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BACKGROUND Cardiac surgery for infective endocarditis (IE) is associated with significant hospital mortality, and female sex may be associated with worse outcomes. However, the impact of sex on the presenting characteristics, management, and outcomes of patients operated on for acute infective endocarditis (IE) has not been adequately studied. OBJECTIVES The goal of our study was to analyse differences in management and outcome of IE between women and men who undergo surgery. METHODS Clinical data of 717 patients undergoing cardiac surgery for IE between December 2005 and December 2019 were prospectively collected. Sex-related postoperative outcomes including in-hospital mortality were recorded. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to identify potential sex-related determinant of in-hospital mortality. RESULTS In all, 532 male patients (74.2%) and 185 female patients (25.8%) underwent surgery for IE. At baseline, women had more frequent mitral regurgitation with 63 patients (34.1%) than men with 135 patients (25.4%) (P  = 0.002). Female sex was associated with higher in-hospital mortality (23.2% versus 17.3%, P  = 0.049). However, multivariable analysis revealed age (P  < 0.01), antibiotics < 7 days before surgery (P  = 0.01) and staphylococcal IE (P  < 0.01) but not female sex (P  = 0.99) as independent determinants of hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS In this study of patients operated-on for IE, female sex was associated with more severe manifestations of IE and significantly higher in-hospital mortality. However, after multivariable analysis, initial presentation, but not sex, seemed to determine clinical outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

B This article refers to 'Italian Society of Interventional Cardiology (GIse) registry Of Transcatheter treatment of mitral valve regurgitaTiOn (GIOTTO): impact of valve disease aetiology and residual mitral regurgitation after MitraClip implantation' by F. Bedogni I et al i ., published in this issue on pages 1364-1376. b Mitral regurgitation (MR) is the most frequent heart valve disease in the community and the second most frequent cause of hospital referral.1-3 The distinction between primary and secondary MR is of utmost importance since they differ not only in the mechanism causing valve failure but also in their prevalence, prognosis and treatment. While the reduced risk of death associated with a grade 1+ residual MR was expected for primary MR, in which left ventricular dysfunction is the consequence of MR, this is less obvious for secondary MR, in which MR is not the cause but the consequence of left ventricular dysfunction. In this study, in both primary and secondary MR, a grade 1+ residual MR was a protective factor for 1-year mortality and patients with grade 3+/4+ residual MR were at high risk of early death (within 60 days) with 50% of deaths at 1 year. [Extracted from the article]

Aims: The MITRA-FR trial showed that among symptomatic patients with severe secondary mitral regurgitation, percutaneous repair did not reduce the risk of death or hospitalization for heart failure at 12 months compared with guideline-directed medical treatment alone. We report the 24-month outcome from this trial.Methods and Results: At 37 centres, we randomly assigned 304 symptomatic heart failure patients with severe secondary mitral regurgitation (effective regurgitant orifice area >20 mm2 or regurgitant volume >30 mL), and left ventricular ejection fraction between 15% and 40% to undergo percutaneous valve repair plus medical treatment (intervention group, n = 152) or medical treatment alone (control group, n = 152). The primary efficacy outcome was the composite of all-cause death and unplanned hospitalization for heart failure at 12 months. At 24 months, all-cause death and unplanned hospitalization for heart failure occurred in 63.8% of patients (97/152) in the intervention group and 67.1% (102/152) in the control group [hazard ratio (HR) 1.01, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.77-1.34]. All-cause mortality occurred in 34.9% of patients (53/152) in the intervention group and 34.2% (52/152) in the control group (HR 1.02, 95% CI 0.70-1.50). Unplanned hospitalization for heart failure occurred in 55.9% of patients (85/152) in the intervention group and 61.8% (94/152) in the control group (HR 0.97, 95% CI 0.72-1.30).Conclusions: In patients with severe secondary mitral regurgitation, percutaneous repair added to medical treatment did not significantly reduce the risk of death or hospitalization for heart failure at 2 years compared with medical treatment alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Valvular heart disease (VHD) is an important cause of mortality and morbidity and has been subject to important changes in management. The VHD II survey was designed by the EURObservational Research Programme of the European Society of Cardiology to analyze actual management of VHD and to compare practice with guidelines.Methods: Patients with severe native VHD or previous valvular intervention were enrolled prospectively across 28 countries over a 3-month period in 2017. Indications for intervention were considered concordant if the intervention was performed or scheduled in symptomatic patients, corresponding to Class I recommendations specified in the 2012 European Society of Cardiology and in the 2014 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology VHD guidelines.Results: A total of 7247 patients (4483 hospitalized, 2764 outpatients) were included in 222 centers. Median age was 71 years (interquartile range, 62-80 years); 1917 patients (26.5%) were ≥80 years; and 3416 were female (47.1%). Severe native VHD was present in 5219 patients (72.0%): aortic stenosis in 2152 (41.2% of native VHD), aortic regurgitation in 279 (5.3%), mitral stenosis in 234 (4.5%), mitral regurgitation in 1114 (21.3%; primary in 746 and secondary in 368), multiple left-sided VHD in 1297 (24.9%), and right-sided VHD in 143 (2.7%). Two thousand twenty-eight patients (28.0%) had undergone previous valvular intervention. Intervention was performed in 37.0% and scheduled in 26.8% of patients with native VHD. The decision for intervention was concordant with Class I recommendations in symptomatic patients with severe single left-sided native VHD in 79.4% (95% CI, 77.1-81.6) for aortic stenosis, 77.6% (95% CI, 69.9-84.0) for aortic regurgitation, 68.5% (95% CI, 60.8-75.4) for mitral stenosis, and 71.0% (95% CI, 66.4-75.3) for primary mitral regurgitation. Valvular interventions were performed in 2150 patients during the survey; of them, 47.8% of patients with single left-sided native VHD were in New York Heart Association class III or IV. Transcatheter procedures were performed in 38.7% of patients with aortic stenosis and 16.7% of those with mitral regurgitation.Conclusions: Despite good concordance between Class I recommendations and practice in patients with aortic VHD, the suboptimal number in mitral VHD and late referral for valvular interventions suggest the need to improve further guideline implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The study European Heart Survey of 2003 shows the increase of frequency of aortic stenosis in the population. In 2010, in France, 215 000 patients had an aortic stenosis and 156 800 were more than 75 years old. The normal aortic valve has a surface from 3 to 4 cm2, the speed of the blood flow which crosses her of 1 m/sec. The aortic stenosis is evolutive; the average progress of the stenosis is made on an increase of the swiftness of 0,3 m/sec/year, an increase of the gradient of 7 mmHg/year and a decrease of the aortic surface of 0.12 cm2/an. If the patient knows that he has an aortic stenosis, the anaesthetist in preoperative consultation has to make sure that a recent cardiological consultation took place and has to check it. If a cardiac breath is heard by the anaesthetist, it evokes an aortic stenosis and has to lead to a confirmation by a cardiologist. The transthoracic ultrasound (ETT) is essential to confirm the diagnosis. An aortic stenosis is severe if the aortic surface is lower than 1 cm2 (0.6 cm2/m2), the upper average gradient is at 40mmHg, the swiftness is superior than 4 m/dry. Syncope, angor and dyspnoea of effort appear when the ultrasound criteria of tight aortic stenosis are combined. It is necessary to pay attention to the fatigue and the reduction of activity of the elderly population. In the absence of functional signs, the non cardiac surgery is possible. In the presence of functional signs, the cardiac complications and the mortality are raised. More than the choice of a technique of anesthesia, it is the knowledge of the cardiac pathology and the expertise of the team of anesthesia which make the difference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: heart failure; heart valve diseases EN heart failure heart valve diseases 2482 2484 3 12/23/20 20201222 NES 201222 Although addressing the same issue, the MITRA-FR trial (Percutaneous Repair With the MitraClip Device for Severe Functional/Secondary Mitral Regurgitation) and the COAPT trial (Cardiovascular Outcomes Assessment of the MitraClip Percutaneous Therapy for Heart Failure Patients with Functional Mitral Regurgitation) led to divergent results.[1],[2] Differences in patient characteristics may account for these discrepancies but have not been specifically studied. Characteristics and Outcome of COAPT-Eligible and -Ineligible MITRA-FR Patients and Corresponding Characteristics of COAPT Patients In the intention-to-treat analysis, overall, the composite efficacy end point occurred in 121 (64.0%) COAPT-eligible patients and 57 (74.0%) COAPT-ineligible patients (unadjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.80 [95% CI, 0.58-1.11]). Although a majority of MITRA-FR patients were deemed COAPT eligible, they presented markedly different baseline characteristics versus patients of the COAPT trial. [Extracted from the article]

OBJECTIVE: Decision making for intervention in symptomatic aortic stenosis should balance the risks of surgery and of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). We identified the factors associated with early mortality after TAVI and aimed to develop and validate a simple risk score. METHODS: A population of 3833 consecutive patients was randomly split into two cohorts comprising 2552 and 1281 patients, used respectively to develop and validate a scoring system predicting 30-day or in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: TAVI was performed using the Edwards Sapien prosthesis in 2551 (66.8%) patients and the Medtronic Corevalve in 1270 (33.2%). Approach was transfemoral in 2801 (73.4%) patients, transapical in 678 (17.8%), subclavian in 219 (5.7%) and other in 117 (3.1%). Early mortality was 10.0% (382 patients). A multivariate logistic model identified the following predictive factors of early mortality: age >=90years, body mass index <30Kg/m(2), New York Heart Association class IV, pulmonary hypertension, critical haemodynamic state, >=2 pulmonary oedemas during the last year, respiratory insufficiency, dialysis and transapical or other (transaortic and transcarotid) approaches. A 21-point predictive score was derived. C-index was 0.67 for the score in the development cohort and 0.59 in the validation cohort. There was a good concordance between predicted and observed 30-day mortality rates in the development and validation cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: Early mortality after TAVI is mainly related to age, the severity of symptoms, comorbidities and transapical approach. A simple score can be used to predict early mortality after TAVI. The moderate discrimination is however a limitation for the accurate identification of high-risk patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Decision making for intervention in symptomatic aortic stenosis should balance the risks of surgery and of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). We identified the factors associated with early mortality after TAVI and aimed to develop and validate a simple risk score. Methods A population of 3833 consecutive patients was randomly split into two cohorts comprising 2552 and 1281 patients, used respectively to develop and validate a scoring system predicting 30-day or in-hospital mortality. Results TAVI was performed using the Edwards Sapien prosthesis in 2551 (66.8%) patients and the Medtronic Corevalve in 1270 (33.2%). Approach was transfemoral in 2801 (73.4%) patients, transapical in 678 (17.8%), subclavian in 219 (5.7%) and other in 117 (3.1%). Early mortality was 10.0% (382 patients). A multivariate logistic model identified the following predictive factors of early mortality: age ≥90 years, body mass index <30 Kg/m², New York Heart Association class IV, pulmonary hypertension, critical haemodynamic state, ≥2 pulmonary oedemas during the last year, respiratory insufficiency, dialysis and transapical or other (transaortic and transcarotid) approaches. A 21-point predictive score was derived. C-index was 0.67 for the score in the development cohort and 0.59 in the validation cohort. There was a good concordance between predicted and observed 30-day mortality rates in the development and validation cohorts. Conclusions Early mortality after TAVI is mainly related to age, the severity of symptoms, comorbidities and transapical approach. A simple score can be used to predict early mortality after TAVI. The moderate discrimination is however a limitation for the accurate identification of high-risk patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective We analysed long-term results of percutaneous mitral commissurotomy (PMC) performed because of mitral restenosis after previous commissurotomy. Design Follow-up of a prospective cohort. Setting Tertiary university hospital. Patients We studied 163 consecutive patients who underwent PMC because of restenosis occurring 16 ±8 years after previous commissurotomy (closed-heart in 121, open-heart in 30 and PMC in 12). Mean age was 48±14 years; 62 patients (38%) had valve calcification. Restenosis was due to bicommissural fusion in all cases. Intervention PMC using a single or double balloon in 80 patients and the Inoue balloon in 83. Results Good immediate results (IR) (valve area ≽1.5 cm2 with MR≼2/4) were obtained in 135 pts (83%). 