The unexpected silent manifestation of myocardial infarctions in ischemic heart failure patients: Insights from a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies show Silent Myocardial Infarction (SMI) as a quite frequent event. However, regarding severe tertiary care patients that frequently present consequences of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Left Ventricular Dysfunction (LVD), the occurrence of this manifestation is unexpected and its associated factors aren't clear in the literature. AIM: To compare clinical, laboratorial, ventricular and angiographic factors between silent and classical presentation of MI in patients with CAD and LVD. METHODS: Patients with multivessel CAD with over 70 % obstructive lesions and LVD with EF less than 35 % were evaluated for MASS VI trial and later included in the present study. The ventricular function and coronary assessment were measured by echocardiography and SYNTAX score, respectively. The population was stratified in a SMI group and Clinically Manifested Myocardial Infarction (CMMI) group based on MI presentation for a comparison of medical parameters. RESULTS: From 132 patients, 47 (35.6 %) were classified as SMI and 85 (64.4 %) as CMMI. No differences were observed between groups regarding age, sex, diabetes mellitus, SYNTAX score, or collateral circulation. Higher proportion of NYHA II classification, inferior wall MI and lower creatinine clearance were found in SMI group. After multivariate analysis, peripheral diabetic neuropathy (OR = 4.6 [1.1‒12.7] p = 0.032) and inferior wall MI (OR = 4.1 [1.5‒11.4] p = 0.007) were significantly associated with SMI. CONCLUSION: Peripheral diabetic neuropathy and inferior wall MI were associated with SMI presentation. Overall, associated factors tend to be similar comparing SMI and CMMI, but in the specific population of diabetic patients with chronic neuropathy a special care should be taken.

High-Sensitivity Troponin I and Cardiovascular Events in Stable Coronary Artery Disease: Insights from a Longitudinal Outpatient Study.

Numerous studies have been published suggesting that troponin levels are related to adverse outcomes in chronic cardiac and non-cardiac conditions. Our study investigated whether troponin levels gathered from unselected blood samples taken during outpatient care are associated with adverse outcomes in a population with stable coronary artery disease. In a cohort of 949 patients with stable coronary artery disease, an average age of 67.5 ± 9.5 years, 69.5% male, 52.1% diabetics, 51.6% with previous myocardial infarction, and 57.9% with triple-vessel disease, 21.7% of patients encountered new events during an average period of monitoring of 2.07 ± 0.81 years. Troponin I/99th percentile categorized into tertiles emerged as an independent predictor of death and combined events risk (hazard ratio: 2.02 (1.13-3.60), p = 0.017; 2.30 (1.37-3.88, p = 0.002, respectively). A troponin ratio > 0.24 was able to identify 53.3% of patients at risk of death and heart failure hospitalization. In patients with stable coronary artery disease who are adherent to treatment, troponin levels are independently associated with death and heart failure hospitalization in a medium-term follow-up.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus and myocardial ischemic preconditioning in symptomatic coronary artery disease patients.

BACKGROUND: The influence of diabetes mellitus on myocardial ischemic preconditioning is not clearly defined. Experimental studies are conflicting and human studies are scarce and inconclusive. OBJECTIVES: Identify whether diabetes mellitus intervenes on ischemic preconditioning in symptomatic coronary artery disease patients. METHODS: Symptomatic multivessel coronary artery disease patients with preserved systolic ventricular function and a positive exercise test underwent two sequential exercise tests to demonstrate ischemic preconditioning. Ischemic parameters were compared among patients with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus. Ischemic preconditioning was considered present when the time to 1.0 mm ST deviation and rate pressure-product were greater in the second of 2 exercise tests. Sequential exercise tests were analyzed by 2 independent cardiologists. RESULTS: Of the 2,140 consecutive coronary artery disease patients screened, 361 met inclusion criteria, and 174 patients (64.2 ± 7.6 years) completed the study protocol. Of these, 86 had the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. Among diabetic patients, 62 (72 %) manifested an improvement in ischemic parameters consistent with ischemic preconditioning, whereas among nondiabetic patients, 60 (68 %) manifested ischemic preconditioning (p = 0.62). The analysis of patients who demonstrated ischemic preconditioning showed similar improvement in the time to 1.0 mm ST deviation between diabetic and nondiabetic groups (79.4 ± 47.6 vs 65.5 ± 36.4 s, respectively, p = 0.12). Regarding rate pressure-product, the improvement was greater in diabetic compared to nondiabetic patients (3011 ± 2430 vs 2081 ± 2139 bpm x mmHg, respectively, p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, diabetes mellitus was not associated with impairment in ischemic preconditioning in symptomatic coronary artery disease patients. Furthermore, diabetic patients experienced an improvement in this significant mechanism of myocardial protection.

Presença de microalbuminúria como fator de risco em pacientes diabéticos portadores de doença arterial coronária estável / Microalbuminuria as a risk factor in diabetic patients with stable coronary artery disease

A microalbuminúria é admitida como o principal marcadorpara o desenvolvimento de nefropatia diabética. Sua presençatambém é preditora independente de morbidade e mortalidadecardiovasculares. A relação da microalbuminúria com fatoresde risco clássicos para a doença multiarterial coronária (DAC)também tem sido mostrada em estudos epidemiológicos. Opresente estudo tem o objetivo de determinar a prevalênciade microalbuminúria em um grupo de pacientes diabéticosportadores de DAC e relacionar a sua presença com os fatoresclássicos de risco cardiovascular. Trata-se de um estudotransversal realizado com pacientes diabéticos portadoresde DAC, que realizam tratamento no Instituto do Coração(InCor-HCFMUSP). Foram avaliados os seguintes parâmetros:idade, presença ou ausência de HAS, tempo de diabetes,tabagismo, perfil lipídico, hemoglobina glicada e presença demicroalbuminúria/proteinúria, a partir da coleta urinária em24 horas. Os pacientes foram estratificados em três grupos,conforme o valor de albuminúria. Foram feitas análisesestatísticas comparando as diferentes variáveis entre os trêsgrupos. Nesta amostra de pacientes portadores de DM e DACmultiarterial estável, observou-se uma relação crescente entreos valores de albuminúria e o tempo de diabetes mellitus, níveisséricos de LDL-colesterol e triglicérides.

Microalbuminuria is accepted as a surrogate marker for thedevelopment of diabetic nephropathy. Its presence is alsoan independent predictor of cardiovascular morbidity andmortality. The relationship of microalbuminuria with classicrisk factors for coronary multivessel disease (CAD) has alsobeen shown in epidemiological studies. The present studyaims to determine the prevalence of microalbuminuria ina group of diabetic patients with CAD and correlate theirpresence with the classic cardiovascular risk factors. This isa cross-sectional study with diabetic patients with CAD whoperform treatment at the Heart Institute (Incor-HCFMUSP).We evaluated the following parameters: age, presence orabsence of hypertension, duration of diabetes, smoking, lipidprofile, glycated hemoglobin and microalbuminuria/proteinuriafrom urine collection in 24 hours. Patients were stratified into3 groups according to the value of albuminuria. Statisticalanalyzes were performed comparing the different variablesamong the three groups. In this sample of patients with diabetesand stable multivessel CAD there was a growing relationshipbetween the values of albuminuria and duration of diabetesmellitus, serum LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides.