Research

Open AccessArticle

Management of Patients with Type V Hyperlipoproteinemia: An Uncommon Phenotype of Dyslipidemia with Chylomicronemia and Severe Hypertriglyceridemia

by

,

,

,

,

,

,

,

,

and

J. Pers. Med. 2023, 13(1), 68; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm13010068 - 28 Dec 2022

Viewed by 1392

Abstract

Hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) remains a risk-enhancing factor of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. We aimed to report real-world data on the management of patients with type V hyperlipoproteinemia (HLP5), an uncommon phenotype of dyslipidemia characterized by fasting chylomicronemia and severe HTG. Between July 2018 and May [...] Read more.

Hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) remains a risk-enhancing factor of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. We aimed to report real-world data on the management of patients with type V hyperlipoproteinemia (HLP5), an uncommon phenotype of dyslipidemia characterized by fasting chylomicronemia and severe HTG. Between July 2018 and May 2021, 90 patients with HTG, including 83 patients with type IV hyperlipoproteinemia (HLP4) and 7 patients with HLP5, were identified by plasma apolipoprotein B (apoB) and lipoprotein electrophoresis. Patients with HLP5 were younger, had higher total cholesterol (TC) (264.9 ± 26.7 mg/dL vs. 183.9 ± 26.1 mg/dL; p < 0.01) and higher triglyceride (TG) (1296.7 ± 380.5 mg/dL vs. 247.6 ± 96.1 mg/dL; p < 0.01), and had lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (30.6 ± 4.8 mg/dL vs. 40.5 ± 8.7 mg/dL; p < 0.01) and lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (62.9 ± 16.4 vs. 103.0 ± 21.1 mg/dL; p < 0.01) compared with patients with HLP4. Despite an aggressive use of statin and fenofibrate with greater reductions in TG (-65.9 ± 13.7% vs. -27.9 ± 30.5%; p < 0.01) following 6 months of treatment, patients with HLP5 had persistent HTG (440.1 ± 239.0 mg/dL vs. 173.9 ± 94.8 mg/dL; p < 0.01) and an increase in LDL-C (28.3 ± 57.2% vs. -19.5 ± 32.0%; p < 0.01) compared with patients with HLP4. Our findings highlight that the lack of novel TG-lowering medications and management guidelines remains an unmet medical need in patients with HLP5. Closely monitoring lipid profiles, full assessment of individual’s risk of cardiovascular disease, and emphasis on medication adherence are of clinical importance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Challenges and Prospects in Cardiology)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Adipogenic Signaling Promotes Arrhythmia Substrates before Structural Abnormalities in TMEM43 ARVC

by

Sunil K. Vasireddi

,

Prasongchai Sattayaprasert

,

,

,

,

,

and

J. Pers. Med. 2022, 12(10), 1680; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm12101680 - 09 Oct 2022

Viewed by 1281

Abstract

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a genetic disorder of desmosomal and structural proteins that is characterized by fibro-fatty infiltrate in the ventricles and fatal arrhythmia that can occur early before significant structural abnormalities. Most ARVC mutations interfere with β-catenin–dependent transcription that enhances [...] Read more.

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a genetic disorder of desmosomal and structural proteins that is characterized by fibro-fatty infiltrate in the ventricles and fatal arrhythmia that can occur early before significant structural abnormalities. Most ARVC mutations interfere with β-catenin–dependent transcription that enhances adipogenesis; however, the mechanistic pathway to arrhythmogenesis is not clear. We hypothesized that adipogenic conditions play an important role in the formation of arrhythmia substrates in ARVC. Cardiac myocyte monolayers co-cultured for 2–4 days with mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) were derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells with the ARVC5 TMEM43 p.Ser358Leu mutation. The TMEM43 mutation in myocyte co-cultures alone had no significant effect on impulse conduction velocity (CV) or APD. In contrast, when co-cultures were exposed to pro-adipogenic factors for 2–4 days, CV and APD were significantly reduced compared to controls by 49% and 31%, respectively without evidence of adipogenesis. Additionally, these arrhythmia substrates coincided with a significant reduction in IGF-1 expression in MSCs and were mitigated by IGF-1 treatment. These findings suggest that the onset of enhanced adipogenic signaling may be a mechanism of early arrhythmogenesis, which could lead to personalized treatment for arrhythmias associated with TMEM43 and other ARVC mutations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Challenges and Prospects in Cardiology)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessArticle

Predictive Power for Thrombus Detection after Atrial Appendage Closure: Machine Learning vs. Classical Methods

J. Pers. Med. 2022, 12(9), 1413; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm12091413 - 30 Aug 2022

Viewed by 1142

Abstract

Device-related thrombus (DRT) after left atrial appendage (LAA) closure is infrequent but correlates with an increased risk of thromboembolism. Therefore, the search for DRT predictors is a topic of interest. In the literature, multivariable methods have been used achieving non-consistent results, and to [...] Read more.

