Efficacy and safety of remote cardiac rehabilitation in the recovery phase of cardiovascular diseases (RecRCR study): A multicenter, nonrandomized, and interventional trial in Japan.

Backgrounds: Remote cardiac rehabilitation has proven useful in patients with cardiovascular disease; however, the methodology had not been fully validated. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of remote cardiac rehabilitation (RCR) with real-time monitoring and an ergometer using a bidirectional communication tool during the recovery phase of cardiovascular diseases. Methods: This multicenter, nonrandomized, interventional study was conducted at 29 institutions across Japan and enrolled patients with cardiovascular diseases who met indications for cardiac rehabilitation (CR) after receiving in-hospital treatment. The RCR group exercised at home using an ergometer and was monitored in real-time using interactive video and monitoring tools for 2-3 months. Educational instructions were provided concurrently through e-learning approaches. The safety of the RCR protocol and the improvement in peak oxygen consumption (VO2) were compared with those of the historical control group that participated in center-based CR. Results: Fifty-three patients from the RCR group were compared with 103 historical controls having similar background characteristics. No patients in RCR experienced significant cardiovascular complications while engaging in exercise sessions. After 2-3 months of RCR, the peak VO2 improved significantly, and the increases in the RCR group did not exhibit any significant differences compared to those in the historical controls. During follow-up, the proportion of patients whose exercise capacity increased by 10% or more was also evaluated; this finding did not indicate a statistically significant distinction between the groups. Conclusions: RCR during the recovery phase of cardiovascular diseases proved equally efficient and safe as center-based CR.

Impact of Q wave in synthesized V7-9 lead on long-term outcomes after cardiac resynchronization therapy.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the relationship between the Q wave in synthesized V7-9 leads of a baseline electrocardiogram and clinical outcomes in patients with heart failure after cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) device implantation. METHODS: Consecutive patients with heart failure and a left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction <35 % were retrospectively analyzed. Patients with Q waves in the synthesized V7-9 lead were defined as the qV7-9 group and those without Q waves in the synthesized V7-9 lead were defined as the non-qV7-9 group. Multivariate analysis was performed to compare all-cause mortality and incidence of hospitalization for heart failure between the two groups. RESULTS: We included 108 eligible patients. Twenty-nine patients were classified into the qV7-9 group and 79 patients were classified into the non-qV7-9 group. There were 22 patients (20 %) with ischemic etiology, 67 (62 %) with New York Heart Association functional class II or III heart failure, and 91 (84 %) with a defibrillator. The presence of Q waves in the synthesized V7-9 lead was significantly associated with worse outcomes, even with optimal medical treatment (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.1; 95 % confidence interval, 1.16-3.72; p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: In patients with heart failure and an LV ejection fraction of <35 %, the presence of Q waves in the synthetic V7-9 lead was associated with increased all-cause mortality and incidence of hospitalization after CRT device implantation.

Impact of stent edge dissection detected by optical coherence tomography after current-generation drug-eluting stent implantation.

BACKGROUND: Stent edge dissection (SED) is a well-known predictor of worse clinical outcomes. However, impact of SED after current-generation drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation remains unknown since there was no study using only current-generation DES to assess impact of SED. This study aimed to investigate a relationship between SED detected by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and clinical outcomes after current-generation DES implantation. METHODS: This study enrolled 175 patients receiving OCT after current-generation DES implantation. The SED group was compared with the non-SED group in terms of the primary study endpoints which was the cumulative incidence of major adverse cardiac event (MACE) composed of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction (TV-MI), and clinically-driven target lesion revascularization (CD-TLR). RESULTS: Of 175 patients, SED detected by OCT was observed in 32 patients, while 143 patients did not show SED. In the crude population, the SED group showed a significantly higher incidence of CD-TLR, definite stent thrombosis, TV-MI and cardiac death relative to the non-SED group. After adjustment by an inverse probability weighted methods, the SED group showed a significantly higher incidence of MACE compared with the non-SED group (hazard ratio 3.43, 95% confidence interval 1.09-10.81, p = 0.035). Fibrocalcific or lipidic plaques, greater lumen eccentricity, and stent-oversizing were the predictors of SED. CONCLUSIONS: SED detected by OCT after the current-generation DES implantation led to unfavorable outcomes. Aggressive post-dilatation around the stent edge might worse clinical outcomes due to SED, although achievement of optimal stent expansion is strongly encouraged to improve clinical outcomes.

