Kidney Function and Aortic Stiffness, Pulsatility, and Endothelial Function in African Americans: The Jackson Heart Study.

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: The relation of vascular stiffness, endothelial function, and kidney function is incompletely elucidated in African Americans. Our hypothesis was that increased vascular stiffness and endothelial dysfunction are associated with low estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and albuminuria in African Americans. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional cohort analysis of data from the Jackson Heart Study. SETTINGS & PATIENTS: 2,244 Jackson Heart Study participants (2012-2017 after Exam 3) who had undergone noninvasive hemodynamic assessment using arterial tonometry. PREDICTORS: Baseline carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, pulsatile hemodynamics forward wave amplitude, and hyperemic brachial artery flow were measured. Reduced eGFR was defined as eGFR between 15 and 60 mL/min/1.73 m2. OUTCOMES: Prevalent albuminuria, urinary albumin-creatinine ratio. ANALYTICAL APPROACH: 2-sample t test for continuous variables and χ2 test for categorical variables in addition to logistic and linear regression models to assess the risk for chronic kidney disease with each proposed hemodynamic variable. RESULTS: Among 2,244 participants, mean age was 66 ± 11 years and 64% were women. Reduced eGFR was present in 233 (10.4%), and elevated urinary albumin-creatinine ratio, in 232 (10.4%). In multivariable-adjusted analyses, higher carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity was associated with the presence of reduced eGFR (OR, 1.37 [95% CI, 1.08-1.75] per SD; P = 0.01) and with prevalent albuminuria (OR, 1.66 [95% CI, 1.32-2.11]; P < 0.001). Higher forward wave amplitude was significantly associated with prevalent albuminuria (OR, 1.37 [95% CI, 1.14-1.65]; P = 0.001). LIMITATIONS: Cross-sectional analyses cannot inform causality. CONCLUSIONS: Higher arterial stiffness and pulsatility are associated with higher odds of reduced eGFR in African Americans. Future studies should focus on whether improving arterial stiffness contributes to kidney protection in African Americans.

Medical Therapy Versus Revascularization in Patients with Stable Ischemic Heart Disease and Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This article reviews the evidence on optimal medical therapy (OMT) versus coronary revascularization in patients with stable ischemic heart disease (SIHD) and advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). RECENT FINDINGS: A post hoc analysis of the COURAGE trial in patients with SIHD and CKD showed no difference in freedom from angina, death, and nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI) between OMT and percutaneous intervention plus OMT compared with patients without CKD. The ISCHEMIA-CKD trial of 777 patients with advanced CKD revealed no difference in cumulative incidence of death or nonfatal MI at 3 years between OMT and revascularization but the composite of death or new dialysis was higher in the invasive arm. Additionally, there were no significant or sustained benefits in related to angina-related health status in invasive versus conservative strategy. An initial revascularization strategy does not reduce mortality or MI or relieve angina symptoms in patients with SIHD and advanced CKD.

Outcomes of rotational atherectomy versus orbital atherectomy for the treatment of heavily calcified coronary stenosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The optimal approach to deal with severe coronary artery calcification (CAC) during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains ill-defined. METHODS: We conducted an electronic database search of all published studies comparing Orbital versus Rotational Atherectomy in patients undergoing PCI. RESULTS: Eight observational studies were included in the analysis. Overall, there were no significant differences in Major-adverse-cardiac-events/MACE (OR: 0.81, CI: 0.63-1.05, p = .11), myocardial-infarction/MI (OR: 0.75, CI: 0.56-1.00, p = .05), all-cause mortality (OR: 0.82, CI: 0.25-2.64, p = .73) or Target-vessel-revascularization/TVR (OR: 0.72, CI: 0.38-1.36, p = .31). However, OA was associated with lower long-term MACE (1-year), (OR: 0.66, CI: 0.44-0.99, p = .04), long-term TVR (OR: 0.40, CI: 0.18-0.89, p = .03), and short-term MI (in-hospital and 30-day) (OR: 0.64, CI: 0.44-0.94, p = .02). OA was associated with more coronary artery dissections (OR: 2.61, CI: 1.38-4.92, p = .003) and device-related coronary perforations (OR: 2.79, CI: 1.08-7.19, p = .03). There were no differences in cardiac tamponade (OR: 1.78, CI: 0.37-8.69, p = .47). OA was noted to have significantly lower fluoroscopy time (MD: -3.96 min, CI: -7.67, -0.25; p = .04) compared to RA. No significant difference was noted in terms of contrast volume between the two groups (OR: -4.35 ml, CI: -14.52, 23.22; p = .65). CONCLUSION: Although there was no difference in overall MACE, MI, all-cause mortality and TVR, OA was associated with lower long-term MACE and short-term MI. OA is associated with lower fluoroscopy time but higher rates of coronary artery dissection and coronary perforation.

