Treatment of Coronary De Novo Lesions by a Sirolimus- or Paclitaxel-Coated Balloon.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this randomized controlled trial was to investigate a novel sirolimus-coated balloon (SCB) compared with the best investigated paclitaxel-coated balloon (PCB). BACKGROUND: There is increasing clinical evidence for the treatment of coronary de novo disease using drug-coated balloons. However, it is unclear whether paclitaxel remains the drug of choice or if sirolimus is an alternative, in analogy to drug-eluting stents. METHODS: Seventy patients with coronary de novo lesions were enrolled in a randomized, multicenter trial to compare a novel SCB (SeQuent SCB, B. Braun Melsungen; 4 µg/mm2) with a PCB (SeQuent Please, B. Braun Melsungen; 3 µg/mm2). The primary endpoint was angiographic late lumen loss (LLL) at 6 months. Secondary endpoints included major adverse cardiovascular events and individual clinical endpoints such as cardiac death, target lesion myocardial infarction, clinically driven target lesion revascularization, and binary restenosis. RESULTS: Quantitative coronary angiography revealed no differences in baseline parameters. After 6 months, in-segment LLL was 0.01 ± 0.33 mm in the PCB group versus 0.10 ± 0.32 mm in the SCB group. The mean difference between SCB and PCB was 0.08 (95% CI: -0.07 to 0.24). Noninferiority at a predefined margin of 0.35 was shown. However, negative LLL was more frequent in the PCB group (60% of lesions vs 32% in the SCB group; P = 0.019). Major adverse cardiovascular events up to 12 months also did not differ between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: This first-in-human comparison of a novel SCB with a crystalline coating showed similar angiographic outcomes in the treatment of coronary de novo disease compared with a clinically proven PCB. However, late luminal enlargement was more frequently observed after PCB treatment. (Treatment of Coronary De-Novo Stenosis by a Sirolimus Coated Balloon or a Paclitaxel Coated Balloon Catheter Malaysia [SCBDNMAL]; NCT04017364).

The Effect of Care Pathways on Coronary Care Nurses: A Preliminary Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: A care pathway is a structured care plan based on best clinical practice for a particular patient group. It reorganizes a complex process by providing structured, standardized care and supportive multidisciplinary teamwork. Although care pathways are used worldwide, the impact and benefit of a care pathway for coronary care practices have been minimally debated. This preliminary study aimed to examine the effect of a care pathway on the autonomy, teamwork, and burnout levels among coronary care nurses in a tertiary hospital. METHODS: A preliminary study was conducted using a pre/posttest one-group quasi-experimental design. A self-administered questionnaire was provided to 37 registered nurses from the cardiac ward of a tertiary hospital. The care pathway was developed on the basis of the current literature, local guidelines, and expert panel advice. The autonomy, teamwork, and burnout levels at the beginning and 4 months after disseminating the care pathway were measured. Implementing the care pathway included educational sessions, training in using the care pathway, and site visits to monitor nursing practices. RESULTS: Most of the respondents were female (94.6%; n = 35), the median age of the respondents was 26.5 years (interquartile range [IQR] = 23-31), and the median length of the clinical experience was 4 years (IQR = 2-8). A statistically significant reduction in the mean burnout score was observed (mean of 58.12 vs 52.69, P < .05). A slight improvement in autonomy level was found, although it was not statistically significant. No statistically significant improvement was found in the teamwork levels. CONCLUSION: The care pathway was associated with reduced nurse burnout. The results showed a slight improvement in autonomy level among coronary care nurses after implementing the care pathway. From a practical viewpoint, the current study can help policy makers and managers reduce burnout. This study highlights the importance of using care pathways as a tool to reorganize the care process and improve the working environment. Managers must support nursing decisions and provide continuous education to enhance nurses' autonomy, which may increase understanding of respective roles, leading to higher levels of teamwork. However, with a small sample size, caution must be applied, as the findings might not be generalizable.

Hematocrit change as a predictor of readmission for decompensated heart failure: a retrospective single centre study.

