Myocardial salvage for ST-elevation myocardial infarction with terminal QRS distortion and restoration of brisk epicardial coronary flow.

Recently, it has been reported that large infarcts associated with terminal QRS distortion (QRSDIS) on the admission electrocardiograms of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarctions (STEMIs) may be caused by a failure to achieve thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) grade 3 flow after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, the relationship between QRSDIS and final infarct size when TIMI grade 3 flow could be achieved by primary PCI is still unclear. Sixty-two consecutive patients with first anterior STEMI and who achieved TIMI grade 3 flow by primary PCI were classified into two groups according to the presence (Group A, n = 18) or absence (Group B, n = 44) of QRSDIS. Two weeks after the onset of acute myocardial infarction, Group A had a larger left ventricular (LV) end-systolic volume index (LVESVI) and a lower LV ejection fraction (LVEF) than Group B (LVESVI: 38 +/- 13 vs 31 +/- 12 ml/m(2), P = 0.025: LVEF: 42% +/- 10% vs 51% +/- 10%, P = 0.004). Through multivariate analysis, independent predictors of poor LV systolic function (LVEF < 40%) were determined to be the presence of QRSDIS (odds ratio 21.04, P = 0.021) and proximal left anterior descending artery occlusion (odds ratio 16.15, P = 0.033). Myocardial damage could not be reduced in patients experiencing STEMI with QRSDIS, even when TIMI grade 3 flow could be achieved by primary PCI, as much as in patients experiencing STEMI without QRSDIS.

Isolated post-challenge hyperglycemia in patients with normal fasting glucose concentration exaggerates neointimal hyperplasia after coronary stent implantation.

Postprandial hyperglycemia has been shown to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease as much as overt diabetes mellitus does. The aim of this study was to determine whether isolated post-challenge hyperglycemia during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is related to exaggerated neointimal proliferation after coronary stent implantation. Forty seven coronary lesions treated with stents in 40 patients who had normal fasting glucose levels (<110 mg/dl) were categorized into the following 2 groups according to the results of a 75-g OGTT: 29 lesions in 24 patients with normal glucose tolerance (NGT group) and 18 lesions in 16 patients with abnormal glucose tolerance (AGT group). Although there were no differences in angiographic characteristics before and immediately after stenting between the 2 groups, the minimal lumen diameter was significantly smaller (p=0.04) and the degree of stenosis and late loss were also significantly greater (p=0.01 and p=0.047) in the AGT group than in the NGT group at 6-month follow-up. Multiple regression analysis including the insulin concentrations during an OGTT revealed that the 120-min plasma glucose concentration after glucose load significantly correlated with late loss (p=0.0018) and the degree of stenosis (p=0.0100) at follow-up. It is concluded that isolated post-challenge hyperglycemia exaggerates neointimal hyperplasia after coronary stent implantation.