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Objective: To assess the impact of diabetes on 2-year mortality in current PCI practice., Background: In patients with coronary artery disease undergoing revascularization, diabetes mellitus is associated with higher mortality., Methods: A retrospective analysis was done of all patients undergoing PCI at our tertiary center between January 2000 and December 2004. There were 6,160 PCI procedures performed in 5,759 patients who received at least one stent. Of these patients, 801 (13.9%) were diabetic and 4,958 (86.1%) were nondiabetic. The primary outcome measure of the study was all-cause mortality. All patients were followed up for a period of 2 years. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to test for a potential independent association between diabetic status and follow-up mortality., Results: Before adjustment, a trend toward higher mortality was observed in diabetic patients compared to non-diabetics at 1 year (3.2% vs 2.4%) and 2 years (5.1% vs 3.8%), P = 0.12. Independent predictors for mortality were increasing age, renal dysfunction, peripheral vascular disease, NYHA class >2, urgent PCI, treating left main stem lesions, vessel diameter < or = 2.5 mm, and 3-vessel disease. The use of drug-eluting stent was associated with a reduction in mortality. Diabetes was found to have no independent impact on mortality following PCI (odds ratio = 1.08; 95% confidence intervals = 0.73-1.60; P = 0.71)., Conclusion: The presence of diabetes was not an independent predictor of mortality following PCI. A diabetic patient that does not require insulin treatment and has no evidence of macro- or microvascular diabetic disease could enjoy a PCI outcome similar to nondiabetic subjects.

Management of hyperlipidaemia in patients with ischaemic heart disease is suboptimal despite the proven benefit of statin therapy. Significant improvement in management has been shown in the EUROASPIRE II study. It is unclear, however, whether such changes have also occurred in primary care. We aimed to evaluate the use of statin therapy by performing a cross-sectional survey of 300 patients with CHD aged >30 years from three general practices. A total of 249 (83%) of the 300 patients had their cholesterol measured and 141 (47%) were on statin therapy; 129 (43% of total) achieved a target cholesterol of <5 mmol/l, of whom 85 (64%) were on statin therapy. Of the remaining 120 patients whose cholesterol exceeded 5 mmol/l, 56 (47%) were on statin therapy Thus 60% (85/141) of those on statin therapy achieved adequate control compared with 40% (44/108) without statins (p<0.008). Those patients with CHD diagnosed on objective evidence were more likely to receive statin therapy (55.5%). Many patients with CHD are still not receiving appropriate secondary prevention. Those on statin therapy are more likely to achieve target levels <5 mmol/l. The average doses of statins vary and are lower than the evidence-based doses used in previous large-scale studies, which may help explain the persistence of failed treatment.

