ALAT
: alanine aminotransferase
ASAT
: aspartate aminotransferase
APAH
: associated pulmonary arterial hypertension
BAS
: balloon atrial septostomy
BMPR2
: bone morphogenetic protein receptor 2
BNP
: brain natriuretic peptide
BPA
: balloon pulmonary angioplasty
BREATHE
: Bosentan

/pdf/2015-esc-ers-guidelines-for-the-diagnosis-and-treatment-of-y26yabnnom.pdf

2015 ESC/ERS Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension: The Joint Task Force for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Respiratory Society (ERS): Endorsed by: Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology (AEPC), International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT).

Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. & 2015 European Society of Cardiology & European Respiratory Society. This article is being published concurrently in the European Heart Journal (10.1093/eurheartj/ehv317) and the European Respiratory Journal (10.1183/13993003.01032-2015). The articles are identical except for minor stylistic and spelling differences in keeping with each journal’s style. Either citation can be used when citing this article. * Corresponding authors: Nazzareno Galiè, Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine–DIMES, University of Bologna, Via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy, Tel: +39 051 349 858, Fax: +39 051 344 859, Email: nazzareno.galie@unibo.it.

/pdf/special-article2015-esc-ers-guidelines-for-the-diagnosis-and-22zaj14m7s.pdf

Special article2015 ESC/ERS Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension

Nazzareno Galiè (ESC Chairperson), Marc Humbert (ERS Chairperson), Jean-Luc Vachiery, Simon Gibbs, Irene Lang, Adam Torbicki, Gérald Simonneau, Andrew Peacock, Anton Vonk Noordegraaf, Maurice Beghetti, Ardeschir Ghofrani, Miguel Angel Gomez Sanchez, Georg Hansmann, Walter Klepetko, Patrizio Lancellotti, Marco Matucci, Theresa McDonagh, Luc A. Pierard, Pedro T. Trindade, Maurizio Zompatori and Marius Hoeper The Joint Task Force for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and of the European Respiratory Society (ERS)

https://journals.viamedica.pl/kardiologia_polska/article/download/KP.2015.0242/57586

[2015 ESC/ERS Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension].

Guidelines summarize and evaluate all available evidence on a particular issue at the time of the writing process, with the aim of assisting health professionals in selecting the best management strategies for an individual patient with a given condition, taking into account the impact on outcome, as well as the risk–benefit ratio of particular diagnostic or therapeutic means. Guidelines and recommendations should help health professionals to make decisions in their daily practice. However, the final decisions concerning an individual patient must be made by the responsible health professional(s) in consultation with the patient and caregiver as appropriate.

https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/erj/46/4/903.full.pdf

/pdf/2022-esc-ers-guidelines-for-the-diagnosis-and-treatment-of-1rt8fldu.pdf

2022 ESC/ERS Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension.

Background— Although right ventricular (RV) dysfunction is a major determinant of outcome in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH), the optimal measure of RV function is poorly defined. We hypothesized that RV strain measured by speckle-tracking echocardiography predicts outcome in PH over a broad range of pulmonary pressures.

Methods and Results— Prospective peak RV longitudinal systolic strain measurement was performed on 575 patients (mean age, 56±18 years; 63% women) referred for echocardiography for known or suspected PH. Survival status was assessed over a median of 16.5 (interquartile range, 7.6–20.0) months. There were 406 patients with PH (71%) (74% group 1, 14% group 3, and 12% group 4) and 169 patients without evidence of PH (29%). Among patients with PH, 46% were World Health Organization functional class III–IV. The mean RV strain was −21.2±6.7% for all patients. RV strain declined with worse functional class, shorter 6-minute walk distances, higher N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels, and the presence of right heart failure. RV strain predicted outcome across pulmonary pressures and groups of PH. Eighteen-month survival was 92%, 88%, 85%, and 71% according to RV strain quartile ( P <0.001), with a 1.46 higher risk of death (95% confidence interval, 1.05–2.12) per 6.7% decline in RV strain. RV strain predicted survival when adjusted for pulmonary pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance, and right atrial pressure and provided incremental prognostic value over conventional clinical and echocardiographic variables.

Conclusions— Quantitative assessment of RV free-wall systolic strain is feasible and is a powerful predictor of the clinical outcome of patients with known or suspected PH.

Outcome prediction by quantitative right ventricular function assessment in 575 subjects evaluated for pulmonary hypertension.

