Volume elastic modulus of the brachial artery and coronary artery stenosis in patients with suspected stable coronary artery disease.

This study aimed to examine the association between the non-invasive measurement of the brachial artery volume elastic modulus (V E), an index of arterial stiffness, and the presence of coronary artery stenosis in patients with suspected stable coronary artery disease (CAD). A total of 135 patients with suspected stable CAD (87 men, mean age, 64 ± 12 years) underwent oscillometric measurement of the brachial artery to obtain V E. Coronary angiography was thereafter carried out to diagnose CAD, defined as having ≥75 % stenosis in the epicardial coronary arteries. V E was significantly higher in patients with CAD (1.94 ± 0.34 mmHg/%) than in those without CAD (1.71 ± 0.35 mmHg/%, P < 0.001). In multiple logistic regression analysis, V E was an independent predictor for the presence of CAD (odds ratio 1.19 per 0.1 mmHg/% increase, 95 % CI 1.04-1.51) even after adjusting for multiple potential confounders including the Framingham risk score (FRS). The area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis for discriminating CAD increased significantly after the addition of V E to the FRS (from 0.75 to 0.81, P = 0.034). The category-free net reclassification improvement and the integrated discrimination improvement by adding V E to the FRS were 0.476 (95 % CI 0.146-0.806) and 0.086 (95 % CI 0.041-0.132), respectively. In conclusion, the brachial V E was significantly associated with the presence of coronary artery stenosis. The additional measurement of V E to the FRS improved the ability to identify patients with coronary artery stenosis among those with suspected stable CAD.

Linkage of sleep-disordered breathing and acute aortic dissection with patent false lumen.

Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is known as a cardiovascular risk factor and has high prevalence in hypertension, which is a major risk factor of aortic dissection (AD). However, the impact of SDB on AD has not been fully clarified. The aim of this study is to elucidate the impact of SDB on AD, especially on the type of false lumen in AD. We enrolled twenty-three consecutive patients with acute AD (mean age: 66 ± 13 years). All subjects were evaluated by an ambulatory polygraphic sleep monitoring within 1 month from the onset. AD was evaluated by axial images of computed tomography. We comparatively analyzed SDB and AD. 35 % of the subjects presented severe OSA (apnea-hypopnea index: AHI ≥30). The patent false lumen group showed significantly higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) on arrival and AHI, and lower percutaneous oxygen saturation (SaO2) compared with those in the thrombosed false lumen group. The prevalence of severe SDB was higher in the patent false lumen group (60 vs 15 %, p = 0.039). Systolic BP on arrival was significantly correlated with AHI (r = 0.457, p = 0.033) and the minimum SaO2 (r = -0.537, p = 0.010). The present study revealed close linkage between SDB and AD, and a high prevalence of SDB among AD patients. Severe SDB was related to the development of AD, especially for the patent false lumen type through highly elevated BP which might be easily evoked in the presence of severe SDB. Repetitive occurrence of intrathoracic negative pressure also might influence the repair or closure of false lumen of AD, although the present analysis did not reach statistical significance.

Efficacy and limitations of oral inotropic agents for the treatment of chronic heart failure.

The heart failure guideline in Japan has stated the necessity of investigating the role of oral inotropic agents in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), which are clinically available only in Japan. A total of 1,846 consecutive patients with heart failure (mean: 69.5 years old, 1,279 males) treated at our institute from November 2009 to August 2010 were investigated retrospectively. Thirty-one patients (1.84%) who had taken oral inotropic agents (pimobendan 27, docarpamine 6, and denopamine 4) were extracted for this study, and the efficacy and limitations of the treatments were analyzed. Following the oral inotropic treatment, the NYHA functional class (P = 0.017), cardiothoracic ratio (P = 0.002) and B-type natriuretic peptide levels (P = 0.011) were significantly improved, and the number of emergency room (ER) visits (P < 0.001) and hospitalizations (P < 0.001) were significantly reduced. The nonsurviving patients (n = 7/31, 22.6%) were significantly older (P = 0.02) and tended to have a larger cardiothoracic ratio (P = 0.084) compared with the survivors. An absence of concomitant beta-blocker therapy was significantly associated with a worse prognosis (oneyear mortality 2/21 versus 5/10, log rank, P = 0.011). Oral inotropic agents brought about improvements in the clinical parameters of CHF and a reduction in ER visits and hospitalizations. However, concomitant beta-blocker therapy should be considered for patients receiving oral inotropic treatment.

Six-month follow-up evaluation for everolimus-eluting stents by intracoronary optical coherence tomography: comparison with paclitaxel-eluting stents.

