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Cardiac ischemia, such as angina pectoris or myocardial infarction, is associated with pain in the oral cavity, lower jaw, head, or neck, or spanning from the left upper arm to the shoulder. When presenting to a dentist, however, appropriate treatment for such patients is often delayed, as dental problems are usually the first to be suspected when the chief complaint is orofacial pain. This report describes a case of a 70-year-old woman who was aware of pain and a burning sensation in the oral cavity upon exertion for a year prior to presenting at our clinic. She had been examined by her family physician, an otolaryngologist, and another dentist, none of whom found any abnormalities other than suspected periodontal disease and caries, for which she was treated. An examination at our clinic revealed no abnormal dental findings that would have been consistent with the mandibular pain, however. Although no chest symptoms were reported, pain was elicited on exertion, suggesting cardiogenic toothache. An immediate referral to a cardiologist was therefore made on the same day. The patient visited the cardiology department of the University Hospital of Tokyo Dental College 6 days later. The increased frequency of symptoms on exertion suggested unstable angina, and the patient was admitted to the emergency department on the same day. Emergency coronary angiography showed that right coronary artery #1 was 99% stenosed proximally (highly calcified plaque). The diagnosis was unstable angina pectoris, with the right coronary artery #1 as the responsible lesion, and percutaneous coronary angioplasty was performed on the same day. Subsequently, all the orofacial pain disappeared, confirming unstable angina as the cause. The pain characteristics in this case were consistent with pain associated with cardiac ischemia, which led to the immediate referral to the cardiology department. In cases of toothache associated with cardia ischemia, it is essential to seek cardiological care as soon as possible.

To investigate the instent restenosis rate of sirolimus-coated stents in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and risk factors for in-stent restenosis, patients with unstable angina (UA) caused by coronary artery stenosis were enrolled, and all clinical and imaging data were analyzed. Among 143 enrolled patients with UA aged 35-83 (mean 60.9 ± 10.0) years enrolled, there were 114 (79.7%) male and 29 (20.3%) female patients. Arterial stenosis was present in one coronary artery in 6 (4.2%) patients, in two coronary arteries in 20 (14.0%) patients, in three arteries in 116 (81.1%), and in four coronary arteries in 1 (0.7%) patient. Stenting was successfully performed in all (100%) patients, and 181 stents were deployed. The quantitative flow ratio (QFR) was 0.92 ± 0.03 (range 0.84-0.96) immediately after stenting, and the TIMI was grade 3 in all patients. The diameter of the stents deployed ranged 2.25-4 mm (mean 3.04 ± 0.44) with a length ranging 10 mm to 104 mm (mean 32.73 ± 15.5). Follow-up angiography was performed in all patients with a duration of 1-92 (mean 15.0 ± 18.8) months. Instent restenosis ≥ 50% occurred in 25 (17.5%) patients. In univariate logistic regression analysis, significant (P < 0.05) risk factors for instent restenosis ≥ 50% were QFR (OR 0.036, 95% CI 0.13-0.97), stent diameter (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.18-0.92), hypertension (OR 3.16, 95% CI 1.02-9.82), smoking (OR 0.31, 95% CI 0.11-0.89), and neutrophil count (OR 2.22, 95% CI 1.10-5.44). In multivariate analysis, QFR (OR 0.02, 95% CI 0.002-0.19), stent diameter (OR 0.06, 95% CI 0.005-0.59), hypertension (OR 6.75, 95% CI 1.83-35.72) and neutrophil count (OR 276.07, 95% CI 12.32-10,959.95) were significant (P < 0.05) independent risk factors for instent restenosis ≥ 50%. In conclusion, certain instent restenosis rates occurs after the sirolimus-eluted coronary stent deployment for the treatment of coronary artery stenosis in patients with UA, and quantitative flow ratio after stenting, stent diameter, hypertension, and neutrophil count are significant risk factors for instent restenosis of the sirolimus-coated stents in coronary intervention., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) is a novel biomarker associated with atherosclerosis, and an important risk factor for atherosclerosis, but its relation with cardiovascular prognosis in prediabetic patients with unstable angina pectoris (UAP) is still uncertain., Methods: This study included 1096 prediabetic patients with UAP who were subjected to follow-up for a maximum of 30 months, with cardiac death, refractory angina, and non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI) being the primary cardiovascular endpoints., Results: A significantly increased AIP was observed for the group with primary cardiovascular endpoints. Kaplan-Meier curves corresponding to these endpoints revealed pronounced differences between these two AIP groups (Log-rank P < 0.001). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analyses highlighted AIP as being independent related to this primary endpoint (HR 1.308, 95% CI: 1.213-1.412, P < 0.001). AIP addition to the baseline risk model improved the prediction of the primary endpoint (AUC: baseline model, 0.622, vs. baseline model + AIP, 0.739, P < 0.001)., Conclusions: AIP could be used to predict cardiovascular events in prediabetic individuals with UAP., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Background: The impact of sex on the association of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) with recurrent cardiovascular events following acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remains uncertain. This study sought to examine the association between OSA and long-term cardiovascular outcomes in women and men with ACS., Methods: In this prospective cohort study, we recruited 2160 ACS patients undergoing portable sleep monitoring between June 2015 and January 2020. The primary end-point was major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular event (MACCE), including cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, ischaemia-driven revascularisation or hospitalisation for unstable angina or heart failure., Results: After exclusion of patients with failed sleep studies, central sleep apnoea, regular continuous positive airway pressure therapy and loss of follow-up, 1927 patients were enrolled. Among them, 298 (15.5%) were women and 1014 (52.6%) had OSA (apnoea-hypopnoea index ≥15 events·h -1 ). The prevalence of OSA was 43.0% and 54.4% in women and men, respectively. In 4339 person-years (median 2.9 years, interquartile range 1.5-3.6 years), the cumulative incidence of MACCE was significantly higher in OSA versus non-OSA groups in the overall population (22.4% versus 17.7%; adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.29, 95% CI 1.04-1.59; p=0.018). OSA was associated with greater risk of MACCE in women (28.1% versus 18.8%; adjusted HR 1.68, 95% CI 1.02-2.78; p=0.042), but not in men (21.6% versus 17.5%; adjusted HR 1.22, 95% CI 0.96-1.54; p=0.10). No significant interaction was noted between sex and OSA for MACCE (interaction p=0.32). The incremental risk in women was attributable to higher rates of hospitalisation for unstable angina and ischaemia-driven revascularisation., Conclusions: In hospitalised ACS patients, OSA was associated with increased risk of subsequent events, particularly among women. Female patients with ACS should not be neglected for OSA screening and dedicated intervention studies focusing on women with ACS and comorbid OSA should be prioritised., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: Changsheng Ma reports honoraria from Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Boehringer Ingelheim (BI), Bayer and AstraZeneca for giving lectures. Shaoping Nie reports research grants (paid to institution) from Boston Scientific, Abbott, Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals, China Resources Sanjiu Medical & Pharmaceuticals and East China Pharmaceuticals. Virend K. Somers has served as a consultant for Respicardia, Bayer, Lilly, Resmed and Jazz Pharmaceuticals, and serves on the scientific advisory board for Sleep Number. The rest of the authors have no relevant relationships to disclose., (Copyright ©The authors 2023.)

