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Background Hyperkalemia has been associated with increased mortality in patients with myocardial infarction, but few data exist regarding hyperkalemia in cardiac intensive care unit ( CICU ) patients. We hypothesize that hyperkalemia is associated with increased mortality in unselected CICU patients. Methods and Results We retrospectively reviewed a historical cohort of 9681 CICU patients admitted from January 2007 to December 2015. Hyperkalemia was defined as admission potassium ≥5.0 mEq/L and hypokalemia as admission potassium CI, 2.40–3.39; P CI, 1.85–2.88; P CI, 1.11–1.87; P =0.006). Among hospital survivors, only patients with hyperkalemia had lower postdischarge survival by Kaplan–Meier analysis ( P CI, 1.08–1.34; P Conclusions Hyperkalemia on CICU admission is associated with higher in‐hospital and postdischarge mortality, independent of renal function and illness severity. These findings emphasize the importance of potassium abnormalities as a risk predictor in patients admitted to the CICU .

There is limited data on the effect of corticosteroid therapy in patients with cardiac sarcoidosis (CS). We sought to examine the impact of early initiation of corticosteroid therapy, within a month of CS diagnosis, on left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), ventricular arrhythmias (VAs), and atrioventricular (AV) block.We retrospectively identified 30 CS patients from a large university sarcoidosis clinic. The effect of early initiation of corticosteroid therapy on LVEF was assessed by serial echocardiography, and on VAs and AV block was assessed by Holter monitoring and/or device interrogations.The median time from diagnosis of extra-cardiac sarcoidosis to CS was 40months. 90% (27/30) of the CS patients received corticosteroid therapy and 85% percent (23/27) had early initiation of corticosteroid therapy. Fourteen patients (47%) had reduced EF50%. 9/14 patients who had early initiation of corticosteroid therapy had improvement in mean EF (25% to 46%, P0.001); 5/14 patients who had a delay in initiation or who did not receive corticosteroids had no improvement in mean EF (41% to 37%, P=0.47). Fourteen patients (47%) had VAs and 5 patients (17%) had advanced AV block. Early initiation of corticosteroid therapy resulted in no VA recurrences in 8/11 patients (72%), and complete recovery of AV conduction in 2/3 patients (67%). Patients with VAs (n=3) or advanced AV block (n=2) who failed to receive early corticosteroid therapy did not show improvement.There is often a delay in manifestation of cardiac sarcoidosis for several years from the diagnosis of extra-cardiac sarcoidosis. Prompt initiation of corticosteroid therapy in CS patients may improve outcomes whereas delayed initiation of corticosteroids or failure to use corticosteroids may be associated with worse outcomes.

Goal: The effect of pulse pressure and interactions with type of antihypertensive therapy on mortality after acute ischemic stroke has not been previously evaluated. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted to evaluate the independent and interactive effects of pulse pressure and antihypertensive class (specifically angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin type 1 receptor blocker, or beta blocker) on mortality following acute ischemic stroke. Findings/Conclusions: 343 patients were identified with 49 months of follow-up. Baseline pulse pressure was 64 mmHg and age was 66.5 years. Patients were divided at a pulse pressure of 70. Patients with pulse pressure ≥ 70 were older (p < 0.001) and had higher comorbid vascular burden (p = 0.031) than those with pulse pressure < 70. Pulse pressure did not remain a significant predictor of follow-up mortality after adjustment for baseline comorbidities. Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin type 1 receptor blocker based therapy was associated with lower follow-up mortality when beta blocker was not used in pulse pressure < 70 group (odds ratio 0.07, 95% confidence interval 0.01 - 0.48). Prospective analysis will be needed to confirm the protective effect of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin type 1 receptor blocker based on pulse pressure in acute ischemic stroke.

Background: The potential benefits of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy in patients with sudden cardiac death (SCD) treated with therapeutic hypothermia (TH) have not been well studied. Methods: Incidence of recurrent non-sustained ventricular arrhythmia, ICD therapy, and death were ascertained in 64 consecutive survivors of SCD due to ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia, who were treated with TH. Follow-up was 31.5 +/- 3.3 months in 41 ICD recipients and 36.3 +/- 3.9 months in 23 patients who did not receive an ICD due to the presence of a reversible cause of cardiac arrest, an acute myocardial infarction in 87%. Results: Combined incidence of ventricular arrhythmia, ICD therapy, or death in patients who underwent ICD placement (21.9%) were similar to overall mortality in the patients who did not receive an ICD (21.7%, p = 0.752). ICD placement was associated with a significant mortality benefit; 95.1% survival in ICD recipients vs. 78.3% in the no-ICD group (p = 0.038). Electrocardiographic findings of ST segment elevation on admission were associated with increased event rate in ICD recipients (p = 0.039) and increased mortality in SCD patients who did not receive an ICD (p < 0.001). Other studied variables had no significant effect on the investigated outcomes. Conclusions: SCD survivors treated with TH are at increased risk for recurrent arrhythmic events and derive significant mortality benefit from ICD implantation. Increased mortality in revascularized SCD patients with acute coronary syndrome, thought to have a reversible cause of cardiac arrest, calls for prospective trials investigating utility of ICD in this vulnerable patient population.

