Non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) is one of the most important entities for arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death (SCD). Previous studies suggest a lower benefit of implantable cardioverter–defibrillator (ICD) therapy in patients with NICM as compared to ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM). Nevertheless, current guidelines do not differentiate between the two subgroups in recommending ICD implantation. Hence, risk stratification is required to determine the subgroup of patients with NICM who will likely benefit from ICD therapy. Various predictors have been proposed, among others genetic mutations, left-ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left-ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDD), and T-wave alternans (TWA). In addition to these parameters, cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) has the potential to further improve risk stratification. CMR allows the comprehensive analysis of cardiac function and myocardial tissue composition. A range of CMR parameters have been associated with SCD. Applicable examples include late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), T1 relaxation times, and myocardial strain. This review evaluates the epidemiological aspects of SCD in NICM, the role of CMR for risk stratification, and resulting indications for ICD implantation.

Aim Due to improved therapy in childhood, many patients with congenital heart disease reach adulthood and are termed adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD). ACHD often develop heart failure (HF) as a consequence of initial palliative surgery or complex anatomy and subsequently require advanced HF therapy. ACHD are usually excluded from trials evaluating heart failure therapies, and in this context, more data about heart failure trajectories in ACHD are needed to guide the management of ACHD suffering from HF. Methods and resultsThe pAtients pResenTing with cOngenital heaRt dIseAse Register (ARTORIA-R) will collect data from ACHD evaluated or listed for heart or heart-combined organ transplantation from 16 countries in Europe and the Asia/Pacific region. We plan retrospective collection of data from 1989-2020 and will include patients prospectively. Additional organizations and hospitals in charge of transplantation of ACHD will be asked in the future to contribute data to the register. The primary outcome is the combined endpoint of delisting due to clinical worsening or death on the waiting list. The secondary outcome is delisting due to clinical improvement while on the waiting list. All-cause mortality following transplantation will also be assessed. The data will be entered into an electronic database with access to the investigators participating in the register. All variables of the register reflect key components important for listing of the patients or assessing current HF treatment. ConclusionThe ARTORIA-R will provide robust information on current management and outcomes of adults with congenital heart disease suffering from advanced heart failure.

We report a family with heterozygous deletion of exons 3–6 of the LMNA gene. The main presentation of affected family members was characterized by ventricular and supraventricular arrhythmias, atrioventricular (AV) block and sudden cardiac death (SCD) but also by severe dilative cardiomyopathy (DCM). We report on two siblings, a 36-year-old female and her 40-year-old brother, who suffer from heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction, AV conduction delays and premature ventricular complexes. Their 65-year-old mother underwent heart transplantation at the age of 55 due to advanced heart failure. Originally, the LMNA mutation was detected in one of the uncles. This index patient and three of his brothers died of SCD as well as their father and aunt. The two siblings were treated with implanted defibrillators in our specialized tertiary heart failure center. This case report places this specific genetic variant in the context of LMNA-associated familial DCM.

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Though the computer science industry has become more and more important in recent years in Germany and elsewhere, the number of students in IT-related study programs is increasing only slowly. This results in a shortage of skilled IT workforce. Additionally, women are strongly under-represented. A possible cause of these phenomena are stereotypes towards people in computer science. But what image of computer scientists do students at German secondary schools really have? In order to get an overview, 52 upper-secondary school students were surveyed by using an online questionnaire, which included both open-ended and closed questions. The results show that the conceptions are very diverse and individual. However, some characteristics are considered more appropriate than others. For example, many students indicated that people in computer science are intelligent and good at maths and science. Fewer stated that they are team players and have good communication skills. The analysis of subgroups show tendencies that aspects such as gender, previous school experience and interest in computer science, and the personal environment of the students can influence these conceptions.