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Aims Although soluble interleukin 2 receptor (sIL‐2R) is a potentially useful biomarker in the diagnosis and evaluation of disease severity in patients with sarcoidosis, its prognostic implication in patients with cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) is unclear. We sought to investigate whether sIL‐2R was associated with clinical outcomes and to clarify the relationship between sIL‐2R levels and disease activity in patients with CS. Methods and results We examined 83 consecutive patients with CS in our hospital who had available serum sIL‐2R data between May 2003 and February 2020. The primary outcome was a composite of advanced atrioventricular block, ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation, heart failure hospitalization, and all‐cause death. Inflammatory activity in the myocardium and lymph nodes was assessed by 18F‐fluorideoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography. During a median follow‐up period of 2.96 (IQR 2.24–4.27) years, the primary outcome occurred in 24 patients (29%). Higher serum sIL‐2R levels (>538 U/mL, the median) were significantly related to increased incidence of primary outcome (P = 0.037). Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that a higher sIL‐2R was independently associated with an increased subsequent risk of adverse events (HR 3.71, 95% CI 1.63–8.44, P = 0.002), even after adjustment for significant covariates. sIL‐2R levels were significantly correlated to inflammatory activity in lymph nodes (r = 0.346, P = 0.003) but not the myocardium (r = 0.131, P = 0.27). Conclusions Increased sIL‐2R is associated with worse long‐term clinical outcomes accompanied by increased systemic inflammatory activity in CS patients.

Background Diagnosing heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is challenging. Although the H2FPEF score and HFA-PEFF algorithm have been proposed for diagnosing HFpEF, previous validation studies were conducted in stable chronic heart failure (HF). Moreover, information on their applicability in the Asian population is limited. We sought to investigate these scores' diagnostic performance for HFpEF in Japanese patients recently hospitalized due to acute decompensated HF. Methods We examined patients with HFpEF recently hospitalized with acute decompensated HF from a nationwide HFpEF-specific multicenter registry (HFpEF group) and control patients who underwent echocardiography to investigate the cause of dyspnea in our hospital (Non-HFpEF group). Results The studied population included 372 patients (194 HFpEF group and 178 Non-HFpEF group; HFpEF prevalence, 52%). A high H2FPEF score (6–9 points) could diagnose HFpEF with a high specificity of 97% and a positive predictive value (PPV) of 94%, and a low H2FPEF score (0–1 point) could rule out HFpEF with a high sensitivity of 97% and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 93%. HFpEF could be diagnosed with a high HFA-PEFF score (5–6 points) (specificity, 84%; PPV, 82%) or ruled out with a low HFA-PEFF score (0–1 point) (sensitivity, 99%; NPV, 89%). The H2FPEF score was significantly superior to the HFA-PEFF score in diagnostic accuracy (area under the curve: 0.89 vs. 0.82, respectively, p = 0.004). Conclusions The H2FPEF and the HFA-PEFF scores had acceptable diagnostic accuracy in diagnosing HFpEF in Japanese patients.

Cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) is frequently complicated by fatal ventricular arrhythmias. T-peak to T-end interval to QT interval ratio (TpTe/QT) on electrocardiograms (ECG) was proposed as a marker of ventricular repolarization dispersion. Although this ratio could be associated with the incidence of ventricular arrhythmias in cardiovascular diseases, its prognostic implication in patients with CS is unclear. We sought to investigate whether TpTe/QT was associated with long-term clinical outcomes in patients with CS. Ninety consecutive patients with CS in 2 tertiary hospitals who had ECG data before initiation of immunosuppressive therapy between November 1995 and March 2019 were examined. The primary outcome was a composite of advanced atrioventricular block, ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation (VT/VF), heart failure hospitalization, and all-cause death. During a median follow-up period of 4.70 (interquartile range 2.06-7.23) years, the primary outcome occurred in 21 patients (23.3%). Survival analyses revealed that the primary outcome (p0.001), especially VT/VF or sudden cardiac death (p = 0.002), occurred more frequently in patients with higher TpTe/QT (≥ 0.242, the median) than in those with lower TpTe/QT. Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that a higher TpTe/QT was independently associated with increased subsequent risk of adverse events (hazard ratio1.11, 95% confidence interval 1.03-1.20, p = 0.008) even after adjustment for the significant covariates. In conclusion, a higher TpTe/QT was associated with worse long-term clinical outcomes, especially fatal ventricular arrhythmic events, in patients with cardiac sarcoidosis, suggesting the importance of assessing TpTe/QT as a surrogate for risk stratification in these patients.

