Hyperinsulinemia is a predictor of new cardiovascular events in Colombian patients with a first myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) is one of the main causes of mortality and disability in Colombia. The factors associated to a new event in surviving subjects to a first AMI in our population have not yet been fully identified. METHODS: Two hundred and ninety five surviving subjects to a first AMI (58.8±12.6 years) were included in a prospective cohort study between 2000 and 2006. Lipid profile, glycemia and plasma insulin levels were measured. Deaths of cardiovascular origin, a new AMI, unstable angina, heart failure, stroke, new myocardial revascularization or angioplasty were considered new cardiovascular events. RESULTS: The study included 61 (20.6%) women and 234 (79.4%) men. The mean follow up time was 50±30 months with a 38.9% incidence of new events. Fifty five patients (18.6%) were diabetic. Bi-varied analysis identified as risk factors for a new cardiovascular event the presence of: hypertension, anterior descending coronary artery stenosis, intrahospital cardiac failure, age over 55, low income, lack of education, Killip III-IV, heart rate over 76 bpm, pulse pressure over 80 mmHg, total cholesterol over 200 mg/dl and insulin over 10 IU/ml. After logistic regression analysis, the log values of insulin remained as the only significant predictor for new cardiovascular events. CONCLUSIONS: Hyperinsulinism was the most important factor associated to the occurrence of new cardiovascular events in Colombian patients with AMI, which emphasizes the pivotal role of insulin resistance in the physiopathologic mechanisms of atherosclerosis, especially in undeveloped countries.

Tratamiento endovascular del aneurisma de aorta descendente en el adolescente con síndrome de Marfan: reporte de un caso / Endovascular treatment of an aneurysm of the descending aorta in an adolescent with Marfan syndrome

Se expone el caso de un adolescente de 14 años de edad, con síndrome de Marfan y antecedente de tres cirugías cardiovasculares previas: valvuloplastia aórtica y mitral a los cinco años y valvuloplastia aórtica y reconstrucción de la aorta torácica con tubo de pericardio bovino a sus diez años. En primer tiempo quirúrgico se realizó reemplazo valvular aórtico por válvula mecánica y valvuloplastia mitral y tricuspidea, y en segundo tiempo quirúrgico, durante la misma hospitalización, exclusión endovascular de aneurisma de aorta descendente asintomático sin complicaciones. Antes del egreso se diagnosticó una endofuga tipo II que se manejó con observación clínica. Luego de un año del procedimiento, los controles clínico y tomográfico son satisfactorios.

We describe the case of a 14-year-old adolescent with Marfan syndrome and a history of three previous cardiovascular surgeries: aortic and mitral valve replacement at the age of 5 and aortic valve replacement and reconstruction of the thoracic aorta with a tube of bovine pericardium at the age of ten. In the first surgical procedure the aortic valve was replaced by a mechanical valve, and mitral and tricuspid valvuloplasty was performed. In a second surgical procedure during the same hospitalization, endovascular exclusion of the asymptomatic descending aortic aneurysm was realized without complications. Before discharge, a type II endoleak was diagnosed and managed through clinical observation. After a year of the procedure, clinical and tomographic controls are satisfactory.