Blood pressure control measures and cardiovascular outcomes: a prospective hypertensive cohort.

PURPOSE: We investigated whether blood pressure (BP) control measures, visit-to-visit BP variability, and time in therapeutic range (TTR) are associated with future cardiovascular outcomes in hypertensive patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Among 1,408 hypertensive patients without cardiovascular disease, we prospectively evaluated the incident major cardiovascular events over 6 years. In newly diagnosed patients, antihypertensive drug treatment was initiated. We estimated two markers of on-treatment BP control, (1) visit-to-visit BPV as the coefficient of variation of office systolic BP (BP-CV), and (2) TTR calculated as the percentage of office systolic BP measurements within 120-140mmHg across visits. RESULTS: The hypertensive cohort (672 males, mean age 60 years, 31% newly diagnosed) had a mean systolic/diastolic BP of 142/87 mmHg. The mean number of visits was 4.9 ± 2.6, while the mean attained systolic/diastolic BP during follow-up was 137/79 mmHg using 2.7 ± 1.1 antihypertensive drugs. The BP-CV and TTR were 9.1 ± 4.1% and 45 ± 29%, respectively, and the incidence of the composite outcome was 8.3% (n = 117). After adjustment for relevant confounders and standardization to z-scores, BP-CV and TTR were associated with a 43% (95% CI, 27-62%) increase and a 33% (95% CI, 15-47%) reduction in the outcome. However, the joint evaluation of TTR and BP-CV in a common multivariable model indicated that a standardized change of TTR was associated with the outcome to a greater extent than BP-CV (mean hazard ratios of 30% vs. 24%, respectively). When combined with the higher BP standardized-CV quartile, the lower TTR quartile predicted the outcome by 2.3 times (95% CI, 1.1-5.4) compared to the inverse TTR and BP-CV quartile pattern. CONCLUSION: High BP-CV or low TTR was associated with future cardiovascular events in a cohort of treated hypertensive patients. As a determinant, the extent of TTR value appears greater than BP-CV when these measures are considered in the same multivariable model.

Four-year clinical results of transcatheter self-expanding Medtronic CoreValve implantation in high-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis.

BACKGROUND: transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has emerged as an alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement for patients with severe aortic stenosis considered inoperable or at high operative risk, but the long-term outcome remains unknown. HYPOTHESIS: we assessed the 4-year clinical and echocardiographic outcomes of patients undergoing TAVI with the self-expanding Medtronic CoreValve prosthesis. METHODS: sixty-three patients (mean age 80 ± 6 years) with severe aortic stenosis (AS) at high risk for surgical aortic valve replacement (Logistic EuroSCORE 28.8 ± 10.9%) were included in this study. RESULTS: all-cause cumulative mortality at 1, 2, 3 and 4 years was 14.3, 25.4, 28.6 and 36.5%, respectively. The cumulative incidence of documented major stroke at 4 years was 6.3%. In survivors, there was a significant improvement in functional status at 4 years. Paravalvular leak (trivial/mild to moderate) was observed in the majority of patients post-TAVI with no case of progression to severe regurgitation at 4-year follow-up. In multivariate analysis, independent predictor for increased all-cause mortality was left ventricular ejection fraction <40% (HR: 5.347, 95% CI: 1.126-25.381, P = 0.035). CONCLUSION: our study demonstrated favourable long-term (4 years) outcomes after successful TAVI using the third-generation Medtronic CoreValve device.

Antithrombotic therapy in patients undergoing TAVI with concurrent atrial fibrillation. One center experience.