Background: Coronary endothelial dysfunction and vasospasm are potential causes of ischemia in patients without obstructive coronary stenoses (INOCA)., Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of endothelial dysfunction and the clinical profile of patients with INOCA in Spain, as well as to identify the predictors and the prognostic impact of endothelial dysfunction in this scenario., Methods: A total of 438 consecutive patients with INOCA in whom the acetylcholine test was performed were prospectively enrolled. Patients were followed up at 1 and 2 years., Results: Mean age was 62 ± 11 years with 60% female. Clinical presentation comprised 52.6% angina at rest, 61.2% exertional angina, and 31.7% dyspnea. There were no major complications of the acetylcholine test. Endothelial dysfunction was observed in 198 (45%) of patients, with severe vasoconstriction (defined as over 70% constriction), being observed in 101 (23%). Multivariable regression analysis showed that endothelial dysfunction was predicted by the presence of exertional angina (OR 2.2; CI95%1.01-2.55; p = 0.02), prior coronary disease (OR 2.46; CI95% 1.57-3.89; p < 0.01), and coronary intramyocardial bridging (2.35; CI95% 1.02-5.60; p = 0.04). Patients with endothelial dysfunction presented with worsening angina compared to those without endothelial dysfunction (25.6% vs. 12.8%) and also presented with increased levels of minimal effort angina (40% vs. 26,7%, p = 0.03) more frequently during the follow up than those without endothelial dysfunction. Endothelial dysfunction was also an independent predictor of the occurrence of myocardial infarction or unstable angina at one year (OR 2.85, CI 95% 1.01-9.25; p = 0.03)., Conclusions: Endothelial dysfunction is present in almost half of patients with INOCA and is associated with worsening symptoms, as well as with a higher rate of adverse events., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis and stimulation of smooth muscle proliferation by increased serum levels of uric acid play an important role in accelerated atherogenesis in the vessels of patients with hyperuricemia. The objective of the study was to determine the frequency of hyperuricemia in patients with acute coronary syndrome and their in-hospital outcomes., Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the cardiology department of Ayub Teaching Hospital, Abbottabad from 1st September, 2018 to 28th February, 2019. A total of 199 patients diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) were enrolled in this study using non-probability consecutive sampling. Diagnosis of ACS was made on history, electrocardiogram (ECG) findings and on the presence of elevated cardiac biomarkers. Serum uric acid was checked within 24 hours of presentation and patients were grouped into hyperuricemic and normouricemic groups according to uric acid levels. Next in-hospital outcomes were compared between the two groups by comparing the presence or absence of complications. The data was collected on a structured proforma and was analyzed statistically by using SPSS version 16., Results: Out of 199 patients, 146 (73.37%) were male and 53 (26.63%) were female. The mean age of the study participants was 57.99 ± 6.07 years with a range of 48-68 years. Hyperuricemia was diagnosed in 50 (25.13%) study participants. Among complications, 15 patients (7.94%) had cardiogenic shock, 27 (13.57%) had heart failure, 10 (5.03%) had cardiac arrhythmias, 16 (8.04%) had conduction defects and hyperuricemia was diagnosed in 50 (25.13%) patients. Cardiogenic shock was more common in patients with hyperuricemia (p < 0.05)., Conclusions: Hyperuricemia is associated with a number of significant adverse outcomes for patients with an acute coronary event. Regular screening / monitoring of serum uric acid level in general population can prevent the direct and indirect morbidity associated with hyperuricemia.

Introduction: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is closely associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. We aimed to determine whether the fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4) can identify patients with NAFLD at highest risk of cardiovascular events., Methods: We analyzed data from 81,108 patients with (i) a diagnosis of NAFLD, (ii) nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), or (iii) at risk (RISK) of NASH. The outcome of interest was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) defined by myocardial infarction, hospitalization for unstable angina or heart failure, and coronary revascularization., Results: The mean age was 62 years, and 49.6% were men. Among 67,273 patients without previous cardiovascular disease, 9,112 (13.5%) experienced MACE over median follow-up of 3 years. In univariate analysis, a FIB-4 ≥2.67 was a significant predictor of MACE overall (hazard ratio [HR] 1.82, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.63-2.04, P < 0.001) and across all baseline groups. After adjusting for established cardiovascular risk factors, FIB-4 ≥2.67 remained the strongest predictor of MACE overall (adjusted HR [aHR] 1.80, 95% CI 1.61-2.02, P < 0.001) and was consistently associated with myocardial infarction (aHR 1.46, 95% CI 1.25-1.70, P < 0.001), hospitalization for unstable angina (aHR 1.24, 95% CI 1.03-1.49, P = 0.025), hospitalization for heart failure (aHR 2.09, 95% CI 1.86-2.35, P < 0.001), coronary artery bypass graft (aHR 1.65, 95% CI 1.26-2.17, P < 0.001), and percutaneous coronary intervention (aHR 1.72, 95% CI 1.21-2.45, P = 0.003)., Discussion: In a large, real-world cohort of patients with NAFLD, NASH, or at RISK of NASH, the FIB-4 score was the strongest independent predictor of MACE, beyond established cardiovascular risk factors and baseline liver diagnosis., (Copyright © 2022 by The American College of Gastroenterology.)

Background: Noninvasive identification of significant coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with unstable angina pectoris (UAP) is challenging. Exercise stress testing has been used for years in patients with suspected CAD but has low diagnostic accuracy. The use of Global longitudinal strain (GLS) by speckle tracking echocardiography is a highly sensitive and reproducible parameter for detection of myocardial ischemia. Our aim was to study if identification of normal or ischemic myocardium by measurement of GLS immediately after an ordinary bicycle exercise stress testing in patients with suspected UAP could identify or rule out significant CAD., Methods: Seventy-eight patients referred for coronary angiography from outpatient clinics and the emergency department with chest pain, inconclusive ECG and normal values of Troponin-T was included. All patients underwent echocardiographic examination at rest and immediately after maximum stress by exercise on a stationary bicycle. Significant CAD was defined by diameter stenosis > 90% by coronary angiography. In patients with coronary stenosis between 50-90%, fractional flow reserve (FFR) was measured and defined abnormal < .80. Analysis of echocardiographic data were performed blinded for angiographic data. Patients were discharged diagnosed with CAD (n = 34) or non-coronary chest pain (NCCP, n = 44)., Results: In patients with NCCP, GLS at rest was -21.1 ± 1.7% and -25.5 ± 2.6% at maximum stress (P < .01). In patients with CAD, GLS at rest was -16.8 ± 4.0% and remained unchanged at maximum stress (-16.6 ± 4.6%, P = .69). In patients with NCCP, LVEF was 56.1% ± 6.0 and increased to 61.8% 5.2, P < .01. In CAD patients, LVEF at rest was 54.7% ± 8.6 and increased to 58.2% ± 9.5 during stress, P = .16. In NCCP patients, Wall Motion Score index decreased .02 ± .07, P = .03 during stress and was without significant changes in patients with CAD. Area under the curve (AUC) for distinguishing CAD for was .97 (.95-1.00), .63 (.49-.76), and .71 (.59-.83) for GLS, LVEF, and WMSi, respectively., Conclusion: In patients with suspected UAP, increased deformation of the left ventricle measured by GLS immediately after exercise stress testing identified normal myocardium without CAD. Reduced LV contractile function by GLS without increase after exercise identified significant CAD., (© 2022 The Authors. Echocardiography published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background and Aims: We investigated the association between serum cystatin-C (Cys-C) levels and cardiovascular events in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS)., Methods: Data of 1,100 patients from the prospective parent study were included. Patients hospitalized for ACS were divided into 4 groups based on quartiles (Q) of Cys-C levels (mg/L) within 24 h of admission: Q1, ≤0.82; Q2, 0.82 < estimated level ≤0.95; Q3, 0.95< estimated level ≤1.12; and Q4, >1.12. The primary endpoint of this study was all-cause mortality, and the secondary endpoint was composite of all-cause mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, unstable angina pectoris, or ischemia-driven revascularization., Results: During a median observation period of 4.0 years, the primary endpoint was noted in 5, 12, 18, and 36 patients in Q1-Q4, respectively, with corresponding incidence rates of 1.8%, 4.4%, 6.5%, and 13.5%, respectively (p < 0.0001 for difference among 4 groups). This association persisted even after adjusting for patient characteristics and other laboratory results at baseline (p = 0.04). A stepwise increase in the incidence rate of the secondary endpoint with an incline in Cys-C levels was observed in the nonadjusted model (26.6%, 33.3%, 32.3%, and 39.1% in Q1-Q4, respectively; p = 0.01) but not in the adjusted model (p = 0.3). No difference was observed in the incidence rate of nonfatal myocardial infarction (p = 0.89), nonfatal stroke (p = 0.3), unstable angina pectoris (p = 0.49), and ischemia-driven revascularization (p = 0.47) with an incline in Cys-C levels., Conclusion: Elevated Cys-C levels were associated with increased all-cause mortality but not cardiovascular events other than mortality in ACS patients., (© 2022 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Aortic dissection is an infrequent diagnosis that usually presents with acute onset of sharp and severe tearing pain. It rarely presents with atypical symptoms, accompanied by a higher mortality risk that arises the delay in diagnosis. In this report, we discuss a type A aortic dissection case with a presentation of heaviness-like chest pain with no evidence of aortic dissection in his first echocardiography. The patient was treated for acute coronary syndrome (ACS), but on the follow-up, echocardiography aortic dissection was diagnosed accidentally. Differentiation between ACS and aortic dissection is critical in patient management. Each one has an entirely different treatment approach, and misdiagnosis can lead to catastrophic outcomes.

