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Background: Current indications for surgery in patients with significant aortic regurgitation (AR) focus on symptoms and left ventricular dilation/dysfunction. However, prognosis is already reduced by this stage, and earlier identification of patients for surgery could be beneficial. Quantifying the regurgitation may help, but there are limited data on its link with outcome. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) can accurately quantify AR, and we examined whether this was associated with the future need for surgery.Methods and Results: One hundred thirteen patients with echocardiographic moderate or severe AR were monitored for up to 9 years (mean 2.6 ± 2.1 years) following a CMR scan, and the progression to symptoms or other indications for surgery was monitored. AR quantification identified outcome with high accuracy: 85% of the 39 subjects with regurgitant fraction >33% progressed to surgery (mostly within 3 years) in comparison with 8% of 74 subjects with regurgitant fraction ≤ 33% (P<0.0001); the area under the curve on receiver operating characteristic analysis was 0.93 (P<0.0001). This ability remained strong on time-dependent Kaplan-Meier survival curves. CMR-derived left ventricular end-diastolic volume >246 mL had good, although lower, discriminatory ability (area under the curve 0.88), but the combination of this measure with regurgitant fraction provided the best discriminatory power.Conclusions: High degrees of CMR-quantified AR were associated with the development of symptoms or other indications for surgery. Quantifying AR showed slightly better discriminatory ability than "gold standard" CMR ventricular volume assessment. This could provide a new paradigm for the timing of surgical intervention but requires confirmation in a clinical trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Echocardiography is the primary imaging modality for initial assessment and longitudinal evaluation of patients with valvular heart disease. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) has emerged as an additional or alternative modality in these patients providing clinically useful information not only about the valve lesion itself but also about the consequences for the relevant ventricle. Other unique capabilities of CMR include the assessment of surrounding anatomy (eg, great vessels) and the evaluation of myocardial scar or fibrosis. This review will highlight the role of CMR in the assessment of patients with valve disease with particular emphasis on the advantages of this imaging modality in key areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy occurs in both aortic stenosis (AS) and systemic hypertension (HTN) in response to wall stress. However, differentiation of hypertrophy due to these 2 etiologies is lacking. The aim was to study the 3-dimensional geometric remodeling pattern in severe AS pre- and postsurgical aortic valve replacement and to compare with HTN and healthy controls., Methods: Ninety-one subjects (36 severe AS, 19 HTN, and 36 healthy controls) underwent cine cardiac magnetic resonance. Cardiac magnetic resonance was repeated 8 months post-aortic valve replacement (n=18). Principal component analysis was performed on the 3-dimensional meshes reconstructed from 109 cardiac magnetic resonance scans of 91 subjects at end-diastole. Principal component analysis modes were compared across experimental groups together with conventional metrics of shape, strain, and scar., Results: A unique AS signature was identified by wall thickness linked to a LV left-right axis shift and a decrease in short-axis eccentricity. HTN was uniquely linked to increased septal thickness. Combining these 3 features had good discriminative ability between AS and HTN (area under the curve, 0.792). The LV left-right axis shift was not reversible post-aortic valve replacement, did not associate with strain, age, or sex, and was predictive of postoperative LV mass regression (R 2 =0.339, P =0.014)., Conclusions: Unique remodeling signatures might differentiate the etiology of LV hypertrophy. Preliminary findings suggest that LV axis shift is characteristic in AS, is not reversible post-aortic valve replacement, predicts mass regression, and may be interpreted to be an adaptive mechanism., Competing Interests: None.

Background: Severe aortic stenosis (AS) is associated with left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and cardiac metabolic alterations with evidence of steatosis and impaired myocardial energetics. Despite this common phenotype, there is an unexplained and wide individual heterogeneity in the degree of hypertrophy and progression to myocardial fibrosis and heart failure. We sought to determine whether the cardiac metabolic state may underpin this variability., Methods: We recruited 74 asymptomatic participants with AS and 13 healthy volunteers. Cardiac energetics were measured using phosphorus spectroscopy to define the myocardial phosphocreatine to adenosine triphosphate ratio. Myocardial lipid content was determined using proton spectroscopy. Cardiac function was assessed by cardiovascular magnetic resonance cine imaging., Results: Phosphocreatine/adenosine triphosphate was reduced early and significantly across the LV wall thickness quartiles (Q2, 1.50 [1.21-1.71] versus Q1, 1.64 [1.53-1.94]) with a progressive decline with increasing disease severity (Q4, 1.48 [1.18-1.70]; P =0.02). Myocardial triglyceride content levels were overall higher in all the quartiles with a significant increase seen across the AV pressure gradient quartiles (Q2, 1.36 [0.86-1.98] versus Q1, 1.03 [0.81-1.56]; P =0.034). While all AS groups had evidence of subclinical LV dysfunction with impaired strain parameters, impaired systolic longitudinal strain was related to the degree of energetic impairment ( r =0.219; P= 0.03). Phosphocreatine/adenosine triphosphate was not only an independent predictor of LV wall thickness ( r =-0.20; P =0.04) but also strongly associated with myocardial fibrosis ( r =-0.24; P =0.03), suggesting that metabolic changes play a role in disease progression. The metabolic and functional parameters showed comparable results when graded by clinical severity of AS., Conclusions: A gradient of myocardial energetic deficit and steatosis exists across the spectrum of hypertrophied AS hearts, and these metabolic changes precede irreversible LV remodeling and subclinical dysfunction. As such, cardiac metabolism may play an important and potentially causal role in disease progression., Competing Interests: Disclosures None.

