Single-vessel Coronary Disease Research Articles

RESIDUAL CARDIOVASCULAR RISK AND SEVERITY OF CORONARY DISEASE

Abstract Background The presence of residual risk in patients with a history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is a cause of additional cardiovascular events. The aim of this study is to correlate residual cardiovascular risk with the severity of coronary disease. Methods We enrolled 52 patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome from September to October 2023 at the Clinical and Rehabilitation Cardiology of the San Filippo Neri Hospital. All patients were treated with percutaneous and/or surgical coronary revascularization and had a history of ASCVD. Thirty of these patients had a single–vessel coronary disease and 22 had a multivessel coronary disease. We analyzed the main cardiovascular risk factors and the received therapies in both groups. Results Triglyceride levels were significantly higher in the group with a multivessel coronary disease (132.94 ± 65.41 mg/dl vs 94.06 ± 37.63 mg/dl; p=0.01) as well as the levels of glycated hemoglobin (50.91 ± 15.23 mmol/mol vs 42.92 ± 6.65 mmol/mol; p=0.01) and high–sensitivity C–reactive protein (hs–CRP, 1.25 ± 1.48 mg/dl vs 0.65 ± 0.46 mg/dl; p=0.04). We found no significant differences between the two groups for the other main cardiovascular risk factors and the therapies. Conclusions Our data show that higher levels of triglycerides, glycated hemoglobin and hs–CRP, an inflammatory biomarker, are associated with a more extensive coronary disease. This finding suggests that a better metabolic control, in terms of glycated hemoglobin and triglyceride levels, and inflammation could contribute to the reduction of coronary disease extension.

STEMI in young patients: what are we dealing with?

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements None. Background/Introduction Acute Myocardial Infarction with ST-segment Elevation (STEMI) in young adults is infrequent, with an incidence ranging from 2-12%. Our objective is to analyse the clinical characteristics, management, and prognosis of patients aged 45 years or younger with STEMI activation. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of the "Code Infarct" registry at our hospital from January 2020 to March 2023. Out of the 867 codes, 51 patients aged 45 or younger were selected. We studied clinical, angiographic, and echocardiographic parameters. Results Table 1 presents the baseline and clinical characteristics of the patients. The median time from symptom onset to the first medical contact was 126 (30-160) minutes, and the median ischemic time was 226 (122-270) minutes. Figure 1 displays the angiographic findings. Atherothrombotic disease was responsible in 78.4% of patients, with 75% of them having single-vessel coronary disease with similar involvement of the right and anterior descending coronary arteries. Five patients (9.8%) experienced spontaneous dissection, with the majority being women (80%). In 5 cases (9.8%), coronary arteries were found to be normal. The second most commonly used antiplatelet agent was prasugrel (64.7%). Fibrinolysis was performed in 5 patients (9.8%). Only 3 patients (5.9%) required inotropic/vasopressor therapy, and 2 (3.9%) received intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation. The most common complication during hospitalization was the occurrence of tachyarrhythmias (27.4%), followed by heart failure (7.8%). At discharge, 52.9% had a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) >55%, 49.3% had LVEF between 40-55%, and only 7.8% had LVEF <40%. The median length of hospital stay was 5.7 (3-6) days, and there were no in-hospital deaths. One-year survival was 98%. Conclusions Atherothrombotic disease is the leading cause of STEMI in individuals aged 45 or younger in our population. Smoking and dyslipidaemia are the most prevalent risk factors. Ischemic time is longer than desired in this group, mainly due to a delay from symptom onset to initial medical contact. Promoting primary prevention and raising awareness about the clinical signs and importance of early diagnosis in STEMI could help reduce ischemic time in this population.Characteristics and Clinical PresentatioCoronary angiography findings.

Combined Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Surgery and Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Hybrid Concept for Patients with Mitral Valve and Coronary Pathologies.

