Immediate versus staged complete revascularization in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and multivessel coronary artery disease: results from a prematurely discontinued randomized multicenter trial.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to compare clinical outcomes between immediate and staged complete revascularization in primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for treating ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and multivessel disease (MVD). METHODS: A total of 248 patients were enrolled in a prospective, randomized, and multicenter registry. Immediate revascularization was defined as one-time PCI of culprit and non-culprit lesions at the initial procedure. Staged revascularization was defined as PCI of non-culprit lesions at a later date (mean, 4.4 days; interquartile range, 1-11.4), following initial culprit revascularization. The end points were major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE; composite of total death, recurrent myocardial infarction, and revascularization), any individual components of MACE, cardiac death, stent thrombosis, and stroke at 12 months. RESULTS: During a follow-up of 1 year, MACE occurred in 12 patients (11.6%) in the immediate revascularization group and in 8 patients (7.5%) in staged revascularization group (hazard ratio [HR] 1.60, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.65-3.91). The incidence of total death was numerically higher in the immediate group than in the staged group (9.7% vs 2.8%, HR 3.53, 95% CI 0.97-12.84); There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in risks of any individual component of MACE, cardiac death, stroke, and in-hospital complications, such as need for transfusion, bleeding, acute renal failure, and acute heart failure. This study was prematurely terminated due to halt of production of everolimus-eluting stents (manufactured as PROMUS Element by Boston Scientific, Natick, Massachusetts). CONCLUSIONS: Due to its limited power, no definite conclusion can be drawn regarding complete revascularization strategy from the present study. Further large randomized clinical trials would be warranted to confirm optimal timing of complete revascularization for patients with STEMI and MVD.

Safety and Efficacy of Post-Dilation in Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Using Polymer-Free Ultrathin Strut Sirolimus-Probucol Coated Drug-Eluting Stents.

Background and Objectives: Polymer-free ultrathin strut sirolimus- and probucol-eluting stents (PF-SES) are recognized as safe and effective in diverse patient populations, although the implications of post-dilation during stent implantation remain underexamined. Materials and Methods: In this study, patients implanted with PF-SES at Gachon University Gil Medical Center between December 2014 and February 2018 were evaluated. Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), encompassing nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), nonfatal stroke, and cardiovascular death were identified as primary outcomes, with secondary outcomes including target vessel revascularization (TVR), target lesion revascularization (TLR), and in-stent restenosis (ISR). Results: Of the 384 initial patients, 299 were considered eligible for analysis. The groups, delineated by those undergoing post-dilation (143 patients) and those not (156 patients), exhibited comparable rates of primary outcomes [hazard ratio (HR), 2.17; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.40 to 11.87; p = 0.37]. The outcomes remained consistent irrespective of the post-dilation status and were similarly unaffected in multivariate analyses (HR, 2.90; 95% CI, 0.52 to 16.34; p = 0.227). Conclusions: These results suggest that the clinical outcomes of patients with post-dilation were similar to that of those without post-dilation in those with the polymer-free sirolimus- and probucol-eluting stents.

Long-Term Clinical Outcomes and Its Predictors Between the 1- and 2-Stent Strategy in Coronary Bifurcation Lesions　- A Baseline Clinical and Lesion Characteristic-Matched Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Differences in the impact of the 1- or 2-stent strategy in similar coronary bifurcation lesion conditions are not well understood. This study investigated the clinical outcomes and its predictors between 1 or 2 stents in propensity score-matched (PSM) complex bifurcation lesions.Methods and Results: We analyzed the data of patients with bifurcation lesions, obtained from a multicenter registry of 2,648 patients (median follow up, 53 months). The patients were treated by second generation drug-eluting stents (DESs). The primary outcome was target lesion failure (TLF), composite of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction (TVMI), and ischemia-driven target lesion revascularization (TLR). PSM was performed to balance baseline clinical and angiographic discrepancies between 1 and 2 stents. After PSM (N=333 from each group), the 2-stent group had more TLRs (hazard ratio [HR] 3.14, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.42-6.97, P=0.005) and fewer hard endpoints (composite of cardiac death and TVMI; HR 0.44, 95% CI 0.19-1.01, P=0.054), which resulted in a similar TLF rate (HR 1.40, 95% CI 0.83-2.37, P=0.209) compared to the 1-stent group. Compared with 1-stent, the 2-stent technique was more frequently associated with less TLF in the presence of main vessel (pinteraction=0.008) and side branch calcification (pinteraction=0.010). CONCLUSIONS: The 2-stent strategy should be considered to reduce hard clinical endpoints in complex bifurcation lesions, particularly those with calcifications.

