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Aims: The role of change in left atrial (LA) parameters prior to the onset of heart failure (HF) remains unclear. We used cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging to investigate the relationship between longitudinal change in LA function and incident HF in a multi-ethnic population with subclinical cardiovascular disease (CVD)., Methods and Results: In this prospective multi-ethnic cohort study, 2470 participants (60 ± 9 years, 47% males), free at baseline of clinical CVD, had LA volume and function assessed via multimodality tissue tracking on CMR imaging at baseline (2000-02) and a second study 9.4 ± 0.6 years later. Free of HF, 73 participants developed incident HF [HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), n = 39; reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), n = 34] 7.1 ± 2.1 years after the second study. An annual decrease of 1 SD unit in peak LA strain (ΔLASmax) was most strongly associated with the risk of HFpEF [subdistribution hazard ratios (HR) = 2.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.34-4.90), P = 0.004] and improved model reclassification and discrimination in predicting HFpEF [C-statistic = 0.84, 95% CI (0.79-0.90); net reclassification index (NRI) = 0.34, P = 0.01; and integrated discrimination index (IDI) = 0.02, P = 0.02], whilst an annual decrease of 1 mL/m2 of pre-atrial indexed LA volumes (ΔLAVipreA) was most strongly associated with the risk of HFrEF [subdistribution HR = 1.88, 95% CI (1.44-2.45), P < 0.001] and improved model reclassification and discrimination in predicting HFrEF [C-statistic = 0.81, 95% CI (0.72-0.90); NRI = 0.31, P = 0.03; and IDI = 0.01, P = 0.50] after adjusting for event-specific risk factors and baseline LA measures., Conclusion: ΔLASmax and ΔLAVipreA were associated with and incrementally predictive of HFpEF and HFrEF, after adjusting for risk factors and baseline LA measures in this population of subclinical CVD., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: None declared., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: A wide variety of different formulae have been used to calculate local arterial stiffness with little external validation in relationship to cardiovascular events. We compared the associations of several arterial stiffness calculations in a large, multiethnic cohort., Methods: The multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis (MESA) is a longitudinal study of 6814 adults without clinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) at enrollment. MESA participants with CVD surveillance through year 2018 and carotid ultrasound ( n  = 5873) or aorta MRI ( n  = 3175) at the baseline exam (2000-2002) were included. We analyzed 21 different calculations of local arterial stiffness. Cross-sectional and longitudinal statistical analyses were performed in addition to Cox hazard modeling for associations with CVD events (myocardial infarction, resuscitated cardiac arrest, stroke, adjudicated angina, and cardiovascular death)., Results: Carotid artery stiffness calculations had variable correlations with each other ( r  = 0.56-0.99); aortic stiffness measures were similar ( r  = 0.66-0.99). Nevertheless, for CVD events, the hazard ratio (HR) per standard deviation change were similar for all carotid stiffness calculations with HRs in the range of 1.00-1.10 (equivalence P  < 0.001). For the aorta, aortic distensibility coefficient had a stronger association with CVD events (HR 1.18 [1.02-1.37]) compared to aorta Peterson's elastic modulus (HR 0.98 [0.89-1.07]) and aorta pulse wave velocity (HR 1.00 [0.90-1.11]). HRs between all other aortic stiffness calculations were equivalent ( P  < 0.01)., Conclusion: Different methods of calculating local arterial stiffness largely gave equivalent results, indicating that the variety of different arterial stiffness calculations in use do not cause inconsistent findings., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Volumetric