Although electrolyte abnormalities are related to worse clinical outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), little is known about the association between admission serum magnesium level and adverse events in AMI patients complicated by out-of-hospital cardiac arrest presenting with malignant ventricular arrhythmias (OHCA-MVA). We investigated the prognostic value of serum magnesium level on admission in these patients.We retrospectively analyzed the data of 165 consecutive reperfused AMI patients complicated with OHCA-MVA between April 2007 and February 2020 in our university hospital. Serum magnesium concentration was measured on admission. The primary outcome was in-hospital death.Fifty-four patients (33%) died during hospitalization. Higher serum magnesium level was significantly related to in-hospital death (FineGray's test; p 0.001). In multivariable logistic regression analyses, serum magnesium level on admission was independently associated with in-hospital death (hazard ratio 2.68, 95% confidence interval 1.24-5.80) even after adjustment for covariates. Furthermore, the incidences of cardiogenic shock necessitating an intra-aortic balloon pump (p = 0.005) or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (p 0.001), tracheal intubation (p 0.001) and persistent vegetative state (p = 0.002) were significantly higher in patients with higher serum magnesium level than in those with lower serum magnesium level.In reperfused AMI patients complicated by OHCA-MVA, admission serum magnesium level might be a potential surrogate marker for predicting in-hospital death.

Aims The prognostic implication of left ventricular outflow tract velocity time integral (LVOT‐VTI) on admission in hospitalized heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) patients has not been determined. We sought to investigate whether LVOT‐VTI on admission is associated with worse clinical outcomes in hospitalized patients with HFpEF. Methods and results We studied consecutive 214 hospitalized HFpEF patients who had accessible LVOT‐VTI data on admission, from a prospective HFpEF‐specific multicentre registry. The primary outcome of interest was the composite of all‐cause death and readmission due to heart failure. During a median follow‐up period of 688 (interquartile range 162–810) days, the primary outcome occurred in 83 patients (39%). The optimal cut‐off value of LVOT‐VTI for the primary outcome estimated by receiver operating characteristic analysis was 15.8 cm. Lower LVOT‐VTI was significantly associated with the primary outcome compared with higher LVOT‐VTI (P = 0.005). Multivariable Cox regression analyses revealed that lower LVOT‐VTI was an independent determinant of the primary outcome (hazard ratio 0.94, 95% confidence interval 0.91–0.98). In multivariable linear regression, haemoglobin level was the strongest independent determinant of LVOT‐VTI among clinical parameters (β coefficient = −0.61, P = 0.007). Furthermore, patients with lower LVOT‐VTI and anaemia had the worst clinical outcomes among the groups (P < 0.001). Conclusions Lower admission LVOT‐VTI was an independent determinant of worse clinical outcomes in hospitalized HFpEF patients, indicating that LVOT‐VTI on admission might be useful for categorizing a low‐flow HFpEF phenotype and risk stratification in hospitalized HFpEF patients.