We evaluated the feasibility of hybrid percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and minimally invasive mitral valve surgery (MIMVS) in patients with concomitant coronary and mitral disease. Of 534 patients who underwent MIMVS at our institution between 2012 and 2018, those with combined mitral and single vessel coronary pathologies who underwent MIMVS and PCI were included. Patients were excluded if they had endocarditis or required emergency procedures. Preprocedural, procedural, and postprocedural data were retrospectively analyzed. In total, 10 patients (median age, 75 years; 7 males) with a median ejection fraction (EF) of 60% were included. Nine patients underwent PCI before and one after MIMVS. The success rate was 100% in both procedures. There were no postoperative myocardial infarctions or strokes. Two patients developed delirium and one required re-thoracotomy for bleeding. The median stay in intensive care and the hospital was 3 and 8 days, respectively. The 30-day survival rate was 100%. A hybrid PCI and MIMVS approach is feasible in patients with mitral valve and single vessel coronary disease. In combined pathologies, the revascularization strategy should be evaluated independent from the mitral valve pathology in the presence of MIMVS expertise. Extension of this recommendation to multivessel disease should be evaluated in future studies.

The ability of contemporary cardiologists to judge the ischemic impact of a coronary lesion visually

BackgroundLandmark trials showed that invasive pressure measurement (Fractional Flow Reserve, FFR) was a better guide to coronary stenting than visual assessment. However, present-day interventionists have benefited from extensive research and personal experience of mapping anatomy to hemodynamics. AimsTo determine if visual assessment of the angiogram performs as well as invasive measurement of coronary physiology. Methods25 interventional cardiologists independently visually assessed the single vessel coronary disease of 200 randomized participants in The Objective Randomized Blinded Investigation with optimal medical Therapy of Angioplasty in stable angina trial (ORBITA). They gave a visual prediction of the FFR and Instantaneous Wave-free Ratio (iFR), denoted vFFR and viFR respectively. Each judged each lesion on 2 occasions, so that every lesion had 50 vFFR, and 50 viFR assessments. The group consensus visual estimates (vFFR-group and viFR-group) and individual cardiologists' visual estimates (vFFR-individual and viFR-individual) were tested alongside invasively measured FFR and iFR for their ability to predict the placebo-controlled reduction in stress echo ischemia with stenting. ResultsPlacebo-controlled ischemia improvement with stenting was predicted by vFFR-group (p < 0.0001) and viFR-group (p < 0.0001), vFFR-individual (p < 0.0001) and viFR-individual (p < 0.0001). There were no significant differences between the predictive performance of the group visual estimates and their invasive counterparts: p = 0.53 for vFFR vs FFR and p = 0.56 for viFR vs iFR. ConclusionVisual assessment of the angiogram by contemporary experts, provides significant additional information on the amount of ischaemia which can be relieved by placebo-controlled stenting in single vessel coronary artery disease.

Minimally invasive mini-thoracotomy access as a surgical method in state-of-the-art treatment of single-vessel coronary heart disease.

Aim To compare outcomes of two different surgical techniques of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for treating isolated left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery disease by full median sternotomy technique vs. minimally invasive approach via left anterior mini-thoracotomy. Methods This retrospective, observational study, which included 61 elective patients, was conducted at the Clinic for Cardiovascular Surgery of the Clinical Centre of the University of Sarajevo in the period from June 2019 to January 2022. Patients were divided in two groups according to the operative technique used, the sternotomy CABG group of 30 patients where the access considered full median sternotomy, and the minimally invasive CABG group where left anterior mini-thoracotomy was performed. The groups were compared by previously defined primary and secondary clinical postoperative outcomes. Results Out of 61 patients, the majority was males, 50 (82%). The analysis of the outcomes of the minimally invasive CABG surgery showed significantly shorter operative times (p=0.001), less postoperative drainage (p=0.001) and transfusion requirements, shorter mechanical ventilation duration (p=0.0001), low major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events rates, as well as shorter Intensive Care Unit stay days with mean of 3.3±1.442 days (p=0.025), but no total hospital stay days with mean of 6.7±1.832 days (p=0.075) compared to sternotomy CABG group. Conclusion Minimally invasive approach for CABG surgery in treating isolated single vessel LAD disease, together with the fasttrack protocol, offers a reasonable alternative to full median sternotomy, leading to faster patients' overall recovery and improving the quality of life.