Background: Pulmonary vasodilator therapy in Fontan patients can improve exercise tolerance. We aimed to assess the potential for non-invasive testing of acute vasodilator response using four-dimensional (D) flow MRI during oxygen inhalation., Materials and Methods: Six patients with well-functioning Fontan circulations were prospectively recruited and underwent cardiac MRI. Ventricular anatomical imaging and 4D Flow MRI were acquired at baseline and during inhalation of oxygen. Data were compared with six age-matched healthy volunteers with 4D Flow MRI scans acquired at baseline., Results: All six patients tolerated the MRI scan well. The dominant ventricle had a left ventricular morphology in all cases. On 4D Flow MRI assessment, two patients (Patients 2 and 6) showed improved cardiac filling with improved preload during oxygen administration, increased mitral inflow, increased maximum E-wave kinetic energy, and decreased systolic peak kinetic energy. Patient 1 showed improved preload only. Patient 5 showed no change, and patient 3 had equivocal results. Patient 4, however, showed a decrease in preload and cardiac filling/function with oxygen., Discussion: Using oxygen as a pulmonary vasodilator to assess increased pulmonary venous return as a marker for positive acute vasodilator response would provide pre-treatment assessment in a more physiological state - the awake patient. This proof-of-concept study showed that it is well tolerated and has shown changes in some stable patients with a Fontan circulation.

Background: Correction of mitral regurgitation (MR) at the time of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation remains controversial. There is conflicting evidence regarding the clinical impact of residual MR, and studies have not examined whether MR aetiology or right heart function impacts the likelihood of residual MR., Methods: This is a retrospective single-centre study of 155 consecutive patients with LVAD implantation from January 2011 to March 2020. Exclusion criteria were no MR pre-LVAD (n=8), inaccessible echocardiography (n=9), duplicate records (n=10) and concomitant mitral valve repair (n=1). Statistical analysis was performed using STATA V.16 and SPSS V.24., Results: Carpentier IIIb MR aetiology was associated with more severe MR pre-LVAD (severe 18/27 (67%) vs non-severe 32/91 (35%), p=0.004) and a higher likelihood of residual MR (8/11 (72%) vs 30/74 (41%), p=0.045). Of 95 patients with significant MR pre-LVAD, 15 (16%) had persistent significant MR, which was associated with higher mortality (p=0.006), post-LVAD right ventricle (RV) dilatation (10/15 (67%) vs 28/80 (35%), p=0.022) and RV dysfunction (14/15 (93%) vs 35/80 (44%), p<0.001). Aside from ischaemic aetiology, other pre-LVAD parameters that were associated with significant residual MR included left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVESD) (6.9 cm (5.7-7.2) vs 5.9 cm (5.5-6.5), p=0.043), left atrial volume index (LAVi) (78 mL/m 2 (56-88) vs 57 mL/m 2 (47-77), p=0.021), posterior leaflet displacement (2.5 cm (2.3-2.9) vs 2.3 cm (1.9-2.7), p=0.042) and basal right ventricular end-diastolic diameter (RVEDD) (5.1±0.8 cm vs 4.5±0.8 cm, p=0.010)., Conclusion: LVAD therapy improves MR and tricuspid regurgitation severity in the majority, but 14% have persistent significant residual MR, associated with right ventricular dysfunction and higher long-term mortality. This may be predicted pre-LVAD by greater LVESD, RVEDD and LAVi and by ischaemic aetiology., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)

Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: None declared.

Background: During left-sided heart failure (HF), left atrial and pulmonary venous pressure increase, which may lead to pulmonary congestion. Previous cohort studies, examining participants with symptomatic HF or rheumatic heart disease, suggest a relationship between increased left atrial pressure (LAP) and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO)., Aim: To examine the strength of association between FeNO and echocardiographic assessment of LAP by the E/e' ratio, to determine if FeNO could be used to identify those with elevated LAP., Design & Setting: This cross-sectional cohort study examined a subset of the OxVALVE cohort aged ≥65 years. Data collection was undertaken in primary care practices in central England., Method: Each participant underwent a focused cardiovascular history and clinical examination. Standard transthoracic echocardiographic (TTE) assessment was performed on all participants, with the E/e' ratio calculated to obtain a validated surrogate of LAP. FeNO was measured in 227 participants., Results: FeNO was higher in males compared with females and no different in participants with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or those using inhaled steroids. Participants with a high E/e' (>14) were older, with a higher proportion of females than males. There was no relationship between E/e' and FeNO, either when measured as a continuous variable or in the group with high E/e'., Conclusion: FeNO was not found to be an accurate predictor of elevated LAP in a primary care setting., (Copyright © 2022, The Authors.)

