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Background: Previous studies have demonstrated the feasibility of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) in carefully selected nonagenarians. Although current guidelines recommend immediate revascularization in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) it remains unclear whether PPCI reduces mortality in nonagenarians. The objective of this study is to compare mortality in nonagenarians presenting via the PPCI pathway who undergo coronary intervention, versus those who are managed medically., Methods and Results: A total of 111 consecutive nonagenarians who presented to our tertiary center via the PPCI pathway between July 2013 and December 2018 with myocardial infarction were included. Clinical and angiographic details were collected alongside data on all-cause mortality. The final diagnosis was STEMI in 98 (88.3%) and NSTEMI in 13 (11.7%). PPCI was performed in 42 (37.8%), while 69 (62.2%) were medically managed. A significant number of the medically managed cohort had atrial fibrillation (23.2% vs 2.4% p = 0.003) and presented with a completed infarct (43.5% vs 4.8% p = 0.001). Other baseline and clinical variables were well matched in both groups. There was a trend towards increased 30-day mortality in the medically managed group (40.6% vs 23.8% p = 0.07). Kaplan Meier survival analysis demonstrated a significant difference in survival by 3 years (48.1% vs 21.7% p = 0.01). This was the case even when those with completed infarcts were excluded (44.3% vs 14.6%, p = 0.01)., Conclusion: In this series of selected nonagenarians presenting with acute myocardial infarction, those undergoing PPCI appeared to have a lower mortality compared to those managed medically.

Background: Complex chronic total occlusion (CTO) cases often require dual access. Evidence suggests that radial access is associated with lower success rates in complex CTOs. Our primary outcome was to determine efficacy of biradial access compared with femoral access., Methods: This was a retrospective, single-center, observational study. Patients who underwent dual-access CTO percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) between January 2014 and January 2018 were enrolled. They were separated into biradial and femoral access groups. Data on demographics, comorbidities, complications, lesion characteristics, radiation, and contrast dose were collected. Standard univariate analyses were performed to identify predictors for revascularization failure., Results: There were 150 cases identified, 109 biradial and 41 femoral access. There was no significant difference in success rate between the radial and femoral groups (87% vs 78%, respectively; P=.17). The average J-CTO score was 3 vs 4 (P=.04). Matched cohort analysis showed equivalent success rates (80.6% vs 75.0%, respectively; P=.53). Elevated body mass index, poor renal function, previous coronary artery bypass grafting, higher J-CTO, CTO >20 mm, presence of >45° bend within the diseased segment, and absence of collaterals were associated with CTO-PCI failure. Biradial access had shorter procedures (111 minutes vs 147 minutes; P<.01), reduced radiation exposure (dose-area product, 17,452 cGy•cm² vs 23,651 cGy•cm²; P<.01), less contrast (237 mL vs 315 mL; P=.11) and reduced hospital stay (0.38 ± 1.3 days vs 0.61 ± 1.1 days; P=.02)., Conclusion: With shorter length of stay, fewer complications, and less radiation used in radial cases, we suggest biradial access is an effective and safe alternative in CTO-PCI. Prospective studies are needed to determine superiority.

Aims: Alcohol septal ablation (ASA) is an established treatment option in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). ASA is ineffective in some: inaccurate infarct and inability to identify a vessel contribute. We aimed to improve accuracy of infarct using CT angiography guidance and provide a more predictable and satisfactory outcome., Methods and Results: Twenty-one successive patients with symptomatic LVOT obstruction refractory to medication underwent CT angiography planning to guide ASA. CT was performed using a dual-source CT system. Alcohol was delivered to the artery identified from CT: in 17/21 this was a sub-branch of a septal artery, in 2/21 the septal vessel was identified from the circumflex artery. Peak gradient improved from 98 (IQR 89.50-111.50) mmHg to 14 (IQR 8.50-22) mmHg (p=0.003). Systolic anterior motion (SAM) improved in 18/20 patients. NYHA class improved by ≥1 in 18/20. Peak VO2 improved from 79.19% of predicted value (±14.01) to 91.62% (±12.02) predicted (p<0.0001). Success at the first procedure is greater with CT guidance, 17/20 vs. 50/75 with traditional methods (pre-CT guidance) (p=0.02); 9/20 had six-month CMR with target septum infarct in all. ASA-related RBBB reduced from 62% to 13% (p=0.0004)., Conclusions: CT angiography planning improves localisation of infarct and procedural success at the first attempt in ASA when compared to traditional methods. Follow-up to six months suggests a symptomatic, functional and haemodynamic improvement.

