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Background and Purpose: Conventional cardiac magnetic resonance (CCMR) imaging is usually performed with breath-holding (BH), which is adverse in patients with BH limitations. We explored the ability of a free-breathing CMR (fCMR) protocol to prognosticate in patients with coronary heart diseases (CHD) and limited BH ability., Methods: Sixty-seven patients with CHD and limited BH abilities were prospectively enrolled in this study. All patients underwent comprehensive fCMR imaging at 3.0 T. The fCMR protocols included compressed sensing (CS) single-shot cine acceleration imaging, and motion-corrected (MOCO), single-shot late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) imaging. Image quality (IQ) of the cine and LGE images was evaluated based on the 5-point Likert scale. The value of fMRI in providing a prognosis in patients with CHD was assessed. Statistical methods included the T test, Mann-Whitney test, Kappa test, Kaplan-Meier curve, Log-rank test, Cox proportional hazard regression analysis, and receiver operating characteristic curves., Results: All IQ scores of the short axis CS-cine and both the short and long axes MOCO LGE images were ≥ 3 points. Over a median follow-up of 31 months (range 3.8-38.2), 25 major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) occurred. In the univariate analysis, infarction size (IS), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), 3D-Global peak longitudinal strain (3D-GPLS), heart failure classification were significantly associated with MACE. When the significantly univariate MACE predictors, added to the multivariate analysis, which showed IS (HR 1.02; 95% CI 1.00-1.05; p = 0.048) and heart failure with preserved EF (HR 0.20; 95% CI 0.04-0.98; p = 0.048) correlated positively with MACE. The optimal cutoff value for LVEF, 3D-GPLS, and IS in predicting MACE was 34.2%, - 5.7%, and 26.1% respectively, with a sensitivity of 90.5%, 64%, and 96.0% and specificity of 72%, 95.2%, and 85.7% respectively., Conclusions: The fCMR protocol can be used to make prognostic assessments in patients with CHD and BH limitations by calculating IS and LVEF., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Retinal blood vessels provide information on the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Here, we report the development and validation of deep-learning models for the automated measurement of retinal-vessel calibre in retinal photographs, using diverse multiethnic multicountry datasets that comprise more than 70,000 images. Retinal-vessel calibre measured by the models and by expert human graders showed high agreement, with overall intraclass correlation coefficients of between 0.82 and 0.95. The models performed comparably to or better than expert graders in associations between measurements of retinal-vessel calibre and CVD risk factors, including blood pressure, body-mass index, total cholesterol and glycated-haemoglobin levels. In retrospectively measured prospective datasets from a population-based study, baseline measurements performed by the deep-learning system were associated with incident CVD. Our findings motivate the development of clinically applicable explainable end-to-end deep-learning systems for the prediction of CVD on the basis of the features of retinal vessels in retinal photographs.

The purpose of this study is to enhance the diagnosis and treatment of acute myocardial infarction, prolong the life of patients with coronary heart disease, and improve the survival rate. In this study, 30 healthy adults are classified as the control group, and real-time three-dimensional echocardiography technology is used to observe the myocardial changes and characteristics of right ventricular morphology after acute myocardial infarction, which provides a theoretical basis for early clinical diagnosis and early intervention. The results show that the real-time three-dimensional echocardiography can provide more diagnostic information through the three-dimensional imaging of the cardiac structure and the real-time observation of the cardiac structures and their adjacent relations from any angle by combining the cutting and rotation of the image. Conventional examination methods such as two-dimensional echocardiography have a narrow time window for the detection of transient myocardial ischemia, which can clearly diagnose the ischemia in early stage, but its diagnostic ability in the late stage of ischemia is limited. When obtaining the cardiac full volume image within one cardiac cycle, echocardiography can quickly acquire dynamic images of ventricular volume without splicing and combine with the function of automatic delineation of endocardium of the 3d workstation to construct a real ventricular stereo image independent of the assumptions of the geometric model, so as to solve the inconvenience of the complex right ventricular space configuration and the obvious difference of its shape with the different load state. Therefore, as a new non-invasive imaging technique, it has unique advantages in accurate measurement of heart volume and evaluation of heart function., (Copyright © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Importance: Recent European guidance supports a diminished role for exercise electrocardiography (ECG) in the assessment of suspected stable angina., Objective: To evaluate the utility of exercise ECG in contemporary practice and assess the value of combined functional and anatomical testing., Design, Setting, and Participants: This is a post hoc analysis of the Scottish Computed Tomography of the Heart (SCOT-HEART) open-label randomized clinical trial, conducted in 12 cardiology chest pain clinics across Scotland for patients with suspected angina secondary to coronary heart disease. Between November 18, 2010, and September 24, 2014, 4146 patients aged 18 to 75 years with stable angina underwent clinical evaluation and 1417 of 1651 (86%) underwent exercise ECG prior to randomization. Statistical analysis was conducted from October 10 to November 5, 2019., Interventions: Patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive standard care plus coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography or to receive standard care alone. The present analysis was limited to the 3283 patients who underwent exercise ECG alone or in combination with coronary CT angiography., Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary clinical end point was death from coronary heart disease or nonfatal myocardial infarction at 5 years., Results: Among the 3283 patients (1889 men; median age, 57.0 years [interquartile range, 50.0-64.0 years]), exercise ECG had a sensitivity of 39% and a specificity of 91% for detecting any obstructive coronary artery disease in those who underwent subsequent invasive angiography. Abnormal results of exercise ECG were associated with a 14.47-fold (95% CI, 10.00-20.41; P < .001) increase in coronary revascularization at 1 year and a 2.57-fold (95% CI, 1.38-4.63; P < .001) increase in mortality from coronary heart disease death at 5 years or in cases of nonfatal myocardial infarction at 5 years. Compared with exercise ECG alone, results of coronary CT angiography had a stronger association with 5-year coronary heart disease death or nonfatal myocardial infarction (hazard ratio, 10.63; 95% CI, 2.32-48.70; P = .002). The greatest numerical difference in outcome with CT angiography compared with exercise ECG alone was observed for those with inconclusive results of exercise ECG (5 of 285 [2%] vs 13 of 283 [5%]), although this was not statistically significant (log-rank P = .05)., Conclusions and Relevance: This study suggests that abnormal results of exercise ECG are associated with coronary revascularization and the future risk of adverse coronary events. However, coronary CT angiography more accurately detects coronary artery disease and is more strongly associated with future risk compared with exercise ECG., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01149590.

