Objectives To develop prediction models that better estimate the pretest probability of coronary artery disease in low prevalence populations. Design Retrospective pooled analysis of individual patient data. Setting 18 hospitals in Europe and the United States. Participants Patients with stable chest pain without evidence for previous coronary artery disease, if they were referred for computed tomography (CT) based coronary angiography or catheter based coronary angiography (indicated as low and high prevalence settings, respectively). Main outcome measures Obstructive coronary artery disease (≥50% diameter stenosis in at least one vessel found on catheter based coronary angiography). Multiple imputation accounted for missing predictors and outcomes, exploiting strong correlation between the two angiography procedures. Predictive models included a basic model (age, sex, symptoms, and setting), clinical model (basic model factors and diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, and smoking), and extended model (clinical model factors and use of the CT based coronary calcium score). We assessed discrimination (c statistic), calibration, and continuous net reclassification improvement by cross validation for the four largest low prevalence datasets separately and the smaller remaining low prevalence datasets combined. Results We included 5677 patients (3283 men, 2394 women), of whom 1634 had obstructive coronary artery disease found on catheter based coronary angiography. All potential predictors were significantly associated with the presence of disease in univariable and multivariable analyses. The clinical model improved the prediction, compared with the basic model (cross validated c statistic improvement from 0.77 to 0.79, net reclassification improvement 35%); the coronary calcium score in the extended model was a major predictor (0.79 to 0.88, 102%). Calibration for low prevalence datasets was satisfactory. Conclusions Updated prediction models including age, sex, symptoms, and cardiovascular risk factors allow for accurate estimation of the pretest probability of coronary artery disease in low prevalence populations. Addition of coronary calcium scores to the prediction models improves the estimates.

In recent years, next to conventional rehabilitation’s techniques, new technologies have been applied in stroke rehabilitation. In this context, fully immersive virtual reality (FIVR) has showed interesting results thanks to the level of immersion of the subject in the illusional world, with the feeling of being a real part of the virtual environment. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of FIVR in stroke rehabilitation. PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus were screened up to November 2022 to identify eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Out of 4623, we included 12 RCTs involving post-acute and chronic stroke survivors, with a total of 350 patients (234 men and 115 women; mean age 58.36 years). High heterogeneity of the outcomes considered, the results showed that FIVR provides additional benefits, in comparison with standard rehabilitation. In particular, results showed an improvement in upper limb dexterity, gait performance and dynamic balance, influencing patient independence. Therefore, FIVR represents an adaptable, multi-faceted rehabilitation tool that can be considered in post-stroke rehabilitation, improving the compliance of the patients to the treatment and increasing the level of functioning and quality of life of stroke survivors.

Objectives To compare Magnetic Resonance (MR) and Computed Tomography (CT) for the assessment of left (LV) and right (RV) ventricular functional parameters. Methods Seventy nine patients underwent both Cardiac CT and Cardiac MR. Images were acquired using short axis (SAX) reconstructions for CT and 2D cine b-SSFP (balanced-steady state free precession) SAX sequence for MR, and evaluated using dedicated software. Results CT and MR images showed good agreement: LV EF (Ejection Fraction) (52 ± 14% for CT vs. 52 ± 14% for MR; r = 0.73; p > 0.05); RV EF (47 ± 12% for CT vs. 47 ± 12% for MR; r = 0.74; p > 0.05); LV EDV (End Diastolic Volume) (74 ± 21 ml/m² for CT vs. 76 ± 25 ml/m² for MR; r = 0.59; p > 0.05); RV EDV (84 ± 25 ml/m² for CT vs. 80 ± 23 ml/m² for MR; r = 0.58; p > 0.05); LV ESV (End Systolic Volume)(37 ± 19 ml/m² for CT vs. 38 ± 23 ml/m² for MR; r = 0.76; p > 0.05); RV ESV (46 ± 21 ml/m² for CT vs. 43 ± 18 ml/m² for MR; r = 0.70; p > 0.05). Intra- and inter-observer variability were good, and the performance of CT was maintained for different EF subgroups. Conclusions Cardiac CT provides accurate and reproducible LV and RV volume parameters compared with MR, and can be considered as a reliable alternative for patients who are not suitable to undergo MR. Key Points • Cardiac-CT is able to provide Left and Right Ventricular function. • Cardiac-CT is accurate as MR for LV and RV volume assessment. • Cardiac-CT can provide accurate evaluation of coronary arteries and LV and RV function.

A modified coronary artery calcium score at low-dose CT correlates poorly with emphysema extent as quantified with automated CT analysis and percentage predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 second and has the strongest association with cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality in a lung cancer screening population. PurposeTo assess the relationship between a modified coronary artery calcium (mCAC) score and both forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and pulmonary emphysema and the associations of such factors with all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events (CVEs) in a lung cancer computed tomographic (CT) screening trial.Materials and MethodsIn this institutional review board–approved study, both clinical and low-dose CT data were evaluated in a cohort of heavy smokers consecutively recruited by the Multicentric Italian Lung Detection, or MILD, trial. Low-dose CT images were analyzed by using software that allowed quantification of mCAC, mean lung attenuation (MLA), and total extent of emphysema. The correlations between mCAC, percentage predicted FEV1, MLA, and emphysema extent were tested by using the Pearson correlation coefficient. Adjusted multiple logistic regression models were applied to assess the relationships between mCAC, FEV1, MLA, and emphysema extent and all-cause mortality and CVEs.ResultsTh...

Background: The pericoronary fat attenuation index ( pFAI ) has emerged as a marker of coronary inflammation, which is measurable from standard coronary computed tomography angiography ( CCTA ). It compares well with gold‐standard methods for the assessment of coronary inflammation and can predict future cardiovascular events. pFAI could prove invaluable to differentiate an inflammatory from a noninflammatory coronary artery status, helping unravel the mechanisms subtending an event classified as myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries ( MINOCA ) or Tako‐Tsubo syndrome ( TTS ). Methods and Results: Patients admitted with MINOCA and TTS between 2011 and 2018, who had both CCTA and cardiac magnetic resonance during or shortly after the acute phase, were selected and pFAI measured in their CCTA ; pFAI was also measured in control subjects who had CCTA for atypical chest pain workup, no obstructive coronary artery disease found in their CCTA, and no cardiac events at 2‐year follow‐up. In the n=106 MINOCA / TT S patients, mean pFAI was −68.37±8.29 versus −78.03±6.20 in the n=106 controls ( P <0.0001), and the difference was confirmed also when comparing mean pFAI in each coronary artery between MINOCA / TT S and controls ( P <0.0001). Nonobstructive coronary plaques at CCTA , high‐risk plaques in particular, were more frequently found ( P <0.01) in the MINOCA / TT S group compared with controls. Conclusions: In MINOCA and TT S patients, CCTA is not only able to detect angiographically invisible atherosclerotic plaques, but its diagnostic yield can be expanded using the simple measurement of pFAI to characterize pericoronary fat tissue; in MINOCA / TT S mean pFAI demonstrates higher values compared with controls, a finding that has been associated with coronary artery inflammation.