Methylation of f2rl3, cdkn2a genes and sudden cardiac death

The aim of the study was to evaluate the association of methylation of the F2RL3, CDKN2A gene with sudden cardiac death (SCD). Material and methods. Case-control study design. The SCD group included 150 deceased men (mean age 46.7 ± 9.2 years) with the main pathological diagnoses of acute circulatory failure, acute coronary insufficiency, which meets the SCD criteria of the European Society of Cardiology. The control group included 150 men who died suddenly, but not due to cardiovascular pathology (mean age 42.6 ± 1.2 years). DNA was isolated by phenol-chloroform extraction from myocardial tissue in both groups. The methylation status of the F2RL3 gene (19: 16890405-16890606, GRCh38.p13) and the CDKN2A gene (9: 21974726-21974877, GRCh38.p13) was assessed by methyl-specific polymerase chain reaction. Results. In the SCD group, 17.3 % (26/150) had the F2RL3 gene completely methylated (MM); in 6.0 % (9/150) it is completely unmethylated (UU); 76.7 % (115/150) had both methylated and unmethylated F2RL3 (MU) gene. In the control group, 16 % (24/150) had the F2RL3 gene completely methylated (MM); in 5.3 % (8/150), it is completely unmethylated (UU); 78.7 % (118/150) had both methylated and unmethylated F2RL3 (MU) gene. When comparing the groups, there were no statistically significant differences in the methylation status of the F2RL3 gene between the groups (p > 0.05). In all subjects in the SCD group and the control group, the CDKN2A gene is completely unmethylated. Conclusions. Methylation of genes F2RL3, CDKN2A is not associated with sudden cardiac death.

Contemporary clinical management of acute pulmonary embolism: the COPE study

Background New management, risk stratification and treatment strategies have become available over the last years for patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE), potentially leading to changes in clinical practice and improvement of patients’ outcome. Methods The COntemporary management of Pulmonary Embolism (COPE) is a prospective, non-interventional, multicentre study in patients with acute PE evaluated at internal medicine, cardiology and emergency departments in Italy. The aim of the COPE study is to assess contemporary management strategies in patients with acute, symptomatic, objectively confirmed PE concerning diagnosis, risk stratification, hospitalization and treatment and to assess rates and predictors of in-hospital and 30-day mortality. The composite of death (either overall or PE-related) or clinical deterioration at 30 days from the diagnosis of PE, major bleeding occurring in hospital and up to 30 days from the diagnosis of PE and adherence to guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) are secondary study outcomes. Participation in controlled trials on the management of acute PE is the only exclusion criteria. Expecting a 10–15%, 3% and 0.5% incidence of death for patients with high, intermediate or low-risk PE, respectively, it is estimated that 400 patients with high, 2100 patients with intermediate and 2500 with low-risk PE should be included in the study. This will allow to have about 100 deaths in study patients and will empower assessment of independent predictors of death. Conclusions COPE will provide contemporary data on in-hospital and 30-day mortality of patients with documented PE as well as information on guidelines adherence and its impact on clinical outcomes. Trail registration NCT number: NCT03631810.

Combined Effect of Homocysteine and Uric Acid to Identify Patients With High Risk for Subclinical Atrial Fibrillation

Background Subclinical atrial fibrillation (SCAF) is often asymptomatic nonetheless harmful. In patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices, we evaluated the combined performance of homocysteine and uric acid (UA) biomarkers to discriminate high‐risk patients for SCAF. Methods and Results We enrolled 1224 consecutive patients for evaluation of SCAF in patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices in Dalian, China, between January 2013 and December 2019. Clinical data and blood samples were obtained from patients selected according to the absence or presence of atrial high‐rate episodes >6 minutes. Blood samples were obtained, and homocysteine and UA biomarkers were tested in all patients to distinguish their prognostic performance for SCAF. Homocysteine and UA biomarkers were significantly different in SCAF versus no SCAF. On multivariable Cox regression analysis with potential confounders, elevated homocysteine and UA biomarkers were significantly associated with an increased risk of SCAF. A rise of 1 SD in homocysteine (5.7 μmol/L) was associated with an increased risk of SCAF in men and women regardless of their UA levels. Similarly, a 1‐SD increase in UA (91 μmol/L) was associated with an increased risk of SCAF among the patients with high levels of homocysteine in men (hazard ratio, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.43–2.30) and women (hazard ratio, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.69–2.62). The addition of homocysteine and UA to the atrial fibrillation risk factors recommended by the 2020 European Society of Cardiology Guidelines significantly improved risk discrimination for SCAF. Conclusions Homocysteine and UA biomarkers were strongly associated with SCAF. The prediction performance of the European Society of Cardiology model for SCAF was increased by the addition of the selected biomarkers. Registration URL: https://www.chictr.org.cn ; Unique identifier: Chi‐CTR200003837.