Background: Within the SCOT-HEART (Scottish COmputed Tomography of the HEART Trial) trial of patients with stable chest pain, the use of coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) reduced the rate of death from coronary heart disease or nonfatal myocardial infarction (primary endpoint)., Objectives: This study sought to assess the consistency and mechanisms of the 5-year reduction in this endpoint., Methods: In this open-label trial, 4,146 participants were randomized to standard care alone or standard care plus coronary CTA. This study explored the primary endpoint by symptoms, diagnosis, coronary revascularizations, and preventative therapies., Results: Event reductions were consistent across symptom and risk categories (p = NS for interactions). In patients who were not diagnosed with angina due to coronary heart disease, coronary CTA was associated with a lower primary endpoint incidence rate (0.23; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.13 to 0.35 vs. 0.59; 95% CI: 0.42 to 0.80 per 100 patient-years; p < 0.001). In those who had undergone coronary CTA, rates of coronary revascularization were higher in the first year (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.46; p = 0.042) but lower beyond 1 year (HR: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.38 to 0.90; p = 0.015). Patients assigned to coronary CTA had higher rates of preventative therapies throughout follow-up (p < 0.001 for all), with rates highest in those with CT-defined coronary artery disease. Modeling studies demonstrated the plausibility of the observed effect size., Conclusions: The beneficial effect of coronary CTA on outcomes is consistent across subgroups with plausible underlying mechanisms. Coronary CTA improves coronary heart disease outcomes by enabling better targeting of preventative treatments to those with coronary artery disease. (Scottish COmputed Tomography of the HEART Trial [SCOT-HEART]; NCT01149590)., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The Academic Research Consortium (ARC) and the Standardized Data Collection for Cardiovascular Trials Initiative have recently published updated clinical and angiographic endpoint definitions for percutaneous coronary intervention trials. The aim of this document is to provide practical guidance to facilitate and harmonize the implementation of those definitions in randomized trials or registries, as well as to foster consistency among independent adjudication committees. The authors compared the ARC-2 and Standardized Data Collection for Cardiovascular Trials Initiative definitions to identify areas of consistency, complex scenarios, and definitions in need of further standardization. Furthermore, the authors compared the fourth universal definition of myocardial infarction with the ARC-2 definition of myocardial infarction. The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions definition of periprocedural myocardial infarction was also compared with the ARC-2 definition and the fourth universal definition of myocardial infarction. An in-depth assessment was done for each individual clinical endpoint to guide clinical investigators on reporting and classifying clinical adverse events. Finally, the authors propose standard streamlined data capture templates for reporting and adjudicating death, myocardial infarction, stroke, revascularization, stent or scaffold thrombosis, and bleeding., (Copyright © 2019 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Cystathionine is a thio-ether and a metabolite formed from homocysteine during transsulfuration. Elevated plasma cystathionine levels are reported in patients with cardiovascular disease; however prospective relationships with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are unknown. We investigated associations between plasma cystathionine and AMI among patients with suspected and/or verified coronary heart disease (CHD)., Methods: Subjects from two independent cohort studies, the Western Norway Coronary Angiography Cohort (WECAC) (3033 patients with stable angina pectoris; 263 events within 4.8 years of median follow-up) and the Norwegian Vitamin Trial (NORVIT) (3670 patients with AMI; 683 events within 3.2 years of median follow-up) were included., Results: In both cohorts, plasma cystathionine was associated with several traditional CHD risk factors (P < 0.001). Comparing the cystathionine quartile 4 to 1, age and gender adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for AMI were 2.08 (1.43-3.03) and 1.41 (1.12-1.76) in WECAC and NORVIT, respectively. Additional adjustment for traditional risk factors slightly attenuated the risk estimates, which were generally stronger in both cohorts among non-smokers, patients with higher age, and lower BMI or PLP status (P-interaction ≤ 0.04). Risk associations also tended to be stronger in patients not treated with B-vitamins. Additionally, in a subset of 80 WECAC patients, plasma cystathionine associated strongly negatively with glutathione, an important antioxidant and positively with lanthionine, a marker of H 2 S production (P < 0.001)., Conclusions: Plasma cystathionine is associated with increased risk of AMI among patients with either suspected or verified coronary heart disease, and is possibly related to altered redox homeostasis., (Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Acute aortic dissection is known as the most dangerous aortic disease, with management and prognosis determined as the disruption of the medial layer provoked by intramural bleeding. The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and necessity of antiplatelet therapy on patients with Stanford Type B aortic dissection (TBAD) who underwent endovascular aortic repair (EVAR)., Methods: The present study retrospectively analyzed 388 patients with TBAD who underwent EVAR and coronary angiography. The primary outcomes were hemorrhage, death, endoleak, recurrent dissection, myocardial infarction, and cerebral infarction in patients with and without aspirin antiplatelet therapy at 1 month and 12 months., Results: Of those 388 patients, 139 (35.8%) patients were treated with aspirin and 249 (64.2%) patients were not treated with aspirin. Patients in the aspirin group were elderly (57.0 ± 10.3 years vs. 52.5 ± 11.9 years, respectively, χ2 = 3.812, P < 0.001) and had more hypertension (92.1% vs. 83.9%, respectively, χ2 = 5.191, P = 0.023) and diabetes (7.2% vs. 2.8%, respectively, χ2 = 4.090, P = 0.043) than in the no-aspirin group. Twelve patients (aspirin group vs. no-aspirin group; 3.6% vs. 2.8%, respectively, χ2 = 0.184, P = 0.668) died at 1-month follow-up, while the number was 18 (4.6% vs. 5.0%, respectively, χ2 = 0.027, P = 0.870) at 12-month follow-up. Hemorrhage occurred in 1 patient (Bleeding Academic Research Consortium [BARC] Type 2) of the aspirin group, and 3 patients (1 BARC Type 2 and 2 BARC Type 5) in the no-aspirin group at 1-month follow-up (χ2 = 0.005, P = 0.944). New hemorrhage occurred in five patients in the no-aspirin group at 12-month follow-up. Three patients in the aspirin group while five patients in the no-aspirin group had recurrent dissection for endoleak at 1-month follow-up (2.3% vs. 2.2%, respectively, χ2 = 0.074, P = 0.816). Four patients had new dissection in the no-aspirin group at 12-month follow-up (2.3% vs. 3.8%, respectively, χ2 = 0.194, P = 0.660). Each group had one patient with myocardial infarction at 1-month follow-up (0.8% vs. 0.4%, respectively, χ2 = 0.102, P = 0.749) and one more patient in the no-aspirin group at 12-month follow-up. No one had cerebral infarction in both groups during the 12-month follow-up. In the percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) subgroup, 44 (31.7%) patients had taken dual-antiplatelet therapy (DAPT, aspirin + clopidogrel) and the other 95 (68.3%) patients had taken only aspirin. There was no significant difference in hemorrhage (0% vs. 1.1%, respectively, χ2 = 0.144, P = 0.704), death (4.8% vs. 4.5%, respectively, χ2 = 0.154, P = 0.695), myocardial infarction (2.4% vs. 0%, respectively, χ2 = 0.144, P = 0.704), endoleak, and recurrent dissection (0% vs. 3.4%, respectively, χ2 = 0.344, P = 0.558) between the two groups at 12-month follow-up., Conclusions: The present study indicated that long-term oral low-dose aspirin was safe for patients with both TBAD and coronary heart disease who underwent EVAR. For the patients who underwent both EVAR and PCI, DAPT also showed no increase in hemorrhage, endoleak, recurrent dissection, death, and myocardial infarction.

