Association between patient volume to cardiologist, process of care, and clinical outcomes in heart failure.

AIMS: The impact of hospital volume on clinical performance has been investigated by many researchers to date and thought that it is associated with quality of care and outcome for patients with heart failure (HF). This study sought to determine whether annual admissions of HF per cardiologist are associated with process of care, mortality, and readmission. METHODS AND RESULTS: Among the nationwide registry 'Japanese registry of all cardiac and vascular diseases - diagnostics procedure combination' data collected from 2012 to 2019, a total of 1 127 113 adult patients with HF and 1046 hospitals were included in the study. Primary outcome was in-hospital mortality, and secondary outcome was 30 day in-hospital mortality and readmission at 30 days and 6 months. Hospital and patient characteristics and process of care measures were also assessed. Mixed-effect logistic regression and Cox proportional-hazards model was used for multivariable analysis, and adjusted odds ratio and hazard ratio were evaluated. Process of care measures had inverse trends for annual admissions of HF per cardiologist (P < 0.01 for all measures: prescription rate of beta-blocker, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin II receptor blocker, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, and anticoagulant for atrial fibrillation). Adjusted odds ratio for in-hospital mortality was 1.04 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04-1.08, P = 0.04) and 30 day in-hospital mortality was 1.05 (95% CI: 1.01-1.09, P = 0.01) for interval of 50 annual admissions of HF per cardiologist. Adjusted hazard ratio for 30 day readmission was 1.05 (95% CI: 1.02-1.08, P < 0.01) and 6 month readmission was 1.07 (95% CI: 1.03-1.11, P < 0.01). Plots of the adjusted odds indicated 300 as the threshold of annual admissions of HF per cardiologist for substantial increase of in-hospital mortality risk. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrated that annual admissions of HF per cardiologist are associated with worse process of care, mortality, and readmission with the threshold for mortality risk increased, emphasizing the optimal proportion of patients admitted with HF to cardiologist for better clinical performance.

A Multicenter Prospective Interventional Trial of Therapeutic Angiogenesis Using Bone Marrow-Derived Mononuclear Cell Implantation for Patients With Critical Limb-Threatening Ischemia Caused by Thromboangiitis Obliterans.

BACKGROUND: Thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO) can lead to the development of critical limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI). Despite conventional treatments, such as smoking cessation or revascularization, young patients (<50 years) still require limb amputation. Therapeutic angiogenesis using bone marrow-derived mononuclear cell (BM-MNC) implantation has been tested and shown to have reasonable efficacy in CLTI. In this multicenter prospective clinical trial, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of BM-MNC implantation in CLTI patients with TAO.Methods and Results: We enrolled 22 CLTI patients with skin perfusion pressure (SPP) <30 mmHg. The primary endpoint of this trial is the recovery of SPP in the treated limb after a 180-day follow-up period. Secondary endpoints include the pain scale score and transcutaneous oxygen pressure (TcPO2). One patient dropped out during follow-up, leaving 21 patients (mean age 48 years, 90.5% male, Fontaine Class IV) for analysis. BM-MNC implantation caused no serious adverse events and increased SPP by 1.5-fold compared with baseline. Surprisingly, this effect was sustained over the longer term at 180 days. Secondary endpoints also supported the efficacy of this novel therapy in relieving pain and increasing TcPO2. Major amputation-free and overall survival probabilities at 3 years among all enrolled patients were high (95.5% and 89.5%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: BM-MNC implantation showed safety and significant efficacy in CLTI patients with TAO.

