Search Results (17)

Objectives: CT-derived fractional flow reserve (CT-FFR) can improve the specificity of coronary CT-angiography (cCTA) for ruling out relevant coronary artery disease (CAD) prior to transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). However, little is known about the reproducibility of CT-FFR and the influence of diffuse coronary artery calcifications or segment location. The objective was to assess the reliability of machine-learning (ML)-based CT-FFR prior to TAVR in patients without obstructive CAD and to assess the influence of image quality, coronary artery calcium score (CAC), and the location of measurement within the coronary tree. Methods: Patients assessed for TAVR, without obstructive CAD on cCTA were evaluated with ML-based CT-FFR by two observers with differing experience. Differences in absolute values and categorization into hemodynamically relevant CAD (CT-FFR ≤ 0.80) were compared. Results in regard to CAD were also compared against invasive coronary angiography. The influence of segment location, image quality, and CAC was evaluated. Results: Of the screened patients, 109/388 patients did not have obstructive CAD on cCTA and were included. The median (interquartile range) difference of CT-FFR values was −0.005 (−0.09 to 0.04) (p = 0.47). Differences were smaller with high values. Recategorizations were more frequent in distal segments. Diagnostic accuracy of CT-FFR between both observers was comparable (proximal: Δ0.2%; distal: Δ0.5%) but was lower in distal segments (proximal: 98.9%/99.1%; distal: 81.1%/81.6%). Image quality and CAC had no clinically relevant influence on CT-FFR. Conclusions: ML-based CT-FFR evaluation of proximal segments was more reliable. Distal segments with CT-FFR values close to the given threshold were prone to recategorization, even if absolute differences between observers were minimal and independent of image quality or CAC. Full article

Background: Degenerative aortic valve stenosis (AS) is the most common valvular heart disease among the elderly. Once cardiac symptoms occur, current guidelines recommend aortic valve replacement. Progressive degeneration/calcification reduces leaflet mobility with gradual cardiac output (CO) impairment. Low CO might induce abnormal brain-aging with cognitive impairment and increased risk of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease or vascular dementia. On the contrary, cognitive improvement has been reported in patients in whom CO was restored. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has proven to be a safe alternative to conventional surgery, with a similar mid-term survival and stroke risk even in low-risk patients. TAVI is associated with an immediate CO improvement, also effecting the cerebrovascular system, leading to an increased cerebral blood flow. The correlation between TAVI and cognitive improvement is still debated. The present study aims at evaluating this relationship in a cohort of AS patients where cognitive assessment before and after TAVI was available. Methods: a total of 47 patients were retrospectively selected. A transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) before and after TAVI, a quality of life (QoL) score, as well as a mini-mental state examination (MMSE) at baseline and up to 36 months, were available. Results: TAVI was associated with immediate increase in mean cerebral flow at TCD. MMSE slowly increase at 36-months follow-up with improved QoL mainly for symptoms, emotions and social interactions. Conclusions: this proof-of-concept study indicates that TAVI might induce cognitive improvement in the long-term as a result of multiple factors, such as cerebral flow restoration and a better QoL. Full article

In this narrative review, we investigate the essential role played by the computed tomography Aortic Valve Calcium Score (AVCS) in the cardiovascular diagnostic landscape, with a special focus on its implications for clinical practice and scientific research. Calcific aortic valve stenosis is the most prevalent type of aortic stenosis (AS) in industrialized countries, and due to the aging population, its prevalence is increasing. While transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) remains the gold standard, AVCS stands out as an essential complementary tool in evaluating patients with AS. The advantage of AVCS is its independence from flow; this allows for a more precise evaluation of patients with discordant findings in TTE. Further clinical applications of AVCS include in the assessment of patients before transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), as it helps in predicting outcomes and provides prognostic information post-TAVR. Additionally, we describe different AVCS thresholds regarding gender and the anatomical variations of the aortic valve. Finally, we discuss various scientific studies where AVCS was applied. As AVCS has some limitations, due to the pathophysiologies of AS extending beyond calcification and gender differences, scientists strive to validate contrast-enhanced AVCS. Furthermore, research on developing radiation-free methods of measuring calcium content is ongoing. Full article

