Severe, but not mild to moderate, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease associated with increased risk of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with high risk of cardiovascular disease. The prevalence is increasing to 45-65% in the general population with routine health check-up, and most subjects have the mild degree NAFLD in recent years. Moreover, there are no studies on the association between NAFLD severity and coronary atherosclerosis in the real-world setting by ultrasonography. METHODS: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the severity of NAFLD and subclinical coronary atherosclerosis. Overall, 817 subjects meet criteria for NAFLD were enrolled in the retrospective cohort study (155 subjects were excluded). The severity of NAFLD was divided into the normal, mild, moderate and severe degree based on the finding of abdominal ultrasonography. The assessment of coronary atherosclerosis was based on CAC scan/coronary CT angiography finding in terms of CAC score ≧ 100, CAC score ≧ 400, CAD-RADS ≧ 3 and presence of vulnerable plaque(s). RESULTS: A significant linear trend was observed between the severity of NAFLD and subclinical coronary atherosclerosis. Compared with the reference group (including normal, mild, and moderate NAFLD), severe degree NAFLD was the independently associated risk of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis in term of CAC score ≧ 100, CAC score ≧ 400, CAD-RADS ≧ 3 and presence of vulnerable plaque(s) based on binary logistic regression after adjustment for FRS score and body fat percentage. CONCLUSIONS: Severe degree, but not mild to moderate, was associated with high risk of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis, independently of FRS score and body-fat percentage.

Comparison of effects of triple antithrombotic therapy and dual antiplatelet therapy on long-term outcomes of acute myocardial infarction.

Warfarin is an alternate choice for patients who are not eligible for non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). This study aimed to compare the long-term outcome of triple antithrombotic therapy (TAT) with that of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after AMI. This was a nationwide, propensity score-matched, case-control study of 186,112 first AMI patients, of whom 2,825 received TAT comprising aspirin, clopidogrel, and warfarin. Propensity score matching in a ratio of 1:4 by age, sex, comorbidities, and treatment was adopted, Finally, 2,813 AMI patients and 11,252 matched controls that were administered TAT and DAPT (aspirin and clopidogrel), respectively, were included in our analysis. The 12-year overall survival rate did not differ between both strategies (P = .3167). TAT was beneficial in old age (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.92), female sex (HR = 0.86), atrial fibrillation (AF) (HR = 0.80), hypertension (HR = 0.92), cerebrovascular accident (HR = 0.90), and in the absence of percutaneous coronary intervention (HR = 0.79). TAT reduced the rate of recurrent myocardial infarction (P = .0108) but did not affect the rate of stroke (P = .4867), gastrointestinal bleeding (P = .3889), or intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) (P = .3449). TAT reduces the incidence of recurrent myocardial infarction and does not increase the risk of major bleeding, while compared to DAPT.

Impact of statin on long-term outcome among patients with end-stage renal disease with acute myocardial infarction (AMI): a nationwide case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Use of statin has been associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases events and mortality. However, in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), the protective effects of statin are controversial. To evaluate the impact of chronic statin use on clinical outcomes of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with ESRD. METHODS: We enrolled 8056 patients with ESRD who were initially diagnosed and admitted for first AMI from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. Of which, 2134 patients underwent statin therapy. We randomly selected and use age, sex, hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM), peripheral vascular diseases (PVD), heart failure (HF), cerebrovascular accidents (CVA), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, matched with the study group as controls (non-stain user). We compared the effects of statin use in term of all-cause death among patients with AMI with ESRD. RESULTS: Statin use resulted in a significantly higher survival rate in patients ith AMI with ESRD compared with non-statin users. After adjusted the comorbidities the male patients and patients with DM, PVD, HF and CVA had lower long-term survival rate (all p<0.001). Patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (p<0.001), ACE inhibitors/angiotensin II receptor blockers (p<0.001), ß receptor blockers (p<0.001) and statin therapy (p=0.007) had better long-term survival rate. Patients with AMI with ESRD on statin therapy exhibited a significantly lower risk of mortality compared with non-statin users (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: Among patients with ESRD with AMI, statin therapy was associated with reduced all-cause mortality.