The incidence of acquired left internal mammary artery-to-pulmonary vein fistulas has been increasing in the last few decades. This has been attributed to the increase in coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG). The most commonly reported symptoms are angina and dyspnea. The timing of the presentation varies widely from a few months to several years after CABG. Medical management is the treatment of choice and usually controls the symptoms in most patients. Percutaneous intervention is, however, indicated when medical therapy fails. In this case report, a 72-year-old man with a history of CABG presented with progressively worsening chest pain and dyspnea. Troponin was negative and the electrocardiogram showed no acute ischemic changes. He was found to have left internal mammary artery-to-pulmonary vein fistula on coronary angiogram. His symptoms improved upon intensifications of his guideline-directed therapy for coronary artery disease. This represents an unusual cause of unstable angina.

This study aimed to identify the serum copeptin levels in patients diagnosed with unstable angina (UA) and evaluate the relationship between the patients' copeptin levels and angiographic severity.A total of 200 patients who were diagnosed with UA and underwent coronary angiography were included in the study. Clinical, electrocardiographic, echocardiographic, and laboratory data (high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T and copeptin levels) as well as The Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) 1.0 risk score were recorded upon admission. Moreover, the Synergy Between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with Taxus and Cardiac Surgery (SYNTAX) score was calculated following coronary angiography.We isolated and defined two subgroups within our study population: group 1 included patients with non-significant coronary artery disease (CAD) (< 50% diameter stenosis, n = 105); group 2 included patients with significant CAD (≥ 50% diameter stenosis, n = 95). The number of cases with a GRACE score higher than 140 was significantly higher in group 2 than in group 1 (P < 0.001). The SYNTAX scores and copeptin levels were significantly higher in group 2 than in group 1 (P < 0.001 for both). A positive correlation was observed between the copeptin levels and SYNTAX scores (r = 0.683; P < 0.001), and the cut-off level of copeptin was 18.3 pmol/L (sensitivity of 74.7%, specificity of 83.8%, and area under the curve of 0.795).This study suggests that it may be beneficial to use conventional scoring systems and serum copeptin levels when identifying high-risk UA patients.

Purpose: The COMBO biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stent includes endothelial progenitor cell capture (EPC) technology for rapid endothelialization, which may offer advantage in acute coronary syndromes (ACS). We sought to analyze the performance of the COMBO stent by ACS status and ACS subtype., Methods: The COMBO collaboration (n = 3614) is a patient-level pooled dataset from the MASCOT and REMEDEE registries. We evaluated outcomes by ACS status, and ACS subtype in patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) or non-STEMI (NSTEMI) versus unstable angina (UA). The primary endpoint was 1-year target lesion failure (TLF), composite of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction, or clinically driven target lesion revascularization. Secondary outcomes included stent thrombosis (ST)., Results: We compared 1965 (54%) ACS and 1649 (46.0%) non-ACS patients. ACS presentations included 40% (n = 789) STEMI, 31% (n = 600) NSTEMI, and 29% (n = 576) UA patients. Risk of 1-year TLF was greater in ACS patients (4.5% vs. 3.3%, HR 1.51 95% CI 1.01-2.25, p = 0.045) without significant differences in definite/probable ST (1.1% vs 0.5%, HR 2.40, 95% CI 0.91-6.31, p = 0.08). One-year TLF was similar in STEMI, NSTEMI, and UA (4.8% vs 4.8% vs. 3.7%, p = 0.60), but definite/probable ST was higher in STEMI patients (1.9% vs 0.5% vs 0.7%, p = 0.03). Adjusted outcomes were not different in MI versus UA patients., Conclusions: Despite the novel EPC capture technology, COMBO stent PCI was associated with somewhat greater risk of 1-year TLF in ACS than in non-ACS patients, without significant differences in stent thrombosis. No differences were observed in 1-year TLF among ACS subtypes.

Rationale: First discovered in 1990, the endocannabinoid system (ECS) was initially shown to have an intimate relationship with central areas of the nervous system associated with pain, reward, and motivation. Recently, however, the ECS has been extensively implicated in the cardiovascular system with contractility, heart rate, blood pressure, and vasodilation. Emerging data demonstrate modulation of the ECS plays an essential role in cardio metabolic risk, atherosclerosis, and can even limit damage to cardiomyocytes during ischemic events., Patient Concerns: This case describes a 63-year-old man who presented to a primary care physician for a medical cannabis (MC) consult due to unstable angina (UA) not relieved by morphine or cardiac medications; having failed all first- and second-line polypharmaceutical therapies. The patient reported frequent, unprovoked, angina and exertional dyspnea., Diagnosis: Having a complex cardiac history, the patient first presented 22 years ago after a suspected myocardial infarction. He re-presented in 2010 and underwent stent placement at that time for inoperable triple-vessel coronary artery disease (CAD) which was identified via percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. UA developed on follow-up and, despite medical management over the past 6 years, became progressively debilitating., Interventions and Outcomes: In conjunction with his standard cardiac care, patient had a gradual lessening of UA-related pain, including frequency and character, after using an edible form of MC (1:1 cannabidiol:Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol). Following continued treatment, he ceased long-term morphine treatment and described the pain as no longer crippling. As demonstrated by his exercise tolerance tests, the patient experienced an improved functional capacity and reported an increase in his daily functioning, and overall activity., Lessons: This case uniquely highlights MC in possibly reducing the character, quality, and frequency of UA, whereas concordantly improving functional cardiac capacity in a patient with CAD. Additional case reports are necessary to verify this., Competing Interests: BJP has received research support from the Center for Wellness Leadership, Fahs-Beck Fund for Research and Experimentation, Pfizer, and the National Institute of Drug Abuse and travel from the Wellness Connection of Maine, Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation, and Patients Out of Time organizations. He serves (pro bono) on the advisory board for the Center for Wellness Leadership. The remaining authors report no conflicts of interests., (Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

It is well recognized that patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and multivessel coronary artery disease (MVD) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) have poorer long-term outcomes compared with those undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. However, the relative impact of DM status and extent of coronary artery disease on long term mortality in patients undergoing PCI is unknown. We sought to compare patients with DM undergoing PCI for single and multivessel disease to their non-DM counterparts. Overall, 34,690 consecutive patients undergoing PCI from the Melbourne Interventional Group registry (2005 to 2017) were included (mean age 64.5 ± 12 years, 76.6% male). Our cohort was stratified by the presence of DM and extent of CAD (DM-SVD [single-vessel disease] [n = 2,669], DM-MVD [n = 6,118], no-DM-SVD [n = 10,993], no-DM-MVD [n = 14,910]). DM-SVD and no-DM-MVD cohorts demonstrated comparable baseline cardiovascular risk profiles, although the no-DM-MVD cohort had higher rates of prior myocardial infarction, while the DM-SVD cohort had a higher proportion of patients with renal impairment. Over a median follow-up of 4.8 (IQR 2.0 to 8.2) years, 6,031 (17.5%) patients died. Using the no-DM-SVD group as the reference category, adjusted risk of mortality was highest in the MVD-DM cohort (HR 1.90; 95% CI 1.71 to 2.09). Similar adjusted risk of long-term mortality was observed in the DM-SVD (HR 1.32, 95%CI 1.15 to 1.51) and no-DM-MVD (HR 1.30, 95%CI 1.20 to 1.40) groups. In conclusion, we found that the long-term mortality of patients with DM and SVD undergoing PCI was the risk equivalent of non-DM patients with MVD., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Refractory angina is an independent predictor of adverse events in patients with vasospastic angina (VSA). The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between coronary lumen complexity and refractory symptoms in patients with VSA. Seventeen patients with VSA underwent optical coherence tomography. The patients were divided into the refractory VSA group (n = 9) and the stable VSA group (n = 8). A shoreline development index was used to assess the coronary artery lumen complexity. Shear stress was estimated using a computational fluid dynamics model. No difference was observed in the baseline characteristics between the two groups. The refractory VSA group showed the higher shoreline development index (refractory VSA 1.042 [1.017-1.188] vs stable VSA 1.003 [1.006-1.025], p = 0.036), and higher maximum medial thickness (refractory VSA 184 ± 17 μm vs stable VSA 148 ± 31 μm, p = 0.017), and higher maximum shear stress (refractory VSA 14.5 [12.1-18.8] Pa vs stable VSA 5.6 [3.0-10.5] Pa, p = 0.003). The shoreline development index positively correlates with shear stress (R 2 = 0.46, P = 0.004). Increased medial thickness of the coronary arteries provokes lumen complexity and high shear stress, which might cause refractory symptoms in patients with VSA. The shoreline index could serve as a marker for irritability of the medial layer of coronary arteries and symptoms.