Doppler-estimated peak systolic tricuspid regurgitation pressure gradient (TRPG) is a representative noninvasive parameter for evaluating pulmonary artery systolic pressure, which can be a determinant of adverse outcomes in chronic heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). However, the prognostic implications of TRPG at admission for hospitalized patients with HFpEF are undetermined.We examined 469 consecutive hospitalized patients with decompensated HFpEF (left ventricular ejection fraction ≥ 50%) who underwent TRPG measurement at admission in our HFpEF multicenter registry. The primary outcome of interest was all-cause death. Admission TRPG was significantly correlated with estimated pulmonary capillary wedge pressure and left atrial dimension (r = 0.24, P0.001 and r = 0.21, P0.001, respectively). During a median follow-up period of 748 (IQR 540-820) days, 83 patients died. Higher TRPG was significantly associated with higher mortality compared to lower TRPG (log-rank; P = 0.007). Multivariable analysis revealed that elevated TRPG was an independent determinant of mortality (HR 1.02, 95% CI 1.01-1.04, P = 0.008) after adjustment for prespecified confounders and renal function.Elevated TRPG at admission was an independent determinant of mortality in hospitalized patients with HFpEF, indicating that TRPG at admission could be a useful marker for risk stratification in these patients.

Background The standard diagnosis of heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is based on the following: 1) symptoms of HF, 2) preserved left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (LVEF, >50%), and 3) presence of LV diastolic dysfunction confirmed by echocardiography or cardiac catheterisation. However, there are limits to the diagnostic accuracy of individual parameters, and what cut-off values should be applied and how they should be combined remain unclear. Diagnostic algorithms for HFpEF such as the HFA-PEFF algorithm and the H2FPEF score have been proposed; however, previous validation studies were conducted in stable chronic HF and did not include an invasive haemodynamic assessment. Thus, the diagnostic accuracy for HFpEF lacked robustness. Moreover, information on their applicability in the Asian population is limited. Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate these scores' diagnostic validity for HFpEF in Japanese patients recently hospitalised due to acute decompensated HF. Methods We examined patients with HFpEF recently hospitalised with acute decompensated HF whose HFA-PEFF and H2FPEF scores could be calculated at discharge from a nationwide HFpEF-specific multicentre registry (HFpEF group) and control patients who underwent echocardiography to investigate the cause of dyspnoea in our hospital (Non-HFpEF group). We calculated the HFA-PEFF and the H2FPEF scores among the studied population. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and area under the curve (AUC) were computed to compare the diagnostic accuracy of these scores. Results The studied population included 372 consecutive patients (194 HFpEF group and 178 Non-HFpEF group; HFpEF prevalence, 52%). The HFA-PEFF score classified 155 (42%) of all patients into the high likelihood category (5–6 points) and only 19 (5%) into the low likelihood category (0–1 point). A high HFA-PEFF score could diagnose HFpEF with a high specificity of 84% and a positive predictive value (PPV) of 82%, and a low HFA-PEFF score could rule out HFpEF with a high sensitivity of 99% and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 89%. The H2FPEF score classified 86 (23%) of all patients into the high likelihood category (6–9 points) and 84 (23%) into the low likelihood category (0–1 point). HFpEF could be diagnosed with a high H2FPEF score (specificity, 97%; PPV, 94%) or ruled out with a low H2FPEF score (sensitivity, 97%; NPV, 93%). The diagnostic accuracy for the HFA-PEFF and H2FPEF scores was 0.82 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.78–0.86) and 0.89 (95% CI 0.86–0.93), respectively, by the AUC of the ROC curve (P=0.004) (Figure 1A). In the HFA-PEFF sub-scores, the functional score showed little diagnostic value, while the morphological and biomarker scores showed moderate diagnostic value (Figure 1B). Conclusions The H2FPEF score may be more useful than the HFA-PEFF score in diagnosing HFpEF in Japanese patients. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS KAKENHI) Figure 1

