小林 欣夫

BACKGROUND: The HELT-E2S2score, a novel risk stratification system, was developed to determine the incidence of ischemic stroke in Japanese patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). It has been suggested that the HELT-E2S2score is more useful than the CHADS2and CHA2DS2-VASc scores for Japanese patients with NVAF. This study determined the incidence of ischemic stroke in patients with NVAF and cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) and assessed the validity of the HELT-E2S2score in this population. METHODS AND RESULTS: We retrospectively analyzed the database of the CIED clinic of Chiba University Hospital and investigated the incidence of ischemic stroke according to the HELT-E2S2score. Of the 730 consecutive patients who were followed-up at the CIED clinic, those without NVAF were excluded, leaving 362 patients in this study (mean [±SD] follow-up period, 64±48 months; mean age, 73±16 years; 65% male). The mean CHADS2and CHA2DS2-VASc scores were 1.8±1.2 and 2.8±1.6 points, respectively. During follow-up, 31 (8.6%) patients experienced ischemic stroke. The c-statistic for the HELT-E2S2score was 0.719 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.657-0.795), which was higher than the c-statistics for the CHADS2(0.704; 95% CI 0.647-0.768; P=0.025) and CHA2DS2-VASc (0.700; 95% CI:0.621-0.747; P=0.0097) scores. CONCLUSIONS: Risk stratification for ischemic stroke using the HELT-E2S2score is valid in Japanese patients with NVAF and CIEDs.

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is a complex cardiovascular condition characterized by transient left and/or right ventricular dysfunction in the absence of a coronary artery culprit lesion. The InterTAK registry, a large international collaborative registry, has significantly advanced our understanding of TTS. This review summarizes key findings from the InterTAK registry, including epidemiology, clinical presentation, comorbidities, outcomes, and treatment. The registry has revealed the diverse clinical spectrum of TTS, including atypical presentations, and identified various risk factors associated with adverse outcomes. The InterTAK registry has been instrumental in shaping the current understanding of TTS and will continue to guide future research and clinical practice.

Introduction: Extracellular volume (ECV) analysis using computed tomography is recognized as a potential method for diagnostic application. It is currently the only noninvasive method for quantitatively evaluating myocardial fibrosis in dialysis patients for whom gadolinium contrast agents are contraindicated. In this study, we assessed the utility of ECV measurement via CT in the left ventricular (LV) myocardium (LVM) to predict major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) in dialysis patients. Materials and methods: We analyzed 57 dialysis patients who underwent cardiac CT and assessed the utility of LVM ECV (LV-ECV) for predicting MACEs. All the patients were followed for a median of 11 months, and MACEs occurred in 15 cases (26%). Results: LV-ECV and plasma brain natriuretic peptide levels were higher in subjects with MACEs than those without (40.29 ± 8.23% vs. 33.76 ± 4.60% and 1481 ± 997 vs. 807 ± 1109 pg/mL; both p < 0.05). Significant valvular disease was more frequently detected in patients with MACEs than those without (60% vs. 24%; p = 0.023). Serum hematocrit levels were significantly lower in patients with MACEs than those without (29 ± 5 vs. 34 ± 5; p < 0.001). The administration of statin was significantly lower in patients with MACEs than in those without (13% vs. 48%; p = 0.029). A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed using LV-ECV for predicting MACEs. The area under the curve was 0.80, and the best cut-off value of LV-ECV was 37.26% (p = 0.0003). In a Cox proportional hazards model, LV-ECV ≥ 37.26% was the only significant independent predictor of MACEs (p = 0.020). Conclusions: LV-ECV measured using CT is a useful predictor of MACEs in dialysis patients.

The efficacy and safety of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for coronary artery disease has been established, and approximately 250,000 PCI procedures are performed annually in Japan. However, various complications including life-threatening complications can occur during PCI. Although several bailout procedures have been proposed to address complications during PCI, it is critically important for operators to manage each complication in real catheter rooms with confidence even in emergent situations. Standard bailout methods including specific techniques should be clarified as algorithms and shared with inexperienced operators as well as experienced operators. The Task Force of the Japanese Society for Cardiovascular Intervention and Therapeutics (CVIT) has developed the expert consensus document on bailout algorithms for complications in PCI.