Device-related thrombus (DRT) after left atrial appendage (LAA) closure is infrequent but correlates with an increased risk of thromboembolism. Therefore, the search for DRT predictors is a topic of interest. In the literature, multivariable methods have been used achieving non-consistent results, and to the best of our knowledge, machine learning techniques have not been used yet for thrombus detection after LAA occlusion. Our aim is to compare both methodologies with respect to predictive power and the search for predictors of DRT. To this end, a multicenter study including 1150 patients who underwent LAA closure was analyzed. Two lines of experiments were performed: with and without resampling. Multivariate and machine learning methodologies were applied to both lines. Predictive power and the extracted predictors for all experiments were gathered. ROC curves of 0.5446 and 0.7974 were obtained for multivariate analysis and machine learning without resampling, respectively. However, the resampling experiment showed no significant difference between them (0.52 vs. 0.53 ROC AUC). A difference between the predictors selected was observed, with the multivariable methodology being more stable. These results question the validity of predictors reported in previous studies and demonstrate their disparity. Furthermore, none of the techniques analyzed is superior to the other for these data. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Challenges and Prospects in Cardiology)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Open AccessArticle

A Deep Learning Algorithm for Detecting Acute Pericarditis by Electrocardiogram

by

,

,

and

J. Pers. Med. 2022, 12(7), 1150; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm12071150 - 15 Jul 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1883

Abstract

(1) Background: Acute pericarditis is often confused with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) among patients presenting with acute chest pain in the emergency department (ED). Since a deep learning model (DLM) has been validated to accurately identify STEMI cases via 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG), [...] Read more.

(1) Background: Acute pericarditis is often confused with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) among patients presenting with acute chest pain in the emergency department (ED). Since a deep learning model (DLM) has been validated to accurately identify STEMI cases via 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG), this study aimed to develop another DLM for the detection of acute pericarditis in the ED. (2) Methods: This study included 128 ECGs from patients with acute pericarditis and 66,633 ECGs from patients visiting the ED between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2020. The ECGs were randomly allocated based on patients to the training, tuning, and validation sets, at a 3:1:1 ratio. We used raw ECG signals to train a pericarditis-DLM and used traditional ECG features to train a machine learning model. A human–machine competition was conducted using a subset of the validation set, and the performance of the Philips automatic algorithm was also compared. STEMI cases in the validation set were extracted to analyze the DLM ability of differential diagnosis between acute pericarditis and STEMI using ECG. We also followed the hospitalization events in non-pericarditis cases to explore the meaning of false-positive predictions. (3) Results: The pericarditis-DLM exceeded the performance of all participating human experts and algorithms based on traditional ECG features in the human–machine competition. In the validation set, the pericarditis-DLM could detect acute pericarditis with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.954, a sensitivity of 78.9%, and a specificity of 97.7%. However, our pericarditis-DLM also misinterpreted 10.2% of STEMI ECGs as pericarditis cases. Therefore, we generated an integrating strategy combining pericarditis-DLM and a previously developed STEMI-DLM, which provided a sensitivity of 73.7% and specificity of 99.4%, to identify acute pericarditis in patients with chest pains. Compared to the true-negative cases, patients with false-positive results using this strategy were associated with higher risk of hospitalization within 3 days due to cardiac disorders (hazard ratio (HR): 8.09; 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.99 to 16.39). (4) Conclusions: The AI-enhanced algorithm may be a powerful tool to assist clinicians in the early detection of acute pericarditis and differentiate it from STEMI using 12-lead ECGs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Challenges and Prospects in Cardiology)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessArticle

CardioNet: Automatic Semantic Segmentation to Calculate the Cardiothoracic Ratio for Cardiomegaly and Other Chest Diseases

by

Abbas Jafar

,

Muhammad Talha Hameed

,

,

,

and

J. Pers. Med. 2022, 12(6), 988; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm12060988 - 17 Jun 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1859

Abstract

Semantic segmentation for diagnosing chest-related diseases like cardiomegaly, emphysema, pleural effusions, and pneumothorax is a critical yet understudied tool for identifying the chest anatomy. A dangerous disease among these is cardiomegaly, in which sudden death is a high risk. An expert medical practitioner [...] Read more.

