Association of central obesity with unique cardiac remodelling in young adults born small for gestational age

Being born small for gestational age (SGA, 10% of all births) is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular mortality in adulthood together with lower exercise tolerance, but mechanistic pathways are unclear. Central obesity is known to worsen cardiovascular outcomes, but it is uncertain how it affects the heart in adults born SGA. We aimed to assess whether central obesity makes young adults born SGA more susceptible to cardiac remodelling and dysfunction.A perinatal cohort from a tertiary university hospital in Spain of young adults (30-40 years) randomly selected, 80 born SGA (birth weight below 10th centile) and 75 with normal birth weight (controls) was recruited. We studied the associations between SGA and central obesity (measured via the hip-to-waist ratio and used as a continuous variable) and cardiac regional structure and function, assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance using statistical shape analysis. Both SGA and waist-to-hip were highly associated to cardiac shape (F = 3.94, P < 0.001; F = 5.18, P < 0.001 respectively) with a statistically significant interaction (F = 2.29, P = 0.02). While controls tend to increase left ventricular end-diastolic volumes, mass and stroke volume with increasing waist-to-hip ratio, young adults born SGA showed a unique response with inability to increase cardiac dimensions or mass resulting in reduced stroke volume and exercise capacity.SGA young adults show a unique cardiac adaptation to central obesity. These results support considering SGA as a risk factor that may benefit from preventive strategies to reduce cardiometabolic risk.© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: [email protected]

Impact of left atrial volume, sphericity, and fibrosis on the outcome of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation

INTRODUCTION: To investigate the relation between left atrial (LA) volume, sphericity, and fibrotic content derived from contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CE-CMR) and their impact on the outcome of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF). METHODS AND RESULTS: In 83 patients undergoing catheter ablation for AF, CE-CMR was used to assess LA volume, sphericity, and fibrosis. There was a significant correlation between LA volume and sphericity (R = 0.535, P < 0.001) and between LA volume and fibrosis (R = 0.241, P = 0.029). Multivariate analyses demonstrated that LA volume was the strongest independent predictor of AF recurrence after catheter ablation (1.019, P = 0.018). CONCLUSION: LA volume, sphericity, and fibrosis were closely related; however, LA volume was the strongest predictor of AF recurrence after catheter ablation

Combined Area of Left and Right Atria May Outperform Atrial Volumes as a Predictor of Recurrences after Ablation in Patients with Persistent Atrial Fibrillation—A Pilot Study

Background and Objectives: Left atrial (LA) remodelling and dilatation predicts atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrences after catheter ablation. However, whether right atrial (RA) remodelling and dilatation predicts AF recurrences after ablation has not been fully evaluated. Materials and Methods: This is an observational study of 85 consecutive patients (aged 57 ± 9 years; 70 [82%] men) who underwent cardiac magnetic resonance before first catheter ablation for AF (40 [47.1%] persistent AF). Four-chamber cine-sequence was selected to measure LA and RA area, and ventricular end-systolic image phase to obtain atrial 3D volumes. The effect of different variables on event-free survival was investigated using the Cox proportional hazards model. Results: In patients with persistent AF, combined LA and RA area indexed to body surface area (AILA + RA) predicted AF recurrences (HR = 1.08, 95% CI 1.00-1.17, p = 0.048). An AILA + RA cut-off value of 26.7 cm2/m2 had 72% sensitivity and 73% specificity for predicting recurrences in patients with persistent AF. In this group, 65% of patients with AILA + RA > 26.7 cm2/m2 experienced AF recurrence within 2 years of follow-up (median follow-up 11 months), compared to 25% of patients with AILA + RA ≤ 26.7 cm2/m2 (HR 4.28, 95% CI 1.50-12.22; p = 0.007). Indices of LA and RA dilatation did not predict AF recurrences in patients with paroxysmal AF. Atrial 3D volumes did not predict AF recurrences after ablation. Conclusions: In this pilot study, the simple measurement of AILA + RA may predict recurrences after ablation of persistent AF, and may outperform measurements of atrial volumes. In paroxysmal AF, atrial dilatation did not predict recurrences. Further studies on the role of RA and LA remodelling are needed

Scar channels in cardiac magnetic resonance to predict appropriate therapies in primary prevention.

