UNASSIGNED: The current recommendations for the management of neonatal polycythemia are that partial exchange transfusion (PET) should be performed if the hematocrit is >70% in an asymptomatic neonate, or if the haematocrit is >65% in a symptomatic neonate. The hemodynamic effects of PET for neonatal polycythemia have not been well researched.
UNASSIGNED: To evaluate the hemodynamic effects of PET in neonates with polycythemia.
UNASSIGNED: Prospective observational study conducted in a neonatal intensive care unit of a tertiary care teaching hospital enrolling 21 neonates with polycythemia who underwent PET. Hemodynamic and echocardiographic parameters were obtained prior to PET and 6 h after procedure.
UNASSIGNED: The mean gestational age of neonates with polycythemia was 35.08 ± 2.35 weeks with a mean birth weight of 1,929 ± 819.2 g. There was a significant improvement noted in heart rate and oxygen saturation post PET procedure (p < 0.05). Right ventricular systolic function parameters showed significant improvement (Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, fractional area change, right ventricular output) (p < 0.05). Left ventricular function parameters showed significant improvement (Fractional shortening, left ventricular output, E:A ratio) (p < 0.05). Resolution of symptoms was noted after PET procedure with no adverse events associated with PET.
UNASSIGNED: PET maybe effective in improving heart rate and oxygen saturation levels in polycythemic neonates. It has good short-term hemodynamic stability with improvement in right ventricular systolic, as well as left ventricular systolic and diastolic function. It is a safe and effective procedure with minimal adverse effects. Further studies with larger sample size and a control group would be required to corroborate our findings.

Background Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of mortality worldwide. Cardiometabolic abnormalities result in alterations in the myocardial structure and function. Limited data are available on these changes in young adults with various cardiometabolic risk profiles. The goal was to study the relationship between cardiometabolic risk and echocardiographic changes in young patients of both sexes in a Russian population, using a risk-based cardiometabolic disease staging (CMDS) system. Methods A total of 191 patients were included. The patients were classified into five groups based on the CMDS system. We gathered patient history and performed a physical exam, biochemical blood analysis, and echocardiography. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 23 (Released 2015; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States). Results The median age of the participants was 35 (30.0-39.0) years. Elevated systolic and diastolic blood pressure and hypertriglyceridemia were more frequent (p < 0.05) in males than in females. An increase in the end-diastolic volume (EDV) and end-systolic volume (ESV) and a decrease in the ejection fraction were noted from CMDS 0 to 3. The EDV and ESV were associated with most cardiometabolic risk factors and strongly correlated with the visceral fat level, waist circumference, and body mass index. We identified a new subgroup as CMDS 3-overly high in patients with CMDS 3 and an excess level of visceral fat. Conclusion When designing strategies for cardiovascular disease prevention in young adults apart from CMDS parameters, bioimpedance analysis should be considered to assess the level of visceral fat, especially in individuals with CMDS 3 because they are at a higher risk of cardiac chamber enlargements. These results can be used to identify new dominants or phenotypes of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Multiparametric risk assessment tools determine mortality risk in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) by combining invasive and noninvasive variables so management strategies can be tailored to individuals.
Can a risk score based on common echocardiographic parameters risk-stratify patients with PAH?
A Registry to Evaluate Early and Long-Term PAH Disease Management (REVEAL) echocardiographic risk score (REVEAL-ECHO) was derived using retrospective echocardiographic data from 2,400 adult patients with PAH enrolled in the REVEAL registry database. A stepwise Cox regression model identified echocardiographic parameters significantly predictive of survival. Values were assigned to each selected parameter based on survival at 12 months\' follow-up (Kaplan-Meier estimates). The REVEAL-ECHO risk score was the sum of individual values. Patients were categorized as having low, intermediate, or high risk based on Kaplan-Meier-predicted 12-month survival.
The risk score included four echocardiographic parameters-right ventricular (RV) chamber enlargement, reduced RV systolic function, tricuspid regurgitation severity, and pericardial effusion-and accounted for PAH etiology. Higher REVEAL-ECHO risk scores signaled lower probability of 12-month survival. Statistically significant separation of mortality risk was observed among the risk strata: intermediate vs low (hazard ratio [HR], 1.43; 95% CI, 1.17-1.75; P = .0004) and high vs low (HR, 2.60; 95% CI, 2.19-3.10; P < .0001). Augmentation of the REVEAL Lite 2 risk calculator with REVEAL-ECHO risk scores achieved separation of REVEAL Lite 2 into four risk groups and identified a subgroup of patients with a low REVEAL Lite 2 risk score who were at higher risk (intermediate-low risk) and a subgroup of patients with an intermediate REVEAL Lite 2 risk score who also were at higher risk (intermediate-high risk).
A REVEAL-ECHO risk score, derived using four echocardiographic parameters, may discriminate risk further when used as an adjunct to current risk assessment scores. Further validation is required.