Cardiac index predicts long-term outcomes in patients with heart failure.

BACKGROUND: The role of cardiac index (CI) and right atrial pressure (RAP) for predicting long-term outcomes of heart failure has not been well established. The aim of this study was to investigate long-term cardiac outcomes in patients with heart failure having various combinations of CI and RAP. METHODS: A total of 787 heart failure patients who underwent right-heart catheterization were retrospectively categorized into the following four groups: Preserved CI (≥2.5 L/min/m2) and Low RAP (<8 mmHg) (PRE-CI/L-RAP; n = 285); Preserved CI (≥2.5 L/min/m2) and High RAP (≥8 mmHg) (PRE-CI/H-RAP; n = 242); Reduced CI (<2.5 L/min/m2) and Low RAP (<8 mmHg) (RED-CI/L-RAP; n = 123); and Reduced CI (<2.5 L/min/m2) and High RAP (≥8 mmHg) (RED-CI/H-RAP; n = 137). Survival analysis was applied to investigate which groups were associated with major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). RESULTS: The RED-CI/L-RAP and RED-CI/H-RAP groups were significantly associated with MACE as compared with the PRE-CI/L-RAP and PRE-CI/H-RAP groups after adjustment for confounding factors (RED-CI/L-RAP vs. PRE-CI/L-RAP: HR 2.11 [95% CI 1.33-3.37], p = 0.002; RED-CI/H-RAP vs. PRE-CI/L-RAP: HR 2.18 [95% CI 1.37-3.49], p = 0.001; RED-CI/L-RAP vs. PRE-CI/H-RAP: HR 1.86 [95% CI 1.16-3.00], p = 0.01; RED-CI/H-RAP vs. PRE-CI/H-RAP: HR 1.92 [95% CI 1.26-2.92], p = 0.002), whereas the difference between the RED-CI/H-RAP and RED-CI/L-RAP groups was not significant (HR 1.03 [95% CI 0.64-1.66], p = 0.89). CONCLUSIONS: The hemodynamic severity categorized by CI and RAP levels provided clear risk stratification in patients with symptomatic heart failure. Low CI was an independent predictor of long-term cardiac outcomes.

Impact of proton pump inhibitors on mortality and severe esophageal injury after catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation: a nationwide retrospective study using propensity score matching.

Studies on the protective effects of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) on mortality and severe esophageal injury after catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation are lacking. However, some reports have recommended use of PPIs for prophylaxis against esophageal injury. We investigated the effects of PPIs on mortality and severe esophageal injury after ablation. We retrospectively extracted data for adult in-patients who received catheter ablation with a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation from July 2010 to March 2018. The patients were divided into two groups: with PPI (PPI group) and without PPI (non-PPI group) administration before or on the day of ablation. The primary composite outcome was all-cause 30-day mortality and incidence of severe esophageal injury with complication (cardiac tamponade, ischemic stroke, or sepsis) within 30 days of ablation. Secondary outcomes included incidence of cardiac tamponade, ischemic stroke, and sepsis within 30 days of ablation. Propensity score matching was performed to compare the primary and secondary outcomes between the two groups. We identified 141,649 eligible patients, comprising 62,558 in the PPI group and 79,091 in the non-PPI group. Propensity score-matching analysis showed that PPI use was not associated with reduced proportion of the primary outcome (adjusted odds ratio 1.02; 95% confidence interval 0.71-1.47). PPI use may not be beneficial for reducing mortality or severe complications.

Calcium Channel Blockers Are Associated with Nocturia in Men Aged 40 Years or Older.

BACKGROUND: The associations of nocturia with hypertension and anti-hypertensive agents (AHTs) remain to be validated. METHODS: This cross-sectional study examined whether blood pressure and/or frequently used classes of AHTs had consistent associations with nocturia. METHODS: A total of 418 male patients aged ≥ 40 years were retrospectively assessed in terms of the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), prescription medications, and blood pressure. Nocturia was evaluated using item 7 of the IPSS, and two or more episodes of nocturia per night was considered to indicate clinically important nocturia. RESULTS: Patients taking calcium channel blockers (CCBs), but not other AHTs, experienced more episodes of nocturia than patients not taking AHTs (1.77 ± 1.07, 1.90 ± 1.19, and 1.48 ± 0.98 in CCBs alone, CCBs + other AHTs, and other AHTs alone, vs. 1.35 ± 1.08 in not taking AHTs; p = 0.014, p < 0.0001, and p = 0.91, respectively), whereas there was no significant difference in the number of nocturia episodes between patients with elevated and normal blood pressure. In multivariate analysis, CCB (odds ratio (OR) = 2.68, p < 0.0001) and age (OR = 1.06, p < 0.0001) were independently associated with clinically important nocturia. CONCLUSION: CCB was associated with nocturia, while AHTs other than CCBs and elevated blood pressure were not.

