Moderate Coronary Artery Stenosis Research Articles

The relationship between triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and the functional significance of coronary lesions

Aims: Have shown that triglycerides (TG) are an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Dyslipidemia characterized by low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) has been shown to be associated with symptoms of coronary artery disease (CAD). In studies, the TG/HDL-C ratio has been found to be strongly associated with parameters indicative of the severity of coronary disease. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether the TG/HDL-C ratio is associated with the functional significance of moderate coronary artery lesions. Methods: A total of 102 consecutive patients, 72 male and 30 female, who underwent measurement of fractional flow reserve (FFR) due to moderate coronary stenosis (quantitative coronary analysis 40-70%) on angiography were included in the study. An FFR value ≤0.80 was accepted for hemodynamic significance. Results: Among the 102 patients included in the study, it was determined that 52 (50.9%) had significant functional stenosis. Left ventricular ejection fraction of Group II was lower than Group I (60 (55-62.5) vs. 55(50-60), p=0.006). The male patient ratio was higher in Group II, but the difference between the two groups was not significant (68% and 77%, respectively, p=0.072). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that TG/HDL-C (OR=1.278, 95% CI=1.078-1.514, p=0.005) was an independent determinant of significant functional stenosis. ROC analysis revealed that the TG/HDL-C value was 3.89 and provided 64% specificity and 61.5% sensitivity in predicting hemodynamically significant coronary artery stenosis. Conclusion: Elevated TG/HDL-C values are associated with the functional significance of angiographically moderate coronary artery stenosis.

Prognostic value of negative stress cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in patients with moderate-severe coronary artery stenosis.

This study aims to evaluate the prognostic value of stress cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) without inducible ischemia in a real-world cohort of patients with known severe coronary artery stenosis. The prognosis of patients with severe coronary artery stenosis and without inducible ischemia using stress CMR remains uncertain, even though its identification of functionally significant coronary artery disease (CAD) is excellent. Patients without inducible ischemia and known CAD who underwent stress CMR between February 2015 and December 2016 were included in this retrospective study. These patients were divided into two groups: group 1 with stenosis of 50%-75% and group 2 with stenosis of >75%. The primary endpoint was defined as the occurrence of a major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) [cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)]. Real-world data collected from 169 patients with a median age of 69 (60-75) years were included. The median follow-up was 5.5 (IQR 4.1-6.6) years. Events occurred after a mean time of 3.0 ± 2.2 years in group 1 and 3.7 ± 2.0 years in group 2 (p = 0.35). Sixteen (18.8%) patients in group 1 and 23 (27.4%) patients in group 2 suffered from MACE without a significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.33). In group 2, one cardiac death (1.2%), seven non-fatal MI (8.3%), 15 PCI (17.9%), and one CABG (1.2%) occurred. The findings of this pilot study suggest that long-term outcomes in a real-world patient cohort with known severe and moderate coronary artery stenosis but without inducible ischemia were similar. Stress CMR may provide valuable risk stratification in patients with angiographically significant but hemodynamically non-obstructive coronary lesions.

TCT-224 Long-Term Clinical Follow-Up Results of Patients With Mild to Moderate Coronary Artery Stenosis According to Angiographic Severity

TCT-224 Long-Term Clinical Follow-Up Results of Patients With Mild to Moderate Coronary Artery Stenosis According to Angiographic Severity

The Association of Coronary Fat Attenuation Index Quantified by Automated Software on Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography with Adverse Events in Patients with Less than Moderate Coronary Artery Stenosis.

This study analyzed the relationship between the coronary FAI on CCTA and coronary adverse events in patients with moderate coronary artery disease based on machine learning. A total of 172 patients with coronary artery disease with moderate or lower coronary artery stenosis were included. According to whether the patients had coronary adverse events, the patients were divided into an adverse group and a non-adverse group. The coronary FAI of patients was quantified via machine learning, and significant differences between the two groups were analyzed via t-test. The age difference between the two groups was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The group that had adverse reactions was older, and there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of sex and smoking status. There was no statistical significance in the blood biochemical indexes between the two groups (p > 0.05). There was a significant difference in the FAIs between the two groups (p < 0.05), with the FAI of the defective group being greater than that of the nonperforming group. Taking the age of patients as a covariate, an analysis of covariance showed that after excluding the influence of age, the FAIs between the two groups were still significantly different (p < 0.001).