Aim of the present study was to record the antithrombotic approach in AF and non-AF patients undergoing TAVI, and to compare the efficiency of the used regimens combination. Antithrombotic approach of patients undergoing TAVI remains a challenging dispute. It becomes even more complex when need for anticoagulant treatment is required due to concurrent atrial fibrillation. Consecutive patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis treated with TAVI, were retrospectively studied. All patients were divided into two groups, matched to age, depending on the existence of atrial fibrillation. The primary end-point was the composite of MACE, while the secondary end-point was the occurrence of major bleeding at follow-up. A total of 80 patients were included in the study. Out of them, 20 patients (80.2 ± 5.4 years) suffered from concurrent atrial fibrillation. This group was matched with 20 patients (80.6 ± 3.7 years) with no need for anticoagulation. AF-group patients were treated with clopidogrel plus acenocoumarol for 3 months. Following that, acetylsalicylic acid plus acenocoumarol were prescribed. Non-AF patients were treated with 3 months clopidogrel plus acetylsalicylic acid followed by single acetylsalicylic acid medication. No statistical significant differences in MACE between AF and non-AF group were identified (p = 0.705, phi coefficient = 0.06) (mean follow-up 23.4 ± 14 months). Similarly, there was no statistical significant difference for bleedings among the AF and non-AF patient group (p = 0.658, phi coefficient = 0.14). In patients undergoing TAVI with CoreValve, with concurrent AF, treatment with clopidogrel plus acenocoumarol for 3 months, followed by acetylsalicylic acid plus acenocoumarol, seems safe and effective enough in long-term follow-up.

The natural history of multifocal atrial rhythms in elderly outpatients: insights from the "Ikaria study".

BACKGROUND: Multifocal atrial tachycardias confer an adverse prognosis in hospitalized patients. We assessed the prognostic impact of multifocal atrial rhythms (MARs-either chaotic atrial rhythm or multifocal atrial tachycardia/bradycardia) in very elderly outpatients. METHODS: One hundred ten subjects aged 60-74 years, 112 aged 75-89 years, and 61 over 90 years old, were enrolled and prospectively evaluated. Several demographic and clinical characteristic were recorded in all individuals. RESULTS: A high prevalence of MARs was detected in the study population (namely, 6%), which in subjects >90 years was even higher (15%). Individuals with MARs were older, more often female and less active. In multivariate analysis, independent predictors of MARs were age (OR = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.02-1.13, P = 0.01) and female sex (OR = 4.77, 95% CI: 1.23-18.48, P = 0.02). The mortality rate during the follow-up period was 8.4% without differences between age groups (P = 0.209). In particular, mortality rate was 6% in individuals with MARs and 9% in those without (P = 0.72). Mortality was associated with age (OR 1.07, 95% CI: 1.02-1.12, P = 0.005) and history of cardiovascular disease at baseline (OR 4.57, 95% CI: 1.87-11.2 P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to hospitalized individuals with multifocal atrial tachycardias, MARs were not associated with increased mortality in elderly outpatients in this study.

Revisiting Cardiovascular Benefits of Blood Pressure Reduction in Primary and Secondary Prevention: Focus on Targets and Residual Risk-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Previous meta-analyses resurrected the debated statement "the lower, the better" following blood pressure (BP)-lowering treatment. We investigated the benefits of BP-lowering treatment at different BP targets by prevention category. METHODS: The meta-analysis protocol was registered at the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42022379249). The database included 115 BP-lowering or comparison trials from patients with (n=241 089) or without (n=198 937) previous cardiovascular events. Prevention disease groups were stratified by in-treatment achieved BP, drug class versus placebo, and drug class versus other classes. Risk ratios and 95% CIs of major adverse cardiovascular events were calculated. RESULTS: Following a standard (10/5 mm Hg) BP reduction, major adverse cardiovascular event relative risk reductions were not different between prevention groups (primary, 25% [95% CI, 18%-31%]; secondary, 28% [95% CI, 20%-37%]). For achieved systolic BP of at least 140 mm Hg, between 130 and 140 mm Hg, and <130 mm Hg (nadir, 125 mm Hg), (1) risk ratios of major adverse cardiovascular events and absolute risk reductions were not different between prevention groups across systolic BP strata, and (2) residual risk, though 4.1× greater in secondary than primary prevention, decreased in primary prevention from higher to lower systolic BP targets. The effect of separate drugs versus others on the primary outcome was not different between prevention groups. CONCLUSIONS: BP-lowering treatment benefits did not differ by prevention group to a nadir of 125 mm Hg for systolic BP. Although residual risk in secondary prevention is higher than in primary prevention, it gradually decreases at progressively lower systolic BP targets in primary prevention. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/; Unique identifier: CRD42022379249.

