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Candidacy for heart transplantation is influenced by the severity of pulmonary hypertension. In this study, invasive hemodynamics from right-sided cardiac catheterization were compared with values obtained by validated equations from Doppler 2-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography. This prospective study was conducted in 40 patients with end-stage heart failure evaluated for heart transplantation or ventricular assist device implantation. Transthoracic echocardiography and right-sided cardiac catheterization were performed within 4 hours. From continuous-wave Doppler of the tricuspid regurgitation jet, pulmonary artery systolic pressure was calculated as the peak gradient across the tricuspid valve plus right atrial pressure estimated from inferior vena cava filling. Mean pulmonary artery pressure was calculated as (0.61 × pulmonary artery systolic pressure) + 2. Pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) was calculated as (tricuspid regurgitation velocity/right ventricular outflow tract time-velocity integral × 10) + 0.16. Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure was calculated as 1.91 + (1.24 × E/E'). Pearson's correlation and Bland-Altman analysis of mean differences between echocardiographic and right-sided cardiac catheterization measurements were statistically significant for all hemodynamic parameters (pulmonary artery systolic pressure: r = 0.82, p < 0.05, mean difference 3.1 mm Hg, 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.2 to 6.3; mean pulmonary artery pressure: r = 0.80, p < 0.05, mean difference 2.5 mm Hg, 95% CI 0.3 to 4.6; PVR: r = 0.52, p < 0.05, mean difference 0.8 Wood units, 95% CI 0.3 to 1.4; pulmonary capillary wedge pressure: r = 0.65, p < 0.05, mean difference 2.2 mm Hg, 95% CI 0.1 to 4.3). Compared with right-sided cardiac catheterization, PVR by Doppler echocardiography identified all patients with PVR > 4 Wood units (n = 4), 73% of patients with PVR <2 Wood units (n = 8), and 52% of patients with PVR from 2 to 4 Wood units (n = 10). In conclusion, echocardiographic estimation of cardiopulmonary hemodynamics is reliable in patients with end-stage cardiomyopathy. The noninvasive assessment of hemodynamics by echocardiography may be able to decrease the number of serial right-sided cardiac catheterizations in selected patients awaiting heart transplantation. However, in patients with borderline PVR, right-sided cardiac catheterization is indicated to assess eligibility for transplantation., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Although nesiritide is a potent vasodilator, studies using myocytes and isolated muscle strips have shown that recombinant B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP; nesiritide) decreases contractility. We sought to determine whether nesiritide decreases contractility in heart failure patients., Methods and Results: Twenty-five heart failure patients underwent left heart catheterization (using a pressure-volume conductance catheter) and echocardiography at baseline and after a 2 mcg/kg bolus and 30-minute nesiritide infusion (0.01 mcg.kg.min). From invasive and noninvasive measurements, left ventricular (LV) systolic function indices were calculated, including ejection fraction, end-systolic elastance (E(es); single-beat invasive and noninvasive methods) and preload-recruitable stroke work (PRSW; noninvasive, single-beat method). The mean age was 60 +/- 11 years, 48% were male, 56% had coronary disease, and 64% had hypertension. Although nesiritide did not change LV ejection fraction, it did decrease contractility on pressure-volume analysis. Noninvasive E(es) decreased from 2.6 +/- 1.6 to 2.0 +/- 1.4 mm Hg/mL (P = .02). For those with reduced ejection fraction, E(es) decreased by invasive (P = .006) and noninvasive (P = .02) methods. PRSW decreased from 76 +/- 37 to 62 +/- 28 g/cm(2) (P = .003). On tissue Doppler imaging, nesiritide reduced the systolic annular tissue velocity of the mitral annulus from 8.0 +/- 1.9 to 6.9 +/- 1.3 cm/s (P = .04)., Conclusions: Nesiritide infusion acutely decreases derived measures of contractility and systolic function in patients with chronic heart failure., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The authors previously described an acoustic cardiographic model that predicted echocardiographic correlates of elevated left ventricular (LV) filling pressure. This study evaluated this bedside acoustic cardiographic model against invasive measurements