Background Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease that affects multiple organs. Cardiac involvement is a key determinant of poor clinical outcomes in the patients with sarcoidosis, as it causes congestive heart failure, conduction abnormalities, ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation (VT/VF), and sudden cardiac death (SCD). Although implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) are used to prevent SCD from VT/VF in patients with cardiac sarcoidosis (CS), the generalizability of the AHA/ACC/HRS guidelines for the Japanese CS patients remains unclear. Purpose We aimed to assess, among Japanese patients with CS, the ICD recommendations from the 2017 AHA/ACC/HRS Guidelines for Management of Patients with Ventricular Arrhythmias and the Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death. Methods We examined 188 consecutive patients with CS in two tertiary hospitals between 1979 and 2020. The primary outcome was defined as a composite outcome involving SCD or ventricular arrhythmic events. Ventricular arrhythmic events were defined as either emergency treatment for VF or sustained VT, which included appropriate ICD therapy. Results During a median follow-up period of 5.68 (IQR: 4.87–6.70) years, the primary outcome occurred in 44 patients (23%), which included 6 cases of SCD and 38 cases of VT/VF. ICD implant was indicated based on left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of ≤35% (class I recommendation) in 62 patients, with an annualized event rate of 3.93%. A LVEF of >35% with a need for a permanent pacemaker (class IIa recommendation) was observed for 53 patients, with an annualized event rate of 2.54%. A LVEF of >35% with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) during cardiovascular magnetic resonance (class IIa recommendation) was observed for 62 patients, with an annualized event rate of 2.38% (Figure A). Kaplan-Meier analyses revealed that patients with a class I recommendation for ICD implantation had a significant higher incidence of the primary outcome, compared to patients with a class IIa recommendation and patients with no indication for ICD implantation (P=0.03). However, there were no significant differences in the incidence of the primary outcome between patients with a LVEF of >35% and a need for a permanent pacemaker and patients with a class I recommendation (P=0.08) or patients with a LVEF of ≤35% (P=0.31). Moreover, there was no significant difference in the incidence of the primary outcome between patients with a LVEF of >35% and LGE on cardiovascular magnetic resonance and patients with a class I recommendation (P=0.054) or patients with a LVEF of ≤35% (P=0.22) (Figure B). Conclusions The American guideline recommendations for ICD implantation might be applicable to Japanese patients with CS. Implantation of an ICD may need to be considered in these patients if they require a permanent pacemaker or have LGE, regardless of LVEF. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

Background Pre- and post-procedural hemodynamic changes which could affect adverse outcomes in aortic stenosis (AS) patients who undergo transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) have not been well investigated. Four-dimensional (4D) flow cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) enables accurate analysis of blood flow dynamics such as flow velocity, flow pattern, wall shear stress (WSS), and energy loss (EL). We sought to examine the changes in blood flow dynamics of patients with severe AS who underwent TAVR. Methods We examined 32 consecutive severe AS patients who underwent TAVR between May 2018 and June 2019 (17 men, 82 ± 5 years, median left ventricular ejection fraction 61%, 6 self-expanding valve), after excluding those without CMR because of a contraindication or inadequate imaging from the analyses. We analyzed blood flow patterns, WSS and EL in the ascending aorta (AAo), and those changes before and after TAVR using 4D flow CMR. Results After TAVR, semi-quantified helical flow in the AAo was significantly decreased (1.4 ± 0.6 vs. 1.9 ± 0.8, P = 0.002), whereas vortical flow and eccentricity showed no significant changes. WSS along the ascending aortic circumference was significantly decreased in the left (P = 0.038) and left anterior (P = 0.033) wall at the basal level, right posterior (P = 0.011) and left (P = 0.010) wall at the middle level, and right (P = 0.012), left posterior (P = 0.019) and left anterior (P = 0.028) wall at the upper level. EL in the AAo was significantly decreased (15.6 [10.8–25.1 vs. 25.8 [18.6–36.2]] mW, P = 0.012). Furthermore, a significant negative correlation was observed between EL and effective orifice area index after TAVR (r = − 0.38, P = 0.034). Conclusions In severe AS patients undergoing TAVR, 4D flow CMR demonstrates that TAVR improves blood flow dynamics, especially when a larger effective orifice area index is obtained.