Background: Decisions in the management of aortic stenosis are based on the peak pressure drop, captured by Doppler echocardiography, whereas gold standard catheterization measurements assess the net pressure drop but are limited by associated risks. The relationship between these two measurements, peak and net pressure drop, is dictated by the pressure recovery along the ascending aorta which is mainly caused by turbulence energy dissipation. Currently, pressure recovery is considered to occur within the first 40-50 mm distally from the aortic valve, albeit there is inconsistency across interventionist centers on where/how to position the catheter to capture the net pressure drop., Methods: We developed a non-invasive method to assess the pressure recovery distance based on blood flow momentum via 4D Flow cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). Multi-center acquisitions included physical flow phantoms with different stenotic valve configurations to validate this method, first against reference measurements and then against turbulent energy dissipation (respectively n = 8 and n = 28 acquisitions) and to investigate the relationship between peak and net pressure drops. Finally, we explored the potential errors of cardiac catheterisation pressure recordings as a result of neglecting the pressure recovery distance in a clinical bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) cohort of n = 32 patients., Results: In-vitro assessment of pressure recovery distance based on flow momentum achieved an average error of 1.8 ± 8.4 mm when compared to reference pressure sensors in the first phantom workbench. The momentum pressure recovery distance and the turbulent energy dissipation distance showed no statistical difference (mean difference of 2.8 ± 5.4 mm, R 2  = 0.93) in the second phantom workbench. A linear correlation was observed between peak and net pressure drops, however, with strong dependences on the valvular morphology. Finally, in the BAV cohort the pressure recovery distance was 78.8 ± 34.3 mm from vena contracta, which is significantly longer than currently accepted in clinical practise (40-50 mm), and 37.5% of patients displayed a pressure recovery distance beyond the end of the ascending aorta., Conclusion: The non-invasive assessment of the distance to pressure recovery is possible by tracking momentum via 4D Flow CMR. Recovery is not always complete at the ascending aorta, and catheterised recordings will overestimate the net pressure drop in those situations. There is a need to re-evaluate the methods that characterise the haemodynamic burden caused by aortic stenosis as currently clinically accepted pressure recovery distance is an underestimation., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Pressure overload in aortic stenosis (AS) encompasses both structural and metabolic remodeling and increases the risk of decompensation into heart failure. A major component of metabolic derangement in AS is abnormal cardiac substrate use, with down-regulation of fatty acid oxidation, increased reliance on glucose metabolism, and subsequent myocardial lipid accumulation. These changes are associated with energetic and functional cardiac impairment in AS and can be assessed with the use of cardiac magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Proton MRS allows the assessment of myocardial triglyceride content and creatine concentration. Phosphorous MRS allows noninvasive in vivo quantification of the phosphocreatine-to-adenosine triphosphate ratio, a measure of cardiac energy status that is reduced in patients with severe AS. This review summarizes the changes to cardiac substrate and high-energy phosphorous metabolism and how they affect cardiac function in AS. The authors focus on the role of MRS to assess these metabolic changes, and potentially guide future (cellular) metabolic therapy in AS., Competing Interests: Funding Support and Author Disclosures Dr Monga, Prof Myerson, and Prof Mahmod have received research grant support from the British Heart Foundation for research into metabolic treatments in aortic stenosis (clinical research training fellowship number: FS/18/17/33514). Prof Valkovič is supported by a Sir Henry Dale Fellowship from the Wellcome Trust (#221805/Z/20/Z). Prof Tyler is supported by a British Heart Foundation Senior Research Fellowship (FS/19/18/34252). Prof Lygate has received funding from British Heart Foundation Programme grant RG/18/12/34040. Prof Rider is supported by a British Heart Foundation fellowship (FS/16/70/32157). Prof Myerson’s research is supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Research Centre. Profs Tyler, Rider, and Neubauer have received support from the Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre and the Oxford British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance T1-mapping enables myocardial tissue characterisation, and is capable of quantifying both intracellular and extracellular volume. T1-mapping is conventionally performed in diastole, however, we hypothesised that systolic readout would reduce variability due to a reduction in myocardial blood volume. This study investigated whether T1-mapping in systole alters T1 values compared to diastole and whether reproducibility alters in atrial fibrillation compared to sinus rhythm. We prospectively identified 103 consecutive patients recruited to the Mitral FINDER study who had T1 mapping in systole and diastole. These patients had moderate or severe mitral regurgitation and a high incidence of ventricular dilatation and atrial fibrillation. T1, ECV and goodness-of-fit (R 2 ) values of the T1 times were calculated offline using Circle cvi42 and in house-developed software. Systolic T1 mapping was associated with fewer myocardial segments being affected by artefact compared to diastolic T1 mapping [217/2472 (9%) vs 515/2472 (21%)]. Mean native T1 values were not significantly different when measured in systole and diastole (985 ± 26 ms vs 988 ± 29 respectively; p = 0.061) and mean post-contrast values showed similar good agreement (462 ± 32 ms vs 459 ± 33 respectively, p = 0.052). No clinically significant differences in ECV, native T1 and post-contrast T1 were identified between diastolic and systolic T1 maps in males versus females, or in patients with permanent atrial fibrillation versus sinus rhythm. A statistically significant improvement in R 2 value was observed with systolic over diastolic T1 mapping in all analysed maps (n = 411) (96.2 ± 1.4% vs 96.0 ± 1.4%; p < 0.001) and in subgroup