Background: The goal of our study is to evaluate a method to quantify aortic valve calcification (AVC) in contrast-enhanced computed tomography for patients with suspected severe aortic stenosis pre-interventionally. Methods: A total of sixty-five patients with aortic stenosis underwent both a native and a contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) scan of the aortic valve (45 in the training cohort and 20 in the validation cohort) using a standardized protocol. Aortic valve calcification was semi-automatically quantified via the Agatston score method for the native scans and was used as a reference. For contrast-enhanced computed tomography, a calcium threshold of the Hounsfield units of the aorta plus four times the standard deviation was used. Results: For the quantification of aortic valve calcification in contrast-enhanced computed tomography, a conversion formula (691 + 1.83 x AVCCECT) was derived via a linear regression model in the training cohort. The validation in the second cohort showed high agreement for this conversion formula with no significant proportional bias (Bland–Altman, p = 0.055) and with an intraclass correlation coefficient in the validation cohort of 0.915 (confidence interval 95% 0.786–0.966) p < 0.001. Conclusions: Calcium scoring in patients with aortic valve stenosis can be performed using contrast-enhanced computed tomography with high validity. Using a conversion factor led to an excellent agreement, thereby obviating an additional native computed tomography scan. This might contribute to a decrease in radiation exposure. Full article

Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) and coronary artery disease (CAD) are related cardiovascular diseases in which common mechanisms lead to tissue calcification. Oxidative stress plays a key role in these diseases and there is also evidence that the redox state of serum albumin exerts a significant influence on these conditions. To further explore this issue, we used multimarker scores (OxyScore and AntioxyScore) to assess the global oxidative status in patients with CAVD, with and without CAD, also evaluating their plasma thiol levels. In addition, valvular interstitial cells were treated with reduced, oxidized, and native albumin to study how this protein and its modifications affect cell calcification. The differences we found suggest that oxidative status is distinct in CAVD and CAD, with differences in redox markers and thiol levels. Importantly, the in vitro interstitial cell model revealed that modified albumin affects cell calcification, accelerating this process. Hence, we show here the importance of the redox system in the development of CAVD, emphasizing the relevance of multimarker scores, while also offering evidence of how the redox state of albumin influences vascular calcification. These data highlight the relevance of understanding the overall redox processes involved in these diseases, opening the door to new studies on antioxidants as potential therapies for these patients. Full article

Background and Objectives: The main cause of morbidity and mortality in hemodialysis patients is cardiovascular disease, which is quite common. The main objective of our study was to investigate the relationship between oxidative stress, inflammation, and vascular and valvular calcifications in hemodialysis patients. Materials and Methods: This observational study had 54 hemodialysis patients, with an average age of 60.46 ± 13.18 years. Cardiovascular ultrasound was used to detect and/or measure aortic and mitral valve calcifications, carotid and femoral atheroma plaques, and common carotid intima-media thickness. The aortic calcification score was determined using a lateral abdomen plain radiograph. The inflammatory, oxidative, metabolic, and dietary statuses, as well as demographic characteristics, were identified. Results: There were significant correlations between the levels of IL-6 and carotid plaque number (p = 0.003), fibrinogen level and aortic valve calcifications (p = 0.05), intima-media thickness (p = 0.0007), carotid plaque number (p = 0.035), femoral plaque number (p = 0.00014), and aortic calcifications score (p = 0.0079). Aortic annulus calcifications (p = 0.03) and intima-media thickness (p = 0.038) were adversely linked with TNF-α. Nutrition parameters were negatively correlated with atherosclerosis markers: number of carotid plaques with albumin (p = 0.013), body mass index (p = 0.039), and triglycerides (p = 0.021); number of femoral plaques with phosphorus (0.013), aortic calcifications score with albumin (p = 0.051), intima-media thickness with LDL-cholesterol (p = 0.042). Age and the quantity of carotid plaques, femoral plaques, and aortic calcifications were linked with each other (p = 0.0022, 0.00011, and 0.036, respectively). Aortic annulus calcifications (p = 0.011), aortic valve calcifications (p = 0.023), and mitral valve calcifications (p = 0.018) were all associated with an increased risk of death. Conclusions: Imaging measures of atherosclerosis are adversely connected with dietary status and positively correlated with markers of inflammation and risk of mortality. Full article

