Cardiovascular Events In Coronary Artery Disease Patients Research Articles

The role of coronary artery disease in lung transplantation: a propensity-matched analysis.

Candidate selection for lung transplantation (LuTx) is pivotal to ensure individual patient benefit as well as optimal donor organ allocation. The impact of coronary artery disease (CAD) on post-transplant outcomes remains controversial. We provide comprehensive data on the relevance of CAD for short- and long-term outcomes following LuTx and identify risk factors for mortality. We retrospectively analyzed all adult patients (≥ 18years) undergoing primary and isolated LuTx between January 2000 and August 2021 at the LMU University Hospital transplant center. Using 1:1 propensity score matching, 98 corresponding pairs of LuTx patients with and without relevant CAD were identified. Among 1,003 patients having undergone LuTx, 104 (10.4%) had relevant CAD at baseline. There were no significant differences in in-hospital mortality (8.2% vs. 8.2%, p > 0.999) as well as overall survival (HR 0.90, 95%CI [0.61, 1.32], p = 0.800) between matched CAD and non-CAD patients. Similarly, cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction (7.1% CAD vs. 2.0% non-CAD, p = 0.170), revascularization by percutaneous coronary intervention (5.1% vs. 1.0%, p = 0.212), and stroke (2.0% vs. 6.1%, p = 0.279), did not differ statistically between both matched groups. 7.1% in the CAD group and 2.0% in the non-CAD group (p = 0.078) died from cardiovascular causes. Cox regression analysis identified age at transplantation (HR 1.02, 95%CI [1.01, 1.04], p < 0.001), elevated bilirubin (HR 1.33, 95%CI [1.15, 1.54], p < 0.001), obstructive lung disease (HR 1.43, 95%CI [1.01, 2.02], p = 0.041), decreased forced vital capacity (HR 0.99, 95%CI [0.99, 1.00], p = 0.042), necessity of reoperation (HR 3.51, 95%CI [2.97, 4.14], p < 0.001) and early transplantation time (HR 0.97, 95%CI [0.95, 0.99], p = 0.001) as risk factors for all-cause mortality, but not relevant CAD (HR 0.96, 95%CI [0.71, 1.29], p = 0.788). Double lung transplant was associated with lower all-cause mortality (HR 0.65, 95%CI [0.52, 0.80], p < 0.001), but higher in-hospital mortality (OR 2.04, 95%CI [1.04, 4.01], p = 0.039). In this cohort, relevant CAD was not associated with worse outcomes and should therefore not be considered a contraindication for LuTx. Nonetheless, cardiovascular events in CAD patients highlight the necessity of control of cardiovascular risk factors and a structured cardiac follow-up.

Association of triglyceride-glucose index with adverse cardiovascular events in patients with established coronary artery disease according to different inflammatory status

Background and aimsThis study aimed to investigate the association of the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, a simple-but-reliable indicator of insulin resistance, with risk of cardiovascular (CV) events in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with different inflammation status. Methods and resultsWe consecutively recruited 20,518 patients with angiograph-proven-CAD from 2017 to 2018 at Fuwai Hospital. Patients were categorized according to baseline TyG index tertiles (T) (tertile 1: ≤8.624; T2: 8.624–9.902 and T3: >9.902) and further assigned into 6 groups by high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) medians. The primary endpoint was CV events including CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction and nonfatal stroke. During the 3.1-year-follow-up, 618 (3.0%) CV events were recorded. Overall, patients with high TyG index levels (T2 or T3) showed significantly increased risk of CV events (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.24; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01–1.53; HR: 1.33; 95%CI: 1.05–1.68, respectively) compared with those with lowest Tyg index (T1) after adjusting for confounding factors. Upon stratification by hsCRP levels, elevated TyG index was associated with increased risk of CV events only in patients with hsCRP levels > median (per-1-unit-increase HR: 1.39; 95%CI: 1.11–1.74), rather than in those with hsCRP levels ≤ median. Furthermore, adding the TyG index to the predicting model led to a significant improvement in patients with hsCRP > median rather than in those with hsCRP ≤ median. ConclusionsWe firstly found that elevated TyG index levels were associated with increased risk of CV events in CAD patients, especially in those with increased inflammatory status, suggesting that it could help in risk stratification and prognosis in this population.

Reliability and validity of sit-to-stand test protocols in patients with coronary artery disease.