20-year rates were 27.9±4.7% for cardiovascular survival without mitral surgery and 14.8±3.9% for good functional results (cardiovascular survival without reintervention on the mitral valve and in New York Heart Association (NYHA) class I or II). After good IR, 20-year rates were 33.2±5.5% for cardiovascular survival without surgery and 17.9±4.7% for good functional results. After good IR, multivariate predictive factors of poor late functional results were higher NYHA class ( p=0.01), atrial fibrillation (p=0.0002) and higher mean mitral gradient after PMC ( p=0.004). Conclusions In patients with restenosis after mitral commissurotomy, PMC provides good IR in most cases. After good IR, one patient out of three remains free from surgery and one out of five has good functional results at 20 years. These findings support the use of PMC after previous commissurotomy, particularly in selected patients with few symptoms and in sinus rhythm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aortic stenosis (AS) is the consequence of active valve remodelling, which can be easily diagnosed, but for which no preventive strategy is available. It is the most common valve disease in Western countries, where its prevalence increases with age, reaching about 3% after the age of 75. The burden of AS is high and is expected to double within the next 50 years. Surgery is recommended in patients with severe symptomatic AS. In practice, however, surgery is often denied to the elderly owing to extensive comorbidities or 'frailty' and, as a consequence, decision-making is not always consistent with risk-benefit analysis. These findings highlight the need for less invasive approaches in highrisk patients and account for the rapid development of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Preliminary analyses suggest that in-hospital costs of TAVI compare favourably with the costs of surgery. Cost-effectiveness analyses are needed but should be interpreted with caution, given the discrepancies in analyses concerning surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Valvular heart disease remains common in industrialized countries, because the decrease in prevalence of rheumatic heart diseases has been accompanied by an increase in that of degenerative valve diseases. Aortic stenosis and mitral regurgitation are the two most common types of valvular disease in Europe. The prevalence of valvular disease increases sharply with age, owing to the predominance of degenerative etiologies. The burden of heart valve disease in the elderly has an important impact on patient management, given the high frequency of comorbidity and the increased risk associated with intervention in this age group. Endocarditis is an important etiology of valvular disease and is most commonly caused by Staphylococci. Rheumatic heart disease remains prevalent in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neurologic complications of endocarditis can influence diagnosis, therapeutic plans, and prognosis. Objective: To describe how early cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) affects the diagnosis and management of endocarditis in hospitalized adults. Design: Single-center prospective study between June 2005 and October 2008. (ClinicalTrials.gov registration number: NCT00144885) Setting: Tertiary care university hospital in France. Patients: 130 patients with endocarditis. Intervention: Cerebral MRI with angiography performed up to 7 days after admission and before any surgical intervention. Measurements: 2 experts jointly established the endocarditis diagnostic classification (according to Duke-modified criteria) and therapeutic plans just before and after MRI and then compared them. Results: Endocarditis was initially classified as definite in 77 patients and possible in 50 and was excluded in 3. Sixteen patients (12%) had acute neurologic symptoms. Cerebral lesions were detected by MRI in 106 patients (82% [95% CI, 75% to 89%]), including ischemic lesions in 68, microhemorrhages in 74, and silent aneurysms in 10. Solely on the basis of MRI results and excluding microhemorrhages, diagnostic classification of 17 of 53 (32%) cases of nondefinite endocarditis was upgraded to either definite (14 patients) or possible (3 patients). Endocarditis therapeutic plans were modified for 24 (18%) of the 130 patients, including surgical plan modifications for 18 (14%). Overall, early MRI led to modifications of diagnosis or therapeutic plan in 36 patients (28% [CI, 20% to 36%]). Limitation: Investigators did not assess whether the MRI-related changes in diagnosis and therapeutic plans improved patient outcomes or led to unnecessary procedures and increased costs. Conclusion: Cerebral lesions were identified by MRI in many patients with endocarditis but no neurologic symptoms. The MRI findings affected both diagnostic classifications and clinical management plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: For asymptomatic patients with severe mitral regurgitation, guidelines recommend surgery in selected patients. However, little is known on how the current practice fits with guidelines. Methods: Of the 5001 patients prospectively included in the Euro Heart Survey on valvular heart disease, 877 had isolated mitral regurgitation and 546 had severe mitral regurgitation (grade ≥3/4 with Doppler echocardiography). Of them, 101 were asymptomatic and had non-ischaemic mitral regurgitation. The decision to refer the patients to surgery or not operate was analysed by comparing patient characteristics with American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines. Results: Coronary angiography was performed in 21 out of 33 patients (64%) who were considered for surgery. Catheterisation was performed in 27 patients (27%). A decision to operate was taken in 33 patients (33%). Decisions to refer to surgery or not were in accordance with guidelines in 63 patients (62%). Regarding discordant decisions, intervention was considered ‘over-used’ in 9 patients (9%) and ‘under-used’ in 29 patients (29%), of whom 24 had a class I or IIa indication for surgery. Of the 68 non-operated patients, 44 (65%) received at least one drug with haemodynamic effect. Conclusions: In asymptomatic patients with severe mitral regurgitation, preoperative coronary angiography seems under-used and cardiac catheterisation is frequently used. Regarding the decision to operate or not, a large number of patients were not referred to surgery even though they fulfilled recommendation for surgery. Thus, to avoid too late surgical referral, implementation of existing guidelines should be improved. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article discusses the handling of elderly patient with aortic stenosis (AS). It states that AS is now the most frequent heart valve disease in industrialized countries and its dominance increases with age. It mentions that the number of patient characteristics, which have an effect of the results of surgery and the spontaneous outcome underline the need for a thorough patient assessment. Analysis of the case history is also needed.

