Doreen DeFaria Yeh

Sex Differences in Faculty Rank Among Academic Cardiologists in the United StatesClinical Perspective

Background: Studies demonstrate that women physicians are less likely than men to be full professors. Comprehensive evidence examining whether sex differences in faculty rank exist in academic cardiology, adjusting for experience and research productivity, is lacking. Therefore, we evaluated for sex differences in faculty rank among a comprehensive, contemporary cohort of US cardiologists after adjustment for several factors that impact academic advancement, including measures of clinical experience and research productivity. Methods: We identified all US cardiologists with medical school faculty appointments in 2014 by using the American Association of Medical Colleges faculty roster and linked this list to a comprehensive physician database from Doximity, a professional networking website for doctors. Data on physician age, sex, years since residency, cardiology subspecialty, publications, National Institutes of Health grants, and registered clinical trials were available for all academic cardiologists. We estimated sex differences in full professorship, adjusting for these factors and medical school–specific fixed effects in a multivariable regression model. Results: Among 3810 cardiologists with faculty appointments in 2014 (13.3% of all US cardiologists), 630 (16.5%) were women. Women faculty were younger than men (mean age, 48.3 years versus 53.5 years, P<0.001), had fewer total publications (mean number: 16.5 publications versus 25.2 publications; P<0.001), were similarly likely to have National Institutes of Health funding (proportion with at least 1 National Institutes of Health award, 10.8% versus 10.4%; P=0.77), and were less likely to have a registered clinical trial (percentage with at least 1 clinical trial, 8.9% versus 11.1%; P=0.10). Among 3180 men, 973 (30.6%) were full professors in comparison with 100 (15.9%) of 630 women. In adjusted analyses, women were less likely to be full professors than men (adjusted odds ratio, 0.63; 95% confidence interval, 0.43–0.94; P=0.02; adjusted proportions, 22.7% versus 26.7%; absolute difference, –4.0%; 95% confidence interval, –7.5% to –0.7%). Conclusions: Among cardiology faculty at US medical schools, women were less likely than men to be full professors after accounting for several factors known to influence faculty rank.

Anomalous Aortic Origin of a Coronary Artery: Surgical Repair With Anatomic- and Function-Based Follow-Up

BACKGROUND Anomalous aortic origin of the coronary artery (AAOCA) with an interarterial (IAC) course is an uncommon congenital anomaly. Surgical indications and repair techniques have evolved. We have managed 259 adult patients with AAOCA over 40 years. Our management strategy includes anatomic- and function-based surveillance to select surgical candidates. We reviewed our surgical cohort and analyzed anatomic and functional outcomes. METHODS We queried our heart center databases to obtain the names of all patients with AAOCA managed at our institution between 1974 and 2014. We performed a retrospective chart review. RESULTS Two hundred fifty-nine patients were managed for AAOCA. Sixty-one underwent surgical intervention. Twenty-six with associated coronary atherosclerosis were excluded. Thirty-one who underwent surgical repair were analyzed. Mean age was 42.5 ± 2.7 years. Twenty-four patients (77.4%) had right AAOCA. Six (19.4%) had left AAOCA. One (3.2%) had bilateral coronary anomalies. Repair techniques included 21 unroofing procedures (67.7%), 6 translocations (19.4%), and 4 coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures (12.9%). Mean follow-up was 3.8 ± 0.8 years. Thirteen patients underwent follow-up anatomic testing with computed tomography. Twelve of these patients had widely patent coronary arteries, and 1 patient had mild coronary artery stenosis. Seventeen patients underwent functional testing. Fifteen of these patients had no evidence of ischemia. One patient had reversible ischemia after CABG, and 1 had subclinical ischemia after unroofing. There was 1 late mortality from endocarditis. CONCLUSIONS Our multidisciplinary program uses a treatment algorithm to select patients with AAOCA for surgical intervention. Only a small subset requires an operation, and we favor unroofing and translocation techniques. With this paradigm, outcomes are excellent, as validated with anatomic- and function-based testing.

Anomalous origin of the coronary artery arising from the opposite sinus: prevalence and outcomes in patients undergoing coronary CTA.

Aims The impact of coronary computed tomographic angiography (CTA) on management of anomalous origin of the coronary artery arising from the opposite sinus (ACAOS) remains uncertain. We examined the prevalence, anatomical characterization, and outcomes of ACAOS patients undergoing CTA. Methods and results Among 5991 patients referred for CTA at two tertiary hospitals between January 2004 and June 2014, we identified 103 patients (1.7% prevalence) with 110 ACAOS vessels. Mean age was 52 years (range 5–83, 63% male), with 55% previously known ACAOS and 45% discovered on CTA. ACAOS subtypes included: 39% interarterial (n = 40 anomalous right coronary artery, n = 3 anomalous left coronary artery), 38% retroaortic, 15% subpulmonic, 5% prepulmonic, and 2% other. ACAOS patients were assessed for symptoms, ischaemic test results, revascularization, all-cause or cardiovascular (CV) death, and myocardial infarction. CTAs were reviewed for ACAOS course, take-off height and angle, length and severity of proximal narrowing, intramural course, and obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). In follow-up (median 5.8 years), there were 20 surgical revascularizations and 3 CV deaths. After adjusting for obstructive CAD (n = 21/103, 20%), variables associated with ACAOS revascularization included the following: CV symptoms, proximal vessel narrowing ≥50%, length of narrowing >5.4 mm, and an interarterial course. Conclusion The prevalence of ACAOS on CTA was 1.7%, including 45% of cases discovered incidentally. CTA provided excellent characterization of ACAOS features associated with coronary revascularization, including the length and severity of proximal vessel narrowing.