Differential diagnosis of angina pectoris in the practice of the regional vascular center: a clinical observation

The leading cause of myocardial ischemia in case of coronary atherosclerosis and coronary vasospasm combination in one patient is difficult to establish. However, it is important to know for optimal treatment strategy: choosing between beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers as a preferred treatment, need for percutaneous coronary intervention. We present a case of a 56-yearold patient who was admitted with acute coronary syndrome without ST-segment elevation, low Killip class, and low GRACE score. Stress echocardiography revealed inducible transmural myocardial ischemia (regional wall motion abnormalities and ST segment elevation on the ECG) accompanied by polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. The coronary angiography showed single-vessel moderate stenosis in the left anterior descending artery. There were no changes in comparison with previous angiography. The patient was considered to have vasospastic angina. A probable mechanism is coronary artery spasm at the site of the atherosclerotic plaque. The article is discussed the difficulties in diagnosing vasospastic angina, especially in the presence of borderline stenosis in the coronary artery. We reviewed similar cases and discussed the difficulties of a vasospastic angina diagnosis especially in the presence of moderate coronary artery stenosis, the role of the provocative tests, and the pharmacological management. Demonstrating, discussing and analyzing cases of patients with a combined mechanism of myocardial ischemia is substantiated for further improving their diagnosis and treatment.

Cardiovascular events in patients referred to computerized tomography angiography with moderate coronary artery stenosis

Objectives: Cardiovascular diseases are the most critical causes of mortality in the modern world. Additionally, most acute coronary events result from sudden thrombosis leading to atherosclerotic plaque rupture. Computerized tomography (CT) angiography can identify the characteristics and quantity of plaques. This study investigated the relationship between plaque and moderate coronary stenosis.&#x0D; Methods: This study was a retrospective diagnostic study comprising 91 patients who had been referred to CT angiography at Afshar Hospital in Yazd City, Iran, from 2017 to 2018 and undergone coronary angiography CT while bearing moderate coronary artery stenosis. Using the CT report, location, plaque density, the extent of stenosis, and vein involved were all extracted and recorded. The patients were followed up for one year from the time of the CT scan using the MACE questionnaire. Ultimately, data was analyzed using SPSS software version 22 through Chi-square, Fisher's exact test, and t-test.&#x0D; Results: The results revealed the mean age of the patients to be 62.76±1.08 years; 39 (42.9%) women and 52 (57.1%) men. Based on the obtained results, the most common involved vessel, location of stenosis in CT angiography, and plate density included the left anterior descending artery with 75.8%, the middle part of the left anterior descending artery with 29.7%, mixed density with 54.9% and one segment with 62.6% frequency. Also, according to the significant adverse cardiac event (MACE) questionnaire results, the frequency distribution of cardiovascular events in the studied patients did not exhibit any evidence of cardiovascular events in the patients' one-year follow-up.&#x0D; Conclusions: There was no evidence of cardiovascular events in the patients with moderate coronary artery stenosis during a 1-year follow-up.

Cilostazol treatment for preventing adverse cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes and coronary atherosclerosis: Long-term follow-up of the ESCAPE study.