: ObjectivesWe sought to evaluate the feasibility and immediate and late results of mitral valve repair (MVRep) for acute and healed endocarditis.: BackgroundImprovements in techniques of MVRep have extended its feasibility in complex lesions, but experience with endocarditis is limited.: MethodsAmong 78 patients operated on for mitral endocarditis between 1990 and 1999, 63 underwent MVRep. The repair was performed for acute endocarditis in 25 patients (40%) at a median of 20 days after the onset of treatment and in 38 patients (60%) for healed endocarditis after a median of 11 months.: ResultsRepair of the mitral valve was feasible in 63 patients (81%). This repair involved annuloplasty in 61 patients (97%), valve resection in 49 (78%), shortening or transposition of chordae in 29 (46%), suture of perforation in 18 (29%), a pericardial patch in 12 (19%), and a partial mitral homograft in 7 (11%). Associated procedures were aortic valve replacement in 11 patients, bypass grafting in 3, and tricuspid repair in 2. Early complications were two deaths (3.2%), one re-operation for severe mitral regurgitation and one re-operation for subsequent aortic endocarditis. The seven-year rate of event-free survival was 78 ± 6% in the global series. Multivariate predictors of event-free survival were hypertension (p < 0.006) and intervention for acute endocarditis (p < 0.026). Five-year survival rates were 96 ± 4% after MVRep for acute endocarditis and 91 ± 5% for healed endocarditis.: ConclusionsMitral valve repair is frequently feasible and gives good results in patients with infective endocarditis. Patients operated on for acute endocarditis experience more events during follow-up than those operated on after healed endocarditis but have excellent late survival. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Evaluates the management of ischemic mitral regurgitation. Clinical evaluation; Functional ischemic mitral regurgitation following acute myocardial infarction; Functional ischemic mitral regurgitation in chronic cardiomyopathies; surgical treatment of functional ischemic mitral regurgitation; Surgical treatment of papillary muscle rupture.

The aim of this study was to assess late results of percutaneous mitral commissurotomy (PMC) in calcific mitral stenosis and to identify predictors to improve patient selection. We analyzed 422 patients who underwent PMC for calcific mitral stenosis. The extent of calcium was graded from 1 to 4 by fluoroscopy: 227 patients (53%) were graded 1, 125 (30%) graded 2, 55 graded 3 (13%), and 15 graded 4 (4%). The procedure failed in 15 patients, used a single balloon in 11, a double balloon in 126, and the Inoue balloon in 270. In-hospital mortality was 1.2%. Good immediate results (valve area >/=1.5 cm(2) without mitral regurgitation >2/4), were obtained in 321 patients (76%). Multivariate analysis identified 5 predictors of good immediate results: a younger age (p = 0.0004), a lesser degree of stenosis (p = 0.0005), a smaller extent of calcium (p = 0.04), the use of the Inoue balloon (p = 0.015), and a larger effective balloon dilating area (p = 0.006). Good functional results, defined as survival with no further intervention and in New York Heart Association class I or II, were 36 +/- 4% at 8 years. The predictors of good functional results after good immediate results were a younger age (p = 0.04), a lower pre-PMC New York Heart Association class (p <0.0001), sinus rhythm (p = 0.0006), a smaller extent of calcium (p = 0.02), and a lower gradient after PMC (p <0.0001). Despite a frequent deterioration on follow-up after PMC for calcific mitral stenosis, the predictive analysis suggests that PMC may be useful in deferring surgery in selected patients with mild to moderate calcific deposits, who have otherwise favorable characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the guidelines issued by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) on diagnosis and treatment of aortic disease. It states that advancements of endovascular surgical methods have increased therapeutic options for treatment of aortic diseases. It mentions that the ESC guidelines cover wide range of thoracic and abdominal aortic diseases and discusses the role played by imaging in diagnosis and follow-up treatment of aortic diseases.

