Recurrent Angina Research Articles

One year follow-up of unprotected left main coronary artery disease, a prospective cohort study of 139 patients

Objectives: Coronary artery revascularization is the standard treatment for patients with severe left main coronary artery disease (LMCAD). In cases where the patient refuses surgical revascularization or PCI, medical treatment will be the only option. The purpose of this study was to compare the one-year outcomes of patients with (LMCAD) in terms of surgical or medical treatment.
 Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted on 139 patients (91 men and 48 women) with severe left main coronary artery disease who were diagnosed by coronary angiography from 1st Mar 2014 to 28th Feb 2014. Patients were followed up for one year as to major adverse cardiac and cerebral events (MACCE) including death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, stroke, and hospitalization.
 Results: From total of 2661 coronary angiographies, 139 patients (5.2%) with a mean age of 63.2±7.2 years had LMCAD. The mortality rate in the medical treatment group and the surgical group appeared to be 16.7% (6 cases) and 8.7% (9 cases) respectively (p =.156). The rate of stroke in the medical group turned out to be 5.6% (n=2) and in the surgery group 2% (n=2) (p =.27). The rehospitalization rate was 19.4% in the medical treatment group but 4.9% in the surgical group (p =.013). During one year, the survival rate was significantly lower in the medical group than the group undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery (58.3% vs. 84.5%) (p =.002).
 Conclusions: In the short term, the optimal medical treatment of patients with LMCAD was not significantly different from that of CABG patients in terms of fatal cardiac and cerebral events. However, rehospitalization was more common due to recurrent angina pectoris.

Sex Difference in Coronary Artery Spasm Tested by Intracoronary Acetylcholine Provocation Test in Patients with Nonobstructive Coronary Artery Disease.

Introduction Cardiovascular diseases manifest differently in men and women. The purpose of this study is to compare the sex difference in the characteristics of coronary artery spasm (CAS) in patients with nonobstructive cardiovascular disease (NOCVD) and the clinical outcomes in accordance with sex in CAS patients. Methods The study analysed 5,491 patients with NOCVD who underwent an acetylcholine provocation test from November 2004 to May 2014 for evaluation of chest pain. CAS was defined as greater than 70% of luminal narrowing of the artery during the acetylcholine provocation test. Results The patients were divided into men (n = 2,506) and women (n = 2,985). Mean follow-up days were 1,218 ± 577 days. To adjust for confounding factors, the propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was performed in all patients and among the CAS patients. After PSM analysis, a total of 1,201 pairs in all patients and a total of 713 pairs in CAS patients were generated. In all patients, women showed significantly less incidence of CAS compared with men (62.3% vs 50.9%, P < 0.01). Myocardial bridge (MB) and moderate stenosis were less prevalent in women, while transient ST elevation and ischemic chest pain during provocation were more frequent in women. In CAS patients, men had a higher incidence of multivessel spasm than women (35.7% vs. 29.7%, P < 0.01). Old age, dyslipidemia, and MB were independent risk factors of CAS in both men and women. In CAS patients, there was no statistical differences for various individual and composite major outcomes up to five years in either men or women. In men with CAS, old age was a risk factor of a 5-year major adverse cardiac event (MACE), and moderate stenosis was a risk factor of both 5-year MACE and 5-year recurrent angina. In women with CAS, mild stenosis was a risk factor of 5-year MACE, while myocardial bridge was a risk factor of 5-year recurrent angina. Conclusions In this study, there were sex differences in the angiographic and clinical parameters during the acetylcholine provocation test, incidence of CAS, risk factors of CAS, 5-year MACE, and recurrent angina. Old age, dyslipidemia, and MB were independent risk factors of CAS in both sexes. However, major clinical outcomes up to five years in CAS patients were not different according to sex.

Day-to-day fasting plasma glucose variability on the short-term prognosis of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: A retrospective cohort study.

