Influence of pre-PTCA strategy and initial PTCA result in patients with multivessel disease: the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation (BARI).

BACKGROUND: In PTCA patients with multivessel coronary artery disease, incomplete revascularization (IR) is the result of both pre-PTCA strategy and initial lesion outcome. The unique contribution of these components on long-term patient outcome is uncertain. METHODS AND RESULTS: From the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation (BARI), 2047 patients who underwent first-time PTCA were evaluated. Before enrollment, all significant lesions were assessed by the PTCA operator for clinical importance and intention to dilate. Complete revascularization (CR) was defined as successful dilatation of all clinically relevant lesions. Planned CR was indicated in 65% of all patients. More lesions were intended for PTCA in these patients compared with those with planned IR (2.8 versus 2.1). Successful dilatation of all intended lesions occurred in 45% of patients with planned CR versus 56% with planned IR (P<0. 001). In multivariable analysis, planned IR (versus planned CR), initial lesions attempted (not all versus all intended lesions attempted), and initial lesion outcome (not all versus all attempted lesions successful) were unrelated to 5-year risk of cardiac death or death/myocardial infarction but were all independently related to risk of CABG. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, a pre-PTCA strategy of IR in BARI-like patients appears comparable to a strategy of CR except for a higher need for CABG. Whether the use of new devices may attenuate the elevated risk of CABG in patients with multivessel disease and planned IR remains to be determined.

Asymptomatic Cardiac Ischemia Pilot (ACIP) study: effects of coronary angioplasty and coronary artery bypass graft surgery on recurrent angina and ischemia. The ACIP investigators.

OBJECTIVES: The Asymptomatic Cardiac Ischemia Pilot (ACIP) study showed that revascularization is more effective than medical therapy in suppressing cardiac ischemia at 12 weeks. This report compares the relative efficacy of coronary angioplasty or coronary artery bypass graft surgery in suppressing ambulatory electrocardiographic (ECG) and treadmill exercise cardiac ischemia between 2 and 3 months after revascularization in the ACIP study. BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that coronary angioplasty and bypass surgery relieve angina early after the procedure in a high proportion of selected patients. However, alleviation of ischemia on the ambulatory ECG and treadmill exercise test have not been adequately studied prospectively after revascularization. METHODS: In patients randomly assigned to revascularization in the ACIP study, the choice of coronary angioplasty or bypass surgery was made by the clinical unit staff and the patient. RESULTS: Patients assigned to bypass surgery (n = 78) had more severe coronary disease (p = 0.001) and more ischemic episodes (p = 0.01) at baseline than those assigned to angioplasty (n = 92). Ambulatory ECG ischemia was no longer present 8 weeks after revascularization (12 weeks after enrollment) in 70% of the bypass surgery group versus 46% of the angioplasty group (p = 0.002). ST segment depression on the exercise ECG was no longer present in 46% of the bypass surgery group versus 23% of the angioplasty group (p = 0.005). Total exercise time in minutes on the treadmill exercise test increased by 2.4 min after bypass surgery and by 1.4 min after angioplasty (p = 0.02). Only 10% of the bypass surgery group versus 32% of the angioplasty group still reported angina in the 4 weeks before the 12-week visit (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Angina and ambulatory ECG ischemia are relieved in a high proportion of patients early after revascularization. However, ischemia can still be induced on the treadmill exercise test, albeit at higher levels of exercise, in many patients. Bypass surgery was superior to coronary angioplasty in suppressing cardiac ischemia despite the finding that patients who underwent bypass surgery had more severe coronary artery disease.

Angiographic predictors of reocclusion after thrombolysis: results from the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) 4 trial.

