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Background Infective endocarditis rarely results in mitral stenosis. This report presents a case of prosthetic valve infective endocarditis caused by Cutibacterium acnes infection, which resulted in mitral stenosis and was difficult to diagnose. Case summary A 78-year-old Japanese man underwent aortic and mitral bioprosthetic valve replacement six years prior to the initiation of hormone therapy for prostate cancer. Three weeks after hormone therapy initiation, the patient developed exertional dyspnoea that progressively worsened and ultimately led to orthopnoea. Chest radiography revealed pulmonary congestion, and transthoracic echocardiography revealed mitral stenosis that was not present three months previously. The patient progressed to heart failure, and bicuspid valve replacement was performed. The excised aortic and mitral bioprosthetic valves were covered with vegetations, and pathological examination confirmed the presence of C. acnes. Therefore, the cause of mitral stenosis was infective endocarditis. Discussion In patient with rapidly progressive prosthetic valve stenosis after valve replacement, infective endocarditis due to C. acnes should be suspected even if blood cultures are negative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article, published in the European Heart Journal Case Reports, describes a case of a 77-year-old man with severe aortic stenosis who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with the use of embolic protection devices (EPDs) to prevent cerebral infarction. The patient had a mobile mass on the aortic valve and an occlusion of the right internal carotid artery, indicating a high risk for intra-operative cerebral infarction. The EPDs, including filters and an occlusion balloon catheter, were successfully deployed during the TAVR procedure, and post-operative imaging showed minor ischaemic lesions but no symptoms of cerebral infarction. The article highlights the safety and efficacy of using EPDs in TAVR procedures, particularly for patients with a history of cerebrovascular events or chronic kidney disease. [Extracted from the article]

Aims: In recent years, there has been remarkable development in machine learning (ML) models, showing a trend towards high prediction performance. ML models with high prediction performance often become structurally complex and are frequently perceived as black boxes, hindering intuitive interpretation of the prediction results. We aimed to develop ML models with high prediction performance, interpretability, and superior risk stratification to predict in-hospital mortality and worsening heart failure (WHF) in patients with acute heart failure (AHF)., Methods and Results: Based on the Kyoto Congestive Heart Failure registry, which enrolled 4056 patients with AHF, we developed prediction models for in-hospital mortality and WHF using information obtained on the first day of admission (demographics, physical examination, blood test results, etc.). After excluding 16 patients who died on the first or second day of admission, the original dataset (n = 4040) was split 4:1 into training (n = 3232) and test datasets (n = 808). Based on the training dataset, we developed three types of prediction models: (i) the classification and regression trees (CART) model; (ii) the random forest (RF) model; and (iii) the extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) model. The performance of each model was evaluated using the test dataset, based on metrics including sensitivity, specificity, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), Brier score, and calibration slope. For the complex structure of the XGBoost model, we performed SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) analysis, classifying patients into interpretable clusters. In the original dataset, the proportion of females was 44.8% (1809/4040), and the average age was 77.9 ± 12.0. The in-hospital mortality rate was 6.3% (255/4040) and the WHF rate was 22.3% (900/4040) in the total study population. In the in-hospital mortality prediction, the AUC for the XGBoost model was 0.816 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.815-0.818], surpassing the AUC values for the CART model (0.683, 95% CI: 0.680-0.685) and the RF model (0.755, 95% CI: 0.753-0.757). Similarly, in the WHF prediction, the AUC for the XGBoost model was 0.766 (95% CI: 0.765-0.768), outperforming the AUC values for the CART model (0.688, 95% CI: 0.686-0.689) and the RF model (0.713, 95% CI: 0.711-0.714). In the XGBoost model, interpretable clusters were formed, and the rates of in-hospital mortality and WHF were similar among each cluster in both the training and test datasets., Conclusions: The XGBoost models with SHAP analysis provide high prediction performance, interpretability, and reproducible risk stratification for in-hospital mortality and WHF for patients with AHF., (© 2024 The Authors. ESC Heart Failure published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Society of Cardiology.)

