Frequency and clinical correlates of bipolar features in acute coronary syndrome patients.

BACKGROUND: Depression and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) are both extremely prevalent diseases. Studies aimed at evaluating whether depression is an independent risk factor for cardiac events provided no definitive results. In most of these studies, depression has been broadly defined with no differentiation between unipolar (MDD) versus bipolar forms (BD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of DSM-IV BD (bipolar I and bipolar II subtypes, cyclothymia), as well as temperamental or isolated bipolar features in a sample of 171 patients hospitalized for ACS. We also explored whether these psychopathological conditions were associated with some clinical characteristics of ACS. METHODS: Patients with ACS admitted to three neighboring Cardiac Intensive Care Units (CICUs) in a 12-month continuative period of time were eligible for inclusion if they met the criteria for either acute myocardial infarct with or without ST-segment elevation or unstable angina, verified by standard ACS criteria. All patients underwent standardized cardiological and psychopathological evaluations. RESULTS: Of the 171 ACS patients enrolled, 37 patients (21.7%) were found to have a DSM-IV mood disorder. Of these, 20 (11.7%) had bipolar type I or type II or cyclothymia, while 17 (10%) were the cases of MDD. Rapid mood switches ranged from 11% of ACS patients with no mood disorders, to 47% of those with MDD to 55% of those with BD. Linear regression analysis showed that a diagnosis of BD (p=.023), but not that of MDD (p=.721), was associated with a significant younger age at the index episode of ACS. A history of previous coronary events was more frequent in ACS patients with BD than in those with MDD. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that bipolar features and diagnosis are frequent in ACS patients. Bipolar disorder has a negative impact on cardiac symptomatology. Further research in this area is warranted.

Prognostic correlates of combined coronary flow reserve assessment on left anterior descending and right coronary artery in patients with negative stress echocardiography by wall motion criteria.

AIMS: To assess the prognostic correlates of Doppler echocardiographically derived coronary flow reserve (CFR) on two coronaries in patients with negative stress echo. Vasodilator stress echocardiography allows dual imaging of regional wall motion and CFR both on left anterior descending (LAD) and right coronary artery (RCA). METHODS: The study group comprised 460 patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease and negative stress echo by wall motion criteria. All underwent dipyridamole (up to 0.84 mg/kg over 6 minutes) stress echo with CFR evaluation of either LAD or RCA by Doppler, and were followed up for a median of 32 months. A CFR value of < or =2.0 was taken as abnormal. RESULTS: CFR was abnormal in 174 patients (38%) (57 in LAD only, 48 in RCA only, and 69 in both LAD and RCA) and normal in 286 patients (62%). During follow-up, there were 77 cardiac events: 5 deaths, 44 acute coronary syndromes (6 STEMI, and 38 NSTEMI) and 28 late (>6 months from stress echo) revascularisations. CFR of < or =2.0 on LAD was the strongest multivariable predictor of either definite (death, acute coronary syndrome) and major (death, acute coronary syndrome, late revascularisation) events, followed by diabetes mellitus. Anti-ischaemic therapy at the time of testing and resting wall motion abnormality were also independently associated with major events. Preserved CFR in both LAD and RCA was associated with better (p<0.0001) definite and major event-free survival compared to abnormal CFR in one or both coronary vessels. CONCLUSION: CFR evaluation of either LAD or RCA allows the identification of distinct prognostic patterns. In particular, preserved CFR in both coronary vessels is highly predictive of a very favourable outcome, while reduced CFR in either coronary vessel, and especially on LAD, is a strong predictor of future cardiac events.