Simple Phonocardiography with the Ankle-Brachial Index Measurement System as a Tool for Detecting Fourth Heart Sounds of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Conventional phonocardiography is useful for objective assessment of cardiac auscultation, but its availability is limited. More recently, an ankle-brachial index (ABI) measurement system equipped with simple phonocardiography has become widely used for diagnosing peripheral artery disease, however, whether this simple phonocardiography can be an alternative to conventional phonocardiography remains unclear.This retrospective study consisted of 48 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and 107 controls. The presence of the fourth sound (S4) was assessed by conventional phonocardiography, in addition to apexcardiography and auscultation, in all patients with HCM. S4 was also estimated by the ABI measurement system with the phonocardiographic microphone on the sternum (the standard method) or at the apex (the apex method) in HCM patients and controls.S4 on conventional phonocardiography was detected in 42 of 48 patients (88%) with HCM. Auscultation for the detection of S4 had a sensitivity of 0.78, specificity of 0.57, and accuracy of 0.75. These diagnostic values were generally superior to those of the standard method using the ABI measurement system, whereas the apex method using the ABI measurement system had better diagnostic values, with an excellent specificity of 1.0, sensitivity of 0.77, and accuracy of 0.80. No significant differences were observed in low ABI defined as < 0.9.Simple phonocardiography equipped with the ABI measurement system may be an alternative to conventional phonocardiography for the detection of S4 in patients with HCM when the phonocardiographic microphone is moved from the sternum to the apex.

Impact of Door-to-Balloon Time Reduction Depending on the Killip Classification in Patients with ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Transported by Emergency Medical Services.

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic occurred in several countries, making the conventional medical system difficult to maintain. Recent recommendations aim to prevent nosocomial infections and infections among health care workers. Therefore, establishing a cardiovascular medical system under an emergency for patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is desired. This study aimed to determine the relationship between prognosis and door-to-balloon time (DBT) shortening based on the severity on arrival.This retrospective, multi-center, observational study included 1,127 consecutive patients with STEMI. These patients were transported by emergency medical services and underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Patients were stratified according to the Killip classification: Killip 1 (n = 738) and Killip ≥ 2 (n = 389) groups.Patients in the Killip ≥ 2 group were older, with more females, and more severity on arrival than those in the Killip 1 group. The 30-day mortality rate in the Killip 1 and Killip ≥ 2 groups was 2.2% and 18.0%, respectively. The Killip ≥ 2 group had a significant difference in the 30-day mortality between patients with DBT ≤ 90 minutes and those with DBT > 90 minutes; however, this did not occur in the Killip 1 group. Furthermore, multivariate analysis revealed that DBT ≤ 90 minutes was not a significant predictive factor in the Killip 1 group; however, it was an independent predictive factor in the Killip ≥ 2 group.DBT shortening affected the 30-day mortality in STEMI patients with Killip ≥ 2, although not those with Killip 1.

Absent fourth heart sound as a marker of adverse events in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with sinus rhythm.

BACKGROUND: Patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in sinus rhythm commonly show the fourth heart sound (S4). The lack of S4 may be a marker of impaired atrial function in HCM patients with sinus rhythm. METHODS AND RESULTS: This retrospective study consisted of 47 patients with HCM who had undergone phonocardiography and a cardiopulmonary exercise test. The primary outcome was a composite of cardiac death, stroke, hospitalization for worsening heart failure, and newly developed atrial fibrillation (AF). S4 was detected in 38 of 43 patients with sinus rhythm (88%). Peak oxygen consumption was the highest in 38 sinus rhythm patients with S4 (23.6 ± 5.6 mL/kg/min), middle in five sinus rhythm patients without S4 (19.3 ± 6.7 mL/kg/min), and lowest in four patients with AF (15.7 ± 3.3 mL/kg/min, p = 0.01). After a median of 40.5 months, the incidence of the primary outcome was higher in patients without S4 than in those with S4 (33% vs. 8%; hazard ratio, 6.17; 95% confidence interval, 1.02 - 37.4; p = .04) and higher in sinus rhythm patients without S4 than in those with S4 (60% vs. 8%; hazard ratio, 12.05; 95% confidence interval, 2.31 - 71.41; p = .007). CONCLUSIONS: The absence of S4 on phonocardiography was associated with impaired exercise tolerance and adverse cardiac events in HCM patients with sinus rhythm.