Objective To evaluate the association between plasma lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2; known to release inflammatory mediators that promote atherosclerosis) and coronary heart disease (CHD) in Chinese patients. Methods This observational, cross-sectional study included a patient cohort who were assessed by coronary angiography and divided into patients with coronary heart disease and patients with normal coronary angiography (controls). Data for several biochemical indicators were collected. Plasma Lp-PLA2 concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyse the association between Lp-PLA2 concentration and CHD. Results A total of 531 patients were included, comprising 391 with CHD and 140 with normal coronary angiography (controls). Plasma Lp-PLA2 concentration was significantly higher in patients with CHD versus controls (median, 251 µg/l versus 219 µg/l, respectively), and particularly among patients with acute myocardial infarction and stable angina pectoris (249 µg/l and 266 µg/l, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that Lp-PLA2 ≥ 292 µg/l (upper quartile of the whole cohort) was independently associated with CHD (odds ratio 2.814, 95% confidence interval 1.519, 5.214). Conclusion Plasma Lp-PLA2 concentration was independently associated with CHD in Chinese patients.

Background: Despite the proven advantages of total arterial grafting in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass operation, its benefits in the elderly population at long-term follow-up have been widely debated to date., Methods: Among 988 consecutive patients scheduled to undergo coronary artery bypass grafting operation, we performed a propensity-matched analysis in a population with double and triple vessel disease and older than 70 years and compared patients receiving total arterial grafting (G1; n = 315 patients) with conventional myocardial revascularization (left internal mammary artery on left anterior descending coronary artery plus saphenous vein grafts; G2; n = 201 patients). Two groups of 175 patients were obtained after matching. Primary end points were overall survival and survival free from cardiac-related mortality, whereas secondary end point was the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs; cardiac death, myocardial infarction, repeated revascularization on grafted vessels, stroke)., Results: Preoperative and intraoperative patients' characteristics were similar among the groups, as well the incidence of hospital mortality (none in both groups). At a median follow-up time of 89 months, total arterial grafting was associated with significantly improved actuarial overall survival (G1: 67.5% ± 4.6%, G2: 57.0% ± 4.4%, p = 0.029), survival free from cardiac-related mortality (G1: 86.9% ± 3.4%, G2: 75.9 ± 4.0%, p = 0.02), and occurrence of MACCEs (G1: 78.8 ± 3.9%, G2: 65.5% ± 4.4%, p = 0.017). Multivariate Cox regression analysis depicted conventional myocardial revascularization as an independent predictor of cardiac-related mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 2.5, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3 to 4.8, p = 0.005) and MACCEs (HR 2.1, 95% CI: 1.2 to 3.4, p = 0.005)., Conclusions: Total arterial myocardial revascularization in elderly patients is associated with a reduced late incidence of cardiac-related mortality and major cerebral and cardiovascular events compared with the use of saphenous grafts, thereby providing improved long-term benefits also in this specific subset of patients., (Copyright © 2017 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Significant associations between clinical history factors, lipid metabolism parameters, and type of atherosclerotic process (area of vascular lesions and severity of clinical manifestations) were detected. The predominance of generalized atherosclerosis in chronic coronary heart disease group was associated with patients' age, more incident excessive body weight and type 2 diabetes mellitus, and more severe course of arterial hypertension. Increased lipid spectrum atherogenicity was significantly more often observed in generalized atherosclerosis in the myocardial infarction group. Angiography and postmortem examination of coronary arteries detected two trends of atherogenic remodeling of the coronary vessels: more pronounced stenosis of the main vessels in autopsy specimens from myocardial infarction patients with mainly coronary atherosclerosis and more extensive coronary bed involvement in chronic coronary heart disease patients with generalized atherosclerosis.

Purpose: The biomarker Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is associated with coronary artery disease (CAD). The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of OPG in healthy subjects and in patients with suspected angina pectoris (AP)., Methods: A total of 1805 persons were enrolled: 1152 healthy subjects and 493 patients with suspected AP. For comparison 160 patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) were included. To uncover subclinical coronary atherosclerosis, a non-contrast cardiac-CT scan was performed in healthy subjects; while in patients with suspected AP a contrast coronary angiography was used to detect significant stenosis. OPG concentrations were analyzed and compared between groups. ROC-analyses were performed to estimate OPG cut-off values., Results: OPG concentrations increased according to disease severity with the highest levels found in patients with acute MI. No significant difference (p = 0.97) in OPG concentrations was observed between subgroups of healthy subjects according to severity of coronary calcifications. A significant difference (p < 0.0001) in OPG concentrations was found between subgroups of patients with suspected stable AP according to severity of CAD. ROC-analysis showed an AUC of 0.62 (95% CI: 0.57-0.67). The optimal cut-off value of OPG (<2.29 ng/mL) had a sensitivity of 56.2% (95% CI: 49.2-63.0%) and a specificity of 62.9% (95% CI: 57.3-68.2%)., Conclusion: OPG cannot be used to differentiate between healthy subjects with low versus high levels of coronary calcifications. In patients with suspected AP a single OPG measurement is of limited use in the diagnosis of CAD., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A retrospective study evaluating the pattern of blood pressure and its related complications before, during, and after percutaneous hemodialysis interventions was performed in patients presenting with asymptomatic hypertension. Hemodialysis patients undergoing percutaneous interventions including tunneled hemodialysis catheter insertion, percutaneous balloon angioplasty and thrombectomy procedure, and stage II hypertension (systolic blood pressure ≥160 mmHg) were included in this analysis. Blood pressure medications were not used while midazolam and fentanyl were routinely administered. Patients were followed for up to 4 weeks to monitor any complications. The mean blood pressure before, during, and after the procedures were 185 ± 18/96 ± 14, 172 ± 22/92 ± 15, and 153 ± 25/87 ± 14, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between the blood pressure readings before and after the procedure (before = 185 ± 18/96 ± 14, after = 153 ± 25/87 ± 14; p = 0.001). None of the patients had a stroke, myocardial infarction, or acute pulmonary edema before, during, or after the procedure or during the 4-week follow-up period. A significant reduction in blood pressure was observed after the procedure without the administration of any antihypertensive medication. These results suggest that the reduction in blood pressure observed after percutaneous dialysis access interventions (particularly in the presence of midazolam and fentanyl) may make it unnecessary to treat asymptomatic hypertension prior to these procedures., (© 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Accurate and efficient evaluation of acute chest pain remains clinically challenging because traditional diagnostic modalities have many limitations. Recent improvement in non-invasive imaging technologies could potentially improve both diagnostic efficiency and clinical outcomes of patients with acute chest pain while reducing unnecessary hospitalizations. However, there is still controversy regarding much of the evidence for these technologies. This article reviews the role of coronary artery calcium score and the coronary computed tomography in the assessment of individual coronary risk and their usefulness in the emergency department in facilitating appropriate disposition decisions. The evidence base and clinical applications for both techniques are also described, together with cost- effectiveness and radiation exposure considerations.

