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ObjectiveThe European Society of Cardiology guidelines have recently defined new cut-offs for pulmonary hypertension (PH) and pulmonary vasculature resistance (PVR; median pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) >20 instead of 25 mm Hg and PVR >2 instead of 3 Wood unit). The prognostic value of this updated classification after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is unknown.Methods579 consecutive patients treated by TAVI with preprocedural right heart catheterisation evaluation were included. Patients were grouped as: (1) no PH, (2) isolated precapillary/combined (I-PreC/Co) PH and (3) isolated postcapillary PH (I-PoC). All-cause death, cardiovascular death and hospitalisations for heart failure (HF) were evaluated at follow-up. We also analysed the prognostic role of residual postprocedural PH.ResultsOut of 579 patients, 299 (52%) had PH according to the new criteria compared with 185 (32%) according to the previous ones. Overall median age was 82 years, while 55.3% patients were male. Patients with PH were more frequently diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and atrial fibrillation and were characterised by higher surgical risk as compared with patients without PH.At a median follow-up of 2.9 years, the presence of PH according to previous definition was associated with worse survival (p<0.001) and HF hospitalisation (p=0.002) rates, irrespective of PVR values. With newer cut-offs, PH was associated with worse outcomes only in patients with increased PVR, while no differences were found between patients with PH and normal PVR values and those without PH. Postprocedural mPAP normalisation was observed in 45% of the cases, but it was associated with improved long-term survival only in the I-PoC PH group.ConclusionsNew ESC PH cut-offs increased the number of PH diagnoses. The presence of PH, particularly in the setting of increased PVR, identify patients at higher risk for postprocedural mortality and rehospitalisation. Normalisation of PH was associated with better survival only in I-PoC group.

A myocardial bridge (MB) is a condition where a segment of an epicardial coronary artery passes through the myocardial muscle. While traditionally regarded as benign, MBs have been associated with various cardiovascular conditions. Therefore, assessing their hemodynamic impact is crucial for informed treatment decisions. Intracoronary functional assessments, such as fractional flow reserve (FFR) and instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR), have proven useful, especially under inotropic stimulation. However, their invasive nature limits their widespread clinical application. The Quantitative Flow Ratio (QFR) has emerged as a minimally invasive alternative for functional evaluation of MBs, though data on its use are still limited. This study aims to compare the diagnostic efficacy of FFR, iFR, and QFR for evaluating MBs both at rest and under stress conditions. Patients with confirmed MB on the LAD and typical angina (or abnormal noninvasive tests indicating myocardial ischemia) were included. According to a prespecified protocol, all patients underwent functional intracoronary evaluation with FFR and iFR at rest and after dobutamine and atropine intravenous infusion. QFR was also calculated for all cases both at rest and during dobutamine infusion. FFR values ≤0.80, iFR values ≤0.89 and QFR values ≤0.84 were considered indicative of significant myocardial ischemia. A total of 21 patients were included. Median FFR remained unchanged from rest (0.85) to stress (0.85), with only 1 patient showing a positive stress-FFR. In contrast, median iFR significantly decreased from 0.91 to 0.79 (p <0.001), with stress-iFR ≤0.89 in 18 patients. Resting QFR did not indicate significant hemodynamic impact of the MB (median 0.90), but under inotropic stimulation, ischemia was detected in 18 patients (median 0.79, p <0.001). QFR and iFR were concordant during stress in 19 patients, showing a significant positive correlation (Spearman’s ρ = 0.702, p = 0.037) and comparable sensitivity (0.86). QFR, computed during inotropic infusion, shows high sensitivity for detecting MB-related ischemia, comparable to stress-iFR and superior to stress-FFR. The correlation between stress-induced iFR and QFR suggests QFR as a reliable, minimally invasive alternative for functional lesion-specific evaluation in MB patients. Larger studies are necessary to confirm these preliminary findings and standardize QFR use in dynamic coronary stenosis assessments. Central Illustration. Diagnostic work-up example. [Display omitted]