Smartphone-enabled retinal arteriovenous imaging and correlation with coronary SYNTAX score

ObjectiveTo assess the feasibility of measurement of retinal arteriovenous (AV) ratio using a smartphone, we performed a comparative evaluation with fundus camera imaging and coronary SYNTAX score. MethodSuccessive coronary artery disease (CAD) patients who underwent coronary angiography were recruited for smartphone retinal imaging. Following pupillary dilatation, fundus camera images and smartphone photography were performed. Video images were captured with a smartphone, edited and analysed. Retinal artery and vein size at 0.5 and 1 disc diameter (DD) were measured using DICOM software by two independent observers. Another observer calculated SYNTAX score. ResultsAnalysable smartphone images were available in 91 (89.2%) of 102 patients. Tobacco use was found in 26%, hypertension in 54%, diabetes in 55%, and high LDL cholesterol in 50%. Median and 25–75 interquartile range (IQR) AV ratio at 0.5 and 1.0 DD, respectively, with smartphone were 0.48 (0.45–0.52) and 0.47 (0.45–0.52) and fundus camera were 0.48 (0.44–0.53) and 0.48 (0.45–0.53) (Spearman's correlation 0.80 and 0.79, p < 0.001). Coronary single vessel disease was in 21%, double vessel in 16%, triple vessel in 55%, normal angiogram in 8%, and median SYNTAX score was 18.0 (8.0–25.0). There was an inverse correlation of SYNTAX score with smartphone-derived AV ratio at 0.5 and 1.0 DD (rho −0.27,p = 0.007 and −0.26,p = 0.009) as well as with fundus camera (rho −0.37 and −0.38, p < 0.001). Trend-analysis showed an inverse association of smartphone AV ratio with increasing CAD (ptrend <0.001). ConclusionsSmartphone-based retinal AV imaging is feasible and comparable to fundus-camera imaging. There is a significant inverse correlation with coronary angiographic severity.

MIDCAB Versus Off-Pump CABG: A Comparative Study

Introduction: Treatment for coronary artery disease (CAD) includes medical therapy, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass grafting. Objectives: The main objective of the study is to find the comparison of MIDCAB vs open off-pump procedure CABG for single vessel coronary disease. Material and methods: This comparative analysis was conducted at Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology, Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology, Rawalpindi and Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad from October 2019 to 2021. Informed consent was taken from all the patients before collecting the data. Patients in the MIDCAB group received sub-station hybridization to treat the diseased vessels except the left anterior descending (LAD). Patients in the OPCAB group were placed in the supine position, and combined intravenous inhalational anaesthesia was given; then, single-lumen endotracheal intubation was performed through the median incision. Results: The data were collected from 100 coronary artery disease patients. The mean age of the study patients was 54.4±10.6 years. Cigarette smoking was much more common in men than in women (32.6% vs. 0, p&lt;0.001). The serum levels of creatinine, uric acid, and cTAS were significantly higher in men than in women (0.9±0.2 vs. 0.7±0.1, 7.6±2.1 vs. 6.8±2.3, and.0.4±0.0 vs. 0.3±0.1, respectively; p&lt;0.001). Conclusion: It is concluded that MIDCAB procedures can be performed with similar safety as OPCAB procedures. Postoperative outcomes in terms of mortality were satisfactory, rendering this procedure at least as safe as the option of OPCAB. Practical implications: MIDCAB is considered to be the safe procedure and we may practically use this method. Key words: MIDCAB, OPCAB, Mortality, Coronary Artery Diseases, Procedures

High density lipoprotein subfractions and extent of coronary atherosclerotic lesions: From the cordioprev study

