Keywords: Heart Failure, Diabetes, global longitudinal strain; heart failure with preserved ejection fraction; diabetes mellitus; prognosis

Motivation: While diabetes mellitus has a high prevalence in HFpEF and being associated with poorer outcomes, limited data are available on the cardiac MRI features of diabetic HFpEF

Goal(s): We aimed to explore imaging features including tissue characterization and myocardial deformation in diabetic HFpEF patients by MRI, and investigate its prognostic value for adverse outcomes

Approach: Feature-tracking derived strain and strain rates parameters and myocardial fibrosis were assessed by cardiac MRI in patients with diabetic HFpEF

Results: Diabetic HFpEF patients were characterized by more impaired strains and myocardial fibrosis. Tissue characterization and global longitudinal strain obtained from MRI-FT provided incremental value for risk prediction

Impact: Our findings suggested that MRI-derived variables especially GLS played a crucial role in risk stratification and predicting worse prognosis in diabetic HFpEF, which could assist in identifying high-risk patients and guide therapeutic decision making.

Keywords: Myocardium, Cardiovascular, SSc primary heart involvement, cardiovascular magnetic resonance,extracellular-volume fraction, modified Rodnan skin score

Motivation: Cardiac involvement is a significant cause of mortality in SSc. There are, however, no effective methods for detecting cardiac involvement in a general, asymptomatic SSc cohort.

Goal(s): We aimed to characterize and identify subclinical SSc-pHI by CMR.

Approach: 48 Patients underwent CMR, including cine imaging, LGE, T2 mapping, and native and post-contrast T1 mapping for ECV quantification.

Results: 56.25% of SSc-pHI patients had LGE, and 79.16% and 54.17% had native T1 and ECV above normal values. In addition, patients with dcSSc had worse contractility than patients with lcSSc, and contractile function is closely related to presence of RP, dcSSc, and ANA positive.

Impact: Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging provides a reliable method for detecting sub-clinical cardiac involvement in SSC patients. Patients with dcSSc had worse contractility than patients with lcSSc, and contractile function is closely related to presence of RP, dcSSc, and ANA positive.

Keywords: Myocardium, Cardiovascular

Motivation: Cardiopulmonary circulation usually present hemodynamic congestion in RCM patients. Pulmonary transit time (PTT) and pulmonary blood volume index (PBVi) are physiological parameters reflective of cardiopulmonary hemodynamics statue.

Goal(s): Evaluate the PTT and PBVi in RCM patients, and evaluated the association with LV function and deformation.

Approach: The images of first-pass perfusion were acquired to assess PTT which was normalized to heart rate. PBVi was measured by the product of PTT and RVSV and indexed to BSA.

Results: PTT showed independent association with LVEF and LVMVR, as well as with LV GCPS and GLPS; PBVi was an independent association of LVMI and LV GRPS.

Impact: PTTc and PBVi as the non-invasive marker of cardiopulmonary hemodynamics in patients with RCM, and reflects progression of diastolic dysfunction, and impaired LV global deformation. PTT and PBVI may provide additional information for prognostic management and clinical decision making.

Keywords: Heart Failure, Perfusion, Heart failure, preclinical imaging, HFpEF animal model, MRI

Motivation: Addressing the challenges in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) diagnosis, the study aimed to validate cine-ASL as a precise non-invasive imaging tool.

Goal(s): The study sought to explore nuanced aspects of HFpEF, enabling a better understanding of its complexities through advanced imaging techniques.

Approach: Employing advanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging with arterial spin labeling (cine-ASL), our study investigates longitudinally myocardial perfusion in a two-hit mouse HFpEF model.

Results: Significant reductions in myocardial perfusion in a HFpEF-like mouse model revealed the technique's efficacy in capturing HFpEF-related changes.

Impact: These findings highlight early coronary microcirculation impairment in HFpEF-like myocardium, shedding light on potential diagnostic biomarkers for HFpEF and paving the way for improved early diagnosis and understanding of the HFpEF pathophysiology.

Keywords: Heart Failure, Dementia, Myocardial strains

Motivation: The mechanism of heart failure()-induced brain alterations is unclear

Goal(s): To investigate the alterations in brain structure in patients with HF and their relationship with cardiac dysfunction and cognitive impairment.