BackgroundSit-To-Stand (STS) tests are reported as feasible alternatives for the assessment of functional fitness but the reliability of these tests in people with coronary artery disease (CAD) has not been reported. This study explored the test-retest reliability, convergent and known-groups validity of the five times, 30-sec and 1-min sit-to-stand test (FTSTS test, 30-s STS test and 1-min STS test respectively) in patients with CAD. The feasibility of applying these tests to distinguish the level of risk for cardiovascular events in CAD patients was also investigated.MethodsPatients with stable CAD performed a 6MWT and 3 STS tests in random order on the same day. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were conducted using STS test data to differentiate patients with low or high risk of cardiovascular events based on the risk level determined by distance covered in the 6MWT as > or ≤ 419 m. Thirty patients repeated the 3 STS tests on the following day.Results112 subjects with diagnoses of atherosclerosis or post-percutaneous coronary intervention, or post-acute myocardial infarction (post-AMI) participated in the validity analysis. All 3 STS tests demonstrated moderate and significant correlation with the 6MWT (coefficient values r for the FTSTS, 30-s STS and 1-min STS tests were−0.53, 0.57 and 0.55 respectively). Correlations between left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and all STS tests and between 6MWT and LVEF were only weak (r values ranged from 0.27 to 0.31). Subgroup analysis showed participants in the post-AMI group performed worse in all tests compared to non-myocardial infarction (non-MI) group. The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.80 for FTSTS (sensitivity: 75.0%, specificity: 73.8%, optimal cut-off: >11.7 sec), and the AUC, sensitivity, specificity and optimal cut-off for 30-s STS and 1-min STS test were 0.83, 75.0%, 76.2%, ≤ 12 repetitions and 0.80, 71.4%, 73.8%, ≤ 23 repetitions respectively. The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for repeated measurements of the FTSTS, 30-s STS and 1-min STS tests were 0.96, 0.95 and 0.96 respectively, with the minimal detectable change (MDC95) computed to be 1.1 sec 1.8 repetitions and 3.9 repetitions respectively.ConclusionsAll STS tests demonstrated good test-retest reliability, convergent and known-groups validity. STS tests may discriminate low from high levels of risk for a cardiovascular event in patients with CAD.

The correlation between lipoprotein(a) elevations and the risk of recurrent cardiovascular events in CAD patients with different LDL-C levels

BackgroundLipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] elevation is an important risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the correlation between Lp(a) elevations and the risk of recurrent cardiovascular events in patients with established cardiovascular disease is controversial. Some studies have shown that Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels may influence the association between Lp(a) and cardiovascular risk. Our study aims to explore the correlation between Lp(a) elevations and cardiovascular risk in patients with different LDL-C levels.MethodsWe included 516 patients who received coronary stents due to acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and followed them for three years. They were divided into low-Lp(a) group and high-Lp(a) group according to Lp(a) levels, and the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and acute coronary events (ACE) was compared between the two groups. Then the patients were divided into three subgroups (S1:LDL-C ≥ 1.8 mmol/L; S2:1.4 ≤ LDL-C < 1.8 mmol/L; S3:LDL-C < 1.4 mmol/L). The correlation between Lp(a) elevations and cardiovascular risk in different subgroups was analysed by Cox proportional hazards models.ResultsThe incidence of MACE and ACE in the high-Lp(a) group was significantly higher than those in the low-Lp(a) group (P < 0.05). Lp(a) elevations had independent prognostic value from the statistical point of view (MACE: HR = 1.63, 95%CI = 1.12–2.38, P = 0.012; ACE: HR = 1.70, 95%CI = 1.03–2.81, P = 0.037). Subgroup analysis showed that Lp(a) elevations increased cardiovascular risk when LDL-C ≥ 1.4 mmol/L. However, this correlation no longer existed when LDL-C levels were very low (< 1.4 mmol/L) (MACE: HR = 0.49, 95%CI = 0.17–1.42, P = 0.186; ACE: HR = 0.68, 95%CI = 0.18–2.61, P = 0.570).ConclusionsLp(a) elevations are associated with recurrent cardiovascular events when LDL-C levels are high, but this association may change when LDL-C levels are extremely low. CAD patients with combination of LDL-C ≥ 1.4 mmol/L and Lp(a) elevations shall be considered as high-risk groups and require further medication for the reduction of their LDL-C levels.

