Circulation. Cardiovascular imaging
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Circ Cardiovasc Imaging · Jan 2021
Multicenter StudySpatially Weighted Coronary Artery Calcium Score and Coronary Heart Disease Events in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.
A limitation of the Agatston coronary artery calcium (CAC) score is that it does not use all of the calcium density information in the computed tomography scan such that many individuals have a score of zero. We examined the predictive validity for incident coronary heart disease (CHD) events of the spatially weighted coronary calcium score (SWCS), an alternative scoring method for CAC that assigns scores to individuals with Agatston CAC=0. ⋯ SWCS predicts incident CHD events in individuals with Agatston CAC score=0 as well as conversion to Agatston CAC>0 at repeat computed tomography scanning at later exams. SWCS has predictive validity as a subclinical phenotype and marker of CHD risk in individuals with Agatston CAC=0.
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Circ Cardiovasc Imaging · Jan 2021
Myocardial Inflammation and Dysfunction in COVID-19-Associated Myocardial Injury.
Myocardial injury, defined by elevated troponin levels, is associated with adverse outcome in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The frequency of cardiac injury remains highly uncertain and confounded in current publications; myocarditis is one of several mechanisms that have been proposed. ⋯ In this small cohort of COVID-19 patients with elevated troponin levels, myocardial injury was evidenced by reduced echocardiographic left ventricular strain, myocarditis patterns on cardiac magnetic resonance, and enhanced macrophage numbers but not predominantly lymphocytic myocarditis in endomyocardial biopsies.