725 Assessment of myocardial work for the evaluation of patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI)

Abstract Aims A growing number of patients is undergoing transcatheter treatment of severe Aortic Stenosis. Changes in cardiac mechanics after removal of afterload in these patients are under-investigated. Myocardial Work (MW) is emerging as a useful non-invasive correlate of invasively measured myocardial performance and oxygen consumption. Aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of non-invasive MW indices in the clinical assessment of patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Methods and results Consecutive patients with severe aortic stenosis referred for TAVI in a single tertiary centre were included. Echocardiography recordings (GE-Healthcare) with systolic and diastolic non-invasive pressures, were obtained immediately before TAVI and after TAVI to measure myocardial work index (MWI), myocardial constructive work (MCW), myocardial wasted work (MWW), and myocardial work efficiency (MWE). Consecutive patients with severe AS (n = 73) undergoing TAVI and matched controls (n = 50) were included. Mean transaortic gradient, AV area, and peak transvalvular velocity were significantly improved (all P < 0.05). No changes in left ventricular ejection fraction nor in global longitudinal strain (GLS) were observed. GWI (P < 0.001) and GCW (P < 0.001) were significantly reduced after TAVI. On the contrary, we observed no significant change in GWW (P = 0.241) nor GWE (P = 0.854). Women had higher GWI (P = 0.007) and GCW (P = 0.014) compared to men, with a larger delta change of GCW. Patients with a low flow low gradient (LF-LG) AS had lower LVEF (P < 0.001), worse GLS (P < 0.001) and lower baseline GWI (P < 0.001), GCW (P < 0.001), and GWE (P = 0.003). The improvement in GWI and GCW observed after TAVI in the general study population were abolished among LF-LG patients. Conclusions The use of non-invasive myocardial work might be useful to further classify patients with AS and could be useful to predict non responders

Reduction of hospitalizations for myocardial infarction in Italy in the COVID-19 era

Aims: To evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patient admissions to Italian cardiac care units (CCUs). Methods and results: We conducted a multicentre, observational, nationwide survey to collect data on admissions for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) at Italian CCUs throughout a 1 week period during the COVID-19 outbreak, compared with the equivalent week in 2019. We observed a 48.4% reduction in admissions for AMI compared with the equivalent week in 2019 (P < 0.001). The reduction was significant for both ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction [STEMI; 26.5%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 21.7-32.3; P = 0.009] and non-STEMI (NSTEMI; 65.1%, 95% CI 60.3-70.3; P < 0.001). Among STEMIs, the reduction was higher for women (41.2%; P = 0.011) than men (17.8%; P = 0.191). A similar reduction in AMI admissions was registered in North Italy (52.1%), Central Italy (59.3%), and South Italy (52.1%). The STEMI case fatality rate during the pandemic was substantially increased compared with 2019 [risk ratio (RR) = 3.3, 95% CI 1.7-6.6; P < 0.001]. A parallel increase in complications was also registered (RR = 1.8, 95% CI 1.1-2.8; P = 0.009). Conclusion: Admissions for AMI were significantly reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic across Italy, with a parallel increase in fatality and complication rates. This constitutes a serious social issue, demanding attention by the scientific and healthcare communities and public regulatory agencies

Management of high and intermediate-high risk pulmonary embolism: A position paper of the Interventional Cardiology Working Group of the Italian Society of Cardiology

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a potentially life-threatening condition that remains a major global health concern. Noteworthy, patients with high- and intermediate-high-risk PE pose unique challenges because they often display clinical and hemodynamic instability, thus requiring rapid intervention to mitigate the risk of clinical deterioration and death. Importantly, recovery from PE is associated with long-term complications such as recurrences, bleeding with oral anticoagulant treatment, pulmonary hypertension, and psychological distress. Several novel strategies to improve risk factor characterization and management of patients with PE have recently been introduced. Accordingly, this position paper of the Working Group of Interventional Cardiology of the Italian Society of Cardiology deals with the landscape of high- and intermediate-high risk PE, with a focus on bridging the gap between the evolving standards of care and the current clinical practice. Specifically, the growing importance of catheter-directed therapies as part of the therapeutic armamentarium is highlighted. These interventions have been shown to be effective strategies in unstable patients since they offer, as compared with thrombolysis, faster and more effective restoration of hemodynamic stability with a consistent reduction in the risk of bleeding. Evolving standards of care underscore the need for continuous re-assessment of patient risk stratification. To this end, a multidisciplinary approach is paramount in refining selection criteria to deliver the most effective treatment to patients with unstable hemodynamics. In conclusion, the current management of unstable patients with PE should prioritize tailored treatment in a patient-oriented approach in which transcatheter therapies play a central role