evaluation of coronary artery disease (CAD) allows better prediction of cardiac events. However, CAD segmentation is labor intensive. Our objective was to create an open-source deep learning (DL) model to segment coronary plaques on coronary CT angiography (CCTA)., Methods: Three hundred eight individuals' 894 CCTA scans with 3035 manually segmented plaques by an expert reader (considered as ground truth) were used to train (186/308, 60%), validate (tune, 61/308, 20%), and test (61/308, 20%) a 3D U-net model. We also evaluated the model on an external test set of 50 individuals with vulnerable plaques acquired at a different site. Furthermore, we applied transfer learning on 77 individuals' data and re-evaluated the model's performance using intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC)., Results: On the test set, DL outperformed the currently used minimum cost approach method to quantify total: ICC: 0.88 [CI: 0.85-0.91] vs. 0.63 [CI: 0.42-0.76], noncalcified: 0.84 [CI: 0.80-0.88] vs. 0.45 [CI: 0.26-0.59], calcified: 0.99 [CI: 0.98-0.99] vs. 0.96 [CI: 0.94-0.97], and low attenuation noncalcified: 0.25 [CI: 0.13-0.37] vs. -0.01 [CI: -0.13 to 0.11] plaque volumes. On the external dataset, substantial improvement was observed in DL model performance after transfer learning, total: 0.62 [CI: 0.01-0.84] vs. 0.94 [CI: 0.87-0.97], noncalcified: 0.54 [CI: -0.04 to 0.80] vs. 0.93 [CI: 0.86-0.96], calcified: 0.91 [CI:0.85-0.95] vs. 0.95 [CI: 0.91-0.97], and low attenuation noncalcified 0.48 [CI: 0.18-0.69] vs. 0.86 [CI: 0.76-0.92]., Conclusions: Our open-source DL algorithm achieved excellent agreement with expert CAD segmentations. However, transfer learning may be required to achieve accurate segmentations in the case of different plaque characteristics or machinery., Key Points: • Deep learning 3D U-net model for coronary segmentation achieves comparable results with expert readers' volumetric plaque quantification. • Transfer learning may be needed to achieve similar results for other scanner and plaque characteristics. • The developed deep learning algorithm is open-source and may be implemented in any CT analysis software., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to European Society of Radiology.)

Background: Statin treatment is a potent lipid-lowering therapy associated with decreased cardiovascular risk and mortality. Recent studies including the PARADIGM trial have demonstrated the impact of statins on promoting calcified coronary plaque., Hypothesis: The degree of systemic inflammation impacts the amount of increase in coronary plaque calcification over 2 years of statin treatment., Methods: A subgroup of 142 participants was analyzed from the Risk Stratification with Image Guidance of HMG CoA Reductase Inhibitor Therapy (RIGHT) study (NCT01212900), who were on statin treatment and underwent cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA) at baseline and 2-year follow-up. This cohort was stratified by baseline median levels of high-sensitivity hs-CRP and analyzed with linear regressions using Stata-17 (StataCorp)., Results: In the high versus low hs-CRP group, patients with higher baseline median hs-CRP had increased BMI (median [IQR]; 29 [27-31] vs. 27 [24-28]; p < .001), hypertension (59% vs. 41%; p = .03), and LDL-C levels (97 [77-113] vs. 87 [75-97] mg/dl; p = .01). After 2 years of statin treatment, the high hs-CRP group had significant increase in dense-calcified coronary burden versus the low hs-CRP group (1.27 vs. 0.32 mm 2 [100×]; p = .02), beyond adjustment (β = .2; p = .03)., Conclusions: Statin treatment over 2 years associated with a significant increase in coronary calcification in patients with higher systemic inflammation, as measured by hs-CRP. These findings suggest that systemic inflammation plays a role in coronary calcification and further studies should be performed to better elucidate these findings., (© 2022 The Authors. Clinical Cardiology published by Wiley Periodicals, LLC.)

