Cardiac troponin I and T for ruling out coronary artery disease in suspected chronic coronary syndrome.

To compare the performance of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I and T (hs-cTnI; hs-cTnT) in diagnosing obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD50) in patients with suspected chronic coronary syndrome (CCS). A total of 706 patients with suspected CCS, referred for Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography, were included. cTn concentrations were measured using the Singulex hs-cTnI (limit of detection [LoD] 0.08 ng/L) and Roche hs-cTnT (LoD 3 ng/L) assays. Obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD50) was defined as ≥ 50% coronary stenosis. Cardiovascular risk was determined by the NORRISK2-score. Median age of the patients was 65 (range 28-87) years, 35% were women. All patients had hs-cTnI concentrations above the LoD (median 1.9 [Q1-3 1.2-3.6] ng/L), 72% had hs-cTnT above the LoD (median 5 [Q1-3 2-11] ng/L). There was a graded relationship between hs-cTn concentrations and coronary artery calcium. Only hs-cTnI remained associated with CAD50 in adjusted analyses (OR 1.20 95% Confidence Interval [1.05-1.38]), p = 0.009). The C-statistics for hs-cTnI and hs-cTnT were 0.65 (95% CI [0.60-0.69]) and 0.60 (0.56-0.64). The highest specificity and negative predictive values for CAD50 were in the lowest NORRISK2-tertile. hs-cTn concentrations provide diagnostic information in patients with suspected CCS, with superior performance of hs-cTnI compared to hs-cTnT in regard to CAD50. The diagnostic performance appeared best in those with low cardiovascular risk.

Accuracy of a novel stress echocardiography pattern for myocardial bridging in patients with angina and no obstructive coronary artery disease - A retrospective and prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial bridge (MB) may cause angina in patients with no obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). We previously reported a novel stress echocardiography (SE) pattern of focal septal buckling with apical sparing in the end-systolic to early-diastolic phase that is associated with the presence of an MB. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of this pattern, and prospectively validated our results. METHODS: The retrospective cohort included 158 patients with angina who underwent both SE and coronary CT angiography (CCTA). The validation cohort included 37 patients who underwent CCTA in the emergency department for angina, and prospectively underwent SE. CCTA was used as a reference standard for the presence/absence of an MB, and also confirmed no obstructive CAD. RESULTS: In the retrospective cohort, an MB was present in 107 (67.7%). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were 91.6%, 70.6%, 86.7% and 80%, respectively. On logistic regression, focal septal buckling and Duke treadmill score were associated with an MB. In the validation cohort, an MB was present in 31 (84%). The sensitivity, specificity PPV and NPV were 90.3%, 83.3%, 96.5% and 62.5%, respectively. On logistic regression, focal septal buckling was associated with an MB. CONCLUSION: Presence of focal septal buckling with apical sparing on SE is an accurate predictor of an MB in patients with angina and no obstructive CAD. This pattern can reliably be used to screen patients who may benefit from advanced non-invasive/invasive testing for an MB as a cause of their angina.

Changes in symptoms of anxiety and depression following diagnostic angiography: a prospective cohort study.

Aims: Coronary angiography is the gold standard diagnostic test for coronary artery disease (CAD), and the diagnostic results can have an immediate effect on symptoms. The aim of this study was to explore the long-term impact of diagnostic angiography on symptoms of anxiety and depression in a group of patients without previous CAD. Methods and results: The prospective cohort study included 459 consecutive patients undergoing invasive angiography and was approved by the regional board of ethics. Data were collected at baseline and after 6 and 12 months using self-reports. Symptoms of anxiety and depression were measured with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The sample population had a mean age of 62 years and included 197 (43%) women. Fifty-three percent had hypertension, and 17% had diabetes. The diagnostic results indicated that 41% of patients had normal vessels; 21% had wall changes; and 38% had obstructive stenosis. No significant difference was found between the diagnostic groups at baseline regarding the levels of anxiety or depression. After 6 months, participants with obstructive stenosis had significantly lower levels of anxiety than those without obstructive stenosis. Improvements were observed in all groups over time in both HADS subscale scores; the largest improvement occurred in patients with obstructive stenosis. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that patients with normal coronary arteries or minimal coronary disease/non-obstructive coronary disease do not seem to obtain the same benefit from the receipt of information about their coronary status in terms of anxiety and depression as patients with significant obstructive stenosis.