Peri-stent contrast staining (PSS) is an abnormal angiographic finding following drug-eluting stent implantation which suggests the presence of a space outside the stent struts. PSS has been reported to be associated with very late stent thrombosis (VLST). The aims of this study were to compare the occurrence rate of late acquired PSS between sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) and everolimus-eluting stent (EES) implantation, and to identify clinical characteristics associated with PSS. The percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) database of our hospital was queried to identify patients meeting the following criteria: (i) patients who received SES or EES in de novo coronary artery lesions; and (ii) patients who had angiographic follow-up between 3 and 15 months after stent implantation. There were 221 patients with 249 lesions treated with SES, and 173 patients with 212 lesions treated with EES. The occurrence of PSS was evaluated and compared between SES and EES implantation on a patient and lesion basis. The occurrence rate of late acquired PSS with EES was lower than that with SES. (On a patient basis; 1.2% versus 4.5%, P = 0.045, on a lesion basis; 0.9% versus 4.0%, P = 0.043). Among the clinical characteristics, chronic total occlusion (CTO) lesions were associated with PSS. The occurrence of late acquired PSS in EES was lower than that in SES. In conclusion, the occurrence rate of late acquired PSS with EES was lower than that with SES, however, it remains to be determined whether this difference translates to the difference in the rate of VLST.

Objective: We aimed to assess the impact of recent myocardial infarction (MI) on outcomes after subsequent surgery in the contemporary clinical setting., Background: Prior work shows that a history of a recent MI is a risk factor for complications following noncardiac surgery. However, this data does not reflect current advances in clinical management., Methods: Using the California Patient Discharge Database, we retrospectively analyzed patients undergoing hip surgery, cholecystectomy, colectomy, elective abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, and lower extremity amputation from 1999 to 2004 (n = 563,842). Postoperative 30-day MI rate, 30-day mortality, and 1-year mortality were compared for patients with and without a recent MI using univariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression. Relative risks (RR) with 95% confidence intervals were estimated using bootstrapping with 1000 repetitions., Results: Postoperative MI rate for the recent MI cohort decreased substantially as the length of time from MI to operation increased (0-30 days = 32.8%, 31-60 days = 18.7%, 61-90 days = 8.4%, and 91-180 days = 5.9%), as did 30-day mortality (0-30 days = 14.2%, 31-60 days = 11.5%, 61-90 days = 10.5%, and 91-180 days = 9.9%). MI within 30 days of an operation was associated with a higher risk of postoperative MI (RR range = 9.98-44.29 for the 5 procedures), 30-day mortality (RR range, 1.83-3.84), and 1-year mortality (RR range, 1.56-3.14)., Conclusions: A recent MI remains a significant risk factor for postoperative MI and mortality following surgery. Strategies such as delaying elective operations for at least 8 weeks and medical optimization should be considered., ((C) 2011 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.)

Objectives: This study investigated the impact of adding novel elements to models predicting in-hospital mortality after percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs)., Background: Massachusetts mandated public reporting of hospital-specific PCI mortality in 2003. In 2006, a physician advisory group recommended adding to the prediction models 3 attributes not collected by the National Cardiovascular Data Registry instrument. These "compassionate use" (CU) features included coma on presentation, active hemodynamic support during PCI, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation at PCI initiation., Methods: From October 2005 through September 2007, PCI was performed during 29,784 admissions in Massachusetts nonfederal hospitals. Of these, 5,588 involved patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction or cardiogenic shock. Cases with CU criteria identified were adjudicated by trained physician reviewers. Regression models with and without the CU composite variable (presence of any of the 3 features) were compared using areas under the receiver-operator characteristic curves., Results: Unadjusted mortality in this high-risk subset was 5.7%. Among these admissions, 96 (1.7%) had at least 1 CU feature, with 69.8% mortality. The adjusted odds ratio for in-hospital death for CU PCIs (vs. no CU criteria) was 27.3 (95% confidence interval: 14.5 to 47.6). Discrimination of the model improved after including CU, with areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curves increasing from 0.87 to 0.90 (p < 0.01), while goodness of fit was preserved., Conclusions: A small proportion of patients at extreme risk of post-PCI mortality can be identified using pre-procedural factors not routinely collected, but that heighten predictive accuracy. Such improvements in model performance may result in greater confidence in reporting of risk-adjusted PCI outcomes., (Copyright © 2011 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Increased platelet reactivity may contribute to the development of coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction. The aim of the present study was to assess platelet adhesiveness in different stages of coronary artery disease using the platelet adhesion assay (PADA). In addition, the acute effect of coronary angiography and stent implantation on platelet adhesiveness was examined., Methods: 85 patients with stable coronary artery disease (SAP - stable angina pectoris) and 19 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) were enrolled in the study. 35 volunteers served as controls. Blood sampling in SAP and AMI patients was done before coronary angiography to measure the adhesion index (AI) using the PADA. In 33 patients additional blood was drawn at the end of coronary angiography. In 6 patients blood samples were drawn also after stent implantation., Results: In blood samples from patients with an AMI the AI was significantly higher than in blood samples from the SAP group (p < 0.01) and the control group (p < 0.01). Coronary angiography and stent implantation did not result in significant acute changes in mean AI however results show an interindividual variability in initial values as well as in AI changes during procedures., Conclusions: This is the first study to show that PADA, a quick and simple laboratory method for the quantitative determination of platelet adhesiveness, is able to detect platelet hyper-adhesiveness in patients with AMI.

Atherosclerotic calcification is usually associated with long - standing atherosclerosis. There is accumulating evidence that both apoptosis and osteogenic differentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells contribute to arterial calcification. Our long experience of cardiovascular pathology over many years revealed that ruptured plaques were closely associated with areas of small calcium deposits. To further clarify the association between patterns of coronary arterial calcification and morphology of atherosclerotic plaques, we studied preinterventional intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) images at the site of culprit lesions in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), unstable angina pectoris, or stable angina pectoris. Our study demonstrated that small calcium deposits within an arc of < 90° significantly more frequent in the culprit lesion segments of AMI patients. Thus, our study revealed that the spotty calcification pattern of the coronary culprit segment is associated with unstable plaques in AMI patients.