Distal radial access. Occlussion of the radial artery after percutaneus coronary intervention with radial access

In 2015, The European Society of Cardiology for Acute Coronary Syndrome recommended that Class I use radial as the preferred access method for any percutaneous coronary intervention regardless of clinical presentation. However, the use of TRA is associated with some complications: radiation artery occlusion (RAO) (The reported incidence of RAO is highly variable in the range of 2-11%, radial arterial spasm, radial arterial perforation, radial artery pseudoaneurysm, arteriovenous fistula, bleeding, nerve damage, and complex regional pain syndrome. Limited data are available regarding the technique of distal radial access, complications, and potential benefits. The purpose of our study is to compare the incidence of radial artery occlusion between distal radial and conventional radial access. The study included 292 patients (who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention)in who is felt pulsations at the site of a puncture of the radial artery. Patients were followed one month after the procedure, with Doppler ultrasonography or access from the same artery. After a month, the occlusion of the radial artery occurred in 8 (5.7%) patients in conventional radial access, there was no occlusion of the radial artery in the distal radial access group. This investigation shows that distal radial access is associated with a lower incidence of occlusion of the radial artery.

Empagliflozin—A New Chance for Patients with Chronic Heart Failure

The heart failure (HF) epidemic is one of the challenges that has been faced by the healthcare system worldwide for almost 25 years. With an ageing world population and a fast-paced lifestyle that promotes the development of cardiovascular disease, the number of people suffering from heart failure will continue to rise. To improve the treatment regimen and consequently the prognosis and quality of life of heart failure patients, new therapeutic solutions have been introduced, such as an inclusion of Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors in a new treatment regimen as announced by the European Society of Cardiology in August 2021. This article focuses on the SGLT2 inhibitor empagliflozin and its use in patients with heart failure. Empagliflozin is a drug originally intended for the treatment of diabetes due to its glycosuric properties, yet its beneficial effects extend beyond lowering glycemia. The pleiotropic effects of the drug include nephroprotection, improving endothelial function, lowering blood pressure and reducing body weight. In this review we discuss the cardioprotective mechanism of the drug in the context of the benefits of empagliflozin use in patients with chronic cardiac insufficiency. Numerous findings confirm that despite its potential limitations, the use of empagliflozin in HF treatment is advantageous and effective.

Prevalence and patterns of coronary artery anomalies in 28,800 adult patients undergoing angiography in a large tertiary care centre in India

Coronary artery anomalies (CAAs) are a diverse group of disorders with varied clinical presentation and pathophysiological mechanisms. A majority of these anomalies are asymptomatic and often an incidental finding on coronary angiogram or autopsy. This retrospective study included 28,800 patients who underwent coronary angiography from 2016 to 2020. The coronary angiograms were reviewed by two independent reviewers and CAAs were documented. CAAs were classified into (a) anomalies of coronary artery connection, (b) anomalies of intrinsic coronary arterial anatomy and (c) anomalies of myocardial/coronary artery interaction as proposed by the European Society of Cardiology. Of the 28,800 coronary angiograms, CAAs were present in 4.12% with anomalies in the left coronary artery (LCA) being most common. Anomalies of coronary artery connection were most common (48.48%) followed by anomalies of myocardial/coronary artery interaction (34.49%) and anomalies of intrinsic coronary artery anatomy (17.03%). Among anomalies of coronary artery connection, absent left main trunk or split LCA with separate origins of left anterior descending coronary artery and left circumflex coronary artery from the left coronary sinus of Valsalva (22.59%) was most common. An intramural course or “myocardial bridge” had an incidence of 1.16% while incidence of coronary artery fistulae (CAF) was 0.115%.