Prognostic value of proximal left coronary artery flow velocity detected by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography

Background: Lesions in the proximal left coronary artery (LCA) are associated with a poor prognosis compared with other lesional sites. Transthoracic Doppler echocardiography (TTDE) can help to detect proximal LCA flow, and an accelerated coronary flow velocity (CFV) indicates the presence of proximal LCA lesions. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of CFV in the proximal LCA measured by TTDE. Methods: We enrolled 1472 consecutive hemodynamically stable patients with known or suspected heart disease whose CFV was successfully detected using TTDE accompanied by routine echocardiography between 2008 and 2011. The primary outcome was cardiac death (acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, or sudden cardiac death) and patients were followed up over a median of 6.3 years. Results: Overall, 42 cardiac deaths (3%) were observed. An increased CFV was significantly associated with the outcome in several models based on potential confounders (age, rate pressure product, Framingham Risk Score, diabetes, coronary artery disease, hemoglobin, brain natriuretic peptide, estimated glomerular filtration rate, left ventricular mass, left ventricular ejection fraction, and E/e′). Using a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the optimal cut-off value for the CFV to the association of the outcome was 37 cm/s (area under the curve, 0.70; sensitivity, 82%; specificity, 62%). In sequential Cox proportional hazards models, the CFV added incremental prognostic information to the clinical and basic echocardiographic parameters (chi-squared: 110.7 to 146.6, P < 0.01). Conclusions: An increased CFV in the proximal LCA was associated with cardiac death, incremental to the clinical and basic echocardiographic parameters. Keywords: Coronary flow velocity, Transthoracic Doppler echocardiography, Proximal left coronary artery, Prognosi

Prevalence and Prognostic Significance of Malnutrition in Older Japanese Adults at High Surgical Risk Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation

Background The usefulness of preprocedural nutritional status to stratify prognosis after transcatheter aortic valve implantation has been evaluated; however, the studies conducted so far have been relatively small and/or focused on a single nutritional index. This study sought to assess the prevalence and prognostic impact of malnutrition in patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation. Methods and Results We applied the Controlling Nutritional Status score, Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index, and Prognostic Nutritional Index to 1040 consecutive older Japanese patients at high surgical risk who underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation. According to the Controlling Nutritional Status score, Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index, and Prognostic Nutritional Index, 16.6%, 60.5%, and 13.8% patients had moderate or severe malnutrition, respectively; 89.3% were at least mildly malnourished by at least 1 score. Worse nutritional status was associated with older age, lower body mass index, higher degree of frailty, worse symptoms and renal function, atrial fibrillation, and anemia. During a median follow‐up of 986 days (interquartile range, 556–1402 days), 273 (26.3%) patients died. Compared with normal nutrition, malnutrition was associated with an increased risk for all‐cause death (adjusted hazard ratio for moderate and severe malnutrition, respectively: 2.19 (95% CI, 1.45–3.31; P<0.001) and 6.13 (95% CI, 2.75–13.70; P<0.001) for the Controlling Nutritional Status score, 2.02 (95% CI, 1.36–3.02; P=0.001) and 3.24 (95% CI, 1.86–5.65; P<0.001) for the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index, and 1.60 (95% CI, 1.06–2.39; P=0.024) and 2.32 (95% CI, 1.50–3.60; P<0.001) for the Prognostic Nutritional Index). Conclusions Malnutrition is common in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation and is associated with increased mortality