(1) Background: Conduction disturbance requiring a new permanent pacemaker (PPM) after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has traditionally been a common complication. New implantation techniques with self-expanding platforms have reportedly reduced the incidence of PPM. We sought to investigate the predictors of PPM at 30 days after TAVI using Evolut R/PRO/PRO+; (2) Methods: Consecutive patients who underwent TAVI with the Evolut platform between October 2019 and August 2022 at University Hospital Galway, Ireland, were included. Patients who had a prior PPM (n = 10), valve-in-valve procedures (n = 8) or received >1 valve during the index procedure (n = 3) were excluded. Baseline clinical, electrocardiographic (ECG), echocardiographic and multislice computed tomography (MSCT) parameters were analyzed. Pre-TAVI MSCT analysis included membranous septum (MS) length, a semi-quantitative calcification analysis of the aortic valve leaflets, left ventricular outflow tract, and mitral annulus. Furthermore, the implantation depth (ID) was measured from the final aortography. Multivariate binary logistic analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were used to identify independent predictors and the optimal MS and ID cutoff values to predict new PPM requirements, respectively; (3) Results: A total of 129 TAVI patients were included (age = 81.3 ± 5.3 years; 36% female; median EuroSCORE II 3.2 [2.0, 5.4]). Fifteen patients (11.6%) required PPM after 30 days. The patients requiring new PPM at 30 days were more likely to have a lower European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation II, increased prevalence of right bundle branch block (RBBB) at baseline ECG, have a higher mitral annular calcification severity and have a shorter MS on preprocedural MSCT analysis, and have a ID, as shown on the final aortogram. From the multivariate analysis, pre-TAVI RBBB, MS length, and ID were shown to be predictors of new PPM. An MS length of <2.85 mm (AUC = 0.85, 95%CI: (0.77, 0.93)) and ID of >3.99 mm (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.79, (95% confidence interval (CI): (0.68, 0.90)) were found to be the optimal cut-offs for predicting new PPM requirements; (4) Conclusions: Membranous septum length and implantation depth were found to be independent predictors of new PPM post-TAVI with the Evolut platform. Patient-specific implantation depth could be used to mitigate the requirement for new PPM. Full article

Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) is predominantly applied in lung cancer screening programs. Tobacco smoking is the main risk factor for developing lung cancer but is also common for cardiovascular diseases, including aortic stenosis (AS). Consequently, an increased prevalence of cardiovascular diseases is expected in lung cancer screenees. Therefore, initial aortic valve calcification evaluation should be additionally performed on LDCT. The aim of this study was to estimate a calcium score (CS) cutoff point for clinically significant AS diagnosis based on LDCT, confirmed by echocardiographic examination. The study included 6631 heavy smokers who participated in a lung cancer screening program (MOLTEST BIS). LDCTs were performed on all individuals and were additionally assessed for aortic valve calcification with the use of CS according to the Agatston method. Patients with CS ≥ 900 were referred for echocardiography to confirm the diagnosis of AS and to evaluate its severity. Of 6631 individuals, 54 met the inclusion criteria and underwent echocardiography for confirmation and assessment of AS. Based on that data, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of CS were plotted, and cutoff points for clinically significant AS diagnosis were established: A CS of 1758 for at least moderate AS had 85.71% (CI 65.36–95.02%) sensitivity and 75.76% (CI 58.98–87.17%) specificity; a CS of 2665 for severe AS had 87.5% (CI 73.89–94.54%) sensitivity and 76.92% (CI 49.74–91.82%) specificity. This is the first study to assess possible CS cutoff points for diagnosing clinically significant AS detected by LDCT in lung cancer screening participants. LDCT with CS assessment could enable early detection of patients with clinically significant AS and therefore identify patients who require appropriate treatment. Full article

