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Background Ventricular‐arterial coupling predicts outcomes in patients with heart failure. The arterial elastance to end‐systolic elastance ratio (Ea/Ees) is a noninvasively assessed index that reflects ventricular‐arterial coupling. We aimed to determine the prognostic value of ventricular‐arterial coupling assessed through Ea/Ees after transcatheter aortic valve replacement to predict clinical events. Methods and Results We retrieved data on 1378 patients (70% women) who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement between October 2013 and May 2017 from the OCEAN‐TAVI (Optimized transCathEter vAlvular iNtervention) Japanese multicenter registry. We determined the association between Ea/Ees and the composite end point of hospitalization for heart failure and cardiovascular death by classifying the patients into quartiles based on Ea/Ees values (group 1: 0.666) during the midterm follow‐up after transcatheter aortic valve replacement. During a median follow‐up period of 736 days (interquartile range, 414–956), there were 247 (17.9%) all‐cause deaths, 89 (6.5%) cardiovascular deaths, 130 (9.4%) hospitalizations for heart failure, and 199 (14.4%) composite events of hospitalization for heart failure and cardiovascular death. The incidence of the composite end point was significantly higher in group 2 (hazard ratio [HR], 1.76; 95% CI, 1.08–2.87 [ P =0.024]), group 3 (HR, 2.43; 95% CI, 1.53–3.86 [ P P P =0.015]). Conclusions These findings suggest that a higher Ea/Ees at discharge after transcatheter aortic valve replacement is associated with adverse clinical outcomes during midterm follow‐up. Registration URL: https://www.upload.umin.ac.jp/ . Unique identifier: UMIN000020423.

ObjectiveTranscatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) improves clinical symptoms in most patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS). However, some patients do not benefit from the symptom-reducing effects of TAVR. We assessed the predictors and clinical outcomes of poor symptomatic improvement (SI) after TAVR.MethodsA total of 1749 patients with severe symptomatic AS undergoing transfemoral TAVR were evaluated using the Japanese multicentre TAVR registry. Poor SI was defined as readmission for heart failure (HF) within 1 year after TAVR or New York Heart Association (NYHA) class ≥3 after 1 year. A logistic regression model was used to identify predictors of poor SI. One-year landmark analysis after TAVR was used to evaluate the association between poor SI and clinical outcomes.ResultsAmong the overall population (mean age, 84.5 years; female, 71.3%; mean STS score, 6.3%), 6.6% were categorised as having poor SI. Atrial fibrillation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Clinical Frailty Scale ≥4, chronic kidney disease and moderate to severe mitral regurgitation were independent predictors of poor SI. One-year landmark analysis demonstrated that poor SI had a higher incidence of all-cause death and readmission for HF compared with SI (pConclusionsPoor SI was associated with worse outcomes 1 year after the procedure. It had a greater impact on clinical outcomes than baseline symptoms. TAVR may be challenging for patients with many predictors of poor SI.Trial registration numberThis registry, associated with the University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry, was accepted by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (UMIN-ID: 000020423).

Background: Current guidelines recommend dual antiplatelet therapy for the first 1 to 6 months after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR); however, recent studies have reported better outcomes with single antiplatelet therapy than with dual antiplatelet therapy in the occurrence of bleeding events, while not increasing thrombotic events. However, no data exist about optimal single antiplatelet therapy following TAVR. Methods: Patients who underwent TAVR between October 2013 and May 2017 were enrolled from the OCEAN-TAVI Japanese multicenter registry (Optimized Transcatheter Valvular Intervention). After excluding 1759 patients, 829 who received aspirin (100 mg/d) or clopidogrel (75 mg/d) after TAVR were identified and stratified according to the presence or absence of anticoagulation. Propensity score matching was performed to adjust the baseline characteristics between the aspirin and clopidogrel groups. Outcomes of interest were all-cause and cardiovascular deaths, stroke, and life-threatening or major bleeding within 2 years following TAVR. Results: After propensity score matching, 98 and 157 pairs of patients without and with anticoagulation, respectively, were identified. Falsification end points of pneumonia, urinary tract infection, and hip fracture were evaluated, and their rates were not different between groups. All-cause deaths were not statistically different between the groups in patients with (aspirin, 17.5%; clopidogrel, 11.1%; log-rank P =0.07) and without (aspirin, 29.6%; clopidogrel, 20.1%; log-rank P =0.15) anticoagulation at 2 years post-TAVR, whereas clopidogrel was associated with a lower cardiovascular mortality at 2 years in patients with (aspirin, 8.5%; clopidogrel, 2.7%; log-rank P =0.03) and without (aspirin, 18.0%; clopidogrel, 5.2%; log-rank P =0.02) anticoagulation. Conclusions: We demonstrated that clopidogrel monotherapy was associated with a lower incidence of cardiovascular death compared with aspirin monotherapy during the 2-year follow-up after TAVR regardless of anticoagulation use. Registration: URL: https://upload.umin.ac.jp ; Unique identifier: UMIN000020423.