Association of whole blood microRNA expression with platelet function and turnover in patients with coronary artery disease

IntroductionThe risk of recurrent cardiovascular events in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) is determined by multiple factors including platelet function and turnover. MicroRNAs (miRs) may regulate both platelet function and turnover. We aimed to identify candidate miRs associating with platelet function and turnover in a cohort of stable CAD patients. Furthermore, we retrieved information on binding targets of the candidate miRs to obtain a more comprehensive biological insight into miR regulation of platelet function and turnover. MethodsBased on existing literature and a pilot study, we identified nine candidate miRs. Subsequently, we investigated the expression of the candidate miRs in whole blood and their relation to platelet function and turnover in 749 CAD patients. Platelet function was analysed using impedance aggregometry, optical aggregometry and serum thromboxane B2 measurements. Platelet turnover markers (immature platelet count, immature platelet fraction and mean platelet volume) were measured using monochromatic automated flow cytometry. ResultsExpression of miR-93-5p, miR-126-3p, miR-150-5p, miR-423-3p and miR-1180-3p showed negative correlations with platelet function (p-values from <0.0001 to 0.0006, rho from −0.13 to −0.36). In addition, expression of miR-423-3p showed negative correlation with platelet turnover markers (p-values from 0.001 to 0.004, rho from −0.11 to −0.12). ConclusionsWe identified several novel miRs that may regulate platelet function and turnover, thereby contributing to the increased risk of recurrent cardiovascular events in CAD patients.

Serum Levels of lncRNA CCHE1 and TCF21 in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease and Their Clinical Significances.

Objective To detect serum level changes of CCHE1 and TCF21 in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients and to explore their clinical significances. Patients and Methods. A total of 150 CAD patients were divided into the mild lesion group (n = 52), moderate lesion group (n = 48), and severe lesion group (n = 50), respectively, according to the Gensini score. In addition, they were divided into single vessel lesion (n = 42), two vessel lesions (n = 49), and three vessel lesions group (n = 59), respectively. Serum levels of CCHE1 and TCF21 in CAD patients were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Spearman's rank correlation was conducted to assess the relationship between levels of CCHE1 and TCF21 and severity and numbers of vessel lesions in CAD. Pearson's correlation test was used for analyzing the correlation between CCHE1 and TCF21 levels. A multivariable logistic regression test was performed to evaluate the influences of CCHE1 and TCF21 levels on CAD severity and the occurrence of cardiovascular events within 3 years of follow-up. Results Significant differences in incidences of diabetes and hypertension were identified in CAD patients divided according to CAD severity. In addition, significant differences in incidences of drinking, diabetes, and hypertension were identified in CAD patients divided according to numbers of vessel lesions. The serum level of CCHE1 was positively related to CAD severity and numbers of vessel lesions, while TCF21 displayed a negative relationship. During the 3-year follow-up, the incidence of cardiovascular events was 39.3% (59/150). CAD severity, numbers of vessel lesions, and serum levels of CCHE1 and TCF21 were independent factors influencing the occurrence of cardiovascular events in CAD patients. Conclusions The increased serum level of CCHE1 and decreased TCF21 level are closely related to CAD severity, which are able to influence the prognosis in CAD patients.

The Impact of Subclinical Hyperthyroidism on Cardiovascular Prognosis in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Limited studies have focused on the impact of subclinical hyperthyroidism (SHyper) on poor prognosis in patients with known coronary artery disease (CAD). We implemented the present study to explore the association between SHyper and adverse cardiovascular events in CAD patients who underwent drug-eluting stent implantation. We consecutively recruited 8283 CAD patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). All subjects were divided into 2 groups according to their thyroid function: group 1 (euthyroidism group, n = 7942) and group 2 (SHyper group, n = 341). After 1:4 propensity score (PS) matching, 1603 patients (332 SHyper group and 1271 euthyroidism group) were selected. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), a composite of cardiac mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), and target vessel revascularization (TVR). Kaplan-Meier (K-M) survival analyses suggested that there was no significant difference in the primary endpoint and secondary endpoints (MACE: 11.4% vs 8.8%, log-rank P = .124; cardiac death: 1.2% vs 0.9%, log-rank P = .540; nonfatal MI: 5.7% vs 4%, log-rank P = .177; and TVR: 6% vs 4.7%, log-rank P = .303) in the PS-matched population. Cox regression analysis indicated that SHyper was not an independent risk factor for MACEs (HR 1.33, 95% CI 0.92-1.92, P = .127). SHyper is not independently associated with adverse cardiovascular events in CAD patients undergoing PCI. More studies should be implemented in the future to assess the long-term predictive value of SHyper with thyrotropin levels <0.1 mIU/L for CAD patients undergoing PCI.