Glycemic variability in one fact that explain the differences in cardiovascular outcomes. The short-term fasting plasma glucose (FPG) variability may have an on major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). This study retrospectively analyzed T2DM patients who underwent emergent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) due to STEMI in Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shenzhen, between January 2016 and March 2020. All patients underwent at least 5 FPG measurements during the perioperative period. FPG variability score (FPG-VS) was defined as the percentage of the number of FPG variations > 1 mmol/L between two adjacent FPG measurements. The Cox proportional-hazards model was used to estimate the relationship between FPG-VS and MACE. A validation set was utilized to further evaluate the prognostic value of FPG-VS in a standardized STEMI diabetic diet cohort following PCI intervention. A total of 612 patients were included in the retrospective cohort study. In comparison to the minimum quintile, FPG-VS > 60% was associated with an increased risk of 30-day MACE. Moreover, compared to FPG-VS ≤ 20%, the FPG-VS > 80% group had a higher risk of MACE (odd ratio [OR] = 4.87, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.55-5.28), recurrent angina pectoris (OR = 5.43, 95%CI: 2.27-8.27), nonfatal myocardial infarction (OR = 5.00, 95%CI: 2.47-7.69), heart failure (OR = 3.70, 95%CI: 1.92-5.54), malignant arrhythmia (OR = 4.63, 95%CI: 1.12-6.25) and cardiac death (OR = 1.41, 95%CI: 0.17-1.97). Consistent results were obtained after adjustment for HbA1c, demonstrating the robustness of FPGFPG-VS. Moreover, the standard diet intervention group had a lower FPG-VS index as well as a lower incidence of MACE. Higher FPG variability is associated with an increased risk of MACE within 30 days in diabetes patients receiving PCI for STEMI. A standardized diet may improve the prognosis of STEMI patients by reducing the FPG-VS.

Machine learning in prediction of in-stent restenosis

Background and Aims : In-stent restenosis (ISR) after coronary angioplasty and stent implantation is associated with recurrent angina symptoms, higher risk for acute coronary syndrome, and increased mortality. Current ISR risk prediction models (PRESTO-1, PRESTO-2, and EVENT) suffer from insufficient predictive power. We aimed to investigate patient outcome prediction with classification predictive modeling in Machine Learning.

Wellens syndrome as an independent predictor of in-hospital cardiovascular complications

Introduction Wellens Syndrome was described for the first time in the eighties, as an equivalent pattern of a critical lesion of the anterior descending artery. Different risk factors have been associated with a worse prognosis during hospitalisation in patients with non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndrome. However, it is unknown whether the presence of Wellens Syndrome alone contributes to an increase in in-hospital cardiovascular complications. Material and method Analytical prospective cohort study in 141 patients with the diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome without ST segment elevation who underwent coronary angiography between 2016 and 2020. Results Wellens syndrome was diagnosed in 64 patients with a mean age of 66.31 ± 12.54, of which 21 patients had a cardiac event during hospitalisation: hemodynamic complication 14 (21.9%), refractory or recurrent angina 4 (6.3%) and Acute myocardial infarction 3 (4.7%) confirming a relative risk (RR): 4.88 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.92–12.45) p = 0.001. Conclusions The presence of Wellens Syndrome is independently associated with the appearance of cardiac complications during hospitalisation. Key points SW is now known to be a relatively frequent presentation of ACS, not addressed in depth in clinical practice guidelines for NSTEACS. This syndrome is generally caused by a severe ADA occlusion that, if not adequately treated, could evolve into a large infarction. According to the results of the different series published, the incidence of cardiovascular risk factors in SW is similar to other forms of presentation of ischaemic heart disease. At present, the exact relationship between the main cardiovascular risk factors and SW is unknown; in addition to the possible associations of this syndrome with in-hospital cardiovascular complications and its value as a predictor of the occurrence of cardiac complications, elements that are included in the results of the present study.

Coronary Vasospastic Angina: A Review of the Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Management.

Vasospastic angina (VSA) is an under-appreciated cause of chest pain. It is characterised by transient vasoconstriction of the coronary arteries and plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of stable angina and acute coronary syndromes. Complex mechanistic pathways characterised by endothelial dysfunction and smooth muscle hypercontractility lead to a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations ranging from recurrent angina to fatal arrhythmias. Invasive provocation testing using intracoronary acetylcholine or ergonovine is considered the current gold standard for diagnosis, but there is a wide variation in protocols amongst different institutions. Conventional pharmacological therapy relies on calcium channel blockers and nitrates; however, refractory VSA has limited options. This review evaluates the pathophysiology, diagnostic challenges, and management strategies for VSA. We believe global efforts to standardise diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines will improve the outcomes for affected patients.