Background Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a well-recognized complication of left ventricular heart failure (HF). Hypothesis Differences exist in demographic, clinical, hemodynamic, and survival characteristics of patients with left ventricular HF who have combined postcapillary and precapillary PH (CpcPH), isolated postcapillary PH, or no PH. Methods A secondary data analysis was conducted using a large prospective database of patients undergoing right heart catheterization from 1994 to 2012. One-year mortality postcatheterization was assessed between PH groups using Kaplan-Meier and log-rank techniques, as well as a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model adjusted for age, sex, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, atrial fibrillation, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Mortality rates were calculated for each group as deaths per 100 person-years. Results Of the 724 patients identified, 29.4% (n = 213) had no evidence of PH, 63.1% (n = 457) had isolated postcapillary PH, and 7.5% (n = 54) had CpcPH. Compared with no PH, there was an increased mortality rate within 1 year for CpcPH patients (crude hazard ratio: 5.22, 95% confidence interval: 2.06-13.22), but not for isolated postcapillary PH patients (crude hazard ratio: 2.12, 95% confidence interval: 0.99-4.57). Adjusted analyses revealed similar results. Mortality rates per 100 person-years were 3.9, 8.4, and 21.0 for no PH, isolated postcapillary PH, and CpcPH patients, respectively. Conclusions Heart failure patients with CpcPH are associated with increased death rate 1 year post–cardiac catheterization, compared with patients without PH. They are a high-risk PH group and should be evaluated and diagnosed earlier in the disease state.

Objective To test whether hospital advertising expenditures predict HCAHPS global ratings. Data Sources/Study Setting We examined media advertising expenditures by 2,142 acute care hospitals in 209 markets in the United States. Data on hospital characteristics, location, and revenue came from CMS reports; system ownership was obtained from the American Hospital Association. Advertising data came from Kantar Media. HCAHPS data were obtained from HospitalCompare. Study Design Regression models examined whether hospitals’ advertising spending predicts HCAHPS global measures and whether market concentration moderated this association. Data Collection/Extraction Methods Hospital advertising spending was calculated by adding each individual hospital's expenditures to the amount spent by its parent health system, proportionally allocated by hospital revenue. Health system market share was used to estimate market concentration. These data were compared to hospitals’ HCAHPS measures. Principal Findings In competitive markets (HHI below 1,000), hospital advertising predicted HCAHPS global measures. A 1-percent increase in advertising was associated with a 1.173-percent increase in patients rating the hospital a “9” or “10” on the HCAHPS survey and a 1.540-percent increase in patients who “definitely” would recommend the hospital. In concentrated markets, this association was not significant. Conclusions In competitive markets, hospitals that spend more on advertising earn higher HCAHPS ratings on global measures.

Evaluation of chest pain in the emergency department remains a common diagnostic challenge. Significant concerns persist regarding the potential for missed acute coronary syndrome and the limitations of troponin as a diagnostic biomarker. Therefore, recent research has explored and shed further light on a variety of novel biomarkers for use in the evaluation of chest pain and possible acute coronary syndrome. This article reviews the most recent literature regarding four of the biomarkers that have generated the most interest: matrix metalloproteinases, copeptin, ischemia-modified albumin, and heart-type fatty acid binding protein. Pregnancy-associated plasma protein A is also considered. Research has studied these both independently, and in conjunction with troponin assays. This review additionally addresses the potential role of risk stratification in applying these biomarkers. There remain concerns about the limitations of a troponin-based diagnostic strategy and the potential for missed myocardial infarction. However, despite the promise of a variety of novel biomarkers, the limitations of these alternatives remain apparent.

Background Low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C

Acute kidney injury (AKI) has been associated with adverse outcomes among cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) patients, yet the epidemiology of AKI in CICU patients has not been well-defined. We sought to describe the prevalence and outcomes of AKI in a contemporary cohort of CICU patients using the

Serum chloride abnormalities are common in cardiovascular and critically ill populations, yet their prognostic significance is poorly understood. We sought to describe the association between serum chloride and mortality among unselected cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) patients. We reviewed

AIMS The influence of community acute kidney injury on patients with myocardial infarction has not been explored. The Veterans Affair electronic health system was analyzed to test the hypothesis that patients who have myocardial infarction complicated by community acute kidney injury have higher short- and long-term mortality and cardiovascular outcomes than those who do not suffer acute kidney injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS Odd ratios were calculated for in-hospital mortality. Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess hazard ratios for long-term mortality comparing patients with and without community acute kidney injury. Secondary outcomes included recurrent cardiovascular events including hospitalization for congestive heart failure, stroke, or repeat myocardial infarction. RESULTS 10,689 patients were available for evaluation, 679 had community acute kidney injury and 10,010 with no acute kidney injury. Community acute kidney injury resulted in higher odds for inpatient mortality (odds ratio 5.87, p < 0.001), and adjusted hazard ratio for mortality at 5 years as compared to no acute kidney injury (hazard ratio 1.67, p < 0.001). No differences in cardiovascular outcomes were identified in Cox proportional hazard analysis. CONCLUSION In patients with myocardial infarction, community acute kidney injury is associated with delays in or not receiving appropriate myocardial infarction related process of care measures. In addition it is an independent predictor of short- and long-term mortality. .