Aim: To assess in-hospital outcomes of coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with acute coronary syndrome, depending on the presence or absence of myocardial infarction., Patients and Methods: Over the period from 2017 to 2018 within the framework of a single-centre register, the study enrolled a total of 166 consecutive patients admitted with non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndrome and subjected to coronary artery bypass grafting. Depending on the outcome of acute coronary syndrome, the patients were divided into 2 groups: Group One included 98 (59%) patients with unstable angina pectoris and Group Two comprised 68 (41%) patients with myocardial infarction, who underwent surgery at an average of 16 (11; 20) days after manifestation of the clinical signs of myocardial infarction. The endpoints of the study were major adverse cardiovascular events during the in-hospital period: death, myocardial infarction, acute cerebral circulation impairment/transitory ischaemic attack, repeat revascularization, septic complications, multiple organ failure syndrome, wound infectious complications, requirement for repeated surgical debridement, remediastinotomy due to haemorrhage, the frequency of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and renal replacement therapy., Results: The mortality rate in the compared groups was similar: 3% (n=3) and 3% (n=2), respectively. Perioperative myocardial infarction occurred in 1 (1%) patient of the first group, with no cases of this complication observed in the second group. The frequency of reoperations due to haemorrhage in the early postoperative period in the group of unstable angina pectoris amounted to 3% (n=3) and was associated with administration of dual antithrombotic therapy, with no cases of this complication in the group of myocardial infarction. Wound complication in the second group were observed in 7.6% (n=5) and in the first group in 4% (n=4) (p=0.33). The differences turned out to be statistically insignificant for such postoperative complications as multiple organ failure syndrome, requirement for repeated surgical debridement, renal replacement therapy, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The residual SYNTAX Score in the group of myocardial infarction amounted to 2.3±2.8, whereas in the group of unstable angina pectoris to 2.3±3, thus suggesting complete revascularization in the total sample of patients with acute coronary syndrome. The average length of hospital stay (including the postoperative period) in the first group amounted to 26.3±6.6 days and in the second group to 27.4±7.2 days (p=0.53). The postoperative bed-day in the group with unstable angina pectoris was 12.6±3.2 and in the myocardial infarction group - 14.9±5.3 (p=0.06)., Conclusion: The obtained in-hospital outcomes suggest that coronary artery bypass grafting may be an efficient and safe method of complete revascularization for patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome, including that resulting in myocardial infarction, performed averagely on day 16 (11; 20) after the onset of clinical manifestations of myocardial infarction.

Objective: Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is linked to risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in diabetes, but the nature of the association is unclear. We investigated the association between MBL and the risk of cardiovascular events (CVE) and all-cause mortality in type 2 diabetes., Research Design and Methods: In a cohort study of 7,588 patients with type 2 diabetes, we measured serum MBL in 7,305 patients and performed MBL expression genotyping in 3,043 patients. We grouped serum MBL and MBL expression genotypes into three categories: low, intermediate, and high. Outcomes were CVE (myocardial infarction, stroke, coronary revascularization, unstable angina, or cardiovascular death) and all-cause mortality. The association with outcomes was examined by spline and Cox regression analyses., Results: Serum MBL and CVE showed a U-shaped association. Compared with the intermediate serum MBL category, the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for CVE was 1.82 (95% CI 1.34-2.46) for the low-MBL category and 1.48 (95% CI 1.14-1.92) for the high-MBL category. We found a similar U-shaped association for all-cause mortality, but with lower risk estimates. Compared with the intermediate MBL expression genotype, the adjusted HR for CVE was 1.40 (95% CI 0.87-2.25) for the low-expression genotype and 1.44 (95% CI 1.01-2.06) for the high-expression genotype. MBL expression genotype was not associated with all-cause mortality., Conclusions: Both serum MBL and MBL expression genotype showed a U-shaped association with CVE risk in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Our findings suggest that serum MBL is a risk factor for CVD in this population., (© 2020 by the American Diabetes Association.)

We sought to study the feasibility of axillary artery as alternative access for mechanical circulatory support (MCS) in cardiogenic shock and high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention (HR-PCI) patients with severe occlusive peripheral artery disease (PAD). In patients with severe PAD, the iliofemoral artery may be so diseased preventing deployment of MCS, precluding the use of lifesaving therapy. In such circumstances, the axillary artery may be a viable access site. Records of all patients presenting with cardiogenic shock or HR-PCI requiring MCS through axillary artery access at our institution from January 2016 to September 2018 were examined. Demographics, clinical, procedural, and outcomes data were collected on all patients. A total of 48 patients presented with cardiogenic shock (60%) or HR-PCI (40%) requiring MCS via axillary artery due to prohibitive PAD (mean age 66 ± 11 years). Admission diagnoses were non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (38%), unstable angina (23%), ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (19%), and cardiac arrest (21%). Time from axillary access to activation of Impella was 11.9 ± 4 minutes. Four patients required concomitant Impella RP for right ventricular support due to biventricular cardiogenic shock. Twenty-two patients died before Impella was explanted due to multiorgan failure, stroke, and infection. None of the patients who died had vascular complications related to axillary access. Axillary artery appears to be a viable alternative access for large bore devices in patients with prohibitive PAD. As experience of the field with this approach grows, it may be the default access for deployment of large bore sheaths in the future., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Objectives: The complement system plays an important role in the development of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Complement C1q is an important initial component of the classical complement pathway and closely related to many chronic inflammatory diseases, including atherosclerosis (AS). We aimed to determine whether there was association between serum complement C1q and the severity of coronary stenosis., Subjects and Methods: 320 patients who underwent coronary arteriography (CAG) were stratified into non-ACS group (control group, n = 74), unstable angina group (UA group, n = 197) and acute myocardial infarction group (AMI group, n = 49) according to the severity of coronary stenosis and clinical manifestations. The severity of coronary stenosis was represented in Gensini score, and serum complement C1q level was compared using immunity transmission turbidity among three groups., Results: The level of complement C1q in AMI group was lower significantly than control group and UA group (P < 0.05), but there was no correlation between serum complement C1q and Gensini score (β=-0.086, P = 0.125). In nitrate-taking patients, serum complement C1q had a negative association with Gensini score (r=-0.275, P = 0.001), and in non-smokers, there was also a negative correlation (β=-0.159, P = 0.036). After calibrating smoking, drinking or statins, the serum complement C1q levels of control group, UA group and AMI group decreased in sequence (P <  0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that the decreasing of serum complement C1q was an unfavorable factor for acute myocardial infarction (OR=0.984, 95 %CI=0.972∼0.997, P = 0.015) and for ACS (OR=0.984, 95 %CI=0.971∼0.984, P = 0.025) in drinking patients. Regrettably, ROC curve suggested that the accuracy in diagnosing coronary atherosclerotic heart disease by serum complement C1q was low (AUC=0.568, 95 %CI= 0.492-0.644, P = 0.076, sensitivity 73.6 %, specificity 58.1 %)., Conclusion: Serum complement C1q in ACS patients, in particular AMI patients, showed lower level. This finding suggests further decrease of complement C1q level in ACS patients may be a contributory factor to instability or rupture of atherosclerotic plaques. Combined with other clinical indicators, it can be helpful to predict the risk and severity of coronary stenosis., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aim: The purpose of this study was to assess the perioperative clinical, demographic and anatomo-angiographic factors in patients presenting with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome and being candidates for coronary artery bypass grafting, depending on the presence or absence of myocardial infarction., Patients and Methods: Over the period from 2017 to 2018 within the framework of a single-centre register, the study enrolled a total of 166 consecutive patients admitted with non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndrome and recommended by the cardiosurgical team to undergo coronary artery bypass grafting. Depending on the outcome of acute coronary syndrome, the patients were divided into 2 groups: Group One included 98 (59%) patients with unstable angina pectoris and Group Two comprised 68 (41%) patients with myocardial infarction. A lethal outcome occurred in 2 (3%) Group Two patients prior to revascularization, hence they were not included into the analysis comparing the results of surgery in both groups, however these data were taken into consideration, being analysed separately., Results: The group of patients with myocardial infarction appeared to include significantly more female patients (20 (30.3%) versus 15 (15.3%) in the group of patients with unstable angina pectoris, p=0.02). However, by such parameters as the average age, left ventricular ejection fraction, and the frequency of diabetes mellitus the compared groups did not differ. The group with myocardial infarction was characterised by a severe clinico-angiographic status: more frequently encountered was stage II obesity (3%, n=3 in the first group and 10.6% n=7 in the second group, p=0.04). On the whole, the majority of patients were at intermediate and high risk (44.7% in the group with unstable angina pectoris versus 81.8% in the group of myocardial infarction, p<0.05). Group Two patients significantly more often presented with three-vessel lesions of the coronary bed (40 (40.8%) and 39 (59%), p=0.02). The level of low-density lipoproteins appeared to be significantly higher in patients with myocardial infarction (3.3±1 mmol/l and 2.9±0.9, p=0.04). In the same group more often encountered were peripheral artery lesions (28 (21%) and 12 (11.3%), p=0.04). In its turn, in the group of unstable angina pectoris, there were significantly more patients having received dual antithrombotic therapy prior to surgery (44 (44.9%) and 17 (25%), p=0.01). Approximately half of the patients in the first group (53%, n=52) had a history of myocardial infarction (p=0.001)., Conclusion: The obtained findings suggested that amongst the patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome resulting in myocardial infarction prevailing were those of female gender, with obesity, as a consequence, hyperholesterolaemia and triple-vessel disease. At the same time, postinfarction cardiosclerosis, renal dysfunction, and haemodynamically significant lesions of lower-extremity arteries were encountered in the group of unstable angina pectoris.