Background: The effect of hepatic steatosis on the gradient-echo (GRE) based Modified Look-Locker Inversion Recovery (MOLLI) technique for T1 mapping has not been evaluated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a GRE based MOLLI technique for hepatic T1 mapping and determine the relationship of T1 differences (ΔT1) on in-phase (IP) and out-of-phase (OP) to fat fraction (FF) measurement., Materials and Methods: 3 T MRI included MOLLI T1 mapping with TE = 1.3 (OP), 2.4 (IP), and 1.8 ms, and chemical-shift-encoded sequence with spectral modeling of fat to generate FF map as a reference. Bloch simulations and oil/water phantoms were used to characterize the response of the MOLLI T1 in various FF < 30% since MOLLI T1 estimation was erratic beyond this limit. Curve fit between ΔT1 and FF from simulation was applied to validate the phantom and the in-vivo results. Thirty-eight normal volunteers were included (16 women, Age 44 ± 12 years, BMI 27 ± 5.3 kg/m 2 ). MOLLI water images were reconstructed by the average of OP and IP images, and the T1 values on water images served as the reference for T1 bias calculation defined as the percent difference between OP, IP, TE = 1.8 ms and the referenced water T1. Linear regression was performed to correlate the FF quantified by the reference and MOLLI methods., Results: Phantom results were consistent with the Bloch simulations. The simulated relationship between FF (0-30%) and ΔT1 could be modeled precisely by a cubic equation with R2 = 1. In-vivo MOLLI ΔT1 and estimated FF were correlated to the reference FF (both R2 ≥ 0.96 and P < 0.001). TE = 1.8 ms demonstrated less T1 bias (-1.34%) compared to TE = OP (5.32%) or IP (-3.8%, both P < 0.001)., Conclusion: At 3 T, TE of 1.8 ms can be used to reduce the T1 bias and deliver consistent T1 values when FF is <30%., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The mechanism of ST elevation on baseline electrocardiograms (ECG) unknown but it may be associated with abnormal myocardial substrate. This paper evaluates whether clinically unrecognized myocardial scar on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) is associated with ST elevation at baseline., Methods: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) study is a population-based cohort in the United States. Participants were aged 45 through 84 years and free of clinical cardiovascular disease at enrollment in 2000-2002. Our cohort included 1365 participants who underwent both ECG and contrast enhanced CMR in the 5th examination (2010-2012). Multivariable logistic regression examined the association of ST elevation and CMR defined regional myocardial scar after adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors., Results: Of 1365 participants (58 ±9 years, 52% men), 105 (8%) had scar on CMR. Of these, the scar in 40 participants followed an ischemic pattern and in the other 65 participants followed a non-ischemic pattern. ST elevation at the 5th examination was present in 435 participants: 40 (0.9%) had ST elevations in inferior and 427 (98%) in lateral leads. 2/40 (5%) and 22/427 (5%) participants with inferior and lateral ST elevations, respectively, had evidence of scar. 15 (1.0%) had myocardial scar noted in the basal anterior region. In the fully adjusted models, ST elevation was associated with scar in basal anterior region (OR 18.2, p = 0.031)., Conclusions: In a community population, ST elevation at baseline in the inferior or lateral leads was associated with myocardial scar in the basal inferior and anterior segments. The previously described association between ST elevation and increased mortality may be mediated by myocardial scar., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The importance of aorta-ventricular coupling in cardiovascular disease is recognized but underestimated. The contribution of the age-related decline in ascending aortic function compared with characteristic impedance and total peripheral resistance on left ventricular function and remodeling is poorly studied. Our aim was to evaluate the relation of proximal aortic distensibility and impedance with left ventricular geometry and function in asymptomatic individuals. We prospectively studied 100 subjects (47 men, 53 women, age: 20-84 yr). Aortic strain, distensibility, arch pulse wave velocity, characteristic impedance ( Z c ), total peripheral resistance, left ventricular (LV) volumes and mass, wall stress, and peak global circumferential myocardial strain and strain rates were determined by MRI. Central pressures were measured from tonometry. E a / E v , an index of vascular-ventricular coupling, and LV wall stress were preserved across age- or aortic-stiffness-stratified groups. Static and pulsatile components of aortic load were differentially associated with age. Increased total vascular resistance was associated with decreased LV strain and increased concentric remodeling [ratio of LV mass to end-diastolic volume (M/V ratio)] in all individuals. In younger individuals (<45 yr), aortic distensibility was related to LV strain and concentric remodeling (M/V ratio), whereas Z c was related to LV strain and concentric remodeling (M/V ratio) in older individuals (>45 yr). Early age-related stiffening of the ascending aorta is a component of LV afterload subsequently associated with increased aortic impedance and alterations in LV geometry, namely concentric remodeling, decreased myocardial strain, and increased stroke work such that LV wall stress and arterial-ventricular coupling are preserved. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Local flow and deformation can both be assessed with high precision noninvasively in the ascending aorta using MRI. Combined with central pressure measurement, they provide distensibility and impedance and simultaneous reference assessment of left ventricular deformation and geometry, hence a comprehensive evaluation of arterial-ventricular coupling to study physiology and disease.