In patients with acute heart failure (AHF), hemoconcentration has been suggested as a surrogate for volume changes (AHF). However, literatures comparing the outcome of AHF patients that achieved hemoconcentration during hospitalization with those that do not are limited. The aim of this research is to see if achieving hemoconcentration prior to discharge is linked to a lower risk of re-admission in AHF patients. 124 patients hospitalized in the Cardiology Unit, University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) for AHF between November 2019 and November 2020 were enrolled. Information on patients' clinical characteristics, laboratory values and in-hospital treatments were collected through electronic medical record. At admission and discharge, the change in hematocrit (HCT) levels was calculated, and patients were stratified based on two quantiles of delta HCT, either discharged with hemoconcentration (ΔHCT >1.5%) or without hemoconcentration (ΔHCT ≤1.5%). The study's outcome was AHF readmission after a 90-day follow-up period. Readmission was significantly associated with ejection fraction (p = 0.032) and HCT change (p = 0.005). Consecutively, logistic regression performed revealed that patients with haemoconcentration were 78.3% less likely to be readmitted than those without haemoconcentration (OR = 0.217, p = 0.003, 95% CI = 0.078-0.605) and Patients with a lower ejection fraction have a threefold greater chance of being readmitted than those with a preserved ejection fraction (OR = 3.316, p = 0.022, 95% CI = 1.188-9.256). In conclusion, among patients hospitalized and discharged for AHF, those that (i) do not achieve haemoconcentration and (ii) patients with a reduced ejection fraction were more likely to be readmitted with acute heart failure. Therefore, optimising patients' haematocrit levels prior to discharge may potentially reduce rehospitalizations among heart failure patients.

The effect of acute coronary syndrome care pathways on in-hospital patients: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Health care institutions need to construct management strategies for patients diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) that focus on evidence-based treatments, adherence to treatment guidelines, and organized care. These help to reduce variations as well as the mortality and morbidity rates, which indicates the critical need for standardized care and adherence to evidence-based practices for patients hospitalized with ACS. The care pathways translate research and guidelines into clinical practice to close the gap between the guidelines and the clinical practices. OBJECTIVES: This review focuses on identifying the indicators used to evaluate ACS care pathways and their effect on the care process and clinical outcomes. METHODS: This review follows the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The systematic research was conducted using five research databases. Two groups were created by dividing the studies according to their year of publication. The first group included those studies published from 1997 to 2007 ("Group 1"), while the second included those published from 2008 to 2018 ("Group 2"). Selected studies were screened using the Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) quality assessment tool. RESULTS: Seventeen studies were included in this review. One study was a randomized controlled trial, 14 were predesigns and postdesigns, and two were longitudinal observational designs. The Group 1 studies demonstrated that ACS care pathways had a positive effect on reducing the length of the hospital stay and the door-to-balloon times. Similar effects were observed for the Group 2 studies. CONCLUSION: Implementing ACS care pathway helps to organize care processes and decrease treatment delays as well as improve the patient outcomes without adverse consequences for patients or additional resources and costs. While the current level of evidence is inadequate to warrant a formal recommendation, there is a need for more studies with an emphasis on well-designed randomization to measure patient outcomes.

Different vascular healing process between bioabsorbable polymer-coated everolimus-eluting stents versus bioresorbable vascular scaffolds via optical coherence tomography and coronary angioscopy (the ENHANCE study: ENdothelial Healing Assessment with Novel Coronary tEchnology).

