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Introduction: Tricuspid valve regurgitation (TR) is more prevalent among females. Transcatheter tricuspid valve repair (TTVR) using the edge-to-edge technique represents an alternative to surgery in patients with severe TR and high surgical risk. This study aims to investigate sex differences among patients undergoing TTVR. Methods: All patients who underwent TTVR at our center were retrospectively included. We compared baseline characteristics, intra-hospital, and one-year outcomes between males and females. Results: A total of 105 consecutive patients underwent TTVR. Females were more prevalent in the study cohort (n = 63, 60%). Coronary artery disease (CAD) was more evident in males than females (71.4% vs. 47.6%, p = 0.016). Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was also worse in males (48.8 ± 13.4 vs. 58 ± 6.8, p < 0.001). Other clinical characteristics were similar between both groups. The Success of the procedure (88.1% vs. 95.2%, p = 0.177) and intra-hospital mortality (4.8% vs. 11.1%, p = 0.255) were similar among males and females. At one-year follow-up, mortality was similar between both groups (24.3% vs. 25.9%, p = 0.863). Furthermore, hospitalization due to acute heart failure was also similar between both groups (40.5% vs. 37.5%, p = 0.768), as was a composite endpoint of death or hospitalization. In patients with successful procedures and who survived one year, TR severity was comparable between both groups. Conclusions: In our real-world cohort, more females underwent TTVR than males. No difference was observed in outcomes between males and females at one-year follow-up.

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is an acute cause of heart failure characterized by a reversible left ventricular (LV) impairment usually induced by a physical or emotional trigger. TTS is not always a benign disease since it is associated with a relatively higher risk of life-threatening complications, such as cardiogenic shock, ventricular arrhythmias, respiratory failure, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and death. Despite notable advancements in the management of patients with TTS, physiopathological mechanisms underlying transient LV dysfunction remain largely unknown. Since TTS carries similar prognostic implications than acute myocardial infarction, the identification of mechanisms and predictors of worse prognosis remain key to establish appropriate treatments. The greater prevalence of TTS among post-menopausal women and the activation of the neuro-cardiac axis triggered by physical or emotional stressors paved the way forward to several studies focused on coronary microcirculation and impaired blood flow as the main physiopathological mechanisms of TTS. However, whether microvascular dysfunction is the cause or a consequence of transient LV impairment remains still unsettled. This review provides an up-to-date summary of available evidence supporting the role of microvascular dysfunction in TTS pathogenesis, summarizing contemporary invasive and non-invasive diagnostic techniques for its assessment. We will also discuss novel techniques focused on microvascular dysfunction in TTS which may support clinicians for the implementation of tailored treatments.

IntroductionIschemia with no obstructive coronary disease (INOCA) is a frequent phenomenon in the cath lab. A possible cause is coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD), which may be assessed by invasive testing with possible complications; therefore, less invasive approaches have emerged, such as the angiography-derived index of microvascular resistance (aIMR). The aim of our study was to investigate the association of single-vessel aIMR as a measure of CMD with areas of INOCA in stress testing.MethodsWe measured aIMR in 286 vessels from 102 patients undergoing both stress cMRI and coronary angiography. Groups were (a) INOCA group (93 vessels, 32 patients); (b) coronary artery disease (CAD) control group (116 vessels, 42 patients) with ischemia due to relevant stenosis; and (c) control group (77 vessels, 28 patients) without ischemia or relevant stenosis.ResultsINOCA patients presented higher mean aIMR (28.3 ± 5.7) compared to both CAD patients (17.4 ± 5.7, p < 0.001) and controls (22.1 ± 5.9, p < 0.001). Furthermore, in INOCA patients aIMR was significantly increased (33.0 ± 8.1 vs. 25.8 ± 6.3, p = 0.021) in vessels with vs. without ischemia. Single vessel aIMR presented a very good diagnostic efficiency in detecting INOCA [AUC 0.865 (0.804–0.925), optimal cut-off 27.1, p < 0.001].ConclusionCMD, as assessed by 3-vessel aIMR, co-localizes with and may explain the presence of ischemia in stress-cMRI in INOCA.

Abstract Background Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with an increased cardiovascular risk related at least in part to a more vulnerable plaque phenotype. However, patients with T2DM exhibit also an increased risk following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). It is unknown if plaque vulnerability of a treated lesion influences cardiovascular outcomes in patients with T2DM. In this study, we aimed to assess the association of plaque morphology as determined by optical coherence tomography (OCT) with cardiovascular outcome following PCI in high-risk patients with T2DM. Methods 81 patients with T2DM and OCT-guided PCI were recruited. Pre-interventional OCT and systematic follow-up of median 66.0 (IQR = 8.0) months were performed. Results During follow-up, 24 patients (29.6%) died. The clinical parameters age (HR 1.16 per year, 95% CI 1.07–1.26, p

Abstract Background Coronary calcification is associated with high risk for cardiovascular events. However, its impact on plaque vulnerability is incompletely understood. In the present study we defined the intrinsic calcification angle (ICA) as the angle externally projected by a vascular calcification and analyzed its role as novel feature of coronary plaque vulnerability in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods Optical coherence tomography was used to determine ICA in 219 calcifications from 56 patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) and 143 calcifications from 36 patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We then used finite elements analysis to gain mechanistic insight into the effects of ICA. Results Minimal (139.8 ± 32.8° vs. 165.6 ± 21.6°, p

Plaque rupture occurs if stress within coronary lesions exceeds the protection exerted by the fibrous cap overlying the necrotic lipid core. However, very little is known about the biomechanical stress exerting this disrupting force. Employing optical coherence tomography (OCT), we generated plaque models and performed finite-element analysis to simulate stress distributions within the vessel wall in 10 ruptured and 10 non-ruptured lesions. In ruptured lesions, maximal stress within fibrous cap (peak cap stress [PCS]: 174 ± 67 vs. 52 ± 42 kPa, p

Abstract Background Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are at high risk for cardiovascular events, which usually arise from the rupture of a vulnerable coronary plaque. The minimal fibrous cap thickness (FCT) overlying a necrotic lipid core is an established predictor for plaque rupture. Recently, coronary calcification has emerged as a relevant feature of plaque vulnerability. However, the impact of T2DM on these morphological plaque parameters is largely unexplored. Therefore, this study aimed to compare differences of coronary plaque morphology in patients with and without T2DM with a particular focus on coronary calcification. Methods In 91 patients (T2DM = 56, non-T2DM = 35) with 105 coronary de novo lesions (T2DM = 56, non-T2DM = 49) plaque morphology and calcification were analyzed using optical coherence tomography (OCT) prior to coronary intervention. Results Patients with T2DM had a lower minimal FCT (80.4 ± 27.0 µm vs. 106.8 ± 27.8 µm, p

BACKGROUND:The presence of plaque macrophages and microcalcifications are acknowledged features of plaque vulnerability. Experimental data suggest that microcalcifications promote inflammation and macrophages foster microcalcifications. However, co-localization of plaque macrophages and calcification (ColocCaMa) in coronary segments and its impact on plaque phenotype and lesion vulnerability is unexplored. METHODS:Plaque morphology including ColocCaMa of calcified coronary target segments in patients with stable coronary artery disease (n = 116) was analyzed using optical coherence tomography (OCT) prior to coronary intervention. Therefore we considered macrophages co-localized with calcification if their distance in an OCT frame was