Circulating endothelial progenitor cells have an important role in the process of vascular repair. Impaired recruitment and function of endothelial progenitor cells is related to the pathophysiology of congestive heart failure. Endothelial progenitor cells have been shown to express the mineralocorticoid receptor.

To assess the diagnostic performance of angiography-derived fractional flow reserve (FFRangio) measurements in patients with stable coronary artery disease when used online in the catheterization laboratory during routine coronary angiography.
FFR, an index of the hemodynamic severity of coronary stenosis, is derived from invasive measurements using a pressure-monitoring guidewire and hyperemic stimulus. While FFR is the gold standard, it remains under-utilized.

Background Exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) is considered to have a carcinogenic effect. The authors previously reported a nonsignificant association between TRAP and cancer risk in a relatively small cohort of myocardial infarction survivors. This study assessed whether TRAP exposure is associated with subsequent cancer in a large cohort of coronary patients.

The Impella is a mechanical circulatory support device that supports ventricular function. Since 2008, when the first Impella device received Food and Drug Administration clearance, its use has become increasingly prevalent. A variety of Impella devices are available, and are differentiated by size, power, and insertion techniques.

Although transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is officially indicated for high risk aortic stenosis (AS) patients, the procedure is increasingly being performed in patients who are not at high surgical risk, including a substantial number of low risk patients. However, data on the benefit of TAVR in this patient population is limited.
We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies with propensity score matching (PSM) of TAVR versus surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in patients who are at low surgical risk.

There are scarce contemporary data regarding the incidence and prognosis of early postmyocardial infarction pericarditis (PMIP). Thus, we retrospectively analyzed 6,282 patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) enrolled with known PMIP status in the Acute Coronary Syndrome Israeli Survey 2000 to 2013 registry. The primary outcome was the composite of all-cause mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular event, stent thrombosis, or revascularization.

Bioprostheses are prone to structural valve degeneration, resulting in limited long-term durability. A significant challenge when comparing the durability of different types of bioprostheses is the lack of a standardized terminology for the definition of a degenerated valve. This issue becomes especially important when we try to compare the degeneration rate of surgically inserted and transcatheter bioprosthetic valves.

We aimed to analyse the incidence of prosthesis-patient mismatch (PPM) and elevated gradients after aortic valve in valve (ViV), and to evaluate predictors and associations with clinical outcomes of this adverse event.
A total of 910 aortic ViV patients were investigated. Elevated residual gradients were defined as ≥20 mm Hg.

The aim of this study was to determine whether the association of small label size of the surgical valve with increased mortality after transcatheter valve-in-valve (ViV) implantation is, at least in part, related to pre-existing prosthesis-patient mismatch (PPM) (i.e., a bioprosthesis that is too small in relation to body size).

Life-threatening complications occur during transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) which can require emergent cardiac surgery (ECS). Risks and outcomes of patients needing ECS during or immediately after TAVI are still unclear.
Incidence, risk factors, management, and outcomes of patients requiring ECS during transfemoral (TF)-TAVI were analysed from a contemporary real-world multicentre registry.

The traditional treatment of acute pericarditis includes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs) or glucocorticoids. The addition of colchicine has been found to reduce the rate of recurrences. Glucocorticoids, however, may attenuate this effect, although the available data are limited.

Risk assessment for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) patients remains challenging, especially in elderly and high-risk candidates. Although several risk factors contribute to increased morbidity and mortality after TAVI, simple risk scores for routine use are lacking. Applying the CHADS-VAS (congestive heart failure, hypertension, age ≥ 75 years, diabetes, prior stroke, vascular disease, age 65-74 years, sex [female] category) score as a novel risk stratification tool for conditions other than atrial fibrillation and stroke prevention has been previously examined; however, its usefulness in a population of patients with aortic stenosis after TAVI has not been established.

Risk-benefit assessment for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is still evolving. A sizeable group of patients do not fully benefit from intervention despite a technically successful procedure. All patients who underwent TAVI with device success and with no Valve Academic Research Consortium (VARC)-2 defined complications were included.

The last decade, regarded as the DES era in PCI, has witnessed significant advances in the management of coronary disease. We aimed to assess temporal trends in the practice and outcome of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) during the drug eluting stent (DES) era.
We analyzed 18,641 consecutive PCI's performed between January 2004 and December 2016, distinguished by procedural date (Q : 2004-2006, n = 4,865; Q : 2007-2009, n = 4,977; Q : 2010-2012, n = 4,230; Q : 2013-2016, n = 4,569).

There are limited data on coronary obstruction following transcatheter valve-in-valve (ViV) implantation inside failed aortic bioprostheses. The objectives of this study were to determine the incidence, predictors, and clinical outcomes of coronary obstruction in transcatheter ViV procedures.
A total of 1612 aortic procedures from the Valve-in-Valve International Data (VIVID) Registry were evaluated.

Advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an independent predictor of mortality in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). We aimed to identify predictors of 1-year mortality in patients after TAVI stratified by the presence or absence of advanced CKD (defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate ≤30 ml/min/1.73 m or permanent renal replacement therapy).