Background and aimsThe extent of atherosclerotic coronary heart disease (CHD) is associated with its prognosis, thus discovering potential biomarkers related to worse outcomes could prove valuable. The present work aims to investigate whether lipoprotein subfractions are associated with angiographic CHD severity. Materials and methodsPatients from the CORDIOPREV study exhibiting coronary lesions in angiography were classified into two groups (single-vessel coronary disease (SVD) or multivessel coronary disease (MVD)). High-throughput nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy determined lipoprotein subfractions concentration and composition. ResultsSVD patients showed a higher concentration of medium and small HDL particles compared with MVD patients. For medium HDL, total lipids, phospholipids, total cholesterol, cholesteryl esters and free cholesterol reflected HDL particle concentration, whereas, for small HDL, total lipids, phospholipids, and free cholesterol mirrored lipoprotein particle concentration. Among traditional cardiovascular risk factors, age, hypertension and T2D were independently associated with angiography severity. In multivariate logistic regression models, medium and small HDL particles remained inversely associated with angiography severity (OR 0.77 (95% CI: 0.64–0.91); OR 0.78 (95% CI: 0.67–0.91), respectively) after adjusting with covariates. ConclusionIn CHD patients mostly on statin treatment, angiography severity is inversely related to small and medium HDL subclasses concentration measured by NMR. These particles are also independent predictors of the presence of MVD, and its use increased the prediction of this entity over traditional risk factors.

The Placebo-Controlled Effect of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention on Exercise Induced Changes in Anti-Malondialdehyde-LDL Antibody Levels in Stable Coronary Artery Disease: A Substudy of the ORBITA Trial.

Aim: Malondialdehyde-modified low-density lipoprotein (MDA-LDL) forms a significant component of oxidised LDL. The effects of exercise on levels of MDA-LDL and anti-MDA-LDL antibodies are not well-understood. Furthermore, it is not known whether these can be modified in patients with coronary artery disease by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Methods: The Objective Randomised Blinded Investigation with optimal medical Therapy of Angioplasty in stable angina (ORBITA) trial was the first blinded, multi-centre randomised trial of PCI vs. placebo procedure for angina relief. Serum samples were available at four time-points: pre-randomisation pre- (P1) and post- (P2) exercise and post-randomisation (6-weeks following the PCI or placebo procedure), pre- (P3) and post- (P4) exercise. ELISAs were performed using laboratory-developed assays for MDA-LDL (adjusted for Apolipoprotein B) and anti-MDA-LDL antibodies.Results: One hundred ninety-six of the 200 patients (age 66.1 [SD 8.99] years, 28% female) with severe single vessel coronary artery disease suitable for PCI enrolled in the ORBITA trial had blood available for analysis. With exercise at pre-randomisation (P2–P1) there was no significant change in adjusted MDA-LDL (−0.001, 95% CI −0.004 to 0.001; p = 0.287); however, IgG and IgM anti-MDA-LDL significantly declined (−0.022, 95% CI −0.029 to −0.014, p < 0.0001; −0.016, 95% CI −0.024 to −0.008, p = 0.0002, respectively). PCI did not have a significant impact on either the pre-exercise values (P3 controlling for P1) of MDA-LDL (p = 0.102), IgG (p = 0.444) or IgM anti-MDA-LDL (p = 0.909). Nor did PCI impact the exercise induced changes in these markers (P4 controlling for P1, P2, and P3) for MDA-LDL (p = 0.605), IgG (p = 0.725) or IgM anti-MDA-LDL (p = 0.171). Pre-randomisation ischaemia on stress echo did not impact these interactions.Conclusions: Exercise results in an acute reduction in anti-oxLDL antibodies in patients with severe single vessel coronary disease, possibly indicating an induction in homoeostatic clearance via the innate immune system. However, PCI did not ameliorate this effect.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Diastolic Fractional Flow Reserve for Functional Evaluation of Coronary Stenosis: DIASTOLE Study.