A 54-year-old woman presented with presyncope and nonsustained ventricular tachycardia. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging showed normal cardiac dimensions and left ventricular function. Late gadolinium enhancement was noted at the anterior and posterior right ventricular/left ventricular hinge points. Repeat cardiac magnetic resonance imaging at 1 year confirmed persistence of hinge point enhancement. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy genotyping revealed the common C to T substitution at coding nucleotide 1504 of MYBPC3, c1504C>T. This variant has previously been reported as pathogenic in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Our case suggests that late gadolinium enhancement at the hinge points of nonhypertrophied hearts may account for clinically symptomatic ventricular arrhythmia., (Copyright © 2016 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A 22-year-old woman presented with lethargy and shortness of breath at 13 weeks postpartum. She was clinically tachypnoeic with signs of fluid overload. Telemetry revealed 2 different morphologies of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia, associated with chest discomfort. Cardiac imaging demonstrated a truncated, spherical left ventricle (LV) with severe systolic dysfunction and fatty replacement of the LV apex but no evidence of myocardial fibrosis. The right ventricle was elongated wrapping around the LV apex and had moderate systolic impairment. A diagnosis of "isolated LV apical hypoplasia" was made with possible concomitant peripartum cardiomyopathy., (Copyright © 2016 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aims: Septal reduction is needed for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) patients with severe left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) gradients and symptoms despite medication. Myectomy cannot be performed in all. Alcohol septal ablation cannot be performed in 5-15% due to technical difficulties. A method of delivering percutaneous tissue damage to the septum that is not reliant on coronary anatomy is desirable. To directly ablate the interventricular septum at the mitral valve (MV) systolic anterior motion (SAM)-septal contact point using radiofrequency (RF) energy guided by CARTOSound., Methods and Results: Five patients underwent RF ablation (RFA); we describe follow-up at 6 months in four patients. Intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) images are merged with CARTO to create a shell of the cardiac chambers. The SAM-septal contact area is marked from ICE images and mapped on to the CARTO shell; this becomes the target for RF delivery. Conduction tissue is mapped and avoided where possible. Twenty-eight to 42 min of RF energy was delivered to the target area using retrograde aortic access and SmartTouch catheters. Resting LVOT gradient improved from 64.2 (±50.6) to 12.3 (±2.5) mmHg. Valsalva/exercise-induced gradient reduced from 93.5 (±30.9) to 23.3 (±8.3) mmHg. Three patients improved New York Heart Association status from III to II, one patient improved from class III to I. Exercise time on bicycle ergometer increased from 612 to 730 s. Cardiac magnetic resonance shows late gadolinium enhancement up to 8 mm depth at LV target myocardium. One patient died following a significant retroperitoneal haemorrhage., Conclusion: Radiofrequency ablation using CARTOSound(®) guidance is accurate and effective in treating LVOT gradients in HOCM in this preliminary group of patients., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2015. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

The acute administration of atorvastatin has been reported to reduce myocardial infarct size in animal studies. However, this cardioprotective effect is lost with the chronic administration of atorvastatin, although it can be recaptured by administering an acute high-dose of atorvastatin. We hypothesised that pre-treatment with high-dose atorvastatin, on a background of chronic standard 'statin' therapy, would reduce myocardial injury in patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. One hundred and one consenting patients undergoing elective CABG surgery at a single tertiary cardiac centre were recruited into two randomised controlled, single-blinded clinical studies. Study 1: 45 patients were randomised to receive either 160 mg of atorvastatin 2 h preoperatively and 24 h following surgery or their standard statin therapy. Study 2: 56 patients were randomised to receive either 160 mg of atorvastatin 12 h preoperatively and 24 h following surgery or their standard statin therapy. Blood samples for troponin T and creatine kinase were taken prior to surgery and then at 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h