Femoral neuropathy following venoarterial-extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Although life-threatening complications of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) are well described, non-life threatening complications are less known. Herein, we report a case of femoral neuropathy (FN) due to nerve compression caused by cannula compression and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) after successful ECMO therapy, which seriously undermined one's quality of life. CASE PRESENTATION: A 70-year old male presented to the emergency department for chest pain. The patient had cardiac arrest before percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and was inserted with ECMO. Although he was successfully weaned from ECMO 4 days after PCI, he consistently complained swelling, abnormal sensation, and weakness in his right lower extremity, where the cannulas were inserted. Imaging studies showed deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in his right leg, which was further treated with anticoagulants. Symptoms, however, remained after the regression of DVT. Nerve conduction study revealed femoral neuropathy, which may have been caused by ECMO cannula compression and tissue swelling. CONCLUSION: The current case proposes that non-life threatening complications of ECMO therapy can seriously affect quality of life. Venous drainage distant from the arterial cannula may prevent such complications.

Addition of routine blood biomarkers to TIMI risk score improves predictive performance of 1-year mortality in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Several biomarkers have been proposed as independent predictors of poor outcomes in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We investigated whether adding information obtained from routine blood tests including hypoxic liver injury (HLI), dysglycemia, anemia, and high neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) could improve the prognostic performance of the TIMI risk score for the prediction of 1-year mortality. METHODS: A total of 1057 patients with STEMI undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) between 2007 and 2014 were retrospectively enrolled from 4-regional hospitals. HLI and dysglycemia were defined as serum transaminase > twice the normal upper limit and glucose < 90 or > 250 mg/dL, respectively. The effect of adding biomarkers to the TIMI risk score on its discriminative ability was assessed using c-statistic, net reclassification improvement (NRI), and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI). RESULTS: The 1-year mortality rate was 7.1%. The best cutoff value of NLR for the prediction of 1-year mortality was 4.3 (sensitivity, 67%; specificity, 65%). HLI (HR 2.019; 95% CI 1.104-3.695), dysglycemia (HR 2.535; 95% CI 1.324-3.923), anemia (HR 2.071; 95% CI 1.093-3.923), and high NLR (HR 3.651; 95% CI 1.927-6.918) were independent predictors of 1-year mortality. When these 4 parameters were added to the TIMI risk score, the c-statistic significantly improved from 0.841 to 0.876 (p < 0.001), and the NRI and IDI were estimated at 0.203 (95% CI 0.130-0.275; p < 0.001) and 0.089 (95% CI 0.060-0.119; p < 0.001), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of HLI, dysglycemia, anemia, and high NLR to the TIMI risk score may be useful for very early risk stratification in patients with STEMI receiving primary PCI.

Efficacy and safety of aspirin, clopidogrel, and warfarin after coronary artery stenting in Korean patients with atrial fibrillation.

There are limited data on the optimal antithrombotic therapy for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who undergoing coronary stenting. We reviewed 203 patients (62.6 % men, mean age 68.3 ± 10.1 years) between 2003 and 2012, and recorded clinical and demographic characteristics of the patients. Clinical follow-up included major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) (cardiac death, myocardial infarction, target lesion revascularization, and stroke), stent thrombosis, and bleeding. The most commonly associated comorbidities were hypertension (70.4 %), diabetes mellitus (35.5 %), and congestive heart failure (26.6 %). Sixty-three percent of patients had stroke risk higher than CHADS2 score 2. At discharge, dual-antiplatelet therapy (aspirin, clopidogrel) was used in 166 patients (81.8 %; Group I), whereas 37 patients (18.2 %) were discharged with triple therapy (aspirin, clopidogrel, warfarin; Group II). The mean follow-up period was 42.0 ± 29.0 months. The mean international normalized ratio (INR) in group II was 1.83 ± 0.41. The total MACCE was 16.3 %, with stroke in 3.4 %. Compared with the group II, the incidence of MACCE (2.7 % vs 19.3 %, P = 0.012) and cardiac death (0 % vs 11.4 %, P = 0.028) were higher in the group I. Major and any bleeding, however, did not differ between the two groups. In multivariate analysis, no warfarin therapy (odds ratio 7.8, 95 % confidence interval 1.02-59.35; P = 0.048) was an independent predictor of MACCE. By Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, warfarin therapy was associated with a lower risk of MACCE (P = 0.024). In patients with AF undergoing coronary artery stenting, MACCE were reduced by warfarin therapy without increased bleeding, which might be related to tighter control with a lower INR value.