Adult congenital heart disease imaging with second-generation dual-source computed tomography: initial experiences and findings.

Adult congenital heart disease patients present a unique challenge to the cardiac imager. Patients may present with both acute and chronic manifestations of their complex congenital heart disease and also require surveillance for sequelae of their medical and surgical interventions. Multimodality imaging is often required to clarify their anatomy and physiology. Radiation dose is of particular concern in these patients with lifelong imaging needs for their chronic disease. The second-generation dual-source scanner is a recently available advanced clinical cardiac computed tomography (CT) scanner. It offers a combination of the high-spatial resolution of modern CT, the high-temporal resolution of dual-source technology, and the wide z-axis coverage of modern cone-beam geometry CT scanners. These advances in technology allow novel protocols that markedly reduce scan time, significantly reduce radiation exposure, and expand the physiologic imaging capabilities of cardiac CT. We present a case series of complicated adult congenital heart disease patients imaged by the second-generation dual-source CT scanner with extremely low-radiation doses and excellent image quality.

Pregnancy and Adult Congenital Heart Disease

Most women with known congenital heart disease can have successful pregnancy, labor, and delivery. Preconception assessment is essential in understanding anatomy, repairs, and current physiology, all of which can influence risk in pregnancy. With that foundation, a multidisciplinary cardio-obstetric team can predict and prepare for complications that may occur with superimposed hemodynamic changes of pregnancy. Individuals with Eisenmenger syndrome, pulmonary hypertension, cyanosis, significant left heart obstruction, ventricular dysfunction, or prior major cardiac event are among the highest risk for complications.

Predicting Outcomes Using the Heart Failure Survival Score in Adults with Moderate or Complex Congenital Heart Disease

BACKGROUND Adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) face increased risk for morbidity and mortality with age, but few prognostic models exist. OBJECTIVE This study aims to assess whether the Heart Failure Survival Score (HFSS), which risk stratifies patients for heart transplantation, predicts outcomes in adults with moderate or complex CHD. METHODS This was a multicenter, retrospective study which identified 441 patients with moderate or complex CHD between 2005 and 2013, of whom 169 had all the HFSS parameters required to calculate the risk score. Because all study patients were deemed low risk by the HFSS, the score was dichotomized at the median (10.4). Outcomes included death, transplant or ventricular assist device (VAD), arrhythmia requiring treatment, nonelective cardiovascular (CV) hospitalizations, and the composite. Associations of mean HFSS and HFSS <10.4 with each outcome were assessed. RESULTS The cohort had mean ± standard deviation age of 33.6 ± 12.6 years, peak VO2 21.8 ± 7.5 mL/kg/min, HFSS of 10.45 ± 0.88, and median years follow-up of 2.7 (1.1, 5.2). There were five deaths (2.8%), no transplants or VADs, 25 arrhythmias (14.8%), 22 CV hospitalizations (13%), and 39 composites (23.1%). Lower mean HFSS was observed for patients who died (9.6 ± 0.83 vs. 10.5 ± 0.87, P = .02), arrhythmia requiring treatment (10.0 ± 0.70 vs. 10.5 ± 0.89, P = .005), CV hospitalizations (9.9 ± 0.73 vs. 10.5 ± 0.88, P = .002), and the composite (10.0 ± 0.70 vs. 10.6 ± 0.89, P < .001). The positive and negative predictive values of HFSS <10.4 for the composite were 34% and 88% respectively, with sensitivity and specificity 74% and 56%. CONCLUSIONS Although a low HFSS was significantly associated with outcomes, it did not adequately risk stratify adults with CHD, whose heterogeneous pathophysiology differs from that of the acquired heart failure population. Further studies are warranted to provide a more accurate prognosis.