New risk factors for early- and late-onset cardiac rupture in ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients after primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac rupture (CR) is a catastrophic complication of acute myocardial infarction. Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) reduces the incidence of CR. This study aimed to investigate the clinical risk factors and characteristics of CR after pPCI. METHODS: This was a retrospective, case-control, multicenter study. We enrolled 2444 consecutive patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who had undergone pPCI between 2009 and 2015; 33 patients experienced CR (1.35%): 19 were assigned as early CR (≤72 h) and 14 as late CR (>72 h). The 132 controls were randomly selected from the 2411 STEMI patients without CR, by matching institutions at a 1:4 ratio. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression revealed that female sex, acute hyperglycemia, thrombocytopenia (platelets <15 × 104/µL), and incomplete revascularization [post-PCI thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) <3] were independent risk factors for CR (p<0.05). Older age, female sex, and emergency surgical repair were strongly associated with in-hospital death, which occurred in 66.7% of CR patients (p<0.05). Univariate logistic regression adjusted for age and sex revealed that low systolic blood pressure, anterior infarction, acute hyperglycemia, Killip class >1, and post-PCI TIMI <3 were significantly associated with early CR, and that Killip class >1 and thrombocytopenia were strongly associated with late CR. Early CR occurred more frequently between 12:00 and 21:00 h, whereas the peak incidence of late CR was bimodal between 6:00-12:00 and 21:00-24:00 h. CONCLUSIONS: In STEMI patients after pPCI, acute hyperglycemia and thrombocytopenia are new risk factors for early and late CR, respectively. Clinical risk factors and time of occurrence of early and late CR may differ in the PCI era.

Cerebral Infarction with Pulmonary Thromboembolism Due to Immobilization.

Arterial and venous thrombi can coexist without preexisting conditions, such as malignant disease, thrombotic predisposition, or arteriovenous shunt. We herein report a case of acute cerebral infarction and pulmonary thromboembolism in the absence of underlying disease. A 71-year-old woman presented with left hemiplegia. On an examination, her oxygen saturation was 91% on ambient air despite the absence of chest symptoms and clear lung fields on a chest radiograph. The patient was finally diagnosed with acute cerebral infarction caused by large artery atherosclerosis and acute pulmonary thromboembolism due to deep vein thrombosis, consequent to immobilization for three days after the onset of cerebral infarction.

Myocardial damage of the entire ventricular region in a patient with acute myocardial infarction.

 Technetium-99m-pyrophosphate (99mTc-PYP) has been used, in combination with thallium-201, to estimate the site and extent of myocardial infarcts. We report a case of acute myocardial infarction with severe coronary disease in which the distribution of 99mTc-PYP was extensive. A 78-year-old man presented with dyspnea, and a diagnosis of non-ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction was made. Emergency coronary angiography revealed total occlusion of the proximal portion of the right coronary artery and left circumflex coronary artery with collateral flow from the left anterior descending coronary artery, which also had severe stenoses. Given his comorbidities and preferences, subsequent angioplasty was waived. Dual myocardial scintigraphic imaging, which was performed four days after admission, demonstrated slightly reduced thallium-201 uptake in the inferior wall and apex, whereas 99mTc-PYP was positive in the entire left ventricular subendocardial region and the free wall of the right ventricle. His clinical course was uneventful with conservative treatment and the patient was discharged 20 days after admission in a stable condition.

Therapeutic Angiogenesis Using Bone Marrow-Derived Mononuclear Cell Implantation for Patients With Critical Limb-Threatening Ischemia Caused by Thromboangiitis Obliterans　- Study Protocol for a Multicenter Prospective Interventional Trial.

Background: Patients with thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO) can develop critical limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) and require limb amputation. Smoking cessation and exercise therapy are recommended as standard treatments, and revascularization by bypass surgery or endovascular therapy (EVT) is required for patients with CLTI. However, there are many cases in which revascularization is difficult because of vascular characteristics, and the patency rate after revascularization remains unsatisfactory. Therapeutic angiogenesis using bone marrow-derived mononuclear cell (BM-MNC) implantation is used clinically, with many trials demonstrating long-term efficacy and safety of the technique in patients with CLTI, especially that caused by TAO. To expand the use of BM-MNCs implantation in clinical practice, further evidence is required in patients with CLTI caused by TAO. Methods and Results: This trial is a multicenter, prospective, non-randomized interventional trial of an Advanced Medicine B treatment approach. We aim to enroll 25 patients aged 20-80 years with Fontaine classification Stage III or IV, who will undergo BM-MNC implantation. The primary endpoint is the improvement in skin perfusion pressure of the target limb 180 days after BM-MNC implantation, whereas secondary endpoints are improvements in rest pain or ulcer size. We will also investigate rates of major or minor amputation, survival, and adverse events during follow-up. Conclusions: BM-MNC implantation is expected to be an efficacious and feasible treatment for patients with CLTI caused by TAO.