The FREEDOM (Future Revascularization Evaluation in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus: Optimal Management of Multivessel Disease) trial demonstrated that for patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and multivessel coronary disease (MVD), coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is superior to percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stents (PCI-DES) in reducing the rate of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events after a median follow-up of 3.8 years. It is not known, however, whether CABG confers a survival benefit after an extended follow-up period.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term survival of DM patients with MVD undergoing coronary revascularization in the FREEDOM trial.The FREEDOM trial randomized 1,900 patients with DM and MVD to undergo either PCI with sirolimus-eluting or paclitaxel-eluting stents or CABG on a background of optimal medical therapy. After completion of the trial, enrolling centers and patients were invited to participate in the FREEDOM Follow-On study. Survival was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier analysis, and Cox proportional hazards models were used for subgroup and multivariate analyses.A total of 25 centers (of 140 original centers) agreed to participate in the FREEDOM Follow-On study and contributed a total of 943 patients (49.6% of the original cohort) with a median follow-up of 7.5 years (range 0 to 13.2 years). Of the 1,900 patients, there were 314 deaths during the entire follow-up period (204 deaths in the original trial and 110 deaths in the FREEDOM Follow-On). The all-cause mortality rate was significantly higher in the PCI-DES group than in the CABG group (24.3% [159 deaths] vs. 18.3% [112 deaths]; hazard ratio: 1.36; 95% confidence interval: 1.07 to 1.74; p = 0.01). Of the 943 patients with extended follow-up, the all-cause mortality rate was 23.7% (99 deaths) in the PCI-DES group and 18.7% (72 deaths) in the CABG group (hazard ratio: 1.32; 95% confidence interval: 0.97 to 1.78; p = 0.076).In patients with DM and MVD, coronary revascularization with CABG leads to lower all-cause mortality than with PCI-DES in long-term follow-up. (Comparison of Two Treatments for Multivessel Coronary Artery Disease in Individuals With Diabetes [FREEDOM]; NCT00086450).

Background Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and stable ischemic heart disease are at markedly increased risk of cardiovascular events. Prior trials comparing a strategy of optimal medical therapy (OMT) with or without revascularization have largely excluded patients with advanced CKD. Whether a routine invasive approach when compared with a conservative strategy is beneficial in such patients is unknown. Methods ISCHEMIA-CKD is a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute–funded randomized trial designed to determine the comparative effectiveness of an initial invasive strategy (cardiac catheterization and optimal revascularization [percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass graft surgery, if suitable] plus OMT) versus a conservative strategy (OMT alone, with cardiac catheterization and revascularization [percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass graft surgery, if suitable] reserved for failure of OMT) on long-term clinical outcomes in 777 patients with advanced CKD (defined as those with estimated glomerular filtration rate Conclusions ISCHEMIA-CKD will determine whether an initial invasive management strategy improves clinical outcomes when added to OMT in patients with advanced CKD and stable ischemic heart disease.

Background: Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) with a glomerular filtration rate of < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 body surface area. The availability of high-quality randomized controlled trial data to guide management for the population with CKD and ASCVD is limited. Understanding current practice patterns among providers caring for individuals with CKD and CVD is important in guiding future trial questions. Methods: A qualitative survey study was performed. An electronic survey regarding the diagnosis and management of CVD in patients with CKD was conducted using a convenience sample of 450 practicing nephrology and cardiology providers. The survey was administered using Qualtrics® (https://www.qualtrics.com). Results: There were a total of 113 responses, 81 of which were complete responses. More than 90% of the respondents acknowledged the importance of CVD as a cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with CKD. Outside the kidney transplant evaluation setting, 5% of the respondents would screen an asymptomatic patient with advanced CKD for ASCVD. Outside the kidney transplant evaluation scenario, the respondents did not opt for invasive management strategies in advanced CKD. Conclusions: The survey results reveal a lack of consensus among providers caring for patients with advanced CKD about the management of ASCVD in this setting. Future randomized controlled trials will be needed to better inform the clinical management of ASCVD in these patients. The limitations of the study include its small sample size and the relatively low response rate among the respondents.