BACKGROUND: Although several clinical trials have shown the superior efficacy and safety of second-generation everolimus-eluting stents (EES) in comparison with first-generation paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES), the differences in the vascular healing process between EES and PES in a human coronary artery during an early stage are unknown. METHODS: A prospective optical coherence tomography (OCT) observation was performed for 25 EES in 21 patients and 27 PES in 21 patients at 6 months after implantation. Cross-sections within single-stent segments were analyzed at intervals of 1mm. The neointimal (NI) thickness on each strut was measured. Uncovered struts (NI thickness=0 µm), malapposed struts, NI area (%), uncovered strut ratio >0.3 (UCSR; number of uncovered struts/number of total struts) per cross-section, and in-stent thrombus were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 5198 EES struts in 514 cross-sections and 4243 PES struts in 469 cross-sections were identified. NI thickness and its area were smaller for EES than PES (80.0 ± 84.8 µm vs. 117.9 ± 140.0 µm and 19.1 ± 8.9% vs. 23.7 ± 11.5%, respectively; P<0.001). The frequencies of uncovered struts and malapposed struts were lower in EES compared to PES (2.3% vs. 5.2% and 2.1% vs. 5.7%, respectively; P<0.001). Patients who had cross-sections of UCSR >0.3 and thrombi were identified less frequently in EES than in PES group (5% vs. 57%; P<0.001, and 19% vs. 48%; P=0.05, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Six-month OCT examination showed a favorable vessel healing response after the implantation of EES, demonstrating less in-stent late loss as well as fewer uncovered struts and better stent apposition to the vessel wall in comparison with PES.

A 17-year-old girl with Klippel-Weber syndrome complicated with a pulmonary thromboembolism and RV thrombus.

A 17-year-old girl with multiple areas of skin hemangiomas that had been present since birth was referred to our institution complaining of sudden onset of dyspnea. Enhanced CT demonstrated a pulmonary thromboembolism and transthoracic echocardiogram showed a thrombus-like echo in the right ventricle. CT further revealed thrombi in the inferior vena cava (IVC) and peripheral vein. The thrombi, especially those in the RV, were highly life-threatening; therefore, immediate thrombectomy was performed and an IVC filter was placed. Because no major complications occurred, the patient was discharged 34 days after admission. In such young women, carefully using anticoagulation therapy and planning pregnancy are recommended.

Impact of prediabetic status on coronary atherosclerosis: a multivessel angioscopic study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if prediabetes is associated with atherosclerosis of coronary arteries, we evaluated the degree of coronary atherosclerosis in nondiabetic, prediabetic, and diabetic patients by using coronary angioscopy to identify plaque vulnerability based on yellow color intensity. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Sixty-seven patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) underwent angioscopic observation of multiple main-trunk coronary arteries. According to the American Diabetes Association guidelines, patients were divided into nondiabetic (n = 16), prediabetic (n = 28), and diabetic (n = 23) groups. Plaque color grade was defined as 1 (light yellow), 2 (yellow), or 3 (intense yellow) based on angioscopic findings. The number of yellow plaques (NYPs) per vessel and maximum yellow grade (MYG) were compared among the groups. RESULTS: Mean NYP and MYG differed significantly between the groups (P = 0.01 and P = 0.047, respectively). These indexes were higher in prediabetic than in nondiabetic patients (P = 0.02 and P = 0.04, respectively), but similar in prediabetic and diabetic patients (P = 0.44 and P = 0.21, respectively). Diabetes and prediabetes were independent predictors of multiple yellow plaques (NYPs ≥2) in multivariate logistic regression analysis (odds ratio [OR] 10.8 [95% CI 2.09-55.6], P = 0.005; and OR 4.13 [95% CI 1.01-17.0], P = 0.049, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Coronary atherosclerosis and plaque vulnerability were more advanced in prediabetic than in nondiabetic patients and comparable between prediabetic and diabetic patients. Slight or mild disorders in glucose metabolism, such as prediabetes, could be a risk factor for CAD, as is diabetes itself.