of LV filling pressure., Methods and Results: Data were prospectively obtained from 68 adults referred for right heart catheterisation. Acoustic cardiographic measurements were obtained during right heart catheterisation. Elevated LV filling pressure was defined as a pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) > or =15 mm Hg. Parameters generated from a previous dataset used for the current analysis were measures of LV systolic time, maximum negative area of the P wave, QTc interval and third heart sound (S3) score. Logistic regression was used to calculate area under the curve (AUC). Of the 66 patients included, 39 had elevated PCWP. Estimating the probability of an elevated PCWP from the derived model resulted in an AUC of 0.72 (95% CI 0.60 to 0.85). When the regression model's parameters were held constant but the parameter estimates were allowed to vary, the AUC in the validated model was 0.76 (95% CI 0.64 to 0.88). At a specificity of 90% the positive likelihood ratio (LR+) was 5.0 (1.7 to 15.3) and the negative likelihood ratio was 0.49 (0.34 to 0.71)., Conclusion: These data demonstrate that the four-variable model predicts elevated filling pressure at the bedside with high specificity and an intermediate LR+. With improvements in sensitivity and further prospective validation of this model in a cohort of emergency department patients with undifferentiated dyspnoea this may be a useful bedside diagnostic modality.

Aims: We sought to create a model that adjusts B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) for specific covariates to better distinguish cardiac from non-cardiac dyspnoea., Methods and Results: HEARD-IT was a multicentre, prospective study of the diagnostic utility of acoustic cardiography in the emergency department. Dyspnoeic patients more than 40 years were eligible. Two cardiologists independently adjudicated the HF outcome. Using logistic regression, a model adjusting BNP for pertinent covariates was developed (n = 740). The mean age was 66 +/- 13 years. Age, gender, ethnicity, body mass index, blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine affected BNP levels independently of HF. The model adjusting BNP for these covariates improved the area under receiver operator characteristic curve for HF compared with BNP alone (0.948, 95% CI 0.934-0.963 vs. 0.937, 95% CI 0.920-0.954; P = 0.004). Net reclassification improvement, a novel metric of model performance, was 3.5% for those without HF (P = 0.05) compared with conventional, unadjusted BNP cut-offs. Thirteen of 116 (11%) patients without HF, but with unadjusted BNP values > or =100 pg/mL, were correctly reclassified as not having HF with the adjusted BNP model., Conclusion: Adjusting BNP for important covariates may improve its ability to distinguish cardiac from non-cardiac dyspnoea.

Background: Nesiritide is recombinant human B-type natriuretic peptide with vasodilatory effects used in patients with decompensated congestive heart failure. We sought to evaluate the effects of nesiritide on left ventricular diastolic function in heart failure patients., Methods and Results: Twenty-five heart failure patients underwent left heart catheterization (using a pressure-volume conductance catheter) and echocardiography at baseline and 30 minutes after an intravenous bolus and infusion of nesiritide. Invasive and noninvasive measurements of load-dependent (deceleration time, echocardiographic diastolic function classification, negative dP/dt, left ventricular diastolic pressure, tau) parameters of diastolic function were assessed. The nonlinear slope of the end-diastolic pressure volume relationship (EDPVR) using 2 single-beat methods for measuring left ventricular end-diastolic elastance was calculated to assess load-independent parameters of diastolic function. Nesiritide reduced biventricular diastolic pressure and systemic vascular resistance. Tau and negative dP/dt showed modest improvement. Deceleration time, isovolumetric relaxation time, diastolic stiffness indices (E/E'/stroke volume (SV) and E/E'/left ventricular end-diastolic volume index (LVEDVI)), and the echocardiographic diastolic filling pattern classification did not change. Furthermore, there was no change in the EDPVR., Conclusions: Although nesiritide is an effective vasodilator resulting in decreased left ventricular preload and afterload in heart failure patients, intrinsic left ventricular diastolic function did not change acutely, suggesting that nesiritide has no significant acute lusitropic effect.

