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Catheter ablation is an established effective approach for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with heart failure, however, the role of cryoablation in this setting is unclear. Procedural success and left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVEF) improvement in patients with LVEF ≤ 45% undergoing index catheter ablation with cryoablation were evaluated. Freedom from AF recurrence was seen in 43% rising to 59% following repeat procedure. There were significant improvements in LVEF and functional status at long‐term follow‐up. Results were comparable to a contemporaneous cohort of heart failure patients undergoing index ablation with radiofrequency ablation. Cryoablation is an effective first‐line AF ablation approach in the setting of heart failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives While a high rate of recreational drug use ( RDU) has been documented among HIV-infected out-patients, particularly in men who have sex with men ( MSM), there is a distinct lack of data for HIV-infected in-patients. Hospital admission offers a unique opportunity to engage drug users. We aimed to establish and characterize RDU among new admissions to a large dedicated London HIV in-patient unit and compare it to RDU among general medical admissions to inform clinical pathways. Methods A prospective opt-out survey was administered to all new HIV-positive admissions over a 10-week period (cases) and all medical Acute Assessment Unit admissions over two 24-h periods (controls). All provided consent for urine toxicology upon admission. Results Data were collected in 59 of 65 (91%) newly admitted HIV-positive individuals and in 48 of 54 (89%) non- HIV-positive medical admissions. HIV-infected in-patients were more likely than non- HIV-positive medical admissions to be male ( P < 0.0001) (71% MSM), to be younger ( P < 0.0001), to report current RDU (41 vs. 10%, respectively; P = 0.0001), to have a positive urine toxicology screen (19 vs. 2%, respectively; P = 0.0091) and to be a drug-related admission (15% vs. none; P = 0.004). Thirteen of 26 HIV-infected current recreational drug users admitted to sexualized drug taking and nine to injecting drugs. Twenty-seven per cent (seven of 26) were known to drug services. Crystal methamphetamine, mephedrone, gamma butyrolactone/gamma hydroxybutyrate and ketamine were exclusively taken by MSM. In total, 13 of 59 HIV-infected in-patients had current or past infection with hepatitis C virus, of whom 92% reported lifetime drug use. Conclusions These data strongly support the use of formal screening and drug service referral pathways at the time of admission to hospital to engage HIV-positive drug users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction is presented to the article "Long‐term outcomes of index cryoballoon ablation or point‐by‐point radiofrequency ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation and systolic heart failure" which appeared in the February 1, 2021 issue.

Aims: Fluoropyrimidine chemotherapy is important for treatment of many solid tumours but is associated with cardiotoxicity. The relationship of fluoropyrimidine-associated cardiotoxicity (FAC) with conventional cardiovascular (CV) risk factors is poorly understood, and standard cardiovascular risk scores are not validated in this context., Methods and Results: Single-centre retrospective study of patients treated with fluoropyrimidine chemotherapy using electronic health records for cardiovascular risk factors (and calculation of QRISK3 score), cancer treatment, and clinical outcomes. FAC was defined by cardiovascular events during or within 3 months of fluoropyrimidine treatment, and Cox regression was used to assess associations of CV risk and cancer treatment with FAC. One thousand eight hundred ninety-eight patients were included (45% male; median age 64 years), with median follow up 24.5 (11.5-48.3 months); 52.7% of patients were at moderate or high baseline CV risk (QRISK3 score >10%) Cardiovascular events occurred in 3.1% (59/1898)-most commonly angina (64.4%, 38/59) and atrial fibrillation (13.6%, 8/59), with 39% events during cycle one of treatment. In univariable analysis, QRISK3 score >20% was significantly associated with incident FAC (HR 2.25, 95% CI 1.11-4.93, P = 0.03). On multivariable analysis, beta-blocker use (HR 1.04, 95% CI 1.00-1.08, P = 0.04) and higher BMI (HR 2.33, 95% CI 1.04-5.19, P = 0.04) were independently associated with incident CV events. Thirty-two of the 59 patients with FAC were subsequently rechallenged with fluoropyrimidine chemotherapy, with repeat CV events in 6% (2/32). Incident FAC did not affect overall survival (P = 0.50)., Conclusions: High BMI and use of beta-blockers are associated with risk of CV events during fluoropyrimidine chemotherapy. QRISK3 score may also play a role in identifying patients at high risk of CV events during fluoropyrimidine chemotherapy. Re-challenge with further fluoropyrimidine chemotherapy can be considered in patients following CV events during prior treatment., (© 2024 The Author(s). ESC Heart Failure published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Society of Cardiology.)