Background Scar characteristics analyzed by late gadolinium enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance (LGE-CMR) are related with ventricular arrhythmias. Current guidelines are based only on the left ventricular ejection fraction to recommend an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) in primary prevention. Objectives Our study aims to analyze the role of imaging to stratify arrhythmogenic risk in patients with ICD for primary prevention. Methods From 2006 to 2017, we included 200 patients with LGE-CMR before ICD implantation for primary prevention. The scar, border zone, core, and conducting channels (CCs) were automatically measured by a dedicated software. Results The mean age was 60.9 ± 10.9 years; 81.5% (163) were men; 52% (104) had ischemic cardiomyopathy. The mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 29% ± 10.1%. After a follow-up of 4.6 ± 2 years, 46 patients (22%) reached the primary end point (appropriate ICD therapy). Scar mass (36.2 ± 19 g vs 21.7 ± 10 g; P 10 g (25.31% vs 5.26%; hazard ratio 4.74; P = .034) and the presence of CCs (34.75% vs 8.93%; hazard ratio 4.07; P = .003) were also strongly associated with the primary end point. However, patients without channels and with scar mass < 10 g had a very low rate of appropriate therapies (2.8%). Conclusion Scar characteristics analyzed by LGE-CMR are strong predictors of appropriate therapies in patients with ICD in primary prevention. The absence of channels and scar mass < 10 g can identify patients at a very low risk of ventricular arrhythmias in this population

Progressive and Simultaneous Right and Left Atrial Remodeling Uncovered by a Comprehensive Magnetic Resonance Assessment in Atrial Fibrillation

Background Left atrial structural remodeling contributes to the arrhythmogenic substrate of atrial fibrillation (AF), but the role of the right atrium (RA) remains unknown. Our aims were to comprehensively characterize right atrial structural remodeling in AF and identify right atrial parameters predicting recurrences after ablation. Methods and Results A 3.0 T late gadolinium enhanced-cardiac magnetic resonance was obtained in 109 individuals (9 healthy volunteers, 100 patients with AF undergoing ablation). Right and left atrial volume, surface, and sphericity were quantified. Right atrial global and regional fibrosis burden was assessed with validated thresholds. Patients with AF were systematically followed after ablation for recurrences. Progressive right atrial dilation and an increase in sphericity were observed from healthy volunteers to patients with paroxysmal and persistent AF; fibrosis was similar among the groups. The correlation between parameters recapitulating right atrial remodeling was mild. Subsequently, remodeling in both atria was compared. The RA was larger than the left atrium (LA) in all groups. Fibrosis burden was higher in the LA than in the RA of patients with AF, whereas sphericity was higher in the LA of patients with persistent AF only. Fibrosis, volume, and surface of the RA and LA, but not sphericity, were strongly correlated. Tricuspid regurgitation predicted right atrial volume and shape, whereas diabetes was associated with right atrial fibrosis burden; sex and persistent AF also predicted right atrial volume. Fibrosis in the RA was mostly located in the inferior vena cava-RA junction. Only right atrial sphericity is significantly associated with AF recurrences after ablation (hazard ratio, 1.12 [95% CI, 1.01-1.25]). Conclusions AF progression associates with right atrial remodeling in parallel with the LA. Right atrial sphericity yields prognostic significance after ablation

Identification of decreased intrinsic capacity: Performance of diagnostic measures of the ICOPE Screening tool in community dwelling older people in the VIMCI study.