Backgrounds: Most patients hospitalized for heart failure (HF) present with signs of congestion. Prognostic significance of clinical congestion may vary depending on left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). This study aims to investigate the prognostic impact of congestion across different LVEF categories., Methods and Results: Composite congestion scores (CCS) (0-9) derived from the severity of edema, jugular venous pressure, and orthopnea, were analyzed on admission and at discharge in 3787 patients hospitalized for HF (LVEF≥40%: n=2347, LVEF<40%: n=1440). The median admission CCS was 4 in both LVEF strata (P=0.64). Adjusted HRs (95%CI) of the moderate [CCS 4-6] and severe congestion [7-9] groups relative to the mild congestion [0-3] group on admission for a composite of all-cause death or HF re-hospitalization were 1.20 (1.04-1.39, P=0.01) and 1.54 (1.27-1.86, P<0.001) in the LVEF≥40% stratum, and 1.20 (1.01-1.44, P=0.04) and 0.82 (0.61-1.07, P=0.14) in the LVEF<40% stratum, respectively (P interaction <0.001). 16% of the patients with LVEF ≥40% and 14% with LVEF <40% had residual congestion (CCS ≥1) at discharge, which was associated with respective adjusted HR of 1.40 (1.18-1.65, P <0.001) and 1.25 (0.98-1.58, P=0.07) for post-discharge death or HF re-hospitalization (P interaction =0.63)., Conclusion: The severity of clinical congestion on admission was associated with adverse clinical outcomes in patients with LVEF ≥40%, but no in those with LVEF <40%. These findings warrant further studies to better understand the detailed profile of congestion across the LVEF spectrum., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Data regarding the incidence, time course, and outcomes of worsening tricuspid regurgitation (TR) after transvenous cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) implantation are limited. We screened 834 consecutive patients who underwent first-time transvenous CIED implantation. After excluding patients without preoperative or follow-up echocardiography (n = 361) and patients with severe TR before implantation (n = 15), the present study population consisted of 458 patients. Worsening TR was defined as moderate or more TR that was newly developed or increased by at least 1 grade compared with baseline. During the median follow-up period of 2.1 years, worsening TR occurred in 93 patients (20%). The cumulative incidence of worsening TR was 10.2% at 1 year and 18.6% at 3 years. Of the 67 patients with worsening TR who underwent follow-up echocardiography, excluding those who underwent tricuspid valve surgery, 76% showed improvement in TR severity, with 70% having none or mild TR. On the landmark analysis, the 5-year cumulative incidence of all-cause death and heart failure hospitalization was significantly higher in patients with worsening TR at 1 year than those without worsening TR at 1 year (24.8% vs 11.4%, p = 0.002 and 35.2% vs 17.9%, p = 0.012, respectively). When considering worsening TR as a time-dependent covariate, worsening TR was significantly associated with an increased risk of all-cause death and heart failure hospitalization after adjustment for the differences in baseline patient characteristics (hazard ratio 1.99, 95% confidence interval 1.21 to 3.27, p = 0.006 and hazard ratio 2.64, 95% confidence interval 1.59 to 4.37, p <0.001, respectively). In conclusion, worsening TR after transvenous CIED implantation was not uncommon and had a dynamic nature with an improvement in the majority of patients, suggesting the functional etiology. Nonetheless, worsening TR was independently associated with an increased risk for mortality and heart failure hospitalization., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no competing interests to declare., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) reportedly reduce upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, whether the benefits of PPIs differ in high-risk subgroups is unknown., Methods and Results: Among 24,563 patients undergoing first PCI in the CREDO-Kyoto registry Cohort-2 and -3, we evaluated long-term effects of PPI for UGIB, defined as GUSTO moderate/severe bleeding, in several potential high-risk subgroups. In the study population, 45.6% of patients were prescribed PPIs. Over a median 5.6-year follow-up, PPIs were associated with lower adjusted risk of UGIB (hazard ratio [HR] 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.50-0.80; P<0.001) and a non-significant but numerically lower risk of any gastrointestinal bleeding (HR 0.84; 95% CI 0.71-1.01; P=0.06). PPIs were not associated with a lower risk of GUSTO moderate/severe bleeding (HR 1.04; 95% CI 0.94-1.15; P=0.40) or a higher adjusted risk of myocardial infarction or ischemic stroke (HR 1.00; 95% CI 0.90-1.12; P=0.97), but were associated with higher adjusted mortality risk (HR 1.18; 95% CI 1.09-1.27; P<0.001). The effects of PPIs for UGIB, myocardial infarction or ischemic stroke, and all-cause death were consistent regardless of age, sex, acute coronary syndrome, high bleeding risk, oral anticoagulant use, and type of P2Y 12 inhibitor., Conclusions: PPIs were associated with a lower risk of UGIB and a neutral risk of ischemic events regardless of high-risk subgroup.

Cardiac masses pose significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges in clinical practice. A 73-year-old male with a history of atrial fibrillation and percutaneous atrial septal defect (ASD) closure presented with an asymptomatic right atrial mass detected during routine transthoracic echocardiography follow-up. The mass measured 17 mm, with highly echoic peripheral areas and a heterogenous, low-echoic interior. The patient was asymptomatic and had no fever, embolic, or neurological symptoms. Multimodal imaging, including contrast-enhanced computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and transesophageal echocardiography, revealed a mobile nodular mass in the right atrium (RA); however, the results of each modality were not consistently suggestive of a specific disease. The presumptive diagnosis of thrombus was made based on the change and variability of echocardiographic findings over time and the response to antithrombotic medications. Anticoagulant therapy with edoxaban led to the complete resolution of the mass, confirming the diagnosis of a thrombus. This case highlights the importance of multimodal imaging and temporal changes in findings in the diagnosis and management of RA masses and underscores the need for careful thrombotic risk assessment in patients with a history of atrial fibrillation, ASD, and cardiac procedures., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Toyota et al.)