Diagnosing heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is challenging. Although the HWe examined patients with HFpEF recently hospitalized with acute decompensated HF from a nationwide HFpEF-specific multicenter registry (HFpEF group) and control patients who underwent echocardiography to investigate the cause of dyspnea in our hospital (Non-HFpEF group).The studied population included 372 patients (194 HFpEF group and 178 Non-HFpEF group; HFpEF prevalence, 52%). A high HThe H

Accurate assessment of right atrial pressure (RAP) plays an important role in optimizing medical treatment in patients with heart failure (HF). Liver stiffness (LS) measured by virtual touch quantification (VTQ) is useful for evaluating congestive hepatopathy resulting from elevated RAP in patients

Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) carriers are at risk to developing cardiac dysfunction. The prevalence of female BMD carriers remains underestimated, and the disease progression varies. We herein report the case of a young female BMD carrier who developed dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and heart failure without any skeletal muscle signs. Her cardiac dysfunction progressed over a mere two months, resulting in the need for left ventricular assist device implantation. Her case demonstrates that progressive cardiomyopathy can be the only clinical manifestation in some BMD carriers, suggesting the need for a more aggressive implementation of genetic testing in female DCM patients.

The aim of this study was to determine whether right ventricle (RV) 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake can predict positive findings of endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) in patients with cardiac sarcoidosis (CS). 70 consecutive patients with clinically diagnosed CS who had undergone FDG PET were registered in the present study. Patients without EMB (n = 42) were excluded. Ultimately, 28 patients were studied. EMB samples were obtained from the RV septum. We evaluated the FDG uptake on six segments (RV, left ventricle anterior, septal, lateral, inferior, and apex). Positive EMB was found in six patients (21%). Patients were divided into two groups according to positive (n = 12 [43%]) or negative (n = 16 [57%]) RV FDG uptake. Patients with positive RV FDG uptake had a significantly higher frequency of positive EMB than those without (42% vs. 6%, P = 0.024). On the other hand, there was no EMB-predictive value for the FDG uptakes in the other five segments, the cardiac metabolic volume, total lesion glycolysis, left ventricular ejection fraction, or any electrocardiogram findings. FDG uptake of the RV but no other heart segment was associated with positive EMB in CS patients. The presence of RV FDG uptake could improve the rate of positive EMB up to 42% in patients with CS.

Liver stiffness (LS) has been reported to be a marker of liver congestion caused by elevated central venous pressure in heart failure (HF) patients. Recent studies demonstrated that LS could be non-invasively measured by virtual touch quantification (VTQ). However, its prognostic implication in patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is unclear. This study sought to determine whether LS measured by VTQ could be a determinant of subsequent adverse events in ADHF patients. We prospectively recruited 70 ADHF patients who underwent LS measurement by VTQ on admission in our university hospital between June 2016 and April 2018. The primary outcome of interest was the composite of all-cause mortality and worsening HF. During a median follow-up period of 272 (interquartile range 122–578) days, there were 26 (37%) events, including 5 (7%) deaths and 21 (30%) cases of worsening HF. The c-index of LS for predicting the composite of adverse events was 0.77 (95% CI 0.66–0.88), and the optimal cut-off value of LS was 1.50 m/s. Adverse events were more frequently observed in patients with high LS (≥ 1.50 m/s) compared to those with low LS (

