Concomitant cardiac amyloidosis (CA) in severe aortic stenosis (AS) is difficult to recognize, since both conditions are associated with concentric left ventricular thickening. We aimed to assess type, frequency, screening parameters, and prognostic implications of CA in AS.

These data suggest an association between levosimendan treatment and improved short- and long-term survival in patients undergoing ECMO support after cardiovascular surgery.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) affects more women than men, suggesting gender to play a major role in disease evolution. However, studies investigating gender differences in HFpEF are limited. In the present study we aimed to describe gender differences in a well-characterized HFpEF cohort. Consecutive HFpEF patients underwent invasive hemodynamic assessment, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and exercise testing. Study endpoints were: cardiac death, a combined endpoint of HF hospitalization or cardiac death and all-cause death. 260 HFpEF patients were prospectively enrolled. Men were more compromised with regard to exercise capacity and had significantly more co-morbidities. Men had more pronounced pulmonary vascular disease with higher diastolic pressure gradients and a lower right ventricular EF. During follow-up, 9.2% experienced cardiac death, 33.5% the combined endpoint and 17.3% all-cause death. Male gender was independently associated with cardiac death, but neither with the combined endpoint nor with all-cause mortality. We detected clear gender differences in HFpEF patients. Cardiac death was more common among men, but not all-cause death. While men are more prone to develop a right heart phenotype and die from HFpEF, women are more likely to die with HFpEF.

BackgroundExtracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) represents a valuable and rapidly evolving therapeutic option in patients with severe heart or lung failure following cardiovascular surgery. However, despite significant advances in ECMO techniques and management, prognosis remains poor and accurate risk stratification challenging. We therefore evaluated the predictive value of liver function variables on all-cause mortality in patients undergoing venoarterial ECMO support after cardiovascular surgery.MethodsWe included into our single-center registry a total of 240 patients undergoing venoarterial ECMO therapy following cardiovascular surgery at a university-affiliated tertiary care center.ResultsThe median follow-up was 37 months (interquartile range 19–67 months), and a total of 156 patients (65 %) died. Alkaline phosphatase and total bilirubin were the strongest predictors for 30-day mortality, with adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) per 1–standard deviation increase of 1.36 (95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.10–1.68; P = 0.004) and 1.22 (95 % CI 1.07–1.40; P = 0.004), respectively. The observed associations persisted for long-term mortality, with adjusted HRs of 1.27 (95 % CI 1.03–1.56; P = 0.023) for alkaline phosphatase and 1.22 (95 % CI 1.07–1.39; P = 0.003) for total bilirubin.ConclusionsThe present study demonstrates that elevated values of alkaline phosphatase and total bilirubin are sensitive parameters for predicting the short-term and long-term outcomes of ECMO patients.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13054-016-1242-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

SummaryThe prevalence and significance of cardiac amyloidosis have been considerably underestimated in the past; however, the number of patients diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis has increased significantly recently due to growing awareness of the disease, improved diagnostic capabilities and demographic trends. Specific therapies that improve patient prognosis have become available for certain types of cardiac amyloidosis. Thus, the earliest possible referral of patients with suspicion of cardiac amyloidosis to an experienced center is crucial to ensure rapid diagnosis, early initiation of treatment, and structured patient care. This requires intensive collaboration across several disciplines, and between resident physicians and specialized centers. The aim of this consensus statement is to provide guidance for the rapid and efficient diagnosis and treatment of light-chain amyloidosis and transthyretin amyloidosis, which are the most common forms of cardiac amyloidosis.