Combined pre- and post-capillary pulmonary hypertension: The clinical implications for patients with heart failure.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic implications of combined pre- and post-capillary pulmonary hypertension (Cpc-PH) in patients with pulmonary hypertension due to left heart disease (PH-LHD) remain controversial. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the new PH-LHD criteria, recommended by the 6th World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension and to determine the prognostic value of Cpc-PH. METHODS: A total of 701 patients with symptomatic heart failure who had undergone right-heart catheterization were divided into the following four groups: (i) Isolated post-capillary PH (Ipc-PH) group; mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) >20 mmHg, pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP) >15 mmHg, and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) <3 Wood units (WU) (ii) Cpc-PH group; mPAP >20 mmHg, PAWP >15 mmHg, and PVR ≥3 WU (iii) borderline-PH group; mPAP >20 mmHg and PAWP ≤15 mmHg (iv) non-PH group; mPAP ≤20 mmHg. Multivariate Cox hazard analysis was used to investigate whether Cpc-PH was associated with cardiac outcomes. RESULTS: The study subjects were allocated into the Ipc-PH (n = 268), Cpc-PH (n = 54), borderline-PH (n = 112), or non-PH (n = 267) groups. The Cpc-PH group was associated significantly with adverse cardiac events even after adjustment for clinically relevant confounding factors for heart failure prognosis (vs. non-PH group: HR 2.98 [95% CI 1.81-4.90], P <0.001; vs. Ipc-PH group: HR: 1.92 [95% CI 1.19-3.08], P = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: The new definitions of PH-LHD stratified patients into 4 categories. Long-term clinical outcomes were significantly different between the four categories, with Cpc-PH having the worst cardiac outcomes.

Periprocedural hypotension after conscious sedation versus local anesthesia during defibrillator implantation for left ventricular dysfunction: analysis of a national inpatient database in Japan.

The association between periprocedural hypotension and conscious sedation (CS) during defibrillator implantation remains to be elucidated. The aim of the present study was to compare the occurrence of periprocedural hypotension after CS or local anesthesia (LA) during defibrillator implantation in a retrospective cohort study using a national inpatient database. Using the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database, we retrospectively collected data for adult inpatients who underwent implantation of a cardioverter defibrillator or cardiac resynchronization therapy device from July 2010 to March 2016. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to compare the occurrence of periprocedural hypotension between the CS and LA groups with adjustment for patient background characteristics and hospital factors. Additional analysis was performed after dividing the CS group into each specific anesthetic use. We identified 4842 patients, comprising 1533 patients with CS and 3309 with LA. The CS group had a significantly higher proportion of periprocedural hypotension than the LA group (13.4% versus 9.7%; adjusted odds ratio, 1.56; 95% confidence interval, 1.19-2.04; p = 0.001). Body mass index < 18.5 kg/m2, New York Heart Association Class IV, and use of cardiac resynchronization therapy device were independently associated with occurrence of periprocedural hypotension. Additionally, ketamine and dexmedetomidine were significantly associated with higher incidence of hypotension than the LA group (adjusted odds ratio, 2.64; 95% confidence interval, 1.32-5.26; p = 0.006; adjusted odds ratio, 1.86; 95% confidence interval, 1.11-3.12; p = 0.019, respectively). Periprocedural hypotension was significantly more likely to occur in the CS group than the LA group, and was associated with CS.

Clinical Characteristics and Long-Term Outcomes of Patients with Acute Decompensated Heart Failure with Mid-Range Ejection Fraction.