Background: There are few studies evaluating the prognostic prediction method in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients after bioprosthetic valve (BPV) replacement. The R 2 -CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score is increasingly used for the prediction of cardiovascular (CV) events in patients with AF, device implantation, and acute coronary syndrome. We aimed to evaluate the predictive value of the R 2 -CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score for future CV events in AF patients after BPV replacement., Methods and Results: The BPV-AF, an observational, multicenter, prospective registry, enrolled AF patients who underwent BPV replacement. The primary outcome measure was a composite of stroke, systemic embolism, CV events including heart failure requiring hospitalization, and cardiac death. A total of 766 patients was included in the analysis. The mean R 2 -CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score was 5.7±1.8. Low (scores 0-1), moderate (scores 2-4), and high (scores 5-11) R 2 -CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score groups consisted of 12 (1.6%), 178 (23.2%), and 576 (75.2%) patients, respectively. The median follow-up period was 491 (interquartile range 393-561) days. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a higher incidence of the composite CV events in the high R 2 -CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score group (log rank test; P<0.001). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis revealed that the R 2 -CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score as a continuous variable was an independent predictor of composite CV outcomes (hazard ratio 1.36; 95% confidence interval 1.18-1.55; P<0.001)., Conclusions: The R 2 -CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score is useful for CV risk stratification in AF patients after BPV replacement., Competing Interests: H.T. has received consultancy fees from AstraZeneca PLC and Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. K.A. has received remuneration from Japan Lifeline Co., Ltd, Terumo Corporation, and Medtronic Japan Co., Ltd. M.I. has received consultancy fees from Abbott Medical Japan LLC, and remuneration from Edwards Lifesciences Corporation. T.S. has received remuneration from Medtronic Japan Co., Ltd. K.M. has received scholarship funds or donations from Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, Terumo Co., Ltd, and Japan Lifeline Co., Ltd. K.M. has received scholarship funds or donations from Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, Terumo Co., Ltd., and Japan Lifeline Co., Ltd. K.T. is a member of Circulation Reports’ Editorial Team, and has received remuneration from Amgen K.K., Bayer Yakuhin Ltd, Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd, Kowa Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, Novartis Pharma K.K., Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, and Pfizer Japan Inc.; research funding from AMI Co., Ltd, Bayer Yakuhin Ltd, Bristol-Myers Squibb K.K., EA Pharma Co., Ltd, and Mochida Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd; scholarship funding from AMI Co., Ltd, Bayer Yakuhin Ltd, Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co., Ltd, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd, Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, Johnson & Johnson K.K., Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd; and is affiliated with the endowed department sponsored by Abbott Japan Co., Ltd, Boston Scientific Japan K.K., Fides-one Inc., GM Medical Co., Ltd, ITI Co., Ltd, Kaneka Medix Co., Ltd, Nipro Corporation, Terumo Co., Ltd, Abbott Medical Co., Ltd, Cardinal Health Japan LLC, Fukuda Denshi Co., Ltd, Japan Lifeline Co., Ltd, Medical 3 Appliance Co., Ltd, and Medtronic Japan Co., Ltd. Y. Sakata has received remuneration from Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd, and Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co., Ltd; and scholarship funding from Nippon Boehringer Ingelheim Co., Ltd, Bayer Yakuhin Ltd, and Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. K.S. is an employee of Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. K.N. has received research funding from Philips Japan Ltd, Terumo Co., Ltd, TEPCO Power Grid Inc., and Asahi Kasei Pharma Co. C.I. has received remuneration and research funding from Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. Y.F. has received remuneration from Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd, and Bayer Yakuhin Ltd. All other authors have no conflicts of interest to disclosure., (Copyright © 2024, THE JAPANESE CIRCULATION SOCIETY.)

Background: Polypharmacy was reported to be associated with major bleeding in various populations. However, there are no data on polypharmacy and its association with bleeding in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)., Methods and results: Among 12,291 patients in the CREDO-Kyoto PCI Registry Cohort-3, we evaluated the number of medications at discharge and compared major bleeding, defined as Bleeding Academic Research Consortium Type 3 or 5 bleeding, across tertiles (T1-3) of the number of medications. The median number of medications was 6, and 88.0% of patients were on ≥5 medications. The cumulative 5-year incidence of major bleeding increased incrementally with increasing number of medications (T1 [≤5 medications] 12.5%, T2 [6-7] 16.5%, and T3 [≥8] 20.4%; log-rank P<0.001). After adjusting for confounders, the risks for major bleeding of T2 (hazard ratio [HR] 1.21; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08-1.36; P=0.001) and T3 (HR 1.27; 95% CI 1.12-1.45; P<0.001) relative to T1 remained significant. The adjusted risks of T2 and T3 relative to T1 were not significant for a composite of myocardial infarction or ischemic stroke (HR 0.95 [95% CI 0.83-1.09; P=0.47] and HR 1.06 [95% CI 0.91-1.23; P=0.48], respectively)., Conclusions: In a real-world population of patients undergoing PCI, approximately 90% were on ≥5 medications. Increasing number of medications was associated with a higher adjusted risk for major bleeding, but not ischemic events.