BackgroundPreviously, in the ESCAPE study, a randomized controlled trial, we found that 12 months of cilostazol administration significantly decreased coronary artery stenosis and the noncalcified plaque component compared with aspirin. The goal of the current study was to evaluate the effect of cilostazol treatment on cardiovascular events up to 7 years after the end of the original study.MethodsAfter the end of the ESCAPE study with patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and mild to moderate coronary artery stenosis, we decided to extend the ESCAPE study to investigate the long‐term effect of cilostazol and aspirin, named the ESCAPE‐extension study. The study participants had been investigated for cardiovascular events for up to 7 years, bringing the total follow‐up time to a median of 5.2 years (interquartile range 3.6‐6.7 years). Adverse events were also investigated.ResultsAmong 100 participants from the original study, 88 were included in this extension study. Cilostazol treatment reduced the incidence of cardiovascular events in the patients with T2DM when compared with aspirin for a 5.2‐year median follow‐up (hazard ratio 0.24; 95% CI, 0.07‐0.83). The cardiovascular benefit of cilostazol therapy was maintained along with age, sex, systolic blood pressure, low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, and coronary artery calcium score. No serious adverse events in the cilostazol group were noted in the follow‐up period.ConclusionsIn this ESCAPE‐extension study, cilostazol treatment proved its efficacy in reducing cardiovascular events compared with aspirin in diabetic patients with subclinical coronary artery disease, suggesting the beneficial role of cilostazol in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Relationship between the neutrophil to HDL-C ratio and anatomical significance of coronary artery stenosis in patients with documented myocardial ischemia.

Diagnostic workup of coronary artery disease (CAD) requires a stepwise approach, starting with detailed history-taking and ending with invasive coronary angiography (ICA) in some cases. The neutrophil to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio (NHR) is related to CAD. We assessed the association between the NHR and anatomical significance of coronary artery stenosis (CAS) in patients with documented ischemia. The study enrolled 306 consecutive patients with documented myocardial ischemia on myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). All patients underwent ICA. Patients with no visible stenosis (NVS) or minimal or mild CAS were compared with those with moderate or severe CAS. The study compared 85 patients with NVS or minimal or mild CAS (46.51% female) and 221 patients with moderate or severe CAS (31.58% female). In the latter group, hypertension and diabetes mellitus (DM) were more prevalent than in the former group (83.73% vs. 60.47%, p<0.001; 47.37% vs. 30.23%, p=0.005, respectively). A higher NHR (cut-off point of 103.2) was associated with moderate or severe CAS. Even when myocardial ischemia is demonstrated by MPI, NVS or minimal or mild CAS is still frequently diagnosed based on ICA. A lower NHR could be an inexpensive, non-invasive marker of the need for ICA.

Effect of the Coronary Arterial Diameter Derived From Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography on Fractional Flow Reserve.

Fractional flow reserve (FFR) is considered to be the criterion standard for the clinical diagnosis of functional myocardial ischemia. In this study, we explored the effect of the coronary arterial diameter derived from coronary computed tomography angiography on FFR. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical information of 131 patients with moderate coronary artery stenosis. To compare the mean diameter of stenotic vessels, patients were divided into ischemic and nonischemic groups. According to the clinical statistics of the diameter of the ischemic group and the nonischemic group, we established 8 ideal models of coronary artery diameter of 4 mm (40%, 50%, 60%, and 70% stenosis) and diameter of 3 mm (40%, 50%, 60%, and 70% stenosis). Two sets of numerical simulation experiments were carried out: experiment 1 evaluated the variation rate of CT-based computation of non-invasive fractional flow reserve (FFRCT) with vessel diameters of 4 mm and 3 mm under different stenosis rates, and experiment 2 explored the variation of FFRCT with vessel diameters of 4 mm and 3 mm under different cardiac outputs. We simulated changes in the flow of narrow blood vessels by changes in cardiac output. According to clinical statistics, the mean ± SD diameter of stenotic vessels in the ischemic and nonischemic groups was 3.67 ± 0.77 mm and 3.31 ± 0.64 mm (P < 0.05 for difference), respectively. In experiment 1, the FFRCT of coronary with a diameter of 4 mm was 0.86, 0.80, 0.66, and 0.35, and that with a diameter of 3 mm was 0.90, 0.84, 0.71, and 0.50, respectively. In experiment 2, the FFRCT of the coronary vessel diameter of 4 mm was 0.84, 0.80, 0.76, and 0.72, respectively. The FFRCT coronary vessels with a diameter of 3 mm were 0.87, 0.84, 0.80, and 0.76, respectively. As the stenosis increases, compared with narrow blood vessel of small diameter, the narrow blood vessel with larger diameter is accompanied by faster flow rate changes and is more prone to ischemia.