Certain clinical characteristics affect brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels independently of clinical heart failure (HF). However, it is unclear how to adjust the diagnostic cutoffs of BNP for these variables. We hypothesized that adjusting for important covariates would improve the diagnostic accuracy of BNP for HF in the emergency room setting. We included patients presenting with dyspnea at the Salt Lake City Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Physicians unaware of the BNP values adjudicated the outcome as dyspnea due to HF or noncardiac dyspnea. Subgroup analyses and logistic regression analysis were used to adjust the BNP cutoffs. The mean age of the study population (n = 335) was 72 +/- 11 years. A BNP of 100 pg/ml had a sensitivity of 91%, and a BNP of 400 pg/ml had a specificity of 92%. The covariates age, history of atrial fibrillation, creatinine, and body mass index affected BNP levels independently of HF. The subgroup-specific BNP cutoff that maintained 91% sensitivity was 184 pg/ml for patients > or =75 years, 150 pg/ml for those with atrial fibrillation, and 449 pg/ml for patients with a creatinine > or =2 mg/dl. These subgroup-specific cutoffs improved specificity compared to a cutoff of 100 pg/ml. The regression model that adjusted BNP improved the reclassification of patients as having cardiac or noncardiac dyspnea compared to the conventional BNP cutoffs. Of the patients without HF, 11% were correctly reclassified as having noncardiac dyspnea (p = 0.003). In conclusion, adjusting BNP levels for clinical covariates improves its diagnostic performance.

Background: Patients presenting with acute dyspnea are often a diagnostic dilemma. A bedside tool that accurately and rapidly identifies increased left ventricular (LV) filling pressure would be helpful. We evaluated acoustic electrocardiography for this purpose., Methods: We pooled 3 cohorts of patients for this analysis. Inclusion criteria required acoustic electrocardiography and echocardiography within 4 hours of each other. Increased LV filling pressure was defined as a pseudonormal or restrictive filling pattern on echocardiography. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) assessed multivariable model accuracy., Results: The median age of the 324 patients was 61 years (range, 19-90 years), 67% were male, and 82% had a history of heart failure. The final multivariable model included mean LV systolic time, S(3) score, maximum negative area of the P wave, and the QTc interval. The AUC was 0.83 (95% confidence interval, 0.78-0.88). Although B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) was an independent predictor of estimated increased filling pressure when considered alone (odds ratio = 1.002, 95% confidence interval, 1.000-1.003, P = .002), when added to the acoustic model, it did not improve overall model accuracy. In the subset of patients with indeterminate BNP levels (100-500 pg/mL), the acoustic model was more accurate than BNP (AUC = 0.82 vs 0.71)., Conclusions: Bedside acoustic electrocardiography predicted echocardiographic correlates of increased pressures with high accuracy. For patients with an indeterminate BNP level (100-500 pg/mL), the acoustic electrocardiography model was superior to BNP. Prospective model validation is warranted.

Aims: Ventricular interactions may be mediated by loading conditions and biventricular timing and coordination. We sought to understand the relationships between right (RV) and left ventricular (LV) function and dyssynchrony, examine the RV correlates of LV dyssynchrony, and determine whether improved loading conditions affect inter-ventricular interaction., Methods and Results: In 25 heart failure patients [15 with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 40%; 10 with LVEF >/= 50%], Doppler echocardiography and invasive bi-ventricular pressure-volume haemodynamics were obtained at baseline and 30 min after infusion of the recombinant B-type natriuretic peptide vasodilator nesiritide. RV and LV intra-ventricular dyssynchrony was measured invasively using a pressure-conductance catheter. Patients with reduced LVEF had greater LV dyssynchrony (31 +/- 3 vs. 24 +/- 7%; P = 0.003) compared to those with preserved LVEF. Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) had the highest correlation with LV dyssynchrony (r = -0.52; P = 0.0002) compared to other RV echocardiographic parameters. The association between TAPSE and LV dyssynchrony was independent of RVEF and LVEF (P = 0.008). There were no acute changes in the correlations between LV dyssynchrony and TAPSE after nesiritide., Conclusion: TAPSE and LV dyssynchrony are strongly associated, independent of RV and LV ejection fraction. Of the RV echocardiographic parameters, TAPSE has the highest predictive value of LV dyssynchrony, and remained significant after vasodilator unloading.