Abstract 8937: Type 2 Diabetes Significantly Modulates the Power of Lipoprotein(a) to Predict Cardiovascular Events and Mortality in Young Coronary Artery Disease Patients

Introduction: Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is an important cardiovascular risk factor especially in young individuals. Hypothesis: We hypothesize that Lp(a) has the power to predict cardiovascular events in young coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Methods: Lp(a) was measured in a cohort of 731 patients with angiographically proven CAD who were aged &lt;65 years. Vascular events were recorded over a mean follow-up of 6.6±3.2 years. At baseline, 216 patients had T2DM, and 515 did not have diabetes. Results: During follow-up, 30.2% of our patients suffered cardiovascular events. Lp(a) proved to be a strong and independent predictor of vascular events in the total study cohort (standardized adjusted HR=1.30 [1.07-1.56]; p=0.007). In subgroup analyses by diabetes status, Lp(a) significantly predicted vascular events in non-diabetic patients (standardized adjusted HR= 1.39 [1.12-1.74]; p=0.003) but not in diabetic patients (standardized adjusted HR=0.93 [0.63-1.38]; p=0.731). An interaction term Lp(a)xT2DM was significant (p=0.002), indicating that T2DM significantly modulated the power of Lp(a) to predict cardiovascular events. Conclusions: We conclude that Lp(a) significantly modulates the power of Lp(a) to predict cardiovascular events in CAD patients &lt;65 years.

Type 2 diabetes significantly modulates the power of lipoprotein(a) to predict cardiovascular events and mortality in young coronary artery disease patients

Abstract Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is an important cardiovascular risk factor especially in young individuals. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether Lp(a) has the power to predict cardiovascular events in young coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Lp(a) was measured in a cohort of 731 patients with angiographically proven CAD who were aged &amp;lt;65 years. Vascular events were recorded over a mean follow-up of 6.6±3.2 years. At baseline, 216 patients had T2DM, and 515 did not have diabetes. During follow-up, 30.2% of our patients suffered cardiovascular events. Lp(a) proved to be a strong and independent predictor of vascular events in the total study cohort (standardized adjusted HR=1.30 [1.07–1.56]; p=0.007). In subgroup analyses by diabetes status, Lp(a) significantly predicted vascular events in non-diabetic patients (standardized adjusted HR= 1.39 [1.12–1.74]; p=0.003) but not in diabetic patients (standardized adjusted HR=0.93 [0.63–1.38]; p=0.731). An interaction term Lp(a) x T2DM was significant (p=0.002), indicating that T2DM significantly modulated the power of Lp(a) to predict cardiovascular events. We conclude that Lp(a) significantly modulates the power of Lp(a) to predict cardiovascular events in CAD patients &amp;lt;65 years. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

Association between phosphate and long-term outcome in CAD patients underwent coronary intervention

Phosphate has been linked to higher cardiovascular (CV) risk. However, whether phosphate is associated with poor outcomes for patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) after percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) remained undetermined. 2,894 CAD patients (2,220 male, aged 71.6 ± 12.2), who received PCI at TVGH from 2006 to 2015, with phosphate measurement, were enrolled. The primary outcome was the composite of major adverse CV events [MACE, comprising of CV death, nonfatal MI, and nonfatal stroke] and heart failure hospitalization (HHF). The key secondary outcome was MACE. There was a J-curve association between phosphate and CV events after adjusted for comorbidities and renal function. Phosphate around 3.2 ± 0.1 mg/dL was associated with the lowest CV risk. In Cox analysis, each 1 mg/dL increases in phosphate was associated with a higher risk of MACE + HHF (HR: 1.12, 95% CI: 1.05–1.21): CV death (HR: 1.37, 95% CI: 1.22–1.55) and HHF (HR: 1.12, 95% CI: 1.02–1.23). Subgroup analyses showed more prominent association between phosphate and MACE + HHF in male, age > 65, bare-metal stents (BMSs), LVEF < 50%, eGFR < 60, LDL > 70 mg/dL, and emergent PCI. Phosphate has a significant association with the risk of CV events in CAD patients undergoing PCI that was independent of comorbidities and renal function.