Relationship Between Work Mode, Time of Admission, and Mortality in St-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction: Results From the TURKMI Registry.

Treatment of acute myocardial infarction has evolved steadily. However, limited studies exist regarding the effect of all innovations on mortality. We aimed to investigate the effect of time of admission and work mode on 1-year outcomes in patients presenting with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Based on the TURKMI registry, we analyzed 735 STEMI patients recruited consecutively and prospectively from 50 PCI-capable cardiology clinics within a prespecified two-week period. Centers were categorized as "on-call" and "on-duty" according to their work mode. At 1-year follow-up, all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality were the primary outcomes. The secondary outcome was a composite of coronary revascularization, re-infarction/stroke, and recurrent angina. One-fifth of the participants (19.5%) were treated in the on-call group. All-cause mortality (7.9 vs 10.5%, aHR: 1.16, P = .650) and cardiovascular mortality rates (6.1 vs 9.1%, aHR: 1.35, P = .413) were similar between centers' modes of work. Likewise, both groups were equally likely to undergo coronary revascularization (P = .278), re-MI/stroke (P = .280), recurrent angina (P = .175), and the composite outcome of these components (P = .482). No significant difference was observed in primary outcomes between weekend and weekday admissions. In conclusion, we observed similar outcomes between the on-call and on-duty groups among STEMI patients.

Assessment of troponin I level in patients with acute myocardial infarction and its impact on clinical outcome

Introduction: Coronary Artery disease is one of the major causes of Mortatlity I the world that included Myocardial ischemia and infarction. Cardiac toponins are (troponin- I and Troponin -T) the markers of myocardial ischemia and they are the sign of Myocardial damage. They can provide important diagnostic and prognostic information. Aim : In the present study the correlation of clinical presentation, complication and outcome with reference of different level (mild, moderate and severe) of elevated troponin enzyme level was studied. Material and method: 100 patientspresented with acute myocardial infarct ion were studied for clinical presentation (hemodynamics, heart failure, mechanical complication, angina, shock) and ICCU stay and total hospital stay, recurrent angina, heart failure, re-infarct, morbidity and mortality was recorded. Their cardiac troponin- I level was measured and corelated accordingly in group 1 (mild elevation: cTnIlevel baseline (0.004) totentimes), group 2 (moderate elevation: cTnIlevel ten times to hundredtimes) and group 3 (severe elevation: cTnIlevel morethan hundredtimes). RESULTS: Significantly greater number of patients with recurrent angina were having severely elevated Troponin-I level. Relocation of patient in ICCU was more with patient with severely elevated level. Severity of cardiac failure and Troponin-I levels were found to be significantly associated with each other.

Effectiveness of Cardiac Rehabilitation in Myocardial Infarction Patients After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

BackgroundPost myocardial infarction rehabilitation can have a positive impact on overall patient health. Therefore, the present study investigated the role of cardiac rehabilitation in reducing the frequency of arrhythmias, recurrent angina, readmission, and mortality in patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention.MethodologyA prospective observational study was conducted at the Cardiology Department, Khyber Teaching Hospital, Pakistan, between 1st March 2021 and 30th May 2021. All patients who were discharged after being diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction were included in the study. Patients who were not able to give consent, had physical fragility, mental impairment, or those who have critical illness were excluded from the study. 40 patients underwent cardiac rehabilitation while the other 40 acted as controls. The cardiac rehabilitation group patients were asked to engage in 15-30 minutes of activity daily and keep a record of all their activities. Death, recurrence, rhythm abnormalities, rehospitalizations, and BMI (body mass index) were all documented on a predesigned proforma and compared between intervention and control. A three-month-long follow-up plan was established.ResultsA total of 80 patients were enrolled in the study. Post-infarction angina (p = 0.0012) was significantly higher in patients who did not receive cardiac rehabilitation (CR). The incidence of arrhythmias was significantly higher in the control group as compared to the rehab group (p=0.002). Moreover, the mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was also significantly higher in patients who underwent CR as compared to the control group (44.76 ± 13.8 vs. 42.9 ± 13.5, p = 0.01). There was no significant difference between the post-intervention BMI in the rehab group.ConclusionIn conclusion, the present study findings revealed that mild to moderate cardiac rehabilitation (CR) was related to the less frequent occurrence of post-infarction angina and arrhythmias. Moreover, we found that patients who received CR experienced a significant improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) as compared to the control group. However, further large-scale studies from multiple centers are warranted.