Objectives This study aimed to assess, among Japanese patients with cardiac sarcoidosis (CS), the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) recommendations from the 2017 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology/Heart Rhythm Society (AHA/ACC/HRS) guidelines for management of patients with ventricular arrhythmias and the prevention of sudden cardiac death (SCD). Background Although ICDs are used to prevent SCD from ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation (VT/VF) in patients with CS, the generalizability of the AHA/ACC/HRS guidelines for Japanese patients with CS remains unclear. Methods This study examined 188 consecutive patients with CS in 2 tertiary hospitals between 1979 and 2020. Patients were followed for a primary outcome of VT/VF or SCD. Results During a median follow-up of 5.68 years, the primary outcome occurred in 44 patients (23%). Patients with a class I recommendation for ICD implantation showed the highest incidence of the primary outcome among patients in whom the guideline recommendations for ICD implantation were used (log-rank test; p = 0.03). However, compared with patients with left ventricular ejection fractions (LVEFs) ≤35%, there was no significant difference in the incidence of the primary outcome among patients with LVEFs >35% and those who required a permanent pacemaker (p = 0.31); similar results were observed in those with LVEFs >35% and late gadolinium enhancement during cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (p = 0.22). Conclusions The American guideline recommendations for ICD implantation might be applicable to Japanese patients with CS. Implantation of an ICD may need to be considered in these patients if they require a permanent pacemaker or have late gadolinium enhancement, regardless of LVEF.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) caused by severe stenosis of left main coronary artery (LMCA) presenting with cardiogenic shock and pulmonary edema during noncardiac surgery is uncommon, but a catastrophic event. A 77-year-old male with cholangiocarcinoma underwent hepatectomy. During the surgery, he presented with cardiogenic shock, which did not respond to infusion administration or vasopressor. A transesophageal echocardiogram revealed anterior, septal, and lateral severe hypokinesia and impaired left ventricular function. Emergent coronary angiogram showed severe stenosis of LMCA. The patient underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) under the support of intra-aortic balloon pump, followed by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The chest roentgenogram showed pulmonary edema. Two days after PCI, he successfully underwent hepatectomy and bile duct resection. Early identification of the cause of hemodynamic instability during noncardiac surgery and invasive strategy are important for minimizing the myocardial injury and improving clinical outcomes in AMI of LMCA.

The histopathological diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) is challenging because of sampling error in endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) and the determinants of positive EMB are unclear. Reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is a simple parameter of the extent of myocardial damage, and higher serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity would indicate the spread of disease activity in CS patients. Thus, we sought to examine whether these parameters are related to the histopathological diagnosis of CS by EMB.A total of 94 consecutive clinically diagnosed CS patients between August 1986 and March 2019 who were admitted to two academic hospitals were examined. We determined EMB as positive if non-caseating epithelioid granulomas were confirmed in the myocardial tissue. Patients were divided into two groups according to positive (n = 37) and negative (n = 57) EMB. We assessed the relationship between LVEF, serum ACE activity and positive EMB.Multivariable analysis revealed that both LVEF and serum ACE were independently associated with positive EMB (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.70-0.99; OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.02-1.90, respectively). Moreover, patients with both lower LVEF (37%, median) and higher ACE activity (≥13.5 IU/L, median) had the highest frequency of positive EMB (p = .003). The combination of lower LVEF and higher serum ACE showed better specificity (91.2%) and positive predictive value (73.7%) than either LVEF or serum ACE alone for positive EMB.Lower LVEF and higher serum ACE activity were associated with positive EMB, suggesting that these parameters might be useful for predicting positive EMB in CS patients.