The additive prognostic value of end-systolic pressure-volume relation in patients with diabetes mellitus having negative dobutamine stress echocardiography by wall motion criteria.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: The end-systolic pressure-volume relation (ESPVR) is a useful method to assess left ventricular contractility during stress providing prognostic information above and beyond regional wall motion. The aim of the study was to assess the prognostic value of ESPVR in patients with diabetes mellitus having negative dobutamine stress echocardiography by wall motion criteria. DESIGN: We enrolled 233 patients with diabetes mellitus (140 males; mean age 67 (SD 9); mean ejection fraction 52 (SD 10)) having negative dobutamine (up to 40 microg/kg/min with atropine 1 mg) stress echocardiography. In all, ESPVR was determined at rest and at the peak of stress as the ratio of peak systolic pressure and end-systolic volume (SP/ESV) index. SETTING: Adult patients with diabetes mellitus evaluated at a tertiary care centre. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Death, non-fatal ST-elevation (STEMI), non-ST-elevation (NSTEMI) and late (>6 months) revascularisation. RESULTS: During a median of 18 months, 62 events occurred: 35 deaths, 4 STEMI, 5 NSTEMI and 18 late revascularisations. Event-free survival was lower (p = 0.006) in patients with peak SP/ESV index < or =28 mm Hg/ml/m(2), chosen with a receiver-operating characteristic curve. Multivariable indicators of future events were prior angioplasty (HR 2.10, 95% CI 1.17 to 3.77; p = 0.01), resting wall motion abnormality (HR 1.94, 95% CI 1.12 to 3.36; p = 0.02), and peak SP/ESV index < or =28 mm Hg/ml/m(2) (HR 2.28, 95% CI 1.08 to 4.81; p = 0.03). At incremental analysis, peak SP/ESV index < or =28 mm Hg/ml/m(2) added prognostic information to that of clinical and resting echo findings. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with diabetes mellitus having negative dobutamine stress echocardiography may still experience an adverse outcome, which can be identified by ESPRV, providing a prognostic stratification in addition to that supplied by regional wall motion abnormalities.

[Study of the effect of medicinal product "STRESSEN" on blood levels of homocysteine in patients with current cardiovascular disease]. / Studio dell'effetto della specialità medicinale "STRESSEN" sui livelli ematici di omocisteina in pazienti con patologia cardiovascolare in atto.

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between cardiovascular disease and high plasma levels of homocysteine is known; it is therefore necessary to keep the concentrations of this amino acid, considered an independent risk factor for these pathologies, within the physiological range. The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of the medicinal product STRESSEN on homocysteinemia in patients with current cardiovascular disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study was carried out on 40 patients with homocysteinemia higher than 14 micromol/l. Patients were divided into 2 groups of 20: one was treated with STRESSEN for 30 days and the other did not receive any specific therapy. Homocysteinemia was evaluated at t = 0 and t = 30 days in both groups. RESULTS: STRESSEN determined a significative mean reduction of 39.2% (P < 0.0001) of plasma levels of the considered amino acid, which on the contrary did not change in non treated patients. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study show the efficacy of STRESSEN in reducing homocysteinemia and, consequently, the risk of coronary disease.

Congenital coronary artery anomaly simulating an acute aortic dissection.

In this rare case, a patient had an anomalous right coronary artery originating from the left sinus of Valsalva coursing between the great vessels. He presented with symptoms and computed tomograms suggestive of an acute aortic dissection.

Thromboembolic risk in atrial flutter. The FLASIEC (FLutter Atriale Società Italiana di Ecografia Cardiovascolare) multicentre study.