Background: It has been shown that functional status of dendritic cells (DCs) in diabetic patients with unstable angina pectoris (UAP) are more mature and activated than diabetic patients without coronary artery disease (CAD) and none diabetic patients with UAP. Accordingly we aimed to assess the activation of DCs in patients with CAD with/and without Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and compare to those in subjects with normal coronary arteries (NCA)., Materials and Methods: Twenty three patients with severe CAD who were scheduled to coronary artery by-pass grafting surgery and 6 patients with angiographycally NCAs were included in the study. Activation of peripheral blood DCs have been analyzed by flow cytometric measures of CD86 activation., Results: In patients with CAD and without DM, DC activation significantly increased after stimulation of oxidesized LDL (135 ± 121 vs 248 ± 197 p = 0.024). However this activation didn't significantly increased in patients with CAD and DM (100 ± 20 vs 120 ± 97, p = 0,54). Patients with NCAs and without DM showed marked activation of CD86 after stimulation with ox-LDL., Conclusion: We have documented that DC activation, upon stimulation of ox-LDL has blunted in patients with CAD compared to patients with NCAs. Moreover this defective activation is more pronounced in those with diabetic patients with CAD., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In patients presenting with acute chest pain, acute myocardial infarction should first be ruled out as a cause as these patients will often need coronary revascularisation. In the remaining patients, those with normal high-sensitivity cardiac troponin levels should undergo additional cardiac investigations to discriminate patients with an episode of unstable angina pectoris from those who have a non-cardiac cause of the chest pain. In the large majority (86%), the medical history does not raise suspicion of angina pectoris and an exercise test will show normal results; in these patients, further cardiac imaging does not seem to be indicated. In conclusion, less cardiac imaging and more non-cardiac investigations are required in patients with acute chest pain and normal high-sensitivity cardiac troponin levels.

Purpose: to analyze possible associations of clinical and genetic factors with development of ischemic stroke after exacerbation of ischemic heart disease (IHD)., Materials and Methods: The Russian multicenter study aimed at assessment of risk of unfavorable outcomes after exacerbation of IHD "Exacerbation of IHD: logical probabilistic ways to course prognostication for optimization of treatment" (meaning of Cyrillic acronym - oracle) was conducted in 16 centers of 7 cities in Russia. We included into the study 1 208 patients with unstable angina and ST-elevation or non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (MI). Data on outcomes were known for 1 193 patients, 15 patients were lost for follow-up., Results: Mean duration of follow-up was 644±14.45 (4-1 995) days. Shortest, longest, and mean time before development of stroke was 22, 1433 and 389±56.6 days after inclusion. Patients with strokes were older, more often had history of IHD prior to index hospitalization, arterial blood pressure level compatible with stage 3 arterial hypertension, less often were smokers, and more often had MI recurrences or repetitive episodes of severe ischemia during the index hospitalization. Patients also more often had documented atrial fibrillation during hospitalization, and lower level of glomerular filtration rate. Of studied genetic markers carriage of A allele of polymorphic marker G (-1082) A of interleukin-10 gene was significantly associated with risk of stroke development. Using linear regression analysis, we constructed a model of estimation of the stroke development risk. Comparison of diagnostic value of different scales for stroke risk assessment showed that area under the curve was 0.656, 0.686, and 0.756 for the GRACE, CHA2DS2‑VASc, and ORACLE scores, respectively.

Circulating relaxin (RLX) is altered in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) or cardiovascular diseases. This study was designed to evaluate the changes of RLX in patients with unstable angina (UA) complicated with various categories of abnormal glucose metabolism.Patients who confirmed UA by angiographic and clinical standard were grouped according to the glucose metabolism status with oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and medical history categorized as normal, prediabetes, newly diagnosed type 2 DM (T2DM), and previously diagnosed T2DM. Serum RLX-2 was measured and islet β-cell function was evaluated. The severity of the coronary arterial lesions was evaluated with Syntax Scores.Serum RLX-2 was significantly higher in UA patients with prediabetes (median [quartiles]: 9.87 [7.48, 32.58] pg/mL) and newly diagnosed T2DM (18.36 [9.52, 48.08] pg/mL), compared with those with normal glucose tolerance (6.24 [4.02, 7.27] pg/mL, both P < 0.05). Interestingly, UA patients with previously diagnosed T2DM exhibited lower RLX-2 levels (4.17 [3.23, 5.72] pg/mL) compared with those with normal glucose tolerance (P < 0.05). Subsequent analyses indicated that serum RLX-2 was positively associated with parameters of islet β-cell function, C-peptide, and fasting insulin levels; however, it was negatively associated with the levels of fasting glucose, 2-hour postprandial blood glucose, HbA1c, and insulin sensitivity, suggesting a potential protective role of RLX-2 during abnormal glucose metabolism in UA patients. Serum RLX-2 was not correlated with the Syntax Scores in these patients.Serum RLX-2 is a potential marker for UA patients with early glucose metabolism abnormality, and increased RLX-2 level was correlated with preserved islet β-cell function.

Background: We aimed to evaluate possible association between QRS duration (QRSD), R wave peak time (RWPT), and coronary artery disease severity identified using the SYNTAX score (SS) in patients with unstable angina pectoris (USAP) or non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI)., Method: A total of 176 USAP/NSTEMI patients were enrolled in the study., Results: The high SS group (>22, n:45) patients had a higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM); presence of ST segment depression ≥0.5 mm and 1 mm; ST segment elevation in the AVR lead (AVRSTE); longer QRSD and RWPT; and lower left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) than the low SS group (≤22, n: 131). The LVEF, AVRSTE, and RWPT (OR: 1.035, 95% CI: 1.003-1.067; p = 0.030) were independent predictors of high SS., Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that RWPT and AVRSTE could be used as predictors of high SS., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Previous studies have reported an association between aortic valve sclerosis (AVS) and coronary atherosclerosis. However, the threshold of sclerosis used to identify high-risk patients has not yet been determined., Methods: A total of 225 patients admitted with non- ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) or unstable angina was studied. Echocardiography was performed on all patients within 24 h of admission. Sclerosis scores were determined for each aortic cusp, and the average AVS score index (AVSSI) was calculated. The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and variables of left ventricular diastolic function and filling pressure, such as transmitral pulsed Doppler early diastolic velocities (E wave), early diastolic tissue Doppler mitral annular velocities (e'), and E/e', were also determined. These patients underwent coronary angiography, and SYNTAX scores were determined., Results: Patients with an average AVSSI >1 were older, more hypertensive, and had higher rates of previous coronary artery bypass grafting. In addition, the prevalences of significant coronary artery disease (CAD) and three-vessel CAD were higher in these patients. Among the echocardiographic variables, LVEF and e' velocity were significantly lower and E/e' was significantly higher in patients with an AVSSI >1. These patients also had a higher prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy, diastolic dysfunction, and ischemic mitral regurgitation than those with an average AVSSI ≤1. Regression analysis showed that AVS was independently associated with significant CAD and SYNTAX score., Conclusions: The average AVSSI may be a useful marker in the risk stratification of acute coronary syndrome patients, and is consistent with other high-risk echocardiographic variables, the presence of significant CAD, and more complex coronary artery lesions.