In the resting conditions, narrowing the window of coronary pressure measurements from the whole cardiac cycle to diastole improves diagnostic performance of coronary pressure-derived physiological index. However, whether this also applies to the hyperemic conditions has not yet been thoroughly evaluated. The purpose of this study was to assess whether diastolic fractional flow reserve (diastolic FFR) has better diagnostic performance in identifying ischemia-causing coronary lesions than conventional FFR in a prospective, multicenter, and independent core laboratory-based environment. In this prospective multicenter registry at 29 Japanese centers, we compared the diagnostic performance of FFR, diastolic FFR, resting distal to aortic coronary pressure (Pd/Pa), and diastolic pressure ratio (dPR) using myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) as the reference standard in 378 patients with single-vessel coronary disease. Inducible myocardial ischemia was found on MPS in the relevant myocardial territory of the target vessel in 85 patients (22%). In the receiver-operating curve analyses, diastolic FFR had comparable area under the curve (AUC) compared with FFR (AUCdiastolic FFR: 0.66; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.58-0.73, vs AUCFFR: 0.66; 95%CI: 0.58-0.74, P=0.624). FFR and diastolic FFR showed significantly larger AUCs than resting Pd/Pa (0.62; 95%CI: 0.54-0.70; P=0.033 and P=0.046) but did not show significantly larger AUCs than dPR (0.62; 95%CI: 0.55-0.70; P=0.102 and P=0.113). Diastolic FFR showed a similar diagnostic performance to FFR as compared with MPS. This result reaffirms the use of FFR as the most accurate invasive physiological lesion assessment. (Diagnostic accuracy of diastolic fractional flow reserve (d-FFR) for functional evaluation of coronary stenosis; UMIN000015906).

Myocardial Infarction as the Initial Presentation for Fibromuscular Dysplasia

Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) is a non-atherosclerotic disease that affects medium-sized arteries and results in stenosis, dissection, aneurysm or occlusion. It is most commonly reported in the renal and carotid arteries. Involvement of coronary arteries is quite rare and and leads to serious consequences. A 62-year-old African American woman with a history of mitral valve prolapse presented with chest discomfort associated with diaphoresis. Her EKG initially showed ST segment changes in leads II, III, and V2-V5 which resolved in approximately 30 minutes. Her troponin peaked to 20 ng/L during her hospital course. A bedside echocardiogram revealed an EF of 45% with mid, distal septal and apical hypokinesis. The patient was admitted to the Cardiac Care Unit for treatment of an NSTEMI. She underwent cardiac catheterization, which revealed single-vessel coronary disease with diffuse narrowing of the distal LAD, beyond the first diagonal branch down to the apex. CT angiography of her abdomen and pelvis showed mild narrowing of the mid-right renal artery with a small fusiform aneurysm measuring approximately 5 mm. Her carotid duplex showed tortuosity in the right internal carotid artery. Given the multiple vascular anomalies, a diagnosis of fibromuscular dysplasia was considered. Acute coronary syndrome in fibromuscular dysplasia requires an integrated approach to management, especially if there is associated malignant hypertension and/or dissection.

Correlation of serum growth differentiation factor-15 level with degree of coronary artery lesion and prognosis in elderly patients with acute coronary syndrome