Recent clinical trials have raised concerns about the safety and efficacy of ABSORB™ bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS). The difference in the vascular healing process between SYNERGY™ bioabsorbable polymer-coated everolimus-eluting stents (BP-EES) and BVS remains unclear. The aim of the ENHANCE study was to compare vascular healing on BP-EES versus BVS by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and coronary angioscopy (CAS) at 4- and 12-month follow-ups. This is a prospective, non-randomized, single center clinical trial. Thirteen eligible patients with multivessel disease were enrolled. BP-EES and BVS were simultaneously implanted in the same patients, but in different coronary vessels. Imaging follow-up with both OCT and CAS was completed in 11 patients at 12 months. Neointimal coverage rates were similar between the two groups based on OCT measurements. The neointimal thickness of BP-EES was significantly thicker at the 12th month than at the 4th month, whereas the neointimal thickness of BVS did not change between the measurements taken at the 4th and 12th month. Existence of intra-stent thrombus was significantly higher in the BVS group, compared to the BP-EES group. On the other hand, CAS revealed that red-thrombi and yellow-plaque were more frequently observed in BVS at 4 months and up to 12-month follow-ups than in BP-EES. These findings suggested that the evidence of instability remained up to 12 months in the vascular healing with BVS, compared to that with BP-EES. Vascular healing of the stented wall was recognized at the very early phase after BP-EES implantation. However, vascular healing with BVS was still incomplete after 12 months.

Characteristics and short-term outcomes of young women with acute myocardial infarction in Malaysia: a retrospective analysis from the Malaysian National Cardiovascular Database registry.

OBJECTIVE: Young women form a minority but an important group of patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) as it can potentially cause devastating physical and socioeconomic impact. This study was aimed to investigate the characteristics and outcomes of young women with MI in Malaysia. DESIGN: This is a retrospective analysis of women with ST-elevation MI (STEMI) and non-STEMI (NSTEMI) from 18 hospitals across Malaysia using the Malaysian National Cardiovascular Database registry-acute coronary syndrome (NCVD-ACS). PARTICIPANTS: Women patients diagnosed with acute MI from year 2006 to 2013 were identified and divided into young (age ≤ 45, n=292) and older women (age >45, n=5580). PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE: Comparison of demographics, clinical characteristics and in-hospital management was performed between young and older women. In-hospital and 30-day all-cause mortality were examined. RESULTS: Young women (mean age 39±4.68) made up 5% of women with MI and were predominantly of Malay ethnicities (53.8%). They have a higher tendency to present as STEMI compared with older women. Young women have significantly higher rates of family history of premature coronary artery disease (CAD) (20.5% vs 7.8% p<0.0001). The prevalence of risk factors, such as hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidaemia was high in both groups. The primary reperfusion strategy was thrombolysis with no significant differences observed in the choice of intervention for both groups. Other than aspirin, rates of prescriptions for evidence-based medications were similar with >80% prescribed statins and aspirin. The all-cause mortality rates of young women were lower for both in-hospital and 30 days, especially in those with STEMI with adjusted mortality ratio to the older group, was 1:9.84. CONCLUSION: Young women with MI were over-represented by Malays and those with a family history of premature CAD. Preventive measures are needed to reduce cardiovascular risks in young women. Although in-hospital management was similar, short-term mortality outcomes favoured young compared with older women.

In-hospital mortality of cardiogenic shock complicating ST-elevation myocardial infarction in Malaysia: a retrospective analysis of the Malaysian National Cardiovascular Database (NCVD) registry.

OBJECTIVES: Cardiogenic shock (CS) complicating ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) carries an extremely high mortality. The clinical pattern of this life threatening complication has never been described in Malaysian setting. This study is to investigate the incidence, clinical characteristics and outcome of STEMI patients with CS in our population. DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of STEMI patients from 18 hospitals across Malaysia contributing to the Malaysian National Cardiovascular Database-acute coronary syndrome) registry (NCVD-ACS) year 2006-2013. PARTICIPANTS: 16 517 patients diagnosed of STEMI from 18 hospitals in Malaysia from the year 2006 to 2013. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: In-hospital and 30 day post-discharge mortality. RESULTS: CS complicates 10.6% of all STEMIs in this study. They had unfavourable premorbid conditions and poor outcomes. The in-hospital mortality rate was 34.1% which translates into a 7.14 times mortality risk increment compared with STEMI without CS. Intravenous thrombolysis remained as the main urgent reperfusion modality. Percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in CS conferred a 40% risk reduction over non-invasive therapy but were only done in 33.6% of cases. Age over 65, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, chronic lung and kidney disease conferred higher risk of mortality. CONCLUSION: Mortality rates of CS complicating STEMI in Malaysia are high. In-hospital PCI confers a 40% mortality risk reduction but the rate of PCI among our patients with CS complicating STEMI is still low. Efforts are being made to increase access to invasive therapy for these patients.