Background: To evaluate the usefulness of currently accepted echocardiographic parameters of diastolic function to assess the acute change in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) following the administration of nesiritide in a heart failure population., Methods: In 25 heart failure patients (15 with systolic dysfunction, 10 with preserved ejection fraction [EF]), Doppler echocardiography, right and left heart catheterization, and invasive biventricular pressure hemodynamics were obtained at baseline and 30 minutes after nesiritide infusion., Results: Twenty-four patients had sufficient echocardiographic images for analysis. The mean age was 60 +/- 11 years, 48% were male, 56% had coronary artery disease, and 64% had hypertension. Right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) had the highest correlation with LV filling pressure: pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP), pre-A wave LV, and LVEDP (r = 0.66, P = 0.0009; r = 0.63, P = 0.002; r = 0.72, P = 0.0002, respectively). Following nesiritide administration, the mean PCWP decreased from 17.1 +/- 7.8 mmHg at baseline to 9.6 +/- 6.2 mmHg (P < 0.001). Change in RVSP had the highest correlation with change in PCWP (r =-0.67, P = 0.10) and change in LVEDP (r =-0.71, P = 0.07)., Conclusion: Echocardiographic parameters are frequently assessed in attempts to estimate left heart diastolic pressures. In heart failure patients, RVSP appears to be the best predictor of LVEDP, outperforming tissue Doppler E/E'. RVSP was found to be the best echocardiographic predictor of change in LV filling pressure with intravenous vasodilator therapy in heart failure patients. RVSP may provide a noninvasive means of assessing response to cardiac therapy.

Background: Electromechanical activation time (EMAT) is a systolic time interval defined as the time from Q-wave onset to the peak first heart sound. We assessed the correlation between systolic dysfunction and EMAT calculated using computerized acoustic cardiography., Methods: A total of 25 patients with heart failure contemporaneously underwent echocardiography, left-sided heart catheterization, and acoustic cardiography. Invasive pressure-volume hemodynamics included peak isovolumetric left ventricular (LV) pressure at the end-diastolic volume, end-diastolic pressure, dyssynchrony, and maximal +dP/dT. An EMAT/(R to R interval) (%EMAT) interval >or= 0.15 was prospectively defined as abnormal., Results: An abnormal %EMAT correlated with a lower LV ejection fraction (50.9% +/- 18.6% with normal EMAT vs 32.0% +/- 10.9% with abnormal EMAT, P = .015), end-systolic elastance (3.07 +/- 1.56 mm Hg/mL vs 1.43 +/- 0.83 mm Hg/mL, P = .018), and peak isovolumetric LV pressure at the end-diastolic volume (317 +/- 90 mm Hg vs 222 +/- 67 mm Hg, P = .015). An abnormal %EMAT was associated with a higher end-systolic volume index (33.6 +/- 29.3 mL/m(2) vs 71.0 +/- 35.8 mL/m(2), P = .011), end-diastolic volume index (61.2 +/- 29.8 mL/m(2) vs 100.3 +/- 40.8 mL/m(2), P = .012), and dyssynchrony (26.1% +/- 6.0% vs 31.5% +/- 3.5%, P = .028). There was no difference in end-diastolic pressure (20.3 +/- 7.9 mm Hg vs 21.4 +/- 12.3 mm Hg, P = .78)., Conclusions: An abnormal %EMAT was strongly associated with impaired LV contractility but had no association with LV filling pressures. This noninvasive, simple, point-of-care diagnostic test has potential applications when echocardiography cannot be obtained in a timely fashion to assess systolic function.