Ventricular late potentials and myocardial fibrosis in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

AIMS: Ventricular late potentials (VLPs) represent delayed conduction due in part to myocardial fibrosis. We sought to examine the relationship of signal-averaged electrocardiography findings with myocardial fibrosis as assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). METHODS: This study consisted of 41 HCM patients with sinus rhythm who had undergone risk assessment including CMR and signal-averaged electrocardiography such as VLPs, filtered QRS duration, low amplitude signal duration of the terminal filtered QRS below 40 µV (LAS), and root mean square voltage of the late 40 ms of the filtered QRS (RMS). The concordance rate between VLPs and myocardial fibrosis as assessed by CMR was examined. RESULTS: Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on CMR was detected in 13 patients, and VLPs were detected in 14. Filtered QRS duration, LAS, RMS, and VLPs were not associated with LGE. The results of LGE and VLPs were concordant in 26 patients, whereas 15 exhibited discordance. Patients with discordance had a higher maximum wall thickness (24.1 ±â€¯4.0 mm versus 21.0 ±â€¯5.9 mm, p < 0.05), higher LGE volume (2.3 ±â€¯1.2 g/cm versus 0.0 ±â€¯0.8 g/cm, p < 0.01), lower LGE volume/the total number of sites with LGE (1.5 ±â€¯0.7 versus 3.1 ±â€¯2.8, p < 0.01), and predominant LGE location of the interventricular septum and anterior wall (60% versus 8%, p < 0.01) than patients with concordance. CONCLUSION: VLPs were not a reliable marker for the detection of myocardial fibrosis as assessed by LGE on CMR in our cohort of patients with HCM. CONDENSED ABSTRACT: Ventricular late potentials on signal-averaged electrocardiography represent delayed conduction due in part to myocardial fibrosis but were not an alternative to cardiac magnetic resonance for detecting myocardial fibrosis in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Electrocardiographic changes as a marker of improved subendocardial ischemia in a patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients sometimes develop subendocardial ischemia without coronary artery stenosis. We report a case of non-obstructive HCM, in which electrocardiographic changes were observed with improvement of subendocardial ischemia. A 76-year-old man presented with chest pain on exertion. The electrocardiogram revealed left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy with repolarization abnormalities. No coronary stenosis was found on computed tomography angiography, but thallium-201 exercise scintigraphy revealed transient LV cavity dilation after exercise, consistent with subendocardial ischemia. His chest symptoms disappeared after starting verapamil. Transient LV cavity dilation improved without a reduction in exercise tolerance, as did electrocardiographic abnormalities without any changes on echocardiography.

Antihypertensive Efficacy of the Direct Renin Inhibitor Aliskiren as Add-on Therapy in Patients with Poorly Controlled Hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: A direct renin inhibitor, aliskiren, has a longer stable antihypertensive effect compared with other renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors. METHODS: This study was a 6-month, single-center, open trial conducted between December 2010 and November 2011 to assess the antihypertensive effect of adding aliskiren (300 mg) to the treatment of essential hypertension patients whose target blood pressure (BP) had not been achieved and to assess whether it was possible to reduce the amount of antihypertensive drugs used. RESULTS: The results showed an overall improvement in the target BP achievement rate of 60% for clinic BP and 52% for home BP measurements (75 cases total). The mean number of drugs before treatment with aliskiren was 3.28±1.52, whereas at the end of the six months the mean number of drugs prescribed other than aliskiren was 2.85±1.72 (p<0.0001). Moreover, no worsening of the renal function was observed in patients with diabetes or chronic kidney disease (CKD) who were being treated with other RAAS inhibitors in combination to aliskiren. CONCLUSION: These results showed that when aliskiren was added to the treatment of poorly controlled hypertension, the BP achievement rate increased, and it was possible to reduce the amount of antihypertensive drugs used in combination with aliskiren. Moreover, as a result of careful monitoring of the renal function or decreasing the amounts of drugs used in combination, no worsening of the renal function was observed even in the cases complicated by diabetes or CKD being treated with other RAAS inhibitors.

Development of a model for prediction of coronary atherosclerotic regression: evaluation of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level and peripheral blood monocyte count.

