Introduction: To evaluate early and long-term clinical outcomes following aortic valve sparing aortic root reimplantation surgery in patients with leaking bicuspid and tricuspid aortic valves. Methods: The study consisted of 92 consecutive adult patients (tricuspid aortic valve group = 63 and bicuspid aortic valve group = 29) who underwent aortic valve sparing aortic root reimplantation surgery with or without aortic cusp repair for dilatation of the aortic root and/or aortic valve regurgitation at our institution from April 2004 to October 2016. Clinical outcomes were investigated using Kaplan–Meier and log-rank tests between groups. Results: The follow-up was 100% complete with a mean time of 5.3 ± 3.3 years. The 30-day in-hospital mortality was 3.1% in tricuspid aortic valve group and 3.4% in bicuspid aortic valve group patients. The overall survival rates at 10 years did not differ between bicuspid aortic valve and tricuspid aortic valve patient groups (96.6 ± 3.3% vs. 90.3 ± 4.2%, p = 0.3). Freedom from recurrent aortic valve regurgitation (>2+) at 10 years was 90.5 ± 4.1% in tricuspid aortic valve group and 75.7 ± 8.7% in bicuspid aortic valve group (p = 0.06). Freedom from aortic valve reoperation at 10 years was 100% in tricuspid aortic valve group and 83.9 ± 7.4% in bicuspid aortic valve group (p = 0.002). Conclusion: Aortic valve sparing aortic root reimplantation surgery is a safe and efficient technique, providing acceptable long-term survival with low rates of valve-related complications in both tricuspid aortic valve and bicuspid aortic valve patient groups. However, aortic valve reoperation rates at 10 years follow-up were higher in bicuspid aortic valve group patients compared to tricuspid aortic valve group patients.

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of concomitant tricuspid valve (TV) repair on the right ventricular (RV) function postoperatively and within the 6 months following degenerative mitral valve (MV) repair. Methods: The prospective study included 37 patients (mean age 57.32 ± 2.13 years) with severe MV regurgitation due to primary MV prolapse. Nineteen underwent successful MV repair (TV(−) group). Additional TV repair due to moderate-to-severe TV regurgitation was performed in 18 (TV(+) group). Two-dimensional (2D) speckle-tracking and tissue Doppler echocardiography was performed for all patients before surgery and 7 days and 6 months after surgery. Results: Preoperative dimensions and indices of RV longitudinal function did not differ between the groups (right ventricle end-diastolic diameter (RVEDD) was 33.53 ± 0.94 mm vs. 34.67 ± 1.72 mm, tricuspid annular systolic motion (S’) was 15.06 ± 0.85 cm/s vs. 16.0 ± 1.27 cm/s, tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) was 24.02 ± 1.06 mm vs. 22.4 ± 1.36 mm, respectively; p>0.05). RVEDD decreased significantly and did not change within the follow-up in the TV(−) group. In the TV(+) group, RVEDD decreased early after surgery and more markedly six months later in comparison to the TV(−) group. Indices of RV systolic longitudinal function decreased early after surgery and had a tendency to increase after six months in both groups. Regional longitudinal strains of the lateral RV wall decreased early after surgery and improved within the six months in the TV(−) group and did not change significantly in the TV(+) group. Conclusions: Additional TV repair in degenerative MV repair more markedly reduces RV dimensions and does not have a negative impact on RV systolic function in comparison to an isolated MV repair although these conclusions are of limited value due to the lack of a control group.

Background and objective: Low-T3 syndrome is common in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Recent experimental and clinical data have suggested a potential negative impact of low-T3 syndrome on myocardial function in patients with AMI. The aim of this study was to assess left ventricular (LV) myocardial function in patients with low-T3 syndrome and to investigate the association between hormonal profile and the severity of LV dysfunction using speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE). Materials and methods: In 130 patients with first-onset ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI), conventional 2D and speckle-tracking echocardiography within 4872 h after the hospitalization was performed, and blood samples for TSH, fT4, fT3, and anti-TPO levels were obtained to investigate thyroid hormone production within 24 h and on the fourth day after the onset of STEMI symptoms. Results: The patients were divided into two groups according to their serum level of fT3: group 1 with fT3 concentration below 3.2 pmol/L (n = 34) and group 2 with normal fT3 (>3.2 pmol/L) level (n = 96). LV ejection fraction (EF) tended to be lower in the low fT3 group. The systolic longitudinal strain did not differ between the groups, but the late diastolic longitudinal strain rate was lower in group 1 (P = 0.011). The systolic basal LV rotation positively correlated with the level of fF3 (r = 0.4; P < 0.001), while a negative correlation was detected between myocardial rotational parameters - systolic apical rotation (r = -0.2; P < 0.05), torsion (r = -0.3; P < 0.001), and diastolic apical rotation rate (r = -0.3; P < 0.01) - and fT3 levels. Conclusions: The late diastolic longitudinal LV strain rate and LV rotation evaluated by speckle-tracking echocardiography were impaired in patients with low-T3 syndrome after AMI. (C) 2015 Lithuanian University of Health Sciences. Production and hosting by Elsevier Sp. z o.o.

Background and Objectives: Guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) remains a challenge due to its low rates worldwide. Adherence to GDMT in patients with heart failure (HF) and reduced ejection fraction (rEF) in the Baltics (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) has been unknown. This is the first study to describe the characteristics of patients with HFrEF and their treatment patterns in the Baltics. Materials and Methods: The EVOLUTION-HF study was a longitudinal, real-world evidence study that enrolled patients with HFrEF following newly initiated sodium–glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) dapagliflozin therapy. In total, 12 study sites (four from each country) were included. Patients were followed up for 12 months. A pooled data set including adherence to GDMT, dapagliflozin’s usage, and patients’ profiles was evaluated. Results: Between April and December 2022, 178 patients with a median left ventricular ejection fraction of 32% were enrolled. At baseline, 155 (87%) patients received renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system inhibitors (RAASi), 168 (94%) received beta-blockers (BB), and 106 (60%) received mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA); however, only 47.8% of the study population were found to be treated with GDMT (including RAASi, BB, MRA, and dapagliflozin) at the beginning of the study. At the end of the follow-up, the percentage of GDMT users decreased to 42.3%. The number of dapagliflozin discontinuations per 100 patient-years was found to be 13.2 (95% CI 8.2–18.2). Conclusions: The findings indicate a low rate of dapagliflozin discontinuation (13%) and an overall suboptimal proportion of patients receiving GDMT for HFrEF (almost half of the patients). The low rate of GDMT use in the Baltics prompts great attention. Additional research and incremental joint efforts are needed to ensure an increase in GDMT use across diverse HF patient populations.

Left ventricular non‐compaction – diagnostic challenges (RCD code: III‐5A.1.o)