Diagnostic value of postsystolic shortening of the left ventricular myocardium assessed during speckle tracking stress echocardiography on the treadmill in patients with coronary artery disease.

Aim To evaluate the diagnostic capacity of left ventricular (LV) postsystolic shortening (PSS) values obtained by speckle-tracking stress-echocardiography (stress-EchoCG) using a treadmill test in determining the functional significance of the degree of coronary artery (CA) stenosis.Material and methods The study included 132 patients (80 men aged 65.0±9.3 years) with suspected or previously verified diagnosis of ischemic heart disease. Stress-EchoCG with the treadmill test was performed for all patients. Strain parameters were determined by two-dimensional speckle-tracking on gray-scale images before and after the exercise. Values of LV postsystolic index (PSI) and LV mean postsystolic time (PST) were calculated. Coronary angiography was performed for all patients. Patients were divided into 3 groups based on the severity of CA stenosis according to the G. G. Gensini score.Results LV PSS values at rest did not significantly differ between the patient groups. After completion of the exercise, the mean LV PSI was significantly higher for patients with pronounced CA stenosis than in the group without CA stenosis or with moderate CA stenosis: 8.9 % [3.8; 10.7 %] vs. 3.8 % [2.2; 6.8 %] (p=0.012) and 3.4 % [2.2; 6.2 %] (p=0.012), respectively. The mean LV PSI after completion of the exercise indicated the presence of pronounced CA stenosis with a sensitivity of 75 % and a specificity of 61 % (area under the curve, AUC, 0.74±0.06; р&lt;0.001). After completion of the exercise, the mean LV PST was significantly greater for patients with pronounced CA stenosis than in the group without CA stenosis or with moderate CA stenosis: 27.4 [18.7; 34.7] ms vs. 18.4 [10.8; 26.5] ms (p=0.036) and 20.9 [14.2; 29.5] ms (p=0.036), respectively. The mean LV PST after completion of the exercise exceeding 23.5 ms suggests pronounced CA stenosis with a sensitivity of 71 % and a specificity of 65 % (AUC 0.69±0.06; p=0.004). A complex evaluation of the LV PSI, the LV local contractility disorder (LCD) index, the LV PST, and LV LCD index allows enhancement of the test sensitivity in diagnozing pronounced CA stenosis.Conclusion Determination of LV PSS in speckle-tracking stress-EchoCG may be useful for evaluating the functional significance of the degree of CA stenosis to enhance the sensitivity of stress-EchoCG in patients with pronounced CA stenosis.

Role of Coronary Calcium Score as a Screening Tool for Excluding Significant Coronary Artery Disease in High Risk Asymptomatic Patients

OBJECTIVES: To determine correlation of zero coronary artery calcium score (CACS) with non-significant coronary artery stenosis by using computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA). METHODOLOGY: 62 patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) underwent CACS test and CTCA from April 2018 to November 2020. Patients were examined with 160 slice multidetector CT and grouped according to their age, gender, CACS, and maximum coronary luminal stenosis. CACS was assessed using Agatston scoring and degree of stenosis was assessed by automatic software and severity was scored according to CAD-RADS. The correlation between these two main variables was calculated using Spearman rank correlation. RESULTS: The 62 patients were divided into four groups according to CACS, using the Agatston Unit (AU). Group 1; 0 AU (41 patients, 66.13%), Group 2; 1-100 AU (13 patients, 20.97%) Group 3; 101-400 AU (4 patients, 6.45%), Group 4; 401-1000 AU (4 patients, 6.45%). In 41 patients with zero calcium score (32 males and 9 females), 38 patients (92.68%) were found to have no coronary artery stenosis, 2 patients (4.87%) had mild coronary artery stenosis and 1 patient (2.43%) had moderate coronary artery stenosis. Total 35 patients presented for screening purpose out of which 25 (71%) had zero calcium score and no significant coronary artery disease. CONCLUSION: In high risk patients, zero calcium score excludes significant coronary artery stenosis (50%), hence coronary calcium score is a good screening tool before subjecting patients to coronary angiography.

