Background
Endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) is part of 2010 Task Force Criteria (TFC) for arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC). However, its usage has been curtailed because of its low presumed diagnostic yield, and it is now a poorly used tool. This study aims to analyze the contribution of EMB to the final diagnosis of ARVC.
Methods and Results
We included 104 consecutive patients evaluated for a suspicion of ARVC, who were referred for EMB. Patients with suspected left dominant pattern were excluded from the primary analysis. Subjects were initially stratified according to TFC without considering EMB. After EMB, patients were reclassified accordingly, and the reclassification rate was calculated. EMB yielded a diagnostic finding in 92 patients (85.5%). After including EMB evaluation, 20 (43%) more patients “at risk” received a definite diagnosis of ARVC. Overall, 59 patients received a definite diagnosis of ARVC, 34% only after EMB. EMB appeared to be the better‐performing exam with respect to the final diagnosis (β, 2.2; area uder the curve, 0.73;
P
<0.05). The reclassification improvement after EMB measured 28%. TFC score increased from 3.5±1.3 to 4.3±1.4 (
P
<0.001). Notably, active inflammation was present in 6 (10%) patients. Minor complications were reported in only 2% of the cohort. In patients with suspected left‐dominant disease, conventional TFC performed poorly.
Conclusions
Electroanatomic voltage mapping–guided EMB was safe and yielded an optimal diagnostic yield. It allowed upgrading of the diagnosis of nearly one‐third of the patients considered “at risk.” Classical TFC without EMB performed poorly in patients with the left dominant form of ARVC.
Background
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA) and sodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i) demonstrated cardiovascular and renal protection. Whether their benefits occur also during hospitalization for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) is not known. We evaluated in-hospital outcomes of patients hospitalized with AMI according to their chronic use of GLP-1 RA and/or SGLT-2i.
Methods
Using the health administrative databases of Lombardy, patients hospitalized with AMI from 2010 to 2019 were included. They were stratified according to DM status, then grouped into three cohorts using a propensity score matching: non-DM patients; DM patients treated with GLP-1 RA and/or SGLT-2i; DM patients not treated with GLP-1 RA/SGLT-2i. The primary endpoint of the study was the composite of in-hospital mortality, acute heart failure, and acute kidney injury requiring renal replacement therapy.
Results
We identified 146,798 patients hospitalized with AMI (mean age 71 ± 13 years, 34% females, 47% STEMI; 26% with DM). After matching, 3,090 AMI patients (1030 in each group) were included in the analysis. Overall, the primary endpoint rate was 16% (n = 502) and progressively increased from non-DM patients to DM patients treated with and without GLP-1 RA/SGLT-2i (13%, 16%, and 20%, respectively; P < 0.0001). Compared with non-DM patients, DM patients with GLP-1 RA/SGLT-2i had a 30% higher risk of the primary endpoint, while those not treated with GLP-1 RA/SGLT-2i had a 60% higher risk (P < 0.0001).
Conclusion
Chronic therapy with GLP-1 RA and/or SGLT-2i has a favorable impact on the clinical outcome of DM patients hospitalized with AMI.
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