AIMS: Patients with atrial flutter are believed to be at lower risk of thromboembolism than patients with atrial fibrillation. However, the incidence of atrial thrombi and the need for anticoagulation in patients with atrial flutter is not well established. METHODS AND RESULTS: A prospective observational multicentre study was undertaken to assess the frequency of atrial thrombi and spontaneous echocontrast and the prevalence for aortic complex atherosclerotic lesions in a cohort of unselected patients with atrial flutter. We evaluated 134 patients (102 male, aged 70+/-9 years); exclusion criteria were history of atrial fibrillation, rheumatic mitral valve disease and mitral mechanical prosthesis. The median of atrial flutter duration was 33 days. Twelve patients had been taking warfarin for more than 7 days. One hundred and twenty-four patients (94%) underwent a transoesophageal echocardiogram, which revealed left atrial appendage thrombi in two patients (1.6%) and right atrial thrombi in one patient (1%). At least moderate left atrial echocontrast was found in 16/124 patients (13%). Complex atherosclerotic aortic plaques were detected in 10 patients (8%). Atrial flutter conversion was attempted in 93/134 patients (69%). At the 1-month follow-up, two patients experienced a thromboembolic event following restoration of sinus rhythm. CONCLUSIONS: Atrial thrombi and echocontrast, and complex aortic atherosclerotic plaques are relatively uncommon in patients with atrial flutter. Post-cardioversion embolism was observed in two patients in our study population.

[Evaluation of hemodynamic significance of arteriovenous coronary fistulas: diagnostic integration of coronary angiography and stress/rest myocardial scintigraphy]. / Valutazione del significato emodinamico di fistole coronariche artero-venose. Integrazione diagnostica tra angiografia coronarica e scintigrafia miocardica a riposo e sotto sforzo.

PURPOSE: We report on the importance of the integration of data obtained from digital coronary angiography and stress/rest 99mTc sestamibi myocardial perfusion single photon emission tomography in evaluating the hemodynamic significance of coronary arteriovenous fistulae. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Coronary fistulae were detected with coronary angiography in 9 patients. All patients underwent clinical examination, transthoracic echocardiography, stress electrocardiogram and stress/rest 99mTc sestamibi myocardial perfusion single photon emission tomography. RESULTS: Stress/rest 99mTc sestamibi myocardial perfusion single photon emission tomography and stress electrocardiogram showed stress-induced myocardial ischemia in 2 patients. The first patient with familial predisposition and risk factors for ischemic heart disease presented a mesocardic heart murmur on clinical examination. At stress ECG (125 Watt, 153 b/m' max frequency 93%, arterial pressure 230 mmHg, max frequency pressure product 35,200) ischemic alterations were recorded at the first minute of the second stage of the Bruce protocol. Coronary angiography detected a circumflex artery fistula in the coronary sinus. Stress/rest 99mTc sestamibi myocardial perfusion single photon emission tomography for the evaluation of stress/rest perfusion detected a reversible perfusion defect of the proximal portion of the posterolateral and lateral walls, thus confirming the hemodynamic importance of the flow through the fistula during stress cycloergometric testing. In the second patient familial predisposition to ischemic heart disease and previous inferior wall myocardial infarction and non-significant stress ECG, coronary angiography identified a subocclusive stenosis of the right coronary artery and an anomaly between the anterior interventricular artery and the left pulmonary artery. The presence of the contrast medium in the left pulmonary artery identified a flow from the left ventricle to the left pulmonary artery. Good angiographic results were obtained after percutaneous coronary angiography of the right coronary artery stenosis. Due to the onset of angina stress/rest 99mTc sestamibi myocardial perfusion single photon emission tomography was performed to evaluate stress/rest perfusion (75 Watt, 125 b/m', 88% max frequency, arterial pressure 200 mmHg, double max product 25,000 with ST depression of 1.5 mm in V1-V4) and identified an irreversible perfusion defect due to infarction and a reversible perfusion defect of the anterior wall and apex due to ischemia caused by the anomalous flow through the coronary fistula. The correspondence between the site of the coronary artery where the fistula originates, identified by coronary angiography, and the reversible perfusion defects, identified by stress/rest 99mTc sestamibi myocardial perfusion single photon emission tomography, indicates that the anomalous flow through the fistula may cause myocardial ischemia. The irreversible perfusion defects of the inferior wall are the result of right coronary artery subocclusive stenosis. CONCLUSIONS: Coronary fistulae cause myocardial ischemia only in a small number of patients. Data obtained from single photon emission tomography in evaluating stress/rest myocardial perfusion, correlated with data from coronary angiography, have shown that changes in patients with terminal coronary anomalies may be due to different coronary diseases: ischemia to anomalous flow through the fistula and myocardial infarction to subocclusive right coronary artery stenosis. Stress/rest 99mTc sestamibi single photon emission tomography for the evaluation of myocardial perfusion is a reliable means of assessing the functional importance of the terminal coronary anomalies detected by coronary angiography. Evaluation of the hemodynamic importance of the coronary fistulae is indispensable in programming corrective surgery.