Fractional flow reserve (FFR), an index of the hemodynamic severity of coronary stenoses, is derived from invasive measurements and requires a pressure-monitoring guidewire and hyperemic stimulus. Angiography-derived FFR measurements (FFR) may have several advantages. The aim of this study is to assess the diagnostic performance and interobserver reproducibility of FFR in patients with stable coronary artery disease.

Idiopathic pericarditis is presumed to result from viral infection. The incidence rates of some viral infections have typical seasonal patterns. The data in the literature on a possible seasonal pattern of acute pericarditis are very limited.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has been widely used for the treatment of aortic stenosis. Most pivotal studies of TAVI included patients with a mean age of over 80 years old. Many young patients may also be considered for TAVI because of severe co-morbidities.

Fractional flow reserve (FFR), an index of the hemodynamic severity of coronary stenoses, is derived from hyperemic pressure measurements and requires a pressure-monitoring guide wire and hyperemic stimulus. Although it has become the standard of reference for decision-making regarding coronary revascularization, the procedure remains underutilized due to its invasive nature. FFR is a novel technology that uses the patient's hemodynamic data and routine angiograms to generate a complete three-dimensional coronary tree, with color-coded display of the FFR values at each point along the vessels.

High admission blood glucose (ABG) level has been associated with a poor short-term outcome among non-diabetic patients with heart failure (HF). We aimed to investigate the association between ABG levels and long-term (10 years) mortality in patients with or without pre-existing diabetes mellitus (DM) admitted with HF.
We analyzed data on 1811 patients with DM and 2182 patients without pre-existing DM who were hospitalized with HF during a prospective national survey.

The safety and efficacy of a novel cobalt alloy-based coronary stent with a durable elastomeric polymer eluting the antiproliferative agent ridaforolimus for treatment of patients with coronary artery disease is undetermined.
A prospective, international 1:1 randomized trial was conducted to evaluate in a noninferiority design the relative safety and efficacy of ridaforolimus-eluting stents (RESs) and slow-release zotarolimus-eluting stents among 1919 patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention at 76 centers. Inclusion criteria allowed enrollment of patients with recent myocardial infarction, total occlusions, bifurcations lesions, and other complex conditions.

Reticulated platelets (RPs) are immature platelets with high dense granules content and a residual amount of megakaryocyte-derived of mRNA. Increased level of RPs has been found to be an independent predictor of cardiovascular ischemic events, and has been associated with impaired response to various anti-platelet drugs. The study aimed to characterize and compare the surface antigenic properties of reticulated versus mature platelets.

Rehospitalizations (RHs) after ST-elevation myocardial infarction carry a high economic burden and may deteriorate quality of life. Characterizing patients at higher risk may allow the design of preventive measures. We studied the frequency, reasons, and predictors for unplanned cardiac and noncardiac RHs in ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Patients with acute myocardial infarction pretreated with prasugrel or ticagrelor may require urgent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). However, prasugrel and ticagrelor withdrawal period is recommended for 5-7 days before planned CABG to enable full platelet recovery. We hypothesized that monitoring sequential platelet reactivity (PR) could identify patients with early platelet recovery who may benefit from earlier surgery before the guideline-recommended 5-7 day delay.

The study sought to examine the effect of coronary artery disease (CAD) on mortality in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).
CAD is common in the TAVR population. However, there are conflicting data on the prognostic significance of CAD and its treatment in this population.

Although previous observational studies have documented late luminal enlargement and expansive remodeling following implantation of a bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS), no comparison with metallic stents has been conducted in a randomized fashion.
This study sought to compare vessel remodeling patterns after either Absorb BVS or Xience metallic drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation (Abbott Vascular, Santa Clara, California) and determine the independent predictors of remodeling.
In the ABSORB II randomized trial, 383 lesions (n = 359) were investigated by intravenous ultrasound both post-procedure and at 3-year follow-up.

Delirium is a common condition among elderly patients, particularly those hospitalized following surgical procedures. A study indicates that delirium occurs in 1 out of 5 patients following TAVR and it was found to be associated with diminished survival, prolonged hospitalization, and increased healthcare utilization. Delirium is potentially preventable and treatable clinical syndrome.

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are a population of bone marrow-derived cells, which have an important role in the process of endothelialization and vascular repair following injury. Impairment of EPCs, which occurs in patients with diabetes, was shown to be related to endothelial dysfunction, coronary artery disease (CAD) and adverse clinical outcomes. Recent evidence has shown that calcitriol, the active hormone of vitamin D, has a favorable impact on the endothelium and cardiovascular system.

To evaluate the effect of baseline aortic valve gradient (AVG) both as a continuous and a categorical variable on mortality in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), focusing on the high-gradient severe aortic stenosis (AS) patients.
Identifying new predictors of mortality in the TAVR population can help refine risk stratification and improve the patient selection process for this procedure. So far, AVG has mainly been studied as a categorical variable and there is a paucity of data on its prognostic value as a continuous variable, especially in patients with high AVG AS, who constitute the majority of patients referred for TAVR.

