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Fulltext Linear-regression convolutional neural network for fully automated coronary lumen segmentation in intravascular optical coherence tomography

Yong YL, Tan LK, McLaughlin RA, Chee KH, Liew YM

J Biomed Opt, 2017 12;22(12):1-9.
PMID: 29274144 DOI: 10.1117/1.JBO.22.12.126005

Intravascular optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an optical imaging modality commonly used in the assessment of coronary artery diseases during percutaneous coronary intervention. Manual segmentation to assess luminal stenosis from OCT pullback scans is challenging and time consuming. We propose a linear-regression convolutional neural network to automatically perform vessel lumen segmentation, parameterized in terms of radial distances from the catheter centroid in polar space. Benchmarked against gold-standard manual segmentation, our proposed algorithm achieves average locational accuracy of the vessel wall of 22 microns, and 0.985 and 0.970 in Dice coefficient and Jaccard similarity index, respectively. The average absolute error of luminal area estimation is 1.38%. The processing rate is 40.6 ms per image, suggesting the potential to be incorporated into a clinical workflow and to provide quantitative assessment of vessel lumen in an intraoperative time frame.
Posterior Spinal Fusion in a Scoliotic Patient With Congenital Heart Block Treated With Pacemaker: An Intraoperative Technical Difficulty

Wong TS, Abu Bakar J, Chee KH, Hasan MS, Chung WH, Chiu CK, et al.

Spine (Phila Pa 1976), 2019 02 15;44(4):E252-E257.
PMID: 30086081 DOI: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000002828

STUDY DESIGN: Case report.
OBJECTIVE: To describe the technical difficulties on performing posterior spinal fusion (PSF) on a pacemaker-dependent patient with complete congenital heart block and right thoracic scoliosis.
SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Congenital complete heart block requires pacemaker implantation at birth through thoracotomy, which can result in scoliosis. Corrective surgery in this patient was challenging. Height gain after corrective surgery may potentially cause lead dislodgement. The usage of monopolar electrocautery may interfere with the function of the implanted cardiac device.
METHODS: A 17-year-old boy was referred to our institution for the treatment of right thoracic scoliosis of 70°. He had underlying complete congenital heart block secondary to maternal systemic lupus erythematosus. Pacemaker was implanted through thoracotomy since birth and later changed for four times. PSF was performed by two attending surgeons with a temporary pacing inserted before the surgery. The monopolar electrocautery device was used throughout the surgery.
RESULTS: The PSF was successfully performed without any technical issues and complications. Postoperatively, his permanent pacemaker was functioning normally. Three days later, he was recovering well and was discharged home from hospital.
CONCLUSION: This case indicates that PSF can be performed successfully with thoughtful anticipation of technical difficulties on a pacemaker-dependent patient with underlying congenital heart block.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 5.
Fulltext Symptomatic anaemia 17 years after double valve replacement

Wong MH, Chee KH, Azman W

Singapore Med J, 2009 Oct;50(10):e362-4.
PMID: 19907876

A 40-year-old Malay woman presented with increasing lethargy, palpitation and shortness of breath, 17 years after a mitral and aortic valve replacement. A Starr-Edwards prosthetic valve replaced the mitral valve, and a Bjork-Shiley prosthetic valve replaced the aortic valve. Biochemical parameters demonstrated intravascular haemolysis, as evidenced by haemoglobin 7.8 g/dL, reticulocyte count 8.4%, lactate dehydrogenase 2,057 IU/L and low haptoglobulin levels (less than 6 mg/dL). Transoesophageal echocardiography revealed a paravalvular leakage over the mitral valve. The haemoglobin levels remained persistently low despite frequent blood transfusions. She successfully underwent a second mitral valve replacement. Her anaemia resolved subsequently.
Pulmonary hypertension and echocardiogram parameters in obstructive sleep apnea