OBJECTIVES: This study attempted to determine which lesion characteristics are associated with reocclusion by 18 to 36 h. BACKGROUND: Reocclusion of the infarct-related artery after successful reperfusion is associated with significant morbidity and up to a threefold increase in mortality. METHODS: Two hundred seventy-eight patients with acute myocardial infarction were randomized to receive either anisoylated plasminogen streptokinase activator complex (APSAC) or recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) or their combination. Culprit arteries were assessed for Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow grade, lesion ulceration, thrombus, collateral circulation and eccentricity. Minimal lumen diameter, percent diameter stenosis and lesion irregularity (power) were calculated using quantitative angiography. RESULTS: Reocclusion was observed more frequently in arteries with TIMI 2 versus TIMI 3 flow (10.4% vs. 2.2%, p = 0.003), in ulcerated lesions (10.7% vs. 3.0%, p = 0.009) and in the presence of collateral vessels (18.2% vs. 5.6%, p = 0.03). Similar trends were observed for eccentric (7.3% vs. 2.3%, p = 0.06) and thrombotic (8.4% vs. 3.3%, p = 0.06) lesions. Reocclusion was associated with more severe mean percent stenosis (77.9% vs. 73.9%, p = 0.04). Lesion length, reference segment diameter and Fourier measures of lesion irregularity were not associated with reocclusion. CONCLUSIONS: Several simply assessed angiographic variables, such as the presence of TIMI grade 2 flow, ulceration, collateral vessels and greater percent diameter stenosis at 90 min after thrombolytic therapy, are associated with significantly higher rates of infarct-related artery reocclusion by 18 to 36 h and may aid in identifying the subset of patients who are at significantly higher risk of early reocclusion and who potentially warrant further early pharmacologic or mechanical intervention.

Safety and efficacy of a new regimen of intravenous recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator potentially suitable for either prehospital or in-hospital administration.

The safety and efficacy of a new regimen of intravenous recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) potentially suitable for either pre- or in-hospital administration were assessed in 60 patients with acute myocardial infarction in an open label coronary angiographic study. The regimen consisted of a 20-mg bolus dose followed 30 min later by a delayed infusion of 80 mg over 2 h. This regimen was designed to facilitate prehospital administration of rt-PA. Infarct-related artery patency (Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction [TIMI] grade 2 or 3 flow) was observed in 40 of 53 patients at 60 min (75.5%, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 61% to 84%) and in 55 of 60 patients at 90 min (91.7%, 95% CI 80% to 95%) after the rt-PA bolus. By 90 min the majority of patients (55%) exhibited TIMI grade 3 flow; infarct artery patency at 120 min was 84.9%. During hospitalization definite recurrent ischemia occurred in nine patients (15%); nonfatal recurrent infarction was noted in one (1.7%). Four patients (6.7%) experienced major bleeding, including one with intracranial bleeding. There were seven deaths (11.7%). Mortality was significantly influenced by the occurrence of cardiogenic shock, which was present in five patients at the time of enrollment. Blood fibrinogen levels were obtained before and during rt-PA infusion. At baseline and 30 and 150 min after the bolus dose, the mean fibrinogen level (+/- SD) was 284.83 +/- 77.39, 237.96 +/- 76.92 and 192.04 +/- 57.82 mg/dl, respectively. Compared with the baseline value, there was a significant (p less than 0.05) decrease in fibrinogen at both 30 and 150 min.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation (WISE) study: protocol design, methodology and feasibility report.

OBJECTIVES: The Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation (WISE) is a National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute-sponsored, four-center study designed to: 1) optimize symptom evaluation and diagnostic testing for ischemic heart disease; 2) explore mechanisms for symptoms and myocardial ischemia in the absence of epicardial coronary artery stenoses, and 3) evaluate the influence of reproductive hormones on symptoms and diagnostic test response. BACKGROUND: Accurate diagnosis of ischemic heart disease in women is a major challenge to physicians, and the role reproductive hormones play in this diagnostic uncertainty is unexplored. Moreover, the significance and pathophysiology of ischemia in the absence of significant epicardial coronary stenoses is unknown. METHODS: The WISE common core data include demographic and clinical data, symptom and psychosocial variables, coronary angiographic and ventriculographic data, brachial artery reactivity testing, resting/ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring and a variety of blood determinations. Site-specific complementary methods include physiologic and functional cardiovascular assessments of myocardial perfusion and metabolism, ventriculography, endothelial vascular function and coronary angiography. Women are followed for at least 1 year to assess clinical events and symptom status. RESULTS: In Phase I (1996-1997), a pilot phase, 256 women were studied. These data indicate that the WISE protocol is safe and feasible for identifying symptomatic women with and without significant epicardial coronary artery stenoses. CONCLUSIONS: The WISE study will define contemporary diagnostic testing to evaluate women with suspected ischemic heart disease. Phase II (1997-1999) is ongoing and will study an additional 680 women, for a total WISE enrollment of 936 women. Phase III (2000) will include patient follow-up, data analysis and a National Institutes of Health WISE workshop.