Up to 50% of patients presenting with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) are found to have multivessel coronary artery disease. These patients have a worse prognosis compared with the overall STEMI population. Two revascularization strategies are possible for these patients: treating the infarct-related artery percutaneous coronary intervention (IRA-PCI) only or achieving Complete revascularization (CR), either through an immediate multivessel PCI during the index angiography or during a second-staged procedure.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of transcatheter heart valves (THV) for the treatment of noncalcific pure native aortic valve regurgitation (NAVR) and failing bioprosthetic surgical heart valves (SHVs) with pure severe aortic regurgitation (AR).
Limited data are available about the "off-label" use of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) to treat pure severe AR.
The study population consisted of patients with pure severe AR treated by TAVR at 18 different centers.

The Israel Heart Society is a member of the European Society of Cardiology, and the Israeli Working Group of Interventional Cardiology is an active participant in EAPCI. The aim of this manuscript is to provide a snapshot of cardiac interventions performed in the State of Israel during the period 2010-2015. Data for this manuscript were collected via collaboration with the National Diseases Registries Unit of the Israel Center for Disease Control.

Bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) is a promising technology that potentially offers several advantages over contemporary coronary drug-eluting stents (DES). Crucial to BVS implantation is the correct choice of scaffold size (diameter and length) in order to avoid "geographic miss" in length, provide the maximal support to the vessel wall, and avoid leaving "free-floating" foreign material in the coronary vasculature.
To assess the optimal method for measuring coronary stenosis prior to BVS implantation.

The MGuard™ stent (InspireMD, Tel Aviv, Israel) is a bare metal mesh-covered stent, developed to prevent no-reflow phenomenon during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of saphenous vein grafts (SVG) and acute myocardial infarction (MI), both associated with significant atherothrombotic lesions.
To report on local experience with patients treated with the MGuard stent until follow-up at 1 year.
We followed 163 consecutive patients who underwent MGuard stent deployment during the period 2009 to 2014 in a large tertiary cardiac center in central Israel.

Transcatheter tricuspid valve-in-valve implantation (TVIV) is an attractive yet under-explored alternative to redo valve surgery.
To report the multicenter TVIV experience in Israel.
We approached multiple centers and collected data regarding seven TVIV cases.

Transcatheter valve-in-valve implantation is an established therapy for high-risk patients with failed surgical aortic bioprosthesis. There are limited data comparing outcomes of valve-in-valve implantation using different transcatheter heart valves (THV).
Patients included in the Valve-in-Valve International Data registry (VIVID) and treated with self-expanding THV devices were analyzed using centralized core laboratory blinded to clinical events.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an established treatment for severe aortic stenosis in patients at high or prohibitive surgical risk. Nevertheless, long-term clinical and echocardiographic data are still lacking. We carried out an analysis of 560 consecutive patients who underwent TAVI at our institution from 2008 to 2016 to evaluate temporal changes in TAVI characteristics, predictors of 1-year and long-term outcomes, and to compare the performance of the early- and new-generation valve systems.

Drug-eluting stents with biodegradable polymer might be particularly useful in diabetic patients who are at increased risk for target lesion/target vessel revascularization. We therefore aimed at assessing the safety and performance of a biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stent (BP-SES) in combination with comprehensive optimal medical therapy following coronary interventions.
This prospective, multicenter registry was conducted at six centers in Israel.

Transcatheter heart valve implantation in failed aortic bioprostheses (valve-in-valve [ViV]) is an increasingly used therapeutic option for high-risk patients. However, high postprocedural gradients are a significant limitation of aortic ViV. Our objective was to evaluate Medtronic CoreValve Evolut R ViV hemodynamics in relation to the degree of device oversizing and depth of implantation.

The Evolut-R (Medtronic, Inc) is a transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) system that was built on the well-established foundation of Medtronic's CoreValve device platform. Although already in extensive clinical utilization, it is unknown if the Evolut-R improves TAVI outcomes. Herein, we compared TAVI outcomes of the Evolut-R and CoreValve devices.

Very little data exist on the impact of sex on aortic and arterial anatomy as relevant for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).
To investigate whether patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) referred for TAVI display sex-specific differences in aortic root and ilio-femoral artery size.
In 506 patients referred for pre-procedural CT evaluation before TAVI we performed a detailed assessment of aortic root anatomy: size of the annulus and the sinus of Valsalva (SoV), diameter of the sino-tubular junction (STJ), and distance of the coronary artery ostia to the aortic annulus plane; we also determined the dimensions of aorta, subclavian, and ilio-femoral arteries.

Balloon pre-dilatation before transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is performed at the discretion of the treating physician. Clinical data assessing the implications of this step on procedural outcomes are limited.
We conducted a retrospective analysis of 1164 consecutive TAVR patients in the Israeli multicenter TAVR registry (Sheba, Rabin, and Tel Aviv Medical Centers) between the years 2008 and 2014.