Right-sided cardiac catheterization (RHC) is selectively recommended in mitral valve transcatheter edge-to-edge (M-TEER) workup because right ventricle (RV) hemodynamic parameters predict adverse outcomes. This study examines the impact of RV hemodynamics and the prognostic value of the 2022 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) pulmonary hypertension definitions on outcomes after M-TEER. Of 152 patients treated with M-TEER for symptomatic severe mitral regurgitation (MR) between December 2014 and February 2024 at our tertiary center, 71 underwent elective RHC before the procedure. The primary outcomes assessed were all-cause mortality and a composite of heart failure hospitalization and death at the longest available follow-up. In a cohort of 152 mostly male patients (64%) with a median age of 79 years who were treated for symptomatic severe MR, 71 underwent elective RHC. The causes were categorized as degenerative (47%), functional ventricular (41%), and atrial (12%). Pulmonary hypertension (PH) was common, with 74% showing mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) >20 mm Hg and 39% with pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) >2 Wood Units. Success rates were high, with technical, device, and procedural success at 97%, 88%, and 84%, respectively. At a median follow-up of 681 days, all-cause mortality was 50%, and the composite outcome (death or heart failure hospitalizations) occurred in 61%. Key hemodynamic parameters, including mPAP, PVR, and the tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion/systolic pulmonary artery pressure ratio, were independently linked to mortality risk. Kaplan-Meier analysis found significant associations with mPAP >20 mm Hg and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure >15 mm Hg for long-term mortality, whereas the 2022 ESC PH thresholds showed greater sensitivity, correlating with increased mortality risk. In patients with severe MR who undergo M-TEER, most RV invasive hemodynamic parameters are linked to adverse long-term outcomes, with mPAP, PVR, and the tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion/systolic pulmonary artery pressure ratio identified as independent predictors of mortality. Despite the study's limited sample size, the updated ESC PH definitions enhance prognostic assessment.

Precapillary (PrPH) and combined pre and postcapillary pulmonary hypertension (CoPH) increase all-cause and cardiovascular mortality risk in patients undergoing TAVI for severe symptomatic aortic stenosis. Since pulmonary artery (PA) diameter adapts to increased pulmonary artery pressure, this study evaluates the correlation between CT-derived main PA (MPA), right PA (RPA), left PA (LPA) diameters, and the MPA/ascending aorta (AA) ratio with PH subtypes defined by right heart catheterization (RHC), as well as their prognostic impact. This retrospective study includes all consecutive patients undergoing TAVR between June 2007 to December 2022 with pre-TAVI RHC and ECG-gated CT scans. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality. Mean follow-up time was 5 years. Among 638 consecutive patients, 329 (51%) had normal mPAP, while 309 (49%) had PH. Of these, 143 (46%) had isolated postcapillary PH (IpcPH), and 166 (54%) had CoPH. Patients with PrPH were excluded. CoPH patients had higher PAP than both IpcPH and no-PH groups. In univariable and multivariable analysis, MPA, MPA index (MPAi), RPA, RPA index (RPAi), MPA/AA, MPAi/AA, and RPA/LPA correlated with PH, while MPA, MPAi, RPA, RPAi, MPA/AA, and MPAi/AA were associated with CoPH. The best AUC for PH discrimination was MPAi (AUC = 0.71, cutoff = 16 mm/m², sensitivity = 66%, specificity = 72%), while MPA/AA best discriminated CoPH (AUC = 0.73, cutoff = 0.88, sensitivity = 67%, specificity = 72%). Patients with PA/AA <0.88 had significantly lower 5-year mortality after TAVI than those with PA/AA ≥0.88 (log-rank p = 0.046, HR 1.39). In conclusion, Increase in MPA/AA CT-derived ratio is predictive of Combined PH, highlighting patients who could benefit from a RHC in term of CV stratification before TAVI.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complicated by cardiogenic shock (CS) is a life-threatening condition frequently encountered in patients with multivessel coronary artery disease (CAD). Despite prompt revascularization, in particular, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and therapeutic and technological advances, the mortality rate for patients with CS related to AMI remains unacceptably high. Differently form a hemodynamically stable setting, a culprit lesion-only (CLO) revascularization strategy is currently suggested for AMI–CS patients, based on the results of recent randomized evidence burdened by several limitations and conflicting results from non-randomized studies. Furthermore, mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices have emerged as a key therapeutic option in CS, especially in the case of their early implantation without delaying revascularization and before irreversible organ damage has occurred. We provide an in-depth review of the current evidence on optimal revascularization strategies of multivessel CAD in infarct-related CS, assessing the role of different types of MCS devices and highlighting the importance of shock teams and medical care system networks to effectively impact on clinical outcomes.

Iatrogenic membranous ventricular septal defects (VSDs) are rare complications of cardiothoracic surgery, such as septal myectomy for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). Transcatheter closure is considered an appealing alternative to surgery, given the increased mortality associated with repeated surgical procedures, but reports are extremely limited. We herein report the case of a 63-year-old woman with HOCM who underwent successful percutaneous closure of an iatrogenic VSD after septal myectomy. Two percutaneous techniques are discussed, namely the 'muscular anchoring' and the 'buddy wire delivery', aimed at increasing support and providing stability to the system during percutaneous intervention. Transcatheter closure represents an attractive minimally invasive approach for the management of symptomatic iatrogenic VSDs. The new techniques described could help operators to cross tortuous and tunnelled defects and to deploy closure devices in case of complex VSD anatomy.