Purpose: To evaluate an optimized stack of radials ultrashort echo time (UTE) 3D magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequence for breath-hold and free-breathing imaging of the human lung., Materials and Methods: A 3D stack of ultrashort echo time radials trajectory was optimized for coronal and axial lower-resolution breath-hold and higher-resolution free-breathing scans using Bloch simulations. The sequence was evaluated in 10 volunteers, without the use of contrast agents. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) mean and 95% confidence interval (CI) were determined from separate signal and noise images in a semiautomated fashion. The four scanning schemes were evaluated for significant differences in image quality using Student's t-test. Ten clinical patients were scanned with the sequence and findings were compared with concomitant computed tomography (CT) in nine patients. Breath-hold 3D spokes images were compared with 3D stack of radials in five volunteers. A Mann-Whitney U-test was performed to test significance in both cases., Results: Breath-hold imaging of the entire lung in volunteers was performed with SNR (mean = 42.5 [CI]: 35.5-49.5; mean = 34.3 [CI]: 28.6-40) in lung parenchyma for coronal and axial scans, respectively, which can be used as a quick scout scan. Longer respiratory triggered free-breathing scan enabled high-resolution UTE scanning with mean SNR of 14.2 ([CI]: 12.9-15.5) and 9.2 ([CI]: 8.2-10.2) for coronal and axial scans, respectively. Axial free-breathing scans showed significantly higher image quality (P = 0.008) than the three other scanning schemes. The mean score for comparison with CT was 1.67 (score 0: n = 0; 1: n = 3; 2: n = 6). There was no significant difference between CT and MRI (P = 0.25). 3D stack of radials images were significantly better than 3D spokes images (P < 0.001)., Conclusion: The optimized 3D stack of radials trajectory was shown to provide high-quality MR images of the lung parenchyma without the use of MRI contrast agents. The sequence may offer the possibility of breath-hold imaging and provides greater flexibility in trading off slice thickness and parallel imaging for scan time., (© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Pregnancy is associated with marked maternal cardiovascular/hemodynamic changes. A greater number of pregnancies may be associated with long-term subclinical changes in left ventricular (LV) remodeling., Methods: Among 2,234 white, black, Hispanic, and Chinese women (mean age 62 years) in the MESA, we used linear regression to relate live births and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging LV measures. Covariates included age, ethnicity, height, income, education, birth country, smoking, menopause, and oral contraceptive duration. Models were additionally adjusted for potential mediators: systolic blood pressure, antihypertensive use, total/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, diabetes, and body mass index. We performed sensitivity analyses excluding 763 women in the lowest socioeconomic group: annual income <$25,000 and lower high school level of education., Results: With each live birth, LV mass increased 1.26 g; LV end-diastolic volume, 0.74 mL; and LV end-systolic volume, 0.45 mL; LV ejection fraction decreased 0.18% (P trend <0.05). Changes were most notable for the category of women with ≥5 pregnancies. Upon adjustment for potential biologic mediators, live births remained positively associated with LV mass and end-systolic volume. Live births remained significantly associated with LV end-systolic, end-diastolic volumes, and LV mass (P trend ≤0.02) after excluding women in the lowest socioeconomic group., Conclusions: Number of live births is associated with key LV structural and functional measures in middle to older ages, even after adjustment for sociodemographic factors and cardiovascular disease risk factors. Hemodynamic changes during pregnancy may be associated with cardiac structure/function beyond childbearing years., (Copyright © 2012 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: We sought to define age-related geometric changes of the aortic arch and determine their relationship to central aortic stiffness and left ventricular (LV) remodeling., Background: The proximal aorta has been shown to thicken, enlarge in diameter, and lengthen with aging in humans. However, no systematic study has described age-related longitudinal and transversal remodeling of the aortic arch and their relationship with LV mass and remodeling., Methods: We studied 100 subjects (55 women, 45 men, average age 46 ± 16 years) free of overt cardiovascular disease using magnetic resonance imaging to determine aortic arch geometry (length, diameters, height, width, and curvature), aortic arch function (local aortic distensibility and arch pulse wave velocity [PWV]), and LV volumes and mass. Radial tonometry was used to calculate central blood pressure., Results: Aortic diameters and arch length increased significantly with age. The ascending aorta length increased most, with age leading to aortic arch widening and decreased curvature. These geometric changes of the aortic arch were significantly related to decreased ascending aortic distensibility, increased aortic arch PWV (p < 0.001), and increased central blood pressures (p < 0.001). Increased ascending aortic diameter, lengthening, and decreased curvature of the aortic arch (unfolding) were all significantly associated with increased LV mass and concentric remodeling independently of age, sex, body size, and central blood pressure (p < 0.01)., Conclusions: Age-related unfolding of the aortic arch is related to increased proximal aortic stiffness in individuals without cardiovascular disease and associated with increased LV mass and mass-to-volume ratio independent of age, body size, central pressure, and cardiovascular risk factors., (Copyright © 2011 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: We sought to examine the prognostic value of subclinical left ventricular (LV) regional myocardial dysfunction (RMD) measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) among asymptomatic individuals., Background: LV RMD, defined as segmental impairment in systolic wall thickening, predicts adverse events in patients with established cardiovascular disease. MRI is highly accurate for detecting subtle RMD, of which the prognostic significance in a large multiethnic asymptomatic population is not known., Methods: We used MRI to evaluate baseline regional LV myocardial function and prospectively followed a multiethnic (African American, Caucasian, Chinese, and Hispanic) population-based sample of 4,510 men and women without cardiovascular disease for a mean of 4.6 years. Regional myocardial dysfunction was defined as the presence of impaired systolic wall thickening (<10th percentile of segment-specific population distribution) in ≥2 contiguous LV segments within any given coronary artery territory., Results: Baseline prevalence of RMD was 25.6%. Heart failure developed in 34 (1.0%) and 30 (2.6%) participants without and with RMD, respectively (p < 0.001). After adjustment for demographics and traditional risk factors, RMD remained independently associated with incident heart failure (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.62; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.56 to 4.39; p < 0.001). The relationship persisted after further adjustment for biomarkers of reported association with cardiovascular disease and indexes of global LV systolic dysfunction and hypertrophy (HR: 1.80; 95% CI: 1.02 to 3.20; p = 0.044). Similarly, RMD independently conferred an increased risk for hard coronary events (myocardial infarction or death from coronary heart disease; HR: 1.75; 95% CI: 1.06 to 2.89; p = 0.029), the composite of hard coronary events and stroke (HR: 1.72; 95% CI: 1.16 to 2.56; p = 0.005), and all atherosclerotic cardiovascular events (HR: 1.50; 95% CI: 1.09 to 2.07; p = 0.012)., Conclusions: Among an asymptomatic multiethnic American cohort, RMD is an independent predictor beyond traditional risk factors and global LV assessment for incident heart failure and atherosclerotic cardiovascular events. The clinical utility of early recognition of this subclinical phenotype deserves further investigation. (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis [MESA]; NCT00005487)., (Copyright © 2011 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Increased left ventricular (LV) mass and changes in LV geometry may precede hypertension onset. The authors examined the associations of LV mass and geometry, assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, with hypertension incidence in 2,567 normotensive participants enrolled in 2000-2002 in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, an ethnically diverse, population-based, US study. Over a median follow-up of 4.8 years, 745 (29%) participants developed hypertension. In a fully adjusted model including baseline blood pressure, the relative risks of incident hypertension from the lowest to highest LV mass quartile were 1.00 (referent), 1.13 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.89, 1.43), 1.28 (95% CI: 1.00, 1.63), and 1.78 (95% CI: 1.38, 2.30) (P < 0.001 for linear trend). Higher levels of LV concentric geometry, defined by higher LV mass to end-diastolic volume quartiles, were associated with higher risk of incident hypertension in a fully adjusted model (P = 0.044 for linear trend). In a final model containing both quartiles of LV mass and LV mass/volume along with all covariates including baseline blood pressure, higher LV mass quartiles were associated with incident hypertension (P < 0.001 for linear trend), whereas higher LV mass/volume quartiles were not (P = 0.643 for linear trend). In this multiethnic cohort, alterations in LV mass preceded hypertension onset among normotensive individuals.