Background: Cardiac computed tomography for coronary artery calcium scoring, a diagnostic test associated with relatively low radiation exposure, provides incremental coronary risk stratification above that provided by Framingham risk scoring in asymptomatic, intermediate-risk patients. Knowledge of the appropriate use of coronary calcium scoring enables the clinician to more appropriately match the intensity of preventive cardiovascular care to the individual's absolute risk of coronary heart disease (CHD)., Methods: A Medline search was used for original articles pertinent to coronary artery calcium scoring from 2000 to 2010., Results: Despite the presence of coronary risk factors, up to 45% of asymptomatic, presumed intermediate-risk patients referred for coronary calcium scoring have no detectable coronary calcium, a finding associated with a 1 to 2% 10-year risk of CHD death or nonfatal myocardial infarction. Such patients could logically be given a more prolonged opportunity to respond to therapeutic lifestyle change and, if necessary, generic lipid-altering medication before more expensive treatment strategies are implemented., Conclusions: Because coronary calcium scoring is usually a self-pay test, the test should be ordered only in those circumstances in which knowledge of the results will change coronary risk management. This review addresses these issues and attempts to place the clinical utility of this important diagnostic test in perspective for the clinician., (Copyright © 2010 National Lipid Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The purpose of this article is to compare the performance of dual-energy CT with that of 3-T MRI with late enhancement for the detection of chronic myocardial infarction during first-pass coronary CT angiography (CTA)., Subjects and Methods: Thirty-six patients underwent coronary CTA for the assessment of coronary bypass graft patency on a first-generation dual-source CT scanner in dual-energy mode. Gray-scale images (100 kV, 140 kV, and blended virtual 120 kV) were assessed for areas of hypodense myocardium during the arterial phase. In addition, a color-coded map of myocardial iodine distribution was calculated from the dual-energy data for perfusion analysis. Dual-energy CT data were compared with data from 3-T MRI with late enhancement, which served as the reference standard for scar detection using the American Heart Association's 17-segment model of the left ventricle., Results: One hundred one (17%) of 612 myocardial segments in 22 (61%) of 36 patients showed late enhancement on MRI. Although myocardial iodine mapping was prone to artifacts, mostly arising from sternal wires (70% sensitivity), 100-kV gray-scale images showed the highest sensitivity (80%) for the detection of myocardial scar. Blended virtual 120-kV images with lower noise and higher resolution had the best diagnostic accuracy (77% sensitivity, 97% specificity, 85% positive predictive value, 96% negative predictive value, and 94% accuracy)., Conclusion: Detection of chronic myocardial infarction on color-coded iodine distribution analysis with first-generation dual-energy CT is impeded by thoracic metallic devices. This group of patients benefits more from adequate blending of high- and low-kilovoltage gray-scale images. Further technical improvements are desirable to lower artifact burden and improve sensitivity on myocardial iodine distribution mapping.

We investigated the impact of metabolic syndrome (MS) on the occurrence of in-stent restenosis (ISR) and long-term major adverse cardiac events (MACEs), including cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization (TVR) during a follow-up period of 36 months after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stent implantation in patients with significant preexisting coronary artery disease. MS was not an independent predictor of increased ISR and MACE after PCI., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The impact of stent restenosis, stent thrombosis, or progression of disease at another site as responsible mechanisms of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) after stent implantation is not clear., Methods: By searching our catheterization laboratory database for a 4-year period, 91 cases of nonfatal AMI at least 1 month after stent implantation (32.6% drug-eluting stents) were identified. By detailed comparison of post-AMI with the initial percutaneous coronary intervention angiogram, the mechanism of AMI was analyzed., Results: Acute myocardial infarction was attributed to disease progression at another site in 42 (46.2%), stent restenosis in 35 (38.4%), and stent thrombosis in 10 (11%) cases. The AMI mechanism could be either stent related or disease progression (nonidentifiable culprit lesion) in 4 cases (4.4%). The median time from percutaneous coronary intervention to AMI was 27, 19, and 9 months for disease progression at another site, restenosis, and stent thrombosis group, respectively (P = .03). ST-elevation myocardial infarction occurred in 38.1% of the disease progression, in 20% of the restenosis, and in 60% of the stent thrombosis cases (P = .046)., Conclusions: In a "real world" population, late after stent implantation, a patient has an almost equal probability to have suffered a nonfatal AMI from either stent restenosis/thrombosis or disease progression at another site. Continuous research efforts are necessary to equally address both stent therapy and disease progression.

Unlabelled: Some studies reported that 99mTc-MIBI may redistribute in ischaemic myocardium and this phenomenon may have potential role for better assessment of viability by delayed 99mTc-MIBI imaging. Some studies also suggested that infusion of low dose dobutamine during delayed imaging may enhance the value of 99mTc-MIBI imaging for evaluation of viability. The aim of this study is to determine whether the observed changes of perfusion defects on delayed images are caused by early radiotracer redistribution or as a result of reversal partial volume effect secondary to inotropic stimulation., Patients, Methods: 89 patients with angiographically proven coronary artery disease (CAD) were enrolled in this randomized clinical trial study. In all cases, gated-SPECT images were obtained 60 minutes after stress with dipyridamole injection. Subsequently the patients were randomly allocated in two groups and the second imaging was performed at 120th minute during low dose dobutamine (dobutamine group; 45 cases) or placebo infusion (placebo group; 44 cases). Difference between summed stress score of the first (SSS1) and second (SSS2) stress images (DeltaSSS) was considered as a marker of reversibility in single-injection double-acquisition (SIDA) protocol. Also summed difference score (SDS) was recorded as a marker of reversibility in standard stress/rest, double-injection double-acquisition (DIDA) protocol. DeltaSSS of the two studied groups were compared. Also the correlation and agreement between DeltaSSS and SDS were analyzed., Results: A significant difference was found between SSS1 (median 15, range 0-48) and SSS2 (median 11, range 0-42) in total patients (p < 0.0001). A significant correlation was noted between DeltaSSS and SDS in dobutamine group (r = 0.58, p = 0.002) as well as in placebo group (r = 0.57, p < 0.0001). Considering DIDA protocol as a standard reference method, the influence of dobutamine infusion was not shown to be significantly different from the placebo effect on the magnitude of fixed or reversible perfusion defects in SIDA protocol., Conclusion: The changes in the magnitude of the perfusion defects may occur in the first hours of 99mTc-MIBI injection in the stress phase imaging. These changes correlate well and are in agreement with perfusion improvement on the rest images. This phenomenon may be independent of improvement in myocardial function, in more delayed imaging or following inotropic augmentation, and thus is likely due to 99mTc-MIBI redistribution. This may open new technical and clinical aspects and potentials for 99mTc-MIBI imaging.

Objectives: After novel findings from genomewide association studies that sequence variation on chromosome 9p21.3 is a genetic factor for coronary heart disease, we investigated whether this locus influenced the clinical and angiographic outcomes after implantation of drug-eluting stents in coronary arteries., Background: Recently, genomewide association studies have identified a locus on chromosome 9 (approximately 100 kb in band p21.3) as the strongest genetic factor for coronary heart disease., Methods: We studied the rs7865618, rs1537378, rs1333040, and rs1333049 polymorphisms located on chromosome 9p21.3 in a cohort of 2,028 patients who were treated with percutaneous coronary intervention and implantation of sirolimus- or paclitaxel-eluting stents. Records of 3-year adverse clinical outcomes were obtained from all stented patients. Follow-up angiography at 6 to 8 months after stenting was performed in 1,683 patients (83%)., Results: The polymorphisms were not significantly related with clinical outcomes at 3 years, including death (p >or= 0.18), myocardial infarction (p >or= 0.19), repeat revascularization (p >or= 0.08), and the composite end point of adverse events (death, myocardial infarction, repeat revascularization) (p >or= 0.34). No association of the polymorphisms was found with angiographic measures at follow-up, including minimal lumen diameter (p >or= 0.51), diameter stenosis (p >or= 0.31), late lumen loss (p >or= 0.05), and binary restenosis (p >or= 0.31)., Conclusions: Specific polymorphisms in the chromosome 9p21.3 region that were shown to be associated with coronary heart disease in genomewide analyses were not related to the clinical and angiographic outcomes after the placement of drug-eluting stents in coronary arteries.

