[Usefulness of copeptin in discarding non-ST elevation acute myocardial infarction in patients with acute chest pain and negative first troponin I]. / Valor de la copeptina para la exclusión del infarto agudo de miocardio sin elevación del segmento ST en pacientes con dolor torácico y primera troponina negativa.

AIM: To evaluate the usefulness of copeptin as a rapid and reliable marker for discarding non-ST elevation acute myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) in patients attended in an Emergency Care Department due to acute chest pain with a normal or non-diagnostic electrocardiogram and a negative first troponin I result. DESIGN: A prospective observational study was carried out. SETTING: The Emergency Care Department of a university hospital. PATIENTS: The study comprised a total of 97 patients attended in the Emergency Care Department due to chest pain suggestive of acute coronary syndrome with an evolution of under 12h, a non-diagnostic electrocardiogram and a negative first troponin I result. INTERVENTIONS: None. VARIABLES OF INTEREST: Patient demographic data and baseline characteristics, copeptin upon admission, troponin I upon admission and after 6h, and final diagnosis. RESULTS: The final diagnosis was NSTEMI in 14 patients (14.4%) -no significant differences in copeptin concentration being observed between the 2 groups, though a tendency towards higher values was recorded in the NSTEMI group (median: 24.6pmol/l [interquartile range: 42.0] vs. 12.0pmol/l [16.1]; P=.06). The AUC ROC for copeptin upon admission was 0.657 (95%CI: 0.504-0.810), with a negative predictive value of 92% for a cutoff point of 14pmol/l. CONCLUSIONS: Copeptin determination upon admission to the Emergency Care Department in patients with chest pain for ≤12h, suggestive of acute coronary syndrome, with a non-diagnostic electrocardiogram and a negative first troponin I determination does not allow rapid and reliable exclusion of the presence of NSTEMI. Serial troponin I measurements are needed in this respect.

Parathyroid hormone, calcidiol, calcitriol and adverse events in the acute coronary syndrome. / Hormona paratiroidea, calcidiol, calcitriol y riesgo de eventos adversos en pacientes con síndrome coronario agudo.

OBJECTIVE: To know the clinical profile as well as the prognostic significance of elevated levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH) in patients admitted for acute coronary syndrome (ACS). DESIGN AND SETTING: Observational and prospective study of patients admitted for ACS in a single Spanish center during a period of six months. INTERVENTION AND VARIABLES OF INTEREST: The circulating concentrations of PTH, calcidiol, calcitriol, NT-proBNP, C-reactive protein, cystatinC and fibrinogen were determined within the first 48h at admission. We performed adjusted models to predict death or re-entry for ACS after hospital discharge. RESULTS: A total of 161 patients were recruited (age 67±14 years, 75.2% were men). Forty-one (25.5%) patients had elevated PTH values. During follow-up for a period of 275 person-years, 50 adverse events were recorded. Patients with elevated PTH levels were proportionally more women (21.2 vs. 39.0%) and older (63.3 vs. 77.8 years, both P<.05). Likewise, they presented significantly more cardiovascular risk and a worse prognosis during follow-up (incidence rate ratio 2.64 CI 95%: 1.5-4.6). However, in an adjusted model by the GRACE score, PTH levels were not shown to be an independent risk factor (hazard ratio=1.1; 95% CI: 0.6-2.2), neither other components of the panel. CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of patients with elevated levels of PTH admitted for ACS was high. The presence of high PTH levels was associated with an unfavorable clinical profile and a worse outcome during the follow-up, although it was not an independent predictor of poor prognosis.

Most advisable strategy in search of asymptomatic target organ damage in hypertensive patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic potential of seven examinations in order to define the most suitable strategy for target organ damage (TOD) search in hypertensive patients. METHODS: This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study. 153 consecutive treated and essential hypertensive patients were enrolled. Patients with established cardiovascular or chronic renal disease (stage ≥4) were excluded. TOD search was assessed by: glomerular filtration rate (GFR), albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR), electrocardiogram (ECG), echocardiogram (ECO), ankle-brachial index (ABI), pulse wave velocity (PWV), and carotid ultrasound (intima media thickness and presence of plaques). The rationale of our strategy ought to determine the performance of applying a set of the most widely available tests (GFR, ACR, ABI, ECG) and advise about the optimal sequence of the remaining tests. RESULTS: The sample was 64.4±7.9 years old, 45.8% males. 82.6% of the sample had any TOD at all. The resulting algorithm found a 37% TOD in relation to GFR, ACR, ABI and ECG values. Adding carotid ultrasound added up to 70% of the studied population and properly classified (TOD+/TOD-) 89% of the cohort. When performing PWV, 78% of the patients had been identified as TOD+ and 96% of the population was correctly identified. Contribution of ECO was minor. CONCLUSION: After running the more widely available explorations (GFR, ACR, ABI, ECG), a step-by-step strategy that included carotid ultrasound, PWV and ECO could be the best sequence for TOD search in asymptomatic hypertensive patients.

Myocardial infarction in older than 75 years: An increasing population. CASTUO Study. / Infarto de miocardio en mayores de 75 años: una población en aumento. Estudio CASTUO.