analyses [Sinus rhythm: 96.1 ± 1.4 vs 96.3 ± 1.4 (n = 327); p < 0.001. AF: 95.5 ± 1.3 vs 95.9 ± 1.2 (n = 80); p < 0.001] [Males: 95.8 ± 1.4 vs 96.1 ± 1.3 (n = 264); p < 0.001; Females: 96.2 ± 1.3 vs 96.4 ± 1.4 (n = 143); p = 0.009]. In conclusion, myocardial T1 mapping is associated with similar T1 and ECV values in systole and diastole. Furthermore, systolic acquisition is less prone to gating artefact in arrhythmia., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Heart and circulatory diseases affect more than seven million people in the UK. Non-invasive cardiac imaging is a critical element of contemporary cardiology practice. Progressive improvements in technology over the last 20 years have increased diagnostic accuracy in all modalities and led to the incorporation of non-invasive imaging into many standard cardiac clinical care pathways. Cardiac imaging tests are requested by a variety of healthcare practitioners and performed in a range of settings from the most advanced hospitals to local health centres. Imaging is used to detect the presence and consequences of cardiovascular disease, as well as to monitor the response to therapies. The previous UK national imaging strategy statement which brought together all of the non-invasive imaging modalities was published in 2010. The purpose of this document is to collate contemporary standards developed by the modality-specific professional organisations which make up the British Cardiovascular Society Imaging Council, bringing together common and essential recommendations. The development process has been inclusive and iterative. Imaging societies (representing both cardiology and radiology) reviewed and agreed on the initial structure. The final document therefore represents a position, which has been generated inclusively, presents rigorous standards, is applicable to clinical practice and deliverable. This document will be of value to a variety of healthcare professionals including imaging departments, the National Health Service or other organisations, regulatory bodies, commissioners and other purchasers of services, and service users, i.e., patients, and their relatives., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) has been assessed extensively, but few studies analysed the predictive value of the NT-proBNP in patients with de novo and acute HFpEF. We sought to identify NT-proBNP at admission as a predictor for all-cause mortality and rehospitalisation at 12 months in patients with new-onset HFpEF. Methods: We analysed 91 patients (73 ± 11 years, 68% females) admitted for de novo and acute HFpEF, using the Cox proportional hazard risk model. Results: An admission NT-proBNP level above the threshold of 2910 pg/mL identified increased all-cause mortality at 12 months (AUC = 0.72, sensitivity = 92%, specificity = 53%, p < 0.001). All-cause mortality adjusted for age, gender, medical history, and medication in the augmented NT-proBNP group was 16-fold higher (p = 0.018), but with no difference in rehospitalisation rates (p = 0.391). The predictors of increased NT-proBNP ≥ 2910 pg/mL were: age (p = 0.016), estimated glomerular filtration rate (p = 0.006), left atrial volume index (p = 0.001), history of atrial fibrillation (p = 0.006), and TAPSE (p = 0.009). Conclusions: NT-proBNP above 2910 pg/mL at admission for de novo and acute HFpEF predicted a 16-fold increased mortality at 12 months, whereas values less than 2910 pg/mL forecast a high likelihood of survival (99.3%) in the next 12 months, and should be considered as a useful prognostic tool, in addition to its utility in diagnosing heart failure.

Importance: Low-flow severe aortic stenosis (AS) has higher mortality than severe AS with normal flow. The conventional definition of low-flow AS is an indexed stroke volume (SVi) by echocardiography less than 35 mL/m2. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is the reference standard for quantifying left ventricular volumes and function from which SVi by CMR can be derived., Objective: To determine the association of left ventricular SVi by CMR with myocardial remodeling and survival among patients with severe AS after valve replacement., Design, Setting, and Participants: This multicenter longitudinal cohort study was conducted between January 2003 and May 2015 across 6 UK cardiothoracic centers. Patients with severe AS listed for either surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) or transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) were included. Patients underwent preprocedural echocardiography and CMR. Patients were stratified by echocardiography-derived aortic valve mean and/or peak gradient and SVi by CMR into 4 AS endotypes: low-flow, low-gradient AS; low-flow, high-gradient AS; normal-flow, low-gradient AS; and normal-flow, high-gradient AS. Patients were observed for a median of 3.6 years. Data were analyzed from September to November 2021., Exposures: SAVR or TAVR., Main Outcomes and Measures: All-cause and cardiovascular (CV) mortality after aortic valve intervention., Results: Of 674 included patients, 425 (63.1%) were male, and the median (IQR) age was 75 (66-80) years. The median (IQR) aortic valve area index was 0.4 (0.3-0.4) cm2/m2. Patients with low-flow AS endotypes (low gradient and high gradient) had lower left ventricular ejection fraction, mass, and wall thickness and increased all-cause and CV mortality than patients with normal-flow AS (all-cause mortality: hazard ratio [HR], 2.08; 95% CI, 1.37-3.14; P < .001; CV mortality: HR, 3.06; 95% CI, 1.79-5.25; P < .001). CV mortality was independently associated with lower SVi (HR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.08-2.50; P = .04), age (HR, 2.54; 95% CI, 1.29-5.01; P = .001), and higher quantity of late gadolinium enhancement (HR, 2.93; 95% CI, 1.68-5.09; P < .001). CV mortality hazard increased more rapidly in those with an SVI less than 45 mL/m2. SVi by CMR was independently associated with age, atrial fibrillation, focal scar (by late gadolinium enhancement), and parameters of cardiac remodeling (left ventricular mass and left atrial volume)., Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study, SVi by CMR was associated with CV mortality after aortic valve replacement, independent of age, focal scar, and ejection fraction. The unique capability of CMR to quantify myocardial scar, combined with other prognostically important imaging biomarkers, such as SVi by CMR, may enable comprehensive stratification of postoperative risk in patients with severe symptomatic AS.