Objective: To explore the effects of remote ischemic preconditioning on myocardial injury and prognosis after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with acute coronary syndrome., Patients and Methods: The study was a single center, prospective, randomized, controlled study. A total of 184 patients with unstable angina undergoing elective PCI were randomly assigned to remote ischemic preconditioning group (induced by four times of 5-min inflations of a blood pressure cuff to 200 mmHg around the upper arm, followed by 5-min intervals of reperfusion at 1 h before PCI therapy) or control group (an uninflated cuff around the arm). Successful completion of the PCI eventually included 130 cases of patients, including 72 cases in the remote ischemic preconditioning group and 58 cases in the control group. CK-MB, cTnI, sICAM-1, sVCAM-1 and Hs-CRP levels were measured at 6 am. of the day operating PCI and at 24 h after PCI in the two groups. Major adverse cardiac events were recorded of two groups of patients in the postoperative 6 months. (MACE, including recurrence of angina pectoris, myocardial infarction and death)., Results: There were no statistically significant differences in baseline indicators between the 2 groups. CK - MB, cTnI, sICAM-1, sVCAM-1 and Hs-CRP levels in patients with remote ischemic preconditioning group were significantly lower than those form the control group after PCI (p < 0.05), but there were no significant differences between the occurrence of MACE in the postoperative 6 months (p > 0.05)., Conclusions: Remote ischemic preconditioning can reduce PCI related myocardial injury and protect vascular endothelial function.

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is an important cause of mortality and morbidity in the general population. Recent advances in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and optimal medical treatment have helped to improve the prognosis of patients with ACS. The previous reports indicated that women with ACS have a higher risk of adverse outcomes. However, sex differences in clinical outcomes with contemporary coronary revascularization and medical therapy for ACS have not been elucidated. We analyzed data from 676 consecutive patients with ACS (female, n = 166; male, n = 510) who were treated by emergency PCI between 2011 and 2014 at Juntendo Shizuoka Hospital. The patients were grouped according to sex. We defined major adverse cardiovascular events as a composite of all-cause death and ACS recurrence at 1 year and compared rates of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) between the groups. Women were older (75.4 ± 11.0 vs. 66.2 ± 12.2 years) and had a higher rate of multi-vessel disease, chronic kidney disease, and Killip IV at presentation. The cumulative rate of MACE at 1 year was significantly higher among women than men (17.5 vs. 10.2 %, p = 0.02, log-rank test). However, the association between women and a higher risk of MACE was attenuated after adjusting for age (HR 1.25, 95 % CI 0.77-2.00, p = 0.36) and other variables (HR 0.93, 95 % CI 0.36-2.44, p = 0.88). Adjustment for age and other risk factors attenuated sex differences in mid-term clinical outcomes among patients with ACS after emergency PCI.

Background and Aims: Overt atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) warrants aggressive lipid lowering. Imaging for ambiguous symptoms suggesting ischemia or for clarification of CV risk in asymptomatic individuals often uncovers previously unknown ASCVD. Guidelines do not provide clear recommendations for aggressive lipid lowering in such cases. We explored physicians' perception, as influenced by tests that detect ASCVD, regarding appropriateness of getting to lipid goals and for theoretically accessing proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors (PCSK9i)., Methods: A questionnaire was developed including cases of low to high CV risk, chronic kidney disease (CKD) or type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Each case was considered with or without angina symptoms and, in turn, whether testing identified previously unknown advanced, early/subclinical or no ASCVD. Synthesis of responses was facilitated by using a scale for perceived appropriateness from 1 (lowest) to 9 (highest)., Results: Getting to goal and, if not achieved by statins and/or ezetimibe, accessing PCSK9i was considered appropriate in patients with T2DM with preclinical or advanced ASCVD, patients with moderate or high CV risk and advanced ASCVD, patients with CKD or low CV risk with angina symptoms and advanced ASCVD. For most of the remaining cases adding PCSK9i was considered only possibly appropriate., Conclusions: Physicians' perception of appropriateness for achieving lipid goals, including access to PCSK9i, is markedly influenced by detection of previously unknown ASCVD. Since these commonly encountered scenarios do not clearly meet current indications for PCSK9i, our data identify pressing areas requiring further research., (Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The aims of this study were to examine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and clinical outcomes following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and to determine the relevance of different clinical presentations requiring PCI to this relationship., Background: Obesity is a growing problem, and studies have reported a protective effect from obesity compared with normal BMI for adverse outcomes after PCI., Methods: Between 2005 and 2013, 345,192 participants were included. Data were obtained from the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society registry, and mortality data were obtained through the U.K. Office of National Statistics. Multiple logistic regression was performed to determine the association between BMI group (<18.5, 18.5 to 24.9, 25 to 30 and >30 kg/m 2 ) and adverse in-hospital outcomes and mortality., Results: At 30 days post-PCI, significantly lower mortality was seen in patients with elevated BMIs (odds ratio [OR]: 0.86 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.80 to 0.93] 0.90 [95% CI: 0.82 to 0.98] for BMI 25 to 30 and >30 kg/m 2 , respectively). At 1 year post-PCI, and up to 5 years post-PCI, elevated BMI (either overweight or obese) was an independent predictor of greater survival compared with normal weight (OR: 0.70 [95% CI: 0.67 to 0.73] and 0.73 [95% CI: 0.69 to 0.77], respectively, for 1 year; OR: 0.78 [95% CI: 0.75 to 0.81] and 0.88 [95% CI: 0.84 to 0.92], respectively, for 5 years). Similar reductions in mortality were observed for the analysis according to clinical presentation (stable angina, unstable angina or non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction)., Conclusions: A paradox regarding the independent association of elevated BMI with reduced mortality after PCI is still evident in contemporary U.K. practice. This is seen in both stable and more acute clinical settings., (Copyright © 2017 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease-mineral bone disorder enhances coronary artery impairment (often occult and difficult to diagnose) in hemodialysis (HD) patients. The aim of the study was to correlate biochemical and imagistic parameters of MBD with the degree of documented coronary artery disease (CAD) in non-diabetic HD patients, in order to obtain a MBD-coronary risk score as a screening algorithm., Methods: A 3-year prospective study was conducted on 168 non-diabetic HD patients, evaluating MBD biochemical parameters along with pulse wave velocity (PWV) determination and valve/coronary calcification assessment; coronary angiography was performed in symptomatic patients. Correlations between noninvasive parameters and the degree of coronary obstruction were assessed using IBM SPSS Statistics 20 software, Chi-square test and the determination of odds ratio., Results: Significant differences in serum calcium (p < 0.001), phosphates (p = 0.03), bicarbonate (p < 0.001), albumin and iPTH (p = 0.002), percentage of deviations from PWV normal values (p = 0.004), average doses of phosphate binders and vitamin D and the number of vascular/valve calcifications were noted between the study group (angina, n = 17) and control group (asymptomatic, n = 151). After applying MBD-coronary risk score in control group, coronary angiography was performed in high-score patients., Conclusion: A noninvasive screening algorithm for early diagnosis of CAD in asymptomatic HD patients with altered MBD parameters is necessary. Applying MBD-coronary risk score might be an important step in the prevention of major coronary episodes by extending the indication for further investigations, early diagnosis and treatment management.

Background: In acute coronary syndrome (ACS), potassium levels <3.5 mEq/L are associated with ventricular arrhythmias. Current guidelines therefore recommend a potassium target >4.0 mEq/L in ACS. Our study evaluated the association between potassium levels, cardiac arrhythmias, and cardiovascular death in patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction or unstable angina., Methods: Potassium levels were measured in 6515 patients prior to randomization to receive either ranolazine or a placebo in the MERLIN-TIMI 36 trial. A seven-day continuous electrocardiographic assessment was obtained to determine the incidence of non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT) and ventricular pauses. The association between potassium levels and cardiovascular death was evaluated using a Cox proportional hazards regression model with multivariable adjustment., Results: NSVT lasting for at least eight consecutive beats occurred more frequently at potassium levels <3.5 mEq/L than at potassium levels ⩾5 mEq/L (10.1 vs. 4.5%, p=0.03 for trend), whereas the inverse pattern was observed for ventricular pauses >3 s, which occurred more frequently at potassium levels ⩾5 mEq/L than at potassium levels <3.5 mEq/L (5.9 vs. 2.0%, p=0.03 for trend). There was a U-shaped relationship between the potassium level at admission and both early and late risk of cardiovascular death. Compared with patients with potassium levels of 3.5 to <4 mEq/L, a potassium level <3.5 mEq/L was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular death at day 14 (2.4 vs. 0.8%, HR adj 3.1, p=0.02) and at one year (6.4 vs. 3.0%, HR adj 2.2, p=0.01). The risk of cardiovascular death at one year was also significantly increased at potassium levels ⩾4.5 mEq/L and a similar trend was noted at potassium levels ⩾5 mEq/L., Conclusions: The lowest risk of cardiovascular death was observed in patients with admission potassium levels between 3.5 and 4.5 mEq/L. Both lower and higher levels of potassium were associated with tachyarrhythmias and bradyarrhythmias, suggesting a potential mechanistic explanation for the increased risk of cardiovascular death at the extremes of potassium homeostasis.