OBJECTIVES: Elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction constitute a population that is not adequately represented in clinical trials or medical registries. Our objective was to compare the clinical characteristics, treatments administered and mortality among patients younger and older than 75 years. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Observational retrospective study of patients hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction in the decade 2000-2009. Multivariate models were constructed to determine hospital and late mortality (median, 4.6 years; IQR 25-75: 2.1-7.3). RESULTS: We included 2,177 patients (995 men [79%]), with a mean age of 70.8 years (SD, 12.6). A total of 917 (42.0%) of the patients were 75 years of age or older. When compared with the patients younger than 75 years, the older patients had a greater prevalence of diabetes (38.3% vs. 32.5%; P<.002), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (15.6% vs. 11.2%; P<.002), stroke (14.3% vs. 7.3%; P<.001), chronic renal failure (11.0% vs. 3.9%; P<.001), atrial fibrillation (15.9% vs. 6.9%; P<.001), heart failure (28.0% vs. 23.4%; P<.008). The older patients were treated with fewer beta-blockers (55.9% vs. 71.2%; P<.001), statins (44.3% vs. 62.3%; P<.001), coronary angiographies (17.9% vs. 48.5%; P<.001) and angioplasties (10.8% vs. 29.1%; P<.001). The patients older than 75 years had lower survival (mortality, 44.5% vs. 18.9%; HR 1.89; 95% CI 1.57-2.29). The use of beta-blockers (HR, 0.74; 95% CI 0.62-0.89), statins (HR 0.73; 95% CI 0.58-0.91) and angioplasty (HR, 0.42; 95% CI 0.30-0.57) was inversely correlated with mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Patients older than 75 years with acute myocardial infarction had lower survival and were treated with fewer beta-blockers, statins and angioplasty, indications that are associated with lower mortality.

Ischemic stroke mortality tendency (2000-2009) and prognostic factors. ICTUS Study-Extremadura (Spain).

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Mortality due to stroke is high in our setting. However, we do not know its magnitude and course in a recent decade. Thus, we have assessed the global inhospital mortality and that at 1 year of stroke in patients seen in a regional hospital as well as its prognostic factors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A one-year follow-up historical cohort study was performed of patients admitted at Don Benito-Villanueva de la Serena Regional Hospital (Badajoz) with diagnosis of ischemic stroke (1 January 2000 to 31 December 2009). Epidemiological, clinical data all cause death information were collected. RESULTS: A total of 2.228 patients (50.8% male), mean age 71 (SD 10) years were recruited. In-hospital mortality rate was 15.3% and mortality rate at 1 year was 16.9%, with no significant changes during the 10-year study period. Risk factors for greater in-hospital mortality were age, previous renal and heart failure and not performing diagnostic tests. Factors associated with 1-year all-cause mortality were age, dementia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation and also not performing diagnostic tests. During the study, use of diagnostic tests and treatment with statin, heparin and antihypertensive medication on discharge increased. CONCLUSIONS: Patients admitted due to ischemic stroke, in a regional hospital presented a 1 year mortality rate of 29.6%. This tendency did not improve during the 10-year study period. Mortality was associated to greater age, comorbidities and not performing diagnostic tests.

Clinical characteristics and mortality of heart failure. INCAex study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Heart failure is responsible for a major part of hospital health expenditure and the third cause of cardiovascular death. To describe the evolution of clinical features, and factors related to prognosis of patients admitted due to decompensated heart failure in a region of Extremadura during a period 10 years. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Observational, retrospective and single centre study of consecutive patients admitted due to decompensated heart failure in a general hospital in the province of Badajoz, during the period 2000/2009. RESULTS: A total of 2220 patients with mean age of 76.3 (SD±10.1), being 54% female were included in the study. Stratified into four periods (30 months each), a significant increase in patients over 75 years was observed (55 vs. 71%; P<.001), as well as an increase in the prescription of beta blockers at discharge (12 vs. 34%, P<.001), statins (8 vs. 31%; P<.001), and oral anticoagulants (13 vs. 25%; P<.001). Hospital mortality significantly decreased from 13 to 8% (P<.01), and from 30 to 23% (P<.01) at one year follow-up. Age (HR per year=1.04 [95% CI: 1.02 to 1.05]), diabetes (HR=1.35 [95% CI: 1.11 to 1.66]) and chronic renal failure (HR=1.49 [95% CI: 1.18 to 1.87]) were identified as independent predictors of all-cause mortality at one year of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Total mortality in patients with decompensated heart failure has declined significantly over the last decade, despite the increasing age. Age, diabetes and chronic renal failure were independent predictors of total mortality at one year. Oral anticoagulation was a protective factor.

The role of neopterin in atherogenesis and cardiovascular risk assessment.

Neopterin is produced by human and primate monocyte/macrophages upon activation by pro-inflammatory stimuli like Th1-type cytokine interferon-gamma. Neopterin has pro-oxidative properties, which have been demonstrated in vitro in physicochemical and cell culture studies and also in in vivo experiments, e.g. the Langendorff perfusion model of rat hearts. In the past several years, the measurement of neopterin concentrations in body fluids including serum, urine and cerebrospinal fluid has revealed a potential role of this molecule in the prediction of long-term prognosis in both patients with cancer and those with systemic infections such as HIV-1 infection. Moreover, elevated neopterin concentrations have been reported in patients with coronary disease compared to controls and in recent years it has become apparent that increased neopterin concentrations are an independent marker for cardiovascular disease and a predictor of future cardiovascular events in patients with coronary artery disease. Current data suggest that the diagnostic performance of neopterin testing is comparable to that of well established biomarkers such as C-reactive protein and cholesterol plasma levels. The present article reviews the role of neopterin in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease and as a marker of coronary artery disease progression.