Comparison of Long-Term Safety and Efficacy of Bioresorbable Scaffolds between Patients with and without Diabetes Mellitus.

INTRODUCTION: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major risk of cardiovascular events. Bioresorbable stent frame materials capable of providing mechanical support and drug-delivery functions have been developed in an attempt to improve long-term outcomes. However, publications about the long-term outcomes of bioresorbable scaffolds (BRS) in DM patients are still limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term safety and efficacy of BRS between patients with and without diabetes. METHODS: Data regarding BRS placement in consecutive patients receiving percutaneous coronary interventions were collected from the cardiovascular center of a single tertiary medical center from 2014 to 2017. RESULTS: A total of 138 cases were included and followed up for 4 years. The mortality rate was 1.1% in the non-diabetic group and 4.1% in the diabetic group (p = 0.2542). No cardiac mortality was observed. One patient had an acute myocardial infarction (0.7%) in the non-diabetic group. The rate of target lesion revascularization was 3.4% in the non-diabetic group and 4.08% in the diabetic group. The ratio of target vessel revascularization was 6.74% in the non-diabetic group and 4.1% in the diabetic group. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated no significant difference in long-term outcomes after BRS implantation between patients with and without diabetes in a single tertiary medical center.

Natural course of coronary artery calcium progression in Asian population with an initial score of zero.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to investigate the natural course of coronary artery calcium progression in an Asian population with a baseline coronary artery calcium (CAC) score of zero, and to determine subclinical coronary atherosclerosis. METHODS: Four hundred fifty-nine subjects with at least two CAC scans with an initial score of zero were included. CAC progression (+) was defined by the development of any CAC (i.e., CAC > 0) during subsequent CT scans. Clinical characteristics and Framingham risk profiles were also recorded. RESULTS: Among 459 subjects, 106 (23.09%) experienced CAC progression during the average follow-up period of 5.71 ± 2.68 years. Older age, male gender, HDL-C, total cholesterol and higher Framingham risk score were independently associated with CAC progression. Framingham risk score had the better discriminative ability (AUC = 0.660) to predict CAC progression compared to the other parameters with a sensitivity of 75.24% and specificity of 53.95%. For the double zero score with coronary artery atherosclerosis prediction, older age, triglycerides, hypertension, and Framingham risk score were significantly associated with these events. Among these parameters, Framingham risk score may be a relatively acceptable parameter with high negative predictive (NPV = 96.4%) value to rule out double zero score with obstructive coronary artery atherosclerosis scenario with an optimum cut-off value of <16.9 (AUC =0.652, sensitivity of 57.69%; specificity of 68.82%). CONCLUSIONS: A baseline zero CAC score in asymptomatic Chinese population with low to intermediate risk have a low incidence for CAC progression within the 5-years period. For CAC progression prediction, Framingham risk score with the cutoff < 11.1 may help confirm subjects at low risk to improve cardiovascular risk stratification and reclassification in the field of preventive cardiology.

Safety and Cumulative Incidence of Major Cardiovascular Events with Ticagrelor in Taiwanese Patients with Non-ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction: A 12-Month, Prospective, Phase IV, Multicenter, Single-Arm Study.