peer reviewed[en] BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed the Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) strategy to face the challenges of ageing societies. This strategy is focused on person centered care and the assessment intrinsic capacity (IC). Early identification of five domains of IC (cognition, locomotion, vitality, sensory (hearing and vision), and psychological) has been shown to be related with adverse outcomes and can guide actions towards primary prevention and healthy ageing. IC assessment proposed by the WHO ICOPE guidelines is composed by two steps: First, Screening for decreased IC by the ICOPE Screening tool; second, by the reference standard methods. The aim was to assess the performance of diagnostic measures (sensibility, specificity, diagnostic accuracy, and agreement of the ICOPE Screening tool) compared to the reference standard methods in European community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of the baseline of the ongoing VIMCI (Validity of an Instrument to Measure Intrinsic Capacity) cohort study, which was carried out in Primary Care centers and outpatient clinics from 5 rural and urban territories in Catalonia (Spain). Participants were 207community dwelling persons ≥ 70-year-old with Barthel ≥ 90, without dementia or advanced chronic conditions who provided their consent to participate. The 5 IC domains were assessed by the ICOPE Screening tool and the reference methods (SPPB, gait speed, MNA, Snellen chart, audiometry, MMSE, GDS5) during patients' visit. Agreement was assessed with the Gwet AC1 index. RESULTS: ICOPE Screening tool sensitivity was higher for cognition (0.889) and ranged between 0.438 and 0.569 for most domains. Specificity ranged from 0.682 to 0.96, diagnostic accuracy from 0.627 to 0.879, Youden index from 0.12 to 0.619, and Gwet AC1 from 0.275 to 0.842. CONCLUSION: The ICOPE screening tool showed fair performance of diagnostic measures; it was helpful to identify those participants with satisfactory IC and showed a modest ability to identify decreased IC in older people with high degree of autonomy. Since low sensitivities were found, a process of external validation would be recommended to reach better discrimination. Further studies about the ICOPE Screening tool and its performance of diagnostic measures in different populations are urgently required

Efecto cardioprotector del metropolol en la reperfusión coronaria: analisis del miocardio isquémico en riesgo mediante resonancia magnética cardiaca