381-P: Type 2 Diabetes Significantly Modulates the Power of Lipoprotein(a) to Predict Cardiovascular Events and Mortality in Young Coronary Artery Disease Patients

Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is an important cardiovascular risk factor especially in young individuals. The power of Lp(a) to predict cardiovascular events in young coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) however is unclear and is addressed in the present study. Lp(a) was measured in a cohort of 731 patients with angiographically proven CAD who were aged &amp;lt;65 years. Vascular events were recorded over a mean follow-up of 6.6±3.2 years. At baseline, 216 patients had T2DM, and 515 did not have diabetes. During follow-up, 30.2% of our patients suffered cardiovascular events. Lp(a) proved to be a strong and independent predictor of vascular events in the total study cohort (standardized adjusted HR=1.30 [1.07-1.56]; p=0.007). In subgroup analyses by diabetes status, Lp(a) significantly predicted vascular events in nondiabetic patients (standardized adjusted HR= 1.39 [1.12-1.74]; p=0.003) but not in diabetic patients (standardized adjusted HR=0.93 [0.63-1.38]; p=0.731). An interaction term Lp(a)xT2DM was significant (p=0.002), indicating that T2DM significantly modulated the power of Lp(a) to predict cardiovascular events. We conclude that Lp(a) significantly modulates the power of Lp(a) to predict cardiovascular events in CAD patients &amp;lt;65 years. Disclosure A. Mader: None. C. H. Saely: None. M. Maechler: None. B. Larcher: None. L. Sprenger: None. B. Mutschlechner: None. A. Leiherer: None. A. Muendlein: None. A. Vonbank: None. H. Drexel: None.

Abstract 15487: Combined Effects of Lipoprotein(a) and Hypertension in Predicting Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease

Introduction: Although emerging data have suggested that circulating lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] could predict cardiovascular events (CVEs) in patients with cardiovascular disease, no study is currently available regarding the prognostic significance of Lp(a) in patients with hypertension. Hypothesis: We assessed the hypothesis that there is a prognostic linkage between hypertension and Lp(a) concentrations in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods: A total of 8668 patients with stable CAD were consecutively enrolled. Baseline Lp(a) concentrations of them were measured. All subjects were categorized according to Lp(a) levels of &lt;10 (low), 10-30 (medium) and 30 mg/dL (high) and were further stratified by hypertension status. They were regularly followed-up for the occurrence of cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction and stroke. Results: Over an average of 54.81±18.60 months follow-up, 584 (6.7%) CVEs occurred. Kaplan-Meier and multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that elevated Lp(a) levels had a significant association with CVEs in hypertensive patients, regardless of the control status of blood pressure, but not in normotensive subjects. Moreover, when subgrouping according to both Lp(a) categories and hypertension status, the risk for CVEs was only significantly elevated in high Lp(a) plus hypertension group compared with the reference group with low Lp(a) levels and normotension (hazard ratio: 1.85, 95% confidence interval: 1.19-2.85). Conclusions: In conclusion, elevated Lp(a) was associated with higher risk for CVEs in CAD patients with hypertension and the coexistence of high Lp(a) concentrations and hypertension greatly worsened the clinical prognosis. Our findings may present a prognostic linkage between hypertension and Lp(a) concentrations in patients with CAD.

High parathormone levels are associated with adverse cardiovascular events in coronary patients with high fibroblast growth factor-23

Abstract Background Disturbances of the components of the mineral metabolism (MM) (vitamin D, phosphate, parathormone [PTH], fibroblast growth factor-23 [FGF23] and klotho) have been linked to cardiovascular disease. However, the available data are controversial, probably because most studies deal with individual rather than with the whole MM components. Purpose To the study the relationship between MM components and cardiovascular events, after controlling for other well-known markers (N-Terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide [NT-proBNP], high-sensitivity troponin I [hs-TnI], and high-sensitivity c-reactive protein [hs-CRP]), and relevant clinical variables in stable coronary artery disease (CAD) patients. Methods We analyzed the aforementioned markers in 964 CAD patients and followed them subsequently. The primary outcome (PO) was the composite of ischemic events (acute coronary syndrome, stroke or transient ischemic attack), heart failure and death. Secondary outcomes were any ischemic event and the composite of heart failure and death. Results Median follow-up was 5.39 years (2.81 - 6.92). Age was 60 (52–72) years and 76.2% patients were male. Median glomerular filtration rate was 80.4 (65.3–93.1) ml/min/1.73 m2. 185 patients developed the PO. At the univariate analysis PTH, FGF23, NT-proBNP and hs-TnI were directly associated with the PO, while calcidiol and Klotho were inversely related, and phosphate did not reach statistical significance. However, only PTH (HR 1.058 [CI 1.021–1.097]; p=0.002) and NT-proBNP (HR 1.020 [CI 1.012–1.028]; p&amp;lt;0.001) were independent predictors of the PO at multivariate Cox regression analysis. Both PTH and NT-proBNP were also independent predictors of HF or death (HR 1.066 [1.016 - 1.119]; p=0.009 and HR 1.024 [1.014 - 1.034]; p&amp;lt;0.001 respectively), while only PTH predicted ischemic events (HR 1.052 [1.010–1.096]; p=0.016). After dividing patients in two subgroups according to whether they had FGF23 plasma levels above the median (85.5 RU/ml) or not, PTH remained as a predictor of the PO only in the subgroup with FGF23 &amp;gt;85.5 RU/ml (p&amp;lt;0.001), but not in patients with FGF23 ≤85.5 RU/ml (p=0.551). There was a significant interaction between FGF23 and PTH plasma levels (p=0.002). Conclusion PTH predicts cardiovascular events in CAD patients with elevated FGF23 levels even after taking into account all the other components of MM and controlling for NT-ProBNP, hs-CPR and TnI. There is an interaction between PTH and FGF23 levels, and they should be assessed together when exploring their potential predictive power. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Public Institution(s). Main funding source(s): Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias

Meta-analysis Evaluating the Utility of Colchicine in Secondary Prevention of Coronary Artery Disease

Colchicine has shown potential therapeutic benefits in cardiovascular conditions owing to its broad anti-inflammatory properties. Here, we performed a meta-analysis to determine the efficacy and safety of colchicine in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). A systematical search in electronic databases of PubMed, The Cochrane Library, and Scopus were carried out to identify eligible studies. Only randomized controlled trials evaluating the cardiovascular effects of colchicine in CAD patients were included. Study-level data of cardiovascular outcomes or adverse events were pooled using random-effect models. We finally included 5 randomized controlled trials with follow-up duration ≥6 months, comprising a total of 11,790 patients with CAD. Compared with placebo or no treatment, colchicine administration was associated with a significantly lower incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (relative risk [RR] 0.65, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.52 to 0.82). Such a benefit was not modified by the clinical phenotype of CAD (p for interaction = 0.34). Colchicine treatment also decreased the risk of myocardial infarction (RR 0.73, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.98), coronary revascularization (RR 0.61, 95% CI 0.42 to 0.89) and stroke (RR 0.47, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.81) in CAD patients, but with no impact on cardiovascular mortality. In addition, the rates of common adverse events were generally similar between colchicine and control groups, including noncardiovascular deaths (RR 1.50, 95% CI 0.93 to 2.40) and gastrointestinal symptoms (RR 1.05, 95% CI 0.91 to 1.22). In conclusion, the results of our meta-analysis demonstrated that colchicine treatment may reduce the risk of future cardiovascular events in CAD patients.

Clinical significance of chronic myocardial ischemia in coronary artery disease patients.

Myocardial ischemia is considered the cornerstone of the treatment of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Although the deleterious effects of myocardial infarction, the maximum expression of ischemia, have been extensively studied and described, the clinical effects of chronic, documented myocardial ischemia are not completely clarified. The first studies that compared therapies for coronary disease focused on the presence of anatomical features and assessed ischemia based on the interpretation of the findings of obstructive atherosclerotic lesions. They suggested that revascularization interventions did not confer any clinical advantage over medical therapy (MT), in terms of cardiac or overall death. Other retrospective studies that were dedicated to assessing the impact of documented stress-induced ischemia on cardiovascular outcomes have suggested a prognostic impact of chronic ischemia. However, this has been questioned in recent studies. Moreover, the previous understanding that chronic ischemia could lead to worsening of ventricular function was not confirmed in a recent study. Thus, the prognostic significance of stress-induced ischemia has been questioned. Regarding treatment options, although some previous analyses have suggested that interventional therapies would reduce cardiovascular events in CAD patients with documented ischemia, recent post-hoc studies and metanalysis have shown distinct results. In this review article, the authors discuss myocardial ischemia, the different responses of the myocardium to ischemic insults, ischemic preconditioning, and the main findings of recent studies about the clinical aspects and treatment of patients with chronic, documented myocardial ischemia.