Metformin, the first-line drug in type 2 diabetes mellitus, elicits cardiovascular protection also in obese patients via pleiotropic effects, among which the anti-oxidant is one of the most investigated. The aim of the present study was to assess whether metformin can acutely mitigate oxidative stress in atrial tissue harvested from overweight non-diabetic patients. Right atrial appendage samples were harvested during open-heart surgery and used for the evaluation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production by means of confocal microscopy (superoxide anion) and spectrophotometry (hydrogen peroxide). Experiments were performed after acute incubation with metformin (10 µM) in the presence vs. absence of angiotensin II (AII, 100 nM), lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 1 μg/mL), and high glucose (Gluc, 400 mg/dL). Stimulation with AII, LPS, and high Gluc increased ROS production. The magnitude of oxidative stress correlated with several echocardiographic parameters. Metformin applied in the lowest therapeutic concentration (10 µM) was able to decrease ROS generation in stimulated but also non-stimulated atrial samples. In conclusion, in a pilot group of overweight non-diabetic cardiac patients, acute incubation with metformin at a clinically relevant dose alleviated oxidative stress both in basal conditions and conditions that mimicked the activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, acute inflammation, and uncontrolled hyperglycemia.

OBJECTIVE: To test the efficacy of Comprehensive pharmaceutical care intervention added to cardiac rehabilitation program(CR programs) in improving echocardiographic parameters, nutritional status and High sensitivity C-Reactive Protein(hs-CRP), in post-acute coronary syndrome patients.
METHODS: A prospective; randomized, controlled study. 40 post-acute coronary syndrome patients, participating in CR program, were randomly allocated to either the control group(n = 20) or the intervention group(n = 20). Pharmaceutical care intervention included face-to-face education about the disease, healthy lifestyle, medication adherence, drug related problems management and goal setting. hs-CRP and cardiac parameters were measured at baseline and after 3 months.
RESULTS: After three months,the intervention group showed a significant decrease in left ventricular end systolic volume (p = 0.0026) and left ventricular end diastolic volume (p = 0.0009) compared to the control group. Also, intervention group showed a significant increase in nutritional status (p = 0.037) and the patients\' knowledge about the disease and drugs (p = 0.0001). However, there was no significant change in hscrp level between groups.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that Comprehensive pharmaceutical care intervention added to CR programs significantly improved cardiac parameters and nutritional status. This is best explained by increasing adherence to cardiovascular medications and to healthier lifestyle and optimizing medication knowledge and doses.
CONCLUSIONS: Implementing Comprehensive pharmaceutical care intervention added to CR programs could improve the cardiac function and nutritional status of post-acute coronary syndrome patients.