The prognostic implications of myocardial computed tomography perfusion (CTP) analyses are unknown. In this sub-study to the CATCH-trial we evaluate the ability of adenosine stress CTP findings to predict mid-term major adverse cardiac events (MACE). In 240 patients with acute-onset chest pain, yet normal electrocardiograms and troponins, a clinically blinded adenosine stress CTP scan was performed in addition to conventional diagnostic evaluation. A reversible perfusion defect (PD) was found in 38 patients (16 %) and during a median follow-up of 19 months (range 12-22 months) 25 patients (10 %) suffered a MACE (cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction and revascularizations). Accuracy for the prediction of MACE expressed as the area under curve (AUC) on receiver-operating characteristic curves was 0.88 (0.83-0.92) for visual assessment of a PD and 0.80 (0.73-0.85) for stress TPR (transmural perfusion ratio). After adjustment for the pretest probability of obstructive coronary artery disease, both detection of a PD and stress TPR were significantly associated with MACE with an adjusted hazard ratio of 39 (95 % confidence interval 11-134), p < 0.0001, for visual interpretation and 0.99 (0.98-0.99) for stress TPR, p < 0.0001. Patients with a PD volume covering >10 % of the LV myocardium had a worse prognosis compared to patients with a PD covering <10 % of the LV myocardium, p = 0.0002. The optimal cut-off value of the myocardial PD extent to predict MACE was 5.3 % of the left ventricle [sensitivity 84 % (64-96), specificity 95 % (91-97)]. Myocardial CT perfusion parameters predict mid-term clinical outcome in patients with recent acute-onset chest pain.

Aim: to study mortality and adverse outcomes in patients with unstable angina (UA) and left bundle branch block (LBBB)., Material and Methods: We included in this study UA patients with (n=56) and without LBBB (n=310). Period of observation was 14 days (from admission to discharge). The following events were considered as adverse outcomes: death, myocardial infarction, carcinogenic shock, and stroke., Results: Combination of UA with LBBB was associated with increases of risk of death (3.4-fold) and myocardial infarction (2.6-fold), shortening of in-hospital mean duration of life and survival time by 1 day.

Aim: This study aims to assess the predictive role of the preprocedural circulating monocyte to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol ratio (MHR) on the occurrence of stent restenosis (SR) in patients with stable and unstable angina pectoris undergoing successful bare-metal stenting (BMS)., Patients & Methods: Between February 2008 and June 2014, a total of 831 patients with stable and unstable angina pectoris who underwent successful BMS were retrospectively analyzed. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients were recorded. Left ventricular ejection fraction and laboratory data were also noted., Results: In the receiver operating characteristics curve analysis, MHR >14 had 71% sensitivity and 69% specificity in predicting SR., Conclusion: Our study results show that preprocedural MHR is an independent predictor of SR in this patient population.

Background: Prior studies show an increased risk of ischemic stroke (IS) after myocardial infarction; however, there is limited evidence on long-term risk and whether it is directly related to cardiac injury. We hypothesized that the risk of IS after acute coronary syndrome is significantly higher if there is evidence of cardiac injury, such as ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) or non-STEMI, than when there is no evidence of cardiac injury, such as in unstable angina., Methods and Results: Administrative claims data were obtained from all emergency department encounters and hospitalizations at California's nonfederal acute care hospitals between 2008 and 2011. Patients with STEMI, non-STEMI, and unstable angina were identified using appropriate International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes. The primary outcome was IS during 2 years of follow-up. Unadjusted and adjusted Cox proportional hazards models were used to determine the association between acute coronary syndrome subtype and IS risk. We identified 73 059 patients with a diagnosis of STEMI (n=26 427), non-STEMI (n=39 833), or unstable angina (n=6819) during the study period. In the fully adjusted models that included potential confounders such as atrial fibrillation and congestive heart failure, the risk of IS was higher with STEMI (hazard ratio 4.17, 95% CI 3.00-5.83; P<0.001) and non-STEMI (hazard ratio 3.73, 95% CI 2.68-5.19, P<0.001) compared with unstable angina., Conclusions: Non-STEMI and STEMI confer an equally increased risk of IS. Studies exploring IS mechanisms in cardiac patients are needed to improve and tailor stroke prevention strategies., (© 2016 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.)

Background: Coronary arteries originating from the right coronary ostium in the ascending aorta represent a very rare anatomic presentation. Also, the presence of a single coronary ostium is an extremely rare finding., Case Presentation: We present the case of a 74-year-old Albanian man from Kosovo. He had unstable angina due to critical triple vessel disease and a single coronary artery originating from a single ostium in the right sinus of Valsalva with an anomalous course of his left anterior descending artery anteriorly to the right ventricular outflow tract as a "T-vessel" from which originated the proximal and distal left anterior descending artery, the circumflex artery originating from the mid portion of the right coronary artery which had a normal course. He underwent successful coronary revascularization consisting of three vein grafts to the right coronary artery, first diagonal and obtuse marginal artery, and left internal mammary artery anastomosed to left anterior descending artery., Conclusions: We describe a proposed IID1 pattern. After a careful revision of the literature, only six cases have been reported with a similar anomalous coronary origin. Only two out of six patients underwent surgical coronary revascularization. In our case the aberrant vessel arising from his right coronary artery coursed anteriorly to the right ventricle and continued as a left anterior descending artery at its mid portion which then continued distally as the distal left anterior descending artery and proximally as a proximal left anterior descending artery, having the shape of a "T vessel". The "T-vessel" configuration has never been reported in the literature. The reported case with its specific presentation adds further information on this rare form of anomalous origin of the coronary arteries, representing a first report of a configuration that we name the "T-vessel" of the left anterior descending artery. Diagnosis of the coronary anatomy is very important for the invasive cardiologist and cardiac surgeon in cases with a single coronary ostium, such as our case, so that they can proceed with the invasive or surgical treatment when critical coronary artery disease is present.

Unlabelled: Pyoderma gangrenosum is a dermatosis which associates both, necrosis and polynuclear infiltration of the skin. While the aetiology is not well understood, the disease is thought to be due to immune system dysfunction and it can occur after minor trauma or surgery. Although it has seldom been reported after cardiac surgery in the literature, it is not exceptional. Here we report a case of pyoderma gangrenosum after coronary artery bypass grafting in a 76-year-old patient with chronic idiopathic myelofibrosis. Diagnosis was clinically made and the patient was treated with systemic steroids. The lesions showed a remarkable improvement with this therapy. In the field of cardiac surgery, physicians of the surgical team and nurses should think about this diagnosis in all rapidly expanding postoperative lesions without improvement after debridement or antibiotics., Declaration of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

A 73-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of chest pain at rest. Electrocardiography (ECG) showed an ST-segment depression, a negative U-wave in the precordial leads, and a right axis deviation (RAD) tendency. Coronary angiography revealed occlusion of the right coronary artery. Collateral flow from the jeopardized left anterior descending artery to the posterior descending artery (PDA) was fair. After successful revascularization, improvement in the ECG findings was noted. Since blood supply to the left posterior fascicle is dependent on the PDA, the RAD tendency could be explained by the presence of a transient ischemic left posterior hemiblock.

Background: Clinical practice guidelines support an early invasive approach after NSTE-ACS in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). There is no direct randomised controlled trial evidence in the CKD population, and whether the benefit of an early invasive approach is maintained across the spectrum of severity of CKD remains controversial., Methods: We conducted a systematic review to evaluate the association between an early invasive approach and all-cause mortality in patients with CKD. We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE (1990-May 2015) and article reference lists. Data describing study design, participants, invasive management strategies, renal function, all-cause mortality and risk of bias were extracted., Results: 3,861 potentially relevant studies were identified. Ten studies, representing data on 147,908 individuals with NSTE-ACS met the inclusion criteria. Qualitative heterogeneity in the definitions of early invasive approach, comparison groups and renal dysfunction existed. Meta-analysis of the RCT derived and observational data were generally supportive of an early invasive approach in CKD (RR0.76 (95% CI 0.49-1.17) and RR0.50 (95%CI 0.42-0.59) respectively). Meta-analysis of the observational studies demonstrated a large degree of heterogeneity (I2 79%) driven in part by study size and heterogeneity across various kidney function levels., Conclusions: The observational data support that an early invasive approach after NSTE-ACS confers a survival benefit in those with early-moderate CKD. Local opportunities for quality improvement should be sought. Those with severe CKD and the dialysis population are high risk and under-studied. Novel and inclusive approaches for CKD and dialysis patients in cardiovascular clinical trials are needed.

