Lipid Association of India 2023 update on cardiovascular risk assessment and lipid management in Indian patients: Consensus statement IV.

OBJECTIVE: In 2016, the Lipid Association of India (LAI) developed a cardiovascular risk assessment algorithm and defined low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) goals for prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in Indians. The recent refinements in the role of various risk factors and subclinical atherosclerosis in prediction of ASCVD risk necessitated updating the risk algorithm and treatment goals. METHODS: The LAI core committee held twenty-one meetings and webinars from June 2022 to July 2023 with experts across India and critically reviewed the latest evidence regarding the strategies for ASCVD risk prediction and the benefits and modalities for intensive lipid lowering. Based on the expert consensus and extensive review of published data, consensus statement IV was commissioned. RESULTS: The young age of onset and a more aggressive nature of ASCVD in Indians necessitates emphasis on lifetime ASCVD risk instead of the conventional 10-year risk. It also demands early institution of aggressive preventive measures to protect the young population prior to development of ASCVD events. Wide availability and low cost of statins in India enable implementation of effective LDL-C lowering therapy in individuals at high risk of ASCVD. Subjects with any evidence of subclinical atherosclerosis are likely to benefit the most from early aggressive interventions. CONCLUSIONS: This document presents the updated risk stratification and treatment algorithm and describes the rationale for each modification. The intent of these updated recommendations is to modernize management of dyslipidemia in Indian patients with the goal of reducing the epidemic of ASCVD among Indians in Asia and worldwide.

Novel use of intravascular lithotripsy for coral reef aorta: a case report.

BACKGROUND: The coral reef aorta (CRA) is a rare disease of extreme calcification in the juxtarenal aorta. These heavily calcified exophytic plaques grow into the lumen and can cause significant stenoses, leading to visceral ischaemia, renovascular hypertension, and claudication. Surgery or percutaneous intervention with stenting carries a high risk of complications and mortality. CASE SUMMARY: A 67-year-old female had presented with severe hypertension and exercise limiting claudication for 18 months. On evaluation, she was found to have severe bilateral renal artery stenoses with juxtarenal CRA causing subtotal occlusion. Both renal arteries were stented. For CRA, we used intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) assisted plain balloon angioplasty to minimize possibilities of major dissection and perforation and avoided chimney stent-grafts required to protect visceral and renal arteries. We used a double-balloon technique using a 6 × 60 mm IVL Shockwave M5 catheter and a 9 × 30 mm simple peripheral balloon catheter, inflated simultaneously at the site of CRA as parallel, hugging balloons to have an effective delivery of IVL. Shockwaves were given in juxta/infrarenal aorta to have satisfactory dilatation without any complication. The gradient across aortic narrowing reduced from 80 to 4 mmHg. She had an uneventful recovery and has remained asymptomatic at 6-month follow-up. DISCUSSION: When CRA is juxtarenal with no safe landing zones for stent-grafts, IVL may be a safe, less complex and effective alternative to the use of juxtarenal aortic stent-graft with multiple chimney or snorkel stent-grafts. This is the first report of a novel use of IVL to treat CRA.

Nature Decides Survival: Primary Angioplasty in Congenitally Corrected Transposition of Great Arteries at 76 Years of Age.

A 76-year-old man with congenitally corrected transposition of great arteries (CCTGA) presented with acute inferior wall myocardial infarction and underwent primary angioplasty. Coronary anatomic variations and challenges are discussed. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).

Ovalum CiTop Expander: a novel guidewire for crossing coronary chronic total occlusions--first-in-man (FIM) experience.

AIMS: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the CiTop Expander guidewire in attempting to cross through chronic total occlusion in CAD patients with various coronary dimensions and morphology. Although chronic total occlusions are encountered frequently in patients with coronary artery disease, an effective strategy to deal with them has yet to be devised. Various new guidewires have been designed in an attempt to negotiate chronic occlusions successfully. The aim of the CiTop Expander guidewire is to improve the success rate of chronic total occlusion (CTO) recanalisation. METHODS AND RESULTS: Ten consecutive male or female patients between 21 and 80 years of age, with no significant comorbidities and with angiographic documented chronic total occlusion (> 1 month) showing distal TIMI flow 0, or a prior failed guidewire attempted CTO were included in the study. The endpoints analysed were technical success (crossing of CTO by placement of CiTop Expander distal to occlusion with no device related major complications), angiographic success (<20% residual stenosis and TIMI flow grade 3), and clinical success. The basic features of the novel guidewire and its assessment of compatibility with other cathlab equipments were also recorded. The mean (+/- SD) age of the all male patient group was 53.6+/-9 years. The mean (+/-SD) lesion diameter and length was 3.1+/-0.4 mm and 20.4+/-7.9 mm, respectively, while the mean (+/-SD) age of occlusion was 25.5+/-26.8 months. Technical and angiographic successes were obtained in seven patients (70%). No events were recorded within seven days and 30-days follow-up after discharge. CONCLUSIONS: The CiTop Expander guidewire was found to be efficacious and safe for use in recanalisation of chronically occluded coronary arteries in this initial experience.