Speckle Tracking Stress Echocardiography on Treadmill in Assessment of the Functional Significance of the Degree of Coronary Artery Disease.

Aim To determine diagnostic capabilities of left ventricular (LV) global longitudinal systolic strain (GLSS) in stress echocardiography (stress-EchoCG) with a treadmill test for diagnosing the functional significance of the degree of coronary stenosis.Material and methods The study included 121 patients (73 men aged 68.3±7.7 years) with suspected or previously diagnosed ischemic heart disease (IHD). Speckle-tracking stress-EchCG (method of tracking speckles on two-dimensional gray-scale ultrasonic images) with a treadmill test and coronarography was performed for all patients. The patients were divided into 3 groups based on the severity of coronary artery (CA) stenosis according to the Gensini scale.Results LV GLSS at rest did not significantly differ between the study groups. After the exercise, LV GLSS was significantly lower in patients with pronounced CA stenosis than in patients without or with moderate CA stenosis (15.9±4.6 % vs. 20.6±3.7 % (p&lt;0.001) and 19.6±3.0 % (p=0.003), respectively). Postexercise LV GLSS &lt;16.9% suggested a pronounced CA stenosis with a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 70% (area under the curve, AUC, 0.76±0.06 at 95 % confidence interval, CI, 0.63-0.89; р&lt;0.001). In the patient group without CA stenosis, LV GLSS showed a significant increase after completion of the exercise (from 19.1±3.1 to 20.6±3.7; p=0.04).Conclusion Evaluation of LV GLSS and its dynamics in stress-EchoCG with a treadmill test may be promising in patients with IHD, since in most patients with pronounced CA stenosis, LV GLSS is reduced at baseline and further reduces in response to exercise. In patients without CA stenosis, LV GLSS increases after completing the exercise.

Is myocardial revascularization really necessary in patients with ≥50% but

The aim of this study is to evaluate the immediate and mid-term effects of omitting coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with moderate coronary artery stenosis who have a primary indication for valvular surgery. We included 77 consecutive patients admitted to our Institution for aortic or mitral valve surgery between June 2012 and June 2017 in whom a de novo diagnosis of ≥50%, but <70% coronary stenosis was made. In this cohort, the myocardial revascularization was omitted. All these patients were free from angina and ischaemia on echo and ECG. There were no in-hospital deaths. In only 1 patient, acute myocardial infarction occurred postoperatively, which was immediately treated by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The 6-year overall survival was 94.7 ± 2.59%. At 6 years, no cardiac deaths were recorded. At follow-up, 4 patients underwent elective PCI after a positive stress myocardial perfusion test. Only 1 patient underwent urgent PCI due to acute coronary syndrome. At 6 years, the cumulative incidence function of PCI, with death as competing risk, was 8 ± 3.9%. In our experience, moderate coronary stenosis, occasionally discovered at the time of valvular heart surgery, can be safely overlooked and do not need any further treatment at follow-up in the majority of cases. Our results open up the opportunity to apply this 'intentional omission strategy' in different situations, such as minimally invasive heart surgery, percutaneous procedures and complex patients.

Intracoronary Cavitation as a Cause of Plaque Rupture and Thrombosis Propagation in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Computational Study.

Background and ObjectivesSignificant rather than moderate coronary artery stenosis has been postulated to be the main substrate of plaque rupture in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We evaluate if cavitation could influence the coronary artery plaque rupture contributing to the progression of thrombotic process.MethodsWe reconstructed a 3D model of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) after reviewing the intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) data of 30 consecutive patients with mild to severe coronary artery disease.ResultsTurbulent flow or cavitation occurs in both concentric and eccentric coronary artery stenosis (≥ 75% for the former and ≥ 50% for the latter). The analysis of vapor phase demonstrated that cavitation propagated downstream, creating microbubbles, which exploded when the fluid pressure was lower than the vapor pressure at a local thermodynamic state. The relative higher vorticity magnitude (as turbulent flow in vivo angiogram) observed on the distal cap of the atherosclerotic plaque created a higher turbulence, probably able to destabilize the plaque through a micro-erosion process.ConclusionsCavitation seems to be able to promote the thrombotic occlusion within the coronary vessels due the ‘constant injuries’ created by the micro-explosion of bubbles.