Acute myocardial infarction after initially diagnosed with unprovoked venous thromboembolism: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Protein C deficiency is typically associated with venous thromboembolism; however, arterial thrombosis has been reported in several cases. We report the case of a patient with pulmonary thromboembolism and deep vein thrombosis following acute myocardial infarction with high thrombus burden. CASE SUMMARY: A 40-year-old man was diagnosed with pulmonary thromboembolism and deep vein thrombosis without any provoking factors. The patient was treated with anticoagulants for six months, which were then discontinued. Three months after the discontinuation of anticoagulant therapy, the patient was hospitalized with chest pain and diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction with high thrombus burden. Additional tests revealed protein C deficiency associated with thrombophilia. The patient was treated with anticoagulants combined with dual antiplatelet agents for 1 year after percutaneous coronary intervention, and no recurrent events were reported during a follow-up period of 5 years. CONCLUSION: Recurrent thromboembolic events including acute myocardial infarction with thrombus should be considered an alarming sign of thrombophilia.

Comparison of 7-Year, Real-World Clinical Outcomes between Drug-Coated Balloon Angioplasty versus Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation in Patients with Drug-Eluting Stent In-Stent Restenosis.

There are no data available comparing the real-world, long-term clinical outcomes of drug-eluting balloon (DEB) angioplasty and drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation in DES in-stent restenosis (ISR) lesions. We aimed to compare the real-world, long-term data available between DEBs and DESs in DES-ISR lesions. We analyzed consecutive DES-ISR lesions (225 lesions from 205 patients; male: 66.3%; mean age: 62.4 years) treated with either DEB or DES. The primary endpoint was target lesion revascularization (TLR), and the primary safety endpoint was the lesion-oriented composite outcome (LOCO). The LOCO is composed of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and target lesion thrombosis during follow-up. During the 7-year follow-up period, TLR did not differ significantly between the DEB (n = 108) and the DES groups (n = 117) (HR: 1.07; 95% CI: 0.59-1.93, p = 0.83). The LOCO was significantly lower in the DEB group compared to the DES group (HR: 0.40; 95% CI: 0.16-0.98, p = 0.04), which was mainly driven by the lower levels of myocardial infarction (HR: 0.24; 95% CI: 0.06-0.94, p = 0.04) and the absence of target lesion thrombosis in the DEB group (vs. DES group 6%, p = 0.02). Additionally, cardiac death was found to be similar between the DEB and DES groups (HR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.18-1.75, p = 0.32). DEB angioplasty showed favorable safety with a similar efficacy to that of DES implantation in DES-ISR lesions during the long-term follow-up period.

Early repolarization with horizontal ST segment may be associated with aborted sudden cardiac arrest: a retrospective case control study.

BACKGROUND: Risk stratification of the early repolarization pattern (ERP) is needed to identify malignant early repolarization. J-point elevation with a horizontal ST segment was recently suggested as a malignant feature of the ERP. In this study, the prevalence of the ERP with a horizontal ST segment was examined among survivors of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) without structural heart disease to evaluate the value of ST-segment morphology in risk stratification of the ERP. METHODS: We reviewed the data of 83 survivors of SCA who were admitted from August 2005 to August 2010. Among them, 25 subjects without structural heart disease were included. The control group comprised 60 healthy subjects who visited our health promotion center; all control subjects were matched for age, sex, and underlying disease (diabetes mellitus, hypertension). Early repolarization was defined as an elevation of the J point of at least 0.1 mV above the baseline in at least two continuous inferior or lateral leads that manifested as QRS slurring or notching. An ST-segment pattern of <0.1 mV within 100 ms after the J point was defined as a horizontal ST segment. RESULTS: The SCA group included 17 men (64%) with a mean age of 49.7 ± 14.5 years. The corrected QTc was not significantly different between the SCA and control groups (432.7 ± 37.96 vs. 420.4 ± 26.3, respectively; p = 0.089). The prevalence of ERP was not statistically different between the SCA and control groups (5/25, 20% vs. 4/60, 6.7%, respectively; p = 0.116). The prevalence of early repolarization with a horizontal ST segment was more frequent in the SCA than in the control group (20% vs. 3.3%, respectively; p = 0.021). Four SCA subjects (16%) and one control subject (1.7%) had a J-point elevation of >2 mm (p = 0.025). Four SCA subjects (16%) and one (1.7%) control subject had an ERP in the inferior lead (p = 0.025). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of ERP with a horizontal ST segment was higher in patients with aborted SCA than in matched controls. This result suggests that ST morphology has value in the recognition of malignant early repolarization.

ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction in Kawasaki disease: A case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute self-limiting febrile vasculitis that occurs during childhood and can cause coronary artery aneurysm (CAA). CAAs are associated with a high rate of adverse cardiovascular events. CASE SUMMARY: A Korean 35-year-old man with a 30-year history of KD presented to the emergency room with chest pain. Emergent coronary angiography was performed as ST-segment elevation in the inferior leads was observed on the electrocardiogram. An aneurysm of the left circumflex (LCX) coronary artery was found with massive thrombi within. A drug-eluting 4.5 mm 23 mm-sized stent was inserted into the occluded area without complications. The maximal diameter of the LCX was 6.0 mm with a Z score of 4.7, suggestive of a small aneurysm considering his age, sex, and body surface area. We further present a case series of 19 patients with KD, including the current patient, presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Notably, none of the cases showed Z scores; only five patients (26%) had been regularly followed up by a physician, and only one patient (5.3%) was being treated with antithrombotic therapy before ACS occurred. CONCLUSION: For KD presenting with ACS, regular follow up and medical therapy may be crucial for improved outcomes.

Iatrogenic aortic dissection during right transradial intervention in a patient with aberrant right subclavian artery: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Aberrant right subclavian artery (ARSA) is the most common congenital anomaly of the aortic arch. When patients having such anomalies receive transradial intervention (TRI), aortic dissection (AD) may occur. Herein, we discuss a case of iatrogenic type B AD occurring during right TRI in an ARSA patient, that was later salvaged by percutaneous angioplasty. CASE SUMMARY: A 73-year-old man presented to our hospital with intermittent chest pain. Coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography revealed significant stenosis in the left anterior descending artery. Diagnostic coronary angiography was performed via the right radial artery without difficulty. However, we were unable to advance the guiding catheter past the ostium of the right subclavian artery to the aortic arch for percutaneous coronary intervention, while the guidewire tended to go down the descending aorta. The patient suddenly complained of chest and back pain. Emergent CT aortography revealed type B AD propagating to the left renal artery (RA) with preserved renal perfusion. However, after 2 d, the patient suddenly complained of right lower limb pain where the femoral pulse was suddenly undetectable. Follow-up CT indicated further progression of dissection to the right external iliac artery (EIA) and left RA with limited flow. We performed percutaneous angioplasty of the right EIA and left RA without complications. Follow-up CT aortography at 8 mo showed optimal results. CONCLUSION: A caution is required during right TRI in ARSA to avoid AD. Percutaneous angioplasty can be a treatment option.

Real-World Treatment Selection Factors and 7-Year Clinical Outcomes between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention and Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery in Left Main Disease.

BACKGROUND: The decision-making factors and long-term clinical outcomes between PCI and CABG in left main (LM) disease are still not well defined in the real world. METHODS: We evaluated consecutive patients (n = 230) with LM disease either treated by PCI (n = 118) or CABG (n = 112). The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as a composite of cardiac death, spontaneous myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and target vessel revascularization (TVR) for 7 years. RESULTS: In the multivariate-adjusted analysis, the presence of intermediate EuroSCORE II and high SYNTAX scores predisposed to CABG. Isolated LM disease was associated with receiving PCI. The PCI group had a similar rate of MACE (HRadj 0.97, 95% CI [0.48-1.94], p = 0.92) and a lower tendency of hard MACE (HRadj 0.49, 95% CI [0.22-1.07], p = 0.07) compared to the CABG group, mainly due to the balance between a higher rate of TVR (HRadj 9.71, p = 0.02) and a lower rate of stroke (HRadj 0.22, p = 0.09) with the PCI group than in the CABG group. CONCLUSIONS: The decision making of treatment strategy was made based on clinical and angiographic factors. The selected patients who received PCI showed similar MACE and trend of a lower rate of composite hard endpoints despite multivariate adjustment.

Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Delayed Hospitalization for Non-ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND: Recently, the number of patients presenting with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) has reduced, whereas increased mortality was reported. A plausible explanation for increased mortality was prehospital delay because of patients' reticence of their symptoms. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between prehospital delay and clinical outcomes in patients with NSTEMI METHODS: Among 13,104 patients from the Korea-Acute-Myocardial-Infarction-Registry-National Institutes of Health, the authors evaluated 6,544 patients with NSTEMI. Study patients were categorized into 2 groups according to symptom-to-door (StD) time (<24 or ≥24 hours). The primary outcome was 3-year all-cause mortality, and the secondary outcome was 3-year composite of all-cause mortality, recurrent MI, and hospitalization for heart failure. RESULTS: Overall, 1,827 (27.9%) patients were classified into the StD time ≥24 hours group. The StD time ≥24 hours group had higher all-cause mortality (17.0% vs 10.5%; P < 0.001) and incidence of secondary outcomes (23.3% vs 15.7%; P < 0.001) than the StD time <24 hours group. The higher all-cause mortality in the StD time ≥24 hours group was observed consistently in the subgroup analysis regarding age, sex, atypical chest pain, dyspnea, Q-wave in electrocardiogram, use of emergency medical services, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, left ventricle dysfunction, TIMI (Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction) flow, and the GRACE risk score. In the multivariable analysis, independent predictors of prehospital delay were the elderly, women, nonspecific symptoms such as atypical chest pain or dyspnea, diabetes, and no use of emergency medical services. CONCLUSIONS: Prehospital delay is associated with an increased risk of 3-year all-cause mortality in patients with NSTEMI. (iCReaT Study No. C110016).

Real-World Long-Term Clinical Outcomes of Ultrathin Strut Biodegradable Polymer Drug-Eluting Stents in Korean ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) Patients with or without Acute Heart Failure Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Biodegradable polymers (BDPs) and ultrathin struts were recently introduced to drug-eluting stents (DES) to further improve outcomes. In this study, we analyzed and compared the effect of the ultrathin strut BDP-DES (UBDP-DES) with the conventional durable polymer-DES (DP-DES) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). A total of 356 STEMI patients (n = 160 in the UBDP-DES group and n = 196 in the DP-DES group) were enrolled. The primary endpoint was target lesion failure (TLF), including cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction, and ischemic-driven, target lesion revascularization (ID-TLR). The mean age was 60.3 ± 12.7 years (male 81.7%), and the median follow-up duration was 63.8 months. TLF was numerically more frequent in the UBDP-DES group (8.1% vs. 4.1%; HR 2.14; 95% CI 0.89-5.18; p = 0.091). Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to balance discrepancies in the baseline characteristics due to patients in the UBDP-DES group initially having more unstable vital signs. However, after PSM (n = 116 in each group), there was no significant difference in TLF (5.3% vs. 5.3%; HR 1.04, 95% CI 0.34-3.22; p = 0.947) or other secondary endpoints including ID-TLR. In the subgroup analysis, subjects with initial acute heart failure (AHF), defined as Killip class ≥ 3, were associated with 13.6% chance of 30-day mortality (9-fold of those without AHF), although chances of repeat revascularization were low (3.0%). Among patients with AHF, the UBDP-DES group was associated with a numerically higher chance of TLF compared with the DP-DES group. There was no difference in TLF between groups in patients without AHF. This study showed that UBDP-DES has long-term clinical outcomes similar to those of conventional DP-DES in real-world Korean STEMI patients receiving PPCI, especially in those without initial AHF.

The Impact of Advance Directive Perspectives on the Completion of Life-Sustaining Treatment Decisions in Patients with Heart Failure: A Prospective Study.