According to recent guidelines, a new category of patients with heart failure (HF) with mid-range left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (HFmrEF) (LVEF = 40%-49%) has been defined. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics and long-term outcomes of patients with HFmrEF. This was a single-center, retrospective, observational study in which we examined the clinical characteristics and outcomes of 494 consecutive patients with acute decompensated heart failure who were admitted to our institution between January 2014 and December 2016. Of this population, 282 (57.1%), 75 (15.2%), and 137 (48.6%) patients had heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), HFmrEF, and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), respectively. Ischemic heart disease was the primary etiology in HFmrEF and HFrEF. At the time of discharge, ß-blockers and renin-angiotensin system inhibitors were more frequently prescribed in HFmrEF than in HFpEF. The composite outcome of cardiovascular mortality and HF readmission was significantly lower in HFmrEF than in HFrEF. Further studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of the management of coronary artery disease and cardioprotective medications for HFmrEF.

Residual pulmonary hypertension is associated with clinical outcomes in patients with acute pulmonary thromboembolism.

In patients with acute pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE), the influence of residual pulmonary hypertension (PH) has not been well investigated. The aim of this study was to compare clinical characteristics between patients with and without residual PH, and to investigate the association between residual PH and clinical outcomes after acute phase in acute PTE. We included acute PTE patients who underwent echocardiogram after acute phase between January 2009 and December 2016. These patients were divided into residual PH and non-residual PH groups according to the value of estimated right ventricular systolic pressure (eRVSP) by echocardiogram after acute phase (the residual PH group: eRVSP ≥ 40 mmHg, the non-residual PH group: eRVSP < 40 mmHg). Kaplan-Meier survival curves were applied to investigate whether the residual PH were associated with PTE-related death or recurrent PTE in patients with acute PTE. A total of 49 patients with acute PTE were allocated into the residual PH group (n = 10) and non-residual PH group (n = 39). Median follow-up period for 49 patients was 7 months. The event-free survival rate was significantly lower in the residual PH group as compared with the non-residual PH group (p = 0.003), whereas there was no statistical significance between two groups stratified by initial PH or not (p = 0.97). Residual PH after acute phase was significantly associated with mid-term PTE-related death or recurrent PTE in patients with acute PTE.

Novel Acute Myocardial Infarction Risk Stratification (nARS) System Reduces the Length of Hospitalization for Acute Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND: The novel Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) Risk Stratification (nARS) system was recently developed based on original criteria. The use of nARS may reduce the length of hospitalization. Methods and Results: We allocated 560 AMI patients into the pre-nARS group (before adopting nARS) or the nARS group. Patients in the nARS group were subdivided into the low (L), intermediate (I), and high (H) risk groups, whereas patients in the pre-nARS group were subdivided into the equivalent L (eL), equivalent I (eI), or equivalent H (eH) risk groups based on the nARS criteria. Length of coronary care unit (CCU) stay was significantly shorter in the nARS group (2.8±3.5 days) compared with the pre-nARS group (4.4±5.4 days; P<0.001). Length of hospital stay was also shorter in the nARS group (9.4±8.9 days) compared with the pre-nARS group (13.4±12.8 days; P<0.001). Length of CCU stay was significantly shorter in the L (1.1±1.0 days), I (2.8±3.5 days), and H (5.0±4.8 days) risk groups compared with corresponding eL (2.2±1.1 days), eI (4.4±5.4 days), and eH (7.1±7.8 days) risk groups. CONCLUSIONS: Length of CCU and hospital stay were significantly shorter in the nARS group compared with the pre-nARS group. The use of nARS may save medical resources in the treatment of AMI in the regional health-care system.

Right Ventricular Stroke Work Index.

Recently, long-term outcomes of pre-capillary pulmonary hypertension (PH) have been improved, whereas morbidity and mortality are still high because of right-sided heart failure (HF). Right-sided HF is closely related to right ventricular (RV) function and hemodynamics such as RV stroke work index (RVSWI). However, the association between RVSWI and long-term outcomes in pre-capillary PH has not been well investigated. The aims of this study were to compare clinical characteristics between low RVSWI and high RVSWI and to investigate the association between low RVSWI and long-term outcomes in patients with pre-capillary PH. We included patients admitted to diagnose and evaluate PH by right heart catheterization between 2007 and 2015. Patients with pre-capillary PH were divided into two groups according to the median value of RVSWI (low RVSWI group: RVSWI < 19.7 g・m/m2/beat; high RVSWI group: RVSWI ≥ 19.7 g・m/m2/beat). Kaplan-Meier survival curves were applied to investigate whether the low RVSWI were associated with HF death or HF readmission in patients with pre-capillary PH. A total of 36 patients with pre-capillary PH who were diagnosed as pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) or chronic thromboembolic PH (CTEPH) were allocated into the low RVSWI group (n = 18) and high RVSWI group (n = 18). The event-free survival rate was significantly lower in the low RVSWI group as compared with the high RVSWI group (P = 0.02). In conclusion, lower RVSWI was significantly associated with HF death or HF readmission in patients with PAH or CTEPH.