Carotid intima-media thickness, 25-OH vitamin D, homocysteine and subclinical coronary artery atherosclerosis in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus

Individuals with type 1 diabetes have an increased risk of premature atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible predictive significance of elevated plasma total homocysteine (tHcy), lower serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations and increased carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) for the development of coronary atherosclerosis in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) and no previous history of ischemic heart disease. The study included 73 patients previously diagnosed with T1D. The patients were divided into groups with and without non-obstructive moderate coronary artery stenosis. Coronary artery stenosis was examined using coronary multidetector computed tomographic angiography (MDCTA); CIMT was measured by B-mode ultrasound. The patients with moderate stenosis had significantly higher HbA1c (p&lt;0.001), elevated tHcy (p&lt;0.001), increased CIMTmax. (p&lt;0.001) but lower 25(OH)D (p&lt;0.001) in comparison to patients without detectable coronary atherosclerosis. Homocysteine (AUCHcy=0.955; p&lt;0.001), vitamin D (AUCvit D=0.792; p&lt;0.001) and CIMT max (AUCCIMT=0.743; p&lt;0.001) (AUC or area under the curve) appear to be adequate markers for detecting stenosis of coronary arteries using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that serum homocysteine was the only significant predictor of moderate coronary artery stenosis. Our study implies that tHcy can be used as a reliable predictor of coronary artery atherosclerosis in patients with T1D. 25(OH)D and CIMT can also be used, but with lower diagnostic accuracy.

P5619Correlation between dobutamine stress echocardiography and invasive fractional flow reserve in patients with known moderate coronary artery stenosis

P5619Correlation between dobutamine stress echocardiography and invasive fractional flow reserve in patients with known moderate coronary artery stenosis

2395Graft failure or disease progression after grafting or deferral of moderate coronary artery stenosis without flow limitation

2395Graft failure or disease progression after grafting or deferral of moderate coronary artery stenosis without flow limitation

Clinical Relevance of Functionally Insignificant Moderate Coronary Artery Stenosis Assessed by 3-Vessel Fractional Flow Reserve Measurement.

BackgroundUnderstanding of the risk conferred by functionally insignificant lesions in multiple coronary vessels is limited. We investigated the prognostic implications of coronary artery disease (CAD) based on 3‐vessel fractional flow reserve (FFR).Methods and ResultsA total of 1,136 patients underwent FFR measurement in the 3 major epicardial arteries. We defined vessels with “Moderate CAD” as vessels with FFR, 0.81 to 0.87. Patients were classified into Group 1: No apparent CAD (FFR>0.87 in all 3‐vessels); Group 2: Single‐vessel moderate CAD; Group 3: Multivessel moderate CAD; and Group 4: Functionally significant CAD (FFR≤0.80) in any vessel. The primary end point was 2‐year major adverse cardiac events, a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and ischemia‐driven revascularization. Forty‐three percent of patients had moderate CAD (Group 2: 403/1136, 35.5%; Group 3: 84/1136, 7.4%). The 2‐year risk of major adverse cardiac events was not significantly different between patients with single‐vessel moderate CAD and no apparent CAD (2.6 versus 2.6%; HR, 1.1; 95% confidence interval, 0.4%–2.8%; P=0.89). However, patients with multivessel moderate CAD were at significantly higher risk than Group 1 (7.4 versus 2.6%; hazard ratio, 3.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.1%–9.8%; P=0.03). The risk of major adverse cardiac events in patients with multivessel moderate CAD was comparable to that of patients with functionally significant CAD (hazard ratio, 1.2; 95% confidence interval, 0.5%–3.0%; P=0.67). In a multivariable regression model, multivessel moderate CAD was an independent predictor of greater risk of 2‐year major adverse cardiac events.ConclusionsGlobal physiologic assessment with FFR measurement of 3 vessels can identify multivessel moderate CAD. The prognostic implication of multivessel moderate CAD appears comparable to that of functionally significant CAD.Clinical Trial Registration URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01621438.