Approach: Using CAT12 to analyze intergroup differences in cortical thickness between HF patients and healthy controls, correlation analyses were performed to assess cortical thickness and cognitive impairment, cardiac dysfunction

Results: Reduced cortical thickness in patients with HF and correlation of reduced cortical thickness with cognitive impairment and cardiac dysfunction

Impact: Decreased cortical thickness in HF patients may play a mediating role between cardiac dysfunction and cogntive impairment.And our findings provide imaging evidence of brain alterations in HF patients.

Keywords: Heart Failure, Heart

Motivation: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) frequently presents with atrial fibrillation (AF). But the mechanism of AF in HFpEF are incompletely understood. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is linked with left atrial volume and function changes.

Goal(s): This study aims to evaluate the relationships between EAT volumes and AF in patients with HFpEF.

Approach: All subjects were imaged with a 3.0T Philips scanner. CMR parameters were quantified with a stack of short axis views perpendicular to the long axis of the left ventricle.

Results: EAT was an independent predictor for the presence of AF in patients with HFpEF and demonstrated high prediction power.

Impact: EAT plays an important role in the progression of HFpEF and may be a promising therapeutic target.

Keywords: Heart Failure, Hypertension, Heart, Heart Failure

Motivation: Myocardial strain has been poorly studied in different stages of heart failure in hypertensive patients.

Goal(s): This study assessed the clinical utility of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR) Feature Tracking technology in evaluating left atrium and left ventricle strain parameters in hypertensive patients at different stages of heart failure.

Approach: The study compared the differences in left atrial and left ventricular strain parameters in hypertensive patients at different stages of heart failure.

Results: The results revealed varying degrees of impairment in left atrial and left ventricular strain parameters in hypertensive heart failure patients , along with a significant correlation between these parameters.

Impact: Among hypertensive patients at different stages of heart failure, the GPCS and GPLS parameters demonstrated superior diagnostic value.

Keywords: Heart Failure, Cardiomyopathy

Motivation:  The association between myocardial tissue characteristics detected by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) remains unclear.

Goal(s): We sought to evaluate the role of myocardial tissue characteristics detected by CMR in the identification of HFpEF in HCM.

Approach: CMR was used to access tissue characteristics including native T1 values, extracellular volume fraction (ECV) and indexed ECV (iECV).

Results: Native T1 was a sensitive biomarker independently associated with the diagnosis of HFpEF-HCM.

Impact: The inclusion of myocardial tissue characteristics by cardiac magnetic resonance in the diagnostic algorithms of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy should be considered in clinical practice and future studies.  

Keywords: Myocardium, Cardiomyopathy

Motivation: The assessment of early morphology and functional reverse remodeling of the heart is significant for HOCM patient prognosis.
 

Goal(s): This study aimed to evaluate the early cardiac morphology and function in HOCM after transapical beating-heart septal myectomy (TA-BSM) using CMR.

Approach: 41 HOCM patients who underwent CMR before after TA-BSM were prospectively enrolled in the study. Preoperative and postoperative cardiac morphological and functional parameters were compared.

Results: LVEF, wall thickness, LVMI, and LVRI decreased after TA-BSM. The △LVOTG and baseline LVMI were independently associated with greater left ventricular mass regression.

Impact: Surgery relieves the mechanical stress overload of the left ventricle (LV) and greatly improves the LV hyperdynamic state. It is essential to evaluate left heart morphology and function accurately after TA-BSM.

Keywords: Radiomics, Radiomics, Fabry Disease

Motivation: The assessment of clinical severity of Fabry disease (FD) is challenging. The radiomics analysis of CMR in patients with FD has not been studied.

Goal(s): The aim of this study was to establish radiomics classification model by using CMR cine images to distinguish FD patients from normal volunteers.

Approach: The classification model was built by linear SVM model with the top five features selected through ANOVA features selection.

Results: Our model presented good performance with mean AUC of 0.88±0.03. The top 5 features were significantly different (p<0.05) between FD patients and normal volunteers. The selected radiomics features were associated with max. LVWT.

Impact: Radiomics analysis of CMR cine images can be used to distinguish FD patients from normal volunteers. The radiomics features may suggest a pathological association with LV remodeling.

Keywords: Myocardium, Myocardium

Motivation: Myocardial fat infiltration is the key pathological features of Duchenne muscular dystrophy associated cardiomyopathy. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy is a valuable method for detecting the in vivo changes of cardiac metabolism noninvasively.

Goal(s): To investigate the characteristics of myocardial tissue triglyceride content in DMD by non-invasive MRS.