Aims The electrocardiographic (ECG) signs used to differentiate ventricular tachycardia (VT) from supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) with aberrancy are specific but not highly sensitive. The purpose of this study was to define the utility of an underappreciated form of atrioventricular (AV) dissociation at the onset of tachycardia, a single dissociated P wave, in the differentiation of non-sustained monomorphic wide complex tachycardia (WCT) in hospitalized patients. Methods and results We prospectively analysed tracings from 102 consecutive hospitalized patients who had an episode of non-sustained (≥5 beats

The impact of baseline exercise capacity on clinical outcomes in patients with stable ischemic heart disease randomized to an initial strategy of optimal medical therapy (OMT) with or without percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the Clinical Outcomes Utilizing Revascularization and Aggressive Drug Evaluation (COURAGE) trial has not been studied. A post hoc analysis was performed in 1,052 patients of COURAGE (PCI + OMT: n = 527, OMT: n = 525) who underwent exercise treadmill testing at baseline. Patients were categorized into 2 exercise capacity groups based on metabolic equivalents (METs) achieved during baseline exercise treadmill testing (

Nitroglycerin is the oldest and most commonly prescribed short-acting anti-anginal agent; however, despite its long history of therapeutic usage, patient and health care provider education regarding the clinical benefits of the short-acting formulations in patients with angina remains under-appreciated. Nitrates predominantly induce vasodilation in large capacitance blood vessels, increase epicardial coronary arterial diameter and coronary collateral blood flow, and impair platelet aggregation. The potential for the prophylactic effect of short-acting nitrates remains an under-appreciated part of optimal medical therapy to reduce angina and decrease myocardial ischemia, thereby enhancing the quality of life. Short-acting nitroglycerin, administered either as a sublingual tablet or spray, can complement anti-anginal therapy as part of optimal medical therapy in patients with refractory and recurrent angina either with or without myocardial revascularization, and is most commonly used to provide rapid therapeutic relief of acute recurrent angina attacks. When administered prophylactically, both formulations increase angina-free walking time on treadmill testing, abolish or delay ST segment depression, and increase exercise tolerance. The sublingual spray formulation provides several clinical advantages compared to tablet formulations, including a lower incidence of headache and superiority to the sublingual tablet in terms of therapeutic action and time to onset, while the magnitude and duration of vasodilatory action appears to be comparable. Furthermore, the sublingual spray formulation may be advantageous to tablet preparations in patients with dry mouth. This review discusses the efficacy and utility of short-acting nitroglycerin (sublingual spray and tablet) therapy for both preventing and aborting an acute angina attack, thereby leading to an improved quality of life.

Iloprost, a prostacyclin analogue, has been effective in preventing renal dysfunction among transplant patients. We hypothesized that iloprost is protective against renal dysfunction in different settings, in which similar underlying mechanisms of nephrotoxicity occur. We conducted a literature review, and discuss the application of iloprost in reducing acute renal insufficiency and the pathophysiological mechanisms of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN). One proposed mechanism of CIN is prolonged renal arterial vasoconstriction, causing renal hypoperfusion, ischemia, and release of free radicals. Iloprost is an analogue of the vasodilatory prostaglandin PGI2. It has demonstrated cytoprotective properties in the renal transplant population by inhibiting lysosomal degradation and release of free radicals, allowing membrane stabilization. Two good-quality studies reported on iloprost and CIN. Five studies reported protective effects of iloprost in renal transplantation and 1 in coronary artery bypass grafting. Iloprost was found to be renoprotective in patients with baseline renal insufficiency who underwent coronary angiography for CIN (risk ratio [RR] = 0.32, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.16-0.67) and increases the weighted mean difference improvement in creatinine clearance (RR = 4.56, 95% CI: 1.82-7.30). CIN is associated with major adverse cardiac events. Preventing CIN is important for patient safety and reducing disease burden. Iloprost may reduce CIN by up to 68%. The same mechanisms of iloprost that inhibit graft dysfunction in the acute post–renal transplant and cardiopulmonary bypass setting may also contribute to preventing CIN. Large randomized controlled trials are necessary to determine the clinical efficacy of iloprost in the angiography setting.

Niacin is a lipid-modifying therapy with proven efficacy for reducing cardiovascular events as monotherapy and when used in combination with other lipid-modifying medications impacts rates of atherosclerotic disease progression. Large outcome trials using niacin against a background of statin therapy with optimal control of atherogenic lipoprotein burden in serum were unable to demonstrate incremental benefit of niacin beyond statin therapy. We address 2 key questions: (1) Can the results from randomized clinical trials performed in stable ischemic heart disease populations (AIM-HIGH and HPS2-THRIVE) be applied to patients who sustain an acute coronary syndrome or myocardial infarction? (2) Are patients with very low baseline levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (

Defibrillation can be successfully provided by the subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) without the leads. In contrast, traditional ICDs require leads that can cause central venous stenosis, lead-induced endocarditis, and carry the risk of tricuspid regurgitation by valve adhesion, perforation, coaptation interference, or entanglement. Central venous stenosis, infection, and tricuspid regurgitation are all critically important considerations in hemodialysis patients. Recent reports are supporting the use of subcutaneous ICDs in renal patients maintained on long-term hemodialysis. This article provides the risks associated with leads of traditional defibrillators and raises awareness of the subcutaneous ICD and their benefits for hemodialysis patients.

Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of mortality in the United States and can result in significant morbidity. In particular, stable ischemic heart disease (SIHD) is a condition that affects nearly 9 million individuals in the United States alone, with substantial annual health care costs related to recurrent medical visits and chronic disease management. Nitrates form a cornerstone of SIHD management by reducing myocardial oxygen consumption and increasing exercise capacity by several mechanisms, including increasing epicardial blood flow through vasodilation and decreased vascular resistance, blunting coronary steal, and reducing preload. Yet the role of nitrates may be underappreciated in clinical practice and their utilization may be limited due to concerns of tolerance to treatment, a lack of randomized data validating their ability to prevent adverse cardiovascular events, and the pervasive use of percutaneous interventions without robust attempts at implementing optimal medical therapy. In this review, we discuss both the recent ACC/AHA/ACP/AATS/PCNA/SCAI/STS and European Society of Cardiology guidelines, with a particular focus on indications, contraindications, and future directions of nitrate therapy in SIHD.

By the year 2030, it is estimated that over 40% of the United States population will have some form of cardiovascular disease, as cardiac risk factors such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), dyslipidemia, hypertension, and obesity continue to increase [1,2]. A recent CDC National Diabetes Statistics report [3] projects a 30% increase in diabetes from 29 million subjects in 2012 to 40 million by 2030. It is well established that coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major clinical consequence of T2DM and is the leading cause of death in T2DM patients. In particular, multivessel CAD is more commonly observed in diabetic patients. Over the past three decades, this fact has stimulated efforts to define which revascularization strategy represents the best approach in diabetic patients with stable ischemic heart disease (SIHD). The emphasis on revascularization has been based on the assumption that it is superior to optimal medical therapy (OMT) for reducing long-term cardiovascular events, improving quality of life, and other metrics such as long-term left ventricular systolic function [4–6]. In this issue of the Journal, Razzouk and Farkouh [7] present a thoughtful and comprehensive review on the epidemiology and unique aspects of the pathophysiology of CAD in diabetic patients and provide an overall assessment of the scientific evidence base underlying which initial management approach (revascularization or OMT) is best suited for favorably influencing outcomes in this growing population of SIHD patients with T2DM. The authors appropriately recommend that

There is abundant epidemiologic evidence to support the independent, inverse relationship between low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and incident cardiovascular (CV) risk, the clinical importance of which is underscored by the high prevalence of low HDL-C in populations with coronary heart disease (CHD), with or without elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). The National Cholesterol Education Program recommended that optimal treatment for high-risk patients includes both lowering LDL-C and non-HDL-C to risk stratified levels and raising HDL-C when it is

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) is highly prevalent and, despite therapeutic advances, remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Many patients with CVD seek additional alternative therapies when symptoms are not controlled with evidence-based therapies. Although its therapeutic efficacy is unproven, chelation therapy with ethylenediamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA) is increasingly being used in patients with CVD. Early studies of chelation in atherosclerotic CVD provided the basis for the randomized Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT), in which chelation with disodium EDTA was compared with placebo in patients who had experienced a myocardial infarction. Here, we discuss the results, limitations, and implications of TACT in the context of other studies in the field. We believe that the findings from TACT are not robust and do not marshal evidence in support of the potential clinical use of chelation therapy for CVD, with the potential exception of certain high-risk cohorts such as patients with diabetes mellitus. Therefore, chelation is unlikely to become a widely-accepted approach until additional data are available.

Renal artery stenosis (RAS) due to atherosclerosis continues to be a major cause of secondary hypertension. It can also lead to renal dysfunction due to ischemic nephropathy. While major clinical trials have emphasized that medical management should be preferred over angioplasty and stenting for the treatment of renal artery stenosis, clinical scenarios continue to raise doubts about the optimal management strategy. Herein, we present two cases that were admitted with hypertensive emergency and renal function deterioration. Medical therapy failed to control the blood pressure and in one patient, renal failure progressed to a point where renal replacement therapy was required. Both patients underwent angioplasty (for >90% stenosis) and stent insertion with successful resolution of stenosis by interventional radiology. Postoperatively, blood pressure gradually decreased with improvement in serum creatinine. Dialysis therapy was discontinued. At 4- and 8-month follow-up, both patients continue to do well with blood pressure readings in the 132-145/70-90 mmHg range. This article highlights the importance of percutaneous interventions in the management of atherosclerotic RAS and calls for heightened awareness and careful identification of candidates who would benefit from angioplasty and stent insertion.

In patients with stable ischemic heart disease (SIHD), myocardial revascularization should be performed to either improve survival or improve symptoms and functional status among patients who are not well controlled with optimal medical therapy (OMT). A general consensus exists on the core elements of OMT, which include both lifestyle intervention and intensive secondary prevention with proven pharmacotherapies. By contrast, however, there is less general agreement as to what constitutes the optimal approach to revascularization in SIHD patients. The COURAGE and FAME 2 randomized trials form the foundation of the current clinical evidence base and raise the important question: "What is the impact of myocardial ischemia on myocardial revascularization in stable ischemic heart disease?"