Background: The third heart sound (S3) and systolic time intervals (STIs) are validated clinical indicators of left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. We investigated the test characteristics of a combined score summarizing S3 and STI results for predicting LV dysfunction., Methods and Results: A total of 81 adults underwent computerized phonelectrocardiography for S3 and STI (Audicor, Inovise Medical Inc), cardiac catheterization for LV end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), echocardiography for LV ejection fraction (LVEF), and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) testing. LV dysfunction was defined as both an LVEDP >15 mm Hg and LVEF <50%. The STI measured was the electromechanical activation time (EMAT) divided by LV systolic time (LVST). Z-scores for the S3 confidence score and EMAT/LVST were summed to generate the LV dysfunction index. The LV dysfunction index had a correlation coefficient of 0.38 for LVEDP (P = .0003), -0.53 for LVEF (P < .0001), and 0.35 for BNP (P = .0008). This index had a receiver operative curve c-statistic of 0.89 for diagnosis of LV dysfunction; a cutoff >1.87 yielded 72% sensitivity, 92% specificity, 9.0 positive likelihood ratio, and 88% accuracy., Conclusions: In this preliminary study, the LV dysfunction index combined S3 and STI data from noninvasive electrophonocardiography, and yielded superior test characteristics compared to the individual tests for the diagnosis of LV dysfunction.

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ahj.2005.10.003 Byline: Peter A. McCullough (a), Marc A. Silver (a)(b), Elizabeth D. Kennard (a)(c), Sheryl F. Kelsey (a)(c), Andrew D. Michaels (a)(d) Keywords: Body mass index; Enhanced external counterpulsation therapy; Myocardial infarction Abstract: We evaluated the association of baseline body mass index (BMI) on the outcomes of enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) therapy for chronic stable angina. Author Affiliation: (a) Divisions of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Nutrition and Preventive Medicine, William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI (b) Department of Medicine, Heart Failure Institute, Advocate Christ Medical Center, Oak Lawn, IL (c) Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA (d) Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California at San Francisco Medical Center, San Francisco, CA Article History: Received 30 May 2005; Accepted 3 October 2005 Article Note: (footnote) The IEPR is sponsored by Vasomedical, Inc., Westbury, NY.

The signs and symptoms of systolic heart failure are frequently insensitive and nonspecific, making an accurate bedside diagnosis of left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) challenging. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is often used, but is not diagnostically useful when in the indeterminate range. The authors investigated the diagnostic test characteristics of acoustic cardiographic parameters to identify patients with LVSD. Four hundred thirty-three patients with contemporaneous measurements of computerized acoustic cardiography, BNP, and echocardiography were included. The acoustic cardiographic model outperformed BNP alone at detecting reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (C statistic, 0.88 vs 0.67; P<.0001). The acoustic model with BNP did not perform better than the acoustic model alone (P=.14). Within the indeterminate BNP range, the acoustic model outperformed BNP (C statistic, 0.89 vs 0.64; P<.0001). Noninvasive computerized acoustic cardiography predicted LVSD in a diverse population. This acoustic cardiographic model outperformed BNP alone for predicting LVSD. Congest Heart Fail. 2010;16:249-253. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: We sought to create a model that adjusts B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) for specific covariates to better distinguish cardiac from non-cardiac dyspnoea. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Aims: This study examined the causes and results of retreatment of patients who failed to complete an initial 35-hour Enhanced External Counterpulsation (EECP) course. Methods and Results:Data of 2,311 successive angina patients from the International EECP Patient Registry were analyzed, 86.5% completed their EECP course (Complete cohort). Of the 13.5% patients failing to complete the initial course (Incomplete cohort), 28.3% had repeat EECP within 1 year vs. 10.1% of the Complete group. The predictors of failure to complete the initial course of EECP were: female gender, heart failure, use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers, and use of nitroglycerin. For the Complete group, 83.4% had a reduction of at least one Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) class after their initial EECP course, vs. 21.7% in the Incomplete group (p < 0.001). After repeat treatment, 66.2% of the Incomplete group achieved at least one CCS class reduction vs. 69.4% of the Complete group (p = NS) undergoing retreatment. The independent predictors for those who return to successfully complete their second course were patients who stopped their first course because of clinical events, and candidacy for coronary artery bypass grafting at the time of initial treatment. Conclusion: The results of retreatment of those who failed to complete their initial EECP course were comparable to those who completed their initial treatment, with similar reductions of CCS angina class. Copyright © 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Systolic time intervals measured by echocardiography and carotid artery tracings are validated methods of assessing left ventricular function. However, the clinical utility of phonoelectrocardiographic systolic time intervals for predicting heart failure using newer technology has not been evaluated. Methods: We enrolled 100 adult patients undergoing left heart catheterization. Participants underwent computerized phonoelectrocardiographic analysis, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) measurement, transthoracic echocardiographic measurement of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) testing. The heart rate-adjusted systolic time intervals included the time from the Q wave onset to peak S1 (electromechanical activation time, EMAT), Q wave onset to peak S2 (electromechanical systole, Q-S2), and peak S1 to peak S2 (left ventricular systolic time, LVST). Left ventricular dysfunction was defined as the presence of both LVEDP >15 mmHg and LVEF <50%. Results: EMAT (r =−0.51; P < 0.0001), EMAT/LVST (r =−0.41; P = 0.0001), and Q-S2 (r =−0.39; P = 0.0003) correlated with LVEF, but not with LVEDP. An abnormal EMAT ≥15 (odds ratio 1.38, P < 0.0001) and EMAT/LVST ≥0.40 (OR 1.13, P = 0.002) were associated with left ventricular dysfunction. EMAT ≥15 had 44% sensitivity, 94% specificity, and a 7.0 likelihood ratio for left ventricular dysfunction, while EMAT/LVST ≥0.40 had 55% sensitivity, 95% specificity, and a 11.7 likelihood ratio. In patients with an intermediate BNP (100–500 pg/mL), the likelihood ratio increased from 1.1 using the BNP result alone to 11.0 when adding a positive EMAT test for predicting left ventricular dysfunction. Conclusions: Phonoelectrocardiographic measures of systolic time intervals are insensitive but highly specific tests for detecting abnormalities in objective markers of left ventricular function. EMAT and EMAT/LVST provide diagnostic information independent of BNP for detecting patients with left ventricular dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A 47-year-old diabetic woman was referred for diagnostic coronary angiography as part of an evaluation before renal transplantation. During attempts to cannulate the left coronary artery, the patient developed severe dyspnea and new ST-segment elevations in the anterior leads. Left coronary angiography showed acute occlusion of the proximal left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery. She then underwent emergent percutaneous intervention of the occluded vessel. Continuous electrocardiographic and phonocardiographic recordings were obtained during the procedure that documented the timing and appearance of ST-segment elevations and the onset of third and fourth heart sounds. In this report, the sequence of these events is discussed, and the literature is reviewed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We sought to assess survival, predictors of adverse outcomes, and complication rates in a more recent series of adults undergoing percutaneous aortic balloon valvuloplasty (PABV) for symptomatic calcific aortic stenosis. While aortic valve replacement is the treatment of choice for adults with symptomatic calcific aortic stenosis, PABV has been used in selected patients who are not good surgical candidates. Registries of patients who underwent PABV over 15 years ago have shown poor long-term survival and high procedural complication rates. This single-center cohort study enrolled consecutive adults undergoing PABV between 1989 and 2005 for calcific aortic stenosis. Demographic, hemodynamic, and procedural data, as well as vital status, were collected by chart review and query of the National Death Index. The study included 78 patients: mean age 78 ± 11 years, 51% female, 90% heart failure, 61% coronary disease, and 8% end-stage renal disease. While 22% had a major procedural complication, this rate tended to decrease over time (P= 0.068). In the cohort, 87% died with a median survival of 6.6 months. According to NDI records, the primary cause of death was cardiac in 54% of deaths. Survival was significantly higher in patients ≤70 years and those bridged to aortic valve replacement. PABV in patients who are elderly and not candidates for bridge to aortic valve replacement is associated with poor long-term survival. The decrease in the complication rate over the past 15 years has important implications regarding the morbidity associated with percutaneous aortic valve replacement techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is a risk factor for the development of heart failure, but the causal mechanism remains unclear. Impaired production or enhanced clearance of natriuretic peptides, which regulate sodium balance and sympathetic activation, may play an important role. The authors investigated the relationship of plasma B-type natriuretic peptide and atrial natriuretic peptide levels to body mass index in 100 patients referred for left heart catheterization. Hemodynamic and echocardiographic data were obtained for all study participants. Atrial natriuretic peptide and B-type natriuretic peptide levels were compared in obese (body mass index ≥30 kg/m²) and nonobese (body mass index <30 kg/m²) subjects. Multivariate regression analyses were performed, adjusting for clinical and hemodynamic covariates. Obese patients had significantly lower B-type natriuretic peptide (p=0.03) and atrial natriuretic peptide (p=0.04) levels compared with nonobese. Multivariate analysis revealed lower B-type natriuretic peptide (p=0.095) and atrial natriuretic peptide (p=0.007) levels in obese patients while controlling for age, sex, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, and left ventricular ejection fraction. Low levels of circulating natriuretic peptides are thus associated with obesity and may contribute to the development of heart failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Elevated levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), an inflammatory marker, have been associated with heart failure. However, it is not known which parameters of left ventricular dysfunction correlate with elevated levels of CRP. Methods and Results: In this cross-sectional study of 98 patients referred for cardiac catheterization, we investigated whether commonly used clinical indices of left ventricular dysfunction correlated with CRP levels. CRP levels were elevated to a greater degree in participants with diabetes mellitus (P =.006) and heart failure (P =.003). Increased CRP levels were associated with increased plasma levels of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP; P =.0001), decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF; P =.02), and increased left-ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP; P =.0005). After multivariable adjustment, LVEDP and CRP were independently associated (P =.046). Conclusion: CRP is increased in patients with heart failure. Of the clinical parameters of left ventricular dysfunction, direct measurement of left ventricular end-diastolic pressure is most closely associated with CRP. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background: Nesiritide is effective in the treatment of decompensated heart failure (HF). We evaluated the acute hemodynamic effects of nesiritide, a recombinant B-type natriuretic peptide, in patients with HF and pulmonary hypertension (PH). Methods and Results: Twenty patients with HF and PH (mean pulmonary arterial [PA] pressure >25 mm Hg) were enrolled: 10 with postpulmonary capillary wedge (PCW) >15 mm Hg and 10 with precapillary PH (PCW) ≤15. The pulmonary and systemic hemodynamics were determined by right heart catheterization at baseline and at 15 and 30 minutes after an intravenous nesiritide infusion (2 mcg/kg bolus and 0.01 mcg·kg·min). For the patients with postcapillary PH, the mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 28 ± 15%. After the 30-minute nesiritide infusion, right atrial (RA) pressure decreased 48% (P < .0001), mean PA pressure decreased 29% (P < .0001), PCW pressure decreased 40% (P < .0001), cardiac index (CI) increased 35% (P =.009), pulmonary vascular resistance index (PVRI) decreased 35% (P =.01), and arteriovenous oxygen difference (AVDO2) decreased 27% (P =.0003). For precapillary PH patients, there was no change in RA, PA, or PCW pressure, nor any change in CI, PVRI, or AVDO2. Conclusions: Nesiritide acutely and significantly reduced PA pressure, PVRI, and biventricular filling pressures in patients with postcapillary PH. However, for patients with precapillary PH, nesiritide had no significant acute hemodynamic effect on the pulmonary hemodynamics. The lack of acute beneficial effects of nesiritide in patients with advanced precapillary PH may be related to their relatively fixed remodeling of the pulmonary vasculature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]