Relation between clinical, angiographic and ischemic findings at baseline and ischemia-related adverse outcomes at 1 year in the Asymptomatic Cardiac Ischemia Pilot study. ACIP Study Group.

OBJECTIVES: We attempted to investigate the relation between patient characteristics and adverse outcome in patients with ischemia and clinically stable coronary artery disease (CAD). BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that cardiac ischemia, detected by exercise stress testing (ETT) and ambulatory electrocardiographic (AECG) monitoring during daily living, identifies a subgroup of patients at increased risk for adverse outcome, but the relation between these ischemia findings and clinical and angiographic characteristics is largely unknown. METHODS: We examined the relation between clinical, angiographic and ischemia characteristics at entry with adverse outcome observed at 1 year in the 558 patients enrolled in the Asymptomatic Cardiac Ischemia Pilot (ACIP) study. RESULTS: By the 12-month visit 13.1% of patients had an ischemia-related adverse clinical outcome that included death, nonfatal myocardial infarction or an ischemia-related hospital admission. Multivariate analysis identified only the number of AECG ischemic episodes at entry (odds ratio [OR] 1.06, 99% confidence interval [CI] 1.01 to 1.12, p = 0.002) as an independent predictor of outcome. Assignment to revascularization (as opposed to an initial medical treatment strategy) showed a trend (OR 0.56, 99% CI 0.26 to 1.2, p = 0.05). None of the other baseline clinical, exercise or angiographic variables examined provided additional information relative to adverse outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Determinants of adverse outcome, among clinically stable patients with CAD and ischemia induced by stress and daily life were magnitude of AECG ischemia before treatment and, possibly, initial treatment assignment. Among the many other characteristics examined, including age, symptom status and angiographic and exercise variables, none contributed additional independent prognostic information. These two simple variables, which may be modifiable, need further study in a larger trial.

History of anxiety disorders is associated with a decreased likelihood of angiographic coronary artery disease in women with chest pain: the WISE study.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to evaluate the ability of psychiatric anxiety-disorder history to discriminate between women with and without angiographic coronary artery disease (CAD) in a population with chest pain. BACKGROUND: A total of 435 women with chest pain underwent a diagnostic battery including coronary angiography in order to improve testing guidelines for women with suspected CAD. METHODS: Women referred for coronary angiography completed questionnaires assessing prior treatment history for anxiety disorder and current anxiety-related symptoms. Analyses controlled for standard CAD risk factors. RESULTS: Forty-four women (10%) reported receiving prior treatment for an anxiety disorder. This group acknowledged significantly higher levels of autonomic symptoms (e.g., headaches, muscle tension [F = 25.0, p < 0.0011 and higher behavioral avoidance scores (e.g., avoidance of open places or traveling alone by bus [F = 4.2, p < 0.05]) at baseline testing compared with women without prior anxiety problems. Women with an anxiety-disorder history did not differ from those without such a history with respect to the presence of inducible ischemia or use of nitroglycerin, although they were younger and more likely to describe both "tight" and "sharp" chest pain symptoms and to experience back pain and episodes of nocturnal chest pain. Logistic regression results indicated that the positive-anxiety-history group was more likely to be free of underlying significant angiographic CAD (odds ratio = 2.74, 95% confidence interval 1.15 to 6.5, p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Among women with chest pain symptoms, a history of anxiety disorders is associated with a lower probability of significant angiographic CAD. Knowledge of anxiety disorder history may assist in the clinical evaluation of women with chest pain.

