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Objective: We evaluated the safety and efficacy of lipoprotein apheresis (LA) in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) who can't reach low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C) target goals with the maximal tolerated dose of lipid-lowering agents. Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study. Between February 2015 and November 2019, patients with FH who were admitted in Fuwai hospital and treated with LA were consecutively enrolled. Based on intensive lipid-lowering agents, these patients received LA by double filtration plasma pheresis (DFPP) method. The changes of lipid levels such as LDL-C and lipoprotein(a)[Lp(a)] were compared before and after LA treatment, and the changes of immunoglobulin (Ig) concentration and LA-related adverse effects were also discussed. Results: A total of 115 patients with FH were enrolled in this study, of which 8 cases were homozygous FH and 107 cases were heterozygous FH. The age was (43.9±12.2) years and there were 75 (65.2%) males, and 108 (93.8%) with coronary artery disease. For pre-and immediately after LA treatment, the LDL-C was (5.20±2.94) mmol/L vs. (1.83±1.08) mmol/L, Lp(a) concentration was 428.70(177.00, 829.50)mg/L vs. 148.90(75.90, 317.00) mg/L ( P <0.001), with a decrease of 64.2% and 59.8% respectively. The levels of IgG and IgA measured 1 day after LA treatment were both in the normal range and IgM concentration was below the reference value, the reductions of which were 15.1%, 25.0% and 58.7% respectively ( P <0.001). Six patients had mild symptoms of nausea, hypotension dyspnea and palpitation, the symptoms were relieved by symptomatic treatment. Conclusion: For patients with FH who do not achieve LDL-C target goal with the maximal tolerated lipid-lowering agents, especially those with elevated Lp(a) levels, LA, which can significantly further reduce LDL-C and Lp(a) levels, is an effective and safe option.

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence rate and clinical characteristics of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) in Chinese patients undergoing coronary angiography due to angina-like chest pain. Methods: From March 2011 to December 2016, a total of 9 908 consecutive patients undergoing coronary angiography in Fuwai Hospital due to angina-like chest pain were enrolled. The age of enrolled patients was (56.6±11.1) years old, and 6 782 cases (68.4%) were male. The patients were divided into two groups: FH group ( n= 271) and non-FH group ( n= 9 637) according to the Dutch Lipid Clinic Network diagnostic criteria. A retrospective analyze was performed on the baseline features between the two groups including lipids levels, coronary artery disease (CAD) characteristics, and lipids-lowering treatments. Results: In the total cohort, the prevalence of definite/probable FH was 2.7% (271/9 908). The incidence of premature coronary artery disease (PCAD) (women < 60 years old, or men < 55 years old) was higher in patients with FH than that in patients without FH (70.2%(201/271) vs. 44.5% (4 287/9 637); χ(2)=93.738, P< 0.001). Patients with FH had higher level of TC and LDL-C when compared with patients without FH ((6.74±2.48) mmol/L vs. (4.15±1.10) mmol/L; (4.53±2.39) mmol/L vs. (2.52±0.97) mmol/L; t =19.403, 22.233, P< 0.001, respectively). Additionally, 84.9% (230/271) of FH patients were treated with statin at different intensities, but none of them achieved the LDL-C<2.6 mmol/L. Conclusions: Chinese patients with familial hypercholesterolemia not only showed a high presence of PCAD and higher lipids levels, but also exhibited a low rate of achievement of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol targets despite statin therapy. Our results thus highlight the importance of early diagnosis and intensive treatment of FH patients.

Objective: To analyze the prevalence and clinical features of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) in Chinese patients with myocardial infarction (MI). Method: This retrospective study recruited a total of 2 119 consecutive patients (age (56.7±10.9) years old) undergoing coronary angiography with first MI from April 2011 to December 2016. Patients were divided into 2 groups: premature MI (male<55 years old, female<60 years old) and non-premature MI. The diagnosis of FH was established according to Dutch Lipid Clinic Network (DLCN) diagnostic criteria and referred as definite/probable FH in our study. The prevalence and clinical features of FH, including lipid level, MI characteristics and stain therapy, were explored. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to assess the predictive value of FH for the presence of premature MI. Results: The prevalence of definite/probable FH was 3.68% (78/2 119) in MI patients and 7.28% (68/934) in premature MI patients. Onset of MI occurred 10 years earlier in patients with definite/probable FH than those without FH ((47.9±9.4) years vs. (58.8±10.7) years, P< 0.01). Additionally, we found that the risk of premature MI was significantly and independently increased in definite/probable FH patients ( OR= 5.32, 95% CI 2.77-10.22, P< 0.01). None of FH patients reached the target of LDL-C<1.8 mmol/L under statin therapy. Conclusions: The prevalence of FH in Chinese patients with MI is not rare. Clinically, FH is linked with the early onset of MI.