post-surgery. Cardiac enzyme levels at each time point and the total area-under curve (AUC) were calculated. The group characteristics and surgical methods were well matched. High-dose atorvastatin was not associated with any significant side effects. There was no significant difference in serum troponin T or creatine kinase in either study at each time point or over 72 h. Study 1: AUC, troponin T: atorvastatin 29.6 ± 34.8 μg/L versus control 25.0 ± 22.0 μg/L:P > 0.05. Creatine kinase: atorvastatin 33,544 ± 20,063 IU/L versus control 30,620 ± 10,776 IU/L:P > 0.05. Study 2: AUC, troponin T: atorvastatin 21.8 ± 14.3 μg/L versus control 20.9 ± 8.7 μg/L:P > 0.05. Creatine kinase: atorvastatin 36,262 ± 28,821 IU/L versus control 33,448 ± 14,984:P > 0.05. There were no differences in postoperative outcomes. We report that the administration of high-dose atorvastatin to low risk patients undergoing elective CABG surgery, who are already on standard dose 'statin' therapy is safe, but does not further reduce perioperative myocardial injury.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the reproducibility of 7 late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) quantification techniques across 3 conditions in which LGE is known to be important: acute myocardial infarction (AMI), chronic myocardial infarction (CMI), and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)., Background: LGE by cardiac magnetic resonance is the gold-standard technique for assessing myocardial scar. No consensus exists on the best method for its quantification, and research in this area is scant. Techniques include manual quantification, thresholding by 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 SDs above remote myocardium, and the full width at half maximum (FWHM) technique. To date, LGE has been linked to outcome in 3 conditions: AMI, CMI, and HCM., Methods: Sixty patients with 3 LGE etiologies (AMI, n = 20; CMI, n = 20; HCM, n = 20) were scanned for LGE. LGE volume was quantified using the 7 techniques. Mean LGE volume, interobserver and intraobserver reproducibility, and impact on sample size were assessed., Results: LGE volume varied significantly with the quantification method used. There was no statistically significant difference between LGE volume by the FWHM, manual, and 6-SD or 5-SD techniques. The 2-SD technique generated LGE volumes up to 2 times higher than the FWHM, 6-SD, and manual techniques. The reproducibility of all techniques was worse in HCM than AMI or CMI. The FWHM technique was the most reproducible in all 3 conditions compared with any other method (p < 0.001). Use of the FWHM technique for LGE quantification in paired analysis would lead to at least a 60% reduction in required sample size compared with any other method., Conclusions: Regardless of the disease under study, the FWHM technique for LGE quantification gives LGE volume mean results similar to manual quantification and is statistically the most reproducible, reducing required sample sizes by up to one-half., (Copyright © 2011 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Beta-Blockers are often withheld from patients with obstructive airways disease, especially those with reversible airways disease due to fear of inducing bronchospasm. We report our single center experience of cautiously treating such patients who have concomitant chronic heart failure (CHF)., Hypothesis: The use of cardioselective beta-blockers under caution and specialist supervision may be tolerable in many CHF patients with obstructive airways disease, resulting in clinical improvement rather than detriment., Methods: A retrospective case notes analysis was performed on CHF outpatients who had obstructive airways disease and been treated with beta-blockers., Results: A total of 43 patients were identified, with an average ejection fraction of 31.8%; 18 of these patients had fixed obstructive airways disease, 15 patients had reversible obstructive airways disease, 10 patients had a label of obstructive airways disease (but no supporting evidence for the diagnosis in the hospital notes). In all 3 groups, beta-blockers had been initiated and maintained without any respiratory event over a median continuous exposure time of 135 days. Limitation of the dose was documented in only 2 patients because of worsening shortness of breath. New York Heart Association (NYHA) class significantly improved for the group with the use of these agents (p = 0.003)., Conclusion: A cautious approach (under specialist supervision) to beta-blocker use in patients with heart failure and airways disease can result in successful treatment. The implications of withholding these agents may have more serious consequences than their administration.