Objective To examine the predictive value of coronary artery calcification score on low-dose helical CT(LDCT)in patients with unstable angina pectoris.Methods One hundred thirty-two patients with unstable angina who underwent LDCT and coronary angiography(CAG)were retrospectively analyzed.Clinical characteristics,calcification scores,and CAG findings were recorded.Patients underwent follow-up to record the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE).Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the relationship between calcification score and severity of disease.Results(1)LDCT calcification score significantly differed between the no-vessel disease,single-vessel disease,two-vessel disease,and three-vessel disease groups(P=0.001).LDCT calcification score was associated with three-vessel disease on CAG.For each 100-point increase in LDCT calcification score,the probability of three-vessel disease increased by 12％(95％CI 1.04-1.20,P=0.003).Compared with patients with mild calcification(score＜100 Agatston units),patients with moderate(score 100-399 Agatston units)and severe(score≥400 Agatston units)calcification were 3.69 times(95％CI 1.27-10.76,P=0.017)and 5.48 times(95％CI 1.87-16.02,P=0.002)more likely to have three-vessel disease,respectively.(2)Patients with LDCT calcification score≥ 196.05 Agatston units were more likely to have three-vessel disease.The sensitivity,specificity,and accuracy of LDCT calcification score≥ 196.05 Agatston units for diagnosing three-vessel coronary artery disease was 0.72,0.65,and 0.67,respectively;the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.699.(3)The odds of coronary revascularization during follow-up were 8.23 times(95％CI 1.12-60.67,P=0.039)higher in patients with severe calcification than in those without it.Conclusions LDCT can predict CAD in patients with unstable angina,especially severe disease,and is related to MACE.

Objective To investigate whether successful percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)could improve symptoms and quality of life(QOL)in left main disease and/or 3-vessel disease patients with diabetes.Methods Patients with left main disease and/or 3-vessel disease who underwent PCI in the First Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University from April 2018 to May 2021 were consecutively enrolled and subdivided into 2 groups:diabetes and no diabetes.Detailed baseline characteristics,symptoms,including dyspnea and angina,assessed with the Rose dyspnea scale(RDS),Seattle angina questionnaire(SAQ),the European quality of life-5 dimensions(EQ-5D)and 12-item short-form health survey(SF-12)questionnaire respectively,procedural details,and 1 month and 1 year follow-up data were collected.Results Among 440 left main disease and/or 3-vessel disease patients,disease was present in 176(40.00％),who had more hypertension,peripheral artery disease,and LCX lesion(all P＜0.05).The incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE)and all-cause mortality were similar between the two groups(both P＞0.05)at 1 month follow-up,while all-cause mortality in diabetes patients was significantly higher than those without diabetes at 1 year follow-up(P=0.013).Low left ventricular ejection fraction was an independent risk factor for MACE and all-cause mortality at 1 month and 1 year follow-up after successful revascularization(all P＜0.05).Most importantly,symptoms,including dyspnea and angina,and QOL were markedly improved regardless of diabetes both at 1 month and 1 year follow-up(all P＜0.05).Diabetes patients showed improved dyspnea and QOL at similar degree to the non-diabetes patients(all P＞0.05)and a more significantly relieved angina(P=0.013).Additionally,the number of chronic total occlusion(CTO)per patient was identified as an independent risk factor of dyspnea(OR 0.723,95％CI 0.525～0.997,P=0.048)and angina relief(OR 0.686,95％CI 0.473～0.995,P=0.047),and the contrast volume(OR 0.995,95％CI 0.992～0.999,P=0.008)as an independent risk factor of QOL improvement in diabetic patients.Conclusions Successful PCI is beneficial for relieving symptoms and improving quality of life in patients with diabetes who have left main disease and/or 3-vessel disease.