Hangover after Side Branch Stenting: The Discomfort Comes Afterwards.

The authors report on a patient with recurrent angina at rest and on exertion 2 years after percutaneous revascularisation of the first diagonal branch (D1). Invasive coronary angiography with full functional testing was planned with the tentative diagnosis of coronary vascular dysfunction. Coronary angiography with functional testing revealed a haemodynamically significant intermediate stenosis at the D1–left anterior descending artery bifurcation. Optical coherence tomography demonstrated neointimal bridging and accelerated downstream atherosclerosis that was induced by protrusion of the previously implanted stent into the main branch. Although the overhanging stent was considered insignificant at first, it caused significant discomfort after 2 years. After provisional stenting of the main branch with crushing of the protruding stent and continuous medical treatment, the patient remained free of recurrent angina.

Intracoronary Lithotripsy Use for In-Stent Restenosis, Including Multilayer ISR

IntroductionIntravascular lithotripsy (IVL) has been well characterized as a safe and effective method for plaque modification in the treatment of de-novo, calcific coronary artery disease. In-stent restenosis (ISR) remains a major challenge in coronary revascularization, especially “multilayer” ISR. The use of IVL in ISR remains off-label and has been described in case reports and small case series. We report the single-center experience using IVL for the treatment of ISR, including multilayer ISR. Materials and methodsThis was a retrospective single-center study. All intracoronary percutaneous interventions requiring lithotripsy use, between May 2021 and December 2021, were reviewed. We selected only the cases involving IVL use for the treatment of in-stent restenosis. Baseline characteristics of patients were obtained from chart review. Procedural details and outcomes were obtained from reports and from a detailed review of procedural images. ResultsA total of 13 ISR lesions were treated with IVL, of which 5 were in cases of multilayer ISR. Procedural success was observed in 11 lesions. Three patients had recurrent angina during a mean follow-up of 133 days. None of the patients had hard outcomes of myocardial infarction or cardiac death during the follow-up period. ConclusionIVL is feasible and safe for ISR treatment including multilayer ISR. IVL is associated with good immediate procedural success, and a low rate of short-term adverse outcomes.

Trimetazidine as Adjunctive Therapy for Decreasing Major Adverse Cardiac Events in Coronary Artery Disease Patients Undergoing Reperfusion Strategy: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Trimetazidine as adjunctive therapy in cardioischemic patients has shown improvement in angina and left ventricular ejection fraction, but with conflicting evidence on hard clinical outcomes. This meta-analysis aims to compare the efficacy of trimetazidine versus placebo in reducing cardiac mortality and major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) in coronary artery disease patients after reperfusion strategies, whether percutaneous coronary intervention or thrombolysis. The primary outcomes examined were cardiac mortality and combined MACEs; secondary outcomes were repeat revascularization, heart failure after reperfusion, stent restenosis, recurrence of angina, and reinfarction. Trimetazidine in comparison to placebo was associated with lower cardiac mortality and combined MACEs, but results were not significant. Among secondary outcomes, only stent restenosis was significantly reduced (risk ratio, 0.53; 95% confidence interval, 0.34–0.83; P = 0.006). Further trials should be conducted with more standard dosing regimens, duration of therapy, and similar severities of ischemic disease.

Results of CABG Using Microsurgical Technique and Endarterectomy for Diffuse Lesions of the Coronary Arteries