[spa] El tamaño final del infarto es un predictor importante de eventos clínicos posteriores. Aunque el tiempo de isquemia se ha mostrado como el mayor determinante para aumentar el miocardio salvado, hay interés en buscar otras terapias que ayuden a reducir el tamaño del infarto (cardioprotección) y que limiten el daño por reperfusión. Los betabloqueantes han demostrado eficacia clínica cuando se administran en las primeras hora del infarto, y así queda reflejado en las guías como indicación de clase IA pero hay controversia de cuando y como administrarlos. La resonancia magnética cardiaca (RMC) puede estudiar de manera precisa el área miocárdica en riesgo (con secuencias de edema, potenciadas en T2) y el tamaño del infarto (secuencia de realce tardío) pudiendo cuantificar el miocardio salvado (área miocárdica en riesgo descrita como edema menos tamaño final del infarto). Nuestra hipótesis de trabajo fue que el betabloqueante endovenoso metoprolol administrado precozmente en la fase aguda del infarto de miocardio puede reducir el miocardio salvado. Y los objetivos de esta tesis fueron: 1) Analizar el beneficio de la administración temprana del betabloqueante (metoprolol) endovenoso sobre el miocardio en riesgo en un modelo porcino de infarto agudo de miocardio mediante RMC. 2) Ver si este posible efecto cardioprotector también se observa cuando se administra el metoprolol vía oral tras la reperfusión coronaria y evaluar los posibles mecanismos que están involucrados en este efecto. Metodología: En un modelo porcino de infarto agudo de miocardio en 10 animales se randomizó a metoprolol endovenoso durante la oclusión coronaria o placebo. Se analizó la función global del ventrículo izquierdo, la extensión del miocardio en riesgo y la necrosis miocárdica a los 4 y 22 días mediante RMC. En un segundo tiempo, con el mismo modelo animal de infarto se randomizó una muestra de 30 cerdos a metoprolol endovenoso pre-reperfusión (estrategia precoz), post-reperfusión vía oral (estrategia diferida) o placebo. Se analizaron marcadores del daño por reperfusión como la infiltración de neutrófilos, la apoptosis miocárdica mediante expresión de la proteína caspasa-3 activada y la fosforilación de la quinasa-AKT. Resultados: En el grupo tratado con metoprolol endovenoso pre-reperfusión se observó, comparando con el grupo control, un aumento del miocardio salvado y una recuperación mejor de la función ventricular a las 3 semanas. Además la administración de metoprolol endovenoso pre-reperfusión se asoció a mayores efectos cardioprotectores sugiriendo una disminución en el daño miocárdico por reperfusión.[eng] The final infarct size is an important predictor of subsequent clinical events. Although ischemic time has proven to be the major determinant for increasing myocardial salvage, there is interest in seeking other therapies that help reduce infarct size (cardioprotection) and limit reperfusion injury. Beta-blockers have demonstrated clinical efficacy when administered in the first hour of infarction, and this is reflected in the guidelines as an indication of class IA. However, there is still controversy about when and how to prescribe them. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) can accurately study the myocardial area at risk (T2-weighted sequences for myocardial edema) and infarct size (late enhancement sequence). Therefore CMR can quantify the salvaged infarction (defined as the difference between myocardial area at risk size and infarct size). Our hypothesis was that the beta-blocker metoprolol intravenous administered early in the acute phase of myocardial infarction may reduce myocardial salvaged. A) Objectives of this thesis were: 1) Analyze the benefit of early administration of beta-blocker (metoprolol) intravenous on the myocardium at risk in a porcine model of acute myocardial infarction by CMR. 2) Test if this potential cardioprotective effect is also observed when oral metoprolol was administered after coronary reperfusion and evaluate the possible mechanisms involved in this effect. B) Methodology: In a porcine model of acute myocardial infarction 10 animals were randomized to intravenous metoprolol during coronary occlusion or placebo. We analyzed the global left ventricular function, the extent of myocardium at risk and myocardial necrosis at 4 and 22 days by CMR. In a second time, with the same animal model of infarction 30 pigs were randomized to intravenous metoprolol pre-reperfusion (early strategy), post-reperfusion orally (deferred strategy) or placebo. We analyzed markers of reperfusion injury as neutrophil infiltration, myocardial apoptosis by expression of activated caspase-3 protein phosphorylation and kinase-AKT. C) Results: In the group treated with intravenous metoprolol pre-reperfusion was observed, compared with the control group, increased myocardial salvage and a better recovery of left ventricular function at 3 weeks. Besides, intravenous administration of metoprolol pre-reperfusion was associated with higher cardioprotective effects suggesting a decrease in myocardial reperfusion injury

Association of central obesity with unique cardiac remodelling in young adults born small for gestational age

International audienceBeing born small for gestational age (SGA, 10% of all births) is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular mortality in adulthood together with lower exercise tolerance, but mechanistic pathways are unclear. Central obesity is known to worsen cardiovascular outcomes, but it is uncertain how it affects the heart in adults born SGA. We aimed to assess whether central obesity makes young adults born SGA more susceptible to cardiac remodelling and dysfunction. A perinatal cohort from a tertiary university hospital in Spain of young adults (30–40 years) randomly selected, 80 born SGA (birth weight below 10th centile) and 75 with normal birth weight (controls) was recruited. We studied the associations between SGA and central obesity (measured via the hip-to-waist ratio and used as a continuous variable) and cardiac regional structure and function, assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance using statistical shape analysis. Both SGA and waist-to-hip were highly associated to cardiac shape (F = 3.94, P &lt; 0.001; F = 5.18, P &lt; 0.001 respectively) with a statistically significant interaction (F = 2.29, P = 0.02). While controls tend to increase left ventricular end-diastolic volumes, mass and stroke volume with increasing waist-to-hip ratio, young adults born SGA showed a unique response with inability to increase cardiac dimensions or mass resulting in reduced stroke volume and exercise capacity. SGA young adults show a unique cardiac adaptation to central obesity. These results support considering SGA as a risk factor that may benefit from preventive strategies to reduce cardiometabolic risk