Impact of Preoperative Myocardial Fibrosis Related to Mitral Valve Prolapse on Postoperative Left...
RegurgitationMitralPrimary mitral regurgitation (MR) is the most common valvular disease in western countries. The MR mechanism is often related to a mitral valve prolapse (MVP) defined as a single or bi-leaflet prolapse of at least 2 mm beyond the long-axis mitral annular plane. In recent years, several studies have identified a subtype of MVP patients at higher risk of ventricular arrhythmias (VA) and sudden cardiac death (SCD). The presence of regional myocardial replacement fibrosis (RMRF) has been shown as a risk marker of arrhythmic events (VA and SCD) in patients with MVP. RMRF can be identified using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE+). In these patients, fibrosis was found in the basal inferolateral myocardium and at the level of papillary muscles (PMs). This fibrosis is developed beyond the volume overload related to the MVP. It is probably linked to the mechanical stretch acting upon the valve and the neighboring left ventricle (LV) myocardium. RMRF is associated with a high degree of MR, with specific features of mitral valve apparatus (bi-leaflet prolapse with marked leaflet redundancy, mitral annulus abnormalities (i.e. Mitral-Annular Disjunction)), and more dilated LV. It is also independently associated with the occurrence of cardiovascular events. Mitral valve repair (MVr) is the gold standard treatment for primary Mitral Regurgitation. Very little data concerning the impact of preoperative RMRF on mitral valve surgery outcomes is available, and the impact of myocardial fibrosis on the postoperative left ventricle remodeling has not been studied so far. No previous study compares preoperative and postoperative fibrosis evolution. Thus, no data exists regarding the postoperative evolution of this fibrosis and its relationship with ventricular arrhythmic risk after valve surgery. Small observational studies have suggested that mitral valve surgery did not reduce the risk of ventricular arrhythmias in patients with bileaflet MVP. Finally, the mechanisms involved in the development of regional myocardial replacement fibrosis within the left ventricle myocardium during the natural history of MVP cannot be understood with current standard medical imaging tools. Numerical simulation technologies provide an innovative and in-vivo approach to assess the physical and pathological mechanisms causing this fibrosis. They can also be used to assess the changes in mitral valve and myocardium dynamics after surgical mitral valve repair procedures. A large consortium, involving physicians and scientists, has been created to address these questions to fulfil our objectives over a 4 year period (SIMR project).
A Study of Selexipag Assessing Right Ventricular Remodeling in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension by...
Pulmonary Arterial HypertensionThe purpose of the study is to assess the effects of selexipag on right ventricular (RV) function in participants with Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).
Effects of the Sodium-glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors+Sacubitril/Valsartan Therapy in Patients...
Heart FailureVentricular Remodeling1 moreThe goal of this observational study is to investigate the effects of combination therapy with ARNI and inhibitors of SGLT2 in patients affected by HFrEF. The main questions it aims to answer are: What is the medium-long term impact of the ARNI + glyphozine combination therapy in terms of ventricular remodeling studied by speckle tracking echocardiography (GLS%) and by variation of volumetric indices and contractile function (LVEDV, LVEDD, FE%)? What is the medium-long term impact of the ARNI + glyphozine combination therapy in terms of variation of laboratory data indicative of heart failure (NT-pro-BNP)? What is the medium-long term impact of the ARNI + glyphozine combination therapy in terms of major cardiovascular events (MACVE)? What are the echocardiographic and laboratory parameters predictors of medium-long term major cardiovascular events (MACVE) and ventricular remodeling? Participants will undergo, at the time of enrollment and after approximately 3 and 12 months from the introduction of SGLT-2 inhibitor therapy, at clinical, echocardiographic and biohumoral investigations.
Left Bundle Branch Pacing on Outcomes and Ventricular Remodeling in Biventricular CRT Nonresponders...