UNASSIGNED: Heart transplantation is now widely performed in China, but the current entry criteria for heart transplantation donors are simple and lack reliable standards; there are still no studies on the effect of preoperative echocardiographic parameters of heart transplantation donors on the prognosis of the recipient. Therefore, the aim of this study is twofold: (I) to observe the characteristics of changes in echocardiographic parameters of the donor\'s heart before and after heart transplantation and (II) to study the relationship between the changes in echocardiographic parameters of the donor\'s heart pre- and post-transplant and transplant recipient survival.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 29 patients who underwent orthotopic heart transplant in our hospital from October 2016 to October 2019 were enrolled in this study. All recipients were followed up until April 2020. Echocardiographic data were collected pre-transplantation (donor) and at 1 week and 1 month post-transplant (recipient).
UNASSIGNED: Compared with the pretransplanted donor\'s heart, there was an increase in the interventricular septal diameter, left ventricular posterior wall diameter, right atrium diameter and right ventricular diameter, while a decrease was found in the tricuspid annular systolic displacement and tricuspid annular peak systolic velocity at 1 week post-transplant. The survival curve showed that the postoperative survival time in the right atrium/ventricle ≥32 mm group was better than that in the right atrium/ventricle <32 mm group. The survival curve also showed that the postoperative survival time in the right atrium/ventricle enlargement <2 mm group was better than that in the right atrium/ventricle enlargement ≥2 mm group.
UNASSIGNED: In the early post-transplant period, ventricular myocardial thickening, right heart enlargement and a decrease in right heart function were observed in the post-transplanted heart compared to the pretransplanted donor\'s heart. Postoperative survival was higher among heart transplant patients who received a heart with right atrium/ventricle ≥32 mm. Postoperative survival was lower among heart transplant patients whose right atrium/ventricle was dilated ≥2 mm at 1 month postoperatively compared with the pretransplanted donor\'s heart.

UNASSIGNED: Since kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) have a high cardiovascular disease burden, adequate risk prediction is of importance. Whether echocardiographic parameters and plasma biomarkers, natriuretic peptides [N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP)] and troponin T provide complementary or overlapping prognostic information on cardiovascular events remains uncertain.
UNASSIGNED: The prospective Heterogeneity of Monocytes and Echocardiography Among Allograft Recipients in Nephrology (HOME ALONE) study followed 177 KTRs for 5.4 ± 1.7 years. Predefined endpoints were hospitalization for acute decompensated heart failure or all-cause death (HF/D) and major atherosclerotic cardiovascular events or all-cause death (MACE/D). At baseline, plasma NT-proBNP, plasma troponin T and echocardiographic parameters [left atrial volume index, left ventricular (LV) mass index, LV ejection fraction, and LV filling pressure] were assessed.
UNASSIGNED: Among all echocardiographic and plasma biomarkers measured, only NT-proBNP was consistently associated with HF/D in univariate and multivariate {third versus first tertile: hazard ratio [HR] 4.20 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-17.27]} analysis, and only troponin T was consistently associated with MACE/D in univariate and multivariate [third versus first tertile: HR 8.15 (95% CI 2.75-24.18)] analysis.
UNASSIGNED: Our data suggest that plasma biomarkers are robust and independent predictors of heart failure and atherosclerotic cardiovascular events after kidney transplantation, whereas standard echocardiographic follow-up does not add to risk prediction.

UNASSIGNED: Indoxyl sulfate, a protein-bound uremic toxin, has been reported as an atherosclerosis and fibrosis accelerator. This study aimed to determine whether serum indoxyl sulfate is associated with cardiac abnormalities, cardiovascular events, and renal progression to dialysis in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).
UNASSIGNED: The prospective study enrolled 89 patients with CKD stage 3 to 5 patients. Serum biochemistry data and indoxyl sulfate were measured. All patients underwent echocardiographic examination. Global longitudinal strain (GLS) was calculated using two-dimensional speckle tracking. The clinical outcomes including cardiovascular event and dialysis initiation were recorded during a 2-year follow-up.
UNASSIGNED: Patients were divided into 2 groups based on the median value of serum indoxyl sulfate (low and high indoxyl sulfate groups). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that patients with higher indoxyl sulfate (≥6.124 mg/L) were significantly associated with renal progression to dialysis (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in cardiovascular events between 2 groups (p = 0.082). In addition, serum indoxyl sulfate level was independently associated with GLS (r = 0.62; p = 0.01). The risk of cardiovascular events was significantly higher in patients with impaired GLS (>-16%) (p = 0.015).
UNASSIGNED: Serum indoxyl sulfate level was a significant predictor for CKD progression to dialysis and was correlated with GLS, a speckle tracking echocardiography parameter representing early LV systolic dysfunction. Furthermore, GLS was associated with cardiovascular events in CKD patients. Serum indoxyl sulfate measurement may help to identify the high dialysis and cardiovascular risk CKD patients beyond traditional risk factors.