Background: Recent studies have demonstrated the significant prognostic value of stress cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) myocardial perfusion imaging. Apart from characterizing reversible perfusion defect (RevPD) from flow-limiting coronary stenosis, CMR late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) imaging is currently the most sensitive method for detecting subendocardial infarction (MI). We therefore tested the hypothesis that characterization of these 2 processes from coronary artery disease by CMR can provide complementary prognostic values., Methods and Results: We performed CMR myocardial perfusion imaging followed by LGE imaging on 254 patients referred with symptoms of myocardial ischemia. At a median follow-up of 17 months, 49 cardiac events occurred, including 12 cardiac deaths, 16 acute MIs, and 21 cardiac hospitalizations. RevPD and LGE both maintained a >3-fold association with cardiac death or acute MI (death/MI) when adjusted for each other and for the effects of patient age and gender (adjusted hazard ratio, 3.31; P=0.02; and hazard ratio, 3.43; P=0.01, respectively). In patients without a history of MI who had negative RevPD, LGE presence was associated with a >11-fold hazards increase in death/MI. Patients with neither RevPD nor LGE had a 98.1% negative annual event rate for death/MI. For association with major adverse cardiac events, RevPD was the strongest multivariable variable in the best overall model (hazard ratio, 10.92; P<0.0001)., Conclusions: CMR imaging provides robust risk stratification for patients who present with symptoms of ischemia. Characterization of RevPD and LGE by CMR provides strong and complementary prognostic implication for cardiac death or acute MI.

Background: Coronary heart disease in women is different from that in men with respect to symptoms, clinical presentation, value of the diagnostic tests and response to treatment. The article presents a review of symptoms and diagnostics of coronary heart disease in women and discusses the diagnostic procedures that are available., Material and Methods: The review is based on literature identified through a non-systematic search of PubMed., Results: In general, myocardial infarction hits women about ten years later than men, but women with risk factors loose their sex advantage. Women with coronary disease are less likely to experience chest pain than men and may have less specific symptoms. Traditional non-invasive diagnostic investigations are less accurate than in men. Women with angina or myocardial infarction also have a lower prevalence of significant stenoses in coronary angiography, and atherosclerosis seems to be more diffuse than in men. This renders the diagnostic approach more difficult. Coronary CT angiography is a promising diagnostic technique, but few women have been included in studies of the method's accuracy, and the radiation dose is still relatively high., Interpretation: We recommend a strategy that emphasizes risk stratification of patients, and thereafter identification of patients in need of further invasive testing. New techniques are needed to identify coronary heart disease in women.

Higher levels of cysteinyl cathepsin L were detected in human atherosclerotic lesions than in healthy aortas. However, a link between human coronary heart disease (CHD) and systemic cathepsin L levels remains unknown. A total of 137 volunteers with diagnosed acute and previous myocardial infarction (MI) and stable and unstable angina pectoris in addition to 48 controls were asked to undergo coronary angiography. Serum cathepsin L, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, fasting glucose, and lipid protein profiles were measured. Serum cathepsin L levels were significantly higher in patients with CHD than in those without CHD (p <0.001). The significance persisted after adjusting for most major confounders. Patients with unstable angina pectoris had higher serum cathepsin L levels than those with stable angina pectoris (p = 0.02). Of patients with acute coronary syndrome, those with acute MI had higher serum cathepsin L levels than those with unstable angina pectoris (p <0.05) and patients with previous MI had the highest levels. Importantly, serum cathepsin L associated positively with number of coronary branch luminal narrowings (R = 0.38, p <0.001), Gensini scores (R = 0.44, p <0.001), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (R = 0.32, p <0.001), fasting glucose (R = 0.16, p <0.03), and cigarette smokers (R = 0.27, p <0.001), but inversely with high-density lipoprotein (R = -0.23, p = 0.002) and apolipoprotein A1 (R = -0.19, p = 0.01) in all subjects. In conclusion, after adjusting for these confounders, we found that serum cathepsin L correlated positively and independently with Gensini score, suggesting that serum cathepsin L serves as a novel and independent biomarker for CHD.

Background: It has been reported that coronary endothelial dysfunction plays an important pathogenetic role in patients with slow coronary flow (SCF). Insulin resistance is defined as impairment of insulin-stimulated glucose and/or lipid metabolism, while endothelial dysfunction is defined as paradoxical or inadequate endothelial-mediated vasodilation. In this study, we aimed to evaluate insulin resistance in patients with SCF., Methods: The study population included 25 patients with SCF and 28 healthy controls. Insulin resistance was estimated via homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR)., Results: Patients with SCF had higher high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and HOMA-IR scores (P<0.05) than controls. Mean thrombolysis in myocardial infarction frame count had significant correlation with hs-CRP, fasting plasma insulin levels and HOMA-IR score (r=0.566, P<0.05; r=0.883, P<0.05; r=0.884, P<0.05, respectively)., Conclusion: In patients with SCF, thrombolysis in myocardial infarction frame counts and hs-CRP are correlated with increased insulin resistance and thus, it can be suggested that insulin resistance and inflammation may, in part, have a role in the pathogenesis of SCF.

Background: Left atrial volume indexed (LAVI) has been reported as a predictor of cardiovascular events. We sought to determine the prognostic value of LAVI for predicting the outcome of patients who underwent dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) for known or suspected coronary artery disease (CAD)., Methods: From January 2000 to July 2005, we studied 981 patients who underwent DSE and off-line measurements of LAVI. The value of DSE over clinical and LAVI data was examined using a stepwise log-rank test., Results: During a median follow-up of 24 months, 56 (6%) events occurred. By univariate analysis, predictors of events were male sex, diabetes mellitus, previous myocardial infarction, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left atrial diameter indexed, LAVI, and abnormal DSE. By multivariate analysis, independent predictors were LVEF (relative risk [RR] = 0.98, 95% CI 0.95-1.00), LAVI (RR = 1.04, 95% CI 1.02-1.05), and abnormal DSE (RR = 2.70, 95% CI 1.28-5.69). In an incremental multivariate model, LAVI was additional to clinical data for predicting events (chi(2) 36.8, P < .001). The addition of DSE to clinical and LAVI yielded incremental information (chi(2) 55.3, P < .001). The 3-year event-free survival in patients with normal DSE and LAVI < or =33 mL/m(2) was 96%; with abnormal DSE and LAVI < or =33 mL/m(2), 91%; with normal DSE and LAVI >34 mL/m(2), 83%; and with abnormal DSE and LAVI >34 mL/m(2), 51%., Conclusion: Left atrial volume indexed provides independent prognostic information in patients who underwent DSE for known or suspected CAD. Among patients with normal DSE, those with larger LAVI had worse outcome, and among patients with abnormal DSE, LAVI was still predictive.