Inferior epigastric artery as a landmark for transfemoral TAVI. Optimizing vascular access?

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to investigate whether the site of common femoral artery (CFA) cannulation in regard to the inferior epigastric artery (IEA) is associated with the incidence of vascular complications in patients undergoing transfemoral aortic valve implantation (TAVI). BACKGROUND: Vascular access complications are a main issue during TAVI and have been associated with significant increase of morbidity and mortality. The need for establishment of reliable predictors for these serious events remains important. METHODS: A total of 90 patients, who had undergone TAVI, were retrospectively studied. Vascular complications were defined as major and minor according to the Valve Academic Research Consortium (VARC) criteria. Patients were divided into high cannulation site (CS) group and low CS group depending on the common femoral artery puncture site position, in regards to the most inferior border of the IEA. RESULTS: Vascular complications were significantly more frequent in the high CS group versus the low CS group (32.3% vs. 11.9%, P = 0.039). High cannulation remained an independent predictor of vascular complications after adjustment for known risk factors (OR: 4.827, CI: 1.441-16.168; P = 0.011). CONCLUSIONS: In patients undergoing transfemoral TAVI, arterial puncture above the most inferior border of the IEA is associated with vascular complications.

Quantitative analysis of carotid plaque vasa vasorum by CEUS and correlation with histology after endarterectomy.

BACKGROUND: Intraplaque neovascularization and vasa vasorum (VV) proliferation contribute in the progression and rupture of atherosclerotic lesions. Contrast enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) has been reported to attain data regarding intraplaque neovessels and VV. However, whether the detection of microbubbles by CEUS within atherosclerotic plaques truly represents microvessels is a point of concern. We aimed to evaluate stable and unstable carotid artery plaque (CAP) VV pattern by CEUS and its correlation with histology and immunochemistry. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with CAP scheduled for plaque endarterectomy were enrolled. CAP was initially identified by conventional ultrasonography and subsequently CEUS (harmonic ultrasound imaging with simultaneous intravenous contrast agent injection) was performed. The recorded image loops were evaluated by a semi-automated method. Plaque specimens were excised and underwent histological and immunochemical (for CD34, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, CD68 and CD3 antibodies) analysis. RESULTS: Fourteen patients (67.6 ± 10.2 years, 10 males) with a 86.9 ± 11.5 % degree of carotid artery stenosis were evaluated. Histology showed that half of the plaques were unstable. Enhancement of plaque brightness on CEUS was significant for both stable and unstable plaque subgroups (p = 0.018 for both). Immunochemistry showed that microvessels, as assessed by CD34 antibody, were more dense in unstable vs. stable plaques (36.6 ± 17.4 vs. 13.0 ± 7.2 respectively, p = 0.002). However, correlation between plaque brigthness enhancement on CEUS and microvessel density was significant only for stable (r = 0.800, p = 0.031) plaques. CONCLUSIONS: The identification of brightness enhacement during CEUS in carotid atherosclerotic plaques may not always reflect the presence of VV.

Sex-related cardiovascular prognosis in patients with hypertensive emergencies: a 12-month study.

Current evidence on the prognosis of patients with a hypertensive crisis and predisposing factors is limited. We registered the clinical phenotype of patients with HC admitted to the emergency department, while those with a hypertensive emergency (HE) were hospitalized. One-year outcomes, i.e., composite of death or cardiovascular hospitalizations, were determined in patients with HE after hospital discharge. Out of 38,589 patients assessed in the emergency department, 256 hypertensive urgencies and 97 HE was registered. After stratification of the HE by sex, 48 men and 46 women completed the one-year follow-up. Men had more events than women (27 vs. 13, Ηazard Ratio 2.2, 95% Confidence Interval 1.03-4.7, p = 0.042) after adjustment for age, cardiovascular or chronic kidney disease, and diabetes mellitus. Our study raises the hypothesis that the male sex is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular outcomes in HE patients. CV Cardiovascular, BP blood pressure. The diagram presents the groups of comparison, men versus women in hypertensive emergencies that completed the 1-year follow-up for outcomes, in terms of hospitalizations or deaths.

Fatty liver index and cardiovascular outcomes in never-treated hypertensive patients: a prospective cohort.

The prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been increasing rapidly worldwide, affecting 25-30% of the population. Fatty liver index (FLI) is a validated marker of NAFLD and can be used as a screening tool for hepatic steatosis. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the relationship between FLI and the risk of major cardiovascular events in never treated hypertensive patients. We included 903 hypertensive patients without a history of cardiovascular disease (mean age 52.7 ± 11.4 years; men 55%; baseline clinic BP 149.8 ± 15.2/95.5 ± 10.1 mmHg). Participants were prospectively evaluated for a mean follow-up period of 5.2 ± 3.2 years with at least one annual visit. Patients were also categorized into two groups using an FLI of 60 units. The incidence of cardiovascular events during follow-up was 8.5% (n = 77). Patients with FLI < 60 (n = 625) had a better BP control compared to their counterparts with FLI ≥ 60 (n = 278) during follow up (43% vs 33%, p = 0.02). Cox-regression analysis indicated that FLI (Hazard Ratio [HR], 1.05; 95% Confidence Interval [CI], 1.03-1.07, p < 0.001), FLI z-scores (HR, 3.66; 95% CI, 2.22-6.04) and high-risk FLI (HR, 7.5; 95% CI, 3.12-18.04) were independent determinants of the outcome after adjustment for baseline and follow-up variables. Stratification by diabetes mellitus indicated that FLI predicted the outcome to a greater extent in those with than those without diabetes (P-interaction < 0.001). In conclusion, FLI has an independent prognostic value for the incidence of cardiovascular events in newly diagnosed, never-treated hypertensive patients. Therefore, FLI might identify higher-risk patients in the primary prevention of hypertension.

Common surgical masks and unattended blood pressure changes in treated hypertensive patients.

Although the effect of face masks on preventing airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is well studied, no study has evaluated their effect on blood pressure (BP). Therefore, we investigated the effect of surgical masks on BP in 265 treated hypertensive patients. Following the routine mask-on office BP measurement, patients were left alone and randomized to automated office BP measurement, with measurements taken after first wearing a mask for 10 min, then without wearing the mask for 10 min, and vice versa. Among the participants, 115 were women (43.4%), the mean age was 62 ± 12 years, and the mean office BP was 134 ± 15/81 ± 12 mmHg. There was no significant difference between mask-on unattended systolic BP (133 ± 15 mmHg) and mask-off unattended systolic BP (132 ± 15 mmHg) (P = 0.13) or between mask-on unattended diastolic BP (77 ± 13 mmHg) and mask-off unattended diastolic BP (76 ± 13 mmHg) (P = 0.32). Surgical masks had no effect on BP in treated hypertensive patients.

Hypertensive urgencies during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in a tertiary hospital setting: a U-shaped alarming curve.

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic provoked unprecedented disturbance in hypertension care, while alarming concerns arose about its long-term consequences. We investigated the trends of emergency visits and admissions regarding uncontrolled hypertension in order to assess the impact of COVID-19 spread on population behavior towards hypertension urgencies during its first wave. Material and methods: Data from daily unscheduled visits and admission counts in the Cardiology sector were collected from the Emergency Department database of a tertiary General Hospital in Athens, Greece for the period January 15th to July 15th 2020. These data were compared with those from the previous year. Cases of patients who presented with hypertensive urgency or who were admitted due to uncontrolled hypertension were separately analyzed. Results: A total of 7,373 patient records were analyzed. Hypertension urgency cases demonstrated a U-shaped distribution in 2020, showing a declining trend during the rapid virus spread, an image that was reversed after the transmission rate's decline. COVID-19 incidence in Greece was inversely associated with uncontrolled hypertension admissions during its declining phase (r = -0.64, p = 0.009), whereas total attendance exhibited a similar correlation during the first and the following months of the pandemic (r = 0.677, p = 0.031, r = -0.789, p = 0.001). Uncontrolled hypertension rate on admission was positively related to the national incidence of COVID-19 cases during the first months of 2020 (r = 0.82, p = 0.045). Conclusions: Hypertensive urgency-related visits followed a U-shape distribution during the pandemic's first wave with the attendance nadir coinciding with the virus spread peak. This is a complex phenomenon, closely related to increased levels of public stress, disruptions in health care services and to a lesser extent to the imposed restrictions in transportation. The initial relative increase in uncontrolled hypertension-related admissions rate, combined with the later increase of hypertensive urgencies may be indicative of blood pressure deregulation among the studied population, which is multifactorial and potentially detrimental.