Background: Treatment of severely calcified aortic valve stenosis is associated with a higher rate of paravalvular leakage (PVL) and permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI). We hypothesized that the self-expanding transcatheter heart valve (THV) prostheses Evolut Pro (EPro) is comparable to the balloon-expandable Sapien 3 (S3) regarding hemodynamics, PPI, and clinical outcome in these patients. Methods: From 2014 to 2019, all patients with very severe calcification of the aortic valve who received an EPro or an S3 THV were included. Propensity score matching was utilized to create two groups of 170 patients. Results: At discharge, there was significant difference in transvalvular gradients (EPro vs. S3) (dPmean 8.1 vs. 11.1 mmHg, p ≤ 0.001) and indexed effective orifice area (EOAi) (1.1 vs. 0.9, p ≤ 0.001), as well as predicted EOAi (1 vs. 0.9, p ≤ 0.001). Moderate patient prosthesis mismatch (PPM) was significantly lower in the EPro group (17.7% vs. 38%, p ≤ 0.001), as well as severe PPM (2.9% vs. 8.8%, p = 0.03). PPI and the PVL rate as well as stroke, bleeding, vascular complication, and 30-day mortality were comparable. Conclusions: In patients with severely calcified aortic valves, both THVs performed similarly in terms of 30-day mortality, PPI rate, and PVL occurrence. However, patient prothesis mismatch was observed more often in the S3 group, which might be due to the intra-annular design. Full article

Background: Cerebrovascular events (CVE) are feared complications following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). We aimed to develop a new risk model for CVE prediction with the application of multimodal imaging. Methods: From May 2011 to August 2019, a total of 2015 patients underwent TAVR at our institution. The study cohort was subdivided into a derivation cohort (n = 1365) and a validation cohort (n = 650) for risk model development. Results: Of 2015 patients, 72 (3.6%) developed TAVR-related CVE. Pre-procedural factors of our risk model were history of prior CVE, a larger aortic valve area (≥0.55 cm²), a large aortic angulation (≥48.5°), and enhanced calcification of the right coronary cusp (≥447.2 AU), left ventricular outflow tract (≥262.4 AU), and ascending thoracic aorta (≥116.4 AU). Our risk model was superior for in-hospital CVE prediction following TAVR in the establishment cohort (AUC 0.73, 95% CI 0.66–0.80; p < 0.001) compared to other risk scores, such as the EuroSCORE II or the CHA₂DS₂-VASc score. Conclusions: Although CVE prediction in patients undergoing TAVR is challenging due to the complex nature of the TAVR procedure, our study highlights that multimodal imaging is a promising approach to generate a more accurate risk model for CVE prediction. Full article

Liver fibrosis is associated with arterial calcification (AC). Since the liver is a source of inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi), an anti-calcifying compound, we investigated the relationship between plasma PPi ([PPi]pl), liver fibrosis, liver function, AC, and the hepatic expression of genes regulating PPi homeostasis. To that aim, we compared [PPi]pl before liver transplantation (LT) and 3 months after LT. We also assessed the expression of four key regulators of PPi in liver tissues and established correlations between AC, and scores of liver fibrosis and liver failure in these patients. LT candidates with various liver diseases were included. AC scores were assessed in coronary arteries, abdominal aorta, and aortic valves. Liver fibrosis was evaluated on liver biopsies and from non-invasive tests (FIB-4 and APRI scores). Liver functions were assessed by measuring serum albumin, ALBI, MELD, and Pugh–Child scores. An enzymatic assay was used to dose [PPi]pl. A group of patients without liver alterations from a previous cohort provided a control group. Gene expression assays were performed with mRNA extracted from liver biopsies and compared between LT recipients and the control individuals. [PPi]pl negatively correlated with APRI (r = −0.57, p = 0.001, n = 29) and FIB-4 (r = −0.47, p = 0.006, n = 29) but not with interstitial fibrosis index from liver biopsies (r = 0.07, p = 0.40, n = 16). Serum albumin positively correlated with [PPi]pl (r = 0.71; p < 0.0001, n = 20). ALBI, MELD, and Pugh–Child scores correlated negatively with [PPi]pl (r = −0.60, p = 0.0005; r = −0.56, p = 0.002; r = −0.41, p = 0.02, respectively, with n = 20). Liver fibrosis assessed on liver biopsies by FIB-4 and by APRI positively correlated with coronary AC (r = 0.51, p = 0.02, n = 16; r = 0.58, p = 0.009, n = 20; r = 0.41, p = 0.04, n = 20, respectively) and with abdominal aorta AC (r = 0.50, p = 0.02, n = 16; r = 0.67, p = 0.002, n = 20; r = 0.61, p = 0.04, n = 20, respectively). FIB-4 also positively correlated with aortic valve calcification (r = 0.40, p = 0.046, n = 20). The key regulator genes of PPi production in liver were lower in patients undergoing liver transplantation as compared to controls. Three months after surgery, serum albumin levels were restored to physiological levels (40 [37–44] vs. 35 [30–40], p = 0.009) and [PPi]pl was normalized (1.40 [1.07–1.86] vs. 0.68 [0.53–0.80] µmol/L, p = 0.0005, n = 12). Liver failure and/or fibrosis correlated with AC in several arterial beds and were associated with low plasma PPi and dysregulation of key proteins involved in PPi homeostasis. Liver transplantation normalized these parameters. Full article