Risk assessment plays a major role in the management of acute coronary syndrome. The aim was to compare the performance of the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) and the Can Rapid risk stratification of Unstable angina patients Suppress Adverse outcomes with Early implementation of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Asociation guidelines (CRUSADE) risk scores to predict in-hospital mortality and major bleeding (MB) in 1,587 consecutive patients with acute coronary syndrome. In-hospital deaths and bleeding complications were prospectively collected. Bleeding complications were defined according to CRUSADE and Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) criteria. During the hospitalization, 71 patients (4.5%) died, 37 patients (2.3%) had BARC MB and 34 patients (2.1%) had CRUSADE MB. Receiver operating characteristic curves analyses showed GRACE risk score has better discrimination capacity than CRUSADE risk score for both, mortality (0.86 vs 0.79; p = 0.018) and BARC MB (0.80 vs 0.73; p = 0.028), but similar for CRUSADE MB (0.79 vs 0.79; p = 0.921). Both scores had low discrimination for predicting MB in the elderly (>75 years) and patients with atrial fibrillation, whereas CRUSADE risk score was especially poor for predicting MB in patients with <60 ml/min/1.73 m(2) or those treated with new antiplatelets. Reclassification analyses showed GRACE risk score was associated with a significant improvement in the predictive accuracy of CRUSADE risk score for predicting mortality (net reclassification improvement: 22.5%; p <0.001) and MB (net reclassification improvement: 17.6%; p = 0.033) but not for CRUSADE MB. In conclusion, GRACE risk score has a better predictive performance for predicting both in-hospital mortality and BARC MB. In light of these findings, we propose the GRACE score as a single score to predict these in-hospital complications., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Limited data exist regarding the outcomes of patients with nonobstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) detected by computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) or invasive coronary angiography (ICA). Our aim was to compare the prognosis of patients with nonobstructive coronary artery plaques with that of patients with entirely normal arteries. The MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases were searched. Studies comparing the prognosis of individuals with nonobstructive CAD versus normal coronary arteries detected by CTCA or ICA were included. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiac events (MACE) including cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, hospitalization due to unstable angina or revascularization. A fixed effects model was chosen to pool the estimates of odds ratios (ORs). Forty-eight studies with 64,905 individuals met the inclusion criteria. Patients in the nonobstructive CAD arm had a significantly higher risk of MACE compared to their counterparts in the normal artery arm (pooled OR, 3.17, 95% confidence interval, 2.77-3.63). When excluding revascularization as an endpoint, hard cardiac composite outcomes were also more frequent among patients with nonobstructive CAD (pooled OR, 2.10; 95%CI, 1.79-2.45). All subgroups (age, sex, follow-up duration, different outcomes, diagnostic modality, and CAD risk factor) consistently showed a poorer prognosis with nonobstructive CAD than with normal arteries. When dividing the studies into a CTCA and ICA group for further analysis based on the indications for diagnostic tests, we also found nonobstructive CAD to be associated with a higher risk of MACE in both stable and acute chest pain. Patients with nonobstructive CAD had a poorer prognosis compared with their counterparts with normal arteries.

Introduction: type 2 diabetes mellitus is one of the most important medical and social problems in the world. Patients with diabetes are prone to coronary artery disease, in particular acute coronary syndrome, with atypical clinical signs and susceptibility to tachycardia. Elevated heart rate is an important factor of premature mortality in all patients with acute coronary syndrome. The aim of the investigation was to reveal the heart rate peculiarities in unstable angina and non-ST elevation myocardial infarction patients suffering from diabetes mellitus type 2 for more effective treatment of these patients., Materials and Methods: 40 patients with unstable angina and non-ST elevation myocardial infarction were examined in the consecutive way during 2013- 2015 years. The patients were divided in two groups. The main group consisted of 25 patients with UA and NSTEMI with concomitant DM. The control group consisted of 15 patients with UA and NSTEMI but without DM. Basic clinical examinations, electrocardiography and 24 hours electrocardiography monitoring were performed. Carvedilol in the dose from 12.5 to 25 mg daily was also prescribed., Results: we revealed statistically higher heart rate in the patients with unstable angina, non-ST elevation myocardial infarction and concomitant DM on hospitalization, at the fifth day of treatment and before their discharge from the hospital., Conclusions: 1. Patients with unstable angina and non-ST elevation myocardial infarction in associations with diabetes mellitus type 2 are characterized with increased heart rate partly resistant to β-blockers, which indicates worse prognosis of cardiovascular diseases. 2. Prescription of carvedilol in daily dose 12.5 - 25 mg. is inadequate for obtaining HR < 70 bmp. in some patients with acute coronary syndrome and diabetes mellitus. 3. According to heart rate resistance to β-blockers in patients with unstable angina and non-ST elevation myocardial infarction and concomitant diabetes mellitus patients need individual titration of higher doses of carvedilol.

Objective: To investigate the association between the severity of erectile dysfunction (ED) and coronary artery disease (CAD) in men undergoing coronary angiography for angina or acute myocardial infarct (AMI)., Material and Methods: We studied 132 males who underwent coronary angiography for first time between January and November 2010. ED severity was assessed by the international index of erectile function (IIEF-5) and CAD severity was assessed by the Syntax score. Patients with CAD (cases) and without CAD (controls) had their IIEF-5 compared. In the group with CAD, their IIEF-5 scores were compared to their Syntax score results., Results: We identified 86 patients with and 46 without CAD. The IIEF-5 score of the group without CAD (22.6±0.8) was significantly higher than the group with CAD (12.5±0.5; p<0.0001). In patients without ED, the Syntax score average was 6.3±3.5, while those with moderate or severe ED had a mean Syntax score of 39.0±11.1. After adjustment, ED was independently associated to CAD, with an odds ratio of 40.6 (CI 95%, 14.3-115.3, p<0.0001). The accuracy of the logistic model to correctly identify presence or absence of CAD was 87%, with 92% sensitivity and 78% specificity. The average time that ED was present in patients with CAD was 38.8±2.3 months before coronary symptoms, about twice as high as patients without CAD (18.0±5.1 months)., Conclusions: ED severity is strongly and independently correlated with CAD complexity, as assessed by the Syntax score in patients undergoing coronariography for evaluation of new onset coronary symptoms.

Introduction: type 2 diabetes mellitus is one of the most important medical and social problems in the world. Patients with diabetes are prone to coronary artery disease, in particular acute coronary syndrome, with atypical clinical signs and susceptibility to tachycardia. Elevated heart rate is an important factor of premature mortality in all patients with acute coronary syndrome. The aim of the investigation was to reveal the heart rate peculiarities in unstable angina and non-ST elevation myocardial infarction patients suffering from diabetes mellitus type 2 for more effective treatment of these patients., Materials and Methods: 40 patients with unstable angina and non-ST elevation myocardial infarction were examined in the consecutive way during 2013- 2015 years. The patients were divided in two groups. The main group consisted of 25 patients with UA and NSTEMI with concomitant DM. The control group consisted of 15 patients with UA and NSTEMI but without DM. Basic clinical examinations, electrocardiography and 24 hours electrocardiography monitoring were performed. Carvedilol in the dose from 12.5 to 25 mg daily was also prescribed., Results: we revealed statistically higher heart rate in the patients with unstable angina, non-ST elevation myocardial infarction and concomitant DM on hospitalization, at the fifth day of treatment and before their discharge from the hospital., Conclusions: 1. Patients with unstable angina and non-ST elevation myocardial infarction in associations with diabetes mellitus type 2 are characterized with increased heart rate partly resistant to β-blockers, which indicates worse prognosis of cardiovascular diseases. 2. Prescription of carvedilol in daily dose 12.5 - 25 mg. is inadequate for obtaining HR < 70 bmp. in some patients with acute coronary syndrome and diabetes mellitus. 3. According to heart rate resistance to β-blockers in patients with unstable angina and non-ST elevation myocardial infarction and concomitant diabetes mellitus patients need individual titration of higher doses of carvedilol.