Background: Mitral regurgitation (MR) is common following myocardial infarction (MI). However, the subsequent trajectory of MR, and its impact on long-term outcomes are not well understood. This study aimed to examine the change in MR severity and associated clinical outcomes following MI., Methods: Records of patients admitted to a single centre between 2016 and 2017 with acute MI treated by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were retrospectively examined., Results: 294/1000 consecutive patients had MR on baseline (pre-discharge) transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), of whom 126 (mean age: 70.9 ± 11.4 years) had at least one follow-up TTE. At baseline, most patients had mild MR ( n = 94; 75%), with n = 30 (24%) moderate and n = 2 (2%) severe MR. Significant improvement in MR was observed at the first follow-up TTE (median 9 months from baseline; interquartile range: 3-23), with 36% having reduced severity, compared to 10% having increased MR severity ( p < 0.001). Predictors of worsening MR included older age (mean: 75.2 vs. 66.7 years; p = 0.003) and lower creatinine clearance (mean: 60 vs. 81 mL/min, p = 0.015). Change in MR severity was significantly associated with prognosis: 16% with improving MR reached the composite endpoint of death or heart failure hospitalisation at 5 years, versus 44% ( p = 0.004) with no change, and 59% ( p < 0.001) with worsening MR., Conclusions: Of patients with follow-up TTE after MI, MR severity improved from baseline in approximately one-third, was stable in around half, with the remainder having worsening MR. Patients with persistent or worsening MR had worse clinical outcomes than those with improving MR.

Objectives: To examine service provision in cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in the UK. Equitable access to diagnostic imaging is important in healthcare. CMR is widely available in the UK, but there may be regional variations., Methods: An electronic survey was sent by the British Society of CMR to the service leads of all CMR units in the UK in 2019 requesting data from 2017 and 2018. Responses were analysed by region and interpreted alongside population statistics., Results: The survey response rate was 100% (82 units). 100 386 clinical scans were performed in 2017 and 114 967 in 2018 (15% 1-year increase; 5-fold 10-year increase compared with 2008 data). In 2018, there were 1731 CMR scans/million population overall, with significant regional variation, for example, 4256 scans/million in London vs 396 scans/million in Wales. Median number of clinical scans per unit was 780, IQR 373-1951, range 98-10 000, with wide variation in mean waiting times (median 41 days, IQR 30-49, range 5-180); median 25 days in London vs 180 days in Northern Ireland). Twenty-five units (30%) reported mean elective waiting times in excess of 6 weeks, and 8 (10%) ≥3 months. There were 351 consultants reporting CMR, of whom 230 (66%) were cardiologists and 121 (34%) radiologists; 81% of units offered a CMR service for patients with pacemakers and defibrillators., Conclusions: This survey provides a unique, contemporary insight into national CMR delivery with 100% centre engagement. The 10-year growth in CMR usage at fivefold has been remarkable but heterogeneous across the UK, with some regions still reporting low usage or long waiting times which may be of clinical concern., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Mitral regurgitation (MR) following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) worsens prognosis and reports of prevalence vary significantly. The objective was to determine prevalence, risk factors, and outcomes related to MR following AMI. We identified 1000 consecutive patients admitted with AMI in 2016/17 treated by percutaneous coronary intervention with pre-discharge transthoracic echocardiography. MR was observed in 294 of 1000 (29%), graded as mild (n = 224 [76%]), moderate (n = 61 [21%]) and severe (n = 9 [3%]). Compared with patients without MR, patients with MR were older (70 ± 12 vs 63 ± 13 years; p <0.001), with worse left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (52 ± 15% vs 55 ± 11%; p <0.001) and creatinine clearance (69 ± 33 ml/min vs 90 ± 39 ml/min; p <0.001). They also had higher rates of hypertension (64% vs 55%; p = 0.012), heart failure (3.4% vs 1.1%; p = 0.014), previous MI (28% vs 20%; p = 0.005) and severe flow-limitation in the circumflex (50% vs 33%; p <0.001) or right coronary artery (51% vs 42%; p = 0.014). Prevalence and severity of MR were unaffected by AMI subtype. Revascularization later than 72 hours from symptom-onset was associated with increased likelihood of MR (33% vs 25%; p = 0.036) in patients with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). After a mean of 3.2 years, 56 of 288 (19%) patients with untreated MR died. Age and LVEF independently predicted mortality. The presence of even mild MR was associated with increased mortality (p = 0.029), despite accounting for confounders. In conclusion, MR is observed in over one-quarter of patients after AMI and associated with lower survival, even when mild. Prevalence and severity are independent of MI subtype, but MR was more common with delayed revascularization following NSTEMI., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Data were collected on patients admitted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham with type-1 myocardial infarction during 2016 and 2017 inclusively, who were treated by percutaneous intervention and had pre-discharge transthoracic echocardiography. The data were obtained from prospectively maintained hospital databases and records. Echocardiography was performed and reported contemporaneously by accredited echocardiographers. The purpose was to understand the prevalence and characteristics of mitral regurgitation (MR) after acute MI, including patients with ST-elevation (STEMI) and non-ST elevation MI (NSTEMI). MR was observed in 294/1000 patients with the following relative severities: mild = 76%, moderate = 21%, severe = 3% [1]. MR was graded by multiparametric quantification including proximal isolvelocity surface area (PISA), vena contracta (VC), effective regurgitant orifice area (EROA) and regurgitant volume (RVol). Amongst all patients with