Managing clinically significant primary mitral regurgitation is challenging. Right ventricular-pulmonary arterial coupling, assessed with tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP) ratio, reflects right ventricular adaptability to afterload. This international multicenter cohort study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of rest TAPSE/sPAP and exercise TAPSE (exTAPSE)/sPAP in primary mitral regurgitation.

Patients with prior ischemic stroke are at high risk for recurrent stroke and other major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). The benefits of achieving very low levels of low-density lipoproteins-cholesterol (LDL-C) in such patients is unclear.

There are currently no robust clinical markers for assessing prognosis in patients with heart failure (HF) with recovered left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). This study sought to investigate whether NT-proBNP (N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide) measured at the time of LVEF recovery is an independent predictor of prognosis among patients with HF with recovered LVEF.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) causes more than 50% of deaths in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). Clinical studies suggest that kidney-derived factors contribute to CVD development in CKD, independently of co-morbidities. However, to date, no kidney-specific humoral risk factor that triggers direct cardiotoxicity has been identified. In this cross-sectional study, we investigate how, in CKD patients, circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs) facilitate pathological kidney-heart communication, thereby causing cardiotoxicity, impairing cardiac function, and contributing to heart failure (HF) progression.

Randomized trials of venous thrombolysis to prevent postthrombotic syndrome have produced mixed results. A method to identify patients most likely to benefit from interventional treatment is needed. This study evaluated a contrast-free, magnetic resonance-based multisequence thrombus imaging (MSTI) technique to characterize deep venous thrombi and predict susceptibility to thrombolysis.

Patients with cardiovascular conditions like heart failure (HF) often exhibit significant heterogeneity of the risk of clinical events. In clinical trials, large risk heterogeneity can result in an underestimation of treatment effects derived from Cox proportional hazards models. This occurs due to selection bias when estimating the hazard ratio, stemming from a disproportionate reduction of event-free patients in the control group compared with an effective active group over time, ultimately reducing the statistical power. Therefore, it is important to explore alternative analysis methods for outcome trials that are robust with respect to risk heterogeneity.

The dissemination of novel procedures should attempt to strike a balance between access and procedure quality. This study aimed to evaluate the temporal trends and geographic dispersion of mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (M-TEER) sites and to examine the associations of site volume and site-to-population density with patient outcomes.

Patients with heart failure tend to experience higher rates of hospital readmissions compared with other ambulatory care-sensitive conditions. In Sweden, the nationwide Care Coordination Act (CCA) was introduced in January 2018 with the goal of improving care coordination, resulting in a reduction of readmissions and length of stay. There is insufficient knowledge regarding the effect of this reform on patients with heart failure.

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has led to the first approval of mRNA vaccines in humans. By producing the full-length SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein, they induce protective antiviral immunity. Acute myopericarditis (AMP) development after vaccination has repeatedly been reported; however, the pathogenesis of this complication remains elusive.

Nitric oxide (NO), generated by the endothelial NO synthase (eNOS), regulates vascular tone and endothelial homeostasis to counteract vascular inflammation. Most eNOS is localized at the cell membrane or in the Golgi apparatus, but the enzyme is also present in the endothelial cell nucleus. Here, we assessed the relevance of nuclear eNOS and NO signaling for endothelial cell function.

Impaired efferocytosis of macrophages within advanced atherosclerotic plaques leads to plaque deposition and rupture, ultimately resulting in atherothrombotic events. Effective restoration of efferocytic capacity in lesional macrophages remains a challenge in atherosclerosis treatment.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia, characterized by atrial fibrosis, a crucial substrate facilitating its initiation and persistence. CKAP4 (cytoskeleton-associated protein 4) has been associated with fibroblast activation; however, its involvement in atrial remodeling and AF susceptibility remains unclear.

Multifocal ectopic Purkinje-related premature contractions syndrome presents as a rare cardiac disorder characterized by frequent multifocal ectopic ventricular beats with narrow QRS complexes, originating from various ectopic foci along the fascicular-Purkinje system. It is characterized by mutations in the SCN5A gene, inducing a gain-of-function in the human cardiac voltage-gated Na+ channel (Nav1.5), which causes an alteration in the action potentials of the cardiomyocytes. The syndrome was initially delineated in 2012 by Laurent et al in 3 Dutch families, subsequently garnering recognition through several reported cases worldwide. Clinically, it often manifests with a familial predisposition to other arrhythmogenic cardiac diseases, alongside symptoms such as palpitations and syncope. A key diagnostic hallmark is the high daily burden of multifocal premature ventricular contractions observed on 24-hour dynamic ECG, with evidence of repetitive ventricular arrhythmias. This can potentially induce a reversible form of left ventricular dilation with systolic dysfunction, known as premature ventricular contraction-induced cardiomyopathy. Diagnosis may be challenging, requiring exclusion of the most frequent causes of ventricular arrhythmias first. The disappearance of arrhythmias during a stress test and the inefficacy of catheter ablation procedures may serve as additional elements to bolster the suspicion of multifocal ectopic Purkinje-related premature contractions syndrome. Genetic testing and electrophysiological studies are pivotal in confirming the diagnosis. Therapeutic management of this syndrome primarily involves medical therapy with class I antiarrhythmic drugs, such as flecainide and quinidine, which may reduce ventricular arrhythmias and associated symptoms. In this systematic review, our aim was to provide an exhaustive insight into the genetic basis, diagnosis, and treatment strategies for this intriguing yet relatively underexplored syndrome.