Serum Bilirubin as a Predictor of Coronary Artery Disease Severity in Patients Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Introduction: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the most common causes of death worldwide. In 2010, about 7 out of total 53 million deaths were due to ischemic heart disease. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship of serum bilirubin level with the severity and complexity of coronary artery disease (CAD) in the patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Materials and Methods: 70 patients with STEMI who were undergoing primary PCI were included in the study. All the patients included in the study were subjected to full routine investigations and standard coronary angiographic projections. Total bilirubin level was measured and the patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 was with serum TB ( 1 mg/dl). Severity and complexity of coronary artery lesions will be assessed using Gensini score. Results: After PCI, the two studied groups were compared regarding the number of vessels affected by one and more than one vessel disease. Single vessel disease was frequent in Group 2 (71%) with significant p value (0.003). Cardiac enzymes (troponin I) was more in Group 1 (S. Bil 1), p value significance (0, 0001). Also GENSENI was more in Group 1 (S.TB 1) with mean (80.35 vs 34.71) and significant pvalue (0.0001). There was a highly significant negative correlation between serum bilirubin & GENSENI score (r = -0.762, p value 0.0001). Regarding the incidence of complications, incidence was more in Group 1 (S.TB 1), which means a significant difference between both groups with significant p value (0.0001). There was a significant negative correlation between serum bilirubin & incidence of complications (R = -0.38, pvalue 0.001). Also, there was a significant negative correlation between GENSINI score, complication and bilirubin among both groups (r: -0.762\-0.38) with p value (0.0001\0.001) respectively. Conclusion: In conclusion, our results suggested that the Serum Bilirubin level is inversely correlated with the severity of CAD. Also, the SB level is an independent predictor of cardiovascular events in CAD patients. Understandably, our findings need further verification by large-scale, multicenter clinical trials in the future.

Sex Differences in Coronary Artery Disease Patients With and in Those Without Type 2 Diabetes

Life-term cardiovascular risk is high also in women, and women with coronary artery disease (CAD) or with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are at a particularly high risk. In this prospective cohort study, we addressed sex differences in CAD patients with as well in those without T2DM. We recorded cardiovascular events in an unselected consecutive series of 1472 patients with angiographically proven CAD over 7.5±2.9 years. T2DM prevelance was similar in men (n=1060) and women (27.3 vs. 30.1%; p=0.277). Among nondiabetic CAD patients women were older than men (68±9 vs. 63±11 years; p&amp;lt;0.001), had higher LDL cholesterol (138±42 vs. 130±38 mg/dl; p=0.022) and HDL cholesterol (63±16 vs. 51±14 mg/dl; p&amp;lt;0.001) and a lower prevelance of smoking (35.5 vs. 69.6%; p&amp;lt;0.001) and of prior myocardial infarction (20.6 vs. 31.2%; p=0.001). Among those with T2DM, women also were older (69±9 vs. 64±10 years; p&amp;lt;0.001), had higher HDL cholesterol (53±14 vs. 46±13 mg/dl; p&amp;lt;0.001) and a lower prevalence of smoking (28.6 vs. 80.1%; p&amp;lt;0.001); further among those with T2DM the prevelance of hypertension (79.9 vs. 70.7%; p=0.049) and of statin use (66.9 vs. 48.3%; p&amp;lt;0.001) was higher in women. Prospectively, sex did not predict cardiovascular events in CAD patients without nor in those with T2DM, with adjusted hazard ratios of 0.96 [0.73-1.26]; p=0.757 and 0.82 [0.55-1.22]; p=0.329, respectively. We conclude that baseline risk factors both among CAD patients without and among those with T2DM differ between women and men, whereas irrespective of diabetes status sex does not affect the incidence of future cardiovascular events in this population. Disclosure C.H. Saely: None. A. Vonbank: None. C. Heinzle: None. D. Zanolin: None. B. Larcher: None. A. Mader: None. A. Leiherer: None. A. Muendlein: None. H. Drexel: None.

Plaque Characteristics in Coronary Artery Disease Patients with Impaired Glucose Tolerance.

BackgroundImpaired glucose tolerance (IGT) patients are known to have a high risk of cardiovascular events and their prognosis has been reported to be poor. The present study aimed to compare coronary plaque characteristics among coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), those with IGT, and those with diabetes mellitus (DM) by using optical coherence tomography (OCT).MethodsThe present study included 101 coronary artery disease patients (mean age, 67.9 ± 10.4 years; 82.4% male). OCT was performed for target and non-target vessels during percutaneous coronary intervention. The patients were divided into the following 3 groups: the NGT, IGT, and DM groups.ResultsA total of 136 non-target residual plaques were found in 101 patients (27, 30, and 44 in the NGT, IGT, and DM groups, respectively). The size of the lipid core expressed as the mean angle of the lipid arc was significantly greater in the IGT and DM groups than in the NGT group (163.0 ± 58.7°, 170.1 ± 59.3°, and 130.9 ± 37.7°, respectively, P < 0.05). The fibrous cap covering the lipid core was significantly thinner in the IGT group than in the NGT group (77.0 ± 23.4 μm vs. 105.6 ± 47.0 μm, P = 0.040).ConclusionThe coronary plaques in CAD patients are more vulnerable when having IGT compared to those with NGT, and similar to those with DM. This finding may explain the high risk of cardiovascular events in CAD patients with IGT.