MR (n=294), PISA was performed in 89/294 (30%), VC 75/294 (26%), EROA in 53/294 (18%) and RVol in 26/294 (9%). Amongst patients with moderate or severe MR (n=70), PISA was performed in 57/70 (81%), VC in 55/70 (79%), EROA in 46/70 (66%) and RVol in 25/70 (36%). Characteristics of MR following acute MI were also assessed including frequency of reported leaflet thickness (259/294 = 88%) and mitral annular calcification (102/294 = 35%). Furthermore, the effect of MI on pre-existing MR was investigated and patients with pre-existing MR who continue to have MR after acute MI were found to have progression of MR by one grade in approximately 25% of cases. Finally, using Cox proportional hazards univariate analysis, significant factors associated with mortality in patients with MR post-MI include age (HR 1.065; 95% CI 1.035-1.096; p<0.001), creatinine clearance, (HR 0.981; 95% CI 0.971-0.991; p<0.001), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (HR 0.966; 95% CI 0.948-0.984; p<0.001), indexed left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDVi) (HR 1.016; 95% CI 1.003-1.029; p=0.018), indexed left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESVi) (HR 1.021; 95% CI 1.008-1.034; p=0.001), indexed left atrial volume (HR 1.026; 95% CI 1.012-1.039; p<0.001), and those with intermediate likelihood of pulmonary hypertension (pHTN) (HR 2.223; 95% CI 1.126-4.390; p=0.021); or high likelihood of pHTN (HR 5.626; 95% CI 2.189-14.461; p<0.001). Age and LVEF were found to be independent predictors of mortality on multivariate analysis [1]., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships which have or could be perceived to have influenced the work reported in this article. Prof Myerson and Dr Sharma are supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Research Centre and Dr Sharma was also funded by the Birmingham Health Partners Research Starter Fellowship. This work was partially supported by European Union BigData@Heart (grant agreement EU IMI 116074 to Prof Kirchhof), 10.13039/501100000274British Heart Foundation (FS/13/43/30324, PG/17/30/32961, PG/20/22/35093 and AA/18/2/34218 to Prof Kirchhof), German Centre for Cardiovascular Research supported by the German Ministry of Education and Research (DZHK, via a grant to AFNET to Prof Kirchhof) and Leducq Foundation to Prof Kirchhof. Disclosures: Prof Kirchhof receives research support for basic, translational, and clinical research projects from European Union, British Heart Foundation, Leducq Foundation, Medical Research Council (UK), and German Centre for Cardiovascular Research, from several drug and device companies active in atrial fibrillation, and has received honoraria from several such companies in the past, but not in the last three years. Prof Kirchhof is listed as inventor on two patents held by University of Birmingham (Atrial Fibrillation Therapy WO 2015140571, Markers for Atrial Fibrillation WO 20160., (© 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is a versatile imaging tool that brings much to the assessment of valvular heart disease. Although it is best known for myocardial imaging (even in valve disease), it provides excellent assessment of all 4 heart valves, with some distinct advantages, including a free choice of image planes and accurate flow and volumetric quantification. These allow the severity of each valve lesion to be characterized, in addition to optimal visualization of the surrounding outflow tracts and vessels, to deliver a comprehensive package. It can assess each valve lesion separately (in multiple valve disease) and is not affected by hemodynamic status. The accurate quantitation of regurgitant lesions and the ability to characterize myocardial changes also provides an ability to predict future clinical outcomes in asymptomatic patients. This review outlines how CMR can be used in cardiac valve disease to compliment echocardiography and enhance the patient assessment. It covers the main CMR methods used, their strengths and limitations, and the optimal way to apply them to evaluate valve disease., Competing Interests: Funding Support and Author Disclosures Prof. Myerson’s research is supported by the United Kingdom National Institute for Health Research Oxford Biomedical Research Centre. The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the United Kingdom National Health Service, the National Institute for Health Research, or the Department of Health and Social Care., (Copyright © 2021 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is increasingly used for risk stratification in aortic stenosis (AS). However, the relative prognostic power of CMR markers and their respective thresholds remains undefined., Objectives: Using machine learning, the study aimed to identify prognostically important CMR markers in AS and their thresholds of mortality., Methods: Patients with severe AS undergoing AVR (n = 440, derivation; n = 359, validation cohort) were prospectively enrolled across 13 international sites (median 3.8 years' follow-up). CMR was performed shortly before surgical or transcatheter AVR. A random survival forest model was built using 29 variables (13 CMR) with post-AVR death as the outcome., Results: There were 52 deaths in the derivation cohort and 51 deaths in the validation cohort. The 4 most predictive CMR markers were extracellular volume fraction, late gadolinium enhancement, indexed left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDVi), and right ventricular ejection fraction. Across the whole cohort and in asymptomatic patients, risk-adjusted predicted mortality increased strongly once extracellular volume fraction exceeded 27%, while late gadolinium enhancement >2% showed persistent high risk. Increased mortality was also observed with both large (LVEDVi >80 mL/m 2 ) and small (LVEDVi ≤55 mL/m 2 ) ventricles, and with high (>80%) and low (≤50%) right ventricular ejection fraction. The predictability was improved when these 4 markers were added to clinical factors (3-year C-index: 0.778 vs 0.739). The prognostic thresholds and risk stratification by CMR variables were reproduced in the validation cohort., Conclusions: Machine learning identified myocardial fibrosis and biventricular remodeling markers as the top predictors of survival in AS and highlighted