Coronary computed tomography angiography one-beat acquisition as a clinical decision tool for assessment of moderate coronary stenosis

The clinical significance of moderate coronary stenosis is a fundamental to the choice of treatment. The gold standard is invasive fractional flow reserve (FFR) studying by quantitative coronary angiography (QCA). The role of 256 slices coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) one-beat acquisition is insufficiently studied and may be an important factor to predict the clinical significance of moderate coronary stenosis. To identify morphological CCTA predictors for the clinical significance of moderate coronary artery stenosis. A total of 61 arteries (43 consecutive patients) underwent CCTA and QCA associated with a lesion-specific FFR measurement were retrospectively analyzed. CCTA was performed on a 256-slices CT one-beat acquisition, three-phase injection protocol by using smart shot dual injector. Stenosis from 50–69% were considered as moderate. FFR ≤ 0.80 was considered as functionally significant. The mean age was 67.9 ± 10.1, BMI 27.3 ± 4.4 kg/m 2 and 75% were males. Twenty-nine percent patients (18 arteries) have clinically significant moderate stenosis with FFR ≤ 0.8; 23% ( n = 14) have moderate but not clinically significant stenosis (FFR > 0.80) and 48% ( n = 29) were presented by 30–49% stenosis. All of stenosis < 50% by CCTA were functionally non-significant with FFR > 0.8 ( P < 0.05, 100% negative predictive value (NPV)). As CT-predictors for the clinical significance of moderate coronary stenosis (FFR ≤ 0.8) were revealed: stenosis length ≥ 16 mm (sensitivity (ss) 78%, specificity (sp) 79%, PPV 82%, NPV 73%, P = 0.004) and multiple stenosis in calcified arteries with the stenosis's length ≥ 16 mm (sp 86%, PPV 85%, P = 0.012). CCTA plays an important role for noninvasive assessment of clinical significance of moderate coronary stenosis. Moderate stenosis are clinically significant (FFR ≤ 0.8) if their length is more than 16 mm in calcified arteries, particularly in culprit arteries with multiple stenosis.

Natural History of Moderate Coronary Artery Stenosis After Surgical Revascularization

It remains controversial whether grafting moderately stenosed coronary arteries (MSCAs) influences native-vessel disease progression and whether grafting may protect against late myocardial ischemia. From 1972 to 2011, 55,567 patients underwent primary isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG); 1,902 had a single coronary artery with angiographically moderate (50% to 69%) stenosis and ≥1 postoperative angiogram. Disease progression was studied in 489 nongrafted, 371 internal thoracic artery (ITA)-grafted, and 957 saphenous vein (SV)-grafted MSCAs, as well as patency of 376 ITA and 1,016 SV grafts to these MSCAs. At 1, 5, 10, and 15 years, native-vessel disease progressed from moderate to severe stenosis/occlusion in 32%, 52%, 66%, and 72% of nongrafted MSCAs; 55%, 73%, 84%, and 87% of ITA-grafted MSCAs; and 67%, 82%, 90%, and 92% of SV-grafted MSCAs. After adjusting for patient characteristics, MSCA disease progressed 3.6 times faster with ITA and 10 times faster withSV grafting compared with nongrafting. At these same time points, occlusion of ITA grafts to MSCAs was 8%, 9%, 11%, and 15% and for SV grafts, 13%, 32%, 46%, and 56%; protection from myocardial ischemia by ITA-grafted versus nongrafted MSCAs was 29%, 47%, 59%, and 61%. Most MSCAs progress to severe stenosis or occlusion in the long term. Progression is faster in grafted than nongrafted MSCAs, more so with SV than ITA grafts. However, ITA grafts to such arteries have excellent patency, providing long-term protection from myocardial ischemia. Therefore, ITA grafting of MSCAs should be considered.