Outcomes of STEMI patients with chronic kidney disease treated with percutaneous coronary intervention: the Malaysian National Cardiovascular Disease Database - Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (NCVD-PCI) registry data from 2007 to 2014.

BACKGROUND: Patients with renal impairment often left out from most major clinical trials assessing the optimal treatment for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Large body of evidence from various cardiovascular registries reflecting more 'real-world' experience might contribute to the knowledge on how best to treat this special cohort. We aim to analyze the outcomes of Malaysian STEMI patients with renal impairment treated with coronary angioplasty. METHODS: Utilizing the Malaysian National Cardiovascular Disease Database-Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (NCVD-PCI) registry data from 2007 to 2014, STEMI patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were stratified into presence (GFR < 60 mls/min/1.73m2) or absence (GFR ≥ 60 mls/min/1.73m2) of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Patient's demographics, extent of coronary artery disease, procedural data, discharge medications, short (in-hospital) and long (1 year) term outcomes were critically assessed. RESULTS: A total of 6563 patients were included in the final analysis. STEMI CKD cohort was predominantly male (80%) with mean age of 61.02 ± 9.95 years. They had higher cardiovascular risk factors namely diabetes mellitus (54.6%), hypertension (79.2%) and dyslipidemia (68.8%) in contrast to those without CKD. There were notably higher percentage of CKD patients presented with Killip class 3 and 4; 24.9 vs 8.7%. Thrombolytic therapy remained the most commonly instituted treatment regardless the status of kidney function. Furthermore, our STEMI CKD cohort also was more likely to receive less of evidence-based treatment upon discharge. In terms of outcomes, patients with CKD were more likely to develop in-hospital death (OR: 4.55, 95% CI 3.11-6.65), MACE (OR: 3.42, 95% CI 2.39-4.90) and vascular complications (OR: 1.88, 95% CI 0.95-3.7) compared to the non-CKD patients. The risk of death at 1-year post PCI in STEMI CKD patients was also reported to be high (HR: 3.79, 95% CI 2.84-5.07). CONCLUSION: STEMI and CKD is a deadly combination, proven in our cohort, adding on to the current evidence in the literature. We noted that our STEMI CKD patients tend to be younger than the Caucasian with extremely high prevalence of diabetes mellitus. The poor outcome mainly driven by immediate or short term adverse events peri-procedural, therefore suggesting that more efficient treatment in this special group is imperative.

Efficacy and Safety of Polymer-Free Ultrathin Strut Sirolimus-Probucol Coated Drug-Eluting Stents for Chronic Total Occlusions: Insights from the Coroflex ISAR 2000 Worldwide Registry.

OBJECTIVE: Coronary revascularization in chronic total occlusion (CTO) is associated with improved clinical outcomes. The choice of the coronary stent is crucial in maintaining long-term vessel patency after CTO revascularization. We investigated the efficacy and safety of polymer-free ultrathin strut sirolimus-probucol coated drug-eluting stents (PF-SES) for CTO lesions. METHODS: Patients with CTO lesions treated with PF-SES were identified from the prospective multicenter international ISAR 2000 registry. The primary endpoint was clinically driven target lesion revascularization (TLR) at 9 months. Secondary endpoints were 9-month major adverse cardiac events (death, myocardial infarction, or TLR) (MACE) and the occurrence of stent thrombosis. RESULTS: A total of 111 patients with CTO lesions (n=127) were available for analysis. The 9-month clinical follow-up rate was 91%. The mean reference vessel diameter and lesion length were 2.76 mm ± 0.40 and 26.8 mm ± 13.1, respectively. The overall DAPT duration was 9.7 ± 2.8 months. Only one (1%) in-hospital MI was reported. The TLR and MACE rates at 9 months were 2% (2/101) and 5.9% (6/101), respectively. The 9-month accumulated rates of definite or probable stent thrombosis was 0% (0/101). CONCLUSION: Revascularizations for CTO with PF-SES are associated with low rates of TLR and MACE at 9 months with no stent thrombosis. These initial findings need to be compared with results of other new generation DES of larger studies.

