristics and long-term outcomes after intervention

OBJECTIVES/BACKGROUND

Resting coronary blood flow approximates flow with maximal vasodilation in very severe coronary stenosis. We studied the incidence of exhausted vasodilatory reserve by FFR, its clinical characteristics and long-term prognosis after FFR guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

METHODS

Consecutive patients undergoing FFR-guided PCI for coronary stenosis with reduced resting blood flow (baseline Pd/Pa < 0.8) were included. Basal maximal vasodilation (BMV) was defined as less than 5% difference between resting Pd/Pa and FFR, that is, FFR-baseline Pd/Pa < 0.05.

RESULTS

Of 658 vessels that underwent FFR-guided PCI in 602 patients, 151 vessels had resting blood flow in the ischemic range (baseline Pd/Pa ≤ 0.8) and were included in the analysis. Of these, 28 lesions in 28 patients met criteria for BMV (4.25% of the entire registry and 18.5% of those with the reduced basal coronary flow). Stenosis severity was a significant predictor of the presence of BMV. In long term follow-up (median 106 ± 3.6 months), BMV was not associated with increased target vessel revascularization (TVR) or major adverse cardiac event compared to non-BMV(OR 1.9, 95% CI 0.7-4.8, p-value 0.2 and OR 1.3, 95% CI 0.75-2.5, p = 0.3, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Low baseline Pd/Pa that approximates fractional flow reserve (exhausted vasodilatory reserve) defines a subgroup of patients with severe coronary artery stenosis. Prognosis, when treated with PCI along with medical therapy, appears similar to those with intact vasodilatory reserve.

Illusion of coronary artery chronic total occlusion-associated ventricular arrhythmia: results from a multi-centre study

Background/Introduction

Coronary artery chronic total occlusion (CTO) is frequently encountered in patients with established coronary artery disease (CAD) with a reported incidence of more than thirty percent in this population (1). A previous large single-centre study established CTO as an independent risk factor for occurrence of ventricular arrhythmia in patients with ICD and ischemic heart disease (2). The significance of CTO in all-comers has not been investigated. In this large retrospective data, it was analysed that there is no significant difference in ventricular arrhythmia occurrence in patients with CTO versus those with CAD and no CTO.

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the association between CTO and ventricular arrhythmia in patients with CAD using a pooled de-identified database.

Methods

This retrospective observational study used IBM Explorys, which is a pooled de-identified multi-institutional database of more than 60 million unique patients in the United States. A search was done to identify patients with CTO and those with CAD with the exclusion of CTO diagnosis. The data were analysed for ventricular tachycardia (VT) and/or ventricular fibrillation (VF) occurrence. The data were stratified by presence of systolic HF to identify possible effect modification. Statistical analysis was performed by calculating odds ratios (OR) with associated confidence intervals.

Results

Among the 190 patients with the diagnosis of CTO, 11.8% had VT/VF. Of the 2,796,600 patients with CAD and no CTO, 6.9% had VT/VF. The diagnosis of CTO was associated with an increased risk for VT/VF with OR 1.7143 (1.0786, 2.7247), p&lt;0.05. Upon stratification by presence or absence of systolic HF, there was no statistically significant difference in occurrence of VT/VF in the two strata. In the systolic HF group, the OR was 1.4331 (0.6708, 3.0619), p=0.47; the no systolic HF group had OR 0.9717 (0.5123, 1.843), p=0.92. In patients with CAD, the diagnosis of systolic HF was associated with an increased risk of CTO with OR 2.5616 (1.7268, 3.7999), p&lt;0.05.

Conclusion

Stratification by presence or absence of systolic HF yielded inconsistent and statistically insignificant odds ratios compared to the all-comers group, suggesting effect modification by HF with no statistically significant association between CTO and VT/VF. These findings from this large multicentre retrospective data suggest that CTO itself is not an independent risk factor for ventricular arrhythmia in patients with CAD. Limitations of this study include that it is a retrospective pooled analysis without individualised data on ejection fraction and the inability to distinguish if the CTO was infarct-related. Further prospective studies are needed to evaluate the significance of CTO in patients with CAD as it pertains to ventricular arrhythmia.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

Role of Vasodilator Therapy in Acute Heart Failure

Over the past decade, several trials have questioned the efficacy of vasodilator therapy in acute heart failure (AHF) in the absence of uncontrolled hypertension. In this article, we provide a unique review of the most valuable four trials that present the role of vasodilator therapy in the management of patients with AHF. These four trials have evaluated the efficacy of different types of vasodilators such as nesiritide, ulatritide, and serelaxin in the setting of AHF. Also, we compared comprehensive vasodilator therapy versus standard therapy to see if there is any effect on mortality and re-hospitalization.

How the COVID-19 Pandemic Has Affected Cardiology Fellow Training

With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, resources have been reallocated and elective cases have been deferred to minimize the spread of the disease, altering the workflow of cardiac catheterization laboratories across the country. This has in turn affected the training experience of cardiology fellows, including diminished procedure numbers and a narrow breadth of cases as they approach the end of their training before joining independent practice. It has also taken a toll on the emotional well-being of fellows as they see their colleagues, loved ones, patients or even themselves struggling with COVID-19, with some succumbing to it. The aim of this opinion piece is to focus attention on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on fellows and their training, challenges faced as they transition to practicing in the real world in the near future and share the lessons learned thus far. We believe that this is an important contribution and would be of interest not only to cardiology fellows-in-training and cardiologists but also trainees in other procedural specialties.

Refining Telemedicine: A Plea From Healthcare Workers During a Pandemic

Telemedicine has been in existence for decades with little traction for global mainstream medicine. However, COVID-19 has exposed the importance of providing continued care for patients while minimizing the risk of exposure during pandemics. There has been robust growth in the use of telemedicine since the pandemic began, rendering safety in care provided by minimizing exposure to patients and healthcare workers. There has been tremendous growth and innovation in various digital applications that facilitate telehealth as the platforms continue to improve. Even in the absence of a pandemic, telemedicine allows for care of patients who may live in remote areas or have issues with transportation and comorbidities prohibiting ambulation.

This study is based on a questionnaire for healthcare providers who have been exposed to telemedicine during COVID-19. A survey was shared in social media forums involving groups of physicians and nurse practitioners who were willing to take the survey.

Telemedicine is one of the best approaches to handling situations like pandemics or disease surges. In these circumstances, a virtual visit is beneficial for social distancing if a laptop, smartphone, or tablet is available, along with internet or cellular coverage.

This survey was conducted among healthcare workers of various specialties and it was found out that there was a considerable impetus for the continued benefit from telemedicine as an alternative to in-person visits for selected patients.

Ongoing improvements in the quality of applications/tools, education, and cost are essential to maintain telemedicine. There is also a constant necessity for vast improvements in healthcare policies and reimbursements to allow for telemedicine to evolve.

Retrograde recanalization of a nonchronic total occlusion lesion

The use of the retrograde approach to treat chronic total occlusion (CTO) has improved overall success rate in this lesion subgroup. Its use to treat complex non-CTO lesions unable to be revascularized by an antegrade approach has not been described. We report a case of the use of the retrograde approach to recanalize a non-CTO lesion under Impella support in a patient with critical stenosis and poor left ventricular function. The retrograde approach may be an alternate pathway in selected non-CTO lesions where the antegrade has been unsuccessful.