Approach: Twenty patients with DMD and Controls underwent cardiac MRI, including spectral sequence. The peak area and the area under the peak of H₂O and TG in each voxel were calculated. The t-test whether the sample mean was significant.

Results: The difference of  TG content between DMD children normal group and the two groups was statistically significant.

Impact: Cardiac magnetic resonance spectrum can reflect myocardial triglyceride relative quantity for myocardial lipid content in the different stages of disease on how to change.

Keywords: Myocardium, Cardiomyopathy

Motivation: Myocardial microvascular disease is widespread in cardiovascular disease and is associated with an increased risk of adverse events. MyoTT, as a relatively novel, non-invasive, and easy-to-perform CMR parameter, played an important role in the diagnosis of disease.

Goal(s): The study aims to observe the differences in myocardial microcirculation time between normal subjects and HCM patients.

Approach: In this study, the CMR resting-state first-pass perfusion imaging sequence was used to measure the change of signal intensities from the coronary ostium to the coronary sinus to calculate the blood circulation time. 

Results: Patients with HCM had a significantly prolonged MyoTT compared to controls

Impact: MyoTT could be easily added to current CMR protocols and does not prolong CMR scan time. And future studies are required to evaluate the diagnostic as well as prognostic value of MyoTT in different cardiovascular diseases.

Keywords: Myocardium, Cardiovascular

Motivation: Hemodialysis is a common risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Left atrial function and strain are effective predictors of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

Goal(s): The aim was to assess the alterations in left atrial function and strain following hemodialysis, with the objective of enabling early diagnosis of cardiac changes and risk stratification in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Approach:  Patients with advanced CKD were enrolled, including those who had not started hemodialysis and those who had started regular hemodialysis. Left atrial function and strain parameters were compared between the two groups.

Results: Left atrial function and strain deteriorated with increasing hemodialysis age.

Impact: Early detection of left atrial function and strain changes and timely intervention are of great significance for the prevention of adverse cardiovascular events in patients with CKD.

Keywords: Myocardium, Cardiovascular, Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension; cardiovascular magnetic resonance; prognosis; ventricular remodeling

Motivation: While cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is a well-established tool for assessing heart remodeling and predicting outcomes, its application in Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) has received limited attention.

Goal(s): This study investigated whether biventricular remodeling derived form CMR could predict adverse clinical outcomes during the long-term follow-up of CTEPH patients.

Approach: Establish a CMR-only model and compare its predictive value with the model that combines clinical data and invasive RHC.

Results: CMR-derived biventricular remodeling have prognostic value in long-term follow-up CTEPH. Risk assessment based on CMR alone is at least as effective as that of clinic combined RHC.

Impact: These findings contribute to the optimization of early patient care and timely intervention. it's advisable to add CMR parameters in the management score. And performing noninvasive CMR alone is sufficient, as it also demonstrates excellent predictive efficacy.

Keywords: Myocardium, Cardiovascular

Motivation: Cardiac abnormalities and arrhythmias increased risk of cardiovascular mortality especially in patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).

Goal(s): To provide objective and subjective assessment in supproting the feasibility of deep learning acqusition and reconstruction cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging in patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).

Approach: Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of Sonic DL-based CMR images including breath-hold acquisition within one-beat-interval, free-breathing acquisition in comparison with traditional cine images.

Results: Sonic DL significantly accelerated acuqisition time (e.g. 11 seconds) but offered diagnosis-suffcient image quality and reliable strain values ompared to conventional sequences.

Impact: Sonic DL cine MRI showed equivalent image quality to conventional one, offered reliable strain values for diagnosis of a CKD patient lack of breath-hold ability and presentce with arrhythmias. Even it acquire a whole heart cine image in 11 seconds.

Keywords: Myocardium, Heart, cardiac function

Motivation: To solve the problem that cardiac magnetic resonance requires ECG gating and breath holding

Goal(s):  To evaluate the feasibility of cine images acquired through cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) Multitasking and compare with those measured through multi-breath-hold bSSFP sequence in clinical setting

Approach: Study design to test the hypothesis
 

Results: Left ventricular ejection fraction was not significantly different between the two sequences in both healthy volunteers and patients.
 

Impact: Multitasking can be used to quantify the LV functions without ECG gating or breath holding in healthy volunteers and patients. Multitasking may become a replacement of bSSFP in certain conditions.