Objective To analyze the correlation of growth differentiation factor-15(GDF-15)level with the severity of coronary artery disease and prognosis and in elderly patients with acute coronary syndrome. Methods A total of 168 elderly patients with acute coronary syndrome admitted into Hangzhou Xixi Hospital and Shaoyifu Hospital Affiliated to Medical College of Zhejiang University from March 2017 to April 2018 were enrolled in the study.Patients were divided into three groups: GDF-15>1 800 μmol/L(n=28), GDF-15 between 1 200-1 800 μmol/L(n=45), and GDF-15<1 200 μmol/L(n=95). Plasma levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein(hs-CRP)and GDF-15, and SYNTAX score, single-vessel-, double-vessel, multi-vessel coronary disease and major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE)were analyzed and compared between groups. Results Plasma levels of hs-CRP and GDF-15 had significant differences among the three groups(P<0.05). There were significant statistically differences in SYNTAX score, single-vessel, double-vessel and multi-vessel coronary disease and MACE among the three groups(P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that the levels of GDF-15(OR=2.092, 95%CI: 1.585~2.687), SYNTAX score(OR=1.948, 95%CI: 1.097~2.098), double-vessel lesions(OR=1.124, 95%CI: 1.006~1.251)and multi-vessel lesions(OR=1.744, 95%CI: 1.149~2.642)(all P<0.05)were statistically significant influencing factors for the prognosis. Conclusions GDF-15 level is correlated with SYNTAX score, double-vessel lesions and multi-vessel lesions, and could predict the severity of coronary artery lesions and prognosis in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Key words: Acute coronary syndrome; Growth differentiation factors; Prognosis

Coexistence of acute takotsubo syndrome and acute coronary syndrome.

Takotsubo syndrome (TS) is an acute cardiac condition with presentation indistinguishable from acute coronary syndrome (ACS), and mechanism independent of epicardial coronary obstruction. Acute coronary artery plaque rupture/occlusion is not expected in TS. Nonetheless, the physiologic stress of ACS might itself trigger TS, leading to coexistence of both conditions, and diagnostic uncertainty. From 2011 to 2014, we encountered 137 consecutive patients with typical TS (without acute coronary plaque rupture/occlusion). During this time, among a population of 3,506 consecutive ACS patients, nine (0.3%) presented with features of both ACS and TS, that is, acute onset, troponin elevation, acute plaque rupture/occlusion, and reversible LV ballooning not corresponding to culprit coronary distribution. The nine patients (seven female) with TS-ACS coexistence, average age 70 ± 13 years, presented with chest pain (n = 6), nausea/vomiting (n = 2), or cardiac arrest (n = 1), ST-elevation (n = 5), all with troponin elevation (peak 1.3 ± 1.2 ng/ml). Each had single vessel coronary disease; right coronary (n = 3), circumflex (n = 3), mid-LAD (n = 2), ramus intermedius (n = 1), with percutaneous coronary intervention in seven patients (78%). Initial ejection fraction was 26 ± 7%, with apical ballooning in eight patients and mid-LV ballooning in one patient. Each patient had LV ballooning resolution and ejection fraction normalization to 57 ± 3%, hospital survival was 89%. Among patients with ACS, a subset have evidence of coexisting TS, findings which further expand the clinical profile of both conditions, raising the possibility that ACS itself may trigger TS.

Routinely Available Biomarkers as Long-Term Predictors of Developing Systolic Dysfunction in Completely Revascularized Patients with Acute ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction

SUMMARYThe aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and creatine kinase (CK) as long-term predictors of reduced systolic function in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with complete revascularization. This prospective study evaluated consecutive patients with acute STEMI who had normal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF ≥50%) at admission with single-vessel disease and underwent complete revascularization. Blood samples were collected from admission to day 7. The primary endpoint was reduction of LVEF <50% after 12 months. The study included 47 patients, median age 59±10 years, 74.5% of them men. Patients who developed systolic dysfunction (LVEF <50%) had significantly higher mean values of cTnT after 24 hours (5.11 vs. 2.82 µg/L, p=0.010) and peak values of CK (3375.5 vs. 1865 U/L, p=0.008). There was no significant relation between hsCRP and development of reduced LVEF (p=0.541). In conclusion, cTnT and CK could serve as long-term predictors of reduced left ventricular systolic function (<50%) in acute STEMI patients with normal systolic function at admission, single-vessel coronary disease and complete revascularization during primary PCI.