Residual platelet reactivity after clopidogrel loading in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction undergoing an unexpectedly delayed primary percutaneous coronary intervention. - Impact on intracoronary thrombus burden and myocardial perfusion-.

BACKGROUND: Residual platelet reactivity (RPR) after clopidogrel loading, measured by the VerifyNow assay, has been shown to predict 12-month clinical events in patients with acute coronary syndromes. However, links between coronary angiographic findings and outcome in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), with RPR have not been reported. We investigated whether RPR is associated with the amount of intracoronary thrombus burden (TB) in patients with STEMI undergoing unexpectedly-delayed primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). Moreover, we evaluated whether RPR might influence coronary flow and myocardial perfusion immediately post-pPCI. METHODS AND RESULTS: The VerifyNow assay was used to determine RPR after clopidogrel loading, expressed in P2Y12-Reaction-Units (PRU). Intracoronary-TB was angiographically estimated and stratified as TB-Grade-A, -B and -C. Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow and Myocardial Blush (MB) were also estimated post-PCI. A total of 74 consecutive patients who presented with STEMI were enrolled in the study. Patients with greater TB presented significantly higher PRU-levels (174.1 ± 91.5, 196.23 ± 113.4 and 252.8 ± 107.8 for TB-Grade A, B and C, respectively; P=0.044). PRU-levels >251.5 were shown to predict Large-TB (LTB; TB-Grade-C) (sensitivity=57.9%; specificity=77.8%; P=0.014). Impaired TIMI-flow and MB after PCI were significantly associated with higher PRU-levels (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Among the studied patients, those with a higher RPR after clopidogrel loading presented larger intracoronary TB, worse post-PCI myocardial flow and perfusion.

Correction to: The mystery of "missing" visits in an emergency cardiology department, in the era of COVID-19.; a time-series analysis in a tertiary Greek General Hospital.

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake.

The mystery of "missing" visits in an emergency cardiology department, in the era of COVID-19.; a time-series analysis in a tertiary Greek General Hospital.

BACKGROUND: In the era of the current COVID-19 health crisis, the aim of the present study was to explore population behavior as regards the visits in the Εmergency Cardiology department (ECD) of a tertiary General Hospital that does not hospitalize SARS-CoV-2 infected patients METHODS AND RESULTS: Daily number of visits at the EDC and admissions to Cardiology Wards and Intensive Care Unit of a tertiary General Hospital, in Athens, Greece, were retrieved from hospital's database (January 1st-April 30th 2018, 2019 and 2020). A highly significant reduction in the visits at ECD of the hospital during March and April 2020 was observed as compared with January and February of the same year (p for linear trend < ·001); in particular the number of visits was 41.1% lower in March 2020 and 32.7% lower in April 2020, as compared to January 2020. As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases throughout the country increased (i.e., from February 26th to April 2nd) the number of visits at ECD decreased (p = 0.01), whereas, the opposite was observed in the period afterwards (p = 0.01).The number of acute Myocardial infarctions (MI) cases in March 2020 was the lowest compared to the entire three year period (p < 0·001); however, the number of acute MI cases in April 2020 was doubled as compared to March 2020, but still was lower than the preceding years (p < 0·001). CONCLUSIONS: It is hard to explain the mystery of the "missing" emergency hospital visits. However, if this decline in cardiovascular disease related hospital visits is "true", it is something that needs to be rigorously studied, to learn how to keep these rates down.

Management of Antithrombotic Therapy in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease or Atrial Fibrillation who Underwent Abdominal Surgical Operations.

