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Introduction: The World Stroke Organization (WSO) Brain & Heart Task Force developed the Brain & hEart globAl iniTiative (BEAT), a pilot feasibility implementation program to establish clinical collaborations between cardiologists and stroke physicians who work at large healthcare facilities. Methods: The WSO BEAT pilot project focused on atrial fibrillation (AF) and patent foramen ovale (PFO) detection and management, and poststroke cardiovascular complications known as the stroke-heart syndrome. The program included 10 sites from 8 countries: Brazil, China, Egypt, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Romania, and the USA The primary composite feasibility outcome was the achievement of the following 3 implementation metrics (1) developing site-specific clinical pathways for the diagnosis and management of AF, PFO, and the stroke-heart syndrome; (2) establishing regular Neurocardiology rounds (e.g., monthly); and (3) incorporating a cardiologist to the stroke team. The secondary objectives were (1) to identify implementation challenges to guide a larger program and (2) to describe qualitative improvements. Results: The WSO BEAT pilot feasibility program achieved the prespecified primary composite outcome in 9 of 10 (90%) sites. The most common challenges were the limited access to specific medications (e.g., direct oral anticoagulants) and diagnostic (e.g., prolonged cardiac monitoring) or therapeutic (e.g., PFO closure devices) technologies. The most relevant qualitative improvement was the achievement of a more homogeneous diagnostic and therapeutic approach. Conclusion: The WSO BEAT pilot program suggests that developing neurocardiology collaborations is feasible. The long-term sustainability of the WSO BEAT program and its impact on quality of stroke care and clinical outcomes needs to be tested in a larger and longer duration program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is an increasingly recognized cause of acute coronary syndrome. Guidance regarding the optimal management of patients with SCAD has been published over the past 10 years, but the impact on clinical practice has not been evaluated. The present study aims to examine if approaches to invasive management, medical therapy, and vascular imaging have changed over time. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of 157 patients treated for SCAD between 2005 and 2019 at an academic health system in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We aimed to examine change in management over time, including rates of coronary revascularization, discharge medications, and vascular imaging. Results: Conservative management of SCAD increased over time from 35% before 2013 to 89% in 2019, p < 0.001. Revascularization was associated with younger age, pregnancy-associated SCAD, and lesions of the left main artery, left anterior descending artery, and multiple vessels, p < 0.05 for all. Partial imaging for extracoronary vascular abnormalities ranged from 33% before 2013 to 71% in 2018, p = 0.146. The rate of comprehensive vascular imaging (cross-sectional head to pelvis imaging) remained low in all time categories (10–18%) and did not change over time. Patients who underwent comprehensive imaging were more likely to be diagnosed with fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) compared to those with partial imaging (63% vs 15%, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Management of spontaneous coronary artery dissection has changed over time. More patients are being managed conservatively and undergo screening for extracoronary vascular abnormalities such as FMD. Future efforts should focus on improving rates of comprehensive vascular screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) afflicts >350,000 people annually in the United States. While postarrest coronary angiography (CAG) with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been associated with improved survival in observational cohorts, substantial uncertainty exists regarding patient selection for postarrest CAG. We tested the hypothesis that symptoms consistent with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), including chest discomfort, prior to OHCAs are associated with significant coronary lesions identified on postarrest CAG. Methods: We conducted a multicenter retrospective cohort study among eight regional hospitals. Adult patients who experienced atraumatic OHCA with successful initial resuscitation and subsequent CAG between January 2015 and December 2019 were included. We collected data on prehospital documentation of potential ACS symptoms prior to OHCA as well as clinical factors readily available during postarrest care. The primary outcome in multivariable regression modeling was the presence of significant coronary lesions (defined as >50% stenosis of left main or >75% stenosis of other coronary arteries). Results: Four‐hundred patients were included. Median (interquartile range) age was 59 (51–69) years; 31% were female. At least one significant stenosis was found in 62%, of whom 71% received PCI. Clinical factors independently associated with a significant lesion included