Semantic segmentation for diagnosing chest-related diseases like cardiomegaly, emphysema, pleural effusions, and pneumothorax is a critical yet understudied tool for identifying the chest anatomy. A dangerous disease among these is cardiomegaly, in which sudden death is a high risk. An expert medical practitioner can diagnose cardiomegaly early using a chest radiograph (CXR). Cardiomegaly is a heart enlargement disease that can be analyzed by calculating the transverse cardiac diameter (TCD) and the cardiothoracic ratio (CTR). However, the manual estimation of CTR and other chest-related diseases requires much time from medical experts. Based on their anatomical semantics, artificial intelligence estimates cardiomegaly and related diseases by segmenting CXRs. Unfortunately, due to poor-quality images and variations in intensity, the automatic segmentation of the lungs and heart with CXRs is challenging. Deep learning-based methods are being used to identify the chest anatomy segmentation, but most of them only consider the lung segmentation, requiring a great deal of training. This work is based on a multiclass concatenation-based automatic semantic segmentation network, CardioNet, that was explicitly designed to perform fine segmentation using fewer parameters than a conventional deep learning scheme. Furthermore, the semantic segmentation of other chest-related diseases is diagnosed using CardioNet. CardioNet is evaluated using the JSRT dataset (Japanese Society of Radiological Technology). The JSRT dataset is publicly available and contains multiclass segmentation of the heart, lungs, and clavicle bones. In addition, our study examined lung segmentation using another publicly available dataset, Montgomery County (MC). The experimental results of the proposed CardioNet model achieved acceptable accuracy and competitive results across all datasets. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Challenges and Prospects in Cardiology)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessArticle

A Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating Outcome Impact of Cilostazol in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease or at a High Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

by

,

,

,

,

,

,

and

J. Pers. Med. 2022, 12(6), 938; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm12060938 - 06 Jun 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1696

Abstract

Previous studies found that cilostazol has a favorable effect on glucose and lipid homeostasis, endothelial function, atherosclerosis, and vasculo-angiogenesis. However, it is poorly understood whether these effects can translate into better clinical outcomes. This study investigated the outcome effect of cilostazol in patients [...] Read more.

Previous studies found that cilostazol has a favorable effect on glucose and lipid homeostasis, endothelial function, atherosclerosis, and vasculo-angiogenesis. However, it is poorly understood whether these effects can translate into better clinical outcomes. This study investigated the outcome effect of cilostazol in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) or at a high risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 266 patients who received cilostazol, 200 mg/day (n = 134) or placebo (n = 132). Pre-specified clinical endpoints including composite major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) (CV death, non-fatal myocardial infarct, non-fatal stroke, hospitalization for heart failure, or unplanned coronary revascularization), the composite major coronary event (MCE) and major adverse CV and cerebrovascular event (MACCE), were prospectively assessed. The mean duration of follow-up was 2.9 years. Relative to placebo, cilostazol treatment had a borderline effect on risk reduction of MACE (hazard ratio [HR], 0.67; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.34–1.33), whereas the beneficial effect in favor of cilostazol was significant in patients with diabetes mellitus or a history of percutaneous coronary intervention (p for interaction, 0.02 and 0.06, respectively). Use of cilostazol, significantly reduced the risk of MCE (HR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.17–0.86) and MACCE (HR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.23–0.96). A significantly lower risk of angina pectoris (HR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.17–0.86) was also observed in the cilostazol group. After multi-variable adjustment, cilostazol treatment independently predicted a lower risk of MCE. In conclusion, these results suggest cilostazol may have beneficial effects in patients with CAD or at a high risk of CV disease. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Challenges and Prospects in Cardiology)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Open AccessArticle

Association of a Common NOS1AP Variant with Attenuation of QTc Prolongation in Men with Heroin Dependence Undergoing Methadone Treatment

by

,

,

,

,

,

,

,

,

and

J. Pers. Med. 2022, 12(5), 835; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm12050835 - 20 May 2022

Viewed by 1333

Abstract

Background: The effects of methadone-induced severe prolongation of the corrected QT interval (QTc) and sudden cardiac death appear unpredictable and sex-dependent. Genetic polymorphisms in the nitric oxide synthase 1 adaptor protein (NOS1AP) have been implicated in QTc prolongation in general populations. [...] Read more.