Trends and variations in the prescribing of secondary preventative cardiovascular therapies for non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) in Malaysia.

PURPOSE: Information is lacking on prescribing of preventative cardiovascular pharmacotherapies for patients with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) in the Asian region. This study examined the prescribing rate of these pharmacotherapies, comparing NSTEMI to STEMI, and variations across demographics and clinical factors within the NSTEMI group in the multi-ethnic Malaysian population. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of the Malaysian National Cardiovascular Disease Database-Acute Coronary Syndrome registry from year 2006 to 2013 (n = 30,873). On-discharge pharmacotherapies examined were aspirin, ADP-antagonists, statins, ACE-inhibitors, angiotensin-II-receptor blockers, and beta-blockers. Multivariate logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted odds ratio of receiving individual pharmacotherapies according to patients' characteristics in NSTEMI patients (n = 11,390). RESULTS: Prescribing rates for cardiovascular pharmacotherapies had significantly increased especially for ADP-antagonists (76%) in NSTEMI patients. More than 85% were prescribed statins and antiplatelets but rates remained significantly lower compared to STEMI. Women and those over 65 years old were less likely to be prescribed these pharmacotherapies compared to men and younger NSTEMI patients. Chinese and Indians were more likely to receive selected pharmacotherapies compared to Malays (main ethnicity). Geographical variations were observed; East Malaysian (Malaysian Borneo) patients were less likely to receive these compared to Western region of Malaysian Peninsular. Underprescribing in patients with risk factors such as diabetes were observed with other co-morbidities influencing prescribing selectively. CONCLUSION: This study uncovers demographic and clinical variations in cardiovascular pharmacotherapies prescribing for NSTEMI. Concerted efforts by policy makers, specialty societies, and physicians are required focusing on elderly, women, Malays, East Malaysians, and high-risk patients.

Inverse changes in plasma tetranectin and titin levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a potential predictor of acute myocardial infarction?

An early intervention using biomarkers to predict acute myocardial infarction (AMI) will effectively reduce global heart attack incidence, particularly among high-risk patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study attempted to identify potential biomarkers by detecting changes in the levels of plasma proteins in T2DM patients following onset of AMI in comparison with those without AMI. Volunteer T2DM patients without AMI (control; n=10) and T2DM patients with AMI (n=10) were recruited. Plasma samples from these patients were evaluated via two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) to screen for proteins with level changes between the two groups. The abundance of spots on gel images was analyzed using Progenesis SameSpots and subjected to false discovery rate (FDR) analysis. Protein spots with statistically significant changes of at least 1.5 fold were selected for mass spectrometry (MS) analysis. Due to strong cardiac connections, tetranectin and titin were evaluated by enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The adjusted P-values and fold changes between the two groups resulted in identification of 34 protein spots with significantly altered abundance. Upon MS analysis, 17 plasma proteins were identified: tetranectin, titin, clusterin, haptoglobin, myosin-13, zinc fnger protein 445, DNA repair protein RAD50, serum albumin, apolipoprotein A-IV, caspase-6, aminoacyl tRNA synthase complex-interacting multifunctional protein 1, serotransferrin, retinol-binding protein 4, transthyretin, alpha-1-antitrypsin, apolipoprotein A-I and serum amyloid A. Comparable patterns of changes in tetranectin and titin between the control and AMI groups were confirmed using ELISA. In summary, tetranectin and titin in plasma appeared to be closely associated with the onset of AMI among T2DM patients and can be used as potential biomarkers for prediction of a cardiac event, though this requires validation in a prospective cohort study.