Myocardial Bridges on Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography　- Correlation With Intravascular Ultrasound and Fractional Flow Reserve.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial bridges (MB) are commonly seen on coronary CT angiography (CCTA) in asymptomatic individuals, but in patients with recurrent typical angina symptoms, yet no obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD), evaluation of their potential hemodynamic significance is clinically relevant. The aim of this study was to compare CCTA to invasive coronary angiography (ICA), including intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), to confirm MB morphology and estimate their functional significance in symptomatic patients.Methods and Results:We retrospectively identified 59 patients from our clinical databases between 2009 and 2014 in whom the suspicion for MB was raised by symptoms of recurrent typical angina in the absence of significant obstructive CAD on ICA. All patients underwent CCTA, ICA and IVUS. MB length and depth by CCTA agreed well with length (0.6±23.7 mm) and depth (CT coverage) as seen on IVUS. The product of CT length and depth (CT coverage), (MB muscle index (MMI)), ≥31 predicted an abnormal diastolic fractional flow reserve (dFFR) ≤0.76 with a sensitivity and specificity of 74% and 62% respectively (area under the curve=0.722). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with recurrent symptoms of typical angina yet no obstructive CAD, clinicians should consider dynamic ischemia from an MB in the differential diagnosis. The product of length and depth (i.e., MMI) by CCTA may provide some non-invasive insight into the hemodynamic significance of a myocardial bridge, as compared with invasive assessment with dFFR.

Atherosclerosis in abdominal aortic aneurysms: a causal event or a process running in parallel? The Tromsø study.

OBJECTIVE: The pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) formation is poorly understood. We investigated the relationship between carotid, femoral, and coronary atherosclerosis and abdominal aortic diameter, and whether atherosclerosis was a risk marker for AAA. METHODS AND RESULTS: Ultrasound of the right carotid artery, the common femoral artery, and the abdominal aorta was performed in 6446 men and women from a general population. The burden of atherosclerosis was assessed as carotid total plaque area, common femoral lumen diameter, and self-reported coronary heart disease. An AAA was defined as maximal infrarenal aortic diameter > or =30 mm. No dose-response relationship was found between carotid atherosclerosis and abdominal aortic diameter <27 mm. However, significantly more atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease was found in aortic diameter > or =27 mm and in AAAs. The age- and sex-adjusted odds ratio (OR) (95% CI) for AAA in the top total plaque area quintile was 2.3 (1.5 to 3.4), as compared with subjects without plaques. The adjusted OR (95% CI) was 1.7 (1.1 to 2.6). No independent association was found between femoral lumen diameter and AAA. CONCLUSIONS: The lack of a consistent dose-response relationship between atherosclerosis and abdominal aortic diameter suggests that atherosclerosis may not be a causal event in AAA but develops in parallel with or secondary to aneurismal dilatation.

Abdominal aortic aneurysms, or a relatively large diameter of non-aneurysmal aortas, increase total and cardiovascular mortality: the Tromsø study.