Heart FailureLeft Bundle-Branch Block4 moreHeart failure (HF) is the most common nosology encountered in clinical practice. Its incidence and prevalence increase exponentially with increasing age and it is associated with the increased mortality, more frequent hospitalization and decreased quality of life. An initial approach to the treatment of HF patients with reduced left ventricular (LV) systolic function and left bundle branch block (LBBB) was implantation of device for cardiac resynchronization therapy using biventricular pacing. This has resulted in long-term clinical benefits such as improved quality of life, increased functional capacity, reduced HF hospitalizations and overall mortality. However, conventional cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is effective in only 70% of patients. And the remaining 30% of patients are non-responders to conventional CRT. Cardiac conduction system pacing is currently a promising technique for these patients. Particularly, His bundle pacing (HBP) has been developed to achieve the same results. According to other studies HBP has shown greater improvement in hemodynamic parameters comparing with conventional biventricular CRT. But, nevertheless, there are significant clinical troubles with HBP, especially high pacing threshold. In this regard, in 2017, the left bundle branch pacing (LBBP) was developed, which demonstrated clinical advantages compared to conventional biventricular CRT. Also, since 2019, left bundle branch pacing-optimized CRT (LBBPO CRT) has been used in clinical practice. These methods have become an alternative to HBP due to the stimulation of LBB outside the blocking site, a stable pacing threshold and a narrow QRS complex duration on electrocardiogram. A series of case reports and observational studies have demonstrated the efficacy and safety of LBBP and LBBPO CRT in patients with CRT indications. However, it is not enough data about impact of CRT with LBBP and combined CRT with LBBP and LV pacing on myocardial remodeling, reducing mortality and complications. According to our hypothesis, CRT with LBBP and combined CRT with LBBP and LV pacing compared with conventional biventricular pacing will significantly improve the clinical outcomes and reverse myocardial remodeling in patients who are non-responders to biventricular CRT with HF, reduced LV ejection fraction and with indications to CRT devices with defibrillator function (CRT-D) or one of the CRT-D leads replacement.
Pforzheim Tricuspid Valve Registry - Outcomes of Percutaneous Tricuspid Valve Repair
Tricuspid RegurgitationRight Heart Failure4 moreThe Pforzheim Tricuspid Valve Registry study is designed to confirm the safety and performance of the TriClip™ device in a contemporary real-world setting in critically ill patients. The observational trial is a prospective, single arm, open-label, single-center, post market registry.
Effects of Dapagliflozin on Cardiorespiratory Parameters in Heart Failure
Heart FailureHeart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction3 moreDapagliflozin is a molecule belonging to the class of sodium-glucose transporter type 2 (SGLT2-i) inhibitors. This type of drug, initially used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, has in recent years demonstrated significant prognostic benefit in patients with heart failure even in the absence of diabetes mellitus. The new international heart failure guidelines have taken up this evidence by suggesting the use of SGLT2-i therapy in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Given the drug's recent introduction into clinical routine, the evaluation of "field" experience is important to refine the clinical management of patients treated with SGLT2-i. Moreover, SGLT2-i has currently been shown to be effective in some small preliminary studies in improving ejection fraction and some echocardiographic parameters of ventricular remodelling on top of concomitant optimal medical therapy, although further data are needed in this regard. In particular, the potential benefit of SGLT2-i therapy on exercise capacity, respiratory function parameters, biomarkers and left ventricular remodelling in patients with heart failure has not been extensively studied at present. In this regard, the cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) allows the derivation of prognostic functional parameters in patients with chronic heart failure such as peak VO2 and the ventilation/CO2 slope. CPET is a valid, recognised and accurate tool for risk stratification in patients with heart failure. In addition, there are no data available on the effect of SGLT2-i on lung diffusion (DLCO) and specific markers of the alveolar-capillary membrane, such as surfactant binding proteins, as well as on the presence of sleep apnoea, a particularly relevant parameter for the prognosis of decompensated patients. The aim of the study is to evaluate changes in exercise capacity, spirometry, DLCO, echocardiographic parameters of left ventricular systolic-diastolic function, Nt-proBNP dosage, ST-2, surfactant binding proteins, sleep apnoea, impedance measurement and quality of life in a single-centre cohort of 70 patients with heart failure with stable reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (functional class NYHA II and III) and guideline candidates for treatment with Dapagliflozin. Patients will undergo, as per regular clinical practice, an initial assessment (baseline) that will include a clinical evaluation, KCCQ questionnaire for quality of life assessment, spirometry, DLCO, impedance measurement, polysomnography, a cardiopulmonary ramp test, blood tests with dosage of Nt-proBNP, ST-2 and surfactant binding protein, and a standard transthoracic echocardiogram. At baseline, the patient will start treatment with Dapagliflozin at the standard dosage of 10mg/day. A similar evaluation with the same study procedures will be performed 6 months after the start of therapy. A re-evaluation of the patient including venous blood sampling is planned between 2 and 4 weeks after the start of Dapagliflozin from clinical practice. In the context of this sampling, the assay of the biomarkers under study will also be repeated.