BACKGROUND: Ticagrelor, an oral, direct-acting, and reversible P2Y12 receptor antagonist, inhibits platelet activation and aggregation. This phase IV, single-arm study analyzed the safety and tolerability of ticagrelor in Taiwanese patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) during 1 year of follow-up. METHODS: Patients aged ≥ 20 years with an index event of NSTEMI received ticagrelor (180 mg loading and 90 mg doses twice daily thereafter) plus low-dose aspirin (100 mg/day) for up to 1 year. Safety was evaluated according to adverse events (AEs), serious AEs (SAEs), and PLATO-defined bleeding events. The cumulative incidence of major cardiovascular (CV) events including CV death, myocardial infarction, and stroke was also evaluated. RESULTS: The safety population included 108 patients across 13 centers in Taiwan. During treatment, 32 (29.6%) patients had ≥ one PLATO-defined bleeding event. Major bleeding events occurred in seven (6.5%) patients with a Kaplan-Meier (KM) estimated event risk [95% confidence interval (CI)] of 7.1% (3.4%-14.4%), including life-threatening bleeding [four (3.7%) patients] and other major bleeding [three (2.8%) patients]. No PLATO-defined fatal bleeding was observed. SAEs were reported in 23 (21.3%) patients. Six (5.6%) patients experienced major CV events during the 1-year follow-up period, with a KM-estimated event risk (95% CI) of 5.6% (2.6%-12.0%). CONCLUSIONS: Ticagrelor for up to 1 year was associated with a low rate of major bleeding events and a low incidence of major CV events in Taiwanese patients with NSTEMI. The overall safety of ticagrelor was in accordance with the known safety profile of ticagrelor.

Management of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Patients with World Health Organization Functional Class II.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is an incurable chronic and progressive debilitating disease associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The World Health Organization functional class (WHO FC) at diagnosis and at follow-up remains one of the strongest predictors of survival in PAH. Studies have shown improved long-term outcomes in PAH patients who received PAH-specific treatment, as monotherapy or as combination therapy, early in their disease course. Studies have also shown that without treatment, PAH rapidly deteriorates even in patients with less advanced (low risk) disease state. In this article, we review evidence from randomized controlled clinical trials to support our position on the importance of early PAH management in WHO FC II patients. The growing importance of combination therapy in the early treatment of PAH and recommendations by the most recent guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension are also discussed in this article.

Improving outcomes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by taking beta-blockers after acute myocardial infarction: a nationwide observational study.

ß-Blockers are a standard therapy for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) due to their better short-term and long-term outcomes. However, ß-blockers are often under-prescribed in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with AMI, since they are thought be related to bronchospasm. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the usage of ß-blockers and the risk of mortality in COPD patients after first AMI via a nationwide, population-based cohort study. In this retrospective study, we identified 186,326 patients with AMI diagnosed between January 2000 and December 2012, 23,116 of whom had COPD, from the National Health Insurance Research Database. A total of 7609 patients (32.92%) were prescribed ß-blockers, while 15,507 were not. The ß-blocker patients were stratified into selective and non-selective ß-blocker groups. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Selective ß-blocker use showed a reduced risk of mortality, as compared with patients without ß-blockers (HR 0.93; 95% CI 0.89-0.98; p < 0.01) while non-selective ß-blocker groups did not increase the risk of mortality compared to the patients without ß-blockers (HR 0.98; 95% CI 0.94-1.02; p = 0.38). In addition, the use of ß-blockers was found to be associated with a reduced risk of mortality in most stratified analyses which was seen particularly in males, patients aged 65 years and above, and in individuals with an array of comorbidities. These findings suggest that ß-blockers improve overall survival among COPD patients after first AMI.

In-Hospital Implementation of Evidence-Based Medications is Associated with Improved Survival in Diabetic Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome - Data from TSOC ACS-DM Registry.