A detailed angiographic analysis of patients with ambulatory electrocardiographic ischemia: results from the Asymptomatic Cardiac Ischemia Pilot (ACIP) study angiographic core laboratory.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this Asymptomatic Cardiac Ischemia Pilot (ACIP) data bank study was to characterize angiographic features of coronary pathology of patients enrolled in the ACIP study. BACKGROUND: Ischemia during ambulatory electrocardiographic (AECG) monitoring is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Reports relating AECG ischemia to severity or complexity of coronary artery disease are few in number and small in size and have produced conflicting results. METHODS: Coronary angiograms from patients with asymptomatic AECG ischemia enrolled in the ACIP study were reviewed at a central core laboratory. Quantitative measurement of percent stenosis and Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction flow grades were used to assess the severity of coronary artery disease. Lesions were also evaluated for the presence of intracoronary thrombus, ulceration and lumen contour as indicators of stenosis complexity. In addition, comparisons were made with 27 patients screened for the ACIP study, but who were found ineligible because they did not have AECG ischemia on 48-h Holter monitoring. RESULTS: A total of 329 (75%) of 439 patients with AECG ischemia had multivessel coronary artery disease. Proximal stenoses > or = 50% diameter reduction were common in patients with AECG ischemia (62.2%), as were proximal stenoses > or = 70% (38.7%). Features suggesting complex plaque were found in 50.1% of patients with AECG ischemia. CONCLUSIONS: Multivessel coronary artery disease, severe proximal stenoses and features of complex plaque were observed frequently in patients who exhibited AECG ischemia. The presence of severe and complex coronary artery disease may explain, in part, the increased risk for adverse outcome associated with ischemia during activities of daily life.

Relation between ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring and myocardial perfusion imaging to detect coronary artery disease and myocardial ischemia: an ACIP ancillary study. The Asymptomatic Cardiac Ischemia Pilot (ACIP) Investigators.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to explore the relation between markers of ischemia detected by ambulatory electrocardiographic (AECG) monitoring and stress myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). BACKGROUND: Stress myocardial SPECT and AECG monitoring are both utilized in evaluating patients with coronary artery disease. However, information is limited regarding the relation between the presence and extent of ischemia as detected by these two modalities. METHODS: This was an ancillary study of the Asymptomatic Cardiac Ischemia Pilot (ACIP) trial. One hundred six patients with previous coronary angiography underwent AECG monitoring and stress SPECT within a close temporal time period. The frequency and duration of ischemia as assessed by AECG monitoring and the total and ischemic stress-induced myocardial perfusion defect sizes as assessed by SPECT were quantified in separate core laboratories. Multivariate logistic regression and linear regression analysis were used to determine associations between AECG and SPECT abnormalities with regard to angiographic, demographic and treadmill exercise variables. RESULTS: Seventy-four percent of patients with significant (> or = 50%) coronary artery stenosis had SPECT abnormalities, whereas 61% had ischemia by AECG monitoring. The most important predictors of SPECT abnormalities were severity (p < 0.001) of coronary artery stenosis, followed by total exercise duration (p = 0.016) and patient age (p = 0.04). The only predictor of AECG abnormalities was the presence of ST segment depression on the initial exercise treadmill test (p = 0.021). Only a 50% concordance for normalcy or abnormalcy was observed between the SPECT and AECG results, and no relation was observed between the frequency or duration of AECG ischemia and the quantified total or ischemic myocardial perfusion defect size as assessed by SPECT. CONCLUSIONS: Ischemia as detected by AECG monitoring does not correlate with the presence and extent of ischemia as quantified by stress SPECT. Because these techniques appear to detect different pathophysiologic manifestations of ischemia, they may be complementary in more fully defining the functional significance of coronary artery disease and, in particular, which patients are at highest risk for adverse cardiac events.

Dobutamine stress echocardiography in women with chest pain. Pilot phase data from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation (WISE).

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this project was to assess the utility of dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) for evaluation of women with suspected ischemic heart disease. BACKGROUND: Most investigations addressing efficacy of diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD) have been performed in predominantly male populations. As part of the Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation (WISE) study, DSE was assessed in women participating at the University of Florida clinical site. METHODS: Women with chest pain or other symptoms suggestive of myocardial ischemia and clinically indicated coronary angiography were eligible for the WISE study. Enrolled subjects underwent DSE using a modified protocol. Coronary stenosis was assessed by core laboratory quantitative coronary angiography (QCA). RESULTS: The 92 women studied ranged in age from 34 to 82 years (mean 57.5). All women had > or = 1 major risk for CAD, and most (89, 97%) had > or = 2 risk factors. In 78 women (85%), left ventricular wall motion was normal at baseline and during peak infusion. The remaining 14 women had wall motion abnormalities during DSE. By QCA, 25 women (27%) had > or = 50% coronary stenosis, including 10 with single-vessel obstruction. Dobutamine stress echocardiography was abnormal in 10 of these 25 women, yielding overall sensitivity of 40%, and 60% for multivessel stenosis. Exclusion of women with inadequate heart rate response yielded overall sensitivity of 50%, and 81.8% for multivessel stenosis. Dobutamine stress echocardiography was normal in 54 of the 67 women with < 50% coronary narrowing, specificity 80.6%. CONCLUSIONS: Dobutamine stress echocardiography reliably detects multivessel stenosis in women with suspected CAD. However, DSE is usually negative in women with single-vessel stenosis, and in the larger subset without coronary stenosis. Ongoing protocols of the WISE study are expected to improve diagnostic accuracy in women with single-vessel disease, as well as provide important data in the substantial number of women with chest pain but without epicardial coronary artery stenosis.