Sacubitril/valsartan significantly reduced heart failure (HF) hospitalization and cardiovascular mortality in a randomized controlled trial. However, little is known about real-world efficacy and safety of sacubitril/valsartan in Chinese patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). We aimed to evaluate whether sacubitril/valsartan could improve cardiac function in Chinese patients with HFrEF in a tertiary hospital in China.
Patients with HFrEF receiving sacubitril/valsartan in our hospital between January 2018 and January 2020 were recruited in the present study. We retrospectively collected and analysed all clinical parameters at baseline and during follow-up. A total of 100 consecutive patients (73% male) with HFrEF were recruited in the present study. During a median follow-up period of 365 days [interquartile range (IQR), 346-378], a pronounced improvement of cardiac function was achieved. New York Heart Association classification was significantly improved (P < 0.001), and median N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptides level significantly decreased from 3003 pg/mL (IQR, 1513-5404) to 2039 pg/mL (IQR, 921-3955) (P = 0.010). Mean left ventricular ejection fraction increased from 31 ± 6% to 38 ± 10% (P < 0.001) and median left ventricular end-diastolic diameter reduced from 63 mm (IQR, 59-67) to 60 mm (IQR, 55-68) (P = 0.001). Mean pulmonary arterial systolic pressure decreased significantly from 49 ± 13 mmHg to 44 ± 12 mmHg (P < 0.001) and median right ventricular end-diastolic diameter reduced from 23 mm (IQR, 21-26) to 22 mm (IQR, 20-25) (P = 0.030). After treatment with sacubitril/valsartan, mean estimated glomerular filtration rate significantly decreased (from 88.8 ± 22.4 mL/min to 71.8 ± 27.3 mL/min, P < 0.001). Median serum creatinine and median blood urea nitrogen levels significantly increased [from 0.9 mg/dL (IQR, 0.8-1.0) to 1.1 mg/dL (IQR, 0.9-1.3), P < 0.001, and from 6.8 mmol/L (IQR, 5.5-8.9) to 8.0 mmol/L (IQR, 6.6-10.3), P = 0.002, respectively]. The proportion of patients with chronic kidney disease Stage 3/4 increased significantly from 8% to 39% (P < 0.001).
In Chinese patients with HFrEF, sacubitril/valsartan treatment was associated with a pronounced improvement of cardiac function, but might be prone to a decrease in blood pressure and deterioration in renal function.

OBJECTIVE: We tested the hypothesis that participation in small-sided team handball training could provide beneficial effects on cardiovascular and metabolic parameters in overweight premenopausal women with special focus on the importance of prior team handball experience.
METHODS: A 16-week RCT training intervention was conducted in overweight premenopausal women randomized into three groups: a team handball training group without prior experience (UN; n = 13), a team handball group with prior experience (EXP; n = 10), and an inactive control group (CON; n = 9). Both UN and EXP completed 1.6 ± 0.3 training sessions per week with average heart rates of 84 ± 5 and 85 ± 9% of maximal heart rate, respectively. Cardiovascular and metabolic parameters were assessed before and after the intervention.
RESULTS: Compared to CON, UN had significant increases in VO2max  (7 ± 4%) and intermittent endurance performance (26 ± 14%) as well as reduced total fat mass (4 ± 6%), total fat percentage (4 ± 5%), and android fat mass (7 ± 12%), respectively (all P < .05). Compared to UN and CON, EXP displayed increased left ventricular mass and left ventricular mass index (both P < .05) after the training period. There were no significant changes between any of the groups in muscle mass, blood lipids, resting heart rate, and blood pressure (all P > .05).
CONCLUSIONS: Small-sided team handball training in overweight premenopausal women resulted in improvement of VO2max and body composition for participants with minimal team handball experience, indicating that prior team handball experience is not a prerequisite for improving physiological parameters of importance for health. Furthermore, EXP displayed cardiac adaptations, including increased left ventricular mass and left ventricular mass index.