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Udgivelsesdato: 2008-Mar, Severe right ventricular dysfunction independent of left ventricular ejection fraction increased the risk of heart failure (HF) and death after myocardial infarction (MI). The association between right ventricular function and other clinical outcomes after MI was less clear. Two-dimensional echocardiograms were obtained in 605 patients with left ventricular dysfunction and/or clinical/radiologic evidence of HF from the VALIANT echocardiographic substudy (mean 5.0 +/- 2.5 days after MI). Clinical outcomes included all-cause mortality, cardiovascular (CV) death, sudden death, HF, and stroke. Baseline right ventricular function was measured in 522 patients using right ventricular fractional area change (RVFAC) and was related to clinical outcomes. Mean RVFAC was 41.9 +/- 4.3% (range 19.2% to 53.1%). The incidence of clinical events increased with decreasing RVFAC. After adjusting for 11 covariates, including age, ejection fraction, and Killip's classification, decreased RVFAC was independently associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 1.61, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.31 to 1.98), CV death (HR 1.62, 95% CI 1.30 to 2.01), sudden death (HR 1.79, 95% CI 1.26 to 2.54), HF (HR 1.48, 95% CI 1.17 to 1.86), and stroke (HR 2.95, 95% CI 1.76 to 4.95), but not recurrent MI. Each 5% decrease in baseline RVFAC was associated with a 1.53 (95% CI 1.24 to 1.88) increased risk of fatal and nonfatal CV outcomes. In conclusion, decreased right ventricular systolic function is a major risk factor for death, sudden death, HF, and stroke after MI.

Udgivelsesdato: 2008-Apr, Renal dysfunction is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular (cv) disease and its associated complications. Diabetes mellitus (dm) is a common cause of renal dysfunction. Whether the presence or absence of dm modifies the relation between renal dysfunction and cv disease is unclear. The valiant trial identified 14,527 patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by either clinical or radiologic signs of heart failure and/or left ventricular dysfunction for whom baseline creatinine was measured. Patients were randomly assigned to receive captopril, valsartan, or both. Glomerular filtration rate (gfr) was estimated using the 4-component modification of diet in renal disease equation. Using multivariable cox proportional modeling, the relation of overall mortality and composite cardiovascular events with estimated gfr (egfr) between patients with and without dm was compared. Mean egfrs were 66.8 +/- 22.0 and 71.2 +/- 21.0 ml/min/1.73 m2 for patients with (n = 3,358) and without dm (n = 11,169), respectively. The likelihood of experiencing death or the composite end point was higher in patients with than without dm for each level of renal function. the augmentation in risk of cv events based on reduced renal function was similar between groups. Each decrease in egfr by 10 units was associated with hazards of 1.09 (95% confidence interval 1.06 to 1.12, p <0.001) in patients with dm and 1.08 (95% confidence interval 1.06 to 1.10, p <0.001) in patients without dm for risk of fatal and nonfatal cv outcomes independent of treatment assignment. In conclusion, although dm is associated with higher risk of renal dysfunction and adverse cv outcomes, patients without dm had a relation between renal function and cv risk similar to that for patients with dm after high-risk acute myocardial infarction.