Background The role of suppressive antimicrobial therapy (SAT) in infective endocarditis (IE) management has yet to be defined. The objective of this study was to describe the use of SAT in an IE referral center and the patients' outcomes. Methods We conducted a retrospective observational study in a French IE referral center (Paris). All patients with IE who received SAT between 2016 and 2022 were included. Results Forty-two patients were included (36 male [86%]; median age [interquartile range {IQR}], 73 [61–82] years). The median Charlson Comorbidity Index score (IQR) was 3 (1–4). Forty patients (95%) had an intracardiac device. The most frequent microorganisms were Enterococcus faecalis (15/42, 36%) and Staphylococcus aureus (12/42, 29%). SAT indications were absence of surgery despite clinical indication (28/42, 67%), incomplete removal of prosthetic material (6/42, 14%), uncontrolled infection source (4/42, 10%), persistent abnormal uptake on nuclear imaging (1/42, 2%), or a combination of the previous indications (3/42, 7%). Antimicrobials were mainly doxycycline (19/42, 45%) and amoxicillin (19/42, 45%). The median follow-up time (IQR) was 398 (194–663) days. Five patients (12%) experienced drug adverse events. Five patients (12%) presented with a second IE episode during follow-up, including 2 reinfections (different bacterial species) and 3 possible relapses (same bacterial species). Fourteen patients (33%) in our cohort died during follow-up. Overall, the 1-year survival rate was 84.3% (73.5%–96.7%), and the 1-year survival rate without recurrence was 74.1% (61.4%–89.4%). Conclusions SAT was mainly prescribed to patients with cardiac devices because of the absence of surgery despite clinical indication. Five (12%) breakthrough second IE episodes were reported. Prospective comparative studies are required to guide this empirical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The 2023 Duke-ISCVID (International Society of Cardiovascular Infectious Diseases) classification is a new diagnostic tool for infective endocarditis, updating the 2000 modified Duke and the 2015 European Society for Cardiology (ESC) classifications. In comparison, its sensitivity is higher; however, its specificity remains to be evaluated and compared to that of the 2 other classifications in endocarditis suspected patients. Methods We retrospectively collected the characteristics of patients hospitalized in Bichat University's Hospital, Paris, in 2021, who had been evaluated for clinical suspicion of endocarditis, have had at least a transthoracic echocardiography, 2 pairs of blood cultures, 3-month follow-up and in whom endocarditis diagnosis was finally rejected. All patients were classified by 2000 modified Duke, 2015 ESC and 2023 Duke-ISCVID, as though the endocarditis diagnosis had not been rejected. Results In total, 130 patients' charts were analyzed. Mean age was 62 years, 84 (64.6%) were male, 39 (30.0%) had prosthetic cardiac valve or valve repair, 21 (16.2%) cardiac implanted electronic device, and 30 (23.1%) other cardiac conditions. Overall, 5, 2, and 5 patients were falsely classified as definite endocarditis with the 2000 modified Duke, 2015 ESC, and 2023 Duke-ISCVID classifications, respectively. The corresponding specificities were 96.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] [90.8%, 98.6%]), 98.5% (95% CI [93.9%, 99.7%]), and 96.2% (95% CI [90.8%, 98.6%]). The rates of possible endocarditis were of 38%, 35%, and 35% in the 3 classifications, respectively. Conclusions The 2023 Duke-ISCVID classification is highly specific for ruling out the diagnosis of definite infective endocarditis in patients who had been evaluated for IE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is commonly observed in patients with severe left‐sided valvular heart disease (VHD). This study sought to assess TR frequency, management and outcome in this population. Methods and results: Among 6883 patients with severe native left‐sided VHD or previous left‐sided valvular intervention enrolled in the EURObservational Research Programme prospective VHD II survey, moderate or severe TR was very frequent in patients with severe mitral VHD (30% when mitral stenosis, 36% when mitral regurgitation [MR]), especially in patients with secondary MR (46%), and rare in patients with severe aortic VHD (4% when aortic stenosis, 3% when aortic regurgitation). An increase in TR grade was associated with a more severe clinical presentation and a poorer 6‐month survival (p < 0.0001). Rates of concomitant tricuspid valve (TV) intervention at the time of left‐sided heart valve surgery were high at the time of mitral valve surgery (50% when mitral stenosis, 41% when MR). Concordance between class I indications (patients with severe TR) for concomitant TV surgery at the time of left‐sided valvular heart surgery according to guidelines and real‐practice decision‐making was very good (88% overall, 95% in patients operated on for MR). Conclusion: In this large international prospective survey among patients with severe left‐sided VHD, moderate/severe TR was frequent in patients with mitral valve disease and was associated with a poorer outcome as TR grade increased. In patients with severe TR, compliance to guidelines for class I indications for concomitant TV surgery at the time of left‐sided heart valve surgery was very good. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mild myocardial injuries after coronary angioplasty are associated with adverse late outcomes. The incidence and prognostic value of this phenomenon when using cardiac troponin I (cTnI) after stent implantation is unknown. We studied cTnI and creatine kinase (CK) release in 109 patients after stenting. Clinical success was achieved in 103 patients (94%). In-hospital major adverse coronary events were: death in 1 patient, Q-wave myocardial infarction in 1 patient, and non-Q-wave myocardial infarction in 2 patients. Twenty-nine patients (27%) had postprocedural cTnI increase, 16 (15%) had CK elevation. No preprocedural variables predicted marker elevation. Marker release was related to the occurrence of in-lab complications (59% vs 29% [p = 0.004 for cTnI] and 69% vs 32% [p = 0.011 for CK]). In 34% no explanation was found for cTnI increase. Success was more frequent in patients without cTnI elevation (100% vs 86%, p <0.001). The negative predictive value of cTnI increase was 100% for in-hospital major adverse coronary events (MACE), whereas its positive predictive value was 14%. cTnI and CK concordant elevation was associated with more intra- and postprocedural adverse events. During a mean follow-up of 8+/-3 months, major adverse coronary events were: death in 2 patients, myocardial