Background: The effects of methadone-induced severe prolongation of the corrected QT interval (QTc) and sudden cardiac death appear unpredictable and sex-dependent. Genetic polymorphisms in the nitric oxide synthase 1 adaptor protein (NOS1AP) have been implicated in QTc prolongation in general populations. We investigated whether common NOS1AP variants interact with methadone in relation to QTc prolongation in patients with heroin dependence. Methods: We genotyped 17 NOS1AP variants spanning the entire gene in heroin-dependent patients who received a 12-lead electrocardiography (ECG) examination both at baseline and during maintenance methadone treatment in Cohort 1 and only during maintenance methadone treatment in Cohort 2. The QT interval was measured automatically by the Marquette 12SL program, and was corrected for heart rate using Bazett’s formula. Results: Cohort 1 consisted of 122 patients (age: 37.65 ± 8.05 years, 84% male, methadone dosage: 42.54 ± 22.17 mg/day), and Cohort 2 comprised of 319 patients (age: 36.9 ± 7.86 years, 82% male, methadone dosage: 26.08 ± 15.84 mg/day), with complete genotyping data for analyses. Before methadone, the QTc intervals increased with increasing age (r = 0.3541, p < 0.001); the age-adjusted QTc showed dose-dependent prolongation in men (r = 0.6320, p < 0.001), but abbreviation in women (r = −0.5348, p = 0.018) in Cohort 1. The pooled genotype-specific analysis of the two cohorts revealed that the QTc interval was significantly shorter in male carriers of the rs164148 AA variant than in male carriers of the reference GG genotype (GG: n = 262, QTc = 423 ± 1.4 ms; AA: n = 10, QTc = 404.1 ± 7 ms, p = 0.009), according to univariate analysis. The QTc remained shorter in male carriers of the rs164148 AA variant compared to GG genotype (423 ± 1.4 ms vs. 405.9 ± 6.9 ms, p = 0.016) in multivariate analysis after adjusting for age and methadone dosage. A cut-off QTc interval of <410 ms identifies 100% of AA carriers compared to none of GG carriers when receiving a daily methadone dosage of 30.6 ± 19.3 mg. There was no significant gene-drug interaction in contributing to the adjusted QTc (p = 0.2164) in male carriers of the rs164148 variants. Conclusions: Carriers of a common NOS1AP rs164148 AA genotype variant were associated with a shorter QTc interval in men receiving maintenance methadone treatment. This genetic polymorphism attenuates the QTc-prolonging effect by methadone, and thus may explain at least in part the unpredictable and heterogeneous risks for severe QTc prolongation and sudden cardiac death in patients on methadone. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Challenges and Prospects in Cardiology)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessArticle

A High-Precision Deep Learning Algorithm to Localize Idiopathic Ventricular Arrhythmias

by

,

,

,

,

,

,

,

,

,

and

J. Pers. Med. 2022, 12(5), 764; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm12050764 - 09 May 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1497

Abstract

Background: An accurate prediction of ventricular arrhythmia (VA) origins can optimize the strategy of ablation, and facilitate the procedure. Objective: This study aimed to develop a machine learning model from surface ECG to predict VA origins. Methods: We obtained 3628 waves of ventricular [...] Read more.

Background: An accurate prediction of ventricular arrhythmia (VA) origins can optimize the strategy of ablation, and facilitate the procedure. Objective: This study aimed to develop a machine learning model from surface ECG to predict VA origins. Methods: We obtained 3628 waves of ventricular premature complex (VPC) from 731 patients. We chose to include all signal information from 12 ECG leads for model input. A model is composed of two groups of convolutional neural network (CNN) layers. We chose around 13% of all the data for model testing and 10% for validation. Results: In the first step, we trained a model for binary classification of VA source from the left or right side of the chamber with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.963. With a threshold of 0.739, the sensitivity and specification are 90.7% and 92.3% for identifying left side VA. Then, we obtained the second model for predicting VA from the LV summit with AUC is 0.998. With a threshold of 0.739, the sensitivity and specificity are 100% and 98% for the LV summit. Conclusions: Our machine learning algorithm of surface ECG facilitates the localization of VPC, especially for the LV summit, which might optimize the ablation strategy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Challenges and Prospects in Cardiology)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessArticle

The Sequential Change in Left Ventricular Function among Various Cardiovascular Diseases: A 12-Year Study

by

,

,

,

,

,

,

,

,

,

,

,

and

J. Pers. Med. 2022, 12(3), 415; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm12030415 - 07 Mar 2022

Viewed by 1235

Abstract

Background: This 12-year study aimed to compare the longitudinal change in left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) between healthy elderly, coronary artery disease (CAD), and hypertension (HTN) patients. Methods: From 2008 to 2020, 1476 patients were included, and 3181 echocardiography examinations were conducted. Finally, [...] Read more.

Background: This 12-year study aimed to compare the longitudinal change in left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) between healthy elderly, coronary artery disease (CAD), and hypertension (HTN) patients. Methods: From 2008 to 2020, 1476 patients were included, and 3181 echocardiography examinations were conducted. Finally, 130 participants (36 healthy elderly (79.39 ± 9.51 years old), 51 with CAD (68.31 ± 12.09 years old), and 43 with HTN (68.31 ± 12.09 years old)) with more than a 10-year follow-up period were included in the final analysis. Results: The change in diastolic function was different among these subjects according to the integrated score index (elderly vs. HTN, p = 0.01; CAD vs. HTN, p = 0.01), septal E/e′ ratio (elderly vs. HTN, p < 0.001; CAD vs. HTN, p = 0.01), lateral E/e′ ratio (elderly vs. HTN, p < 0.001; CAD vs. HTN, p < 0.001), and NYHA functional class (elderly vs. HTN, p = 0.03; CAD vs. HTN, p < 0.001). Additionally, per one-year increase in age, the integrated score index increased 0.2 in the healthy elderly, 0.15 in the CAD, and 0.06 in the HTN patients (all p < 0.05). Conclusion: Under aggressive treatment, diastolic function was relatively preserved in HTN subjects with aging in comparison with elderly and CAD subjects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Challenges and Prospects in Cardiology)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessArticle

Risk of Heart Failure in Patients with ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Receiving Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation and Undefined Duration of Antiplatelets

by

,

,

,

,

,

,

and

J. Pers. Med. 2022, 12(3), 369; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm12030369 - 28 Feb 2022

Viewed by 1638

Abstract

It remains unknown as to whether the use of new-generation drug-eluting stent (NG-DES) in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who receive an undefined duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) reduces the risk of hospitalization for heart failure (HHF). In this population-based retrospective [...] Read more.

It remains unknown as to whether the use of new-generation drug-eluting stent (NG-DES) in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who receive an undefined duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) reduces the risk of hospitalization for heart failure (HHF). In this population-based retrospective cohort study, we applied propensity score matching to select 6831 pairs of patients with STEMI who had similar baseline characteristics and received either NG-DES or bare-metal stent (BMS) implantation between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2016. The risk of stent-associated HHF was evaluated, wherein death was considered a competing risk. Rates of cumulative incidence competing risk for HHF at the 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 year follow-up were lower in the NG-DES group (3.79%, 5.21%, 6.15%, 7.01%, and 8.29%, respectively) than in the BMS group (4.51%, 6.21%, 7.32%, 8.33%, and 9.83%, respectively). NG-DES implantation was associated with a lower risk of HHF than BMS implantation after 5 years, with an adjusted subdistribution hazard ratio of 0.82 (95% confidence interval 0.72–0.92, p = 0.001). These results accord with those of patients who received DAPT for >6 months. Our findings highlight that NG-DESs may reduce HHF risk in patients with STEMI receiving an undefined duration of DAPT. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Challenges and Prospects in Cardiology)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessArticle

Dynamics of Soluble Factors and Double-Negative T Cells Associated with Response to Renal Denervation in Resistant Hypertension Patients

by

Joana Delgado-Silva

,

Paulo Rodrigues-Santos

,

Jani-Sofia Almeida

,

Manuel Santos-Rosa

and

Lino Gonçalves

J. Pers. Med. 2022, 12(3), 343; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm12030343 - 24 Feb 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1533

Abstract

The role of the immune system, and hence inflammation, in the pathophysiology of hypertensive patients is not clear. Until now, most clinical and biochemical parameters have failed to predict a positive response to renal denervation (RDN). Our aim was to evaluate the immune [...] Read more.