Evidence for non-modifiable and modifiable factors associated with the utilization of advance directives (ADs) in heart failure (HF) is lacking. The purpose of this study was to examine baseline-to-3-month changes in knowledge, attitudes, and benefits/barriers regarding ADs and their impact on the completion of life-sustaining treatment (LST) decisions at 3-month follow-up among patients with HF. Prospective, descriptive data on AD knowledge, attitudes, and benefits/barriers and LSTs were obtained at baseline and 3-month follow-up after outpatient visits. Of 64 patients (age, 68.6 years; male, 60.9%; New York Heart Association (NYHA) classes I/II, 70.3%), 53.1% at baseline and 43.8% at 3-month follow-up completed LST decisions. Advanced age (odds ratio (OR) = 0.91, p = 0.012) was associated with less likelihood of the completion of LST decisions at 3-month follow-up, while higher education (OR = 1.19, p = 0.025) and NYHA class III/IV (OR = 4.81, p = 0.049) were associated with more likelihood. In conclusion, advanced age predicted less likelihood of LST decisions at 3 months, while higher education and more functional impairment predicted more likelihood. These results imply that early AD discussion seems feasible in mild symptomatic HF patients with poor knowledge about ADs, considering the non-modifiable and modifiable factors.

Diagnostic and prognostic role of nitroglycerin-induced dilation in patients with suspected vasospastic angina, combined with ergonovine provocation test.

The diagnostic and prognostic role of nitroglycerin-induced dilation (NID) combined with ergonovine provocation test in patients with suspected VSA patients is not clear. A total of 438 consecutive patients who underwent the ergonovine provocation test for the diagnosis of vasospastic angina (VSA) were enrolled. Patients with VSA (n = 52) had a significantly greater coronary response to ergonovine (- 84.3 ± 10.5% vs. - 38.4 ± 17.9%, p < 0.001) and NID (26.3 ± 31.0% vs. 12.5 ± 19.0%, p < 0.001) than non-VSA patients. However, positive NID (more than 13.8% dilation, n = 170) showed a poor accuracy (AUC 0.64 [95% CI: 0.56-0.73], p = 0.001, sensitivity 60.4%, specificity 61.3%) for the diagnosis of VSA by ergonovine provocation test. Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) occurred more frequently in the VSA group than in the non-VSA group (9.6% vs. 2.2%, p = 0.006). In addition, the positive NID group showed a lower rate of MACE than the negative NID group (1.2% vs. 4.3%, p = 0.021). Interestingly, the group of VSA with negative NID had poor prognosis than any other combinations (Log-rank, p < 0.0001). Although NID had a limited role in the detection of VSA defined by ergonovine provocation test, NID combined with the ergonovine provocation test has an additive prognostic role in the clinical outcomes in patients with suspected VSA.

Effect of Atorvastatin (10 mg) and Ezetimibe (10 mg) Combination Compared to Atorvastatin (40 mg) Alone on Coronary Atherosclerosis.

It remains inconclusive whether the additional low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) lowering effects of ezetimibe added to statin on coronary atherosclerosis and clinical outcomes are similar to those of statin monotherapy in the setting of comparable LDL-C reduction. We aimed to determine whether there were distinguishable differences in their effects on coronary atherosclerosis with intermediate stenosis between the combination of moderate-intensity statin plus ezetimibe and high-intensity statin monotherapy. Forty-one patients with stable angina undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention were randomized to receive either atorvastatin 10 mg plus ezetimibe 10 mg (ATO10/EZE10) or atorvastatin 40 mg alone (ATO40). The intermediate lesions were evaluated using a near-infrared spectroscopy-intravascular ultrasonography at baseline and after 12 months in 37 patients. The primary endpoint was percent atheroma volume (PAV). Mean LDL-C levels were significantly reduced by 40% and 38% from baseline in the ATO10/EZE10 group (n = 18, from 107 mg/dL to 61 mg/dL) and ATO40 group (n = 19, from 101 mg/dL to 58 mg/dL), respectively, without between-group difference. The absolute change of PAV was -2.9% in the ATO10/EZE10 group and -3.2% in the ATO40 group. The mean difference (95% confidence interval) for the absolute change in PAV between the 2 groups was 0.5% (-2.4% to 2.8%), which did not exceed the pre-defined non-inferiority margin of 5%. There was no significant reduction in lipid core burden index in both groups. In conclusion, the combination of atorvastatin 10 mg and ezetimibe 10 mg showed comparable LDL-C lowering and regression of coronary atherosclerosis in the intermediate lesions, compared with atorvastatin 40 mg alone.

Extreme venous letting and cupping resulting in life-threatening anemia and acute myocardial infarction: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Wet cupping (WC) is a traditional therapy of skin suction-assisted bloodletting that is widely used in modern alternative medicine in Asia and the Middle East. Herein, we report the case of a male who presented with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and life-threatening anemia and underwent excessive WC. CASE SUMMARY: A 55-year-old male presented with chest pain (30 min) and dyspnea (3 wk). His initial electrocardiogram suggested STEMI in the anterior wall. Furthermore, his laboratory results showed severe anemia with a hemoglobin level of 4.1 g/dL. Of note, the patient underwent regular WC therapy for chronic back pain, which he had recently intensified. His WC practice resulted in life-threatening anemia and eventually STEMI. Percutaneous coronary intervention in the left anterior descending artery was performed to treat the STEMI. His dyspnea dramatically improved after the transfusion, and his hemoglobin level returned to 14.8 g/dL within 2 mo after discharge. He has been uneventful for the last seven years of follow-up. CONCLUSION: The current case demonstrates that excessive WC without adequate medical monitoring can result in severe anemia, which can further develop into STEMI.

Prognostic impact of the combination of serum transaminase and alkaline phosphatase determined in the emergency room in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: Elevated serum transaminase or alkaline phosphatase (ALP) has been proposed as a novel prognosticator for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We evaluated the combined prognostic impact of elevated serum transaminases and ALP on admission in STEMI patients who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: A total of 1176 patients with STEMI undergoing primary PCI were retrospectively enrolled from the INTERSTELLAR registry. Hypoxic liver injury (HLI) was defined as serum transaminase > twice the upper limit of normal. The cut-off value of high ALP was set at the median level (73 IU/L). Patients were divided into four groups according to their serum transaminase and ALP levels. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events (MACCE), defined as the composite of all-cause death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke, and ischemia-driven revascularization. RESULTS: Median follow-up duration was 25 months (interquartile range, 10-39 months). The rate of MACCE was highest in patients with HLI (+) and high ALP (25.9%), compared to those in the other groups (8.2% in HLI [-] and low ALP, 11.8% in HLI [-] and high ALP, and 15.0% in HLI [+] and low ALP). Each of HLI or high ALP was an independent predictor for MACCE (HR 1.807, 95% CI 1.191-2.741; HR 1.721, 95% CI 1.179-2.512, respectively). Combined HLI and high ALP was associated with the worst prognosis (HR 3.145, 95% CI 1.794-5.514). CONCLUSIONS: Combined HLI and high ALP on admission is associated with poor clinical outcomes in patients with STEMI who have undergone primary PCI.

Lack of clinical benefit of improved angiographic results with sirolimus-eluting stents compared with paclitaxel and zotarolimus-eluting stents in patients with acute myocardial infarction undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: There is limited information regarding the angiographic and clinical outcomes among the different drug-eluting stents (DESs) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS AND RESULTS: A total 355 consecutive AMI patients who underwent PCI with a sirolimus- (SES, n=116) or paclitaxel- (PES, n=153) or zotarolimus-eluting stent (ZES, n=86) were enrolled. The 6-month angiographic and 1-year clinical outcomes were compared among the 3 groups. At 6 months, there was a trend toward a higher incidence of binary restenosis in the PES group (SES: 8.6%, PES: 19.8%, ZES: 8.3%, P=0.052). Percentage of restenosis was higher in the PES group compared with SES, but was similar to ZES (SES: 18.75 +/-18.16%, PES: 29.32 +/-24.16%, ZES: 23.91 +/-17.03%, P=0.006). Late loss was lower in the SES group compared with PES and ZES (SES: 0.44 +/-0.52, PES: 0.83 +/-0.87, ZES: 0.75 +/-0.63, P<0.001). However, clinical outcomes, including mortality, MI, repeat PCI and major adverse cardiac events, were not different among the 3 groups. CONCLUSIONS: The angiographic benefit of SES did not translate into a clinical benefit for up to 1 year in AMI patients.