Search

Atherosclerosis is the commonest cause of death in Australia. Cardiovascular (CV) risk calculators have an important role in preventative cardiology, although they are are strongly age-dependent and designed to identify individuals at high risk of an imminent event. The imprecision around "intermediate" or "low" risk generates therapeutic uncertainty, and a significant proportion of patients presenting with myocardial infarction come from these groups, often with no warning. This highlights a conundrum: "Low" risk does not mean "no" risk. A fresh approach may be required to address the clinical conundrum around CV preventative approaches in non-high-risk individuals. While probabilistic calculators do not measure atherosclerosis, calculation of Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) scores by low-dose computed tomography (CT) can provide a snapshot of atherosclerotic burden. In intermediate-risk individuals, CAC is well-established as an aid to CV risk prediction. Although CAC scoring in low-risk asymptomatic people may be considered controversial, CAC has emerged as the single best predictor of CV events in asymptomatic individuals, independent of traditional risk factor calculators. Therefore, apart from the contribution of age and sex, the somewhat arbitrary distinction between "intermediate" and "low" CV risk using probabilistic calculators may need to be reconsidered. A zero CAC score has a very low future event rate and non-zero CAC scores are associated with a progressive, graded increase in risk as the CAC score rises. In this review, we examine the evidence for CAC screening in low-risk individuals, and propose more widespread use of CAC using simple new model intended to enhance established CV risk prediction equations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atherosclerosis is a multifactorial disease that is thought to be primarily inflammatory in origin. Given the contribution of inflammation to the development and progression of atherosclerosis, other conditions that are characterised by a dysregulated inflammatory response have also been proposed to play a role. The purpose of this review is to organise and present the various inflammatory processes that can affect atherosclerosis into two broad categories: extrinsic or host-independent and intrinsic or host-dependent. Within these two categories, we will discuss various processes that may contribute to the development and progression of atherosclerosis and the clinical studies describing these associations. Although the clinical trials investigating anti-inflammatory therapies have to date provided mixed results, further studies, particularly in conjunction with lipid-lowering and blood pressure lowering therapies should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant advances have been made in artificial intelligence technology in recent years. Many health care applications have been investigated to assist clinicians and the technology is close to being integrated into routine clinical practice. The high prevalence of cardiac disease in Australia places overwhelming demands on the existing health care system, challenging its capacity to provide quality patient care. Artificial intelligence has emerged as a promising solution. This discussion paper provides an Australian perspective on the current state of artificial intelligence in cardiology, including the benefits and challenges of implementation. This paper highlights some current artificial intelligence applications in cardiology, while also detailing challenges such as data privacy, ethical considerations, and integration within existing health infrastructures. Overall, this paper aims to provide insights into the potential benefits of artificial intelligence in cardiology, while also acknowledging the barriers that need to be addressed to ensure safe and effective implementation into an Australian health system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) is a non-invasive diagnostic modality that provides a comprehensive anatomical assessment of the coronary arteries and coronary atherosclerosis, including plaque burden, composition and morphology. The past decade has witnessed an increase in the role of CTCA for evaluating patients with both stable and acute chest pain, and recent international guidelines have provided increasing support for a first line CTCA diagnostic strategy in select patients. CTCA offers some advantages over current functional tests in the detection of obstructive and non-obstructive coronary artery disease, as well as for ruling out obstructive coronary artery disease. Recent randomised trials have also shown that CTCA improves prognostication and guides the use of guideline-directed preventive therapies, leading to improved clinical outcomes. CTCA technology advances such as fractional flow reserve, plaque quantification and perivascular fat inflammation potentially allow for more personalised risk assessment and targeted therapies. Further studies evaluating demand, supply, and cost-effectiveness of CTCA for evaluating chest pain are required in Australia. This discussion paper revisits the evidence supporting the use of CTCA, provides an overview of its implications and limitations, and considers its potential role for chest pain evaluation pathways in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chest pain is one of the most common presentations to emergency departments. However, only 5.1% will be diagnosed with an acute coronary syndrome, representing considerable time and expense in the diagnosis and investigation of the patients eventually found not to be suffering from an acute coronary syndrome. PubMed and Medline databases were searched with variations of the terms "chest pain", "emergency department", "computed tomography coronary angiography". After review, 52 articles were included. Computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) is a class I endorsement for investigating chest pain in