Background LGE by CMR is a predictor of adverse cardiovascular outcomes in non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) patients. However, these findings are limited by single center studies, small sample sizes, and low event rates. We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the prognostic role of late-gadolinium enhancement by cardiac magnetic resonance (LGE-CMR) imaging in NICM patients. Methods and Results PubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL and EMBASE were searched for studies looking at the prognostic value of LGE-CMR in NICM patients. The primary end-points included all-cause mortality, heart failure hospitalization (HFH), and a composite end point of sudden cardiac death (SCD) or aborted SCD. Pooling of odds ratios (OR) was performed using a random-effect model and annualized event rates (AER) were assessed. Data was included from 9 studies with a total of 1,488 patients and a mean follow-up of 30 months. Patients had a mean age of 52 years, 67% were male and the average LVEF was 37% on CMR. LGE was present in 38% of patients. Patients with LGE had increased overall mortality (OR 3.27, p<0.00001), HFH (OR 2.91, p=0.02), and SCD/aborted SCD (OR 5.32, p<0.00001) when compared with those without LGE. The AERs for mortality were 4.7% for LGE+ subjects vs. 1.7% for LGE- subjects (p=0.01), 5.03% vs. 1.8% for HFH (p=0.002), and 6.0% vs. 1.2% for SCD/aborted SCD (p<0.001). Conclusions LGE in NICM patients is associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality, HFH, and SCD. Detection of LGE by CMR has excellent prognostic characteristics and may help guide risk stratification and management in NICM patients.

Objectives To assess the relationship between extracellular volume (ECV), native T1, and systolic strain in hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (HTN LVH), hypertensive patients without LVH (HTN Non-LVH) and normotensive controls. Background Diffuse myocardial fibrosis in HTN LVH patients, as reflected by increased ECV and native T1, may be an underlying mechanism contributing to increased cardiovascular risk when compared to HTN Non-LVH subjects and controls. Furthermore increased diffuse fibrosis in HTN LVH subjects may be associated with reduced peak systolic and early diastolic strain rate when compared to the other two groups. Methods T1 mapping was performed in 20 HTN LVH (55±11 years), 23 HTN Non-LVH (61±12) and 22 control (54±7) subjects on a Siemens 1.5T Avanto using a previously validated MOLLI pulse sequence. T1 was measured pre-contrast and 10, 15 and 20 minutes following injection of 0.15 mmol/kg Gd-DTPA, and the mean ECV and native T1 were determined for each subject. Measurement of circumferential strain parameters were performed using cine displacement encoding with stimulated echoes (DENSE). Results HTN LVH subjects had higher native T1 when compared to controls (p < 0.05). HTN LVH subjects had higher ECV when compared to HTN Non-LVH subjects and controls (p < 0.05). Peak systolic circumferential strain and early diastolic strain rate were reduced in HTN LVH subjects when compared to HTN Non-LVH subjects and controls (p < 0.05). Increased levels of ECV and Native T1 were associated with reduced peak systolic and early diastolic circumferential strain rate across all subjects. Conclusions HTN LVH patients had higher ECV, longer native T1 and associated reduction in peak systolic circumferential strain and early diastolic strain rate when compared to HTN Non-LVH and control subjects. Measurement of ECV and native T1 provide a non-invasive assessment of diffuse fibrosis in hypertensive heart disease.

Objectives Using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), we sought to evaluate the relative influences of mechanical, electrical, and scar properties at the left ventricular (LV) lead position (LVLP) on CRT response and clinical events. Background CMR cine displacement encoding with stimulated echoes (DENSE) provides high quality strain for overall dyssynchrony (circumferential uniformity ratio estimate [CURE, 0–1]) and timing of onset of circumferential contraction at the LVLP. CMR DENSE, late gadolinium enhancement, and electrical timing together could improve upon other imaging modalities for evaluating the optimal LVLP. Methods Patients had complete CMR studies and echocardiography before CRT. CRT response was defined as a 15% reduction in LV end-systolic volume. Electrical activation was assessed as the time from QRS-onset-to-LVLP-electrogram (QLV). Patients were then followed for clinical events. Results In 75 patients, multivariable logistic modeling accurately identified the 40 (53%) of patients with CRT response (AUC=0.95 [p<0.0001]) based on CURE (OR 2.59/0.1 decrease), delayed circumferential contraction onset at LVLP (OR 6.55), absent LVLP scar (OR 14.9), and QLV (OR 1.31/10 ms increase). The 33% of patients with CURE<0.70, absence of LVLP scar, and delayed LVLP contraction onset had a 100% response rate, whereas those with CURE≥0.70 had a 0% CRT response rate and a 12-fold increased risk of death, and the remaining patients had a mixed response profile. Conclusions Mechanical, electrical, and scar properties at the LVLP together with CMR mechanical dyssynchrony are strongly associated with echocardiographic CRT response and clinical events after CRT. Modeling these findings holds promise for improving CRT outcomes.