BACKGROUND: Patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and diabetes mellitus (DM) receive less aggressive treatment and have worse outcomes in Taiwan. We sought to explore whether the current practices of prescribing guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) for ACS and clinical outcomes have improved over time. METHODS: A total of 1534 consecutive diabetic patients with ACS were enrolled between 2013 and 2015 from 27 hospitals in the nationwide registry initiated by the Taiwan Society of Cardiology (the TSOC ACS-DM Registry). Baseline and clinical demographics, treatment, and clinical outcomes were compared to those of 1000 ACS patients with DM recruited in the Taiwan ACS-full spectrum (ACS-FS) Registry, which was performed between 2008 and 2010. RESULTS: Compared to the DM patients in the Taiwan ACS-FS Registry, even though reperfusion therapy was carried out in significantly fewer patients, the primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) rate for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and the prescription rates of GDMT for ACS including P2Y12 inhibitors, renin-angiotensin blockers, beta-blockers, and statins were significantly higher in those in the TSOC ACS-DM Registry. Moreover, significant reductions in 1-year mortality, recurrent nonfatal MI and stroke were observed compared to those of the DM patients in the Taiwan ACS-FS Registry. Multivariate analysis identified reperfusion therapy in combination with GDMT as a strong predictor of better 1-year outcomes [hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) = 0.54 (0.33-0.89)]. CONCLUSIONS: Marked improvements in performing primary PCI for STEMI and prescribing GDMT for ACS were observed over time in Taiwan. This was associated with improved 1-year event-free survival in the diabetic patients with ACS.

The impact of DPP-4 inhibitors on long-term survival among diabetic patients after first acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies regarding the cardioprotective effects of dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitors have not provided sufficient evidence of a relationship between DPP-4 inhibition and actual cardiovascular outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of DPP-4 inhibitors on the survival of diabetic patients after first acute myocardial infarction (AMI). METHODS: This was a nationwide, propensity score-matched, case-control study of 186,112 first AMI patients, 72,924 of whom had diabetes. A propensity score, one-to-one matching technique was used to match 2672 controls to 2672 patients in the DPP-4 inhibitor group for analysis. Controls were matched based on gender, age, and a history of hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, heart failure, cerebrovascular accident, end-stage renal disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and percutaneous coronary intervention. RESULTS: DPP-4 inhibitors improve the overall 3-year survival rate (log rank P < 0.0001), whether male or female. Cox proportional hazard regression showed DPP-4 inhibitor is beneficial in diabetes patients after AMI (HR = 0.86; 95% CI 0.78-0.95), especially in those patients with hypertension (HR = 0.87; 95% CI 0.78-0.97; P = 0.0103) and cerebrovascular disease (HR = 0.83; 95% CI 0.72-0.97; P = 0.018), but without dyslipidemia (HR = 0.78; 95% CI 0.67-0.92; P = 0.0029), without peripheral vascular disease (HR = 0.86; 95% CI 0.78-0.96; P = 0.0047), without heart failure (HR = 0.84; 95% CI 0.73-0.96; P = 0.0106), without end stage renal disease (HR = 0.86; 95% CI 0.77-0.95; P = 0.0035), and without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (HR = 0.87; 95% CI 0.78-0.97; P = 0.0096). CONCLUSIONS: DPP-4 inhibitor therapy improved long-term survival in diabetic patients after first AMI, regardless of gender.

One-Year Outcomes of Acute Decompensated Systolic Heart Failure in Taiwan: Lessons from TSOC-HFrEF Registry.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) is a global health problem. The Taiwan Society of Cardiology-Heart Failure with reduced Ejection Fraction (TSOC-HFrEF) registry was a multicenter, observational survey of patients admitted with HFrEF in Taiwan. The aim of this study was to report the one-year outcome in this large-cohort of hospitalized patients presenting with acute decompensated HFrEF. METHODS: Patients hospitalized for acute HFrEF were recruited in 21 hospitals in Taiwan. A total of 1509 patients were enrolled into the registry by the end of October 2014. Clinical status, readmission rates and dispensed medications were collected and analyzed 1 year after patient index hospitalization. RESULTS: Our study indicated that re-hospitalization rates after HFrEF were 31.9% and 38.5% at 6 and 12 months after index hospitalization, respectively. Of these patients, 9.7% of them were readmitted more than once. At 6 and 12 months after hospital discharge, all-cause mortality rates were 9.5% and 15.9%, respectively, and cardiovascular mortality rates were 6.8% and 10.5%, respectively. Twenty-three patients (1.5%) underwent heart transplantation. During a follow-up period of 1 year, 46.4% of patients were free from mortality, HF re-hospitalization, left ventricular assist device use and heart transplantation. At the conclusion of follow-up, 57.5% of patients were prescribed either with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers; also, 66.3% were prescribed with beta-blockers and 40.8% were prescribed with mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists. CONCLUSIONS: The TSOC-HFrEF registry showed evidence of suboptimal practice of guideline-directed medical therapy and high HF re-hospitalization rate in Taiwan. The one-year mortality rate of the TSOC-HFrEF registry remained high. Ultimately, our data indicated a need for further improvement in HF care.