Wong HT, Chee KH, Chong AW

Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol, 2017 Jun;274(6):2601-2606.
PMID: 28243782 DOI: 10.1007/s00405-017-4491-1

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a growing health hazard in the United States and worldwide. OSA is now recognized as a disorder with systemic manifestations and its association with obesity and adverse cardiovascular consequences. There is increasing evidence that OSA may be associated with systemic hypertension and an increased incidence of stroke, heart failure, myocardial infarction, and arrhythmias. Less information is available about the association between OSA and pulmonary hypertension (PH). We therefore conduct this study to look at the prevalence of the pulmonary hypertension in obstructive sleep apnea patient and to identify risk factors leading to pulmonary hypertension among OSA patient. We studied and analyzed all OSA patient confirmed by polysomnograph in the year 2015. Twenty-five patients with OSA were included in this study with prevalence of pulmonary hypertension of 16%. Univariate analysis of various factors revealed a statistically significant association between having the lowest SpO2 of <70% and pulmonary hypertension (p = 0.016). There were no statistically significant associations between age, gender, smoking status, hypertension, body mass index (BMI), or apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) with occurrence of pulmonary hypertension. AHI is not a good predictor for pulmonary hypertension. The real value of using AHI to predict the health risk of OSA is doubtful. We recommend routine echocardiogram among OSA patient. The objective information in the echocardiogram provides evidence for counseling of patient with disease of OSA and hence hopefully can improve compliance of patient to treatment especially usage of CPAP.
Fulltext A perspective review on numerical simulations of hemodynamics in aortic dissection

Wan Ab Naim WN, Ganesan PB, Sun Z, Chee KH, Hashim SA, Lim E

ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:652520.
PMID: 24672348 DOI: 10.1155/2014/652520

Aortic dissection, characterized by separation of the layers of the aortic wall, poses a significant challenge for clinicians. While type A aortic dissection patients are normally managed using surgical treatment, optimal treatment strategy for type B aortic dissection remains controversial and requires further evaluation. Although aortic diameter measured by CT angiography has been clinically used as a guideline to predict dilation in aortic dissection, hemodynamic parameters (e.g., pressure and wall shear stress), geometrical factors, and composition of the aorta wall are known to substantially affect disease progression. Due to the limitations of cardiac imaging modalities, numerical simulations have been widely used for the prediction of disease progression and therapeutic outcomes, by providing detailed insights into the hemodynamics. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the existing numerical models developed to investigate reasons behind tear initiation and progression, as well as the effectiveness of various treatment strategies, particularly the stent graft treatment.
Fulltext Low tube voltage prospectively ECG-triggered coronary CT angiography: a systematic review of image quality and radiation dose

Tan SK, Yeong CH, Raja Aman RRA, Ng KH, Abdul Aziz YF, Chee KH, et al.

Br J Radiol, 2018 Jul;91(1088):20170874.
PMID: 29493261 DOI: 10.1259/bjr.20170874

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed (1) to perform a systematic review on scanning parameters and contrast medium (CM) reduction methods used in prospectively electrocardiography (ECG-triggered low tube voltage coronary CT angiography (CCTA), (2) to compare the achievable dose reduction and image quality and (3) to propose appropriate scanning techniques and CM administration methods.
METHODS: A systematic search was performed in PubMed, the Cochrane library, CINAHL, Web of Science, ScienceDirect and Scopus, where 20 studies were selected for analysis of scanning parameters and CM reduction methods.
RESULTS: The mean effective dose (HE) ranged from 0.31 to 2.75 mSv at 80 kVp, 0.69 to 6.29 mSv at 100 kVp and 1.53 to 10.7 mSv at 120 kVp. Radiation dose reductions of 38 to 83% at 80 kVp and 3 to 80% at 100 kVp could be achieved with preserved image quality. Similar vessel contrast enhancement to 120 kVp could be obtained by applying iodine delivery rate (IDR) of 1.35 to 1.45 g s-1 with total iodine dose (TID) of between 10.9 and 16.2 g at 80 kVp and IDR of 1.08 to 1.70 g s-1 with TID of between 18.9 and 20.9 g at 100 kVp.
CONCLUSION: This systematic review found that radiation doses could be reduced to a rate of 38 to 83% at 80 kVp, and 3 to 80% at 100 kVp without compromising the image quality. Advances in knowledge: The suggested appropriate scanning parameters and CM reduction methods can be used to help users in achieving diagnostic image quality with reduced radiation dose.
Fulltext Individually-tailored multifactorial intervention to reduce falls in the Malaysian Falls Assessment and Intervention Trial (MyFAIT): A randomized controlled trial