Patent Foramen Ovale, the Role of Antiplatelet Therapy Alone or Anticoagulant Therapy Alone Versus Device Closure for Cryptogenic Stroke: A Review of the Literature and Current Recommendations.

Cryptogenic stroke and its relation to the Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) is a long-debated topic. Recent clinical trials have unequivocally established the relationship between cryptogenic strokes and paradoxical embolism across the PFO. This slit-like communication exists in everyone before birth, but most often closes shortly after birth. PFO may persist as a narrow channel of communication between the right and left atria in approximately 25-27% of adults. In this review, we examine the clinical relevance of the PFO with analysis of the latest trials evaluating catheter-based closure of PFO's for cryptogenic stroke. We also review the current evidence examining the use of antiplatelet medications versus anticoagulants for stroke prevention in those patients with PFO who do not qualify for closure per current guidelines.

Current Use and Trends in Unprotected Left Main Coronary Artery Percutaneous Intervention.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To review the clinical evidence on the use of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) revascularization options in left main (LM) disease in comparison with coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). Coronary artery disease (CAD) involving the LM is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Though CABG remains the gold standard for complex CAD involving the LM artery, recent trials have shown a trend towards non-inferiority of the LM PCI when compared with CABG in certain subset of patients. RECENT FINDINGS: Two recent major randomized trials compared the outcomes of PCI versus CABG in the LM and multi-vessel disease with LM involvement. The NOBLE trial included patients with all range of Synergy Between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With TAXUS and Cardiac Surgery (SYNTAX) scores and utilized biolimus drug-eluting stent (DES). The trial concluded that MACCE (major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular event) was significantly higher with PCI (28%) when compared with CABG (18%) but overall stroke and motility were not different. EXCEL trial evaluated the same treatment option in low to intermediate SYNTAX score population with third-generation everolimus DES platform as PCI option. Results showed no significant differences in the composite primary endpoints of death, stroke, and myocardial infarction (MI) at the end of 30 days (22% versus 19.2%, p = 0.13), although repeat revascularization was higher in PCI group (16.9% versus 10%). Recent evidence suggests that PCI is an acceptable alternative to treat symptomatic LM stenosis in select group of patients. In low to medium SYNTAX score, particularly in patients without diabetes mellitus, PCI remains a viable option. Future trials focusing on evaluating subset of patients who would benefit from one particular revascularization option in comparison with other is warranted.

The Clinical Significance of Physiological Assessment of Residual Ischemia After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Fractional flow reserve (FFR) and instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR) have emerged as the invasive diagnostic tools of choice for hemodynamic assessment of the severity of CAD (coronary artery disease). We sought to comprehensively review the evidence on the utility of hemodynamic assessment of the coronary stenoses after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using FFR/iFR, mechanisms of positive post-PCI iFR/FFR, and the clinical impact of significant residual ischemia. RECENT FINDINGS: The evidence on the utility of the post-PCI hemodynamic assessment has accumulated over the last few years. The post hoc analysis from the FAME 1 and FAME 2 data shows that higher post-PCI FFR is associated with better symptomatic improvement and lower event rate with larger increase in delta FFR (∆ FFR: post-PCI FFR - pre-PCI FFR). Unlike pre-PCI FFR, a consensus has not been established on the optimal value of post-PCI FFR, though multiple studies point toward better clinical outcomes with higher post-PCI FFR and larger ∆ FFR. Visual assessment of adequate stent apposition by coronary angiography is insufficient in evaluating for residual ischemia. The hemodynamic evaluation of residual ischemia by post-PCI FFR/iFR yields clinically relevant data and allows for appropriate post PCI optimization.

Cajal Cell Counts are Important Predictors of Outcomes in Drug Refractory Gastroparesis Patients With Neurostimulation.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Cajal cells serve as the pacemaker cells of the gastrointestinal tract and regulates peristalsis. On the baisis of that fact, it has been hypothesized that a decrease in Cajal cells can lead to gastroparesis and other motility issues. Treatment with medications has a limited efficacy and most resort to gastric electrical stimulation (GES) devices for symptomatic relief. We believe that the number of Cajal cells present is directly proportional to symptomatic relief with GES. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-three (white female) subjects were recruited from the gastric motility clinic University of Mississipi for this study with the criteria of drug refractory gastropersis. Symptoms were measured using Likert scale and gastric emptying times were measured pre-GES and post-GES. Serosal electrogram measurements were recorded during surgical placement of permanent electrical stimulator under various modes. Cajal cell count scoring via immunohistochemistry were performed during the implantaion of the GES. RESULTS: The data were grouped in 2 categories based on the Cajal cells that is ≥2.00 and <2.00. Subjects with higher Cajal cells reported a statiscially improvement in gastroperesis symptoms. Significant differences were also noted in the first hour gastric emptying study. The mean group difference is 17.5 (95% confidence interval, 1.41-33.58; P=0.035). Serosal amplitude differences were noted being significantly higher in the group with ≥2 cajal cells. CONCLUSIONS: Electrograms obtained after GES demonstrates immediate improvement in gastric electrical activity and gastroparesis symptoms in patients with relatively higher Cajal cell counts when compared with patients with extensive loss of Cajal cells.