Improved upstream primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) would enable more individuals to lead lives free of CVD. However, there remain limitations in the current provision of CVD primary prevention, where artificial intelligence (AI) may help to fill the gaps. Using the data informatics capabilities at the National University Health System (NUHS), Singapore, empowered by the Endeavour AI system, and combined large language model (LLM) tools, our team has created a real-time dashboard able to capture and showcase information on cardiovascular risk factors at both individual and geographical level- CardioSight. Further insights such as medication records and data on area-level socioeconomic determinants allow a whole-of-systems approach to promote healthcare delivery, while also allowing for outcomes to be tracked effectively. These are paired with interventions, such as the CHronic diseAse Management Program (CHAMP), to coordinate preventive cardiology care at a pilot stage within our university health system. AI tools in synergy allow the identification of at-risk patients and actionable steps to mitigate their health risks, thereby closing the gap between risk identification and effective patient care management in a novel CVD prevention workflow., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest relevant to the publication of this study., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Background: Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are a group of disorders of clonal haemopoiesis associated with an inherent risk of arterial and venous thrombotic complications. The prevalence of thrombotic complications and the impact of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) in contemporary patient cohorts within the current era of MPN treatments have not been completely defined., Objectives: We aim to characterise the cardiovascular risk of patients with MPN by identifying the prevalence of CVRFs and describing the pattern of thrombotic events. We also aim to utilise the QRISK3 algorithm, which is a validated model used to estimate an individual's risk of developing cardiovascular disease, to further phenotype this cohort of patients., Methods: We perform a retrospective analysis on a single-centre cohort of 438 patients with MPN., Results: MPN patients continue to carry a high burden of vascular morbidity with a prevalence of arterial thrombotic events in 15.8 % (69/438) and venous thrombotic events in 13.2 % (58/438) of the cohort. The novel use of the QRISK3 algorithm, which showed a mean score of 13.7 % across the MPN population, provides further evidence to suggest an increased cardiovascular risk in MPN patients., Conclusion: With an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with MPN, we propose an integrated approach between primary and specialised healthcare services using risk stratification tools such as QRISK3, which will allow aggressive optimisation of CVRFs to prevent thrombosis and reduce the overall morbidity and mortality in patients with MPN., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.)

Cancer and cardiovascular disease represent the two leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Women continue to enjoy a greater life expectancy than men. However, this comes at a cost with more women developing diabetes, hypertension and coronary artery disease as they age. These traditional cardiovascular risk factors not only increase their lifetime risk of heart failure but also their overall risk of cancer. In addition to this, many of the cancers with female preponderance are treated with potentially cardiotoxic therapies, adding to their increased risk of developing heart failure. As a result, we are faced with a higher risk population, potentially suffering from both cancer and heart failure simultaneously. This is of particular concern given the coexistence of heart failure and cancer can confer a worse prognosis than either a single diagnosis of heart failure or cancer alone. This review article explores the intersection of heart failure and cancer in women at multiple levels, including traditional cardiovascular risk factors, cardiovascular toxicity derived from antineoplastic and radiation therapy, shared pathophysiology and HF as an oncogenic process. This article further identifies opportunities and strategies for intervention and optimisation, whilst highlighting the need for contemporary guidelines to better inform clinical practice., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision., (© 2024 Tyebally, Sia, Chen, Abiodun, Dalakoti, Chan, Koo and Tan.)

Abstract: Modern cancer therapies have significantly improved survival leading to a growing population of cancer survivors. Similarly, both conventional and newer treatments are associated with a spectrum of cardiovascular disorders with potential long-term sequelae. Prompt detection and treatment of these complications is, therefore, pivotal to enable healthy survivorship and reduce cardiovascular morbidity. Advanced multimodality imaging is a valuable tool for stratifying patient risk, identifying cardiovascular toxicity during and after therapy, and predicting recovery. This review summarizes the potential cardiotoxic complications of anticancer therapies and the multimodality approaches available in each case with special focus on newer techniques and the added value of biomarkers ultimately leading to earlier diagnosis and better prognostication., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Chest pain is one of the most common presenting symptoms in patients seeking care from a physician. Risk assessment tools and scores have facilitated prompt diagnosis and optimal management in these patients; however, it is unclear as to whether a standardised approach can adequately triage chest pain in cancer patients and survivors. This is of concern because cancer patients are often at an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity given the shared risk factors between cancer and cardiovascular disease, compounded by the fact that certain anti-cancer therapies are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events that can persist for weeks and even years after treatment. This article describes the underlying mechanisms of the most common causes of chest pain in cancer patients with an emphasis on how their management may differ to that of non-cancer patients with chest pain. It will also highlight the role of the cardio-oncology team, who can aid in identifying cancer therapy-related cardiovascular side-effects and provide optimal multidisciplinary care for these patients., Competing Interests: Disclosure: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2022, Radcliffe Cardiology.)

Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared.

Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery effectively relieves symptoms and improves outcomes. However, patients undergoing CABG surgery typically have advanced coronary atherosclerotic disease and remain at high risk for symptom recurrence and adverse events. Functional non-invasive testing for ischaemia is commonly used as a gatekeeper for invasive coronary and graft angiography, and for guiding subsequent revascularisation decisions. However, performing and interpreting non-invasive ischaemia testing in patients post CABG is challenging, irrespective of the imaging modality used. Multiple factors including advanced multi-vessel native vessel disease, variability in coronary hemodynamics post-surgery, differences in graft lengths and vasomotor properties, and complex myocardial scar morphology are only some of the pathophysiological mechanisms that complicate ischaemia evaluation in this patient population. Systematic assessment of the impact of these challenges in relation to each imaging modality may help optimize diagnostic test selection by incorporating clinical information and individual patient characteristics. At the same time, recent technological advances in cardiac imaging including improvements in image quality, wider availability of quantitative techniques for measuring myocardial blood flow and the introduction of artificial intelligence-based approaches for image analysis offer the opportunity to re-evaluate the value of ischaemia testing, providing new insights into the pathophysiological processes that determine outcomes in this patient population., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Seraphim, Knott, Augusto, Menacho, Tyebally, Dowsing, Bhattacharyya, Menezes, Jones, Uppal, Moon and Manisty.)

A 40-year-old man presented to a local hospital with a 2-day history of dyspnoea having been started on adjuvant chemotherapy consisting of oxaliplatin and capecitabine for mucinous adenocarcinoma of the colon. During his admission, he develops chest pain, worsening shortness of breath, and intermittent dysarthria and disorientation. Investigations reveal severely impaired left ventricular function on echocardiogram, bilateral acute pulmonary embolisms on CT pulmonary angiogragraphy, and diffused subcortical and callosal white matter signal change and restricted diffusion consistent with a toxic leukoencephalopathy on MRI of brain. This case highlights the pivotal role of the multidisciplinary cardio-oncology approach which enabled these challenging diagnoses to be made and ensured optimal patient outcome., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Purpose of Review: Cardiotoxicity can occur acutely during breast cancer treatment and impact the potential for the intended cancer treatment regime to be completed, or as a late effect affecting cancer survivorship. Indeed, the most common cause of mortality in females with early breast cancer is cardiovascular disease, especially in those over the age of 65. Optimal cancer care therefore needs to be delivered without jeopardising cardiovascular health. Understanding the different cardiotoxicities associated with breast cancer treatment is vital to this approach, and therefore, this article seeks to provide an overview of this., Recent Findings: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors targeting human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)-2, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), and cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors are new targeted breast cancer treatments. In particular, ICI are associated with myocarditis that carries a significant mortality, whilst the CDK inhibitor ribociclib causes QT prolongation that requires cardiac surveillance and appropriate dose adjustment to prevent ventricular arrhythmias. The need has always been for strategies to mitigate the risks of cardiovascular toxicities, and new data is promising for the use of dexrazoxane in anthracyclines, and the role of beta blockers and angiotensin converting enzymes inhibitors in anthracyclines and HER-2 monoclonal antibodies such as trastuzumab. Significant headways in breast cancer treatment have resulted in reductions in disease recurrence and mortality, but cardiovascular complications continue to impact the ability to deliver some of these cancer treatments, and the period of cancer survivorship.

Cardiotoxicity is the umbrella term for cardiovascular side effects of cancer therapies. The most widely recognized phenotype is left ventricular dysfunction, but cardiotoxicity can manifest as arrhythmogenic, vascular, myocarditic and hypertensive toxicities. Hypertension has long been regarded as one of the most prevalent and modifiable cardiovascular risk factors in the general population, but its relevance during the cancer treatment journey may be underestimated. Hypertensive cardiotoxicity occurs de novo in a substantial proportion of treated cancer patients. The pathology is incompletely characterized-natriuresis and renin angiotensin system interactions play a role particularly in conventional treatments, but in novel therapies endothelial dysfunction and the interaction between the cancer and cardiac kinome are implicated. There exists a treatment paradox in that a significant hypertensive response not only mandates anti-hypertensive treatment, but in fact, in certain cancer treatment scenarios, hypertension is a predictor of cancer treatment efficacy and response. In this comprehensive review of over 80,000 patients, we explored the epidemiology, incidence, and mechanistic pathophysiology of hypertensive cardiotoxicity in adjunct, conventional chemotherapy, and novel cancer treatments. Conventional chemotherapy, adjunct treatments, and novel targeted therapies collectively caused new onset hypertension in 33-68% of treated patients. The incidence of hypertensive cardiotoxicity across twenty common novel therapies for any grade hypertension ranged from 4% (imatinib) to 68% (lenvatinib), and high grade 3 or 4 hypertension in < 1% (imatinib) to 42% (lenvatinib). The weighted average effect was all-grade hypertension in 24% and grade 3 or 4 hypertension in 8%.

Cardiac masses are rare, but remain an important component of cardio-oncology practice. These include benign tumors, malignant tumors (primary and secondary) and tumor-like conditions (e.g., thrombus, Lambl's excrescences, and pericardial cyst). The advent of multimodality imaging has enabled identification of the etiology of cardiac masses in many cases, especially in conjunction with information from clinical settings. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the epidemiology, clinical presentation, imaging, diagnosis, management, and outcomes of cardiac masses., (© 2020 The Authors.)