Coronary flow velocity response to adenosine characterizes coronary microvascular function in women with chest pain and no obstructive coronary disease. Results from the pilot phase of the Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation (WISE) study.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to develop and validate a definition of coronary microvascular dysfunction in women with chest pain and no significant epicardial obstruction based on adenosine-induced changes in coronary flow velocity (i.e., coronary velocity reserve). BACKGROUND: Chest pain is frequently not caused by fixed obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) of large vessels in women. Coronary microvascular dysfunction is an alternative mechanism of chest pain that is more prevalent in women and is associated with attenuated coronary volumetric flow augmentation in response to hyperemic stimuli (i.e., abnormal coronary flow reserve). However, traditional assessment of coronary volumetric flow reserve is time-consuming and not uniformly available. METHODS: As part of the Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation (WISE) study, 48 women with chest pain and normal coronary arteries or minimal coronary luminal irregularities (mean stenosis = 7%) underwent assessment of coronary blood flow reserve and coronary flow velocity reserve. Blood flow responses to intracoronary adenosine were measured using intracoronary Doppler ultrasonography and quantitative angiography. RESULTS: Coronary volumetric flow reserve correlated with coronary velocity reserve (Pearson correlation = 0.87, p < 0.001). In 29 (60%) women with abnormal coronary microcirculation (mean coronary flow reserve = 1.84), adenosine increased coronary velocity by 89% (p < 0.001) but did not change coronary cross-sectional area. In 19 (40%) women with normal microcirculation (mean flow reserve = 3.24), adenosine increased coronary velocity and area by 179% (p < 0.001) and 17% (p < 0.001), respectively. A coronary velocity reserve threshold of 2.24 provided the best balance between sensitivity and specificity (90% and 89%, respectively) for the diagnosis of microvascular dysfunction. In addition, failure of the epicardial coronary to dilate at least 9% was found to be a sensitive (79%) and specific (79%) surrogate marker of microvascular dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: Coronary flow velocity response to intracoronary adenosine characterizes coronary microvascular function in women with chest pain in the absence of obstructive CAD. Attenuated epicardial coronary dilation response to adenosine may be a surrogate marker of microvascular dysfunction in women with chest pain and no obstructive CAD.

Is a strategy of intended incomplete percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty revascularization acceptable in nondiabetic patients who are candidates for coronary artery bypass graft surgery? The Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation (BARI).

OBJECTIVES: Our objective was to determine whether a strategy of intended incomplete percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty revascularization (IR) compromises long-term patient outcome. BACKGROUND: Complete angioplasty revascularization (CR) is often not planned nor attempted in patients with multivessel coronary disease, and the extent to which this influences outcome is unclear. METHODS: Before randomization, in the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation, all angiograms were assessed for intended CR or IR via angioplasty. Outcomes were compared among patients with IR intended if assigned to angioplasty, randomized to coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) versus angioplasty; and within angioplasty patients only, among patients with IR versus CR intended. RESULTS: At 5 years, there was a trend for higher overall (88.6% vs. 84.0%) and cardiac survival (94.5% vs. 92.1%) in CABG versus angioplasty patients with IR intended. The excess mortality in angioplasty patients occurred solely in diabetic subjects; overall and cardiac survival were similar among nondiabetic CABG and angioplasty patients. Freedom from myocardial infarction (MI) at 5 years was higher in nondiabetic CABG versus angioplasty patients (92.4% vs. 85.2%, p = 0.02), vet was similar to the rate observed (85%) in nondiabetic CABG and angioplasty patients with CR intended. Five-year rates of death, cardiac death, repeat revascularization and angina were similar in all angioplasty patients with IR versus CR intended. However, a trend for greater freedom from subsequent CABG was seen in CR patients (70.3% vs. 64.0%, p = 0.08). CONCLUSIONS: Intended incomplete angioplasty revascularization in nondiabetic patients with multivessel disease who are candidates for both angioplasty and CABG does not compromise long-term survival; however, subsequent need for CABG may be increased with this strategy. Whether the risk of long-term MI is also increased remains uncertain.