Assessment of Non-Invasive Measurements of Oxygen Saturation and Heart Rate with an Apple Smartwatch: Comparison with a Standard Pulse Oximeter

The most commonly used method to assess peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) in clinical practice is pulse oximetry. The smartwatch Apple Watch 6 was developed with a new sensor and an app that allows taking on-demand readings of blood oxygen and background readings, day and night. The present study aimed to assess the feasibility and agreement of the Apple Watch 6 compared with a standard SpO2 monitoring system to assess normal and pathological oxygen saturation. We recruited study participants with lung disease or cardiovascular disease and healthy subjects. A total of 265 subjects were screened for enrolment in this study. We observed a strong positive correlation between the smartwatch and the standard commercial device in the evaluation of SpO2 measurements (r = 0.89, p &lt; 0.0001) and HR measurements (r = 0.98, p &lt; 0.0001). A very good concordance was found between SpO2 (bias, &minus;0.2289; SD, 1.66; lower limit, &minus;3.49; and upper limit, 3.04) and HR (bias, &minus;0.1052; SD, 2.93; lower limit, &minus;5.84; and upper limit, 5.63) measured by the smartwatch in comparison with the standard commercial device using Bland&ndash;Altman analysis. We observed similar agreements and concordance even in the different subgroups. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that the wearable device used in the present study could be used to assess SpO2 in patients with cardiovascular or lung diseases and in healthy subjects

The Outbreak of COVID-19 in Italy: Fighting the Pandemic

In Italy, the unexpected pandemic of COVID-19 has caused a never-seen-before disaster in terms of hospitalizations and deaths. On January 9, 2020, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that a new coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-Cov-2), had been identified as the causative agent of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), and the genomic sequence was made public. Italy was the first European nation to be affected by COVID-19 with 143,626 confirmed total cases and 18,279 deaths to date (1). The pandemic has mainly been located in northern Italy (Figure 1), partially sparing, for the moment, the southern part of the country. Italy was not prepared for COVID-19, currently a planetary health emergency with 1,436,198 cases and 85,522 deaths worldwide (2). The Italian crisis provoked by COVID-19 is the most serious event in Italian history after World War II; it is a national human, health, and economic tragedy. COVID-19 mortality in Italy has been 9%, higher than that in China. The reasons for this high mortality are unclear. However, the infected fatality rate may actually be lower because the tests have not been widespread compared to other countries such as South Korea. Furthermore, the oldest population in Italy may have increased mortality. In fact, the median age in Italy of those who have died is ∼80 years (Figure 2). No patient &lt;20 years of age has been hospitalized or has died. Only 1% of the deaths have been detected in patients &lt;50 years of age

Inclisiran: present and future perspectives of a new effective LDL cholesterol-lowering agent

Purpose of review: To highlight critical aspects of inclisiran, from preclinical studies to current recommendations in clinical practice and future perspectives. Recent findings: Inclisiran use has been recently approved by regulatory agencies. The evidence of its efficacy and safety makes it a promising therapeutical tool for treating dyslipidemias. Summary: The link between LDL-cholesterol and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is well established. Inclisiran, a small interfering RNA, has proven its safety and efficacy in reducing LDL-cholesterol, and FDA and EMA have recently approved its use. This review illustrates the development, structure, and mechanism of action of inclisiran and provides information regarding its efficacy, safety, and current recommendation in clinical practice. Moreover, it provides key information on the most recent/ongoing trials that will help us to implement the use of inclisiran in clinical practice