Modulation of Fibrosis-inducing Pathways in Acute Myocardial Infarction
Myocardial InfarctionMyocardial Fibrosis2 moreThis is a single-center, prospective, observational controlled cohort study designed to describe the role of WNT/B-catenin signaling and adenosine system after an acute myocardial infarction, correlating it with clinical markers of fibrosis/remodeling (primary objective). The modulation of the aforementioned molecular patterns will also be evaluated in light of the type of P2Y12 inhibitor implemented (ticagrelor or prasugrel) to identify variations in response (secondary objective).
The Effects and Mechanism of SGLT2 Inhibitors in Stage B of Heart Failure With Hypertension
Heart FailureHypertension2 moreThis study is a multicenter randomized controlled trial designed to recruit individuals in the pre-heart failure stage who have hypertension without concurrent diabetes. Participants will be randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio into the empagliflozin group (10 mg daily) or the placebo group, and they will undergo a follow-up period of 6 months. The primary endpoint for evaluation will be the left atrial volume index. The secondary endpoints will encompass cardiac structure and function parameters, as well as biomarkers obtained from blood samples. These biomarkers will include indicators of fibrosis, inflammation, cardiac function, and routine blood parameters. The overarching goal of the research is to comprehensively assess the impact of empagliflozin on the cardiac structure and function of pre-heart failure patients with hypertension while delving deeply into the mechanisms through which it exerts its effects.
The Effects of Sacubitril-Valsartan vs Enalapril on Left Ventricular Remodeling in ST-elevation...
STEMIThe primary objective of the PERI-STEMI trial is to assess whether sacubitril-valsartan is more effective in preventing adverse LV remodeling for patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) than enalapril.
Conventional Biventricular Versus Left Bundle Branch Pacing on Outcomes in Heart Failure Patients...
Heart FailureLeft Bundle-Branch Block5 moreHeart failure (HF) is the most common nosology encountered in clinical practice. Its incidence and prevalence increase exponentially with increasing age and it is associated with increased mortality, more frequent hospitalization and decreased quality of life. An initial approach to the treatment of HF patients with reduced left ventricular (LV) systolic function and left bundle branch block (LBBB) was implantation of cardioresynchronization device using biventricular pacing. This has resulted in long-term clinical benefits such as improved quality of life, increased functional capacity, reduced HF hospitalizations and overall mortality. However, conventional cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is effective in only 70% of patients. And the remaining 30% of patients are non-responders to conventional CRT. Subsequently, His bundle pacing (HBP) has been developed to achieve the same results. According to other studies HBP has showed greater improvement in hemodynamic parameters than with conventional biventricular CRT. But, nevertheless, there are significant clinical troubles with HBP. In this regard, in 2017, the left bundle branch pacing (LBBP) was developed, which demonstrated clinical advantages compared to biventricular CRT. This method has become an alternative to HBP due to the stimulation of LBB outside the blocking site, a stable pacing threshold and a narrow QRS duration. A series of case reports and observational studies have demonstrated the efficacy and safety of LBBP in patients with CRT indications. However, it is not enough data about CRT with LBBP effectiveness in LV remodeling, reducing mortality and complications. According to our hypothesis, CRT with LBBP compared with conventional biventricular CRT will significantly improve the clinical outcomes and reverse LV remodeling in patients with chronic HF with reduced LV ejection fraction and reduce the number of non-responders to conventional CRT.