Background There are little effective treatment strategies for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) to achieve a reduction of morbidity and mortality. Thus, accurate prognostication of patients with HFpEF could help improve their outcomes by identifying high-risk patients who might potentially benefit from intensive inpatient and outpatient monitoring and early referral for advanced HFpEF therapy. The left ventricular outflow tract velocity time integral (LVOT-VTI) is a representative non-invasive parameter for evaluating stroke volume, which can be a determinant of adverse outcomes in hospitalized patients with heart failure. However, the prognostic implication of admission LVOT-VTI for hospitalized HFpEF patients is undetermined. Purpose The aim of the present study was to investigate whether admission LVOT-VTI could predict poor clinical outcomes in hospitalized patients with HFpEF. Methods We examined consecutive 535 hospitalized HFpEF patients (left ventricular ejection fraction ≥50%) due to acute decompensated heart failure from the JASPER (JApanese heart failure Syndrome with Preserved Ejection fRaction) multicenter registry, obtained between November 2012 and March 2015. Patients without accessible LVOT-VTI data on admission were excluded. Finally, 214 patients were examined. The primary outcome of interest was composite of all-cause death and rehospitalization due to heart failure. Results Mean age was 78±11 years, 100 were male, and median plasma brain-type natriuretic peptide level was 400 (interquartile range [IQR] 223–711) pg/ml. During a median follow-up period of 688 (IQR 162–810) days, adverse events occurred in 83 patients (39%), including 47 (22%) all-cause death, 51 (24%) rehospitalization due to heart failure. The c-index of LVOT-VTI for predicting the composite of adverse events was 0.59 (95% CI 0.51 to 0.67), and the optimal cut-off value of LVOT-VTI was 15.8 cm. Low LVOT-VTI (≤15.8 cm) was significantly associated with higher adverse events compared to high LVOT-VTI (>15.8 cm) (Figure). Multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed that lower LVOT-VTI was an independent determinant of adverse events (HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.91 to 0.98, P=0.005) even after adjustment for pre-specified confounders including age, sex, systolic blood pressure, serum sodium, albumin, plasma brain-type natriuretic peptide and renal function. Figure 1 Conclusions Lower admission LVOT-VTI was an independent determinant of worse clinical outcomes in hospitalized HFpEF patients, indicating that LVOT-VTI on admission could be a useful marker for risk stratification in these patients.

Background Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease that affects multiple organs. Among these,the presenceof cardiac involvementis recognized as a determinant of worse clinical outcomes. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) is a valuable modality for detecting active inflammatory lesions associated with cardiac sarcoidosis (CS). Generally,the maximum standardized uptake value (SUV) is suitable for evaluating disease activity in CS, but this quantitative method had limitations because it does not integrate both volume and intensity of FDG uptake simultaneously. Cardiac metabolic activity (CMA), which is quantitative measures of FDG volume-intensity, could be a diagnostic tool in the evaluation of CS. However, its prognostic implication in patients with CS is unclear. Purpose We sought to investigate whether CMA assessed by FDG-PET was associated with long-term worse clinical outcomes in patients with CS. Methods A total of 76 consecutive patients suspected CS who underwent FDG-PET between January 2010 and April 2018 in our university hospital were registered. We excluded patients whodid not meet the Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare 2007 criteria (n=9) and those who received oral corticosteroids at the time of FDG-PET (n=5). Ultimately, 62 CS patients with definitively diagnosed were included in this study.We used a dedicated software to analyze SUV. Cardiac metabolic volume (CMV) was defined as the volume within the boundary determined by the threshold (SUV mean of blood pool × 1.5). CMA was calculated by multiplying CMV by SUV mean. The primary outcome of interest was the composite of advanced atrioventricular block, ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, heart failure hospitalization, and all-cause death. Results During a median follow-up period of 1287 (IQR 806–1809) days after the first FDG-PET, the adverse events occurred in 12 patients (19%). Events group had significantly higher CMA compared to no events group (83 [IQR 11–330] vs. 354 [IQR 70–577]) (Figure A). Based on ROC analysis, the optimal cut-off value of CMA for the discrimination of the adverse events was 244 ml, and c-index was 0.71 (95% CI, 0.55–0.87). Patients with high CMA (≥244 ml, n=23) had lower LVEF, and higher prevalence of New York Heart Association functional class III or IV, and higher plasma BNP level compared to those with low CMA ( Conclusions Higher CMA assessed by FDG-PET was associated with worse clinical long-term outcomes in patients with CS, suggesting that measurement of the volume-intensity of abnormal FDG uptake may be useful for risk stratification in patients with CS.

Despite transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is rapidly spreading as a minimally invasive treatment for patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS), periprocedual hemodynamic changes which would affect adverse outcomes after TAVR have not been well investigated. Four-dimensional (4D) flow