Tan PJ, Khoo EM, Chinna K, Saedon NI, Zakaria MI, Ahmad Zahedi AZ, et al.

PLoS One, 2018;13(8):e0199219.
PMID: 30074996 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0199219

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of an individually-tailored multifactorial intervention in reducing falls among at risk older adult fallers in a multi-ethnic, middle-income nation in South-East Asia.

DESIGN: Pragmatic, randomized-controlled trial.

SETTING: Emergency room, medical outpatient and primary care clinic in a teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

PARTICIPANTS: Individuals aged 65 years and above with two or more falls or one injurious fall in the past 12 months.

INTERVENTION: Individually-tailored interventions, included a modified Otago exercise programme, HOMEFAST home hazards modification, visual intervention, cardiovascular intervention, medication review and falls education, was compared against a control group involving conventional treatment.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was any fall recurrence at 12-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes were rate of fall and time to first fall.

RESULTS: Two hundred and sixty-eight participants (mean age 75.3 ±7.2 SD years, 67% women) were randomized to multifactorial intervention (n = 134) or convention treatment (n = 134). All participants in the intervention group received medication review and falls education, 92 (68%) were prescribed Otago exercises, 86 (64%) visual intervention, 64 (47%) home hazards modification and 51 (38%) cardiovascular intervention. Fall recurrence did not differ between intervention and control groups at 12-months [Risk Ratio, RR = 1.037 (95% CI 0.613-1.753)]. Rate of fall [RR = 1.155 (95% CI 0.846-1.576], time to first fall [Hazard Ratio, HR = 0.948 (95% CI 0.782-1.522)] and mortality rate [RR = 0.896 (95% CI 0.335-2.400)] did not differ between groups.

CONCLUSION: Individually-tailored multifactorial intervention was ineffective as a strategy to reduce falls. Future research efforts are now required to develop culturally-appropriate and affordable methods of addressing this increasingly prominent public health issue in middle-income nations.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN Registry no. ISRCTN11674947.

Study site: emergency department, medical outpatients and primary care clinic at a teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Ethnic differences in lifetime cumulative incidence of syncope: the Malaysian elders longitudinal research (MELoR) study

Tan MP, Ho YY, Chin AV, Saedon N, Abidin IZ, Chee KH, et al.

Clin Auton Res, 2020 04;30(2):121-128.
PMID: 31079241 DOI: 10.1007/s10286-019-00610-2