Objective To investigate the perioperative management of antithrombotic drugs in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery.Methods Patients on long-term antithrombotic drugs who underwent non-cardiac surgery in our hospital were included.Through interviews with patients and physicians,perioperative antithrombotic medication regimens were reviewed and compared with the"Multidisciplinary Expert Consensus on Perioperative Management of Antithrombotic Therapy"to evaluate compliance with consensus and analyze influencing factors.Results A total of 372 patients were included in the analysis.Among them,355 patients were on long-term antiplatelet therapy alone,and 17 were on long-term oral anticoagulantion.364(97.8％)discontinued antithrombotic medications prior to surgery.109 patients(29.3％)received low molecular weight heparin(LMWH)bridging therapy.Among the 355 patients on antiplatelet therapy,108(30.4％)had discontinuation durations consistent with the consensus recommendations,while 186(52.4％)discontinued medications for longer periods.Postoperatively,the average hospital stay for antiplatelet therapy patients was 6.64 days,with only 37(10.4％)resuming therapy during hospitalization.The average hospital stay for patients on anticoagulants was 9.94 days,with only 2(11.8％)resuming therapy during hospitalization.Regarding perioperative risk assessment,only 40(10.8％)of patients underwent additional internal medical evaluation for thromboembolic risk after medication discontinuation,with the remainder assessed soly by surgeons.Coronary heart disease was an independent risk factor associated with internal medical evaluation(OR 2.851,95％CI 1.160-7.011,P=0.022).For bleeding risk assessment,surgeons evaluations aligned with the consensus in 68.0％of cases,but surgeons tended to underestimate risk compared to the consensus.Conclusions In this single-center study,perioperative antithrombotic management showed low compliance with expert consensus,characterized by prolonged preoperative medication discontinuation,high rates of LMWH bridging,and low postoperative in-hospital resumption of therapy.A robust multidisciplinary collaboration system should be established to enhance comprehensive patient assessment.

Objective To investigate the feasibility and safety of bedside transesophageal echocardiography(TEE)-guided atrial septostomy in patients undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation(ECMO)support.Methods Eight patients(2 females and 6 males)who developed pulmonary edema during VA-ECMO treatment between January 2020 and October 2024 were enrolled.All patients underwent bedside TEE-guided atrial septal puncture,followed by gradual balloon dilation using an Inoue balloon(diameter:18-24 mm).The endpoint for dilation was defined as mean left atrial pressure＜15 mmHg.Post-procedure evaluation included assessment of the septal defect size,mean left atrial pressure,and improvement in bilateral pulmonary edema.Results The mean age of all 8 patients was(43.50±16.84)years old.Atrial septostomy was successfully performed in all patients.The mean balloon dilation diameter was(22.75±2.68)mm,resulting in a mean septal defect size of(6.31±0.37)mm.The mean left atrial pressure significantly decreased from(26.63±1.77)mmHg pre-procedure to(12.75±1.28)mmHg post-procedure(P＜0.001).All patients demonstrated marked improvement in bilateral pulmonary edema,and six patients also showed a significant reduction in the severity of mitral regurgitation following the procedure.No procedure-related complications were observed.Conclusions Bedside TEE-guided atrial septostomy is safe and effective for reducing left heart loading during ECMO support and improving pulmonary edema.

Objective To investigate the safety and efficacy of the radial artery hemostatic device in trans-brachial coronary intervention,and assess its effectiveness.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients who underwent trans-brachial coronary intervention at Peking University International Hospital from January 1,2018 to December 31,2023.The patients were divided into the radial artery hemostatic device group(170 cases)and the conventional compression group(100 cases)based on the postoperative hemostasis method,and the incidence of complications and clinical characteristics were compared between the two groups.Results A total of 270 patients underwent trans-brachial coronary intervention,with 18 complications occurring.Among them,17 cases were hemorrhage around the puncture site(16 cases were mild and 1 case was severe)and 1 was transient median nerve injury.The overall complication rate was 6.7％,and the incidence of hemorrhage around the puncture site was 6.3％.The hemorrhage rate in the radial artery hemostatic device group was 5.9％,while that in the conventional compression group was 7.0％,with no statistically significant difference between the two groups(P=0.715).Multivariate regression analysis indicated that female was an independent risk factor for hemorrhage around the puncture site(OR 4.57,95％CI 1.40-14.96,P=0.012).With the accumulation of technology,the application of trans-brachial access and radial artery hemostatic devices increased year by year(both P＜0.010).Conclusions The radial artery hemostatic device effectively controls bleeding in trans-brachial coronary interventions and demonstrates satisfactory safety.Its simplicity and efficacy provide a new strategy for hemostatic management in percutaneous trans-brachial access,which may gradually become the new standard in the future.

Objective To investigate the risk factors of hemodynamic instability after carotid artery stenting by meta-analysis.Methods Ten databases were searched:PubMed,ProQuest,ScienceDirect,Embase,Cochrane Library,Web of Science,China Knowledge Network,Wanfang Data,VIP Information Database,and China Biomedical Database.The search date was from inception until 2 February 2024,and meta-analysis was performed using Stata 16.0 statistical software.Results A total of 27 studies with 4199 subjects and 22 influencing factors were included.The studies showed a 37.4％(95％CI 30.3％-44.8％)incidence of haemodynamic instability after carotid stenting,Meta-analysis determined that age＞60 years(P＜0.001),hypertension(P＜0.001),calcified plaque(P＜0.001),stenosis＞70％(P=0.008),eccentric plaque(P=0.002),distance from the largest stenosis to the carotid bifurcation≤ 10 mm(P＜0.001),stenosis involvement of the balloon or bifurcation(P＜0.001),balloon post-dilation(P=0.003),open-loop stenting(P＜0.001),dilated balloon diameter≥5 mm(P=0.002),repeat balloon dilation(P=0.011)and balloon dilation pressure≥8 atm(P＜0.001)are risk factors for intraoperative and postoperative haemodynamic instability in patients undergoing carotid artery stenting surgery.Statin use was a protective factor(P＜0.001).Conclusions Medical staff working in the clinic should assess the patient's condition preoperatively,identify risk factors that may lead to haemodynamic instability,and avoid unnecessary intraoperative stimulation of patients who are already in a high-risk state.Reduce postoperative clinical complications in patients with carotid artery stenosis and improve patient recovery.