infarction in 2 patients, and repeat PTCA in 8 patients. cTnI elevation was not predictive of these late MACE. cTnI elevation is common after stenting, and is related to the occurrence of in-lab complications. Its isolated elevation is not a good predictor of MACE. Patients with concordant cTnI and CK elevation seem to be at higher risk of in-hospital MACE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The clinical and cost-saving benefits of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) over surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in patients with severe aortic stenosis who are at high or intermediate risk of surgical mortality are supported by a growing evidence base. The PARTNER 3 trial (Placement of AoRTic TraNscathetER Valve Trial) demonstrated clinical benefits with SAPIEN 3 TAVI compared with SAVR in selected patients at low risk of surgical mortality. This study uses PARTNER 3 outcomes in combination with a French national hospital claim database to inform a cost-utility model and examine the cost implications of TAVI over SAVR in a low-risk population.Methods: A 2-stage cost-utility analysis was developed to estimate changes in both direct healthcare costs and health-related quality of life using TAVI with SAPIEN 3 compared with SAVR. Early adverse events associated with TAVI were captured using the PARTNER 3 data set. These data fed into a Markov model that captured longer-term outcomes of patients, after TAVI or SAVR intervention.Results: TAVI with SAPIEN 3 offers meaningful benefits over SAVR in providing both cost saving (€12 742 per patient) and generating greater quality-adjusted life-years (0.89 per patient). These results are robust with TAVI with SAPIEN 3 remaining dominant across several scenarios and deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses.Conclusions: This model demonstrated that TAVI with SAPIEN 3 was dominant compared with SAVR in the treatment of patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis who are at low risk of surgical mortality. These findings should help policy makers in developing informed approaches to intervention selection for this patient population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corresponding Author [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on Vuyisile Nkomo and colleagues filling an important gap in our knowledge of the epidemiology of cardiovascular disease. Age distribution and prevalence of valvular disease statistics are reported from the databases with randomly selected patients and prospectively defined echocardiographic examinations. There is an increase in the incidence of valvular heart disease with age. The European Society of Cardiology's Euro Heart Survey study was administered in twenty-five countries with a design to analyse current practices including systematic echocardiographic examination with specific analysis of valve disease results. A great need still exists for pathophysiology and clinical research to improve individual risk-benefit interventions.

(1) Background: infective endocarditis (IE) is a significant health concern associated with important morbidity and mortality. Only limited, often monocentric, retrospective data on IE in Belgium are available. This prospective study sought to assess the clinical characteristics and outcomes of Belgian IE patients in the ESC EORP European endocarditis (EURO-ENDO) registry; (2) Methods: 132 IE patients were identified based on the ESC 2015 criteria and included in six tertiary hospitals in Belgium; (3) Results: The average Belgian IE patient was male and 62.8 ± 14.9 years old. The native valve was most affected (56.8%), but prosthetic/repaired valves (34.1%) and intracardiac device-related (5.3%) IE are increasing. The most frequently identified microorganisms were S. aureus (37.2%), enterococci (15.5%), and S. viridans (15.5%). The most frequent complications were acute renal failure (36.2%) and embolic events (23.6%). Cardiac surgery was effectively performed when indicated in 71.7% of the cases. In-hospital mortality occurred in 15.7% of patients. Predictors of mortality in the multivariate analysis were S. aureus (HR = 2.99 [1.07–8.33], p = 0.036) and unperformed cardiac surgery when indicated (HR = 19.54 [1.91–200.17], p = 0.012). (4) Conclusion: This prospective EURO-ENDO ancillary analysis provides valuable contemporary insights into the profile, treatment, and clinical outcomes of IE patients in Belgium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is currently no established recommendation for antithrombotic treatment following transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR). However, based on the analogy with surgical mitral bioprosthesis, vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) are predominantly used. The purpose of this study was to compare bleeding and thrombotic events associated with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) or VKAs in a prospective cohort of TMVR patients. We enrolled consecutive patients who underwent transseptal TMVR using a SAPIEN family prosthesis at our center between 2011 and 2023. The primary outcome was the occurrence of bleeding. VKAs were administered to patients until October 2019, after which DOACs were prescribed. The median follow-up was 4.7 months (Q1-Q3: 2.6-6.7 months). A total of 156 patients were included. The mean age was 65 ± 18.5 years, and 103 patients (66%) were women. The median EuroSCORE II was 7.48% (Q1-Q3: 3.80%-12.97%). Of the participants, 20.5% received DOACs and 79.5% were treated with VKAs. The primary outcome was observed in 50 (40%) patients in the VKA group and 3 (9%) patients in the DOAC group (adjusted HR: 0.21; 95% CI: 0.06-0.74; P = 0.02). Treatment with DOAC was associated with a shorter length of hospital stay. No significant differences were found in terms of thrombotic events, major vascular complications, stroke, or death. The use of DOACs after TMVR, compared with VKAs, appears to reduce the risk of bleeding complications and decrease the length of hospital stay for patients, without a significant increase in the risk of thrombotic events. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open in new tab Download slide OBJECTIVES This observational study aimed to evaluate Association pour l'Etude et la Prévention de l'Endocardite Infectieuse (AEPEI) surgery score predictive performance in comparison to general (EuroSCORE I, II) and specific (De Feo, PALSUSE) surgical risk scores for infective endocarditis (IE). METHODS The study included patients who underwent surgery for IE during the acute phase at Bichat University Hospital (Paris, France) between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2016 and at Nancy University Hospital (Nancy, France) between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2019. Patients with IE complicating percutaneous aortic valve implantations or implantable intra-cardiac devices were excluded. Discrimination and calibration were assessed using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, calibration curves and the Hosmer–Lemeshow test. RESULTS In-hospital mortality rates were 18% at Bichat and 16% at Nancy. Discrimination was high for all risk scores at Bichat (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.77 for EuroSCORE I, 0.78 for EuroSCORE II, 0.76 for De Feo score, 0.72 for PALSUSE and 0.73 for AEPEI with 95% confidence interval ranging from 0.67 to 0.83), but lower at Nancy (0.56 for EuroSCORE I, 0.65 for EuroSCORE II, 0.63 for De Feo score, 0.67 for PALSUSE and 0.66 for AEPEI score with 95% confidence interval ranging from 0.47 to 0.75). With Brier score, all scores were adequately calibrated in both populations between 0.129 (De Feo) and 0.135 (PALSUSE) for Bichat and between 0.128 (De Feo) and 0.135 (EuroSCORE I) for Nancy. With the Hosmer–Lemeshow test, the AEPEI score exhibited the best calibration (observed/predicted ratio 1.058 in Bichat, 1.087 in Nancy). CONCLUSIONS This surgical score external validation in 2 large independent populations demonstrated that the AEPEI surgical score had the best predictive performance compared to other prognosis scores. It could be helpful in clinical practice to assist the endocarditis team in decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: There are no data about the prevalence of masked/latent coronary artery disease (CAD) in asymptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) and normal exercise testing (ET) Hypothesis: We hypothesized there will be masked CAD in asymptomatic severe AS patients with normal ET. Importantly, this phenomena could influence the choice and timing of treatment in these patients Methods: We analyzed patients from the cohort screened for Avatar trial eligibility (NCT02436655). ET was performed on semi-supine ergobicycle.Cardiopulmonary analysis during ET (CPET) as well as comprehensive echo and laboratory analysis at rest was done.Standard clinical and ECG criteria were assessed for symptoms and signs of ischemia during and after ET. At least 80% of maximal heart rate had to be achieved in order for ET to be conclusive. In patients with normal ET, coronary angiography (CA) was performed using the standard percutaneous femoral/radial approach. Coronary stenosis was considered significant if >70% of vessel diameter or 50-70% with Fractional Flow Reserve ≤0.8 Results: Total of 92 patients with normal ET were included in this analysis (mean age 67.62±9.68, 51.4% males). During the testing or recovery phase no patient had any complication or adverse event. The Pmean was 52.71±11.67 mmHg, mean AVAi 0.36±0.08cm2/m2, mean LVEF 69.51%±7.51%. 18/92 patients (19.54%) had CAD on CA. There was no difference in analyzed CPET, echo parameters and valvulo-arterial impedance between patients with and without CAD (p>0.05). When we compared patients depending on whether they had one-vessel (10/18 pts) or multivessel/left main CAD there was no difference in any of the parameters (p>0.05).According to multivariate logistic regression analysis BNP and blood glucose were independent predictors of masked CAD. The BNP value of 118 pg/ml had sensitivity and specificity of 63 and 73% for predicting CAD in asymptomatic severe AS patients with normal LVEF (AUC 0.727, p=0.006), figure 1. Conclusions: Results of this study are the first to show the prevalence of masked CAD in asymptomatic patients with severe AS, normal LVEF and normal ET. Even in patients with normal ET, significant CAD is present in as many as 1/5 patients. BNP might be of help to suspect patients with latent CAD [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The France TAVI Registry is a registry of the French Society of Cardiology that was launched in January 2013 and included the majority of patients hospitalised for TAVI in the 54 active TAVI centres in France, i.e. more than 90,000 patients. This national, multicentre, prospective registry was designed to collect basic patient characteristics as well as procedural aspects of TAVI. All the follow-up is carried out automatically from the national health data system, apart from imaging data, including echocardiography, which is entered manually into the eCRF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open in new tab Download slide OBJECTIVES Patients undergoing surgical tricuspid valve replacement (TVR) are at high risk of atrioventricular conduction disorders. Because implanting a lead through the tricuspid bioprosthesis is discouraged, the patients who undergo TVR in our centre are usually given a prophylactic epicardial pacemaker. Our aim was to assess the benefits and risks of this strategy. METHODS Among the patients who underwent TVR with prophylactic epicardial pacemaker implantation, clinical evaluations and pacemaker reports were analysed retrospectively after surgery. The need for cardiac pacing were assessed by characterizing the atrioventricular conduction, while the risks were evaluated by listing and adjudicating post-operative events. RESULTS A total of 80 patients were analysed (mean age was 57 ± 16 years old, 30% males). TVR was isolated in 28 (35%) patients, but most often associated with another valve surgery. In the postoperative period, heart rhythm was analysed in 59/80 patients during a median follow-up of 35 months. Cardiac pacing was needed in 46% patients: 14% had complete pacing dependency, 17% had high degree AV block, while 15% had a high ventricular pacing rate (>80%). No pre- or per-operative variables could predict cardiac pacing requirement. Post-operatively, a spontaneous heart rate >70 bpm (P  = 0.02) and the presence of narrow QRS (P  = 0.03) were significantly associated with a lower risk of cardiac pacing requirement. Complications related to epicardial pacemaker were documented in 2 (2.5%) patients. CONCLUSIONS After TVR, cardiac pacing was needed in 46% of patients for post-operative atrioventricular conduction disorders. This high incidence associated with an acceptable safety profile supports a prophylactic epicardial pacing strategy for the patients undergoing TVR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current guidelines recommend selecting surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) or transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) based on age, comorbidities, and surgical risk. Nevertheless, reports from the United States suggest a rapid expansion of TAVR in young patients. The authors