BACKGROUND: In a population-based study in Tromsø, Norway, the authors assessed whether an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) or the maximal infrarenal aortic diameter in a non-aneurismal aorta influence total and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. METHODS: A total of 6640 men and women, aged 25-84 years, were included in a 10-year mortality follow-up: 345 subjects with a diagnosed AAA and 6295 subjects with a non-aneurismal aorta. Non-aneurismal aortic diameter and prevalent AAAs were categorized into seven groups. RESULTS: In subjects without an AAA, an aortic diameter > or =30 mm increased age- and sex-adjusted total mortality [mortality rate ratio (MRR) = 3.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.77-7.89] and CVD mortality (MRR = 9.24, 95% CI 4.07-20.97) compared with subjects with aortic diameter of 21-23 mm. An AAA at screening was strongly associated with deaths from aortic aneurysm and was associated with total (MRR = 1.60, 95% CI 1.31-1.96) and CVD mortality (MRR = 2.41, 95% CI 1.81-3.21). This was not explained by deaths due to an AAA. Adjustments for CVD risk factors could fully explain the increased total, but not CVD mortality in subjects with an AAA. CONCLUSIONS: An AAA increases total and CVD mortality. In the large majority of subjects with a non-aneurysmal aorta, the diameter does not influence total or CVD mortality. However, in individuals with a maximal diameter >26 mm (2% of the population), a positive relationship is found.

Risk factors for abdominal aortic aneurysms: a 7-year prospective study: the Tromsø Study, 1994-2001.

BACKGROUND: Abdominal aortic aneurysm is an asymptomatic condition with a high mortality rate related to rupture. METHODS AND RESULTS: In a cohort of 2035 men and 2310 women in Tromsø, Norway, who were 25 to 82 years old in 1994, the authors identified risk factors for incident abdominal aortic aneurysm over the next 7 years. The impact of smoking was studied in particular. Ultrasound examination was performed initially in 1994/1995 and repeated in 2001. There were 119 incident cases of abdominal aortic aneurysms (an incidence of 0.4% per year). Male sex and increasing age were strong risk factors. In addition, the following variables were significantly associated with increased abdominal aortic aneurysm incidence: Smoking (OR=13.72, 95% CI 6.12 to 30.78, comparing current smokers of > or =20 cigarettes/d with never-smokers), hypertension (OR=1.54, 95% CI 1.03 to 2.30), hypercholesterolemia (OR=2.11, 95% CI 1.23 to 3.64, comparing subjects with serum total cholesterol > or =7.55 mmol/L with those with total cholesterol <5.85 mmol/L), and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (OR=3.25, 95% CI 1.68 to 6.27, comparing subjects with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol <1.25 mmol/L with those with high-density lipoprotein > or =1.83 mmol/L). In addition, use of statins was associated with increased risk of abdominal aortic aneurysm (OR=3.77, 95% CI 1.45 to 9.81), but this was probably a marker of high risk of cardiovascular diseases. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate strong associations between traditional atherosclerosis risk factors and the risk of incident abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Relation of common carotid artery lumen diameter to general arterial dilating diathesis and abdominal aortic aneurysms: the Tromsø Study.

In a cross-sectional, population-based study in Tromsø, Norway, the authors investigated correlations between lumen diameter in the right common carotid artery (CCA) and the diameters of the femoral artery and abdominal aorta and whether CCA lumen diameter was a risk factor for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Ultrasonography was performed in 6,400 men and women aged 25-84 years during 1994-1995. An AAA was considered present if the aortic diameter at the level of renal arteries was greater than or equal to 35 mm, the infrarenal aortic diameter was greater than or equal to 5 mm larger than the diameter of the level of renal arteries, or a localized dilation of the aorta was present. CCA lumen diameter was positively correlated with abdominal aortic diameter (r = 0.3, P < 0.01) and femoral artery diameter (r = 0.2, P < 0.01). In a multivariable adjusted model, CCA lumen diameter was a significant predictor of AAA in both men and women (for the fifth quintile vs. the third, odds ratios were 1.9 (95% confidence interval: 1.2, 2.9) and 4.1 (95% confidence interval: 1.5, 10.8), respectively). Thus, CCA lumen diameter was positively correlated with femoral and abdominal aortic artery diameter and was an independent risk factor for AAA.