Ischemic Heart Disease in Subjects of Young Age: Current State of the Problem. Features of Etiology, Clinical Manifestation and Prognosis

In addition to conventional risk factors in young patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) numerous other risk factors including genetics play an important role in its causation. Molecular genetic testing is recommended for the detection of monogenic diseases with a high risk of developing IHD, such as familial hypercholesterolemia. In majority ofyoung patients, the first manifestation of IHD is an acute coronary syndrome. Young patients with IHD more often have normal coronary arteries or single-vessel coronary disease, and in up to 20% of them cause of myocardial ischemia is not related to atherosclerosis. In general, young patients with IHD have better prognosis. However, there are sex differences in IHD outcomes the prognosis of patients with premature IHD and reason for this is still unclear.

Fractional Flow Reserve and Instantaneous Wave-Free Ratio as Predictors of the Placebo-Controlled Response to Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Stable Single-Vessel Coronary Artery Disease.

There are no data on how fractional flow reserve (FFR) and instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR) are associated with the placebo-controlled efficacy of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in stable single-vessel coronary artery disease. We report the association between prerandomization invasive physiology within ORBITA (Objective Randomised Blinded Investigation With Optimal Medical Therapy of Angioplasty in Stable Angina), a placebo-controlled trial of patients who have stable angina with angiographically severe single-vessel coronary disease clinically eligible for PCI. Patients underwent prerandomization research FFR and iFR assessment. The operator was blinded to these values. Assessment of response variables, treadmill exercise time, stress echocardiography score, symptom frequency, and angina severity were performed at prerandomization and blinded follow-up. Effects were calculated by analysis of covariance. The ability of FFR and iFR to predict placebo-controlled changes in response variables was tested by using regression modeling. Invasive physiology data were available in 196 patients (103 PCI and 93 placebo). At prerandomization, the majority had Canadian Cardiovascular Society class II or III symptoms (150/196, 76.5%). Mean FFR and iFR were 0.69±0.16 and 0.76±0.22, respectively; 97% had ≥1 positive ischemia tests. The estimated effect of PCI on between-arm prerandomization-adjusted total exercise time was 20.7 s (95% confidence interval [CI], -4.0 to 45.5; P=0.100) with no interaction of FFR ( Pinteraction=0.318) or iFR ( Pinteraction=0.523). PCI improved stress echocardiography score more than placebo (1.07 segment units; 95% CI, 0.70-1.44; P<0.00001). The placebo-controlled effect of PCI on stress echocardiography score increased progressively with decreasing FFR ( Pinteraction<0.00001) and decreasing iFR ( Pinteraction<0.00001). PCI did not improve angina frequency score significantly more than placebo (odds ratio, 1.64; 95% CI, 0.96-2.80; P=0.072) with no detectable evidence of interaction with FFR ( Pinteraction=0.849) or iFR ( Pinteraction=0.783). However, PCI resulted in more patient-reported freedom from angina than placebo (49.5% versus 31.5%; odds ratio, 2.47; 95% CI, 1.30-4.72; P=0.006) but neither FFR ( Pinteraction=0.693) nor iFR ( Pinteraction=0.761) modified this effect. In patients with stable angina and severe single-vessel disease, the blinded effect of PCI was more clearly seen by stress echocardiography score and freedom from angina than change in treadmill exercise time. Moreover, the lower the FFR or iFR, the greater the magnitude of stress echocardiographic improvement caused by PCI. URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT02062593.