Background: Myocardial strain imaging is a sensitive echocardiographic technique for identifying ventricular dysfunction. The aim of this study was to describe a reference range for right ventricular (RV) strain in subjects without cardiopulmonary disease and to report these values from a systematic review and meta-analysis of the current literature. Methods: Prospective online measurement of RV free wall longitudinal systolic strain using speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) was performed in 116 subjects with normal echocardiograms and without cardiopulmonary disease or risk factors. A systematic search of studies in EMBASE and Medline reporting RV strain values was performed through February 2014. Results: The mean age was 48 � 16 years and 58% were female. Mean RV strain was � 26 � 4%. Ten studies involving a total of 486 patients met our inclusion criteria. The mean age range was 43–57 years and 59% were female. All prior studies were performed with offline strain analysis, and 9 used a GE Healthcare strain analysis software system. The weighted estimate of RV free wall strain measured using tissue Doppler imaging (4 studies) was � 27 � 1% (95% confidence interval [CI] � 30% to � 25%) and with STE (8 studies, including the current study data) � 27 � 2% (95% CI � 29% to � 24%), respectively. Conclusions: A reference range for RV strain in subjects without cardiopulmonary disease is presented. These data may help facilitate the routine clinical measurement of RV strain in patients referred for right heart echocardiography assessment. (Echocardiography 2014;00:1–10)

Reference Values for Right Ventricular Strain in Patients without Cardiopulmonary Disease: A Prospective Evaluation and Meta-Analysis.

Introduction: Tricuspid valve regurgitation (TR) is a frequent finding in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). However, its prognostic significance and relation to PAH, while suspected, are poorly understood. We assessed 727 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed PAH who underwent transthoracic echocardiographic evaluation of tricuspid valve function. 

Objectives: The study objective was to determine the association of TR presence and severity with patient characteristics, pulmonary artery hemodynamics and outcome. 

Methods: Consecutive patients with newly diagnosed PAH (N = 727 with group 1 pulmonary hypertension) underwent transthoracic echocardiographic evaluation of tricuspid valve function at diagnosis. The primary study end point was all-cause mortality or lung transplantation. 

Results: In this population, 702 patients (96.5%) had TR; in 165 patients (23%), TR was severe. Compared with those with no or mild TR by echocardiography criteria, patients with severe TR had shorter mean (SD) 6-minute walk distances (285 [125] m vs 360 [121] m; P = .02) and higher levels of B-type natriuretic peptide (695 [672] pg/dL vs 328 [300] pg/dL; P < .05). Severe TR was associated with greater right atrial dilatation (91% vs 47%; P = .004) and right ventricular (RV) dilatation (92% vs 51%; P = .008), greater right atrial pressure (mean [SD] 15 [7] mm Hg vs 10 [6] mm Hg; P < .001) and lower cardiac index (mean [SD], 2.2 [0.7] L/min/m2 vs 2.8 [0.9] L/min/m2; P < .001). Severe TR was strongly predictive of greater 5-year mortality risk after adjustment for age, sex, functional class, 6-minute walk distance, diffusing capacity, RV size and pulmonary vascular resistance index (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.38-2.41; P < .001). 

Conclusions: Severe TR was a significant predictor of long-term mortality rate in PAH, and TR severity correlated with PAH severity.

The prognostic significance of tricuspid valve regurgitation in pulmonary arterial hypertension.

The aim of this meta‐analysis was to evaluate the diagnostic value of contrast‐enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and high‐resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HR‐MRI) in patients with carotid vulnerable plaques.

Diagnostic Performance of Contrast‐Enhanced Ultrasound and High‐Resolution Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaques

Explore the diagnostic performance of 2020 Chinese Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data Systems by comparing with the 2017 ACR-TIRADS guidelines: a single-center study

Libo Chen

Papers

Outcome prediction by quantitative right ventricular function assessment in 575 subjects evaluated for pulmonary hypertension.

Reference Values for Right Ventricular Strain in Patients without Cardiopulmonary Disease: A Prospective Evaluation and Meta-Analysis.

The prognostic significance of tricuspid valve regurgitation in pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Diagnostic Performance of Contrast‐Enhanced Ultrasound and High‐Resolution Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaques

Explore the diagnostic performance of 2020 Chinese Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data Systems by comparing with the 2017 ACR-TIRADS guidelines: a single-center study