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Background: Left ventricular (LV) remodeling after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is related to increased morbidity and mortality. The aim of the present study was to examine whether LV deformational and torsional parameters can predict LV remodeling in patients with AMI., Methods: Forty-two patients (age 57 ± 14 years) presenting with an anterior ST-elevation AMI and treated with primary percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) were included in the study. Four days post MI, LV ejection fraction (EF), LV torsion, longitudinal (4-, 3- & 2-chamber) and circumferential strain of the LV apex were evaluated by conventional and speckle-tracking echocardiography. The echocardiographic study was repeated at 3 months post-AMI and patients with LV remodeling, i.e. an increase >15% in LV end-systolic volume (LVESV), were identified., Results: The 13 patients with LV remodeling had significantly more impaired apical circumferential strain (-7.3 ± 2.2% vs. -18.9 ± 5.2%, p=0.001), EF (42 ± 7% vs. 48.9 ± 6%, p=0.005), LV apical rotation (6.8 ± 4.8° vs. 11.1 ± 4.0°, p=0.027), and LV global longitudinal strain (-9.7 ± 1.9% vs. -12.9 ± 2.9%, p=0.03) on the 4th day post-AMI, in comparison to those without LV remodeling. Apical circumferential strain on the 4th day post-AMI showed the strongest correlation with the LVESV 3 months post-AMI (r=0.76, p=0.001), compared to EF (r=-0.60, p=0.001), global longitudinal strain (r=0.56, p=0.001), and LV apical rotation (r=-0.53, p=0.001). Furthermore, apical circumferential strain demonstrated the highest diagnostic accuracy: area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve 0.98, with sensitivity 100% and specificity 96% for prediction of LV remodeling, using a cutoff value <-11.0%., Conclusion: In patients with anterior AMI, LV apical circumferential strain in the early post-MI period constitutes a significant prognostic factor for LV remodeling at 3 months. Assessment of this parameter may identify patients at high risk for heart failure development.

Background: NOS inhibitors are a potential treatment for patients with cardiogenic shock during acute myocardial infarction. Despite hemodynamic efficacy, their effects on the extent of myocardial infarction (MI) and the no-reflow phenomenon (NRP) have not been clarified., Methods: Sixteen pigs underwent occlusion of the mid left anterior descending coronary artery for 1h followed by reperfusion for 2h. Coronary blood flow (CBF), distal to the occlusion site, was measured. In eight experiments, L-NAME (non selective NO synthetase inhibitor) administration began 10 min before the onset of reperfusion and continued for 2h (loading dose 1mg/kg, perfusion rate: 1mg/kg/h) (L-NAME group). Eight pigs received similarly normal saline (controls). At the end of each experiment, the myocardial area at risk (MAR) and extent of MI and NRP were measured., Results: Hemodynamics at baseline and during ischemia were similar in both groups. During reperfusion, the mean aortic blood pressure was significantly higher in the l-NAME group. In both groups, CBF reached a peak at 5 min of reperfusion, (no difference between groups). CBF gradually returned to baseline levels within 60 min of reperfusion in both groups. No statistically significant differences in the extent of the NRP (51.8 ± 19.7 vs 60.9 ± 11.4 p=0.35) and MI (77.9 ± 13.9 vs 77.1 ± 8.8 p=0.92), both expressed as a percentage of MAR, were observed between the L-NAME group and the control group., Conclusions: L-NAME administration started immediately before and maintained throughout reperfusion has no effect on NRP and MI size. L-NAME might stabilize patients with post-MI cardiogenic shock without adverse effects on infarct size., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Cardiogenic shock is the leading cause of death during hospitalization for acute myocardial infarction (MI). However, little data exist regarding the long-term outcomes of patients who survived the acute phase of MI and were discharged from the hospital., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 81 consecutive patients referred for management of acute MI and cardiogenic shock to analyze their in-hospital and long-term outcomes., Results: Mean systemic systolic and central venous pressures at presentation were 74 +/- 15 and 17 +/- 7 mm Hg, respectively. Intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation (IABC) was implemented in all patients for a mean of 88 +/- 83 hours. Thrombolytics were administered in 49% and mechanical ventilation applied in 46% of patients. Primary angioplasty could not be performed in any patient, while 17 patients later underwent myocardial revascularization during hospitalization. There were 37 in-hospital survivors (45.7%). The 1-year survival after discharge from the hospital was 87.6% in the overall population, versus 100% among patients who underwent in-hospital myocardial revascularization, versus 78.9% among nonrevascularized patients (p = 0.079). Over a mean follow-up of 85 +/- 47 mo, survival after discharge from the index hospitalization was 44.9% in the overall population, versus 56.2% among revascularized patients, versus 36.4% among nonrevascularized patients (p = 0.277). Heart failure developed in 51.6% of patients who were discharged from the hospital., Conclusions: In this single center analysis, the long-term survival after acute MI complicated by cardiogenic shock was high with nearly 50% of patients surviving free from heart failure.