We compare real-world, extended target vessel revascularization (TVR)-free survival following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for patients receiving either sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) or paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES) following an index drug-eluting stent (DES) supported procedure. We analyzed 2,363 consecutive patients having first DES-supported PCI at receiving PES (n = 1,012) or SES (n = 1,332) from April 2004 to July 2006. Baseline clinical and procedural characteristics and in-hospital outcomes were recorded during the time of the index procedure and extended clinical outcomes data were obtained thereafter. TVR and all cause mortality were identified during the study period. Adjusted Kaplan-Meier and Cox's proportional hazard survival methods were performed. TVR-free survival at 2.3 years was 91.3% for SES compared with 88.9% for PES (P = 0.06). Kaplan-Meier survival curves did not significantly differ (adjusted hazard ratio −1.39 [95% CI 0.99–1.97]) between the SES and PES patient cohorts. TVR was similar between the stent platforms at one (96.6% for SES [95% CI 95.3–97.6] vs. 95.7% for PES [95% CI 94.1–96.9]) and two (95.0%[95% CI 93.0–96.4] for SES vs. 93.7% for PES [95% CI 91.6–95.3]) years. Overall survival at 2 years was 96.2% for SES (95% CI 94.7–97.3) and 95.3% for PES (95% CI 93.7–96.5). SES and PES drug-eluting stent platforms have good and similar extended outcomes in this real world registry of unselected patients having PCI. (J Interven Cardiol 2010;23:167-175)

Objectives: We sought to determine if differences existed in in-hospital outcomes, long-term rates of target vessel revascularization (TVR), and/or long-term mortality trends between patients with diabetes mellitus undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with either a drug-eluting stent(s) (DES) or a bare metal stent(s) (BMS). Background: Short- and long-term clinical outcomes of patients with diabetes mellitus undergoing PCI with DES versus BMS remain inconsistent between randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies. Methods: Data were collected prospectively on diabetics undergoing PCI with either DES or BMS from January 2000 to June 2008. Demographic information, medical histories, in-hospital outcomes, and long-term TVR and mortality trends were obtained for all patients. Results: A total of 1,319 patients were included in the study. Diabetics receiving DES had a significant reduction in index admission MACE compared to diabetics receiving BMS. Using multivariable adjustment, after a mean follow-up of 2.5 years (maximum 5 years), diabetics who received DES had a 38% decreased risk of TVR compared to diabetics with BMS [HR 0.62 (95% CI: 0.43–0.90)]; diabetics with DES had an insignificant adjusted improvement in long-term survival compared to diabetics with BMS [HR 0.72 (95% CI: 0.52–1.00)]. These long-term survival and TVR rates were confirmed using propensity scoring. Conclusions: The use of DES when compared with BMS among diabetics undergoing PCI is associated with significant improvement in long-term TVR, with an insignificant similar trend in all-cause mortality. The long-term results of this observational study are consistent with prior RCTs after adjusting for confounding variables. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) are known to cause important diseases of humans and animals, and they have been shown to carry a variety of plasmids associated with increased virulence and decreased antimicrobial susceptibility. Here, the completed DNA sequence of a human uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC; O6:H31 isolate) plasmid, pEC14_114, was determined. The plasmid was 114,222 bp in length and was highly similar to plasmid sequences or draft contiguous sequences from three other human cystitis-associated UPEC isolates. pEC14_114 contained 141 coding regions, including a number of genes associated with mobile genetic elements, F-type transfer, plasmid maintenance and stability, colicin immunity, and plasmid replication. This plasmid also possessed a “genetic load” region containing genes with predicted similarity to iron acquisition systems and virulence factors. The prevalence of pEC14-associated genes was determined for a collection of 1456 E. coli isolates, including those from food products, humans, dogs, cats, pigs, chickens, and turkeys. pEC14_114-associated genes were found significantly more often (16–35%) among human UPEC and neonatal meningitis-associated isolates than among food- and animal-source isolates (0–8%). Overall, this plasmid represents a novel IncFIB/FIIA plasmid type associated with human ExPEC belonging to the B2 phylogenetic group. The overall role of this plasmid, if any, in human ExPEC infections remains to be determined.

Objective: The purpose of this investigation was to characterize clinical variables and angiographic distribution of coronary atherosclerosis to classify patients with de novo left main (LM) disease in a real-world population presenting for coronary angiography. Background: Limited quantitative and angiographic published data exist that provide detailed quantitative information to classify potential target population for elective LM percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and guide development of dedicated LM PCI platforms. Methods: Medical history and clinical presentation were prospectively collected on 177 consecutive patients with LM stenosis ≥50% by coronary angiography. Blinded quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) was performed on all LM stenoses to classify LM-A (ostial), LM-B (nonostial, non-bifurcation), and LM-C (bifurcation involvement). QCA was performed on the left anterior descending (LAD), left circumflex (LCx), and right coronary arteries (RCA) and branches (≥2.5 mm) to identify lesions with ≥60% stenosis or occlusion. Results: No differences in baseline clinical history or presentation discriminated the distribution patterns of LM stenosis. QCA revealed 66% of LM stenoses were LM-C. Mean LM reference vessel diameter was 4.65 mm and average lesion length was 11.12 mm. Around 88.7% of patients had at least one lesion ≥60% in a major epicardial artery and 32.2% of patients had RCA chronic total occlusion. Right-to-left coronary collateralization was only identified in patients with obstructive stenosis in the LAD or LCx in addition to the LM stenosis. Conclusion: Dedicated LM stent platforms may need to be developed to accommodate larger vessel size and bifurcation distributions. A majority of patients with LM stenosis will require adjunctive epicardial vessel PCI to achieve complete anatomic revascularization.