Monocytes and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) play important roles in the process of coronary atherosclerosis. We hypothesized that a reasonable predictive model of coronary plaque regression might be constructed using the change in the peripheral monocyte count and the serum HDL-C level. The plaque volume, as assessed by volumetric intravascular ultrasound, was measured at the baseline and after 6 months of pravastatin therapy in 114 patients with coronary artery disease. After 6 months of pravastatin therapy, a significant decrease of the plaque volume by 9.9% (p < 0.0001, vs. baseline) was observed; furthermore, a corresponding increase of the serum HDL-C level and decrease of the peripheral blood monocyte count were also seen (12.5%, p < 0.01 and -7.3%, p < 0.0001). In a multivariate regression analysis using the serum lipids and traditional risk factors as the covariates, the increase in the serum HDL-C (ß -0.56, p < 0.0001) and the decrease in monocyte count (ß 0.23, p = 0.03) were identified as independent predictors of the plaque regression. A model for the prediction of plaque regression according to whether the achieved the change in (Δ) monocyte count and ΔHDL-C were above or below the median values was prepared. Among the four groups, the group with ΔHDL-C ≥8.8% and Δmonocyte count ≤-8.6% showed the largest plaque regression (-20.4%), and the group with ΔHDL-C <8.8% and Δmonocyte count >-8.6% showed the increase of the plaque volume (2.6%). In view of the inflammatory nature of atherosclerosis, the model constructed using the two predictors may be a useful model for the prediction of plaque regression.

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol/apolipoprotein B ratio may be a useful index that differs in statin-treated patients with and without coronary artery disease: a case control study.

Low density lipoproteins (LDLs) are heterogeneous aggregations of molecules of different particle sizes, and small-size LDLs are more potent risk factors for atherosclerosis. We examined the qualitative characteristics of LDLs in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) receiving statin therapy. LDL-particle size was estimated based on the LDL-cholesterol/apolipoprotein B ratio (LDL-C/apoB) in 214 age-adjusted men receiving statin therapy. The LDL-C/apoB ratio was significantly lower in the CAD (+) group (n = 107) than in the CAD (-) group (n = 107) (median, 1.17 versus 1.19, P = 0.0095). LDL-C/apoB was significantly lower in patients with serum TG ≥ 150 mg/dL than in those with serum TG < 150 mg/dL, and in patients with serum HDL-C < 40 mg/dL than in those with serum HDL-C ≥ 40 mg/dL (1.06 versus 1.18, P = 0.012; 1.08 versus 1.22, P = 0.0023). Stepwise logistic regression analysis revealed that elevated serum TG was an independent predictor for smaller sizes of LDLs, both in the overall subjects (ß : -0.165, P = 0.02) as well as in the subset with serum LDL-C < 100 mg/dL (ß : -0.252, P = 0.011). This study demonstrated that not only the absolute serum LDL-C level, but also the qualitative characteristics of LDL may be monitored for secondary prevention of CAD. Such monitoring is particularly important in patients with elevated serum TG levels, which is associated with smaller sizes of LDL-particles.

Coronary plaque regression and lifestyle modification in patients treated with pravastatin. - Assessment mainly by daily aerobic exercise and an increase in the serum level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol -.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of lifestyle modification, mainly daily aerobic exercise, on coronary atherosclerosis in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS AND RESULTS: A 6-month prospective observational study was conducted with 84 CAD patients receiving pravastatin treatment in order to evaluate the relationship between lifestyle modification, in particular aerobic exercise, and plaque volume as assessed by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). Lifestyle during the study period was assessed by the-lifestyle modification score. A significant decrease in plaque volume by 12.9% was observed after 6 months of pravastatin therapy (P<0.0001 vs baseline). The change in plaque volume correlated with the change in the serum level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (r=-0.549, P<0.0001), non-HDL-C (r=0.248, P=0.03), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol/HDL-C (r=0.505, P<0.0001), apolipoprotein (apo) A-1 (r=-0.335, P=0.007) and apoB/apoA-1 (r=0.335, P=0.007), and lifestyle modification score (r=-0.616, P<0.0001). There was a clear positive correlation between a change in the serum HDL-C level and lifestyle modification score. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that the increase in serum HDL-C level and lifestyle modification score were independent predictors of coronary plaque regression. CONCLUSIONS: An appropriate combination of statin therapy and lifestyle modification, in particular, physical activity, may result in coronary plaque regression. This combined treatment strategy, inducing an increase of the serum HDL-C, may contribute to coronary plaque regression.