Switching to Pitavastatin in Statin-Treated Low HDL-C Patients Further Improves the Lipid Profile and Attenuates Minute Myocardial Damage.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of minute myocardial damage (MMD) in already statin-treated dyslipidemic patients with a low high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) level, and to evaluate whether pitavastatin could affect the lipid profiles and biomarkers reflecting myocardial stress and injury. METHODS: Twenty patients (15 men; age 66 ± 8) being treated with any statin but who had HDL-C < 40 mg/dL, were switched to pitavastatin (2 mg/day) treatment. The patient lipid profiles and the levels of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), high-sensitive troponin T (hsTnT), and high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were evaluated for six months. RESULTS: At three months after the statin replacement, the HDL-C significantly increased from 37 ± 3 mg/dL to 40 ± 5 mg/dL (P < 0.05), and the low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and LDL-C/HDL-C ratio significantly reduced (100 ± 28 mg/dL to 86 ± 22 mg/dL, P < 0.05; 2.68 ± 0.67 to 2.17 ± 0.64, P < 0.05, respectively), and these changes were sustained for six months. In the whole study population, no significant changes were observed in the NT-proBNP, hsTnT, or hsCRP for six months. However, in 11 cases who showed a positive (> 0.003 ng/mL) hsTnT at baseline, a significant reduction in the hsTnT was observed (0.016 ± 0.020 ng/mL to 0.014 ± 0.020 ng/mL, P < 0.05), and its percent reduction significantly correlated with the percent increase in HDL-C (r = -0.68, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: MMD (positive hsTnT) was observed in more than half of patients with low HDL-C despite the administration of any statin, and the replacement of their previous statin with pitavastatin further improved their lipid profiles and led to better myocardial protection, possibly mediated via the elevation of the HDL-C level.

Links between sleep disordered breathing, coronary atherosclerotic burden, and cardiac biomarkers in patients with stable coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is highly prevalent in patients with cardiovascular disease, although it is not clear whether SDB has any link to coronary atherosclerotic burden in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). This study sought to analyze the links between SDB, coronary atherosclerotic burden, and cardiac biomarkers in stable CAD patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 83 consecutive patients who underwent coronary angiography or scheduled percutaneous coronary intervention. SDB was evaluated by an ambulatory polysomnographic monitoring device. Coronary atherosclerotic burden was evaluated by the Gensini score, and myocardial stress/injury were assessed by measuring plasma levels of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and high sensitivity troponin T (hs-TnT). Patients with an apnea hypopnea index (AHI)≧15 events/h (n=32) showed significantly higher Gensini score (35.7±38.0 vs 20.1±19.7, p=0.033) than those with AHI<15. The higher AHI group showed significantly higher NT-proBNP (275.8±402.6 pg/ml vs 131.9±146.3 pg/ml, p=0.047) and hs-TnT levels (0.011±0.005 ng/ml vs 0.008±0.003 ng/ml, p=0.015). Furthermore it was revealed that AHI significantly correlated with the Gensini score (r=0.253, p=0.036), NT-proBNP (r=0.266, p=0.027), and hs-TnT (r=0.274, p=0.023), and multiple stepwise linear regression analysis revealed that AHI (ß=0.257, p=0.029) and history of smoking (ß=0.244, p=0.038) were independently correlated with Gensini score among clinical and SDB-related parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Severity of SDB has a significant link to the severity of coronary atherosclerotic burden, which also reflected elevated NT-proBNP and hs-TnT as silent myocardial ischemia and minute myocardial injury even in stable CAD patients.

Late vascular responses from 2 to 4 years after implantation of sirolimus-eluting stents: serial observations by intracoronary optical coherence tomography.

BACKGROUND: Late vascular responses after implantation of drug-eluting stents may play a key role in steadily increasing occurrence of very late stent thrombosis have not yet been fully investigated in human beings. METHODS AND RESULTS: Serial optical coherence tomography observations at 2 and 4 years were collected for 17 patients treated with 21 sirolimus-eluting stents. Corresponding 376 cross sections within single-stent segments at intervals of 1 mm were selected for analyses, and neointimal thickness on each strut was measured. Extrastent lumen (ESL) was defined as an external lumen of the stent. Area and angle of ESL were measured. A total of 3369 and 3221 struts were identified at 2 and 4 years, respectively. From 2 to 4 years, mean neointimal thickness increased (76.8±75.6 µm versus 123.0±102.5 µm; P<0.0001), whereas frequency of patients with uncovered struts decreased (88% versus 29%; P=0.002). Although prevalence of patients that had ESL was similar (59% of 2 years versus 65% of 4 years; P=1.0), the cross sections with ESL increased (9.6% versus 15.2%; P=0.02). Moreover, area and angle of ESL increased from 2 to 4 years (0.28±0.27 mm(2) versus 0.62±0.68 mm(2) and 16.6±5.4° versus 65.1±38.4°; P<0.01, respectively). The incidence of subclinical thrombus did not decrease (24% at 2 years versus 29% at 4 years; P=1.0). All thrombi were identified in patients who had cross sections with ESL. CONCLUSIONS: The current serial optical coherence tomography study showed an augmentation of neointimal growth at the late phase of sirolimus-eluting stent implantation. ESL may contribute to thrombus formation and ESL of sirolimus-eluting stents expanded from 2 to 4 years.