TSOC-HFrEF Registry: A Registry of Hospitalized Patients with Decompensated Systolic Heart Failure: Description of Population and Management.

INTRODUCTION: Heart failure (HF) is a medical condition with a rapidly increasing incidence both in Taiwan and worldwide. The objective of the TSOC-HFrEF registry was to assess epidemiology, etiology, clinical management, and outcomes in a large sample of hospitalized patients presenting with acute decompensated systolic HF. METHODS: The TSOC-HFrEF registry was a prospective, multicenter, observational survey of patients presenting to 21 medical centers or teaching hospitals in Taiwan. Hospitalized patients with either acute new-onset HF or acute decompensation of chronic HFrEF were enrolled. Data including demographic characteristics, medical history, primary etiology of HF, precipitating factors for HF hospitalization, presenting symptoms and signs, diagnostic and treatment procedures, in-hospital mortality, length of stay, and discharge medications, were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 1509 patients were enrolled into the registry by the end of October 2014, with a mean age of 64 years (72% were male). Ischemic cardiomyopathy and dilated cardiomyopathy were diagnosed in 44% and 33% of patients, respectively. Coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes, and chronic renal insufficiency were the common comorbid conditions. Acute coronary syndrome, non-compliant to treatment, and concurrent infection were the major precipitating factors for acute decompensation. The median length of hospital stay was 8 days, and the in-hospital mortality rate was 2.4%. At discharge, 62% of patients were prescribed either angiotensin-converting enzyme-inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers, 60% were prescribed beta-blockers, and 49% were prescribed mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists. CONCLUSIONS: The TSOC-HFrEF registry provided important insights into the current clinical characteristics and management of hospitalized decompensated systolic HF patients in Taiwan. One important observation was that adherence to guideline-directed medical therapy was suboptimal.

Effects of Door-to-Balloon Times on Outcomes in Taiwanese Patients Receiving Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Report of Taiwan Acute Coronary Syndrome Full Spectrum Registry.

PURPOSE: The impact of door-to-balloon (DTB) time on patient outcomes is unclear in a Taiwanese population receiving primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The study aimed to investigate the relationship between stratified DTB times and outcomes through analysis of the database from the Taiwan acute coronary syndrome full spectrum registry. METHODS: Relevant data were collected from case report forms of patients receiving primary PCI who were categorized as group 1, 2, 3, and 4 according to the DTB time < 45, 45-90, 91-135, and > 135 minutes, respectively. The differences were analyzed by using ANOVA and Kaplan-Meier analyses. RESULTS: There were significant variations in DTB times at baseline, which included patients salvaged at centers, patients with prior cardiovascular disease, and those patients with different coronary artery flows (p < 0.01) separated into 4 groups (n = 189, 443, 299, and 401, respectively). The in-hospital adverse event rates were identical among the 4 groups except for a higher rate of acute renal failure and a longer hospital stay observed in group 4 (p < 0.01). The results showed no decrease in the incidences of repeated revascularization, major adverse cardiac event, or cardiovascular composite at 1 year in group 1. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggested that the DTB time is not a good determinant for outcomes in Taiwanese patients receiving primary PCI. KEY WORDS: Acute myocardial infarction; Cardiovascular outcome; Door-to-balloon time; Myocardial ischemia; Percutaneous coronary intervention.

Percutaneous angioplasty using a paclitaxel-coated balloon improves target lesion restenosis on inflow lesions of autogenous radiocephalic fistulas: a pilot study.