Background. The number of patients (pts) with diffuse lesions among coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) candidates has increased; they are expected to have worse results. Complex reconstructions, such as coronary endarterectomy (CEAE) and prolonged anastomoses with arteries less than 1.5mm in diameter, are being used more often. There is no sufficient evidence data and accepted guidelines for surgical treatment of this most complicated category of pts. Aim to evaluate the effectiveness of CABG with and without endarterectomy in pts with diffuse lesion and compare it with standard CABG in pts with local lesion. Materials and methods. In 20102017 CABG were performed in 2.927 pts. 1276 had diffuse coronary artery disease and in 154 cases the surgeon was forced to perform CEAE. After excluding 38 pts with comorbidities, the study group was formed (group 1, n = 116). We selected 2 equally large control groups with propensity score matching: from pts with diffuse lesion operated without CEAE (group 2, n = 116) and pts with local lesion operated as standard (group 3, n = 116). Cardiopulmonary bypass and microsurgical techniques were used. Hospital and long-term (up to 8 years; median follow-up of 60 (42; 74) months results were compared. The endpoints were all-cause and cardiac mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), angina recurrence and repeated revascularization. Results. In group 1 the frequency of perioperative MI was significantly higher compared to groups 2 and 3 (6.9% vs 0.7 and 0.7% resp, p 0.05) Hospital mortality was comparable in groups (p = 0.444). In the long-term period, the angina recurrence frequency was insignificantly lower in both control groups compared with the study group (p = 0.418). Autovenous grafts had significantly more dysfunctions compared with the internal thoracic artery grafts in symptomatic pts (57.5 versus 12.1%, p 0.05; odds ratio OR = 9.82; 95% CI: 3.2429.79). Also the severity of the target coronary artery lesion 4 points scaled by the diffuse lesion index were more frequent cause of graft dysfunction in this group (60.9 versus 41.6%; p 0.05; OR = 2.13; 95% CI: 1.134.24). Conclusion. Coronary endarterectomy is related to the high risk of perioperative myocardial infraction, while do not significantly increase the hospital mortality and adverse events in the long-term period. It should be considered to use coronary endarterectomy when there is no other option for surgery. The using of other adjunctive techniques demonstrate high efficiency in patients with diffuse lesions of the coronary arteries, comparable to surgery in patients with local lesion.

Comparison between Non-obstructive versus obstructive coronary artery disease patients with acute coronary syndrome

Background and aim: Differences in prognosis and baseline clinical presentation have been documented among patient with acute coronary syndrome and coronary artery disease with obstructive (ObCAD) or nonobstructive arteries (NObCAD), but the rates of events largely varied across single studies, the present study aimed to compare the clinical profile, in-hospital and 3-month outcomes major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) of Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) patients with Non – Obstructive Coronary Diseases (NOCAD), versus Obstructive Coronary Diseases (OCAD). Patients and methods: This prospective observational study included 200 consecutive patients admitted with the diagnosis of ACS to Coronary Care Unit (CCU) at Al- Azhar University hospital Assiut and Sohag Specialized Cardiac and Digestive System Center. Results: There was statistically significant increase in patients suffered from common complication of ACS during 3 months follow up in group B (CAD) than group A (NOCAD).There was statistically significant between number of vessels in both groups with heart failure, and recurrent angina pain complications. Conclusion: Female sex, young age, less diabetic patients, less smoking, less ST segment changes, elevations in peak troponin levels were all associated with coronary angiography showing no significant stenosis.

Infective Endocarditis Complicated by Fistulized Pseudoaneurysm in the Left Ventricle: Case Report

This is a case report of a 39-year-old patient with a history of recurrent angina since her childhood, who was diagnosed with a endocarditis complicated by pseudoaneurysm. The pseudoaneurysm is a rare complication. We report the case of a pseudo aneurysm of the right coronary sinus fistulized into the left ventricle complicating a surgically treated aortic infective endocarditis.

Risk Prediction of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events Occurrence Within 6 Months After Coronary Revascularization: Machine Learning Study

BackgroundAs a major health hazard, the incidence of coronary heart disease has been increasing year by year. Although coronary revascularization, mainly percutaneous coronary intervention, has played an important role in the treatment of coronary heart disease, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) such as recurrent or persistent angina pectoris after coronary revascularization remain a very difficult problem in clinical practice.ObjectiveGiven the high probability of MACE after coronary revascularization, the aim of this study was to develop and validate a predictive model for MACE occurrence within 6 months based on machine learning algorithms.MethodsA retrospective study was performed including 1004 patients who had undergone coronary revascularization at The People’s Hospital of Liaoning Province and Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from June 2019 to December 2020. According to the characteristics of available data, an oversampling strategy was adopted for initial preprocessing. We then employed six machine learning algorithms, including decision tree, random forest, logistic regression, naïve Bayes, support vector machine, and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), to develop prediction models for MACE depending on clinical information and 6-month follow-up information. Among all samples, 70% were randomly selected for training and the remaining 30% were used for model validation. Model performance was assessed based on accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, confusion matrix, area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC), and visualization of the ROC curve.ResultsUnivariate analysis showed that 21 patient characteristic variables were statistically significant (P<.05) between the groups without and with MACE. Coupled with these significant factors, among the six machine learning algorithms, XGBoost stood out with an accuracy of 0.7788, precision of 0.8058, recall of 0.7345, F1-score of 0.7685, and AUC of 0.8599. Further exploration of the models to identify factors affecting the occurrence of MACE revealed that use of anticoagulant drugs and course of the disease consistently ranked in the top two predictive factors in three developed models.ConclusionsThe machine learning risk models constructed in this study can achieve acceptable performance of MACE prediction, with XGBoost performing the best, providing a valuable reference for pointed intervention and clinical decision-making in MACE prevention.