PURPOSE: To determine the lifetime cumulative incidence of syncope, potential ethnic differences and factors associated with syncope using the Malaysian elders longitudinal research (MELoR) study first wave dataset.
METHODS: The MELoR study recruited community-dwelling adults aged 55 years and over, selected through stratified random sampling from three parliamentary constituencies. The baseline data collected during the first wave was obtained through face-to-face interviews in participants' homes using computer-assisted questionnaires. During their baseline assessments, participants were asked whether they had ever experienced a blackout in their lifetime and if they had experienced a blackout in the preceding 12 months.
RESULTS: Information on blackouts and ethnicity were available for 1530 participants. The weight-adjusted lifetime cumulative incidence of syncope for the overall population aged 55 years and above was 27.7%. The estimated lifetime cumulative incidence according to ethnic groups was 34.6% for Malays, 27.8% for Indians and 23.7% for Chinese. The estimated 12-month incidence of syncope was 6.1% overall, equating to 11.7% for Malays, 8.7 % for Indians and 2.3% for Chinese. Both Malay [odds ratio (OR) 1.46; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10-1.95 and OR 3.62, 95% CI 1.96-6.68] and Indian (OR 1.34; 95% CI 1.01-1.80 and OR 3.31, 1.78-6.15) ethnicities were independently associated with lifetime and 12-month cumulative incidence of syncope, respectively, together with falls, dizziness and myocardial infarction.
CONCLUSION: Ethnic differences exist for lifetime cumulative incidence of syncope in community-dwelling individuals aged 55 years and over in an urban area in Southeast Asia. Future studies should now seek to determine potential genetic, cultural and lifestyle differences which may predispose to syncope.
Automatic localization of the left ventricular blood pool centroid in short axis cardiac cine MR images

Tan LK, Liew YM, Lim E, Abdul Aziz YF, Chee KH, McLaughlin RA

Med Biol Eng Comput, 2018 Jun;56(6):1053-1062.
PMID: 29147835 DOI: 10.1007/s11517-017-1750-7

In this paper, we develop and validate an open source, fully automatic algorithm to localize the left ventricular (LV) blood pool centroid in short axis cardiac cine MR images, enabling follow-on automated LV segmentation algorithms. The algorithm comprises four steps: (i) quantify motion to determine an initial region of interest surrounding the heart, (ii) identify potential 2D objects of interest using an intensity-based segmentation, (iii) assess contraction/expansion, circularity, and proximity to lung tissue to score all objects of interest in terms of their likelihood of constituting part of the LV, and (iv) aggregate the objects into connected groups and construct the final LV blood pool volume and centroid. This algorithm was tested against 1140 datasets from the Kaggle Second Annual Data Science Bowl, as well as 45 datasets from the STACOM 2009 Cardiac MR Left Ventricle Segmentation Challenge. Correct LV localization was confirmed in 97.3% of the datasets. The mean absolute error between the gold standard and localization centroids was 2.8 to 4.7 mm, or 12 to 22% of the average endocardial radius. Graphical abstract Fully automated localization of the left ventricular blood pool in short axis cardiac cine MR images.
Fulltext Baseline cardiovascular comorbidities, and the influence on cancer treatment decision-making in women with breast cancer

Subramaniam S, Kong YC, Zaharah H, Uiterwaal CSPM, Richard A, Taib NA, et al.

Ecancermedicalscience, 2021;15:1293.
PMID: 34824616 DOI: 10.3332/ecancer.2021.1293

Purpose: To measure the baseline prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD), its modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors in breast cancer patients, and determine their association with adjuvant treatment decision-making.
Method: From 2016 to 2017, 2,127 women newly-diagnosed with breast cancer were prospectively recruited. Participants' cardiovascular biomarkers were measured prior to adjuvant treatment decision-making. Clinical data and medical histories were obtained from hospital records. Adjuvant treatment decisions were collated 6-8 months after recruitment. A priori risk of cardiotoxicity was predicted using the Cardiotoxicity Risk Score.
Results: Mean age was 54 years. Eighty-five patients had pre-existing cardiac diseases and 30 had prior stroke. Baseline prevalence of hypertension was 47.8%. Close to 20% had diabetes mellitus, or were obese. Dyslipidaemia was present in 65.3%. The proportion of women presenting with ≥2 modifiable CVD risk factors at initial cancer diagnosis was substantial, irrespective of age. Significant ethnic variations were observed. Multivariable analyses showed that pre-existing CVD was consistently associated with lower administration of adjuvant breast cancer therapies (odds ratio for chemotherapy: 0.32, 95% confidence interval: 0.17-0.58). However, presence of multiple risk factors of CVD did not appear to influence adjuvant treatment decision-making. In this study, 63.6% of patients were predicted to have high risks of developing cardiotoxicities attributed to a high baseline burden of CVD risk factors and anthracycline administration.
Conclusion: While recent guidelines recommend routine assessment of cardiovascular comorbidities in cancer patients prior to initiation of anticancer therapies, this study highlights the prevailing gap in knowledge on how such data may be used to optimise cancer treatment decision-making.
Profile of Patients with Isolated Distal Deep Vein Thrombosis versus Proximal Deep Vein Thrombosis or Pulmonary Embolism: RE-COVERY DVT/PE Study