PURPOSE: To determine whether the use of a paclitaxel-coated balloon (PCB) improves patency in patients undergoing percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) for recurrent juxtaanastomotic stenosis of radiocephalic arteriovenous fistulas (RCAVFs). MATERIAL AND METHODS: This prospective study recruited hemodialysis patients with two short (< 2 cm) and separated inflow RCAVF lesions. After dilation of lesions using a 4-mm plain balloon (PB), half of the lesions were randomly selected for treatment with PTA using PCB (size, 4 mm; length, 2 cm) and PB (size, 5-mm or 6-mm) (group 1), and the other half were treated with PTA using PB alone (group 2). After the index PTA, dysfunction-driven angiography was performed to confirm target lesion restenosis (TLR). TLR and lesion patency were compared in the two groups by χ(2) test, t test, and Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS: The analysis of 20 lesions in 10 patients revealed that the TLR-free duration in group 1 was significantly longer than the TLR-free duration in group 2 (251.2 d vs 103.2 d; P < .01). The patency rate of the target lesion was significantly higher in group 1 than in group 2 at 6 months (70% vs 0%; P < .01) but not at 12 months (20% vs 0%; P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: This early study suggests that, for improving short-term patency, PTA with PCB and PB is more effective than PTA with PB alone, warranting further study.

Predictors of 1-year outcomes in the Taiwan Acute Coronary Syndrome Full Spectrum Registry.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Evidence-based guidelines have been formulated for optimal management of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The Taiwan ACS Full Spectrum Registry aimed to evaluate the ACS management and identify the predictors of clinical outcomes of death/myocardial infarction/stroke 1 year post hospital discharge. METHODS: Three thousand and eighty confirmed ACS patients enrolled in this registry were followed up for 1 year at 3-month intervals. Patient data on medical interventions as well as clinical events were recorded and analyzed by descriptive statistics. RESULTS: One-year mortality among patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), non-STEMI (NSTEMI) and unstable angina was 6.1%, 10.1%, and 6.2%, respectively. Use of secondary preventive therapies was suboptimal throughout the follow-up phase, especially dual antiplatelet therapy, which fell from 74.8% patients at discharge to 24.9% patients at 1-year follow-up. The odds of an adverse incidence of death/myocardial infarction/stroke 1 year after discharge was significantly reduced in patients receiving aspirin and clopidogrel for ≥9 months and was consequently higher in patients in whom dual antiplatelet therapy was discontinued or prescribed for <9 months. Chronic renal failure, in-hospital bleeding, a diagnosis of NSTEMI, and antiplatelet therapy discontinuation had a negative association with 1-year outcomes, whereas the use of drug-eluting stents and antiplatelet agents, clopidogrel and aspirin, were predictors of positive outcomes. CONCLUSION: There is a significant deviation from evidence-based guidelines in ACS management in Taiwan as reported in other countries. Policy adherence, especially with regard to dual antiplatelet therapy may hold the key to long-term favorable outcomes and improved survival rates in ACS patients in Taiwan.

Drug-Eluting Stents versus Bare-Metal Stents in Taiwanese Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome: An Outcome Report of a Multicenter Registry.

BACKGROUND: The study aims to compare cardiovascular outcomes of using bare-metal stents (BMS) and drug-eluting stents (DES) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) through analysis of the database from the Taiwan ACS registry. Large domestic studies comparing outcomes of interventional strategies using DES and BMS in a Taiwanese population with ACS are limited. METHODS AND RESULTS: Collected data regarding characteristics and cardiovascular outcomes from the registry database were compared between the BMS and DES groups. A Cox regression model was used in an unadjusted or adjusted manner for analysis. Baseline characteristics apparently varied between DES group (n = 650) and BMS group (n = 1672) such as ACS types, Killip's classifications, or coronary blood flows. Compared with the BMS group, the DES group was associated with significantly lower cumulative incidence of all-cause mortality (3.4% vs. 5.8%, p = 0.008), target vessel revascularization (TVR) (5.2% vs. 7.4%, p = 0.035), or major adverse cardiac events (MACE) (10.2% vs. 15.6%, p < 0.001) at 1 year in a real-world setting. Cox regression analysis showed the BMS group referenced as the DES group had significantly higher risk-adjusted total mortality [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.85, p = 0.026], target vessel revascularization (TVR) (HR = 1.59, p = 0.035), and MACE (HR = 1.68, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The data show use of DES over BMS provided advantages to patients with ACS in terms of lower 1-year mortality, TVR, and MACE. The study suggests implantation of DES compared with BMS in Taiwanese patients with ACS is safe and beneficial in the real-world setting. KEY WORDS: Acute coronary syndrome; Bare-metal stent; Cardiovascular outcome; Drug-eluting stent; Percutaneous coronary intervention.