their nonlinear association with mortality. These markers may have potential in optimizing the decision of AVR., Competing Interests: Funding Support and Author Disclosures The work was supported by a National Research Foundation of Korea grant funded by the Korea government (Ministry of Science and ICT; No. 2019R1A2C2084099) and a grant of the Korea Health Technology R&D Project through the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), funded by the Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea (grant number HI18C2383). The authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose., (Crown Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Valvular heart disease (VHD) is present in half the population aged >65 years but is usually mild and of uncertain importance. We investigated the association between VHD and its phenotypes with all-cause and cause-specific mortality., Methods: The OxVALVE (Oxford Valvular Heart Disease) population cohort study screened 4009 participants aged >65 years to establish the presence and severity of VHD. We linked data to a national mortality registry and undertook detailed outcome analysis., Results: Mortality data were available for 3511 participants, of whom 361 (10.3%) died (median 6.49 years follow-up). Most had some form of valve abnormality (n=2645, 70.2%). In adjusted analyses, neither mild VHD (prevalence 44.9%) nor clinically significant VHD (moderate or severe stenosis or regurgitation; 5.2%) was associated with increased all-cause mortality (HR 1.20, 95% CI 0.96 to 1.51 and HR 1.47, 95% CI 0.94 to 2.31, respectively). Conversely, advanced aortic sclerosis (prevalence 2.25%) and advanced mitral annular calcification (MAC, 1.31%) were associated with an increased risk of death (HR 2.05, 95% CI 1.28 to 3.30 and HR 2.51, 95% CI 1.41 to 4.49, respectively). Mortality was highest for people with both clinically significant VHD and advanced aortic sclerosis or MAC (HR 4.38, 95% CI 1.99 to 9.67)., Conclusions: Advanced aortic sclerosis or MAC is associated with a worse outcome, particularly for patients with significant VHD, but also in the absence of other VHD. Older patients with mild VHD can be reassured about their prognosis. The absence of an association between significant VHD and mortality may reflect its relatively low prevalence in our cohort., Competing Interests: Competing interests: CJT is an NIHR academic clinical lecturer and reports personal fees from Vifor and Novartis, and non-financial support from Roche, outside the submitted work. AKR and JMO-M are supported by the NIHR BRC Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. NRJ is a Wellcome Trust doctoral research fellow (grant number 203921/Z/16/Z). FDRH acknowledges support from the NIHR School for Primary Care Research, NIHR ARC Oxford Thames Valley and the NIHR OUH BRC., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)

Objective: The study aims were (1) to identify the community prevalence of moderate or greater mitral or tricuspid regurgitation (MR/TR), (2) to compare subjects identified by population screening with those with known valvular heart disease (VHD), (3) to understand the mechanisms of MR/TR and (4) to assess the rate of valve intervention and long-term outcome., Methods: Adults aged ≥65 years registered at seven family medicine practices in Oxfordshire, UK were screened for inclusion (n=9504). Subjects with known VHD were identified from hospital records and those without VHD invited to undergo transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) within the Oxford Valvular Heart Disease Population Study (OxVALVE). The study population ultimately comprised 4755 subjects. The severity and aetiology of MR and TR were assessed by integrated comprehensive TTE assessment., Results: The prevalence of moderate or greater MR and TR was 3.5% (95% CI 3.1 to 3.8) and 2.6% (95% CI 2.3 to 2.9), respectively. Primary MR was the most common aetiology (124/203, 61.1%). Almost half of cases were newly diagnosed by screening: MR 98/203 (48.3%), TR 69/155 (44.5%). Subjects diagnosed by screening were less symptomatic, more likely to have primary MR and had a lower incidence of aortic valve disease. Surgical intervention was undertaken in six subjects (2.4%) over a median follow-up of 64 months. Five-year survival was 79.8% in subjects with isolated MR, 84.8% in those with isolated TR, and 59.4% in those with combined MR and TR (p=0.0005)., Conclusions: Moderate or greater MR/TR is common, age-dependent and is underdiagnosed. Current rates of valve intervention are extremely low., Competing Interests: Competing interests: BDP has received unrestricted education and research grants from Edwards Lifesciences and speaker fees from Edwards Lifesciences., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: The first admission for acute heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) drastically influences the short-term prognosis. Baseline characteristics may predict repeat hospitalization or death in these patients., Methods: A 103 patient-cohort, admitted for the first acute HFpEF episode, was monitored for six months. Baseline characteristics were recorded and their relation to the primary outcome of heart failure readmission (HFR) and secondary outcome of all-cause mortality was assessed., Results: We identified six independent determinants for HFR: estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ( p = 0.07), hemoglobin ( p = 0.04), left ventricle end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) ( p = 0.07), E/e' ratio ( p = 0.004), left ventricle outflow tract velocity-time integral (LVOT VTI) ( p = 0.045), and diabetes mellitus ( p = 0.06). Three of the variables were used to generate a risk score for HFR: LVE D D, E /e', LVOT VT I - DEI Score = - 28.763 + 4.558 × log (LVE D D (mm)) + 1.961 × log ( E/ e' ratio) + 1.759 × log (LVOT VT I (cm)). Our model predicts a relative amount of 20.50% of HFR during the first 6 months after the first acute hospitalization within the general population with HFpEF with a DEI Score over -0.747., Conclusions: We have identified three echocardiographic parameters (LVEDD, E/e', and LVOT VTI) that predict HFR following an initial acute HFpEF hospitalization. The prognostic DEI score demonstrated good accuracy.