Association between body mass index and outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention in multiethnic South East Asian population: a retrospective analysis of the Malaysian National Cardiovascular Disease Database-Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (NCVD-PCI) registry.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in a multiethnic South East Asian population. SETTING: Fifteen participating cardiology centres contributed to the Malaysian National Cardiovascular Disease Database-Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (NCVD-PCI) registry. PARTICIPANTS: 28 742 patients from the NCVD-PCI registry who had their first PCI between January 2007 and December 2014 were included. Those without their BMI recorded or BMI <11 kg/m2 or >70 kg/m2 were excluded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: In-hospital death, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), vascular complications between different BMI groups were examined. Multivariable-adjusted HRs for 1-year mortality after PCI among the BMI groups were also calculated. RESULTS: The patients were divided into four groups; underweight (BMI <18.5 kg/m2), normal BMI (BMI 18.5 to <23 kg/m2), overweight (BMI 23 to <27.5 kg/m2) and obese (BMI ≥27.5 kg/m2). Comparison of their baseline characteristics showed that the obese group was younger, had lower prevalence of smoking but higher prevalence of diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidemia. There was no difference found in terms of in-hospital death, MACE and vascular complications after PCI. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression analysis showed that compared with normal BMI group the underweight group had a non-significant difference (HR 1.02, p=0.952), while the overweight group had significantly lower risk of 1-year mortality (HR 0.71, p=0.005). The obese group also showed lower HR but this was non-significant (HR 0.78, p=0.056). CONCLUSIONS: Using Asian-specific BMI cut-off points, the overweight group in our study population was independently associated with lower risk of 1-year mortality after PCI compared with the normal BMI group.

The outcomes of patients with very small coronary artery disease treated with thin strut cobalt chromium bare metal stents: an observational study.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in coronary artery disease (CAD) with very small vessel diameters remains controversial and challenging. These lesions are usually more diffuse, calcified and tortuous. The usage of thin strut bare metal stents (BMS) with excellent crossing profiles in a very small caliber coronary lesions has increased the likelihood of procedural success. OBJECTIVES: This observational study assessed the 9-month clinical outcomes in an 'all-comers' population with very small caliber CAD after implantation of thin strut cobalt chromium BMS. METHODS: Thin strut cobalt chromium BMS implantation in a priori pre-defined subgroups was investigated in a non-randomized, international, multi-center 'all-comers' observational study. Primary end-point was the 9-month clinically driven target lesion revascularization (TLR) rate. Secondary end-points included the 9-month major adverse cardiac event (MACE) and procedural success rates. Data collection was done using an established electronic data acquisition form with built-in plausibility checks. RESULTS: A total of 783 patients with a mean age of 70.4 ± 12.8 years were enrolled, 205 (26.2 %) of them had vessel diameters of 2.5 mm and smaller which was defined as CAD with very small reference vessel calibers. Older age and diabetics were associated with higher incidences of very small caliber vessels. The mean reference vessel diameter in the very small vessel group was 2.05 ± 0.27 mm and mean diameter for vessels >2.5 mm was 3.41 ± 0.55 mm. Pre-dilatation was performed more often in the very small vessel patients (52.2 vs. 42.2 %; p value 0.007). There was no difference in the overall technical success rates in very small vessel disease group (97.9 vs. 97.7 %). The 9-month TLR rate was 6.3 % for the very small vessels and 3.7 % for vessels >2.5 mm (p = 0.129). The 9-month and in-hospital MACE rates in the very small vessel group and patient with vessel diameters >2.5 mm were not significantly different (13.1 vs. 9.2 %; p = 0.1265 and 5.2 vs. 3.7 %; p = 0.349) respectively. CONCLUSION: This study has demonstrated that the use of thin strut cobalt chromium BMS in very small vessel CAD was reasonably safe and efficacious in the context of 'real-world' practice.