Schellong S, Ageno W, Casella IB, Chee KH, Schulman S, Singer DE, et al.

Semin Thromb Hemost, 2021 May 10.
PMID: 33971682 DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1729169

Isolated distal deep vein thrombosis (IDDVT) is presumed to be more benign than proximal DVT (PDVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE), suggesting a need for different management approaches. This subgroup analysis of the RE-COVERY DVT/PE global, observational study investigated patient characteristics, hospitalization details, and anticoagulant therapy in patients with IDDVT in real-world settings in 34 countries enrolled from January 2016 to May 2017. Data were analyzed descriptively according to the type and location of the index venous thromboembolism (VTE): IDDVT, PDVT ± distal DVT (DDVT), and PE ± DVT. Of the 6,095 eligible patients, 323 with DVT located outside the lower limb and no PE were excluded. Of the remaining 5,772 patients, 17.6% had IDDVT, 39.9% had PDVT ± DDVT, and 42.5% had PE ± DVT. IDDVT patients were younger and had fewer risk factors for VTE than the other groups. Other comorbidities were less frequent in the IDDVT group, except for varicose veins, superficial thrombophlebitis, and venous insufficiency. IDDVT patients were less likely to be diagnosed in an emergency department (22.3 vs. 29.7% for PDVT ± DDVT and 45.4% for PE ± DVT) or hospitalized for VTE (29.2 vs. 48.5% for PDVT ± DDVT and 75.0% for PE ± DVT). At hospital discharge or 14 days after diagnosis (whichever was later), non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants were the most commonly used anticoagulants (55.6% for IDDVT, 54.7% for PDVT ± DDVT, and 52.8% for PE ± DVT). Although differences in patient characteristics, risk factors, and clinical management were identified, anticoagulant treatment of IDDVT was almost equal to that of PDVT or PE. Prospective studies should investigate whether, in a global perspective, this is an appropriate use of anticoagulants. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02596230.
Fulltext Prevalence of extracranial carotid atherosclerosis in the patients with coronary artery disease in a tertiary hospital in Malaysia

Sahadevan M, Chee KH, Tai MS

Medicine (Baltimore), 2019 Apr;98(15):e15082.
PMID: 30985661 DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000015082

There is limited information regarding the prevalence of extracranial carotid atherosclerosis in the patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery in South East Asia. The primary objective was to assess the prevalence of extracranial carotid stenosis, raised carotid intima media thickness (CIMT), and plaques in the patients with CAD undergoing elective CABG. The secondary objective was to evaluate the risk factors for extracranial carotid atherosclerosis.A total of 119 consecutive patients with CAD undergoing elective CABG in a tertiary hospital in Malaysia were recruited. Data on the demographic characteristics and risk factors were collected. The ultrasound carotid Doppler findings comprising of raised CIMT, plaques, and stenosis in the extracranial carotid vessels were recorded.The mean age of the patients was 64.26 ± 10.12 (range 42-89). Most of the patients were men (73.1%). The patients consisted of 44 (37%) Malays, 26 (21.8%) Chinese, and 49 (41.2%) Indians.A total of 67 (56.3%) patients had raised CIMT, 89 (74.8%) patients had plaques, and 10 (8.4%) patients had stenosis in the internal and common carotid arteries. The mean age of patients with plaques was higher compared to those without plaques (66.00 ± 9.63 vs 59.10 ± 9.92, P = .001). The body mass index (BMI) of patients with stenosis was higher compared to those without stenosis (28.35 ± 4.92 vs 25.75 ± 3.16, P = .02).The patients with plaques were more likely to be older, whereas the patients with carotid stenosis were more likely to have higher BMI.
Postural blood pressure electrocardiographic changes are associated with falls in older people

Saedon NI, Zainal-Abidin I, Chee KH, Khor HM, Tan KM, Kamaruzzaman SK, et al.