BackgroundPreliminary semi-quantitative cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) perfusion studies have demonstrated reduced myocardial perfusion reserve (MPR) in patients with angina and risk factors for microvascular disease (MVD), however fully quantitative CMR has not been studied. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether fully quantitative CMR identifies reduced MPR in this population, and to investigate the relationship between epicardial atherosclerosis, left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), extracellular volume (ECV), and perfusion.MethodsForty-six patients with typical angina and risk factors for MVD (females, or males with diabetes or metabolic syndrome) who had no obstructive coronary artery disease by coronary angiography and 20 healthy control subjects underwent regadenoson stress CMR perfusion imaging using a dual-sequence quantitative spiral pulse sequence to quantify MPR. Subjects also underwent T1 mapping to quantify ECV, and computed tomographic (CT) coronary calcium scoring to assess atherosclerosis burden.ResultsIn patients with risk factors for MVD, both MPR (2.21 [1.95,2.69] vs. 2.93 [2.763.19], p < 0.001) and stress myocardial perfusion (2.65 ± 0.62 ml/min/g, vs. 3.17 ± 0.49 ml/min/g p < 0.002) were reduced as compared to controls. These differences remained after adjusting for age, left ventricular (LV) mass, body mass index (BMI), and gender. There were no differences in native T1 or ECV between subjects and controls.ConclusionsStress myocardial perfusion and MPR as measured by fully quantitative CMR perfusion imaging are reduced in subjects with risk factors for MVD with no obstructive CAD as compared to healthy controls. Neither myocardial hypertrophy nor fibrosis accounts for these differences.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12968-018-0435-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Objectives-To clarify whether a shorter interval between three successive home blood pressure (HBP) readings (10 s vs. 1 min) taken twice a day gives a better prediction of the average 24-h BP and better patient compliance.Design-We enrolled 56 patients from a hypertension clinic (mean age: 60 ±14 years; 54% female patients). The study consisted of three clinic visits, with two 4-week periods of self-monitoring of HBP between them, and a 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring at the second visit. Using a crossover design, with order randomized, the oscillometric HBP device (HEM-5001) could be programmed to take three consecutive readings at either 10-s or 1-min intervals, each of which was done for 4 weeks. Patients were asked to measure three HBP readings in the morning and evening. All the readings were stored in the memory of the monitors.Results-The analyses were performed using the second-third HBP readings. The average systolic BP/diastolic BP for the 10-s and 1-min intervals at home were 136.1 ±15.8/77.5 ±9.5 and 133.2 ±15.5/76.9 ±9.3 mmHg (P = 0.001/0.19 for the differences in systolic BP and diastolic BP), respectively. The 1-min BP readings were significantly closer to the average of awake ambulatory BP (131 ±14/79 ±10 mmHg) than the 10-s interval readings. There was no significant difference in patients' compliance in taking adequate numbers of readings at the different time intervals.Conclusion-The 1-min interval between HBP readings gave a closer agreement with the daytime average BP than the 10-s interval.