a history of myocardial infarction (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 6.5, [95% confidence interval {CI} = 1.3 to 32.4], p = 0.02), prearrest chest discomfort (aOR = 4.8 [95% CI = 2.1 to 11.8], p ≤ 0.001), ST‐segment elevations (aOR = 3.2 [95% CI = 1.7 to 6.3], p < 0.001), and an initial shockable rhythm (aOR = 1.9 [95% CI = 1.0 to 3.4], p = 0.05). Conclusions: Among survivors of OHCA receiving CAG, history of prearrest chest discomfort was significantly and independently associated with significant coronary artery lesions on postarrest CAG. This suggests that we may be able to use prearrest symptoms to better risk stratify patients following OHCA to decide who will benefit from invasive angiography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Aims: Enhanced risk stratification of patients with aortic stenosis (AS) is necessary to identify patients at high risk for adverse outcomes, and may allow for better management of patient subgroups at high risk of myocardial damage. The objective of this study was to identify plasma biomarkers and multimarker profiles associated with adverse outcomes in AS. Methods and results: We studied 708 patients with calcific AS and measured 49 biomarkers using a Luminex platform. We studied the correlation between biomarkers and the risk of (i) death and (ii) death or heart failure‐related hospital admission (DHFA). We also utilized machine‐learning methods (a tree‐based pipeline optimizer platform) to develop multimarker models associated with the risk of death and DHFA. In this cohort with a median follow‐up of 2.8 years, multiple biomarkers were significantly predictive of death in analyses adjusted for clinical confounders, including tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α [hazard ratio (HR) 1.28, P < 0.0001], TNF receptor 1 (TNFRSF1A; HR 1.38, P < 0.0001), fibroblast growth factor (FGF)‐23 (HR 1.22, P < 0.0001), N‐terminal pro B‐type natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) (HR 1.58, P < 0.0001), matrix metalloproteinase‐7 (HR 1.24, P = 0.0002), syndecan‐1 (HR 1.27, P = 0.0002), suppression of tumorigenicity‐2 (ST2) (IL1RL1; HR 1.22, P = 0.0002), interleukin (IL)‐8 (CXCL8; HR 1.22, P = 0.0005), pentraxin (PTX)‐3 (HR 1.17, P = 0.001), neutrophil gelatinase‐associated lipocalin (LCN2; HR 1.18, P < 0.0001), osteoprotegerin (OPG) (TNFRSF11B; HR 1.26, P = 0.0002), and endostatin (COL18A1; HR 1.28, P = 0.0012). Several biomarkers were also significantly predictive of DHFA in adjusted analyses including FGF‐23 (HR 1.36, P < 0.0001), TNF‐α (HR 1.26, P < 0.0001), TNFR1 (HR 1.34, P < 0.0001), angiopoietin‐2 (HR 1.26, P < 0.0001), syndecan‐1 (HR 1.23, P = 0.0006), ST2 (HR 1.27, P < 0.0001), IL‐8 (HR 1.18, P = 0.0009), PTX‐3 (HR 1.18, P = 0.0002), OPG (HR 1.20, P = 0.0013), and NT‐proBNP (HR 1.63, P < 0.0001). Machine‐learning multimarker models were strongly associated with adverse outcomes (mean 1‐year probability of death of 0%, 2%, and 60%; mean 1‐year probability of DHFA of 0%, 4%, 97%; P < 0.0001). In these models, IL‐6 (a biomarker of inflammation) and FGF‐23 (a biomarker of calcification) emerged as the biomarkers of highest importance. Conclusions: Plasma biomarkers are strongly associated with the risk of adverse outcomes in patients with AS. Biomarkers of inflammation and calcification were most strongly related to prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is the third leading cause of cardiovascular mortality. The management of PE is currently evolving given the development of new technologies and team-based approaches. This document will focus on risk stratification of PEs, review of the current interventional therapies, the role of clinical endpoints to assess the effectiveness of different interventional therapies, and the role for mechanical circulatory support in the complex management of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who have undergone mitral valve repair are at risk for thromboembolic strokes. Prior to 2019, only vitamin K antagonists were recommended for patients with AF who had undergone mitral valve repair despite the introduction of direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) in 2010.Objective: To characterize the use of anticoagulants in patients with AF who underwent surgical mitral valve repair (sMVR) or transcatheter mitral valve repair (tMVR).Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort analysis of patients with AF undergoing sMVR or tMVR between 04/2014 and 12/2018 using Optum's de-identified Clinformatics® Data Mart Database. We identified anticoagulants prescribed within 90 days of discharge from hospitalization.Results: Overall, 1997 patients with AF underwent valve repair: 1560 underwent sMVR, and 437 underwent tMVR. The mean CHA2DS2-VASc score among all patients was 4.1 (SD 1.9). The overall use of anticoagulation was unchanged between 2014 (72.2%) and 2018 (70.0%) (P = .49). Among patients who underwent sMVR or tMVR between April 2014 and December 2018, the use of VKA therapy decreased from 62.9% to 32.1% (P < .01 for trend) and the use of DOACs increased from 12.4% to 37.3% (P < .01 for trend).Conclusions: Among patients with AF who underwent sMVR or tMVR between 