The use of paclitaxel coated balloon (PCB) in acute coronary syndrome of small vessel de novo lesions: an analysis of a prospective 'real world' registry.

BACKGROUND: Paclitaxel-coated balloon (PCB) angioplasty in small vessel de novo lesions has favourable outcome and appears to be an alternative to stent implantation. However there is limitted data on its use specifically in small vessel acute coronary syndrome (ACS). METHODS: We analyse patients data from the SeQuent Please Small Vessel 'PCB only' Registry. It was an international, prospective, multicentre registry which enrolled patients with de novo lesions of small vessel diameter (≥2.0, ≤2.75 mm). Patients were divided into the ACS group and the non-ACS group and comparison made between the two groups. The primary end-point was clinically driven target lesion revascularisation (TLR) at 9 months. Secondary end-points were acute technical success, 30-day and 9-month major adverse cardiac events (death, myocardial infarction or TLR) (MACE) and the occurence of definite lesion and vessel thrombosis. RESULTS: A total of 447 patients were enrolled for this registry of which 105 (23.5 %) patients were ACS (STEMI and NSTEMI). The procedural success rate was 98.1 % in ACS group. The mean vessel diameter for the ACS and non-ACS group were 2.15 ± 0.36 and 2.14 ± 0.35 respectively. Similar mean lesion length of around 15.5 mm was recorded in both groups. Additional stenting was required in 9.3 % ACS and 6.5 % non-ACS, p = 0.308. Reasons for additional stenting were target lesion related dissection (57.6 %) or non-target lesion stenosis (41.2 %). More than half of the patients had 4 weeks of aspirin/clopidogrel (57.1 % ACS, 60.5 % non-ACS). No significant difference between the ACS and non-ACS groups with regards to the duration and types of DAPT during follow up. At 30-day, MACE rate were (0 % ACS vs 0.3 % non-ACS, p = 0.599). At 9 months TLR rates were (1.2 % ACS vs 4.3 % non-ACS, p = 0.180) and MACE rates (3.6 % ACS vs 5.0 % non-ACS, p = 0.601). CONCLUSION: PCB in ACS with small vessel de novo lesions has low 30-day and 9-month TLR/MACE rates comparable to non-ACS small vessels. Thus it appears to be an alternative to stent implantation in the treatment ACS.

Acute coronary syndrome in the elderly: the Malaysian National Cardiovascular Disease Database-Acute Coronary Syndrome registry.

INTRODUCTION: The elderly are often underrepresented in clinical trials for acute coronary syndrome (ACS), and cardiologists commonly face management dilemmas in the choice of treatment for this group of patients, particularly concerning the use of invasive revascularisation. This study analysed the characteristics of hospitalised elderly patients with ACS, and compared the outcomes of treatments. METHODS: From 29 December 2005 to 26 April 2010, 13,545 patients were admitted for ACS in 16 hospitals across Malaysia. These patients were divided into two groups - elderly (≥ 65 years) and non-elderly (< 65 years). The clinical characteristics, treatment received (invasive or non-invasive) and outcomes (in-hospital and 30-day all-cause mortality) of the two groups were compared. The elderly patients were then grouped according to the type of treatment received, and the outcomes of the two subgroups were compared. RESULTS: Elderly patients had a higher cardiovascular risk burden and a higher incidence of comorbidities. They were less likely to receive urgent revascularisation for acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (elderly: 73.9% vs. non-elderly: 81.4%) and had longer door-to-needle time (elderly: 60 minutes vs. non-elderly: 50 minutes, p = 0.004). The rate of cardiac catheterisation was significantly lower in the elderly group across all ACS strata. Elderly patients had poorer outcomes than non-elderly patients, but those who received invasive treatment appeared to have better outcomes than those who received non-invasive treatment. CONCLUSION: Elderly patients with ACS tend to be undertreated, both invasively and pharmacologically. Invasive treatment seems to yield better outcomes for this group of patients.

Extracorporeal shockwave myocardial therapy is efficacious in improving symptoms in patients with refractory angina pectoris--a multicenter study.

