Our study showed lower Lp-PLA2 activity in patients with IBD compared with controls, reflecting lower LDL-C in the former. There was no difference in PWV between the two groups. Arterial stiffness was higher in patients with CD, which is likely related to higher smoking rates. These findings challenge a possible association between IBD and CVD, but further studies are required.

Background Atrial myopathy (AM) is an entity reflecting left atrial (LA) structural and electrical remodeling, connected to atrial fibrillation (AF) development and heart failure progression in various substrates. In hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), prevalence of AM beyond AF and its correlations are not fully investigated. Purpose Aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of AM in a cohort of HCM patients without AF history through assessment of LA volume index (LAVI), LA reservoir strain (LARS) and total atrial conduction time (TACT) (estimated by tissue Doppler imaging). Additionally, to investigate AM indices' correlation with other phenotypic and functional characteristics of HCM. Methods We included 50 HCM patients (60±16 years, 80% male, maximum wall thickness 18.6±4.1mm) without history of AF who have consecutively undergone 2D-speckle tracking echocardiography and cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). TACT and LARS measurement is shown on left panel. Burden of fibrosis (percentage of LV mass) was defined by LGE extent (>5 standard deviations compared to nulled myocardium) in CMR slices. Cut-off points for TACT, LAVI and LARS were adopted by literature (≥115 msec, ≥34 mL/m2 and <21.3% respectively). Results All HCM patients had preserved EF (61.8±8%), while 13 (26%) presented outflow tract obstruction and 4 (8%) diastolic dysfunction stage≥2. LGE was observed in 32 patients (64%) occupying 7.2±5% of left ventricular (LV) mass. Mean TACT was 139.9±22 msec, with LAVI being 30.8±16.1 mL/m2 and LARS 27.6±13.9%. After assessing prevalence of AM parameters, 41 patients (82%) presented a prolonged (≥115 msec) TACT with only 13 of them having also a significantly dilated LA (≥34 mL/m2) and 16 an impaired LARS. Among HCM demographic, phenotypic and functional characteristics tested, age and LV mass index were found to be the only independent regressors of TACT (r=0.54, p<0.0005 and r=0.44, p=0.002 respectively, right panels), while E/E' (r=−0.44, p=0.003) and fibrosis extent (r=0.36, p=0.02) were the strongest predictors of LARS and LAVI values respectively. Conclusions Atrial electro-mechanical delay assessed through TDI based TACT, is the most frequent AM parameter among HCM patients irrespective of AF and even before LA dilatation and LA strain impairment. AM parameters seem to correlate with various morphological and functional characteristics of HCM, their significance, however, in predicting progression towards AF development or HF presentation remains to be elucidated. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

Background Diastolic function assessment in patients with hypertrophic hearts and preserved ejection fraction (EF) is a rather challenging task. Combined plotting of deformation parameters against other indices, especially left ventricular (LV) volume, may reflect diastolic function components of the hypertrophic myocardium. Purpose Aim of this study was i) to apply strain-volume loops (SVLs) in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients based on simultaneous frame-by-frame strain and volume changes' recordings acquired by means of three-dimensional (3D) speckle tracking imaging and ii) to investigate potential correlations between these loops, traditional diastolic function indices and phenotypic features of HCM (thickness, obstruction and fibrosis) that may also reflect myocardial “stiffness”. Methods We included 40 HCM patients (54.1±14.3 years, 82.5% male, maximum wall thickness 19.3±4.8mm) who have consecutively undergone 3D-speckle tracking echocardiography and cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). Values of 3D strain were plotted vs. volume for each frame to build an SVL. Peak of radial, longitudinal and circumferential systolic strain (Rsp, Lsp, and Csp, respectively), systolic slopes of the loops (RsSl, LsSl, CsSl), strain to end-diastolic volume (EDV) ratios (Rs/V, Ls/V, Cs/V) as well as the extent of systolic-diastolic uncoupling (difference between systolic and diastolic strain for the same volume) (panel A) were computed for the analysis. Left atrial volume index (LAVI), E/E' and tricuspid regurgitation velocity (TRvel) were measured to define diastolic dysfunction (DD) stage. Burden of fibrosis was evaluated by LGE extent in CMR slices. Results All HCM patients had preserved EF (60.5±5,7%), while 16 (40%) had LV outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO>30 mm Hg at rest). Mean LV mass index was 78.9±14.5 g (evaluated by 3D echocardiography). LGE was observed in 23 patients (57.5%) occupying 5.2±4.5% of LV mass. Concerning SVLs the following values were recorded for radial (Rsp 30.8±9.8%, RsSl 0.4±0.13 and Rs/V 0.25±0.09), longitudinal (Lsp −9.4±3.7%, LsSl 0.12±0.06 and Ls/V 0.08±0.04) and circumferential deformation (Csp −14.2±3.5%, CsSl 0.18±0.05 and Cs/V 0.11±0.03). Traditional isolated diastolic indices (E/E', LAVI, TRvel and DD stage) did not present significant correlations with SVL parameters or HCM phenotypic features. However, potentially “stiffer” hearts (combination of increased LVMI and fibrosis) presented a leftward transition of longitudinal SVLs, which also became wider (greater uncoupling) (panel B). Conclusions Traditional diastolic indices show modest only correlations with SVLs or HCM phenotypic characteristics, necessitating new approaches to DD of HCM patients. SVLs seem to be a promising-innovative tool for indirect assessment of myocardial “stiffness” and diastolic function. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None. Figure 1

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