Clinical Characteristics and Mid-Term Outcomes of Non-Elderly Obese Patients with Acute Decompensated Heart Failure in Japan.

Obesity is a well-known risk factor for cardiovascular diseases including heart failure (HF). However, some literatures suggested better clinical outcomes in obese patients with HF. Since higher body mass index (BMI) levels of HF patients were significantly associated with younger age, the impact of obesity on clinical outcomes in non-elderly HF patients should be elucidated.Consecutive 155 non-elderly acute decompensated HF patients (< 60-year-old) who admitted to our institution between 2009 and 2013 were included. Those patients were divided into the two groups according to the BMI: the obesity group (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2, n = 81) and the non-obesity group (BMI < 25 kg/m2, n = 74). The primary composite outcome of this study was defined as re-admission due to HF and all-cause death.The primary composite outcome was less frequently observed in the obesity group as compared with the non-obesity group (Hazard ratio [HR] 0.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.26-0.95, P = 0.03). Re-admission due to HF was significantly less in the obesity group than in the non-obesity group (HR 0.44, 95% CI 0.23-0.86, P = 0.02), whereas all-cause death was not significantly different between the groups (P = 0.44).The mid-term outcomes in non-elderly HF patients with obesity were better as compared with non-elderly HF patients without obesity, which supports obesity paradox in this specific population.

A Case of Pulmonary Hypertension Associated with Idiopathic Hypereosinophilic Syndrome.

Hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) is characterized by multi-organ damage that is associated with tissue hypereosinophilia. A persistently elevated eosinophilic count is also required for the diagnosis of HES. Although HES affects various organs, damage to pulmonary artery is rarely reported. We present a case of a 39-year-old man who was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension (PH) associated with idiopathic HES. Although the pulmonary arterial hypertension specific drugs including intravenous epoprostenol could not control his PH, corticosteroid was effective for both hypereosinophilia and PH. Our case suggests the importance of steroid therapy as well as specific drugs for pulmonary arterial hypertension in the treatment of PH associated with HES.

Clinical outcomes after acute myocardial infarction according to a novel stratification system linked to a rehabilitation program.

BACKGROUND: A risk classification of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) linked to a rehabilitation program has not been established. METHODS: We allocated 292 patients with AMI into the low- (L) (n=108), intermediate- (I) (n=72), and high- (H) (n=112) risk groups according to our original risk classification. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACE), defined as the composite of cardiac death, non-fatal AMI, stent thrombosis, and ischemia-driven target vessel revascularization. The mean follow-up period was 252 days. RESULTS: The length of coronary care unit (CCU) stay and hospital stay was shortest in the L-risk group (CCU stay, 1.0±1.0 days; hospital stay, 5.6±3.2 days), followed by the I-risk group (CCU stay, 2.3±1.8 days; hospital stay, 8.1±2.7 days), and longest in the H-risk group (CCU stay, 5.1±5.0 days; hospital stay, 14.6±12.6 days) (p<0.001). MACE were most frequently observed in the H-risk group (26.8%), followed by the I-risk group (5.6%), and least in the L-risk group (1.9%) (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The lengths of hospital stay and CCU stay were significantly shortest in the L-risk group, followed by the I-risk group, and longest in the H-risk group. MACE were most frequently observed in the H-risk group, followed by the I-risk group, and least in the L-risk group. These results support the validity of our new classification system.

High-Intensity Interval Training for Severe Left Ventricular Dysfunction Treated with Left Ventricular Assist Device.