Diffuse interstitial or replacement myocardial fibrosis is a common feature of a broad variety of cardiomyopathies. Myocardial fibrosis leads to impaired cardiac diastolic and systolic function and is related to adverse cardiovascular events. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) may uniquely characterize the extent of replacement fibrosis and may have prognostic value in various cardiomyopathies. Myocardial longitudinal relaxation time mapping is an emerging technique that could improve CMR's diagnostic accuracy, especially for interstitial diffuse myocardial fibrosis. As such, CMR could be integrated in the monitoring and therapeutic management of a large number of patients. This review summarizes the advantages and limitations of CMR for the assessment of myocardial fibrosis., (Copyright © 2011 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia (ARVC/D) is an inherited disease that causes structural and functional abnormalities of the right ventricle (RV). The presence of late potentials as assessed by the signal-averaged electrocardiogram (SAECG) is a minor task force criterion., Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the diagnostic and clinical value of the SAECG in a large population of genotyped ARVC/D probands., Methods: We compared the SAECGs of 87 ARVC/D probands (age 37 ± 13 years, 47 males) diagnosed as affected or borderline by task force criteria without using the SAECG criterion with 103 control subjects. The association of SAECG abnormalities was also correlated with clinical presentation, surface ECG, ventricular tachycardia (VT) inducibility at electrophysiologic testing, implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy for VT, and RV abnormalities as assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI)., Results: Compared with controls, all three components of the SAECG were highly associated with the diagnosis of ARVC/D (P <.001). They include the filtered QRS duration (97.8 ± 8.7 ms vs 119.6 ± 23.8 ms), low-amplitude signal (24.4 ± 9.2 ms vs 46.2 ± 23.7 ms), and root mean square amplitude of the last 40 ms of the QRS (50.4 ± 26.9 μV vs 27.9 ± 36.3 μV). The sensitivity of using SAECG for diagnosis of ARVC/D was increased from 47% using the established 2 of 3 criteria (i.e., late potentials) to 69% by using a modified criterion of any 1 of 3 criteria, while maintaining a high specificity of 95%. Abnormal SAECG as defined by this modified criterion was associated with a dilated RV volume and decreased RV ejection fraction detected by cMRI (P <.05). SAECG abnormalities did not vary with clinical presentation or reliably predict spontaneous or inducible VT and had limited correlation with ECG findings., Conclusion: Using 1 of 3 SAECG criteria contributed to increased sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of ARVC/D. This finding is incorporated in the recent modification of the task force criteria., (Copyright © 2011 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

There are a number of imaging tests that are used in the setting of acute myocardial infarction and acute coronary syndrome. Each has their strengths and limitations. Experts from the European Society of Cardiac Radiology and the North American Society for Cardiovascular Imaging together with other prominent imagers reviewed the literature. It is clear that there is a definite role for imaging in these patients. While comparative accuracy, convenience and cost have largely guided test decisions in the past, the introduction of newer tests is being held to a higher standard which compares patient outcomes. Multicenter randomized comparative effectiveness trials with outcome measures are required.