Background In patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), those with small left ventricle (LV) may have an increased risk of poor outcomes, because small LV is associated with low‐flow (LF), left ventricular hypertrophy. However, the impact of small LV on patients undergoing TAVR remains unknown. Methods and Results We examined 2584 patients who underwent TAVR between October 2013 and May 2017 using data from the Japanese multicenter registry. On the basis of the American Society of Echocardiography guidelines, small LV was defined as left ventricular end‐diastolic dimension P =0.0013) and cardiovascular mortality (8.8% versus 5.5%; adjusted HR, 1.93 [95% CI, 1.25–2.98]; P =0.0028). Propensity score matching analysis showed consistent findings. In subgroup analyses, LF, left ventricular hypertrophy did not interact with small LV. Conclusions Small LV, determined by a simple echocardiographic parameter, was associated with poorer clinical outcomes after TAVR regardless of LF, left ventricular hypertrophy. LV size may be useful for assessing clinical outcomes after TAVR. Registration URL: https://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/index.htm ; Unique identifier: UMIN000020423.

OBJECTIVES To compare safety, efficacy, and hemodynamics of transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) using self-expanding and balloon-expandable transcatheter heart valves (THVs) in patients with a small aortic annulus. BACKGROUND Few studies have directly compared TAVR outcomes using third-generation THVs, focusing on patients with small aortic annuli. METHODS In a multicenter TAVR registry, we analyzed data from 576 patients with a small annulus and who underwent transfemoral TAVR using third-generation THVs. Propensity score matching was used to adjust baseline clinical characteristics. RESULTS The device success rate in the overall cohort was 92.0% (Evolut R: 92.1% vs. Sapien 3:92.0%, p = 0.96). One year after TAVR, patients treated with Evolut R maintained a lower mean pressure gradient (mPG) and a higher indexed effective orifice area (iEOA) in the matched cohort {mPG: 9.0 [interquartile range (IQR): 6.0-11.9] vs. 12.0 [IQR: 9.9-16.3] mmHg, p

Objectives This study aimed to compare the clinical impact of mild postprocedural aortic regurgitation (post-AR) to that of none-trivial post-AR after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and to identify the vulnerability factors to mild post-AR. Background Moderate-severe post-AR, associated with increased mortality, is an important issue. However, the clinical impact of mild post-AR remains controversial. Methods and results We analyzed data from 1,572 consecutive patients (1,026 of none-trivial post-AR and 546 of mild post-AR) obtained from the Optimized transCathEter vAlvular Intervention (OCEAN-TAVI) Japanese multicenter registry. We evaluated the 1-year cumulative cardiovascular death and re-hospitalization rates for heart failure (HF) after TAVI according to the degree of post-AR. Kaplan-Meier curves showed no significant difference between "none-trivial post-AR" and "mild post-AR" in terms of cardiovascular death, but a significant difference was noted in the cumulative incidence of re-hospitalization for HF between the two groups (hazard ratio 1.57, 95% confidence interval 1.02-2.41, p = .04). In the stratified analysis, only in patients with not more than 50% of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), concentric left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), and none-trivial pre-procedural aortic regurgitation (pre-AR), mild post-AR resulted in a higher incidence of re-hospitalization for HF. Conclusions In this study, the clinical impact of mild post-AR compared to none-trivial post-AR tended to be augmented in the presence of reduced LVEF, concentric LVH, and none-trivial pre-AR. Pre-procedure echocardiographic findings including LVEF, left ventricular geometry, and pre-AR may help to judge the necessity of postdilatation in case of mild post-AR just after the bioprosthesis deployment.

ObjectiveThere is paucity of data on optimal medical treatment, including use of beta blockers for patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). The study aimed to investigate the association of beta blockers and clinical outcomes following TAVR.MethodsWe examined data of 2563 patients who underwent TAVR between October 2013 and May 2017 obtained from a prospective multicentre cohort registry, the optimised catheter valvular intervention-TAVI registry. We compared the 2-year cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality and in-hospital outcomes between patients with and without preprocedural beta-blocker administration by propensity score matching (PSM).ResultsPreprocedural beta blockers were prescribed in 867 patients (33.8%). After PSM, the incidence of in-hospital congestive heart failure was significantly lower in patients with preprocedural beta blocker (p=0.046). No differences were found in 2-year cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality. In the subgroup analyses, beta-blocker administration was associated with a lower cardiovascular mortality within 2 years in patients with a history of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG; log-rank p=0.017), presence of peripheral artery disease (PAD; log-rank p=0.003) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) ≥400 pg/mL (log-rank p=0.003). When stratified by postprocedural left ventricular ejection fraction (post-LVEF), beta-blocker administration was associated with a lower cardiovascular mortality among patients with post-LVEF ConclusionsPreprocedural beta-blocker administration was not associated with 2-year cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality in overall, but was associated with a lower 2-year cardiovascular mortality in patients with a history of CABG, presence of PAD, BNP ≥400 pg/mL and post-LVEF