Clin Auton Res, 2016 Feb;26(1):41-8.
PMID: 26695401 DOI: 10.1007/s10286-015-0327-5

To determine the magnitude of postural blood pressure change, differences in ECG between fallers and non-fallers were measured. Postural blood pressure change is associated with symptoms of dizziness, presyncope, and syncope.
Fulltext Observational study investigating the prevalence of asymptomatic stage B heart failure in patients with type 2 diabetes who are not known to have coronary artery disease

Oo MM, Tan Chung Zhen I, Ng KS, Tan KL, Tan ATB, Vethakkan SR, et al.

BMJ Open, 2021 01 21;11(1):e039869.
PMID: 33478961 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-039869

OBJECTIVE: To identify the prevalence of stage B heart failure (SBHF) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with no history of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
DESIGN: Observational study.
SETTING: A single-centre study in which eligible patients were recruited from T2DM clinic. Following consent, patients completed a questionnaire and underwent physical examinations. Patients had blood drawn for laboratory investigations and had a transthoracic echocardiography.
PARTICIPANTS: A total of 305 patients who were not known to have CVD were recruited. Patients with deranged liver function tests and end stage renal failure were excluded.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Echocardiographic parameters such as left ventricular ejection fraction, left ventricular mass index (LVMI), left ventricular hypertrophy, left atrial enlargement and diastolic function were examined.
RESULTS: A total of 305 patients predominantly females (65%), with mean body mass index of 27.5 kg/m2 participated in this study. None of them had either a history or signs and symptoms of CVD. Seventy-seven percent of patients had a history of hypertension and 83% of this study population had T2DM for more than 10 years. Mean HbA1c of 8.3% was recorded. Almost all patients were taking metformin. Approximately, 40% of patients were on newer anti-T2DM agents such as sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 and dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors. Fifty-seven percent (n=174) of the study population had SBHF at the time of study: diastolic dysfunction, increased LVMI and increased left atrial volume index (LAVI) were noted in 51 patients (17%), 128 patients (42%) and 98 patients (32%), respectively. Thirty-seven patients (12%) had both increase LVMI and LAVI.
CONCLUSION: Our study has revealed a high prevalence of SBHF in T2DM patients without overt cardiac disease in Malaysia that has one of the highest prevalence of TDM in the world.
The Efficacy of a Single Session of 20-Minute Mindful Breathing in Reducing Dyspnea Among Patients With Acute Decompensated Heart Failure: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Ng DL, Chai CS, Tan KL, Chee KH, Tung YZ, Wai SY, et al.

Am J Hosp Palliat Care, 2021 Mar;38(3):246-252.
PMID: 32588653 DOI: 10.1177/1049909120934743

Heart failure is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Standard treatment for heart failure includes pharmacotherapy and cardiac device implants. However, supportive approaches in managing dyspnea in heart failure are limited. This study aimed to test the efficacy of 20-minute mindful breathing in reducing dyspnea among patients admitted for acute decompensated heart failure. We conducted a parallel-group, non-blinded, randomized controlled trial of a single session of 20-minute mindful breathing plus standard care versus standard care alone among patients admitted for moderate to severe dyspnea due to acute decompensated heart failure, using the dyspnea score based on the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS), at the Cardiology Unit of University Malaya Medical Centre in Malaysia. Thirty participants were randomly assigned to a single session of 20-minute mindful breathing plus standard care (n = 15) or standard care alone (n = 15), with no difference in their demographic and clinical characteristics. There was statistically significant reduction in dyspnea in the intervention group compared to the control group at minute 20 (U = 49.5, n1 = 15, n2 =15, median reduction in ESAS dyspnea score 1 = 2, median reduction in ESAS dyspnea score 2 = 0, mean rank 1 = 11.30, mean rank 2 = 19.70, z = -2.692, r = 0.4, P = 0.007). Our results provided evidence that a single session of 20-minute mindful breathing was efficacious in reducing dyspnea for patients admitted for acute decompensated heart failure.
Fulltext Comparing quality of life and treatment satisfaction between patients on warfarin and direct oral anticoagulants: a cross-sectional study