Serum catecholamines and dysautonomia in diabetic gastroparesis and liver cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND: Plasma catecholamine influences autonomic function and control, but there are few reports correlating them. In this study, 47 individuals (mean age, 38 years) were studied: 19 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients with gastroparesis, 16 with liver disease and 12 control subjects. METHODS: Noninvasive autonomic function was assessed for sympathetic adrenergic functions as peripheral vasoconstriction in response to cold stress test and postural adjustment ratio (PAR) and cholinergic function as Valsalva ratio, represented by change in R-R intervals. Measurements were compared by analysis of variance and Spearman's correlation, and results were reported as mean ± standard error. RESULTS: Plasma norepinephrine (1902.7 ± 263.3; P = 0.001) and epinephrine (224.5 ± 66.5; P = 0.008) levels, as well as plasma dopamine levels (861.3 ± 381.7), and total plasma catecholamine levels were highest for patients with liver disease, who also had significant negative correlation between norepinephrine level and vasoconstriction (P = 0.01; r = -0.5), PAR1 (P = 0.01; r = -0.5), sympathetic adrenergic functions (P = 0.005; r = -0.6), total autonomic index (P = 0.01-0.5) and total autonomic function (P = 0.01; r = -0.2) and also negative correlation between epinephrine plasma level and total autonomic function (P = 0.04; r = 0.4). DM patients were next highest in norepinephrine level (133.26 ± 7.43), but lowest for plasma catecholamine; a positive correlation between dopamine level and PAR1 (P = 0.008; r = 0.6) was also seen in this group. Plasma dopamine levels and spider score correlated negatively (P = 0.04; r = -0.5) and total plasma catecholamine positively with encephalopathy (P = 0.04; r = 0.5) in patients with liver disease. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma catecholamine levels correlated with adrenergic functions in control subjects and patients with DM and liver disease, with no significant correlation seen for cholinergic function.

C-reactive protein and subclinical cardiovascular disease among African-Americans: (the Jackson Heart Study).

OBJECTIVE: Systemic inflammation has been implicated as an early marker for subclinical cardiovascular disease; however, findings have been inconsistent in the African-American population. METHODS: We examined the relation of C-reactive protein (CRP) to subclinical disease in African-American participants of the Jackson Heart Study first examination. Subclinical disease evaluated included aortic valve calcification (AVC), carotid intima-medial thickness (IMT) and peripheral arterial disease (PAD). We assessed the relation of CRP to subclinical disease, adjusting for age, BMI, sex, SBP and DBP, diabetes, total/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, smoking, antihypertensive therapy, lipid-lowering therapy and hormone replacement therapy. RESULTS: In the study population approximately, 5.1% of participants had AVC and 6.7% had PAD. In the age-adjusted and sex-adjusted model, CRP was significantly related to AVC (P = 0.02) and carotid IMT (P = 0.02). However, in the multivariable-adjusted logistic regression analysis, CRP was significantly related to AVC (P = 0.02) and to PAD (P = 0.04) but not to carotid IMT (P = 0.18). CONCLUSION: We describe significant associations between CRP and AVC and PAD in a population-based cohort of African-Americans.

Association of plasma B-type natriuretic peptide concentrations with longitudinal blood pressure tracking in African Americans: findings from the Jackson Heart Study.

Water and sodium retention precedes the development of high blood pressure (BP) and explains a compensatory rise in B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) concentrations. It is unclear whether BNP concentrations antedate the BP progression. We hypothesized that higher BNP concentrations in our African American cohort will be associated with longitudinal increases in BP, progression of BP stage, and incident hypertension. Our study sample consisted of 888 normotensive (based on BP at examination 1 [2000-2004]) participants of the Jackson Heart Study (mean age, 47±12 years; 61% women). We examined the relation of BNP concentrations at the baseline examination to change in systolic and diastolic BPs, BP progression (an increase by 1 BP stage as defined by THE sixth report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure) and incident hypertension by examination 2 (2005-2008) adjusting for baseline BP stages, systolic and diastolic BPS, traditional risk factors, and echocardiographic left ventricular mass. Over a median follow-up period of 5.0±0.8 years, 36.9% progressed to a higher BP stage and 19.3% developed hypertension. In multivariable regression models, higher log-BNP concentrations at examination 1 were significantly and positively associated with changes in systolic and diastolic BPs (P<0.05 for both). Baseline log-BNP was significantly associated with BP progression (P=0.046). Every SD increase in baseline log BNP was associated with a 12% increased risk of BP progression. Log-BNP was not significantly associated with incident hypertension (P=0.12). In our community-based sample of African Americans, higher BNP concentrations predicted a longitudinal increase in systolic and diastolic BPs and progression of BP stage.