Objective: To assess the cost effectiveness of drug eluting stents (DES) compared with conventional stents for treatment of symptomatic coronary artery disease in the UK. Design: Cost-utility analysis of audit based patient subgroups by means of a simple economic model. Setting: Tertiary care. Participants: 12 month audit data for 2884 patients receiving percutaneous coronary intervention with stenting at the Cardiothoracic Centre Liverpool between January 2000 and December 2002. Main outcome measures: Risk of repeat revascularisation within 12 months of index procedure and reduction in risk from use of DES. Economic modelling was used to estimate the cost-utility ratio and threshold price premium. Results: Four factors were identified for patients undergoing elective surgery (n = 1951) and two for non- elective surgery (n = 933) to predict risk of repeat revascularisation within 12 months. Most patients fell within the subgroup with lowest risk (57% of the elective surgery group with 5.6% risk and 91% of the non-elective surgery group with 9.9% risk). Modelled cost-utility ratios were acceptable for only one group of high risk patients undergoing non-elective surgery (only one patient in audit data). Restricting the number of DES for each patient improved results marginally: 4% of stents could then be drug eluting on economic grounds. The threshold price premium justifying 90% substitution of conventional stents was estimated to be £112 (US$212, &3x20AC;162) (sirolimus stents) or £89 (US$167, &3x20AC;130) (paclitaxel stents). Conclusions: At current UK prices, DES are not cost effective compared with conventional stents except for a small minority of patients. Although the technology is clearly effective, general substitution is not justified unless the price premium falls substantially. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The effect of using the left internal mammary artery in combined coronary and valve operations have not been fully investigated. We aimed to quantify the impact of the left internal mammary artery to the left anterior descending artery on early and mid-term outcomes in these patients. Methods: Data was collected prospectively on 630 consecutive patients who underwent revascularization of the left anterior descending artery with concomitant valve operations between April 1997 and March 2003. Multivariate logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards analyses were used to adjust in-hospital outcomes and Kaplan-Meier survival curves. A propensity score for left internal mammary artery use was constructed to control for selection bias. Results: The left internal mammary artery was used in 478 (75.9%) patients. Univariate analyses found left internal mammary artery patients had significantly lower in-hospital mortality (6.3% versus 13.2%; p &#60; 0.01) and postoperative renal failure (8.2% versus 13.8%; p = 0.038). After adjusting for treatment selection bias, in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio, 0.77; p = 0.45) and renal failure (adjusted odds ratio, 0.94; p = 0.86) were no longer significantly different. A total of 171 (27.1%) deaths occurred during the follow-up, with a total follow-up of 2,325 patient-years. The crude relative risk for the left internal mammary artery was 0.67 (p = 0.015). After adjusting for the propensity score, the adjusted relative risk was 0.91 (p = 0.62). Conclusions: The left internal mammary artery does not adversely affect the short-term and medium-term outcomes in patients undergoing concomitant coronary and valve operations. Survival at 7 years was similar with or without the use of the left internal mammary artery. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: The relationship between the timing of intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) support and surgical outcome remains a subject of debate. Peri-operative mechanical circulatory support is commenced either prophylactically or after increasing inotropic support has proved inadequate. This study evaluates the effect timing of IABP support on the 1-year survival of patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Methods: From April 1997 to September 2002, 7698 consecutive cardiac surgical procedures were performed. This included 5678 isolated coronary artery bypasses (CABGs), 1245 isolated valve procedures and 775 simultaneous CABG and valve procedures. IABP support was required in 237 patients (3.1%). Twenty-seven patients (0.35%) were classed as high-risk and received preoperative IABP support, 25 patients (0.32%) were haemodynamically compromised and required preoperative IABP support, 120 patients (1.56%) required intra-operative IABP support, and 65 patients (0.84%) required post-operative IABP support. Multiple variables were offered to a Cox proportional hazards model and significant predictors of 1-year survival were identified. These were used to risk adjust Kaplan–Meier survival curves. Results: 1-year follow-up was complete and 450 deaths (5.8%) were recorded. The significant independent predictors of increased mortality at 1-year (P&#60;0.05, HR=hazard ratio) were post-operative renal failure (HR=3.5), increasing EuroSCORE (HR=1.2), post-operative myocardial infarction (HR=3.7), post-operative IABP (HR=4.1) intra-operative IABP (HR=2.8), post-operative stroke (HR=2.5), increasing number of valves (HR=1.6), ejection fraction &#60;30% (HR=1.3) and triple-vessel disease (HR=1.3). After risk-adjustment, 1-year survival for patients who required intra-operative IABP support was significantly greater than for those patients who required IABP support in the post-operative period. Conclusions: Patients who warrant IABP support in the post-operative setting have a significantly increased mortality at 1-year when compared to any other group. Therefore, earlier IABP support as part of surgical strategy may help to improve the outcome. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article focuses on a study related to operator specific outcome in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and impact of risk adjustment on apparent mace rate. Publication of operator specific outcomes in PCI is likely to replace centre specific major adverse cardiac event data currently audited by BCIS. Researchers examined the use of risk adjustment techniques in the comparison of outcomes between operators. Crude outcome data can suggest significant differences in operator outcome that appears to be related to differences in case mix.

Abstract: Objective: Steroids are beneficial in reducing the inflammatory response accompanying surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. However, chronic steroid therapy has been implicated as a risk factor for abdominal complications and mortality following surgery. We assessed the impact of chronic steroid therapy had on outcome following cardiac surgery. Methods: During the period January 1999 to March 2003 there were 98 patients on chronic steroid therapy (Group S) who underwent cardiac surgery at our institution. These patients were matched with a control group of 98 patients who were not on steroids (Group C). A propensity score was used to perform the matching. The C statistic for this model was 0.72. Results: Ninety (93.7%) of the 98 patients in Group S had been on oral prednisolone for a median of 9.5 years (25th and 75th percentile of 5 and 12 years) with a median dose of 5mg (25th and 75th percentile of 4 and 8.75mg). Preoperative characteristics were well matched between both groups. There was no difference in the post-operative outcome between the two groups with respect to mortality, stroke, renal failure, abdominal complications, wound infections, requirement for inotropic support and myocardial infarction. Patients in Group S were more likely to develop atrial arrhythmias and to require prolonged ventilation, although this did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: Chronic steroid therapy was not associated with increased mortality or overall morbidity following cardiac surgery. However, patients on chronic steroids may be at greater risk of developing atrial arrhythmias or of requiring prolonged ventilation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]