Is MRI the Preferred Method for Evaluating Right Ventricular Size and Function in Patients With Congenital Heart Disease?Response to Defaria Yeh and Foster

Because of major advances in congenital heart surgery and intensive care during the past 60 years, the number of adults living with congenital heart disease (CHD) has risen sharply. Currently, in the United States, there are more adults living with CHD than children. The estimated prevalence of adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) is ≈3000 per million adults, and this number is expected to increase by 5% per year. The late sequelae associated with surgical and nonsurgical palliation include valvular degeneration and regurgitation, ventricular systolic and diastolic dysfunction, and arrhythmias. For the vast majority of patients with moderate-to-complex congenital heart disease, serial cardiovascular imaging is required to monitor structural changes to determine need and timing of repeat intervention.Because of major advances in congenital heart surgery and intensive care during the past 60 years, the number of adults living with congenital heart disease (CHD) has risen sharply. Currently, in the United States, there are more adults living with CHD than children.1 The estimated prevalence of adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) is ≈3000 per million adults,2 and this number is expected to increase by 5% per year.3 The late sequelae associated with surgical and nonsurgical palliation include valvular degeneration and regurgitation, ventricular systolic and diastolic dysfunction, and arrhythmias. For the vast majority of patients with moderate-to-complex congenital heart disease, serial cardiovascular imaging is required to monitor structural changes to determine need and timing of repeat intervention. Response by Geva see p 205 In many patients with CHD, the right heart is most affected. Despite life-saving palliation, the right ventricle (RV) may experience persistent pressure or volume overload, and there may be intrinsic RV myopathy or processes that result in the RV functioning as the systemic or subaortic ventricle (Table 1). It has been demonstrated that patients with RV enlargement, dysfunction, and fibrosis have greater exercise limitation and are at risk for RV failure and lethal ventricular arrhythmias.4 There is a trend to recommend earlier reintervention to preserve RV function and decrease risk of chronic right heart failure.5 Careful quantification of RV size and function is critical in determining optimal timing of catheter-based intervention or surgical correction. View this table: Table 1. Congenital Conditions Affecting the Right Ventricle During the past decade, there have been many advances in noninvasive RV imaging. Echocardiography, cardiac computed tomographic angiography (CTA), and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) are the modalities of choice for evaluating the RV, each with unique advantages and short falls. CMR is currently the gold standard for quantifying RV function in patients …

Adequacy of Cancer Screening in Adult Women with Congenital Heart Disease

Adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD) face noncardiac healthcare challenges as the population ages. We assessed whether women with ACHD have comparable cancer screening rates to non-ACHD women in a cardiac practice and to the general population. We performed a retrospective review of 175 adult women seen in a cardiac care center in 2009–2011. Data on Pap tests, mammography, and colonoscopies, were collected through electronic medical records and primary care provider records. Adequate documentation was available for 100 individuals with ACHD and 40 comparator cardiac patients. The adequacy of screening was determined using guidelines set forth by the American Cancer Society in 2010. Compared with the national average, ACHD patients had significantly lower rates of Pap tests (60% versus 83%, P < 0.001) and mammography (48% versus 72%, P < 0.001). Compared with non-ACHD women in the same practice, ACHD patients had consistently lower rates of mammography (48% versus 81%, P = 0.02) and colonoscopies (54% versus 82%, P = 0.23). As the population of ACHD individuals ages, attention to cancer screening becomes increasingly important but may be overlooked in this population. Primary care physicians and cardiologists should collaborate to ensure appropriate cancer screening for this growing population.

Heart Failure in Adult Congenital Heart Disease

Opinion statementAdult congenital heart disease (ACHD) patients represent a special population in modern cardiology: though their numbers are growing, and they represent a high-resource utilization subgroup, a robust evidence-base of randomized trials is lacking. Much of the standard therapy is adapted from the treatment of ischemic and idiopathic left ventricle systolic failure, with a small, but growing body of evidence on medical therapy in select ACHD diagnoses. At our institution, for instance, there is a long tradition of using angiotensin antagonists in patients with a systemic right ventricle to prevent deleterious remodeling. The effects of beta-blockers on functional class in ACHD are yet unproven, but there is promising data on pulmonary vasodilators. Control of coronary risk factors and aerobic exercise should be considered for all. Prevention of arrhythmias is important, and multi-site pacing is an emerging therapy. New prognostic tools including natriuretic peptides and CPET are increasingly used to guide earlier initiation of these therapies.

Frequency of Guideline-Based Statin Therapy in Adults With Congenital Heart Disease

We aimed to evaluate atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk estimates and guideline-based statin use for primary prevention of ASCVD in adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD). This was a case-controlled, retrospective study of 248 cases and 744 age- and gender-matched controls at a tertiary care referral center. ASCVD risk scores were calculated and used to assess indication for statin treatment for primary prevention per the 2013 American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association guideline on assessment of cardiovascular risk. There were no differences in average 10-year ASCVD risk scores between ACHD cases (4.6% ± 6.6%) and matched controls (5.1% ± 6.7%, p = 0.32). ACHD cases had lower total cholesterol (183 ± 38 vs 192.6 ± 35.3 mg/dL, p < 0.001) and were less likely to smoke (8.1% vs 14.6%, p = 0.008), yet had lower high density lipoprotein (52.6 ± 17.2 vs 55.3 ± 17.1 mg/dL, p = 0.03) and higher hypertension rates (38.7% vs 28.5%, p = 0.003). However, only 42.3% ACHD cases with a primary prevention statin indication were appropriately prescribed therapy as compared with 59.0% of controls (p = 0.04). In conclusion, ACHD cases have a similar 10-year ASCVD risk score than age- and gender-matched peers, but ACHD cases are less likely than their peers to be prescribed statin therapy for primary prevention per guideline-based recommendations.