Ng DL, Gan GG, Chai CS, Chee KH, Tan KL, Tan SB, et al.

Patient Prefer Adherence, 2019;13:1363-1373.
PMID: 31616136 DOI: 10.2147/PPA.S204246

Introduction and aim: Patient quality of life (QOL) while on long-term oral anticoagulant therapy has been receiving greater attention in recent years due to the increase in life expectancy brought about by advances in medical care. This study aimed to compare the QOL, treatment satisfaction, hospitalization and bleeding rate in patients on long-term warfarin versus direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC).
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) or venous thromboembolism (VTE) on long-term anticoagulant therapy attending the cardiology clinic and anticoagulation clinic of the University Malaya Medical Centre from July 1, 2016, to June 30, 2018. Patient QOL was assessed by using the Short Form 12 Health Survey (SF12), while treatment satisfaction was assessed by using the Perception of Anticoagulation Treatment Questionnaire 2 (PACT-Q2).
Results: A total of 208 patients were recruited; 52.4% received warfarin and 47.6% received DOAC. There was no significant difference in QOL between warfarin and DOAC based on SF12 (physical QOL, P=0.083; mental QOL, P=0.665). Nevertheless, patients in the DOAC group were significantly more satisfied with their treatment compared to the warfarin group based on PACT-Q2 (P=0.004). The hospitalisation rate was significantly higher in the warfarin group than the DOAC group (15.6% versus 3.0%, P=0.002). Clinically relevant minor bleeds and severe bleeding events were non-significantly higher in the warfarin group than the DOAC group (66.7% versus 40.0%, P=0.069).
Conclusion: Compared to warfarin, treatment of NVAF and VTE with DOAC showed comparable QOL, higher treatment satisfaction, lesser hospitalization, and a non-significant trend toward fewer bleeding episodes.
Correction to: Feature selection and risk prediction for patients with coronary artery disease using data mining

Md Idris N, Chiam YK, Varathan KD, Wan Ahmad WA, Chee KH, Liew YM

Med Biol Eng Comput, 2022 Mar;60(3):887.
PMID: 35048276 DOI: 10.1007/s11517-022-02506-2
Feature selection and risk prediction for patients with coronary artery disease using data mining

Md Idris N, Chiam YK, Varathan KD, Wan Ahmad WA, Chee KH, Liew YM

Med Biol Eng Comput, 2020 Dec;58(12):3123-3140.
PMID: 33155096 DOI: 10.1007/s11517-020-02268-9

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is an important cause of mortality across the globe. Early risk prediction of CAD would be able to reduce the death rate by allowing early and targeted treatments. In healthcare, some studies applied data mining techniques and machine learning algorithms on the risk prediction of CAD using patient data collected by hospitals and medical centers. However, most of these studies used all the attributes in the datasets which might reduce the performance of prediction models due to data redundancy. The objective of this research is to identify significant features to build models for predicting the risk level of patients with CAD. In this research, significant features were selected using three methods (i.e., Chi-squared test, recursive feature elimination, and Embedded Decision Tree). Synthetic Minority Over-sampling Technique (SMOTE) oversampling technique was implemented to address the imbalanced dataset issue. The prediction models were built based on the identified significant features and eight machine learning algorithms, utilizing Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) datasets provided by National Cardiovascular Disease Database (NCVD) Malaysia. The prediction models were evaluated and compared using six performance evaluation metrics, and the top-performing models have achieved AUC more than 90%. Graphical abstract.
Fulltext Heart Failure With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Association Between Antihyperglycemic Agents, Glycemic Control, and Ejection Fraction