Myocardial Tissue Doppler Imaging Detects Right Ventricular Dysfunction after Percutaneous Angioplasty of Dysfunctional Hemodialysis Access in Uremic Patients.

BACKGROUND: Right ventricular dysfunction has been observed in uremic patients receiving percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA). This prospective study focuses on the impact of tissue Doppler imaging echocardiographic parameters on assessing right ventricle function in uremic patients post PTA of dysfunctional hemodialysis access. METHODS: Sixty uremic patients were divided into two groups by angiographic findings: an occlusive group (26 patients) and a stenotic group (34 patients). All uremic patients underwent routine echocardiography with tissue Doppler imaging both before and immediately following PTA to assess the right ventricular (RV) function and pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP). The right ventricular (RV) myocardial performance index (MPI) was obtained during tissue Doppler imaging over the lateral tricuspid annulus. The M index was measured and defined as the peak early diastolic mitral inflow velocity divided by the RV MPI. The RV MPI, RV isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT) and M-index were used to evaluate RV function post-PTA. RESULTS: Immediately following PTA, PASP (31.6 ± 11.3 mmHg versus 42.6 ± 12.0 mmHg, p = 0.001), RV MPI (0.46 ± 0.08 versus 0.62 ± 0.13, p < 0.001) and IVRT (75.1 ± 12.9 versus 98.4 ± 27.7 ms, p < 0.001) increased significantly in the occlusive group. However, PASP and RV function did not change significantly in the stenotic group. In 42.3% patients from the occlusive group, the M-index fell below 112 and RV MPI rose above 0.55 post-PTA; this occurred in only 8.8% of the stenotic group. CONCLUSIONS: This prospective study demonstrated that there was a higher incidence of RV dysfunction in uremic patients with elevated PASP with totally occluded hemodialysis access than those with stenotic access post-PTA. KEY WORDS: Myocardial performance index; Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty; Pulmonary hypertension; Tissue Doppler image; Uremic.

Changes of imidazoline receptors in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

The role of imidazoline receptors in the regulation of vascular function remains unclear. In this study, we evaluated the effect of agmatine, an imidazoline receptor agonist, on systolic blood pressure (SBP) in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and investigated the expressions of imidazoline receptors by Western blot. The isometric tension of aortic rings isolated from male SHRs was also estimated. Agmatine decreased SBP in a dose-dependent manner in SHRs but not in the normal group [Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats]. This reduction in SBP in SHRs was abolished by BU224, a selective antagonist of imidazoline I(2) -receptors. Higher expression of imidazoline receptors in SHR was observed. Moreover, agmatine-induced relaxation in isolated aortic rings precontracted with phenylephrine or KCl. This relaxation was also abolished by BU224 but was not modified by efaroxan, an imidazoline I(1) -receptor antagonist. Agmatine-induced relaxation was also attenuated by PNU 37883, a selective blocker of vascular ATP-sensitive potassium (K(ATP) ) channels. Additionally, vasodilatation by agmatine was reduced by an inhibitor of protein kinase A (PKA). We suggest that agmatine can lower blood pressure in SHRs through activation of the peripheral imidazoline I(2) -receptor, which is expressed more highly in SHRs.