Aortic valve calcification (AVC) in aortic stenosis patients has diagnostic and prognostic implications. Little is known about the interchangeability of AVC obtained from different multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) software solutions. Contrast-enhanced MDCT data sets of 50 randomly selected aortic stenosis patients were analysed using three different software vendors (3Mensio, CVI42, Syngo.Via). A subset of 10 patients were analysed twice for the estimation of intra-observer variability. Intra- and inter-observer variability were determined using the ICC reliability method, Bland-Altman analysis and coefficients of variation. No differences were revealed between the software solutions in the AVC calculations (3Mensio 941 ± 623, Syngo.Via 948 mm³ ± 655, CVI42 941 ± 637; p = 0.455). The best inter-vendor agreement was found between the CVI42 and the Syngo.Via (ICC 0.997 (CI 0.995–0.998)), followed by the 3Mensio and the CVI42 (ICC 0.996 (CI 0.922–0.998)), and the 3Mensio and the Syngo.Via (ICC 0.992 (CI 0.986–0.995)). There was excellent intra- (3Mensio: ICC 0.999 (0.995–1.000); CVI42: ICC 1.000 (0.999–1.000); Syngo.Via: ICC 0.998 (0.993–1.000)) and inter-observer variability (3Mensio: ICC 1.000 (0.999–1.000); CVI42: ICC 1.000 (1.000–1.000); Syngo.Via: ICC 0.996 (0.985–0.999)) for all software types. Contrast-enhanced MDCT-derived AVC scores are interchangeable between and reproducible within different commercially available software solutions. This is important since sufficient reproducibility, interchangeability and valid results represent prerequisites for accurate TAVR planning and its widespread clinical use. Full article

The aim of the study was to evaluate the estimation efficacy of aortic valve calcium score (AVCS) based on the multislice computed tomography (MSCT) angiographic phase. The evaluation of the reduced amount of ionizing radiation dose was performed because of this estimation. The study included 51 consecutive patients who qualified for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) (78.59 ± 5.72 years). All subjects underwent MSCT: in the native phase dedicated to AVCS as well as angiographic phases aimed to morphologically assess the aortic ostium and arterial accesses for TAVI. Based on the native phase, an AVCS assessment was performed for axial reconstructions at 3.0 mm and 2.0 mm slice thickness (AVCS_native3.0 and AVCS_native2.0). Based on the angiographic phase AVCS was estimated for axial reconstruction at 0.6 mm slice thickness with increased values of lesion density in aortic valve cusps/aortic valve annulus, which is considered a calcification, from a typical value of 130 HU to 500 HU and 600 HU (AVCS_{CTA0.6 500 HU} and AVCS_{CTA0.6 600 HU}). Mathematical formulations were developed, allowing for AVCS native calculation based on AVCS values estimated based on the angiographic phase: AVCS_native3.0 = 813.920 + 1.510 AVCS_{CTA0.6 500 HU}; AVCS_native3.0 = 1235.863 + 1.817 AVCS_{CTA0.6 600 HU}; AVCS_native2.0 = 797.471 + 1.393 AVCS_{CTA0.6 500 HU}; AVCS_native2.0 = 1228.310 + 1.650 AVCS_{CTA0.6 600 HU}. The amount of a potential reduction in dose length product (DLP) in the case of AVCS estimation was 4.45 ± 1.54%. In summary, relying solely on the angiographic phase of MSCT examination before TAVI, it is possible to conclusively estimate AVCS. This estimation results in a marked reduction in radiation dose in MSCT. Full article

The risk prediction of future cardiovascular events is mainly based on conventional risk factor assessment by validated algorithms, such as the Framingham Risk Score, the Pooled Cohort Equations and the European SCORE Risk Charts. The identification of subclinical atherosclerosis has emerged as a promising tool to refine the individual cardiovascular risk identified by these models, to prognostic stratify asymptomatic individuals and to implement preventive strategies. Several imaging modalities have been proposed for the identification of subclinical organ damage, the main ones being coronary artery calcification scanning by cardiac computed tomography and the two-dimensional ultrasound evaluation of carotid arteries. In this context, echocardiography offers an assessment of cardiac calcifications at different sites, such as the mitral apparatus (including annulus, leaflets and papillary muscles), aortic valve and ascending aorta, findings that are associated with the clinical manifestation of atherosclerotic disease and are predictive of future cardiovascular events. The aim of this paper is to summarize the available evidence on clinical implications of cardiac calcification, review studies that propose semiquantitative ultrasound assessments of cardiac calcifications and evaluate the potential of ultrasound calcium scores for risk stratification and prevention of clinical events. Full article

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is now a well-established treatment for severe aortic stenosis. As the number of procedures and indications increase, the age of patients decreases. However, their durability and factors accelerating the process of degeneration are not well-known. The aim of the study was to verify the possibility of using [¹⁸F]F-sodium fluoride ([¹⁸F]F-NaF) and [¹⁸F]F-fluorodeoxyglucose ([¹⁸F]F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in assessing the intensity of TAVI valve degenerative processes. In 73 TAVI patients, transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) at initial (before TAVI), baseline (after TAVI), and during follow-up, as well as transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and PET/CT, were performed using [¹⁸F]F-NaF and [¹⁸F]F-FDG at the six-month follow-up (FU) visit as a part of a two-year FU period. The morphology of TAVI valve leaflets were assessed in TEE, transvalvular gradients and effective orifice area (EOA) in TTE. Calcium scores and PET tracer activity were counted. We assessed the relationship between [¹⁸F]F-NaF and [¹⁸F]F-FDG PET/CT uptake at the 6 = month FU with selected indices e.g.,: transvalvular gradient, valve type, EOA and insufficiency grade at following time points after the TAVI procedure. We present the preliminary PET/CT ([¹⁸F]F-NaF, [¹⁸F]F-FDG) results at the six-month follow-up period as are part of an ongoing study, which will last two years FU. We enrolled 73 TAVI patients with the mean age of 82.49 ± 7.11 years. A significant decrease in transvalvular gradient and increase of effective orifice area and left ventricle ejection fraction were observed. At six months, FU valve thrombosis was diagnosed in four patients, while 7.6% of patients refused planned controls due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We noticed significant correlations between valve types, EOA and transaortic valve gradients, as well as [¹⁸F]F-NaF and [¹⁸F]F-FDG uptake in PET/CT. PET/CT imaging with the use of [¹⁸F]F-FDG and [¹⁸F]F-NaF is intended to be feasible, and it practically allows the standardized uptake value (SUV) to differentiate the area containing the TAVI leaflets from the SUV directly adjacent to the ring calcifications and the calcified native leaflets. This could become the seed for future detection and evaluation capabilities regarding the progression of even early degenerative lesions to the TAVI valve, expressed as local leaflet inflammation and microcalcifications. Full article