Home blood pressure (HBP) monitoring is recommended for assessing the effects of antihypertensive treatment, but it is not clear how the treatment-induced changes in HBP compare with the changes in clinic BP (CBP). We searched PubMed using the terms “home or self-measured blood pressure,” and selected articles in which the changes in CBP and HBP (using the upper arm oscillometric method) induced by antihypertensive drugs were presented. We performed a systematic review of 30 articles published before March 2008 that included a total of 6794 subjects. As there was significant heterogeneity in most of the outcomes, a random effects model was used for the meta-analyses. The mean changes (± standard error) in CBP and HBP (systolic/diastolic) were -15.2±0.03/-10.3±0.03 mmHg and -12.2±0.04/-8.0±0.04 mmHg respectively, although there were wide varieties of differences in the reduction between HBP and CBP. The reductions in CBP were correlated with those of HBP (systolic BP; r=0.66, B=0.48, diastolic BP; r=0.71, B=0.52, P<0.001). In 7 studies that also included 24-hour BP monitoring, the reduction of HBP was greater than that of 24-hr BP in systolic (HBP; -12.6±0.06 mmHg, 24-hr BP; -11.9±0.04 mmHg, P<0.001). In 5 studies that included daytime and nighttime systolic BP separately, HBP decreased 15% more than daytime ambulatory BP and 30% more than nighttime ambulatory BP. In conclusion, HBP falls about 20% less than CBP with antihypertensive treatments. Daytime systolic BP falls 15% less and nighttime systolic BP falls 30% less than home systolic BP.

Background Adenosine stress CMR perfusion imaging can be limited by motion-induced dark-rim artifacts (DRA), which may be mistaken for true perfusion abnormalities. A high-resolution variable-density spiral (VDS) pulse sequence with a novel density compensation strategy has been shown to reduce DRA in first-pass perfusion imaging. We aimed to assess the clinical performance of adenosine stress CMR using this new perfusion sequence to detect obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods and Results CMR perfusion imaging was performed during adenosine stress (140μg/kg-min) and at rest on a Siemens 1.5T Avanto scanner in 41 subjects with chest pain scheduled for coronary angiography (CA). Perfusion images were acquired during injection of 0.1mmol/kg Gd-DTPA at 3 short-axis locations using a saturation recovery (SR) interleaved VDS pulse sequence. Significant stenosis was defined as >50% by quantitative CA (QCA). Two blinded reviewers evaluated the perfusion images for the presence of adenosine-induced perfusion abnormalities and assessed image quality using a 5 point scale (1 – poor to 5- excellent). The prevalence of obstructive CAD by QCA was 68%. The average sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 89%, 85%, and 88% respectively with a positive predictive value and negative predictive value of 93% and 79% respectively. The average image quality score was 4.4±0.7 with only one study with more than mild DRA. There was good inter-reader reliability with a kappa statistic of 0.67. Conclusions Spiral adenosine stress CMR results in high diagnostic accuracy for the detection of obstructive CAD with excellent image quality and minimal DRA.

Objectives An algorithm for making a differential diagnosis between sustained and white coat hypertension (SH and WCH) has been proposed–patients with office hypertension undergo home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) and those with normal HBP levels undergo ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). We tested whether incorporating an upper office blood pressure (OBP) cutoff in the algorithm, higher than the traditional 140/90 mmHg, reduces the need for HBPM and ABPM. Methods 229 normotensive and untreated mildly hypertensive participants (mean age 52.5 ± 14.6, 54% female) underwent OBP measurements, HBPM, and 24-hour ABPM. Using the algorithm, sensitivity (SN), specificity (SP), and positive and negative predictive values (PPV, NPV) for SH and WCH were assessed. We then modified the algorithm utilizing a systolic and diastolic OBP cutoff at a SP of 95% for ambulatory hypertension –those with office hypertension but OBP levels below the upper cutoff undergo HBPM and subsequent ABPM if appropriate. Results Using the original algorithm, SN and PPV for SH were 100% and 93.8%. Despite a SP of 44.4%, NPV was 100%. These values correspond to SP, NPV, SN, and PPV for WCH respectively. Using the modified algorithm, the diagnostic accuracy for SH and WCH did not change. However, far fewer participants needed HBPM (29 vs. 84) and ABPM (8 vs. 15). Conclusions In this sample, the original and modified algorithms are excellent at diagnosing SH and WCH. However, the latter requires far fewer subjects to undergo HBPM and ABPM. These findings have important implications for the cost-effective diagnosis of SH and WCH.