Lin SN, Phang KK, Toh SH, Chee KH, Zaman Huri H

Front Endocrinol (Lausanne), 2020;11:448.
PMID: 32754118 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.00448

Background: Heart failure (HF) is associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Antihyperglycemic drugs have interaction with heart failure among diabetic patients. To date, the data on real world use of diabetic medication in Malaysian heart failure patients with T2DM has not been elucidated. Objective: This study aims to identify the prescribing pattern of antihyperglycemic regimens in HF patients with T2DM, and to investigate the association between glycemic control and other factors such as demographic and clinical characteristics with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in these patients. Methods: This retrospective observational study involved patients diagnosed to have HF and T2DM who were seen in the outpatient clinic in a government tertiary hospital in Malaysia. Patients receiving at least one oral antidiabetic agent and/or insulin for at least 3 months prior were included. The differences and association between study outcomes were examined and analyzed using Pearson's Chi-square test, One-Way ANOVA, Binary Logistic Regression and multiple Multinomial Logistic Regression models. Results: From July to December 2019, 194 patients were included in this study. The majority (52.1%) of the patients had HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), 20.6% had HF with mid-range EF (HFmrEF), and 27.3% had HF with reduced EF (HFrEF). Overall, metformin (59.8%) was the commonest antihyperglycemic agent prescribed, followed by insulins (54.0%), and sulphonylureas (44.9%). The most prescribed agents for HFpEF, HFmrEF, and HFrEF patients were metformin (65.3%), insulins (62.5%), and sulphonylureas (60.4%), respectively. The prescribing trend of sulphonylureas was found to be significantly associated with patients' LVEF status (p = 0.033). The odds for sulphonylurea prescription among the HFrEF patients were 2.42 times higher compared to the HFpEF patients [95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23-4.79]. There was no association found between glycemic control with patients' LVEF. Conclusion: Our findings reported metformin as the most commonly prescribed antihyperglycemic agent, sodium glucose linked transporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor being under-prescribed, and detected poorly controlled diabetes in majority of patients with T2DM and HF. Understanding the prescribing pattern of antihyperglycemic agents supports the implementation of evidence-based treatment in HF patients with T2DM to improve patients' outcomes.
Motion corrected LV quantification based on 3D modelling for improved functional assessment in cardiac MRI

Liew YM, McLaughlin RA, Chan BT, Abdul Aziz YF, Chee KH, Ung NM, et al.

Phys Med Biol, 2015 Apr 7;60(7):2715-33.
PMID: 25768708 DOI: 10.1088/0031-9155/60/7/2715

Cine MRI is a clinical reference standard for the quantitative assessment of cardiac function, but reproducibility is confounded by motion artefacts. We explore the feasibility of a motion corrected 3D left ventricle (LV) quantification method, incorporating multislice image registration into the 3D model reconstruction, to improve reproducibility of 3D LV functional quantification. Multi-breath-hold short-axis and radial long-axis images were acquired from 10 patients and 10 healthy subjects. The proposed framework reduced misalignment between slices to subpixel accuracy (2.88 to 1.21 mm), and improved interstudy reproducibility for 5 important clinical functional measures, i.e. end-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume, ejection fraction, myocardial mass and 3D-sphericity index, as reflected in a reduction in the sample size required to detect statistically significant cardiac changes: a reduction of 21-66%. Our investigation on the optimum registration parameters, including both cardiac time frames and number of long-axis (LA) slices, suggested that a single time frame is adequate for motion correction whereas integrating more LA slices can improve registration and model reconstruction accuracy for improved functional quantification especially on datasets with severe motion artefacts.

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