CLINICAL DATA AND HEMODYNAMIC PARAMETERS IN YOUNG ADULTS WITH ACUTE CORONARY SYNDROME

Aim.. To study the clinical and demographic data and hemodynamic parameters in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in young adults. Methods. 299 patients with ACS aged under 45 years admitted to the Department of Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) were enrolled in the study. The inclusion criteria were as follows: young adults under 45 years and the confirmed diagnosis of ACS. 53 healthy volunteers were included in the control group. Results. High risk of early developing ACS was established for young adults who were current smokers, had some form of dyslipidemia, overweight and suffered from arterial hypertension as well as those who had genetic predisposition to early development of cardiovascular disease. The most prevalent outcome of ACS was STEMI. 65.8% of patients underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). According to coronary angiography (CAG) findings, half patients had single-vessel coronary disease with predominant atherosclerotic lesions of the left anterior descending artery (LAD). Q-wave MI was commonly detected by routine ECG. 80% of patients had one hypokinetic segment. The study group commonly had anterior myocardial infarction. 12% of cases were complicated by left ventricular aneurysms. Conclusion. 299 young adults with ACS were admitted to the Altai Regional Cardiology Dispensary over 5 years. Most of patients had STEMI by routine ECG. Men suffered from ACS 6 times higher than women. This group of patients had the following traditional risk factors: smoking, arterial hypertension, overweight, and family history of cardiovascular disease. According to the CAG findings, half patients had single-vessel coronary disease, which was commonly associated with atherosclerotic lesion of the LAD. Few patients had atherosclerotic lesions of the right coronary artery and circumflex artery. Q-wave MI was commonly detected by routine ECG. 80% of patients had one hypokinetic segment.

Correlation of serum cystatin C and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide with severity of coronary heart disease

Objective To investigate the correlation of serum cystatin C(CysC) and N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels with severity of coronary heart disease. Methods 240 patients with coronary artery disease were selected.According to coronary angiography, they were divided into four groups: 52 cases of non-CAD group, coronary single vessel disease group (73 cases), 62 cases of double vessel disease, 53 cases of triple vessel disease group.The serum CysC, NT-proBNP levels were determined and compared among the four groups.The relationship between CysC, NT-proBNP levels and severity of coronary artery disease was analyzed. Results The CysC, NT-proBNP levels in the single coronary vessel disease group, double vessel disease group and multivessel disease group were higher than non-CHD group, the differences were statistically significant(t=2.019, 3.870, 7.449, P=0.046, 0.000, 0.000; t=6.068, 15.365, 24.851, P=0.000, 0.000, 0.000); and with the crown pulse lesion count increased, the serum CysC, NT-proBNP levels increased gradually, the differences were statistically significant(t=2.080, 3.070, P=0.039, 0.000; t=10.953, 12.078, P=0.000, 0.000). Coronary artery disease severity was positively correlated with CysC, NT-proBNP levels (r1=0.562, r2=0.503). Conclusion The severity of coronary artery disease is closely related to the levels of CysC, NT-proBNP, which has some predictive value for coronary artery disease, patients with high CysC, NT-proBNP levels should be given high priority. Key words: serum cystatin C (CysC); Natriuretic peptide, brain; Coronary artery disease

Drug-eluting stents versus bare-metal stents in acute myocardial infarction with cardiogenic shock

ObjectivesThe aim of the present study was to assess the outcome of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complicated by cardiogenic shock (CS) receiving drug-eluting stents (DES) compared with bare-metal...

Recanalization of coronary artery chronic total occlusion by retrograde approach

Introduction. Chronic total occlusion (CTO) is defined as a 100% obstruction of the blood vessel lumen with Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction grade 0 flow in the occluded segment at least three months old. Advancement of technological devices and techniques used during the percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in the past years brought more success in blood vessel recanalization. According to the latest guidelines for myocardial revascularization, the CTO treatment should be considered when there are symptoms or objective proof of viability or ischemia in the occluded area. The aim of this work is to present two cases with a recanalization of the coronary artery CTO by the retrograde approach. Outline of cases. The first patient had a single vessel coronary disease which led to a decision to first attempt PCI. During the attempt of antegrade recanalization, the guidewire penetrated subintimally, risking blood vessel dissection below the occluded area as well as serious complications. Retrograde approach enabled easier and safer passing of guidewire through the occlusion and then successful establishment of the antegrade flow. In the second case, the antegrade approach was also first attempted. Since it could not pass through the occluded area despite changing several guidewires, the strategy was changed during the intervention. It was continued with the retrograde approach, which led to the successful revascularization. Conclusion. These two cases demonstrate that retrograde approach and new technological improvements in dedicated guidewires can be implemented in everyday angiography practice for successful recanalization of CTO lesions.