Background: Perioperative myocardial infarction (POMI) is a complication of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with a potential prognostic impact. Technetium-99m pyrophosphate myocardial scintigraphy (MS) is used in the diagnosis of POMI; however it shows a limited sensitivity for subendocardial lesions. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI), in turn, has a high accuracy in the detection of myocardial necrosis., Objective: To compare CMRI and MS for the detection of POMI after CABG., Methods: A total of 24 patients with chronic coronary artery disease were studied using the delayed contrast enhanced CMRI and MS before and after CABG by analyzing the development of areas of perioperative myocardial necrosis (POMI). Biochemical markers of myocardial injury (CKMB and troponin I) were also determined before and after surgery., Results: Nineteen patients completed the study. Of these, 6 (32%) presented POMI on CMRI and 4 (21%) on MS (p = NS). Of the 323 left ventricular segments assessed, 17 (5.3%) showed perioperative necrosis on CMRI and 7 (2.2%) on MS (p = 0.013). Moderate agreement was observed between the methods (kappa = 0.46). There was disagreement regarding the diagnosis of POMI in 4 (21%) cases, most of them with small areas of perioperative necrosis on CMRI which were not visualized on MS. In all cases with POMI on CMRI, significant CKMB and troponin I elevations were observed., Conclusion: Moderate diagnostic agreement was observed between the methods for the detection of POMI, but CMRI enabled visualization of small areas of perioperative myocardial necrosis which were not identified on MS and were associated with elevation of biochemical markers of myocardial injury.

The crush and "mini-crush" techniques have been described previously for complex coronary bifurcation intervention. Typically, the single stent technique, with or without final kissing balloon inflation, has been preferred over the 2-stent method, whenever possible, to minimize stent length or stent overlap. The multiple 2-stent techniques need to be utilized, however, when tackling compromised or dissected large side branches. We describe a new provisional 2-stent technique, which is a modification of the reverse crush technique while minimizing stent overlap at the bifurcation and ensuring good stent coverage at the side branch ostium.

6497 consecutive patients who underwent coronary angiography in our institution in a three-year period were analysed. Spontaneous coronary artery dissection was noted in five, and unexpected dissection secondary to coronary arteriography in three patients. All patients with spontaneous dissection presented clinically as myocardial infarction. Three patients (two of them with spontaneous dissection) underwent urgent coronary artery bypass grafting. Percutaneous coronary intervention was successful in two patients with spontaneous and in one with unexpected secondary dissection. One patient with spontaneous and one with secondary dissection were treated medically after failed intervention. In conclusion, spontaneous coronary artery dissection is rare, but not exceptional. Its true incidence might have been underestimated before the advent of coronary interventions in acute myocardial infarction. Survival of all our patients, in contrast to earlier reports on mortality rates up to 50%, may be attributed to the benefits of modern surgery and interventional cardiology.

Objective: To investigate the correlation between Duke treadmill score (DTS) and corrected thrombolysis in myocardial infarction frame count(CTFC )in patients with coronary atherosclerotic heart disease(CAD)., Methods: Seventy-two patients with coronary atherosclerotic heart disease, who underwent treadmill exercise tests in 2 weeks before coronary angiography were enrolled in our study. All the patients were divided into 2 groups according to the value of DTS: low-risk group (DTS > or = 5) and moderate-high-risk group (DTS < 5). We evaluated the correlation between DTS and CTFC and compared the differences between the two groups., Results: DTS had a negative correlation with CTFC of left anterior descending branch (LAD), left circumflex artery (LCX) and right coronary artery (RCA)(r = -0.821,-0.730,-0.598, P<0.001). CTFC of all coronary arteries in the low-risk group was much lower than that of moderate-high-risk group [LAD: (22.27+/-3.71) frames vs (24.12+/-4.19) frames, respectively; LCX: (27.96+/-5.65) frames vs (31.28+/- 6.79) frames, respectively; RCA: (21.96+/-5.85) frames vs (24.64+/-7.33) frames, respectively], there was significant difference between the two groups., Conclusion: There was a negative correlation between DTS and CTFC of left anterior descending branch, left circumflex artery and right coronary artery in patients with CAD. The risk stratification on the basis of DTS had a notable association with CTFC. These results may provide a theoretical evidence for utilizing the non-invasive method DTS to evaluate prognosis of patients with CAD.

The introduction of Drug Eluting Stents was an important step to reduce restenosis rate after coronary stent implantation. Unfortunately, reduction of restenosis was paid off by the price of potential increased late (>30 days) stent thrombosis. However, current data are not completely conclusive with respect to extent and duration of stent thrombosis and cardiovascular risk after drug eluting stent implantation. Until now, especially for patients at risk for stent thrombosis a prolonged (12 instead of 6 months) dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel is recommended. Thereby, the quality of physician instructions is predictive for patient's compliance. Premature termination of dual antiplatelet therapy should be avoided; many small surgical interventions (e.g. tooth extraction) can be performed under dual antiplatelet therapy. Patients with "triple therapy" (aspirin, clopidogrel and coumarin derivate) should be monitored carefully, since they have an excessive bleeding risk. An elective coronary angiography after coronary stent implantation is not routinely necessary. However in selected high-risk patients (e.g. left main or multivessel stent implantation) control angiography may be useful. Medical therapy of risk factors (hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus) is essential also after coronary stent implantation. It is important to screen patients for diabetes mellitus, since approximately 1/3 of patients after coronary intervention have an otherwise unrecognized diabetes mellitus or glucose tolerance disturbance.

Coronary revascularization using percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has rapidly developed in the past 2 decades and its technical and pharmaceutical improvements may avoid bypass surgery in many situations. The use of drug-eluting stents (DES) challenges the classic indications for bypass surgery and shifts them toward PCI, with the need for a critical appreciation of procedure- and patient-related risks. Furthermore, invasive measures such as intravascular ultrasound or pressure wire allow lesion-specific and immediate therapeutic decisions. This overview summarizes the actual potential of coronary intervention. To be aware of potentials and limitations may help the non-interventionalist to advise his patient and to choose the appropriate treatment.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate regional myocardial dyssynchronicity and velocity of the left ventricle in patients with coronary artery disease., Methods: Tissue synchronization imaging analysis of the time to peak velocity (Tp) and peak velocity (Vp) of left ventricular longitudinal myocardial segments was performed for 60 patients with coronary artery disease and 40 healthy subjects., Results: Tissue synchronization imaging revealed synchronous myocardia in the control group and disturbed myocardial synchrony in patients, with greater dyssynchrony than in the control group (P < .005). Compared with the control group, patients showed a higher Tp of the left ventricular anterior wall and interventricular septum (P < .001). The apex-to-base gradient of tissue velocity was absent in patients. The mean Vp of all segments except the apical segment of the interventricular septum in patients was decreased significantly (P < .05)., Conclusions: Tissue synchronization imaging is a novel and noninvasive technique for quantitatively assessing regional myocardial Tp and Vp and can directly and quickly determine ischemia or infarction in myocardial segments.