BACKGROUND: Patients treated with antithrombotic therapy that require abdominal surgical procedures have progressively increased over time. The management of antithrombotics during both the peri- and postoperative period is of crucial importance. METHODS: The goal of this review is to present current data concerning the management of antiplatelets in patients with coronary artery disease and of anticoagulants in patients with atrial fibrillation who had to undergo abdominal surgical operations. For this purpose, the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and risk of antithrombotic use during surgical procedures, as well as the recommendations based on recent guidelines were reported. A thorough search of PubMed, Scopus and the Cochrane Databases was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials, observational studies, novel current reviews, as well as ESC and ACC/AHA guidelines on the subject. RESULTS: Antithrombotic use in daily clinical practice leads to two different pathways: reduction of thromboembolic risk, but a simultaneous increase of bleeding risk. This may cause a therapeutic dilemma during the perioperative period. Nevertheless, careless cessation of antithrombotics can increase MACE and thromboembolic events. However, maintenance of antithrombotic therapy may increase bleeding complications. Studies and current guidelines can help clinicians in making decisions for the treatment of patients that undergo abdominal surgical operations while on antithrombotic therapy. Aspirin should not be stopped perioperatively in the majority of surgical operations. Determining whether to discontinue the use of anticoagulants before surgery depends on the surgical procedure. In surgical operations with a low risk for bleeding, oral anticoagulants should not be discontinued. Bridging therapy should only be considered in patients with a high risk of thromboembolism. Finally, in patients with an intermediate risk for thromboembolism, management should be individualized according to patient's thrombotic and bleeding risk. CONCLUSION: Management of antithrombotics therapy during the perioperative period in patients undergoing abdominal surgery should follow a patient-centered approach according to a patient's medical history and thrombotic risk weighted for bleeding risk.

Antithrombotic therapy in TAVI.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) carries a significant thromboembolic and concomitant bleeding risk, not only during the procedure but also during the periprocedural period. Many issues concerning optimal antithrombotic therapy after TAVI are still under debate. In the present review, we aimed to identify all relevant studies evaluating antithrombotic therapeutic strategies in relation to clinical outcomes after the procedure. Four randomized control trials (RCT) were identified analyzing the post-TAVI antithrombotic strategy with all of them utilizing aspirin lifelong plus clopidogrel for 3-6 months. Seventeen registries have been identified, with a wide variance among them regarding baseline characteristics, while concerning antiplatelet therapy, clopidogrel duration was ranging from 3-12 months. Four non-randomized trials were identified, comparing single vs. dual antiplatelet therapy after TAVI, in respect of investigating thromboembolic outcome events over bleeding complications. Finally, limited data from a single RCT and a retrospective study exist with regards to anticoagulant treatment during the procedure and the optimal antithrombotic therapy when concomitant atrial fibrillation. In conclusion, due to the high risk and frailty of the treated population, antithrombotic therapy after TAVI should be carefully evaluated. Diminishing ischaemic and bleeding complications remains the main challenge in these patients with further studies to be needed in this field.

Impact of "high" implantation on functionality of self-expandable bioprosthesis during the short- and long-term outcome of patients who undergo transcatheter aortic valve implantation: Is high implantation beneficial?

AIM: High position of the self-expandable bioprosthesis CoreValve/Evolut R has been proved to affect immediate hemodynamics of the valve. Whether this may have any impact on long-term procedural outcome has not been defined yet. The purpose of this study was to assess whether the final position of aortic bioprosthesis affects its long-term functionality. METHOD: Consecutive patients (pts) who underwent successful TAVI procedure were evaluated and separated into 2 groups according to the implantation depth (ID): Group I: pts with 4 mm

Statins in acute coronary syndromes.