Aerobic training based on anaerobic threshold (AT) is well-known to improve cardiac function, exercise capacity, and long-term outcomes of patients with heart failure. Recent reports suggested that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) for patients with cardiovascular disease may improve cardiopulmonary exercise capacity. We present a 61-year-old male patient of severe left ventricular dysfunction with left ventricular assisted device (LVAD). Following HIIT for 8 weeks, exercise capacity and muscle strength have improved without worsening left ventricular function. Our case showed the possibility that HIIT was feasible and effective even in patients with LVAD.

In-hospital outcomes of acute myocardial infarction with cardiogenic shock caused by right coronary artery occlusion vs. left coronary artery occlusion.

In-hospital outcomes of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with cardiogenic shock (CS) were still not satisfactory even in the primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) era. The aim of this study was to compare in-hospital outcomes of AMI with CS caused by right coronary artery (RCA) occlusion vs. left coronary artery (LCA) occlusion. Consecutive 894 AMI patients from January 2010 to March 2015 were screened for inclusion. A total of 114 AMI patients with CS were included as the final study population, and were divided into the RCA group (n = 56) and LCA group (n = 58). The patient characteristics were compared between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to show whether the RCA group was associated with better outcomes even after controlling confounding factors. In-hospital mortality was significantly lower in the RCA group (8.9%) than in the LCA group (46.6%) (P < 0.001). The RCA group (vs. the LCA group) was inversely associated with in-hospital death (OR 0.08, 95% CI 0.02-0.21, P < 0.001) after controlling covariates. Aspartate transaminase value (per 50 U/L incremental: OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.03-1.45, P = 0.02), aging (per 10-year-old incremental: OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.26-3.63, P = 0.01) and using VA-ECMO (OR 22.13, 95% CI 5.22-93.90, P < 0.001) were also significantly associated with in-hospital death. In conclusion, among AMI patients with CS, IRA of RCA was significantly associated with the better in-hospital outcome.

Low eicosapentaenoic acid to arachidonic acid ratio is associated with thin-cap fibroatheroma determined by optical coherence tomography.

BACKGROUND: A low eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)/arachidonic acid (AA) ratio is known to be associated with cardiovascular events. However, the relationship between the EPA/AA ratio and coronary plaque vulnerability assessed by optical coherence tomography (OCT) has not been examined thoroughly. This study examined the relationship between the EPA/AA ratio and coronary plaque vulnerability assessed by OCT in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). METHODS: We evaluated 59 ACS patients who had undergone percutaneous coronary intervention using OCT. We divided them into 2 groups according to OCT findings-those with and without thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA)-and compared the EPA/AA ratio between the groups. RESULTS: We identified 32 and 27 patients with and without TCFA, respectively. The EPA/AA ratio was significantly lower in patients with TCFA than in those without TCFA [0.35, interquartile range (0.21-0.44) vs. 0.54, interquartile range (0.42-0.70); p<0.001]. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, the EPA/AA ratio was an independent predictor of TCFA (odds ratio, 0.09; 95% confidence interval, 0.007-0.99; p=0.049). The EPA/AA ratio and fibrous cap thickness showed a significant positive correlation (Spearman ρ=0.46; p<0.001). Furthermore, receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that an EPA/AA ratio<0.46 could predict TCFA (81.3%, sensitivity; 74.1%, specificity). CONCLUSIONS: A low serum EPA/AA ratio is significantly associated with coronary plaque vulnerability assessed by OCT in ACS patients.

Effect of postconditioning in patients with ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction.

Postconditioning (PosC), which is a brief period of ischemia performed at the time of reperfusion therapy, reduces the infarct size in animal models. We aim to evaluate the impact of PosC in patients with ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI). Between January 2008 and August 2009, 37 STEMI patients received PosC. The control group comprised 42 age- and sex-matched patients diagnosed with STEMI in 2007-2008. In the PosC group, we applied four cycles of 30-s balloon inflation and 30-s balloon deflation within 3 min after thrombectomy, and implanted the stent after PosC. In the control group, we directly implanted the stent after thrombectomy. The number of patients with myocardial blush grade 2 or 3 after the procedure was higher in the PosC group than in the control group (65 vs. 43%, p = 0.04). The ST-segment resolution >50% was greater in the PosC group compared to the control group (81 vs. 57%, p = 0.02). Serial changes of creatine kinase and creatine kinase myocardial fraction after reperfusion were significantly lower in the PosC group than in the control group. In conclusion, PosC is a safe and feasible strategy that might preserve myocardial perfusion and reduce the infarct size in patients with STEMI.