Echocardiography plays an important role in deciding the operative indication in patients with coronary artery diseases. On deciding the indication of coronary artery bypass graft, dobutamine stress echocardiography provides accurate information on presence or absence of myocardial ischemia and of myocardial viability in each coronary artery territory. Assessment of the coronary blood flow velocity using high-frequency Doppler enables us to examine the presence of coronary stenosis and the patency of bypass graft. Left ventricular remodeling is a cause of progressive heart failure after myocardial infarction, and echocardiography allows us to measure the left ventricular volume and ejection fraction. Real-time 3-dimensional echocardiography has made this measurement process accurate and easy. Dyssynchrony is another mechanism that worsens ventricular contractile performance, and several echocardiographic indexes were proposed to diagnose it. Cardiac resynchronization therapy, if it is performed with cardiac surgery, can correct the dyssynchrony and enhance the functional improvement. Severity of diastolic dysfunction can predict the prognosis of patients with coronary artery diseases, and we can assess it from the mitral flow velocity pattern; normal, abnormal, pseudonormal and restrictive. Thus, echocariography provides a potential method to evaluate myocardial viability, myocardial ischemia, and pathophysiology of heart failure.

Aims: Global angiographic scores have been developed to determine the extent of myocardium jeopardized by significant coronary stenosis. We adapted these scores to quantify the anatomic area at risk during acute myocardial infarction. We used contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (CMR) infarct imaging to measure the portion of myocardium that developed necrosis within the so defined angiographic area at risk., Methods and Results: In 83 subjects presenting for primary percutaneous intervention, the myocardium at risk was estimated angiographically using the Myocardial Jeopardy Index (BARI) and a modified version of the Alberta Provincial Project for Outcome Assessment in Coronary Heart Disease (APPROACH) scores. CMR was performed within a week to measure infarct size, infarct endocardial surface area (infarct-ESA), and infarct transmurality. As infarct transmurality increased, the infarct size closely approximated the myocardium at risk by angiography. In 35 subjects with transmural infarcts, the area at risk by BARI and APPROACH scores matched the infarct size (r = 0.90 and r = 0.92, P < 0.001). Additionally, BARI and APPROACH scores matched the infarct-ESA in all subjects independently of collateral flow and time to reperfusion (r = 0.90 and r = 0.87, P < 0.001). The presence of early reperfusion, collaterals, or both was associated with a progressive decrease in infarct transmurality (P < 0.001 for trend) with no difference in the infarct-ESA., Conclusion: The myocardium at risk of infarction can be determined angiographically as validated in subjects with transmural myocardial infarcts. Salvage provided by early reperfusion or collaterals occurs by limiting infarct transmurality, thereby the extent of endocardial infarct involved also allows estimation of the myocardium at risk in patients presenting with STEMI.

Background: In our unit when the radial artery is used as a conduit for myocardial revascularization routine, postoperative calcium-channel blockade is not practised. To preserve the radial artery, it is freed from the surrounding structures together with its venae commitantes and then left, in situ, in circulation, until needed for grafting. We evaluated the early to midterm patency of the radial artery using this strategy in our patients., Methods: We analysed prospectively collected data on 690 consecutive patients who had isolated primary coronary artery bypass grafting performed between June 1999 and February 2003 with at least one conduit being a radial artery., Results: Radial arteries were used for 851 of 2150 distal anastomoses (39.6%). Median follow-up was 399 days (range 20-1323) and was 99.9% complete. Early mortality was 2.0% (14). Late mortality was 3.0% (21), 12 late deaths were not cardiac related. Nine patients (1.4%) had angiography on clinical grounds a mean of 238 days (range 0-511) postoperatively. Six coronary artery territories were inadequately supplied by their radial artery grafts. Kaplan-Meier event-free survival was 94% and 90% at 1 and 3 years, respectively., Conclusions: The results of coronary artery bypass grafting using the radial artery in our institution compare favourably with those of other contemporary workers. It is safe to leave the radial artery in situ in the circulation until it is required for grafting. The absence of postoperative pharmacological manipulation of the radial artery does not appear to affect early or midterm outcome.

Background: Disorders of calcium homeostasis have been implicated in atherosclerosis. The calcium-sensing receptor (CASR) is crucial to the regulation of calcium metabolism. An alanine (A) to serine (S) polymorphism at codon 986 (A986S) of the CASR gene has been associated with higher calcium and osteoporosis; the association with coronary artery disease (CAD) has not been studied., Methods and Results: We investigated this polymorphism in individuals with CAD (n = 2561), including survivors of myocardial infarction (MI) (n = 1358) compared to 698 controls without angiographic CAD. Compared to AA homozygotes, the prevalence of CAD [multivariate odds ratio 1.25; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-1.54] and previous MI (multivariate odds ratio 1.33; 95% CI 1.06-1.68) was increased in carriers of at least one S-allele. With each S-allele, the prevalence of CAD and MI increased 1.22-fold (95% CI 1.02-1.47) and 1.30-fold (95% CI 1.06-1.60), respectively. Fully adjusted hazard ratios for total and cardiovascular mortality per one S-allele were 1.24 (95% CI 1.05-1.46) and 1.38 (95% CI 1.13-1.67), respectively. In carriers of at least one S-allele, the adjusted hazard ratios for all-cause and cardiovascular death were 1.25 (95% CI 1.04-1.51) and 1.48 (95% CI 1.18-1.86), respectively. These associations were independent of cardiovascular risk factors, calcium and phosphate. The S-allele was associated with higher calcium (P < 0.001) and PTH (P < 0.02), and lower phosphate (P < 0.003) in CAD patients and controls., Conclusion: Serine at position 986 of CASR may be an independent genetic predictor of angiographic CAD, previous MI, and cardiovascular mortality.

Background: No reflow following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a major concern in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and it may be influenced by the preexisting plaque type., Methods and Results: To evaluate the impact of plaque characteristics on coronary reflow following PCI in patients with ACS, a total of 110 patients (89 acute myocardial infarction, 21 unstable angina) were assessed by intravascular ultrasound. Plaque type was categorized as either atherosclerotic plaque without ultrasonic attenuation (group 1) or atherosclerotic plaque with attenuation (group 2). External elastic membrane, plaque plus media, and lumen area were measured. Coronary flow was assessed by Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) grade and TIMI frame count. Although the final TIMI frame count was similar between the 2 groups, TIMI frame count immediately after the first balloon inflation was significantly higher in group 2 (p=0.03). Despite the similar final TIMI grade and TIMI frame count, peak creatine kinase level was significantly higher (3,035+/-2,553 vs 1,950+/-1,958 IU/L, p=0.04) and fatal arrhythmia more frequently observed (16.4% vs 2.7%, p=0.04) in group 2 than in group 1., Conclusions: Atherosclerotic plaque with ultrasonic attenuation may be related to a transient deterioration in coronary flow and as a result larger infarct size and higher incidence of fatal arrhythmia following PCI in patients with ACS. These results may help in selecting lesions suitable for distal protection devices.

Catheter-induced left main coronary artery dissection is an uncommon but devastating complication of coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention. We present a case of left main coronary artery dissection induced with a guide catheter, which resulted in acute occlusion and cardiac arrest. Survival and complete functional recovery were achieved with bailout stenting.