Objective: Heart failure is a major contributor to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but little is known about myocardial structure and function in this population. This study was undertaken to assess the factors associated with progression to heart failure in patients with RA., Methods: With the use of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, measures of myocardial structure and function were assessed in men and women with RA enrolled in the Evaluation of Subclinical Cardiovascular Disease and Predictors of Events in Rheumatoid Arthritis study, a cohort study of subclinical cardiovascular disease in patients with RA, in comparison with non-RA control subjects from a cohort enrolled in the Baltimore Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis., Results: Measures of myocardial structure and function were compared between 75 patients with RA and 225 frequency-matched controls. After adjustment for confounders, the mean left ventricular mass was found to be 26 gm lower in patients with RA compared with controls (P < 0.001), an 18% difference. In addition, the mean left ventricular ejection fraction, cardiac output, and stroke volume were modestly lower in the RA group compared with controls. The mean left ventricular end systolic and end diastolic volumes did not differ between the groups. In patients with RA, higher levels of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies and current use of biologic agents, but not other measures of disease activity or severity, were associated with significantly lower adjusted mean values for the left ventricular mass, end diastolic volume, and stroke volume, but not with ejection fraction. The combined associations of anti-CCP antibody level and biologic agent use with myocardial measures were additive, without evidence of interaction., Conclusion: These findings suggest that the progression to heart failure in RA may occur through reduced myocardial mass rather than hypertrophy. Both modifiable and nonmodifiable factors may contribute to lower levels of left ventricular mass and volume.

Arterial stiffness predicts cardiovascular events beyond traditional risk factors. However, the relationship with aging of novel noninvasive measures of aortic function by MRI and their interrelationship with established markers of vascular stiffness remain unclear and currently limit their potential impact. Our aim was to compare age-related changes of central measures of aortic function with carotid distensibility, global carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, and wave reflections. We determined aortic strain, distensibility, and aortic arch pulse wave velocity by MRI, carotid distensibility by ultrasound, and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity by tonometry in 111 asymptomatic subjects (54 men, age range: 20 to 84 years). Central pressures were used to calculate aortic distensibility. Peripheral and central pulse pressure, augmentation index, and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity increased with age, but aortic strain and aortic arch PWV were most closely and specifically related to aging. Ascending aortic (AA) strain and distensibility decreased, respectively, by 5.3+/-0.5% (R(2)=0.54, P<0.0001) and 13.6+/-1 kPa(-1)x10(-3) (R(2)=0.62, P<0.0001), and aortic arch pulse wave velocity increased by 1.6+/-0.13 m/sec (R(2)=0.60, P<0.0001) for each decade of age after adjustment for gender, body size, and heart rate. We demonstrate in this study a dramatic decrease in AA distensibility before the fifth decade of life in individuals with diverse prevalence of risk factors free of overt cardiovascular disease. In particular, compared with other measures of aortic function, the best markers of subclinical large artery stiffening, were AA distensibility in younger and aortic arch pulse wave velocity in older individuals.

Vascular abnormalities may exist before clinical hypertension. Using Poisson regression, the authors studied the association of coronary artery calcium (CAC), common carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), aortic distensibility, and large and small arterial elasticity with incident hypertension among 2,512 normotensive US adults free of cardiovascular disease. Incidence rate ratios for incident hypertension (blood pressure > or =140/90 mm Hg or new antihypertensive medication) were calculated. Increased CAC was associated with incident hypertension in demographics-adjusted models (incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 1.35, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04, 1.75; IRR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.78; and IRR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.12, 2.25 for CAC scores of 30-99, 100-399, and > or =400, respectively) but was attenuated after further adjustment. Increased common CIMT was associated with incident hypertension (IRR = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.28, 2.46 for quintile 4; IRR = 1.80, 95% CI: 1.28, 2.53 for quintile 5). Participants with the lowest, compared with the highest, aortic distensibility had an increased risk of hypertension (IRR = 1.75, 95% CI: 1.10, 2.79), as did those with the lowest large arterial elasticity (IRR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.11, 1.99). Lower small arterial elasticity was incrementally associated with incident hypertension starting at quintile 2 (IRR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.39, 2.91; IRR = 2.47, 95% CI: 1.71, 3.57; IRR = 2.73, 95% CI: 1.88, 3.95; and IRR = 2.85, 95% CI: 1.95, 4.16). Structural and functional vascular abnormalities are independent predictors of incident hypertension. These findings are important for understanding the pathogenesis of hypertension.