In vivo uptake of radiolabeled antibody to proliferating smooth muscle cells in a swine model of coronary stent restenosis.

UNLABELLED: Z2D3 is a monoclonal chimeric antibody fragment that is directed against a protein expressed on the surface of proliferating smooth muscle cells. The purpose of this study was to investigate the uptake of 111In-labeled Z2D3 F(ab')2 in a swine model of coronary neointimal proliferation after overexpansion coronary stenting. METHODS: Twenty-two domestic swine underwent overexpansion coronary stenting of 2 vessels. Fifteen swine survived 2-4 wk, at which time they received an injection of 111In Z2D3 F(ab')2 and underwent planar imaging. After the swine were killed, the hearts were excised and imaged on the detector. The cross-sectional area of each stented vessel was measured with digital morphometry. RESULTS: Pathology could be correlated with imaging for 24 vessels. The cross-sectional area of stenosis comprising neointimal proliferation ranged from 8% to 95%, with a mean +/- SD of 41% +/- 21%. The maximal stenosis ranged from 13% to 95%, with a mean of 51% +/- 20%. Seventeen of 24 vessels (71%) showed focal uptake on in vivo imaging, and 7 of 24 (29%) did not. Twenty of 24 (83%) showed uptake on ex vivo imaging. Of 11 stented vessels with maximal vessel stenosis less than 50%, 7 (64%) showed uptake both in vivo and ex vivo, and of 13 stented vessels with maximal vessel stenosis greater than 50%, 10 (77%) showed uptake both in vivo and ex vivo. CONCLUSION: Uptake of a radiolabeled antibody directed against a component of proliferating neointimal tissue can be visualized in the coronary arteries on in vivo imaging using a scintillation gamma camera.

Clinical and arteriographic characterization of patients with unstable angina without critical coronary arterial narrowing (from the TIMI-IIIA Trial).

Previous studies have reported that some patients presenting with unstable angina are found at coronary angiography to have no critical coronary stenosis. This study evaluated the clinical presentation and arteriographic findings in patients enrolled in the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Ischemia (TIMI-IIIA) trial, which assessed the effect of tissue-type plasminogen activator added to conventional therapy on the coronary arteriographic findings in patients presenting with ischemic pain at rest. Three hundred ninety-one patients were enrolled in the TIMI-IIIA trial and underwent coronary arteriography within 12 hours of enrollment. Fifty-three patients (14%) had no luminal diameter stenosis of a major coronary artery of > or = 60% on the baseline arteriogram. Compared with patients with unstable angina with an identifiable culprit lesion, patients without critical coronary obstruction were more likely to be women and non-white and less likely to have ST-segment deviation on the presenting electrocardiogram. Arteriography in such patients revealed no visually detectable coronary stenosis in half of the group; the remaining patients had noncritical coronary narrowing (i.e., < 60% luminal diameter stenosis) without morphologic features (ulceration or thrombus) suggestive of unstable or active coronary plaque. Nearly one third of the patients without critical coronary stenosis had impaired angiographic filling, suggesting a possible pathophysiologic role for coronary microvascular dysfunction. These patients with unstable angina and no critical coronary obstruction had an excellent short-term prognosis; 2% died or had myocardial infarction compared with 18% of patients with critical obstruction.

Detailed angiographic analysis of women with suspected ischemic chest pain (pilot phase data from the NHLBI-sponsored Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation [WISE] Study Angiographic Core Laboratory).

