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Background Patients with treated Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (HIV) infection are at increased risk of cardiovascular events. Traditionally much of this risk has been attributed to metabolic and anthropometric abnormalities associated with HIV, which are similar to the metabolic syndrome (MS), an established risk factor for cardiovascular mortality. It remains unclear whether treated HIV infection is itself associated with increased risk, via increase vascular stiffness. Methods 226 subjects (90 with HIV) were divided into 4 groups based on HIV and MS status: 1) HIV-ve/MS-ve, 2) HIV-ve/MS + ve, 3) HIV + ve/MS-ve and 4)HIV + ve/MS + ve. CMR was used to determine aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) and regional aortic distensibility (AD). Results PWV was 11% higher and regional AD up to 14% lower in the HIV + ve/MS-ve group when compared to HIV-ve/MS-ve (p 0.99 all analyses). The HIV + ve/MS + ve group had 32% higher PWV and 30-34% lower AD than the HIV-ve/MS-ve group (all p

Background and aim Obesity confers an enormous burden of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality worldwide. Lipotoxicity has been implicated as a potential common pathway in myocyte dysfunction and ultimately apoptosis. Fat deposition in the peritoneum, the liver and around vascular structures has been linked to metabolic syndrome and subsequent cardiomyopathy. Therefore this study sought to determine the relationship between excess body fat and intracardiac lipids as assessed by 3T proton spectroscopy in women. Methods

Background In aortic stenosis (AS), there is impairment of myocardial energetics and a substrate switch with a preference to glucose metabolism and downregulation of fatty acid utilization. Whether or not this results in cardiac steatosis is unknown. We hypothesi zed that cardiac steatosis is present in severe AS and this can be assessed by 1 H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). We aimed to investigate myocardial lipid content in patients with severe AS and to examine the associations amongst steatosis, energetics and myocardial function. Methods Thirty patients with severe AS (20 symptomatic, 10 asymptomatic) and 20 normal volunteers were enrolled. Inclusion criteria were peak aortic valve gradient >50 mmHg, no other significant valvular pathology, normal left ventricular systolic function, no obstructive coronary artery disease and blood pressure

Background The accurate diagnosis of acute myocarditis on cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) often requires multiple modalities, including T2-weighted (T2W), early and late gadolinium imaging. Novel CMR techniques are now available, including bright-blood T2W-CMR, and T1-mapping which is also sensitive to changes in free water content. We hypothesized that these emerging methods can serve as new diagnostic criteria for myocarditis.

Objective To determine the effects of short term exercise training on cardiac metabolism and function, during rest and exercise, in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Background Exercise training may play a beneficial role in patients with DCM, however the effects on cardiac function at rest and during exercise have not been defined. Methods Patients with DCM (n = 15, age 58 ± 2 years), stable on medical therapy, were studied before and after 8 weeks of training for 20 minutes, 5 times per week on a home exercise bike. Cardiac volumes and function were measured using MR at 3T during rest and leg exercise. High energy phosphate metabolism was measured as the ratio of phosphocreatine to ATP (PCr/ATP) by 31 Phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) at 3T. Quality of life scores were calculated using the Minnesota Heart Failure Questionnaire and 6 minute walk tests were used to determine exercise capacity. All assessments were repeated after the 8 week training period. Results At baseline assessment, the average left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was 38 ± 3%, which did not increase with leg exercise. After the 8 weeks of home exercise there was a 6% improvement in resting LVEF to 44 ± 3% (Figure, p