OBJECTIVE: Medically refractory angina remains a significant health concern despite major advances in revascularization techniques and emerging medical therapies. We aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of extracorporeal shockwave myocardial therapy (ESMT) in managing angina pectoris. METHODS: A single-arm multicenter prospective study was designed aiming to determine the safety and efficacy of ESMT. Patients of functional Canadian Cardiovascular Society class II-IV, despite stable and optimal medical management, with documented myocardial segments with reversible ischemia and/or hibernation on the basis of echocardiography/single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) were enrolled from 2010 to 2012. A total of 111 patients were enrolled, 33 from Indonesia, 21 from Malaysia, and 57 from Philippines. Patients underwent nine cycles of ESMT over 9 weeks. Patients were followed up for 3-6 months after ESMT treatment. During follow-up, patients were subjected to clinical evaluation, the Seattle Angina Questionnaire, assessment of nitrate intake, the 6-min walk test, echocardiography, and SPECT. RESULTS: The mean age of the population was 62.9±10.9 years. The summed difference score on pharmacologically induced stress SPECT improved from 9.53±17.87 at baseline to 7.77±11.83 at follow-up (P=0.0086). Improvement in the total Seattle Angina Questionnaire score was seen in 83% of patients (P<0.0001). Sublingual nitroglycerin use significantly decreased (1.14±1.01 tablets per week at baseline to 0.52±0.68 tablets per week at follow-up; P=0.0215). There were no changes in left ventricular function on echocardiography (0.33±9.97, P=0.93). The Canadian Cardiovascular Society score improved in 74.1% of patients. CONCLUSION: This multicenter prospective trial demonstrated that ESMT is both a safe and an efficacious means of managing medically refractory angina.

Severe Plasmodium falciparum infection mimicking acute myocardial infarction.

This case report describes a case of presumed acute myocardial infarction in a returned traveler who was later diagnosed to have severe malaria. Emergency coronary angiography was normal and subsequent peripheral blood film was positive for Plasmodium falciparum.

Young coronary artery disease in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Understanding the nature and pattern of young coronary artery disease (CAD) is important due to the tremendous impact on these patients' socio-economic and physical aspect. Data on young CAD in the southeast Asian region is rather patchy and limited. Hence we utilized our National Cardiovascular Disease Database (NCVD)-Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) Registry to analyze young patients who underwent PCI in the year 2007 to 2009. DESIGN AND SETTINGS: This is a retrospective study of all patients who had undergone coronary angioplasty from 2007 to 2009 in 11 hospitals across Malaysia. METHODS: Data were obtained from the NCVD-PCI Registry, 2007 to 2009. Patients were categorized into 2 groups-young and old, where young was defined as less than 45 years for men and less than 55 years for women and old was defined as more than or equals to 45 years for men and more than or equals to 55 years for women. Patients' baseline characteristics, risk factor profile, extent of coronary disease and outcome on dis.charge, and 30-day and 1-year follow-up were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: We analyzed 10268 patients, and the prevalence of young CAD was 16% (1595 patients). There was a significantly low prevalence of Chinese patients compared to other major ethnic groups. Active smoking (30.2% vs 17.7%) and obesity (20.9% vs 17.3%) were the 2 risk factors more associated with young CAD. There is a preponderance toward single vessel disease in the young CAD group, and they had a favorable clinical outcome in terms of all-cause mortality at discharge (RR 0.49 [CI 0.26-0.94]) and 1-year follow-up (RR 0.47 [CI 0.19-1.15]). CONCLUSION: We observed distinctive features of young CAD that would serve as a framework in the primary and secondary prevention of the early onset CAD.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy in association with hyperthyroidism.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a rare, acute, nonischemic cardiomyopathy causing transient left ventricular dysfunction, which can mimic myocardial infarction on its presentation. While many cardiac manifestations have been associated with hyperthyroidism, we report a rare case where it has precipitated takotsubo cardiomyopathy.