Lyme borreliosis is a multisystem infectious disease with well-known cardiac involvement, including potential carditis as well as conduction abnormalities. We report a case of Lyme disease in a previously healthy 24-year-old male presenting with alternating right- and left-bundle branch block, indicating infra-Hisian atrioventricular (infra-His) block with an accelerated fascicular escape rhythm. Inless than 12 hours, the conduction abnormalities progressed to asystole requiring the urgent placement of a temporary transvenous pacemaker. Subsequently, with appropriate antibiotic treatment, the patient's conduction abnormalities resolved in a week without the need for a permanent pacemaker.

Introduction: The benefits of optimal medical therapy (OMT) with or without percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery have been evaluated in patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and stable coronary artery disease (CAD) but analyses have not been stratified by detailed angiographic CAD burden or left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Methods: A patient-level meta-analysis was undertaken among T2DM patients enrolled in COURAGE, BARI 2D and FREEDOM to assess the impact of randomization to OMT, PCI + OMT, or CABG + OMT on a composite end-point of Death/MI/Stroke and stratified by LVEF (≥ 50%, < 50%), 1, 2 or 3 vessel disease (VD) (% diameter stenosis ≥ 50%) and presence or absence of proximal left anterior descending (pLAD) disease. Hazard ratios (HR) for treatment groups were calculated from Cox regression models including all patients adjusting for trial and revascularization stratum in BARI 2D. Multivariable adjustment for risk factors was performed as a sensitivity analysis. Results: There were 5,034 patients included in the analysis (BARI 2D: n=2,368, COURAGE: n=766, FREEDOM: n=1,900) of whom 17% had LVEF < 50%, 29% had pLAD, and 77% had 2 or 3 VD. A total of 1,591 patients were randomized to OMT alone, 2,118 to PCI + OMT, and 1,325 to CABG + OMT. There were 1,116 events during a median 4.5 year follow-up. There was no significant effect on outcomes with OMT vs PCI + OMT irrespective of LVEF, presence/absence of pLAD and number of VD. By contrast, CABG + OMT significantly reduced the risk of Death/MI/Stroke in patients with 2 or 3 VD, irrespective of LVEF and presence/absence of pLAD (see Table). Results were similar with multivariable adjustment. Conclusions: In patients with T2DM and stable CAD, OMT alone appears to be as effective as PCI + OMT while CABG + OMT significantly reduces cardiovascular events in those with multivessel CAD, irrespective of LVEF or presence of pLAD.

There are scant outcomes data in patients with type 2 diabetes and stable coronary artery disease (CAD) stratified by detailed angiographic burden of CAD or left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).This study determined the effect of optimal medical therapy (OMT), with or without percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), on long-term outcomes with respect to LVEF and number of diseased vessels, including proximal left anterior descending artery involvement.A patient-level pooled analysis was undertaken in 3 federally-funded trials. The primary endpoint was the composite of death, myocardial infarction (MI), or stroke, adjusted for trial and randomization strategy.Among 5,034 subjects, 15% had LVEF 50%, 77% had multivessel CAD, and 28% had proximal left anterior descending artery involvement. During a median 4.5-year follow-up, CABG + OMT was superior to PCI + OMT for the primary endpoint (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.71; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.59 to 0.85; p = 0.0002), death (HR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.60 to 0.96; p = 0.024), and MI (HR: 0.50; 95% CI: 0.38 to 0.67; p = 0.0001), but not stroke (HR: 1.54; 95% CI: 0.96 to 2.48; p = 0.074). CABG + OMT was also superior to OMT alone for prevention of the primary endpoint (HR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.64 to 0.97; p = 0.022) and MI (HR: 0.55; 95% CI: 0.41 to 0.74; p = 0.0001), and was superior to PCI + OMT for the primary endpoint in patients with 3-vessel CAD (HR: 0.72; 95% CI: 0.58 to 0.89; p = 0.002) and normal LVEF (HR: 0.71; 95% CI: 0.58 to 0.87; p = 0.0012). There were no significant differences in OMT versus PCI + OMT.CABG + OMT reduced the primary endpoint during long-term follow-up in patients with type 2 diabetes and stable CAD, supporting this as the preferred management strategy.