The role of the immune system, and hence inflammation, in the pathophysiology of hypertensive patients is not clear. Until now, most clinical and biochemical parameters have failed to predict a positive response to renal denervation (RDN). Our aim was to evaluate the immune response in a cohort of patients treated by RDN, through the analysis of cytokine, chemokine, and growth factor behavior. A population of 21 resistant hypertension patients, treated by RDN, was evaluated at six months and one year. Response was defined as a drop of ≥5 mmHg in ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Sixty-seven percent and 81% of patients clinically responded after six months and one year, respectively. There were no complications or safety issues. Plasmatic levels of 45 cytokine, chemokine, and growth factors were quantified at four different times, pre- and post-procedure. Baseline characteristics were similar between groups, except that active smoking was more frequent in non-responders at one year. Regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed, and secreted (RANTES/CCL5) levels were significantly lower in responders, both at baseline and at 30 days (p = 0.037), and a level ≤15,496 pg/mL was the optimal cutoff, for prediction of a response. IL-15, IL-17A, IL-27, and leukemia inhibitory factor varied significantly in time, with an acute rise being observed 24 h after RDN. Our group has previously showed that HLA-DR+ double-negative (DN) T cells were significantly lower in responders. There was a positive correlation between IL-13, -27, and -4, and DN T cells, and a negative correlation between the latter and SDF-1α and TNF-α, at baseline. Low plasmatic levels of the chemokine RANTES/CCL5 was the most significant result associated with RDN response and may help to identify the best candidates among patients with true resistant hypertension. Pro-inflammatory cytokines correlated negatively with DN T cells in responders, a finding compatible with an enhanced inflammatory milieu present in this extremely high cardiovascular risk cohort. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Challenges and Prospects in Cardiology)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research, Other

Open AccessReview

Sympathetic Modulation in Cardiac Arrhythmias: Where We Stand and Where We Go

by

,

,

and

J. Pers. Med. 2023, 13(5), 786; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm13050786 - 01 May 2023

Viewed by 1132

Abstract

The nuance of autonomic cardiac control has been studied for more than 400 years, yet little is understood. This review aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the current understanding, clinical implications, and ongoing studies of cardiac sympathetic modulation and its anti-ventricular arrhythmias’ [...] Read more.

The nuance of autonomic cardiac control has been studied for more than 400 years, yet little is understood. This review aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the current understanding, clinical implications, and ongoing studies of cardiac sympathetic modulation and its anti-ventricular arrhythmias’ therapeutic potential. Molecular-level studies and clinical studies were reviewed to elucidate the gaps in knowledge and the possible future directions for these strategies to be translated into the clinical setting. Imbalanced sympathoexcitation and parasympathetic withdrawal destabilize cardiac electrophysiology and confer the development of ventricular arrhythmias. Therefore, the current strategy for rebalancing the autonomic system includes attenuating sympathoexcitation and increasing vagal tone. Multilevel targets of the cardiac neuraxis exist, and some have emerged as promising antiarrhythmic strategies. These interventions include pharmacological blockade, permanent cardiac sympathetic denervation, temporal cardiac sympathetic denervation, etc. The gold standard approach, however, has not been known. Although neuromodulatory strategies have been shown to be highly effective in several acute animal studies with very promising results, the individual and interspecies variation between human autonomic systems limits the progress in this young field. There is, however, still much room to refine the current neuromodulation therapy to meet the unmet need for life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Challenges and Prospects in Cardiology)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Open AccessReview

Personalized Management for Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction

by

,

,

,

,

,

and

J. Pers. Med. 2023, 13(5), 746; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm13050746 - 27 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1283