2014 and 2018, roughly 30% of patients were not treated with any anticoagulant within 90 days of discharge, despite an elevated stroke risk in the cohort. The rate of DOAC use increased steadily over the study period but did not significantly increase the rate of overall anticoagulant use in this high-risk cohort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES Open in new tab Download slide Open in new tab Download slide There has been increasing interest in using extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) to rescue patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) in the advanced stages of respiratory or haemodynamic decompensation. We examined mid-term outcomes and risk factors for in-hospital mortality. METHODS We conducted a retrospective study of 36 patients who required ECMO placement (32 veno-arterial ECMO, 4 veno-venous) following acute PE. Survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. Risk factors for in-hospital mortality were assessed by logistic regression analysis. Functional status and quality of life were assessed by phone questionnaire. RESULTS Overall survival to hospital discharge was 44.4% (16/36). Two-year survival conditional to discharge was 94% (15/16). Two-year survival after veno-arterial ECMO was 39% (13/32). In patients supported with veno-venous ECMO, survival to discharge was 50%, and both patients were alive at follow-up. In univariable analysis, a history of recent surgery (P  = 0.064), low left ventricular ejection fraction (P  = 0.029), right ventricular dysfunction ≥ moderate at weaning (P  = 0.083), on-going cardiopulmonary resuscitation at ECMO placement (P  = 0.053) and elevated lactate at weaning (P  = 0.002) were risk factors for in-hospital mortality. In multivariable analysis, recent surgery (P  = 0.018) and low left ventricular ejection fraction at weaning (P  = 0.013) were independent factors associated with in-hospital mortality. At a median follow-up of 23 months, 10 patients responded to our phone survey; all had acceptable functional status and quality of life. CONCLUSIONS Massive acute PE requiring ECMO support is associated with high early mortality, but patients surviving to hospital discharge have excellent mid-term outcomes with acceptable functional status and quality of life. ECMO can provide a stable platform to administer other intervention with the potential to improve outcomes. Risk factors for in-hospital mortality after PE and veno-arterial ECMO support were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitral regurgitation (MR) is the most prevalent form of moderate or severe valve disease in the developed world. MR can result from impairment of any part of the mitral valve apparatus and is classified as primary (disease of the leaflets) or secondary (functional). The presence of at least moderate MR is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. With the goal of avoiding the risks of traditional surgery, transcatheter mitral valve therapies have been developed. The current transcatheter repair techniques are limited by therapeutic target and incomplete MR reduction, and thus transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) has been pursued. Several devices (both transapical and transseptal) are under development, with both early feasibility and pivotal trials under way. As this field develops, the decision to treat with TMVR will require a heart team approach that takes patient-, disease-, and device-specific factors into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The definition of severe aortic stenosis has classically and retrospectively been based on the natural history of patients with medically managed aortic stenosis and preserved left ventricular function in an era where surgical aortic valve replacement was the sole therapy. We now recognize that this disease is more heterogeneous and includes important subsets of patients with low stroke volume index (low flow) and low-gradient with reduced (classical) or preserved (paradoxical) ejection fraction. These patients pose diagnostic and treatment dilemmas, requiring a comprehensive assessment with integration of multimodality imaging, testing, and clinical assessment. Surgery in these patients has been associated with higher operative mortality and lower long-term survival. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), because of its less-invasive nature, avoidance of the detrimental effects of cardiopulmonary bypass, and larger effective orifice area, offers several potential advantages. Studies of TAVR in low-flow severe aortic stenosis patients have demonstrated that TAVR has a significant mortality benefit compared with medical therapy and a similar benefit compared with surgery. Both low flow and low ejection fraction have emerged as important factors in predicting mortality post-TAVR, with particularly poor survival when flow or ejection fraction fail to improve. The recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of patients with low-flow severe aortic stenosis remains challenging. It is likely that TAVR will play an increasingly important role in the management of these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]