Aims  The aim of this study was to determine the contemporary use of reperfusion therapy in the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) member and affiliated countries and adherence to ESC clinical practice guidelines in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods and results  Prospective cohort (EURObservational Research Programme STEMI Registry) of hospitalized STEMI patients with symptom onset <24 h in 196 centres across 29 countries. A total of 11 462 patients were enrolled, for whom primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (total cohort frequency: 72.2%, country frequency range 0–100%), fibrinolysis (18.8%; 0–100%), and no reperfusion therapy (9.0%; 0–75%) were performed. Corresponding in-hospital mortality rates from any cause were 3.1%, 4.4%, and 14.1% and overall mortality was 4.4% (country range 2.5–5.9%). Achievement of quality indicators for reperfusion was reported for 92.7% (region range 84.8–97.5%) for the performance of reperfusion therapy of all patients with STEMI <12 h and 54.4% (region range 37.1–70.1%) for timely reperfusion. Conclusions  The use of reperfusion therapy for STEMI in the ESC member and affiliated countries was high. Primary PCI was the most frequently used treatment and associated total in-hospital mortality was below 5%. However, there was geographic variation in the use of primary PCI, which was associated with differences in in-hospital mortality.

Introduction The interplay between sleep duration and inflammation on the baseline and incident cardiovascular (CV) risk is unknown. We sought to evaluate the association between sleep duration, C-reactive protein (CRP), baseline CV risk, and incident CV mortality. Methods We used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005–2010 linked with the cause of death data from the National Center for Health Statistics for adults aged ≥18 years. The associations between self-reported sleep duration and CRP, 10-year atherosclerotic CV disease risk score (ASCVD) and CV mortality were assessed using Linear, Poisson and Cox proportional hazard modeling as appropriate. Results There were 17,635 eligible participants with a median age of 46 years (interquartile range [IQR] 31, 63). Among them, 51.3% were women and 46.9% were non-Hispanic Whites. Over a median follow-up of 7.5 years (IQR 6.0, 9.1), 350 CV deaths occurred at an incident rate of 2.7 per 1000-person years (IQR 2.4, 3.0). We observed a U–shaped associations between sleep duration and incident CV mortality rate ( P -trend=0.011), sleep duration and 10-year ASCVD risk ( P -trend <0.001), as well as sleep duration and CRP ( P -trend <0.001). A self-reported sleep duration of 6-7 hours appeared most optimal. We observed that those participants who reported <6 or >7 hours of sleep had higher risk of CV death attributable to inflammation after accounting for confounders. Conclusions There was a U-shaped relationship of incident CV mortality, 10-year ASCVD risk, and CRP with sleep duration. These findings suggest an interplay between sleep duration, inflammation, and CV risk.

Shrinking lung syndrome (SLS) is a rare pulmonary complication of autoimmune conditions. It has been sparsely described in the literature and its pathophysiology remains unclear. SLS is typically reported in patients with a history of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who present with shortness of breath and chest pain associated with breathing. Chest imaging demonstrates no alveolar, interstitial, or pleural abnormalities. Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) are characterized by a restrictive pattern with reduced lung volumes. SLS is a diagnosis of exclusion and there are no validated criteria for the diagnosis. Evaluation requires extensive testing to rule out alternative causes of dyspnea and pleuritic chest pain. In this report, we present a case of SLS in a young African American woman.

In this review, recent key publications related to acute coronary syndrome (ACS) are summarized and placed into context of contemporary practice. Landmark trials examining vascular access in ST-elevation myocardial infarction, the management of multivessel disease, acute myocardial infarction and cardiac arrest are discussed. An update in pharmacology for ACS provides updates in major trials relating to P2Y12 inhibitor initiation, deescalation, and use in special populations. Additional updates in the use of lipid-lowering agents and adjunctive medications in ACS are reviewed. Finally, cardiac pathology related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), as well as the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic on the care of patients with ACS, is summarized.

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Objective To determine the rate and clinical outcomes of post‐TAVR VSD. Background Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a safe and established procedure for patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis. Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is a rare complication of TAVR. The rate of post‐TAVR VSD and patient outcomes are not well known. Methods A retrospective record review of VSD cases occurring after all TAVRs performed between January 2012 and September 2020 at one urban US tertiary hospital. VSD rate and early‐ and long‐term outcomes were analyzed. Computed tomography images taken before TAVR and transthoracic echocardiograms done before and after each procedure were analyzed. Results Of the 1908 patients who underwent TAVR in the study period, 7 patients (0.37%) had post‐procedure VSD. The average patient age was 77 ± 11 years with average society of thoracic surgeons short‐term risk score of 6%. All 7 implanted valves were balloon‐expandable. Of the 7 TAVR procedures, 5 were performed on a native tricuspid valve, 1 was performed on a native bicuspid valve, and 1 was done as a “valve‐in‐valve” procedure on a prior surgical bioprosthetic valve. All VSDs were small and restrictive in nature. Right heart failure in a patient with preexisting right ventricular dysfunction occurred in 1 (13%) patient who died. The remaining 6 patients (86%) were discharged. All 6 patients (86%) were alive and stable at 1 year follow‐up, reporting improvement in symptoms (NYHA class I‐II), with no evidence of right ventricular dysfunction. Conclusion VSD is a rare complication of TAVR. Hemodynamic and clinical sequelae in majority of the patients in this study did not result in mortality. Proper imaging techniques and appropriate pre‐procedure planning are needed to decrease the incidence of VSD formation post‐TAVR.

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