Objective: To investigate the current status of application of intra-aortic balloon pump(IABP) and analyze the factors which might impact the application of IABP in patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated with cardiac shock in China. Methods: In China Acute Myocardial Infarction (CAMI) Registry,a nationwide, multicenter(107 hospitals), prospective study, 26 592 patients with acute myocardial infarction were enrolled consecutively between January 1, 2013 and September 30, 2014. After excluding of 30 cases due to missing important data,26 562 cases were analyzed.The application status of IABP was analyzed and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the factors related to IABP application. Results: A total of 785(3.0%) patients with acute myocardial infarction received IABP implantation, and 381(49.9%) patients belonged to preventive application of IABP before primary percutaneous coronary intervention,and 6(0.8%) patients were complicated with mechanical complications.There were 118(15.0%) patients with cardiac shock received IABP implantation, which accounted for 12.0%(118/984) of all patients with cardiac shock.Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the clinical independent factors of the decision of IABP insertion included dyslipidemia ( OR= 2.858, 95% CI 1.397-5.846, P= 0.004),left ventricular ejection fraction ( OR= 0.977, 95% CI 0.961-0.994, P= 0.009),usage of dopamine ( OR= 2.817, 95% CI 1.495-5.308, P= 0.001), left main disease ( OR= 2.817, 95% CI 1.495-5.308, P= 0.001), GRACE score ( OR= 1.006, 95% CI 1.000-1.011, P= 0.034), receiving primary percutaneous coronary intervention ( OR= 4.508, 95% CI 1.673-12.146, P= 0.003), teritiary hospitals ( OR= 2.562, 95% CI 1.498-4.384, P= 0.001), and higher education of the patients ( OR= 2.183, 95% CI 1.056-4.509, P= 0.016). Conclusions: Among the Chinese acute myocardial infarction patients who received IABP implantation, nearly half application of IABP are preventive implantation before primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Only a few patients complicated with cardiac shock received IABP insertion. The clinical conditions, grade of hospitals, degree of education impact the decision of IABP insertion for the patients with acute myocardial infarction. Clinical Trial Registry National Institutes of Health, NCT018746.

Objective: In individuals without cardiovascular disease, elevated body mass index (BMI) is associated with an increased risk of death. However, in patients with certain chronic diseases, including heart failure, low BMI has been associated with increased mortality. We investigated the association between BMI and prognosis in patients with systolic HF., Method: Follow-up was made on 540 patients (mean age 58.53 years, 84.2% men) with systolic HF (LVEF < or = 45%) and association between BMI and adverse cardiac events was analyzed., Results: During a median follow-up of 24 months, 92 patients died including 87 cases of cardiac death and 92 patients were rehospitalized. Compared with patients with BMI higher than 28.0 kg/m(2), patients in lower BMI categories (BMI < or = 18.5 kg/m(2) and > or = 18.5 kg/m(2) < 24.0 kg/m(2)) had a graded increase in the all cause death rate [5.44 (1.78 - 16.66), 4.30 (1.71 - 10.82)], cardiac death rate [OR(95%CI): 5.42 (1.77 - 16.59), 4.00 (1.59 - 10.10)], HF death rate [8.94 (2.37 - 33.74), 4.97 (1.52 - 16.20)] and MACE rate [2.10 (1.09 - 4.07), 1.79 (1.14 - 2.82)]. After adjustment for age, gender, LVEF and NYHA grade using cox regression analysis, BMI categories still significantly associated with all cause death rate (OR = 0.77, P < 0.05), cardiac death rate (OR = 0.78, P < 0.05) and HF death rate (OR = 0.79, P < 0.05)., Conclusion: In patients with systolic heart failure, lower BMI was an independent predictor of increased all cause death rate, cardiac death rate and HF death rate.

Objective: To investigate the association between the severity of coronary arteries in patients with coronary artery disease and the single nucleotide polymorphisms of MMP-3 gene., Methods: One thousand and three hundred seventy-one patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) diagnosed by coronary angiography and six hundred and ninety-five healthy controls without CAD were enrolled in this study. The SNPs of -1612 5A/6A, -376C/G, Glu45Lys of MMP-3 were genotyped by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (RFLP) in all subjects. Univariate analysis was applied to measure the association of the single nucleotide polymorphisms with the severity of coronary arteries., Results: The minor allele frequency of -1612 5A/6A was 0.189, 0.185, 0.183 and 0.152 (P < 0.05 vs. non-CAD control and single stenosis), the minor allele frequency of -376C/G was 0.311, 0.329, 0.326 and 0.325, and the minor allele frequency of Glu45Lys was 0.367, 0.423, 0.417 and 0.405 in non-CAD control, CAD patients with single, two and three vessels stenosis, respectively. 5A allele frequency is significant lower in the group with three vessels stenosis than in non-CAD control and CAD patients with single vessel stenosis (OR = 0.74, P = 0.04). The 5A/5A and 5A/6A genotypes frequency is significant lower in the group with three vessels stenosis than in the non-CAD group and CAD patients with single vessel stenosis (OR = 0.74, P = 0.04)., Conclusions: The single nucleotide polymorphism of -1612 5A/6A of MMP-3 gene may be associated with the severity of coronary atherosclerosis in the Chinese Han patients with coronary artery disease, and the 5A allele might therefore, play a protective role on the progression of coronary atherosclerosis.