Large artery stiffening contributes to the pathophysiology of heart failure (HF) and associated comorbidities. MGP (matrix Gla-protein) is a potent inhibitor of vascular calcification. MGP activation is vitamin K–dependent. We aimed (1) to compare dp-ucMGP (dephospho-uncarboxylated MGP) levels between subjects with HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and subjects without HF; (2) to assess the relationship between dp-ucMGP levels and arterial stiffness; and (3) to assess the relationship between warfarin use, dp-ucMGP levels, and arterial stiffness in HF. We enrolled 348 subjects with HFpEF (n=96), HFrEF (n=53), or no HF (n=199). Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, a measure of large artery stiffness, was measured with arterial tonometry. Dp-ucMGP was measured with ELISA. Dp-ucMGP levels were greater in both HFrEF (582 pmol/L; 95% CI, 444–721 pmol/L) and HFpEF (549 pmol/L; 95% CI, 455–643 pmol/L) compared with controls (426 pmol/L; 95% CI, 377–475 pmol/L; ANCOVA P =0.0067). Levels of dp-ucMGP were positively associated with carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (standardized β, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.19–0.42; P <0.0001), which was also true in analyses restricted to patients with HF (standardized β, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.16–0.52; P =0.0002). Warfarin use was significantly associated with carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (standardized β, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.004–0.26; P =0.043), but this relationship was eliminated after adjustment for dp-ucMGP. In conclusion, levels of dp-ucMGP are increased in HFpEF and HFrEF and are independently associated with arterial stiffness. Future studies should investigate whether vitamin K supplementation represents a suitable therapeutic strategy to prevent or reduce arterial stiffness in HFpEF and HFrEF.

Background--Impaired left atrial (LA) mechanical function is present in hypertension and likely contributes to various complications, including atrial arrhythmias, stroke, and heart failure. Various antihypertensive drug classes exert differential effects on central hemodynamics and left ventricular function. However, little is known about their effects on LA function.

Background Late systolic load has been shown to cause diastolic dysfunction in animal models. Whereas the systolic loading sequence of the ventricular myocardium likely affects its coupling with the left atrium (LA), this issue has not been investigated in humans. We aimed to assess the relationship between the myocardial loading sequence and LA function in human hypertension. Methods and Results We studied 260 subjects with hypertension and 19 normotensive age- and sex-matched controls. Time-resolved central pressure and LV geometry were measured with carotid tonometry and cardiac MRI, respectively, for computation of time-resolved ejection-phase myocardial wall stress (MWS). The ratio of late/early ejection-phase MWS time-integrals was computed as an index of late systolic myocardial load. Atrial mechanics were measured with cine-SSFP MRI using feature-tracking algorithms. Compared to normotensive controls, hypertensive participants demonstrated increased late/early ejection-phase MWS and reduced LA function. Greater levels of late/early ejection-phase MWS were associated with reduced LA conduit, reservoir and booster pump LA function. In models that included early and late ejection-phase MWS as independent correlates of LA function, late-systolic MWS was associated with lower, whereas early-systolic MWS was associated with greater LA function, indicating an effect of the relative loading sequence (late vs. early MWS) on LA function. These relationships persisted after adjustment for multiple potential confounders. Conclusions A myocardial loading sequence characterized by prominent late systolic MWS was independently associated with atrial dysfunction. In the context of available experimental data, our findings support the deleterious effects on late systolic loading on ventricular-atrial coupling.

There is controversy regarding the utility of left ventricular (LV) mechanics assessed by featuretracking (FT)-SSFP, a readily implementable technique in clinical practice. In particular, whether LV mechanics assessed by FT-SSFP predicts outcomes in subjects with heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), or without HF is unknown. We aimed to assess whether LV mechanics measured with FT-SSFP cine MRI predicts adverse outcomes. We prospectively enrolled 612 adults without HF (n=402), with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF; n=113), or HFpEF (n=97) and assessed LV strain using FT-SSFP cine MRI. Over a median follow-up of 39.5 months, 75 participants had a HF admission, and 85 died. In Cox proportional hazards models, lower global longitudinal (Standardized Hazard Ratio: 1.56, 95% CI=1.22 to 2.00, p=0.0004), circumferential (Standardized HR: 1.46, 95% CI=1.08 to 1.95, p=0.0123), and radial strain (Standardized HR: 0.59, 95% CI=0.43-0.83, p=0.0019) were independently associated with the composite endpoint, after adjustment for HF status, LV ejection fraction (LVEF), age, sex, ethnicity, body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease and glomerular filtration rate. Furthermore, global longitudinal strain stratified the risk of adverse outcomes across tertiles better than LVEF. In analyses that included only participants with a preserved LVEF, systolic radial, circumferential and longitudinal strain were independently predictive of adverse outcomes. We conclude that LV longitudinal, circumferential and radial strain measured using FT-SSFP cine

An increased myocardial ECVF, suggesting myocardial fibrosis, is independently associated with poor glycemic control among adults with diabetes. Further research should assess whether tight glycemic control can revert fibrosis to healthy myocardium or ameliorate it and its adverse clinical consequences.