Short term outcome of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Background: Percutaneous Coronary intervention (PCI) is a routinely performed procedure in coronary care units. The aim of our study was to investigate the frequency of major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) after percutaneous coronary angiography in acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients in our institution. The objective of the study is to determine the frequency of MACEs after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) in patients with acute myocardial infarction.Patients &amp; Methods: This prospective observational study was carried out at Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore from May 2017 to June 2017. A total 35 patients with STEMI who underwent Primary PCI were enrolled by consecutive sampling technique. An inclusion criterion was chest pain of 30 minutes to 12 hours duration with ECG showing ≥ 0.1mm ST-elevation in at least two contiguous leads. An exclusion criterion was thrombolysis within last 24 hours, malignancy, stroke and Left Main or equivalent disease on coronary Angiogram. Patients were followed after 2 weeks till 1 month for any MACES. (Including re-admission, need for repeat revascularization, stent thrombosis, recurrent acute MI, angina, stroke, and mortality). Frequency and percentages were calculated for MACEs by using SPSS 23.0.Results: Out of 35 cases, 34 (97.1%) were male and 1 (2.9%) were female. Mean age was 47.11±10.59 years, 14 (40%) patients had hypertension, 10 (28.6%) were diabetics and 12(34.3%) were current smokers while 4 (11.4%) were ex-smokers, 10 (28.6%) had family history of CAD, and 3 (8.6%) had hyperlipidemia. Successful revascularization with TIMI-III flow was attained in 34(97.1%) cases. 33minutes was mean door to balloon time. At one month follow-up, out of 35 patients, angina was reported only in 1 (2.9%) patient. There was no readmission, repeat revascularization, stent thrombosis, myocardial infarction, stroke and death reported in study subjects.Conclusion: Successful revascularization by Primary PCI was associated with very few early MACEs. For the treatment of coronary artery disease, PCI is an effective option. It has a few early MACEs and uses less contrast and has fewer distal complications than conventional angioplasty and invasive procedures.

Surgical Remodeling of the Left Ventricle in Patients with Post-Infarction Dilation and Heart Failure

INTRODUCTION The cause of heart failure in patients with coronary artery disease after anterior myocardial infarction may be dilatation of the cavity of the left ventricle (LV) with subsequent unfavorable course of the disease. In the case of early reperfusion, which prevents transmural myocardial necrosis, the damaged segment more often becomes akinetic than dyskinetic. Surgical remodeling of the left ventricle (SRLV) is aimed at reducing the volume and restoring its elliptical shape by eliminating scars in the akinetic and/or dyskinetic segments.AIM OF STUDY To evaluate the survival of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) who had anterior wall myocardial infarction in the early and late periods after surgical remodeling of the left ventricle, in combination with coronary bypass grafting and/or interventions on the mitral valve.MATERIAL AND METHODS The study included 99 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) who had myocardial infarction of the anterior LV wall and with severe heart failure, who underwent surgical LV remodeling in the period from 2002 to 2020. The analysis of early and long-term results was carried out. The risk factors influencing lethality were determined.The mean age of the patients was 56.0±10.2 years (from 23 to 81 years). The vast majority of patients (90%) were men. LV ventriculoplasty was combined with coronary bypass grafting in 97 (98%) patients, with mitral valve repair in 2 (2%) patients, with mitral valve replacement in 2 (2%) patients.RESULTS In the early postoperative period, all patients showed an improvement in global LV systolic function. The ejection fraction (EF) of the left ventricle increased from the average preoperative average value of 34.2±3.7% to 43±4.2% in the postoperative period (р&lt;0,001). Left ventricular end systolic volume index (LVESV) decreased from 71.4±15.3 ml/m2 to 43.8±9.6 ml/m2, respectively (р&lt;0,001). In the early postoperative period, 5 (5%) patients used the following means of mechanical hemodynamic support: intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP), non-implantable device for temporary support of the left ventricle (LVAD) and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). The 30-day mortality rate after LVESV was 6%. Prior to surgery, all patients had NYHA functional class (FC) III or IV. In the postoperative period, all patients experienced regression of heart failure symptoms and improved exercise tolerance. NYHA functional class improved to I and II in 100% of cases. Using univariate analysis, it was possible to determine that EF ≤30%, LVESV ≥80 ml/m2 and pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) &gt;60 mm Hg. were risk factors for hospital mortality. The overall fifteen-year survival rate was 59.8±0.13%. The absence of readmission to the hospital due to recurrent angina pectoris, mitral valve dysfunction and progression of heart failure (HF) was 72% among surviving patients.CONCLUSION Surgical remodeling reduces the volume of the dilated left ventricle and restores its elliptical shape in patients with CAD after anterior myocardial infarction. The results of our study demonstrate an improvement in LV systolic function in all patients in the early postoperative period and low mortality, an acceptable fifteen-year survival rate, and a low readmission rate due to the progression of chronic heart failure (CHF).