Secondary mitral regurgitation (sMR) is characterized by left ventricular (LV) dilatation or dysfunction, resulting in failure of mitral leaflet coaptation. sMR complicates up to 35% of ischaemic cardiomyopathies (1) and 57% of dilated cardiomyopathies (2). Due to the prevalence of coronary artery disease worldwide, ischaemic cardiomyopathy is the most frequently encountered cause of sMR in clinical practice. Although mortality from cardiovascular disease has gradually fallen in Western countries, severe sMR remains an independent predictor of mortality (3) and hospitalization for heart failure (4). The presence of even mild sMR following acute MI reduces long-term survival free of major adverse events (1). Such adverse outcomes worsen as the severity of sMR increases, due to a cycle in which LV remodeling begets sMR and vice versa. Current guidelines do not recommend invasive treatment of the sMR alone as a first-line approach, due to the paucity of evidence supporting improvement in clinical outcomes. Furthermore, a lack of international consensus on the thresholds that define severe sMR has resulted in confusion amongst clinicians determining whether intervention is warranted (5, 6). The recent Cardiovascular Outcomes Assessment of the MitraClip Percutaneous Therapy for Heart Failure Patients with Functional Mitral Regurgitation (COAPT) trial (7) assessing the effectiveness of transcatheter mitral valve repair is the first study to demonstrate mortality benefit from correction of sMR and has reignited interest in identifying patients who would benefit from mitral valve intervention. Multimodality imaging, including echocardiography and cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR), plays a key role in helping to diagnose, quantify, monitor, and risk stratify patients for surgical and transcatheter mitral valve interventions., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The handling editor declared a past co-authorship with the authors RS and SM., (Copyright © 2020 Sharma, Liu, Mahmoud-Elsayed, Myerson and Steeds.)

Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared.

Background: Phase contrast velocity mapping sequences utilising ultrashort echo time (UTE) radial k-space sequences have been used to reduce intravoxel dephasing at high velocities. We evaluated the accuracy of the UTE flow sequence for mitral regurgitation (MR) quantification, including patients with atrial fibrillation., Methods: Forty patients underwent cardiac MRI for indirect MR quantification by assessment of aortic flow using a UTE phase contrast sequence (TE 0.65 ms) combined with left ventricular stroke volume. Retrospective ECG-gating was used in sinus rhythm (30 patients), prospective ECG-triggering in atrial fibrillation (10). MR was also quantified by a standard phase contrast sequence (TE 2.85 ms, standard flow method) and by comparing stroke volumes (volumetric method)., Results: UTE flow-derived MR measurement showed modest agreement in sinus rhythm (95% limits of agreement: ±38.2 ml; ±29.8%) and atrial fibrillation (±33.7 ml; ±30.3%) compared to standard flow assessment. There was little systematic bias in sinus rhythm (mean offset -4.4 ml /-3.5% compared to standard flow assessment), but a slight bias towards greater regurgitation in atrial fibrillation (+15.2 ml /+14.0%). There were wider limits of agreement between the UTE flow method and volumetric method than between the regular flow method and the volumetric method in sinus rhythm (±48.4 ml; ±36.4%; mean offset: -12.2 ml /-9.0%) and similar limits of agreement in atrial fibrillation (±29.6 ml; 25.8%; +12.0 ml /+10.3%)., Conclusions: UTE flow imaging is inferior to conventional flow techniques for MR assessment in patients with sinus rhythm as well as atrial fibrillation. However, the number of atrial fibrillation patients in this initial study is small., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Obesity causes significant cardiac remodelling even in health, and yet the contribution of this maladaptation in the setting of an additional cardiomyopathic process is poorly understood. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance is the gold-standard tool for assessing cardiac geometry, especially in an obese population, and hence perfectly suited to investigate this important question., Methods: Using data from our extensive imaging registry (n=1,554), we documented the relationship between increasing BMI and left ventricular (LV) remodelling in patients with dilated (DCM; n=529) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM; n=297), compared to the normal heart (n=728)., Results: Regardless of cardiac status, increasing BMI resulted in similar increases in LV stroke volume (P>0.18). However, there was a difference in the degree of LV cavity dilatation associated with this change in stroke volume; when compared to normal hearts [increase in end-diastolic volume of 0.7 mL per unit of rising BMI (mL/kg/m 2 )], there was a threefold greater LV cavity dilatation in DCM (+2.2 mL/kg/m 2 ) and twofold greater in HCM (+1.9 mL/kg/m 2 , all P<0.04). Whilst obesity was related to LV hypertrophy in all groups (normal +1.3 g, DCM +2.2g, HCM +2.3 g/kg/m 2 , all P<0.001), additional obesity-related concentric LV remodelling only occurred in normal hearts and DCM (normal +0.006 vs. +0.003 mass:volume ratio, both P<0.001)., Conclusions: In both DCM and HCM, the increase in stroke volume required by obesity appears to be achieved by excessive LV cavity dilatation. The impact of obesity on LV geometry was more pronounced in concomitant cardiovascular disease, and therefore carries potential to become an important therapeutic target in cardiomyopathy., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at http://dx.doi.org/10.21037/cdt-19-587). The series “The Use of Advanced Cardiac MRI in Heart Failure and Cardiac Hypertrophy” was commissioned by the editorial office without any funding or sponsorship. OJR served as the unpaid Guest Editor of the series. SN reports grants and personal fees from Cytokinetcs, grants from Boerhringer Ingelheim, outside the submitted work. The authors have no other conflicts of interest to declare., (2020 Cardiovascular Diagnosis and Therapy. All rights reserved.)

Mitral regurgitation (MR) is a common valvular heart disease and is the second most frequent indication for heart valve surgery in Western countries. Echocardiography is the recommended first-line test for the assessment of valvular heart disease, but cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) provides complementary information, especially for assessing MR severity and to plan the timing of intervention. As new CMR techniques for the assessment of MR have arisen, standardizing CMR protocols for research and clinical studies has become important in order to optimize diagnostic utility and support the wider use of CMR for the clinical assessment of MR. In this Consensus Statement, we provide a detailed description of the current evidence on the use of CMR for MR assessment, highlight its current clinical utility, and recommend a standardized CMR protocol and report for MR assessment.