Relation of obesity to circulating B-type natriuretic peptide concentrations in blacks: the Jackson Heart Study.

BACKGROUND: Lower plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) concentrations in obese individuals ("natriuretic handicap") may play a role in the pathogenesis of obesity-related hypertension. Whether this phenomenon may contribute to hypertension in blacks is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that body mass index is inversely related to BNP concentrations in blacks. METHODS AND RESULTS: We examined the relation of plasma BNP to body mass index in 3742 Jackson Heart Study participants (mean age, 55 ± 13; 62% women) without heart failure using multivariable linear and logistic regression, adjusting for clinical and echocardiographic covariates. The multivariable-adjusted mean BNP was higher for lean participants compared with obese participants in both normotensive (P<0.0001) and hypertensive (P<0.0012) groups. In sex-specific analyses, the adjusted mean BNP was higher in lean hypertensive individuals compared with obese hypertensive individuals for both men (20.5 versus 10.9 pg/mL, respectively; P=0.0009) and women (20.0 versus 13.8 pg/mL; P=0.011). The differences between lean and obese participants were more pronounced in normotensive participants (men, 9.0 versus 4.4 pg/mL; P<0.0001; women, 12.8 versus 8.4 pg/mL; P=0.0005). For both hypertensive and normotensive individuals in the pooled sample, multivariable-adjusted BNP was significantly related to both continuous body mass index (P<0.05 and P<0.0001, respectively) and categorical body mass index (P for trend <0.006 and <0.0001, respectively). CONCLUSION: Our cross-sectional study of a large community-based sample of blacks demonstrates that higher body mass index is associated with lower circulating BNP concentrations, thereby extending the concept of a natriuretic handicap in obese individuals observed in non-Hispanic whites to this high-risk population.

The relation of diabetes, impaired fasting blood glucose, and insulin resistance to left ventricular structure and function in African Americans: the Jackson Heart Study.

OBJECTIVE: We assessed the relation of diabetes and insulin resistance (IR) on left ventricular (LV) structure and function in African Americans. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Among those receiving echocardiograms in cycle 1 of the Jackson Heart Study, we assessed the sex-specific relation of fasting blood glucose (FBG), diabetes, and IR to LV structure and function, adjusting for age, systolic blood pressure, antihypertensive medications, and BMI. RESULTS: Among 2,399 participants, LV mass index (P(women) = 0.0002 and P(men) = 0.02), posterior wall thickness (P(women) = 0.01 and P(men) = 0.05), and interventricular septal wall thickness (P(women) = 0.01) were related to FBG categories. Among those with normal FBG and no diabetes, concentric remodeling and low ejection fraction in women and LV mass index and posterior wall thickness in men were related to IR. CONCLUSIONS: In the largest study of its kind in a community-based cohort of African Americans, we found a relation of FBG category and IR to LV structure and function.

The predictive value of left atrial size for incident ischemic stroke and all-cause mortality in African Americans: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The association between left atrial (LA) size, ischemic stroke, and death has not been well established in African Americans despite their disproportionately higher rates of stroke and cardiovascular mortality compared to non-Hispanic whites. METHODS: For the analysis, participants in the Jackson cohort of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study were followed from the date of the echocardiogram in cycle three to the date of the first ischemic stroke event (or death) or to December 31, 2004 if no ischemic stroke event (or death) was detected. RESULTS: There were 1886 participants in the study population (mean age 58.9 years, 65% women). Participants in the top quintile of LA diameter indexed to height (LA diameter/height; 2.57 to 3.55 cm/m) were more likely women, hypertensive, diabetic, and obese compared to those not in the top quintile. Over a median follow-up of 9.8 years for ischemic stroke and 9.9 years for all-cause mortality, there were 106 strokes and 242 deaths. In a multivariable model adjusting for traditional clinical risk factors, the top quintile of LA diameter/height was significantly related to ischemic stroke (HR 1.7; 95% CI: 1.1, 2.7) and all-cause mortality (HR 2.0; 95% CI: 1.5, 2.7). After further adjustment for left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and low LV ejection fraction, the top quintile remained significantly related to all-cause mortality (HR 1.8; 95% CI: 1.3, 2.5). CONCLUSIONS: In this population-based cohort of African Americans, LA size was a predictor of all-cause mortality after adjusting for traditional cardiovascular risk factors, LV hypertrophy, and low LV ejection fraction.