Stress/rest myocardial perfusion SPET in evaluation of the hemodynamic significance of a fistula between the anterior descending branch of the left coronary and the left pulmonary arteries.

This paper describes the use of Stress/Rest Tc-99m Sestamibi (MIBI) Single Photon Emission Tomography (SPET) to evaluate the hemodynamic significance of an unusual fistula between the descending anterior branch of the left coronary artery and the left pulmonary artery. Coronary arteriography in a patient with myocardial infarction of the inferior wall revealed subocclusive (greater than 90%) stenosis of the right coronary and an abnormal branch proceeding from the intermediate section of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery to the left pulmonary artery. Treatment of the stenosis by percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty gave a good angiographic result but failed to resolve the angina. Myocardial Stress/Rest Tc-99m MIBI SPET disclosed an irreversible defect corresponding to the previous infarction. The anterior wall and apex were marked by a reversible defect due to a flow steal via the abnormal branch running from the intermediate section of the LAD artery to the left pulmonary artery. The examination was thus able to reveal perfusion defects in two different sites and of different size and gravity. Its findings and the coronary angiography data showed that these defects were caused by different coronary disorders (atherosclerosis of the right coronary artery and a coronary arteriovenous fistula of the LAD artery). It also demonstrated the functional importance of the LAD to the left pulmonary artery coronary fistula.

Acquired aortopulmonary fistula. A case report.

A 63-year-old male patient with no prior history of heart disease was admitted in acute heart failure with diagnosis of pulmonary thromboembolism. 2D-echocardiography and color-Doppler echocardiography showed a severe aortic stenosis associated with an acquired aorto-pulmonary fistula bridging the ascending aorta and the main pulmonary artery. The diagnosis was confirmed by aortography. The patient underwent replacement of the aortic valve with a bileaflet mechanical valve. The fistula was obliterated with a Dacron patch anchored on the edges of its aortic opening. He did well postoperatively and was discharged with no complaint.

Anthropometric data, urinary sodium excretion, and isometric exercise in epidemiological study of arterial hypertension.

Relationships between cardiovascular response to isometric exercise, anthropometric data, and urinary sodium excretion were examined a group of 80 young males aged 19.7 +/- 1.3 years. Diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was well correlated with the anthropometric data both at rest and during hand grip (HG). During hand grip even the systolic blood pressure (SBP) was correlated with height, arm circumference, body weight, and body index. There was no significant correlation between urinary excretion of sodium and BP. The correlation between SBP and some anthropometric measures found during hand grip but not at rest suggests that the sympathetic nervous system may play a role in determining a relationship between excessive body weight and blood pressure increase.

Anthropometric data, urinary electrolytes excretion, and blood pressure in adolescents.

Relationships between arterial pressure, age, sex, anthropometric measurements, body fat, and urinary excretion of electrolytes were examined in a group of 120 adolescents from 11 to 14 years of age. Body weight and triceps skinfold thickness are two variables that have the highest correlation with arterial pressure levels, especially among girls. Only a slight correlation was found between urinary excretion of sodium and arterial hypertension. The apparent contradiction between positive correlation of fat percent and arterial pressure and the negative correlation between urinary excretion of sodium and arterial pressure can possibly be explained by the low sodium content of the diet of the subjects studied. Their typical Mediterranean diet was abundant in fresh food, mainly based on carbohydrates (macaroni, bread, vegetables), rather than conserved foods in which salt plays an important role in the conservation process (butter, bacon, salad, etc.), typical of the continental diet.