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Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty is now accepted as effective therapy for selected patients with coronary artery disease.1 It has been suggested that patients with complete revascularization after coronary angioplasty have a lower incidence of subsequent myocardial infarction than those with incomplete revasculariiation. However, it is not known whether myocardial infarction after angioplasty is due to occlusion at the angioplasty site, at the site of an undilated stenosis or at the site of a previously nonobstructive lesion. In patients treated medically2,3 or with bypass surgery,4 subsequent myocardial infarction frequently occurs owing to occlusion at a site that previously had

Doppler analysis of mitral flow provides a means of analyzing left ventricular (LV) diastolic function. While experimental studies have suggested that changes in left atrial pressure may affect the normal pattern of early diastolic filling, the effect of such changes on abnormal patterns of filling is unknown. Accordingly, the Doppler pattern of LV filling was analyzed in 20 subjects with LV hypertrophy (mean age 59 +/- 13 years, +/- standard deviation), in 25 healthy normal subjects (29 +/- 6 years) and in 11 elderly subjects (68 +/- 5 years). All underwent Doppler examination of LV inflow at rest and immediately after postural changes. In all 3 groups, head-down positioning increased early diastolic flow velocity (E) (p less than 0.001), and raised the E to late diastolic flow velocity (A) ratio (p less than 0.01). However, an abnormal E/A ratio never approached a normal resting value. Likewise, although E and the E/A ratio decreased significantly in normal subjects with head-up positioning, it did not become abnormal. The magnitude of change in E, A and E/A ratio did not differ among the 3 groups in response to postural changes. Thus, alterations of LV loading conditions alter the pattern of LV filling, whether normal or abnormal at baseline. The magnitude of change appears to be independent of the resting flow pattern. Although loading conditions may affect the Doppler pattern of filling, simple changes in venous return do not "normalize" an abnormal pattern, nor do they "abnormalize" a normal pattern.

Heparin with adjunctive glycoprotein IIb/IIIa platelet receptor (GP IIb/IIIa) inhibitors has demonstrated its effectiveness in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Bivalirudin, a direct thrombin inhibitor, has recently been shown to be an effective alternative for patients undergoing elective PCI.To assess the angiographic and clinical outcomes of adjunctive pharmacological strategies in a high-risk population presenting with ACS.Of 891 consecutive PCI patients with ACS, 304 received bivalirudin (60.5% male, 68+/-11 years) and were compared with 283 who received heparin (58.7% male, 66+/-12 years). A 30-day major adverse cardiac event was defined as the occurrence of cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, urgent revascularization or major hemorrhage.Adjunctive GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors were used in 14.1% of the bivalirudin group and in 72.4% of the heparin group (P0.010). The occurrence of Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow less than grade 3 was lower and the achievement of angiographic success was higher in the bivalirudin group than in the heparin group (5.2% versus 8.2%, 94.7% versus 89.7%, P=0.039 and P0.010, respectively). There was no difference between groups in the incidence of bleeding events (bivalirudin 2.0% versus heparin 3.5%, P not significant) and in 30-day major adverse cardiac events (bivalirudin 8.3% versus heparin 5.7%, P=0.223).In the high-risk cohort undergoing PCI, bivalirudin with provisional GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors achieved better angiographic results. Although not powered to show a difference, and while acknowledging that a selection bias could have affected the data, the present study showed that bivalirudin may be as clinically effective and safe as heparin with adjunctive GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors.

The purpose of this interim analysis of the SAVED Restenosis Trial was to assess the acute results of balloon angioplasty (PTCA) and elective PalmazSchatz coronary stent placement in the treatment of de novo venous bypass graft lesions. As of August 1, 1994, 128 patients (60 PTCA, 68 Stent) have been enrolled at 13 centers. Baseline demographics were similar in both groups. Mean graft ages in the PTCA and Stent groups were 9.8 ± 4.2 vs 9.7 ± 4.5 years (p = ns). Initial angiographic results by core laboratory analysis and clinical events from 0 to 30 days were as follows: Angiographic results PICA Stent Clinical Events (%) PICA Stent Vessel diameter (mm) 3.21 3.18 Death 3.3 5.9 Baseline mid (mm) 0.98 0.93 O-wave MI 1.7 1.5 Final mid (mm) 2.12 2.85 Bypass Surgery 6.7 0 ** Final % diam stenosis 33 12 * Closure: ≥24 hrs 33 2.9 Procedure success (%) 85 96 ** g24 hrs 1.7 0 * p l 0.01 ** p l 0.05 vs PICA One or more major clinical events occurred in 11.7% of PTCA patients vs 5.9% of Stent patients (p = ns). Crossover from assigned to alternative therapy (including bypass surgery) was 13.3% for the PTCA group vs 1.5% for the Stent group (p l 0.01). In conclusion, the preliminary findings of this prospective trial indicate: (1) Elective stent placement in de novo saphenous vein bypass graft lesions achieves a superior initial angiographic result compared to balloon angioplasty; (2) Stents confer a salutary effect on early clinical events with less frequent need for alterna1e therapies including coronary bypass surgery.