Objectives: This study sought to investigate the prevalence and mechanisms underlying right ventricular (RV) dyssynchrony in arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C) using tissue Doppler echocardiography (TDE)., Background: An ARVD/C is characterized by fibrofatty replacement of RV myocardium and RV dilation. These pathologic changes may result in electromechanical dyssynchrony., Methods: Echocardiography, both conventional and TDE, was performed in 52 ARVD/C patients fulfilling Task Force criteria and 25 control subjects. The RV end-diastolic and -systolic areas, right ventricular fractional area change (RVFAC), and left ventricular (LV) volumes and function were assessed. Mechanical synchrony was assessed by measuring differences in time-to-peak systolic velocity (T(SV)) between the RV free wall, ventricular septum, and LV lateral wall. An RV dyssynchrony was defined as the difference in T(SV) between the RV free wall and the ventricular septum, >2 SD above the mean value for control subjects., Results: The mean difference in RV T(SV) was higher in ARVD/C compared with control subjects (55 +/- 34 ms vs. 26 +/- 15 ms, p < 0.001). Significant RV dyssynchrony was not noted in any of the control subjects. Based on a cutoff value of 56 ms, significant RV dyssynchrony was present in 26 ARVD/C patients (50%). Patients with RV dyssynchrony had a larger RV end-diastolic area (22 +/- 5 cm(2) vs. 19 +/- 4 cm(2), p = 0.02), and lower RVFAC (29 +/- 8% vs. 34 +/- 8%, p = 0.03) compared with ARVD/C patients without RV dyssynchrony. No differences in QRS duration, LV volumes, or function were present between the 2 groups., Conclusions: An RV dyssynchrony may occur in up to 50% of ARVD/C patients, and is associated with RV remodeling. This finding may have therapeutic and prognostic implications in ARVD/C.

These reporting guidelines are recommended by the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (SCMR) to provide a framework for healthcare delivery systems to disseminate cardiac and vascular imaging findings related to the performance of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) examinations.

Background: Assessment of right ventricular (RV) function by echocardiography is challenging. Newer techniques such as tissue Doppler echocardiography and strain echocardiography may allow accurate and quantitative assessment of RV function. We sought to determine which echocardiographic variable or variables best correlated with RV ejection fraction (RVEF) by cardiac magnetic resonance., Methods: We performed conventional echocardiography, tissue Doppler echocardiography, strain echocardiography, and cardiac magnetic resonance on 53 individuals, of which 10 patients had arrhythmogenic RV dysplasia without pulmonary hypertension, and 43 were control subjects. RV fractional area change (FAC), Tei index, isovolumic acceleration, peak systolic velocity (S'), tissue displacement, systolic strain (Ss) rate, and Ss were measured., Results: RVEF, FAC, S', tissue displacement, isovolumic acceleration, Ss rate, and Ss were significantly lower in patients compared with control subjects (P < or = .05 in all) but not the Tei index (P = .07). Regression analysis revealed a significant correlation between S', tissue displacement, Ss rate, Ss, and FAC with RVEF (P < .05 for all) but not with isovolumic acceleration and Tei index (P = .13 and .39, respectively). Multivariate analysis demonstrated a persistent significant relationship between S' and FAC with RVEF (both P < .05). However, feasibility, and intraobserver and interobserver agreement, were substantially lower for FAC. A cut-off value of 8.8 cm/s for S' had sensitivity and specificity of 80% and 79% (area under the curve 0.87, P = .01), respectively, for prediction of RVEF less than 45%., Conclusion: Tissue Doppler echocardiographically derived S' best correlates with cardiac magnetic resonance-derived RVEF with high reproducibility and may facilitate simple and quantitative assessment of RV function.