Relation of change in apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A-I ratio to coronary plaque regression after Pravastatin treatment in patients with coronary artery disease.

Some investigations have looked into the ability of measurements of apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A-I (apoB/apoA-I) ratio to predict cardiovascular events. We hypothesized that a decrease in the apoB/apoA-1 ratio by statin therapy would act on suppression of coronary plaque progression. A 6-month prospective study was conducted of 64 patients with coronary artery disease treated with pravastatin. The plaque volume, assessed by volumetric intravascular ultrasonography, had decreased significantly by 12.6% (p <0.0001 vs baseline). Although a significant decrease of 6.4% and 14.6% was found in the serum level of apoB and the apoB/apoA-1 ratio (p = 0.0001 and p <0.0001, respectively, vs baseline), a significant increase of 14.0% of and 12.0% in the level of apoA-I and apoA-II (both p <0.0001 vs baseline). No significant changes were found in the level of apoC-II or apoE. A stepwise regression analysis revealed that the change in the apoB/apoA-1 ratio was an independent predictor of the change in coronary plaque volume (beta coefficient 0.386; p = 0.0023). In conclusion, our results have indicated that the decrease in the apoB/apoA-I ratio is a simple predictor for coronary atherosclerotic regression: the lower the apoB/apoA-I ratio, the lower the risk of coronary atherosclerosis.

Association of leukocyte subtype counts with coronary atherosclerotic regression following pravastatin treatment.

The purpose of this study was to clarify the relation between differential leukocyte counts and inhibition of the development of coronary atherosclerosis in patients with coronary artery disease. A 6-month prospective study was conducted in 84 patients treated with pravastatin. Plaque volume, as assessed by volumetric analysis using intravascular ultrasound, decreased significantly by 12.6% (p <0.0001 vs baseline) after treatment; furthermore, a corresponding decrease of total leukocyte count (8.9%, p <0.01 vs baseline) was seen. Change in plaque volume was correlated with changes in monocyte (r = 0.35, p = 0.002) and lymphocyte (r = 0.25, p = 0.03) counts but not with changes in neutrophil, eosinophil, or basophil counts. In a multivariate regression analysis with changes in serum lipids, traditional risk factors, and medications as covariates, the decrease in monocyte count was identified as an independent predictor of coronary plaque regression (beta coefficient 0.313, 95% confidence interval 0.089 to 0.353, p = 0.0014). No correlation was found between change in monocyte count and changes in any other lipid levels. This study demonstrated that monocyte count was the only leukocyte type significantly and independently associated with coronary atherosclerotic regression, even after adjustment for changes in any lipid levels. In conclusion, the decrease in monocyte count as a nonlipid-lowering effect of statins may be used as a novel marker of coronary atherosclerotic regression.

Association of body mass index with coronary plaque regression: 6-month prospective study.

AIM: Obesity is a well known strong risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD). We prospectively investigated the influence of body mass index (BMI) on the inhibitory effects of pravastatin against the development of coronary atherosclerosis. METHODS: In 56 patients with stable CAD, 3-dimensional intravascular ultrasound was performed in matched coronary segments at the baseline and after 6-month treatment with pravastatin. RESULTS: The plaque volume was significantly reduced by 11% after treatment (p<0.001 vs. baseline). The percent plaque volume was positively correlated with the baseline BMI (r=0.37, p<0.001), and negatively correlated with the serum total cholesterol / high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (r=0.27, p<0.05) and total leukocyte count (r=0.27, p<0.05). Multivariate regression analysis showed that BMI was an independent predictor of the change in plaque volume (beta coefficient: 0.326; 95% CI: 0.003 to 0.037; p<0.05). No correlations were found between BMI and changes in the serum levels of any other lipids, apolipoproteins, or hs-CRP. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated that an increase in BMI attenuated pravastatin-induced coronary atherosclerosis regression. The results may provide new insight into the framework for the treatment of obese patients with CAD.