Glucose tolerance and markers of myocardial injury after an acute coronary syndrome: predictive role of the 1-h plus 2-h plasma glucose at the oral glucose tolerance test.

OBJECTIVE: Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) has been related to adverse cardiovascular outcomes. We investigated the added value of 1-h plasma glucose (PG) at the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in predicting admission and peak cardiac high-sensitivity troponin T (hs-TnT) and NT-proBNP values in IGT patients admitted for an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Among 192 consecutive ACS patients, 109 had Hb1Ac and fasting plasma glucose negative for newly diagnosed diabetes. Upon OGTT performed > 96 h after admission, 88, conventionally diagnosed as IGT, were divided into: "full glucose tolerance" (1-h PG-OGTT < 155 mg/dL and 2-h PG-OGTT < 140 mg/dL, N = 12);"early IGT" (1 h-PG-OGTT ≥ 155 mg/dL and 2-h PG-OGTT < 140 mg/dL, N = 33);"late IGT" (1-h PG-OGTT < 155 mg/dL and 2-h PG-OGTT ≥ 140 mg/dL, N = 8); and "full IGT" (1-h PG-OGTT ≥ 155 mg/dL and 2-h PG-OGTT ≥ 140 mg/dL, N = 35). The 4 groups were compared for cardiac markers. RESULTS: The first three groups had similar cardiac marker values, but only full IGT patients had significantly higher admission hs-TnT compared with the 3 other groups [median (interquartile range): 911 (245-2976) vs 292 (46-1131), P < 0.001]. Full IGT patients also had higher hs-TnT peak compared with fully glucose tolerant and early IGT patients. Only full IGT patients had longer hospitalization and higher NT-proBNP vs fully glucose tolerant patients (P = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Among non-diabetic ACS patients, only those with both 1-h PG ≥ 155 mg/dL and 2-h PG ≥ 140 mg/dL had more severe myocardial injury and longer hospitalization. One-h PG-OGTT importantly contributes to assessing post-ACS cardiac risk.

Effects of sacubitril/valsartan on B-type natriuretic peptide circulating levels and loop diuretic dose in a case series of stabilized heart failure patients with left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35.

Sacubitril/valsartan, an angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor, was shown to improve outcome in patients with heart failure (HF) and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). There are reasons for believing that the concept that the lower the B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) circulating level the better the prognosis may no longer be correct in patients treated with sacubitril/valsartan, since sacubitril may interfere with BNP clearance. We reported a case series of ten patients with stable chronic HF and LVEF ≤35% (mean age: 64 ± 8 years; 30% female), referred to our outpatient HF clinic, treated with sacubitril/valsartan, in whom the global amelioration of NYHA class and LVEF was coupled with a clinically significant decrease in BNP levels and a reduction of loop diuretic dose. Average sacubitril/valsartan daily dose was 220 mg. The median duration of treatment was 15 months (range: 6-21 months). Seventy percent of patients exhibited an improvement in exercise tolerance, as indicated by the change in NYHA class. There was also an improvement in LVEF from 28 ± 5% to 39 ± 7%. Clinically significant reductions in BNP levels were evident, with a median change from 181 pg/ml to 70 pg/ml. Furosemide daily dose decreased from a median of 43.3 mg to 12.5 mg. This case series suggests that BNP may still be valuable for the assessment of ambulatory HF patients, after the optimization of sacubitril/valsartan therapy.