The purpose of this study is to provide a contemporary qualitative and quantitative analysis of coronary angiograms from a large series of women enrolled in the Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation (WISE) study who had suspected ischemic chest pain. Previous studies have suggested that women with chest pain have a lower prevalence of significant coronary artery disease (CAD) compared with men. Detailed analyses of angiographic findings relative to risk factors and outcomes are not available. All coronary angiograms were reviewed in a central core laboratory. Quantitative measurement of percent stenosis was used to assess the presence and severity of disease. Of the 323 women enrolled in the pilot phase, 34% had no detectable, 23% had measurable but minimal, and 43% had significant ( > 50% diameter stenosis) CAD. Of those with significant CAD, most had multivessel disease. Features suggesting complex plaque were identified in < 10%. Age, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, prior myocardial infarction (MI), current hormone replacement therapy, and unstable angina were all significant, independent predictors of presence of significant disease (p < 0.05). Subsequent hospitalization for a cardiac cause occurred more frequently in those women with minimal and significant disease compared with no disease (p = 0.001). The common findings of no and extensive CAD among symptomatic women at coronary angiography highlight the need for better clinical noninvasive evaluations for ischemia. Women with minimal CAD have intermediate rates of rehospitalization and cardiovascular events, and thus should not be considered low risk.

Results of the study to determine rotablator and transluminal angioplasty strategy (STRATAS).

Rotational atherectomy is used to debulk calcified or complex coronary stenoses. Whether aggressive burr sizing with minimal balloon dilation (<1 atm) to limit deep wall arterial injury improves results is unknown. Patients being considered for elective rotational atherectomy were randomized to either an "aggressive" strategy (n = 249) (maximum burr/artery >0.70 alone, or with adjunctive balloon inflation < or = 1 atm), or a "routine" strategy (n = 248) (maximum burr/artery < or =0.70 and routine balloon inflation > or =4 atm). Patient age was 62 +/- 11 years. Fifty-nine percent routine and 60% aggressive strategy patients had class III to IV angina. Fifteen percent routine and 16% aggressive strategy patients had a restenotic lesion treated; lesion length was 13.6 versus 13.7 mm. Reference vessel diameter was 2.64 mm. Maximum burr size (1.8 vs 2.1 mm), burr/artery ratio (0.71 vs 0.82), and number of burrs used (1.9 vs 2.7) were greater for the aggressive strategy, p <0.0001. Final minimum lumen diameter and residual stenosis were 1.97 mm and 26% for the routine strategy versus 1.95 mm and 27% for the aggressive strategy. Clinical success was 93.5% for the routine strategy and 93.9% for the aggressive strategy. Creatine kinase-myocardial band (CK-MB) was >5 times normal in 7% of the routine versus 11% of the aggressive group. CK-MB elevation was associated with a decrease in rpm of >5,000 from baseline for a cumulative time >5 seconds, p = 0.002. At 6 months, 22% of the routine patients versus 31% of the aggressive strategy patients had target lesion revascularization. Angiographic follow-up (77%) showed minimum lumen diameter to be 1.26 mm in the routine group versus 1.16 mm in the aggressive group, and the loss index 0.54 versus 0.62. Dichotomous restenosis was 52% for the routine strategy versus 58% for the aggressive strategy. Multivariable analysis indicated that left anterior descending location (odds ratio 1.67, p = 0.02) and operator-reported excessive speed decrease >5,000 rpm (odds ratio 1.74, p = 0.01) were significantly associated with restenosis. Thus, the aggressive rotational atherectomy strategy offers no advantage over more routine burr sizing plus routine angioplasty. Operator technique reflected by an rpm decrease of >5,000 from baseline is associated with CK-MB elevation and restenosis.

Prognostic significance of myocardial ischemia detected by ambulatory electrocardiography, exercise treadmill testing, and electrocardiogram at rest to predict cardiac events by one year (the Asymptomatic Cardiac Ischemia Pilot [ACIP] study)