Efficacy of PercuSurge in acute myocardial infarction patients undergoing revascularization with a special emphasis on procedural time.

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of the PercuSurge Guardwire(R) Plus Temporary Occlusion and Aspiration System, the actual procedural time involved and long-term follow-up in acute MI patients undergoing primary/rescue percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS & RESULTS: It was a single centred, prospective study in 67 prospective AMI patients undergoing PCI. They were divided randomly into two groups depending on whether PercuSurge was used (n=30) or not used (control n=37) during PCI. Final TIMI flow, TMP grade and the time involved in or necessary for various steps of the PCI were recorded. PercuSurge showed significantly greater achievement of TIMI III flow and TMP III grade (p<0.01). Its use was associated with less total procedural time (p<0.05). The time required from guidewire crossing to stent placement; from guidewire crossing to TIMI III flow and from predilatation/stent placement to optimal TIMI flow was significantly reduced with its use (p<0.05 for all). Slow/no-reflow was significantly reduced (p<0.001), thus reducing intracoronary vasodilators and GP IIb/IIIa antagonists requirements. A 2 years' follow-up revealed four deaths in control and one death in PercuSurge group. CONCLUSION: PercuSurge reduced the total procedural time with better and faster optimal TIMI flow and TMP grade in primary/rescue PCI and was associated with less long term events.

Intracoronary boluses of adenosine and sodium nitroprusside in combination reverses slow/no-reflow during angioplasty: a clinical scenario of ischemic preconditioning.

No or slow reflow following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), despite the presence of a patent epicardial vessel, is a serious complication resulting in increased morbidity and mortality. In the present study, we have evaluated the combination therapy of adenosine and sodium nitroprusside administered as sequential intracoronary (IC) boluses on no-reflow during PCI. Seventy-five high risk acute coronary syndrome patients who underwent PCI with evidence of initial less than TIMI (thrombolysis in myocardial infarction) III flow or developed deterioration in TIMI flow during the procedure were randomized to prophylactic administration of multiple boluses of IC saline solution, adenosine (12 microg/bolus) or the combination of adenosine (12 microg/bolus) and sodium nitroprusside (50 microg/bolus), sequentially. Assessment of TIMI and the TMP (tissue myocardial perfusion) grade was done and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were assessed at the end of 6 months. Slow or no-reflow was persistent in 70% patients receiving saline solution, 31% patients receiving adenosine, and 4% patient receiving the combination. IC injection with saline solution did not produce improvement in TIMI flow or TMP grade. IC injection with combination resulted in greater improvement of TIMI flow and TMP grade. The crossover of patients with no-reflow in saline solution group or adenosine with combination treatment was associated with reestablishment of TIMI II in 4 and TIMI III in 20 patients. Our data suggest that combination therapy of adenosine and nitroprusside is safe and provides better improvement in coronary flow and MACE as compared with IC adenosine alone in cases of impaired flow during coronary interventions.

Beneficial effects of the addition of fenofibrate to statin therapy in patients with acute coronary syndrome after percutaneous coronary interventions.

OBJECTIVE: To find out whether the addition of fenofibrate to statin monotherapy produced any synergistic or additive beneficial effects in reducing risk factors, especially plasma fibrinogen, in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) requiring percutaneous coronary interventions. METHODS: A randomized, non-blinded, prospective study with parallel group design. One hundred two ACS patients who underwent angioplasty were randomly assigned to atorvastatin (20 mg/day, n=25), simvastatin (40 mg/day, n=27), atorvastatin-fenofibrate (10 mg/day-200 mg/day) combination (n=25) or simvastatin-fenofibrate (20 mg/day-200 mg/day) combination (n=25). The serum lipid profile and plasma fibrinogen were recorded before initiation of therapy and after three months of the respective treatments. RESULTS: All patients already had desirable lipid levels as per the National Cholesterol Education Program - Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines. The addition of fenofibrate to statin monotherapy produced further benefits to the reduction in triglyceride and very low-density lipoprotein levels, and caused an increase in high-density lipoprotein levels. All the treatment groups showed a significant decrease in the plasma fibrinogen levels. Plasma fibrinogen did not correlate with study parameters such as age, body weight, hemo-dynamic characteristics and lipoprotein levels. Statin monotherapy as well as its combination with fenofibrate produced a significant decrease in the fibrinogen levels. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of fenofibrate to statins seems to be beneficial in patients with ACS. Statins decreased plasma fibrinogen significantly, contrary to results from various reports, and the addition of fenofibrate further enhanced this reduction of the novel risk factor fibrinogen.