Abstract

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a heterogeneous clinical syndrome with multiple underlying mechanisms and comorbidities that leads to a variety of clinical phenotypes. The identification and characterization of these phenotypes are essential for better understanding the precise pathophysiology of HFpEF, [...] Read more.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a heterogeneous clinical syndrome with multiple underlying mechanisms and comorbidities that leads to a variety of clinical phenotypes. The identification and characterization of these phenotypes are essential for better understanding the precise pathophysiology of HFpEF, identifying appropriate treatment strategies, and improving patient outcomes. Despite accumulating data showing the potentiality of artificial intelligence (AI)-based phenotyping using clinical, biomarker, and imaging information from multiple dimensions in HFpEF management, contemporary guidelines and consensus do not incorporate these in daily practice. In the future, further studies are required to authenticate and substantiate these findings in order to establish a more standardized approach for clinical implementation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Challenges and Prospects in Cardiology)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

Jump to: Research, Review

Open AccessSystematic Review

Clinical Presentation and Risk Factors of Infective Endocarditis in the Elderly: A Systematic Review

by

Camelia Melania Budea

,

,

,

,

,

,

Carmen Nicoleta Stoica

,

Andrei Nicolae Csep

,

Bogdan Feciche

,

Silvius Alexandru Pescariu

,

,

,

,

and

J. Pers. Med. 2023, 13(2), 296; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm13020296 - 07 Feb 2023

Viewed by 1113

Abstract

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a bacterial infection with high morbidity and mortality rates, particularly among the elderly. This systematic review was conducted to determine the clinical characteristics of IE in older adults and the risk factors that could lead to adverse outcomes. The [...] Read more.

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a bacterial infection with high morbidity and mortality rates, particularly among the elderly. This systematic review was conducted to determine the clinical characteristics of IE in older adults and the risk factors that could lead to adverse outcomes. The research employed three databases (PubMed, Wiley, and Web of Science), with a primary search for studies that have described cases of IE in patients older than 65 years. From a total of 555 articles, 10 were selected for inclusion in the current study, comprising a total of 2222 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of IE. The primary findings were an increased incidence of staphylococcal and streptococcal infections (33.4% and32.0%, respectively), an increased prevalence of comorbidities, namely, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer, and a significantly greater mortality risk than the younger group. Regarding mortality risks, the pooled odds ratio for cardiac disorders was OR = 3.81, septic shock OR = 8.22, renal complications OR = 3.75, and advancing age OR = 3.54 were most frequently mentioned. Taking into consideration the fact that the majority of the elderly population suffers from significant complications and is unable to undergo surgery due to an increased risk of complications after the procedure, it is imperative that effective treatment methods should be investigated. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Challenges and Prospects in Cardiology)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Open AccessSystematic Review

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Direct Comparison of Second-Generation Cryoballoon Ablation and Contact Force-Sensing Radiofrequency Ablation in Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation

by

Yoga Waranugraha

,

Ardian Rizal

and

Yoga Yuniadi

J. Pers. Med. 2022, 12(2), 298; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm12020298 - 17 Feb 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1738

Abstract

The superiority of second-generation cryoballoon (2G-CB) ablation versus contact force-sensing radiofrequency (CF-RF) ablation in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) was assessed in this systematic review and meta-analysis. Freedom from atrial tachyarrhythmias (ATAs) (OR = 0.89; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.68 to [...] Read more.

The superiority of second-generation cryoballoon (2G-CB) ablation versus contact force-sensing radiofrequency (CF-RF) ablation in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) was assessed in this systematic review and meta-analysis. Freedom from atrial tachyarrhythmias (ATAs) (OR = 0.89; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.68 to 1.17; p = 0.41), freedom from AF (OR = 0.93; 95% CI = 0.65 to 1.35; p = 0.72), and acute pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) (OR = 1.17; 95% CI = 0.54 to 2.53; p = 0.70) between 2G-CB ablation and CF-RF ablation were not different. The procedure time for the 2G-CB ablation was shorter (MD = −18.78 min; 95% CI = −27.72 to −9.85 min; p < 0.01), while the fluoroscopy time was similar (MD = 2.66 min; 95% CI = −0.52 to 5.83 min; p = 0.10). In the 2G-CB ablation group, phrenic nerve paralysis was more common (OR = 5.74; 95% CI = 1.80 to 18.31; p = < 0.01). Regarding freedom from ATAs, freedom from AF, and acute PVI, these findings imply that 2G-CB ablation is not superior to CF-RF ablation in paroxysmal AF. Although faster than CF-RF ablation, 2G-CB ablation has a greater risk of phrenic nerve paralysis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Challenges and Prospects in Cardiology)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Special Issue "The Challenges and Prospects in Cardiology"

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (15 papers)

Research

Review

Other

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI