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We compared speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) and feature tracking cardiovascular magnetic resonance (FT-CMR) in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC) with a varying extent of fibrosis as defined by late gadolinium enhancement to look at the level of agreement between methods and their ability to relate those to myocardial fibrosis. At 2 reference centers, 79 patients with HC and 16 volunteers (the control group) underwent STE and CMR with late gadolinium enhancement and FT-CMR. Patients were classified into 3 categories: no detectable, limited, and extensive fibrosis. Global longitudinal strain (GLS) and global radial strain (GRS) were derived using FT-CMR and STE. STE-derived GRS was decreased in all HC categories compared with the control group (p 0.001), whereas FT-CMR GRS was reduced only in patients with HC with fibrosis (p 0.05). Reduced STE-derived GLS was associated with extensive fibrosis (p 0.05) and a value less than -15.2% identified those with extensive fibrosis (sensitivity 79%, specificity 92%, area under the curve 0.863, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.76 to 0.97, p 0.001). Inter-modality agreement was moderate for STE versus CMR-GLS (overall population intra-class correlation coefficient = 0.615, 95% CI 0.42 to 0.75, p0.001; patients with HC 0.63, 0.42 to 0.76, p0.001) and GRS (overall population intra-class correlation coefficient = 0.601, 95% CI 0.397 to 0.735, p0.001). A low level of agreement for GRS was seen between methods in patients with HC. In conclusion, strain indexes measured using echocardiography and CMR are reduced in patients with HC compared with the control group and correlate well with the burden of myocardial fibrosis. Reduced STE-GLS can identify patients with extensive fibrosis, but whether there is an added value for risk stratification for sudden cardiac death remains to be determined.

Stress echocardiography (SE) is a well-established and valid technique, widely-used for the diagnostic evaluation of patients with ischemic and non-ischemic cardiac diseases. This statement of the Echocardiography Working Group of the Hellenic Society of Cardiology summarizes the consensus of the writing group regarding the applications of SE, based on the expertise of their members and on a critical review of current medical literature. The main objectives of the consensus document include a comprehensive review of SE methodology and training, focusing on the preparation, the protocols used and the analysis of the SE images and an updated, evidence-based knowledge about SE applications on ischemic and non-ischemic heart diseases, such as in cardiomyopathies, heart failure and valvular heart disease.

Accurate and reproducible diagnostic techniques are essential to detect left-sided cardiac thrombi [either in the left ventricle (LV) or in the left atrial appendage (LAA)] and to guide the onset and duration of antithrombotic treatment while minimizing the risk for thromboembolic and hemorrhagic events.We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis aiming to compare the diagnostic performance of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) vs. cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) for the detection of LV thrombi, and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) vs. computed tomography (CT) for the detection of LAA thrombi.Six studies were included in the first meta-analysis (TTE vs. CMR for LV thrombosis). Pooled sensitivity and specificity values were 62% [95% confidence interval (CI), 37-81%] and 97% (95% CI, 94-99%). The shape of the hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) curve and the area under the curve (AUC) of 0.96 suggested a high accuracy. Ten studies were included in the second meta-analysis (CT versus TEE for LAA thrombosis). The pooled values of sensitivity and specificity were 97% (95% CI, 77-100%) and 94% (95% CI, 87-98%). The pooled diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) was 500 (95% CI, 52-4810), and the pooled likelihood ratios (LR + and LR-) were 17% (95% CI, 7-40%) and 3% (95% CI, 0-28%). The shape of the HSROC curve and 0.99 AUC suggested a high accuracy of CT vs. TEE.TTE is a fair alternative to DE-CMR for the identification of LV thrombi, while CT has a good accuracy compared to TEE for the detection of LAA thrombosis.CRD42020185842.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) could be a coincidental finding in certain patients with ischemic stroke and increased burden of underlying cardiovascular disease. Concomitant large-vessel atheromatosis and cerebral small vessel disease may be the actual cause of stroke, and distinguishing between different pathophysiologic mechanisms could impose substantial diagnostic difficulties. Despite routine use of oral anticoagulants (OACs) in patients with AF based on their risk for embolism (ie, CHA2DS2-Vasc score), antithrombotic agents may exert differential effects depending on stroke etiology and stroke subtyping should be evaluated as an additional component of risk stratification that could facilitate optimal management. In the present study, we summarize the evidence on noncardioembolic (non-CE) stroke and treatment approaches based on different stroke subtypes in patients with AF. In particular, approximately one-third of patients with AF seem to suffer a non-CE stroke. Within this category, 11% to 24% of patients present high-grade carotid stenosis and 9% to 16% of ischemic strokes are classified as lacunar. In terms of secondary prevention, the effectiveness of OACs in preventing non-CE stroke has been disputed. Additional large-scale prospective studies are warranted to assess the pathophysiologic stroke mechanisms in patients with AF and compare the differential efficacy of antithrombotic treatment strategies in non-CE ischemic syndromes.

Background: Inflammation is a key process underlying the clinical course of coronary artery disease (CAD). C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) contribute to its pathophysiology and act as biomarkers. We sought to examine whether known single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) impact CAD progression, reflecting increased inflammation. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated coronary angiographies of patients with established CAD who were re-investigated for stable/unstable angina after a time interval of >12 months. We defined progression of CAD as the emergence of a new plaque or a ≥20 % increase of a formerly non-significant lesion. We genotyped patients for the 1846 C>T CRP and -174 G>C IL-6 SNPs. The probability of CAD progression among the Mendelian randomization groups was evaluated using the Kaplan–Meier method. Data were analyzed using a Cox model that included relevant clinical factors. Results: A total of 157 patients were included. The serum levels of CRP and IL-6 differed significantly between genotypes. The genotype frequencies of IL-6 were consistent with Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium, whereas those for CRP were excluded from our conclusions. At 48 months, 83 patients (52.9 %) with the IL-6 C allele versus 74 (47.1 %) with the G allele exhibited CAD progression. Patients with the IL-6 C allele had a 52.8 % probability for progression versus 13.3 % for those with the G allele (p=0.005). The results were confirmed by multivariate analysis; dyslipidemia, family history, and IL-6 SNP emerged as significant factors. Conclusion: Patients with established CAD who carried the -174 C allele of the IL-6 gene demonstrated an increased risk for the progression of coronary plaques over a four-year period. Further studies will be needed to validate these findings. Keywords: Coronary artery disease, inflammation, progression, interleukin-6, gene polymorphisms, SNP

This study investigated whether temperature differences: 1) can be measured in vivo noninvasively by microwave radiometry (MR); and 2) are associated with ultrasound and histological findings.Studies of human carotid artery samples showed increased heat production. MR allows in vivo noninvasive measurement of internal temperature of tissues.Thirty-four patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy underwent screening of carotid atherosclerosis by ultrasound and MR. Healthy volunteers were enrolled as a control group. During ultrasound study, plaque texture, plaque surface, and plaque echogenicity were analyzed. Temperature difference (ΔT) was assigned as maximal minus minimum temperature. Association of thermographic with ultrasound and histological findings was performed.ΔT was higher in atherosclerotic carotid arteries compared with the carotid arteries of controls (p0.01). Fatty plaques had higher ΔT compared with mixed and calcified (p0.01) plaques. Plaques with ulcerated surface had higher ΔT compared with plaques with irregular and regular surface (p0.01). Heterogeneous plaques had higher ΔT compared with homogenous (p0.01). Specimens with thin fibrous cap and intense expression of CD3, CD68, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) had higher ΔT compared with specimens with thick cap and low expression of CD3, CD68, and VEGF (p0.01).MR provides in vivo noninvasive temperature measurements of carotid plaques, reflecting plaque inflammatory activation.