major international societal guidelines. CTCA offers excellent sensitivity and negative predictive value in identifying patients with coronary disease, with prognostic data impacting patient management. If CTCA is to be applied to all comers, it is pertinent to discuss the advantages and potential pitfalls if use in the Australian system is to be increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Percutaneous treatment of heavily calcified coronary lesions remains a challenge for interventional cardiologists with increased risk of incomplete lesion preparation, suboptimal stent deployment, procedural complications, and a higher rate of acute and late stent failure. Adequate lesion preparation through calcium modification is crucial in optimising procedural outcomes. Several calcium modification devices and techniques exist, with rotational atherectomy the predominant treatment for severely calcified lesions. Novel technologies such as intravascular lithotripsy are now available and show promise as a less technical and highly effective approach for calcium modification. Emerging evidence also emphasises the value of detailed characterisation of calcification severity and distribution especially with intracoronary imaging for appropriate device selection and individualised treatment strategy. This review aims to provide an overview of the non-invasive and invasive evaluation of coronary calcification, discuss calcium modification techniques and propose an algorithm for the management of calcified coronary lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Describe the incidence of cardiac complications in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 in Australia.Design: Observational cohort study.Setting: Twenty-one (21) Australian hospitals.Participants: Consecutive patients aged ≥18 years admitted to hospital with laboratory confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.Main Outcome Measures: Incidence of cardiac complications.Results: Six-hundred-and-forty-four (644) hospitalised patients (62.5±20.1 yo, 51.1% male) with COVID-19 were enrolled in the study. Overall in-hospital mortality was 14.3%. Twenty (20) (3.6%) patients developed new atrial fibrillation or flutter during admission and 9 (1.6%) patients were diagnosed with new heart failure or cardiomyopathy. Three (3) (0.5%) patients developed high grade atrioventricular (AV) block. Two (2) (0.3%) patients were clinically diagnosed with pericarditis or myopericarditis. Among the 295 (45.8%) patients with at least one troponin measurement, 99 (33.6%) had a peak troponin above the upper limit of normal (ULN). In-hospital mortality was higher in patients with raised troponin (32.3% vs 6.1%, p<0.001). New onset atrial fibrillation or flutter (6.4% vs 1.0%, p=0.001) and troponin elevation above the ULN (50.3% vs 16.4%, p<0.001) were more common in patients 65 years and older. There was no significant difference in the rate of cardiac complications between males and females.Conclusions: Among patients with COVID-19 requiring hospitalisation in Australia, troponin elevation was common but clinical cardiac sequelae were uncommon. The incidence of atrial arrhythmias and troponin elevation was greatest in patients 65 years and older. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are leading causes of death and morbidity in Australia and worldwide. Despite improvements in treatment, there remain large gaps in our understanding to prevent, treat and manage CVD events and associated morbidities. This article lays out a vision for enhancing CVD research in Australia through the development of a Big Data system, bringing together the multitude of rich administrative and health datasets available. The article describes the different types of Big Data available for CVD research in Australia and presents an overview of the potential benefits of a Big Data system for CVD research and some of the major challenges in establishing the system for Australia. The steps for progressing this vision are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Q fever endocarditis by Coxiella burnetii is rare and presents a diagnostic challenge. With limited data available, the aim of this study was to review all reported cases together with unpublished local cases to understand risk factor profiles, diagnostic methods, clinical features, treatments and outcomes.Methods: A search of the PubMed database using the term 'Q fever endocarditis' identified cases between 1950-2019. Included cases had positive polymerase chain reaction testing, valve culture or serology. Separately, to identify local cases meeting our criteria we queried the Western Australian Health Open Patient Administration System at two local hospitals for the ICD-10-AM diagnosis code A78 between 2013-2019.Results: We identified 181 cases from 31 publications and four local cases to create a combined series of 185 cases. The majority 141 (76%) were male and only 11% had normal cardiac valves. Most (72%) of patients had a history of contact with animals or travel. Nearly all (98%) cases had positive serology and over half (56%) had surgery performed. Overall mortality was 17%, and mortality for native valve endocarditis and prosthetic valve endocarditis was 12% and 3% respectively. No patients treated with doxycycline and hydroxychloroquine died. Mortality prior to 1999 was 28%, compared with 5% for more recent cases.Conclusion: Serological diagnosis is key in Q fever endocarditis and possible risk factors exist such as male gender, pre-existing valvular conditions and contact with animals or travel. Native valve endocarditis and treatment with drugs other than doxycycline and hydroxychloroquine increase the risk of death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The role of intra-aortic balloon pumps (IABP) in high-risk patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery remains controversial. We report the 5-year experience from a new Australian centre.Methods: We retrospectively analysed 690 patients undergoing urgent isolated CABG surgery at a Western Australian tertiary centre from February 2015 to May 2020. De-identified data was obtained from the Australia & New Zealand Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons database. Patients were stratified according to preoperative IABP use. A propensity score was created for the probability of IABP use and a propensity adjusted analysis was performed using logistic regression. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Secondary outcomes were postoperative inhospital outcomes.Results: Preoperative IABP was used in 78 patients (11.3%). After propensity score adjustment, in a subgroup of patients with reduced ejection fraction or left main disease, 30-day mortality (7.0% vs 2.0%, OR 6.03, 95% CI 1.89-19.28, p=0.002) was significantly higher in the IABP group. Red blood cell transfusions (19.7% vs 12.6%, OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.02-3.35, p=0.039), prolonged inotrope use (78.9% vs 50.9%, OR 6.11, 95% CI 2.77-13.48, p<0.001), prolonged invasive ventilation (28.2% vs 3.4%, OR 20.2, 95% CI 8.24-49.74, p<0.001), mesenteric ischaemia (2.8% vs 0%, OR 4.52, 95% CI 1.15-17.77, p=0.031) and multisystem organ failure (1.3% vs 0.7%, OR 25.68, 95% CI 2.55-258.34, p=0.006) were significantly higher in the IABP group.Conclusion: In patients undergoing isolated CABG surgery, preoperative IABP use was associated with increased 30-day mortality and adverse outcomes. Large randomised controlled trials are required to confirm our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is reported that up to 29-52% of patients with cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) may have isolated cardiac sarcoidosis (ICS). The wide variation in prevalence may be related to the diagnostic methods for assessing extracardiac involvement. Whole-body 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (18F-FDG PET-CT) imaging is a useful and increasingly used technique for screening for extracardiac involvement in cases of suspected ICS. This study aims to determine the rate of isolated cardiac involvement with clinically manifest CS using cardiac 18F-FDG PET-CT.Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of data in the West Australian Cardiac Sarcoid (WACaS) Database. After cardiologist review and workup, all cases of proven or probable CS, based on either current Heart Rhythm Society criteria for the diagnosis of CS or local expert consensus were included. Only patients who underwent whole body 18F-FDG PET-CT were included in the final analysis.Results: Fifty-two (52) cases of CS were identified. Data on symptoms, imaging findings, treatment and outcomes were collected. Of the 42 patients who underwent diagnostic 18F-FDG PET-CT, 32 demonstrated changes consistent with CS. Of the 32, 69% were male, mean age 50 years at diagnosis. Only 3/32 (9.4%) patients had ICS. Pulmonary involvement occurred in 91% with varied involvement in other organs. The mean number of extracardiac sites at diagnosis was 2.2.Conclusions: This study demonstrates the utility of 18F-FDG PET-CT in diagnosing extracardiac organ involvement in cases of CS. With the use of this modality, ICS may be rarer than previously reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Large increases in myocardial trace elements may adversely affect metabolism and become detrimental to cardiac function. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) allows for the revascularisation of obstructive coronary artery disease using drug-eluting stents. These stents are comprised of a metallic stent backbone covered in an engineered polymer which delivers a drug over a prescribed period to the vessel wall. Given the potential implications of trace metal accumulation within the myocardium, our goal is to determine if metallic coronary stents are able to cause detectable elevations in serum cobalt and/or chromium levels.Methods: This study was a single centre, observational, pilot study with 20 patients who underwent planned PCI with implantation of a cobalt chromium drug eluting stent. Serum blood samples were drawn at baseline prior to PCI, 4hours post-stent deployment and at the time of routine follow-up after PCI. All blood samples were analysed for cobalt and chromium concentrations. The primary outcome of this study was the difference in serum cobalt and chromium levels at routine clinical follow-up.Results: The mean follow up was 64.1±17.3 days. There was no difference in serum cobalt levels when comparing baseline and routine clinical follow up (3.32±2.14nmol/L vs. 3.14±1.00nmol/L, p=0.99) nor in chromium levels (4.24±2.31nmol/L vs. 2.82±1.22 nmol/L, p=0.11). There was also no difference between baseline and 4hours post-PCI serum concentrations.Conclusions: Percutaneous coronary intervention with cobalt chromium coronary stents does not appear to cause an elevation in these trace element serum concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: New-onset or worsening heart failure is the most common extra-pulmonary complication of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) during the first 30 days after diagnosis.Methods: We evaluated the changes in the right ventricular function amongst adult CAP survivors from the time of acute infection to its resolution. We performed comprehensive transthoracic echocardiographic examinations to assess right heart function during the acute illness and the convalescent period (4 to 6 weeks after hospital discharge).Results: Twenty-six patients underwent acute measurements, of which convalescent measurements were completed in 19 subjects. There was no significant change in any of the right heart function parameters from the acute to convalescent stage of CAP.Conclusions: Our results suggest that right ventricular function does not meaningfully change in the transition from the acute to convalescent stage of CAP in non-critically ill adult CAP survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]