Acetylcholine Re-Challenge After Intracoronary Nitroglycerine Administration.

Coronary artery spasm (CAS) can be diagnosed in a large proportion of patients with recurrent angina with non-obstructive coronary artery disease (ANOCA) using acetylcholine (ACh) spasm provocation testing. CAS can further be divided into different subtypes (e.g., focal, diffuse epicardial, or microvascular spasm), each with different pathophysiological mechanisms that may require tailored drug treatment. The evidence behind the role of nitrates in the setting of each CAS subtype is lacking, and the effectivity can vary on a per-patient basis. In order to assess on a per-patient level whether nitroglycerine (NTG) can prevent inducible spasm, the vasospastic ACh dose can be readministered after NTG administration as part of the spasm provocation test. The preventive effect of NTG is assessed by evaluating improvements in the severity of induced symptoms, ischemic ECG changes, and by reassessing the site and mode of spasm on angiography. This technique can therefore be used to assess the nitrate responsiveness on a per-patient level and unmask co-existing microvascular spasm in patients with epicardial spasm that is prevented with NTG. The NTG rechallenge, therefore, allows to further guide targeted therapy for CAS and provide new insights into the pathophysiological mechanism behind vasospastic disorders.

Prevalence and characteristics of coronary microvascular dysfunction in post-percutaneous coronary intervention patients with recurrent chest pain.

Coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) and obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) are likely to exist side-by-side, thereby probably inducing angina pectoris symptoms of some patients not effectively relieved after revascularization. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence and characteristics exhibited by CMD in patients with recurrent chest pain who received percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) before. We conducted a single-center cross-sectional retrospective study. A total of 373 patients having received PCI were hospitalized for recurrent chest pain. Subsequently, they underwent coronary angiography and a rest/stress dynamic and routine gated myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). At the vascular level, if any coronary artery stenosis <50% and myocardial flow reserve (MFR) <2.0 in the corresponding territory was considered to result from CMD. At the participant level, the CMD group was defined as one of the non-obstructive coronary arteries, in accordance with CMD at the vascular level. A total of 102 patients were finally recruited. At the vascular level, 274 vessels were eligible for inclusion, and the proportion of CMD was 43.1% (118/274). At the participant level, 49.0% (50/102) post-PCI patients with recurrent chest pain were indicated as CAD coexisting with CMD. Body mass index (BMI), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in CMD patients exceeded those in controls. The stress myocardial blood flow (MBF) of CMD patients was significantly decreased than controls (stress MBF of left ventricle in CMD vs. control: 1.36±0.43 vs. 2.50±0.70, P<0.01). After age adjustment, multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that increased BMI (OR: 1.405, 95% CI: 1.048-1.882) and LDL-C (OR: 3.094, 95% CI: 1.044-9.173) showed independent correlations with CMD (P<0.05). The prevalence of CMD could be relatively high in post-PCI patients suffering from recurrent angina with no need for revascularization, and increased BMI and LDL-C could be independent predictors of CMD.