Myocardial ischemia identified by ambulatory electrocardiography (AECG), exercising treadmill testing, (ETT), or 12-lead electrocardiogram at rest is associated with an adverse prognosis, but the effect of improving these ischemic manifestations by treatment on outcome is unknown. The Asymptomatic Cardiac Ischemia Pilot (ACIP) study was a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute funded study to determine the feasibility of conducting a large-scale prognosis study and to assess the effect of 3 treatment strategies (angina-guided strategy, AECG ischemia-guided strategy, and revascularization strategy) in reducing the manifestations of ischemia as indicated by AECG and ETT. The study cohort for this database study consisted of 496 randomized patients who performed the AECG, ETT, and 12-lead electrocardiogram at rest at both the qualifying and week 12 visits. The effect of modifying ischemia by treatment on the incidence of cardiac events (death, myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization procedure, or hospitalization for an ischemic event) at 1 year was examined. In the 2 medical treatment groups (n = 328) there was an association between the number of ambulatory electrocardiographic ischemic episodes at the qualifying visit and combined cardiac events at 1 year (p = 0.003). In the AECG ischemia-guided patients there was a trend associating greater reduction in the number of ambulatory electrocardiographic ischemia episodes with a reduced incidence of combined cardiac events (r = -0.15, p = 0.06). In the revascularization strategy patients this association was absent. In the medical treatment patients the exercise duration on the baseline ETT was inversely associated with an adverse prognosis (p = 0.02). The medical treatment strategies only slightly improved the exercise time and the exercise duration remained of prognostic significance. In the revascularization group strategy patients this association was absent. Thus, myocardial ischemia detected by AECG and an abnormal ETT are each independently associated with an adverse cardiac outcome in patients subsequently treated medically.

Persistently increased expression of the transforming growth factor-ß1 gene in human vascular restenosis: Analysis of 62 patients with one or more episode of restenosis.

Transforming growth factor-beta-1 (TGF-ß1) is a multifunctional cytokine with both growth-promoting and growth-inhibiting properties. Moreover, there is abundant evidence that TGF-ß1 is the principal growth factor responsible for regulating proteoglycan synthesis in human blood vessels. To determine the potential contribution of TGF-ß1 to restenosis, the current investigation sought to determine the time course of expression postangioplasty of the TGF-ß1 gene. In situ hybridization was performed on tissue specimens obtained by directional atherectomy from 62 patients who had previously undergone angioplasty of native coronary or peripheral arteries and/or saphenous vein bypass grafts. The time interval between angioplasty and atherectomy was 1 hour to 25 months (M ± SEM = 5 ± 4 months) for all 62 patients, 5 ± 4 months for coronary arterial specimens, 8 ± 5 months for vein graft specimens, and 7 ± 3 months for peripheral arterial specimens. TGF-ß1 mRNA expression remained persistently increased independent of the site from or time interval following which the specimen was obtained. For saphenous vein by pass grafts, TGF-ß1 expression was highest in specimens retreived from patients with multiple versus single episodes of restenosis (16 ± 5 vs. 6 ± 5 grains/nucleus, p < 0.01). TGF-ß1 expression did not correlate with patient age, sex, or known risk factors for coronary heart disease. The persistently augmented expression of TGF-ß1 observed in the present series of restenosis lesions provides further support for the concept that TGF-ß1 influences growth and development of restenosis plaque.

Clinical and detailed angiographic findings in patients with ambulatory electrocardiographic ischemia without critical coronary narrowing: results from the Asymptomatic Cardiac Ischemia Pilot (ACIP) Study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with ambulatory electrocardiographic (AECG) ST-segment depression and critical coronary narrowing are known to be at increased risk for adverse outcome, but little is known about patients with AECG ST-segment depression without critical coronary narrowing. HYPOTHESIS: The objectives of this study were to characterize the coronary angiographic pathology in patients with AECG ST-segment depression but without critical (< 50% diameter stenosis) coronary narrowing and to compare demographic and clinical findings in these patients with those enrolled in the Asymptomatic Cardiac Ischemia Pilot Study with AECG ST-segment depression and critical (> or = 50% diameter stenosis) coronary narrowing. METHODS: Coronary angiograms from patients with AECG ST-segment depression were reviewed in a central laboratory and quantitative measurement of percent stenosis was performed. Clinical and angiographic comparisons were made between patients with and without critical coronary narrowing. RESULTS: Patients without critical coronary narrowing (n = 64) were younger (p = 0.02), less likely to be male (p < 0.001) or to have risk factors for coronary atherosclerosis or a history of myocardial infarction (p < 0.001), and had fewer ischemic episodes per 24 h on the screening AECG (p = 0.02) than patients with critical coronary narrowing (n = 441). Of patients without critical narrowing, one half had angiographic evidence for coronary artery disease (> or = 20% stenosis) and 60% had an ejection fraction > 70%. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with AECG ST-segment depression without critical coronary narrowing are heterogeneous, with half having measurable coronary artery disease. Demographically and clinically, they appear to be different than patients with AECG ST-segment depression with critical coronary narrowing.