BACKGROUND: Patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) frequently experience recurrent adverse events from the cardiovascular system comparing to either healthy individuals or individuals with stable coronary artery disease. This is attributed to the inflammatory cascade that is activated during ACS resulting in increased risk for rupture of vulnerable plaques. OBJECTIVE: Therefore, it is of great importance to avoid recurrent events with treatment aiming at secondary prevention which includes the management of lipid profile besides alteration in the lifestyle and habits. METHODS: This review will present current data concerning present status of treatment with statins, and refer to non-statin strategies as well as novel and promising agents for the secondary prevention therapy after ACS. A thorough search of PubMed and the Cochrane Database was conducted in order to identify the majority of trials, studies, current guidelines and novel articles related to the subject. RESULTS: Statins have been proved to play very significant role in the part of secondary prevention since they decrease the burden of atherosclerotic plaques, the risk of adverse events and the need for revascularization in symptomatic patients with CAD. Therefore, they were established and suggested by both European and American guidelines as first-line treatment option for lipid-lowering management. Several clinical trials, meta- analyses and randomized trials strongly recommended the application of early and intensive treatment with statins in patients with ACS. Nevertheless, a vast majority of individualsneither tolerated statins nor achieved the optimal value for LDL-C with the highest tolerated dose of statins resulting in poor clinical outcome. Furthermore, recent clinical trials indicated further benefit of combined treatment of statins with non-statins drugson the decrease of cardiovascular events as well asprogress of coronary artery plaque. Finally, novel agentsthat are still evaluated with ongoing clinical trials have been turned into a very promising treatment option. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, statins are established as the first-line treatment for the secondary prevention after acute coronary syndromes in order to avoid the recurrence of thrombotic events. However, the research field on the field of lipid-lowering therapies is still ongoing and very promising for the future.

Impact of balloon aortic valvuloplasty on transcatheter aortic valve implantation with self-expandable valve.

BACKGROUND: Balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) has been used prior to valve implantation of a self-expandable valve as part of the transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) procedure. We aimed to evaluate the impact of BAV prior to TAVI. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 203 consecutive patients who were treated either with (pre-BAV-TAVI group) or without BAV (D-TAVI group). Implantation depth (ID) was angiographically measured at non-coronary cusp (NCC) and left coronary cusp (LCC) at: the starting point (stage-1), before (stage-2), and after (stage-3) final bioprosthesis release. Paravalvular regurgitation (PVR) and 1-year clinical follow-up were recorded. RESULTS: Overall, from stage-1 to stage-3, prosthesis migrated toward the left ventricle, in both cusps and groups. At NCC a forward migration was observed from stage-1 to stage-2 in both groups (p<0.001). In the pre-BAV-TAVI group only, at NCC, an upward migration decreased the ID from stage-2 to stage-3 (p=0.022). PVR ≥grade 2, immediately after expansion was more frequently observed in pre-BAV-TAVI group (41% vs 22%, respectively; p=0.024). However, PVR was similar at discharge. Clinical parameters were comparable between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The use of BAV prior to TAVI may have an impact on device final position, but not on short- and long-term clinical outcome.

Correlation of CoreValve implantation 'true cover index' with short and mid-term aortic regurgitation: A novel index.

BACKGROUND: 'Cover index' has been proposed to appraise the congruence between the aortic annulus and the device, with the assumption of not taking into account the actual device implantation depth. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the annulus-prosthesis mismatch, as expressed with the new proposed 'true cover index' according to actual implantation depth, can predict aortic regurgitation (AR) after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). METHODS: Patients who had undergone TAVI with the self-expandable CoreValve device, were retrospectively studied. All available prosthesis sizes were ex-vivo scanned and the precise diameter at 0.3mm intervals along each device was measured. The 'true cover index' was evaluated, as a ratio of the following: 100×([prosthesis actual diameter at implantation depth-annulus diameter]/prosthesis actual diameter at implantation depth). AR was echocardiographically evaluated at discharge and 30days and classified as prominent if moderate, or trivial if none or mild. RESULTS: Overall, 120 patients who had undergone TAVI, were considered eligible for the study. 'True cover index' was statistically significantly lower among patients with prominent AR in comparison with trivial AR at discharge (5.7±4.8mm vs 9±5.1, p=0.025), as well as at one month post-TAVI (5.4±5.1mm vs 9.0±5.1, p=0.023), indicating increased AR for smaller index. After adjustment for severe annulus calcification, impaired baseline LVEF and previous valvuloplasty, it remained an independent predictor of one month prominent AR (OR: 0.854, CI: 0.730-0.999; p=0.048). 'True cover index' of <4.3 was shown to predict one-month prominent AR with sensitivity =75% and specificity =82.5%. CONCLUSIONS: 'True cover index' is strongly and independently correlated with the short and mid-term AR after CoreValve implantation.