sought to evaluate the trends in TAVR uptake at a nationwide level in France according to age and sex. Using a nationwide administrative database, we evaluated age- and sex-related trends in TAVR uptake, patient demographics, and in-hospital outcomes between 2015 and 2020. A total of 107,397 patients (44.0% female) underwent an isolated aortic valve replacement (AVR) (59.1% TAVR, 40.9% SAVR). In patients <65 years of age, the proportion of TAVR increased by 63.2% (P < 0.001) from 2015 to 2020 but remained uncommon at 11.1% of all AVR by 2020 (12.4% in females, 10.6% in males) while TAVR was the dominant modality in patients ≥65 years of age. In patients undergoing TAVR, the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) (P = 0.119 for trend) and in-hospital mortality (P = 0.740 for trend) remained unchanged in patients <65 years of age but declined in those ≥65 years of age irrespective of sex (all P < 0.001 for trends). Females were older (P < 0.001), had lower CCI (P < 0.001), were more likely to undergo TAVR (P < 0.001), and experienced higher in-hospital mortality (TAVR, P = 0.015; SAVR, P < 0.001) that persisted despite adjustment for age and CCI. In France, the use of TAVR remained uncommon in young patients, predominantly restricted to those at high risk. Important sex differences were observed in patent demographics, selection of AVR modality, and patient outcomes. Additional research evaluating the long-term impact of TAVR use in young patients and prospective data evaluating sex differences in AVR modality selection and outcomes are needed. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "Incidence of infective endocarditis in England 2000-13: a secular trend, interrupted time-series analysis" by Mark J. Dayer and colleagues which appeared in the 2015 issue of the periodical.

The author reflects on the administration of Antithrombotic therapy after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and its associated risk. Topics discussed include bleeding, acute coronary syndrome and strokes in patients that are prescribed aspirin after TAVI, difference in antithrombotic regimens of surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR) and TAVI, and use of anticoagulant and antiplatelet therapy after TAVI that resulted in bleeding due to administration of vitamin K antagonists.

Aims: Standardized data definitions are necessary for the quantification of quality of care and patient outcomes in observational studies and randomised controlled trials (RCTs). The European Unified Registries for Heart Care Evaluation and Randomised Trials (EuroHeart) project of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) aims to create pan-European data standards for cardiovascular diseases and interventions, including transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Methods and results: We followed the EuroHeart methodology for cardiovascular data standard development. A Working Group of 29 members representing 12 countries was established and included a patient representative, as well as experts in the management of valvular heart disease from the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI), the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) and the Working Group on Cardiovascular Surgery. We conducted a systematic review of the literature and used a modified Delphi method to reach consensus on a final set of variables. For each variable, the Working Group provided a definition, permissible values, and categorized the variable as mandatory (Level 1) or additional (Level 2) based on its clinical importance and feasibility. In total, 93 Level 1 and 113 Level 2 variables were selected, with the level 1 variables providing the dataset for registration of patients undergoing TAVI on the EuroHeart IT platform. Conclusion: This document provides details of the EuroHeart data standards for TAVI processes of care and in-hospital outcomes. In the context of EuroHeart, this will facilitate quality improvement, observational research, registry-based RCTs and post-marketing surveillance of devices, and pharmacotherapies. One-sentence summary: The EuroHeart data standards for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) are a set of internationally agreed data variables and definitions that once implemented will facilitate improvement of quality of care and outcomes for patients receiving TAVI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Mitral regurgitation (MR) and tricuspid regurgitation (TR) are common in patients with heart failure (HF). The aim of this study was to investigate prevalence, clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with or without isolated or combined MR and TR across the entire HF spectrum. Methods and results: The ESC‐HFA EORP HF Long‐Term Registry is a prospective, multicentre, observational study including patients with HF and 1‐year follow‐up data. Outpatients without aortic valve disease were included and stratified according to isolated or combined moderate/severe MR and TR. Among 11 298 patients, 7541 (67%) had no MR/TR, 1931 (17%) isolated MR, 616 (5.5%) isolated TR and 1210 (11%) combined MR/TR. Baseline characteristics were differently distributed across MR/TR categories. Compared to HF with reduced ejection fraction, HF with mildly reduced ejection fraction was associated with a lower risk of isolated MR (odds ratio [OR] 0.69; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.60–0.80), and distinctly lower risk of combined MR/TR (OR 0.51; 95% CI 0.41–0.62). HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) was associated with a distinctly lower risk of isolated MR (OR 0.42; 95% CI 0.36–0.49), and combined MR/TR (OR 0.59; 95% 0.50–0.70), but a distinctly increased risk of isolated TR (OR 1.94; 95% CI 1.61–2.33). All‐cause death, cardiovascular death, HF hospitalization and combined outcomes occurred more frequently in combined MR/TR, isolated TR and isolated MR versus no MR/TR. The highest incident rates were observed in isolated TR and combined MR/TR. Conclusion: In a large cohort of outpatients with HF, prevalence of isolated and combined MR and TR was relatively high. Isolated TR was driven by HFpEF and was burdened by an unexpectedly poor outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the potential healthcare effects of the new 2014 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology guidelines on valvular heart disease. Topics discussed include the general management guidelines of the disease in relation to surgical and interventional risk scoring, the importance of a multidisciplinary heart team in treating the disease, and new therapies linked to the guidelines like the transcatheter aortic valve implantation.