Atherosclerosis(AS)is the major pathologic basis of cardiovascular disease,and its complications,such as myocardial infarction and stroke,are primarily triggered by rupture of atherosclerotic vulnerable plaques(VASPs).Conventional imaging techniques rely on anatomical changes,making it difficult to assess plaque vulnerability at an early stage.In recent years,molecular imaging combined with nanoprobe technology has enabled precise visualization at the cellular and molecular levels by targeting pathological features of plaques(e.g.,lipid core,inflammation,thin fibrous cap,etc.).This article reviews the pathological features of VASPs,the limitations of existing imaging techniques,and the design principles and application progress of molecular imaging probes and discusses the challenges and future directions for their clinical translation.

Left posterior fascicular ventricular tachycardia(LPFVT)is the most common subtype of verapamil-sensitive ventricular tachycardia,predominantly occurring in young patients without structural heart disease.Its underlying mechanism is primarily associated with reentrant activity within the Purkinje fiber network of the posterior septum of the left ventricle.With advancements in electrophysiological studies and radiofrequency catheter ablation(RFCA),treatment strategies for LPFVT have been progressively optimized,including targeted ablation based on Pl potentials,linear ablation in the mid-to-inferior septal region of the left ventricle,and novel mapping approaches targeting Fragmented Antegrade Purkinje Potentials(FAPs).Furthermore,recent studies have highlighted the potential roles of false tendons and ventricular myocardium in the reentrant circuit of LPFVT,enhancing our understanding of its complex pathophysiological mechanisms.The application of electroanatomical mapping technology has significantly improved the precision of intraoperative localization,providing safer and more effective therapeutic options for patients with non-inducible or non-sustained LPFVT.This review systematically discusses the pathophysiological mechanisms and ablation strategies of LPFVT,offering theoretical insights and practical guidance for its clinical management.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement(TAVR)is increasingly being applied in low-risk and younger patients.However,this trend necessitates that cardiac surgeons take on the responsibility of comprehensive lifetime management.This article explores three critical aspects of lifetime management,including the selection of the initial valve,the procedural success and the device success rates of TAVR,and the durability of the valve.Younger TAVR recipients require comprehensive lifetime management strategies,including the potential risk of reintervention.Improving TAVR's procedural and device success rates is the cornerstone of lifetime management,necessitating efforts in surgical strategy and operation to reduce complications.Valve durability is a key guarantee;current surgical bioprosthetic valves show good durability,but long-term data on TAVR valves'durability is still needed.Meanwhile,novel valves are being improved in durability,offering new directions for optimizing lifetime management in TAVR patients.

Persistent atrial fibrillation and other factors can cause mitral and tricuspid annular dilation and leaflet regurgitation,leading to severe functional mitral and tricuspid regurgitation.Patients often experience significant heart failure symptoms and poor prognosis.For patients with severe mitral or tricuspid regurgitation who are at high risk or contraindicated for surgical procedures,transbronchial repair(TEER)is an important alternative therapy that can effectively reduce valve regurgitation and improve cardiac function;Although there is a lack of large-scale data on atrial functional reflux,existing experience still shows that TEER can significantly reduce reflux and improve patients'quality of life.However,double valve intervention therapy poses challenges,especially when combined with TEER repair,which is technically more complex,time-consuming,and carries higher risks.Foreign data shows that simultaneous or staged double valve intervention can safely improve cardiac function and increase survival rates,but the optimal intervention strategy still needs further research.Due to the fact that tricuspid TEER devices have not yet been launched in China,only staged treatment can be adopted at present.This case report shows a patient with severe atrial functional mitral and tricuspid regurgitation who underwent staged transcatheter edge to edge repair surgery successfully.During a 1-year follow-up,bilateral valve regurgitation continued to improve,indicating that staged repair of bilateral atrioventricular valve regurgitation through the catheter margin is a feasible and effective treatment option.