Patients with acute coronary syndromes and severe multivessel or left main coronary artery disease have better outcomes when prompt revascularization is performed in addition to optimal medical therapy (OMT). However, in patients with stable ischemic heart disease, randomized strategy trials have revealed equipoise between initial strategies of OMT alone and OMT plus revascularization. Conducted in diverse stable ischemic heart disease patient populations and throughout the spectrum of atherosclerotic and ischemic burden, the RITA-2, MASS II, COURAGE, BARI 2D and FAME 2 trials demonstrate that OMT alone and OMT plus revascularization yield similar outcomes with respect to mortality and myocardial infarction. What remains unclear is whether there may be one or more subsets of patients with stable ischemic heart disease in whom revascularization may be associated with a reduction in mortality or myocardial infarction, which is to be addressed in the ongoing ISCHEMIA trial.

Antianginal medications are an important aspect of optimal medical therapy for the management of angina in patients with stable ischemic heart disease. The lack of a standardized definition of effective antianginal therapy and the lack of clear understanding of the underlying evidence have often been cited as reasons for the large variations in the use of these particular classes of pharmacologic agents in contemporary clinical practice. Hence, we performed a search of the PubMed database and identified published manuscripts examining the effect of common antianginal agents on improving anginal parameters and on important clinical outcomes such as mortality, myocardial infarction, and repeat revascularization from multiple large randomized, controlled trials, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and outcomes data from observational studies in patients with stable ischemic heart disease. The most commonly used antianginal agents (beta-blockers, nitrates, calcium channel blockers, and ranolazine) demonstrated equivalent efficacy in improving patient reported ischemic symptoms and quantitative exercise parameters. With regards to mortality, beta-blockers are beneficial in the setting of depressed left ventricular systolic function. In contrast, recent evidence points toward the lack of similar benefit of beta-blockers in patients with preserved systolic function, even in the setting of prior myocardial infarction. No survival benefit has been identified with the use of calcium channel blockers, nitrates, or ranolazine. Currently, guidance regarding objective measurement and up titration of antianginal therapy is missing. There is an unmet need for development of potentially novel and clinically relevant methodology to assess the intensity and/or efficacy of antianginal therapy.

BACKGROUND: Low levels of high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C

Low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol are one of the most common lipid abnormalities in patients with coronary artery disease. Endothelial dysfunction is also highly prevalent in patients with coronary artery disease. We sought to determine whether HDL cholesterol levels are correlated with endothelium-dependent vasomotion in patients being evaluated for atherosclerosis. Peripheral vascular endothelial function was assessed by high-resolution brachial artery ultrasound. Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) during reactive hyperemia was defined as the percent change in arterial diameter following 5-minute arterial occlusion. All patients underwent stress testing with nuclear single-photon emission computed tomographic imaging to determine percent left ventricular ejection fraction and define the presence or absence of coronary artery disease. One hundred fifty-one subjects (87 men, 64 women) were enrolled (average age 58 +/- 11 years). Total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride levels were 188 +/- 48, 47 +/- 13, 108 +/- 37 and 154 +/- 88 mg/dl, respectively. The mean FMD for the entire group was 9.9 +/- 5.2%. Subjects with an HDL cholesterol of40 mg/dl (n = 39) had lower FMD (7.4 +/- 3.6%) compared with those with an HDL cholesterol/=40 mg/dl (11.0 +/- 5.5%, p0.001). There was a significant correlation between FMD and HDL cholesterol level (linear regression, p0.001), and in multivariate analysis, HDL cholesterol was an independent predictor of FMD. Peripheral endothelial function was abnormal in subjects with low HDL cholesterol and well-preserved in those with high HDL cholesterol. These data suggest that impaired endothelial function associated with low HDL cholesterol may be an additional, previously unrecognized mechanism contributing to the increased risk of atherosclerosis in these patients.

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) results from an inadequate supply of blood flow and oxygen to an area of myocardium, typically resulting from a mismatch of myocardial oxygen demand and supply. IHD may have either acute or chronic presentations, and most commonly results from a significant stenosis of greater than 70% in one or more of the major epicardial coronary arteries secondary to an atherosclerotic plaque which, in acute disease expressions, may rupture or fissure, while in more chronic expressions, typically results from a slowly advancing constrictive process that compromises the arterial lumen. Increasingly, attention is being directed to IHD that may occur in the absence of epicardial coronary artery narrowing such as is observed in patients (most often women) who may exhibit so-called microvascular angina due to involvement of the arteriolar resistance vessels that results in impaired coronary vasodilator reserve. Other non-atherosclerotic causes of IHD include congenital anomalies of the coronary vessels, myocardial bridging, coronary arteritis in association with the systemic vasculitides, and radiation-induced coronary disease. Furthermore, IHD may also occur in the absence of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD), as in the case of uncontrolled hypertension, aortic valve disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. Moreover, CAD may coexist with these other forms of heart disease. The term IHD encompasses a spectrum of manifestations that vary from asymptomatic/silent myocardial ischemia to stable (chronic) angina pectoris, as well as more acute manifestations that include Prinzmetal (variant) angina, unstable angina (UA), non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). In addition, individuals with IHD may initially present with signs and symptoms of heart failure, arrhythmias, and potentially sudden cardiac death.