Prognostic significance of circulating leukocyte subtype counts in patients with coronary artery disease

Background and aimsThis study investigated the association of leukocyte subtype counts with vascular endothelial dysfunction and future cardiovascular events in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). MethodsThe study included 389 consecutive CAD patients (259 male, 130 female; mean age, 70.1 ± 9.9 years). The patients underwent coronary angiography, and measurement of blood parameters, including leukocyte subtype counts. ResultsThere were 84 cardiovascular events during a mean follow-up of 586 ± 378 days. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed a higher probability of cardiovascular events in the high-monocyte group (≥360/mm3) compared with the low-monocyte group (<360/mm3) (log-rank test, p = 0.047). Multivariate Cox hazard analysis identified a high monocyte count as an independent predictor of cardiovascular events (hazard ratio: 1.63, 95% confidence interval:1.05–2.51, p = 0.028). Peripheral endothelial function in 355 of the CAD patients was assessed by reactive hyperemia peripheral arterial tonometry index (RHI) to examine the association of ln-RHI with leukocyte subtype counts. Total leukocyte, monocyte and neutrophil counts were significantly higher in CAD patients with low ln-RHI (<0.57: the mean ln-RHI value) compared with those with high ln-RHI (≥0.57). Univariate analyses revealed that ln-RHI in CAD patients was positively correlated with ln-total leukocyte (r = −0.187, p < 0.001), ln-monocyte (r = 0.316, p < 0.001), and neutrophil (r = −0.175, p = 0.001) counts. Multiple regression analysis showed that the monocyte count was a significant and independent factor associated with ln-RHI (adjusted R2 = 0.126, p < 0.001). ConclusionsA high monocyte count was an independent and incremental predictor of cardiovascular events in CAD patients. The monocyte count was also significantly correlated with peripheral endothelial dysfunction in CAD patients.

Impact of adherence to statins on cardiovascular adverse events in patients with coronary artery disease: a meta-analysis

To evaluate the impact of different adherence mode to statins on cardiovascular adverse events in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Electronic searches, including PubMed, Scopus, Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, Ovid EBM Reviews CENTRAL, CINAHL, The Cochrane Library, Ovid PsycInfo, Wanfang data, CNKI and Science & Technology Magazine Online, were performed and all related literatures of all languages were retrieval till to March 1, 2015. The full text was obtained through manual retrieval, inter-library loan and document delivery service, or by contacting the author directly. According to inclusion and exclusion criteria, data was extracted dependently by two raters. The high adherence to statin was use defined by the ratio of statins cover time and the total time (proportion of days covered, PDC≥80%). Data were analyzed quantitatively using RevMan 5.1. Then implement subgroup analysis was made according to different statin adherence and classification of clinical outcomes. The impact of adherence to statin on cardiovascular events (all-cause mortality, non-fatal myocardial infarction, hospitalization due to unstable angina pectoris, heart insufficiency attack) in CAD patients was evaluated. Present analysis enrolled eight relevant retrospective and observational studies. Because there were only few literatures describing the impact of statin adherence on clinical outcomes, we also included literatures with low adherence group (4 studies in PDC<80%, 2 studies in PDC<40% and 2 studies in PDC<20%). High adherence group includes 189 556 cases; low adherence group includes 11 384 cases. Compare with low adherence group, cardiovascular events rate reduced by 32% in high adherence group (OR=0.68, 95%CI 0.58-0.80, P<0.001). Subgroup analysis with 4 literatures with PDC≥80% or<80% showed that the cardiovascular events prominently decreased in high adherence group compared to low adherence group (OR=0.63, 95%CI 0.53-0.76, P<0.001). According to 5 literatures with all-cause mortality parameter, we also found a borderline decrease in all-cause mortality in high adherence group compared to low adherence group ( OR=0.67, 95%CI 0.44-1.02, P=0.06), while non-fatal cardiovascular events were significantly reduced by 18% in high adherence group (OR=0.82, 95%CI 0.77-0.87, P<0.001). High adherence to statins is related to significantly lower cardiovascular events in CAD patients.