[Percutaneous closure of three septal defects by two Amplatz occluders implanted during the same procedure]. / Fermeture percutanée de 3 communications interauriculaires par 2 dispositifs d'Amplatz implantés au cours d'un même cathétérisme.

Multiple atrial septal defects can be closed by interventional catheterisation. The procedure requires an accurate morphological evaluation: number of defects, distance from their edges to the main cardiac structures, resistance of the septum. The authors report the case of a 63 year old woman presenting with cardiac failure in whom 3 atrial septal defects were diagnosed. All 3 defects were successfully closed by the implantation of two Amplatz devices. Control echocardiography at 6 months showed the occluders in a normal position with no residual shunt and the patient was asymptomatic.

[Cardiac asystole during acute anterior myocardial infarction: a consequence of endocardiac reflexes]. / Asystolie en phase aiguë d'infarctus du myocarde antéroseptal: une manifestation de la mise en jeu de réflexes endocardiaques.

The authors report a case of paroxysmal, complete atrioventricular block during an anterior acute myocardial infarction, leading to asystolia. The different possible physiopathological mechanisms are discussed, suggesting a paroxysmal nodal conduction defect, secondary to transient parasympathetic stimulation, triggered by a Bezold-Jarish type of cardiac reflex. This reflex is frequently involved in various pathologic situations or diagnostic procedures, usual in cardiology. Although it is frequently observed in inferior myocardial infarction, it can occur during an anterior acute myocardial infarction.

[Myocardial infarction in a young female smoker taking oral contraception]. / Infarctus du myocarde chez une jeune femme fumeuse sous contraception orale.

A 33 year old woman suffered a lateral myocardial infarction for the first time, and was treated by pre-hospital thrombolysis and secondary angioplasty on the diagonal artery. Fifteen days before the cardiac event she had undergone a left ovarian cyst excision and left salpingectomy for an ectopic pregnancy. She was a moderate smoker and had been taking a second-generation biphasic minidose oral contraceptive (ethinyl-estradiol 30-40mg and levonorgestrel 150-200 mg) for about ten years. Fifteen days before the myocardial infarction and due to the ectopic pregnancy she had changed to a combined monophasic minidose oral contraceptive pill containing ethinylestradiol (30 mg) and drospirenone (3 mg). The eventual outcome was favourable, with no complications. In this article we discuss the possible implications of the various factors (oral contraceptive, tobacco use, and surgical intervention) in this young woman with a myocardial infarction.

[Prescriptions following acute coronary syndrome]. / Ordonnance de sortie après syndrome coronaire aigu.

Each year in France, 150,000 to 180,000 new patients are the subject of prescriptions following acute coronary syndrome with or without ST segment elevation. There are two targets of the treatment, atherosclerosis, a diffuse, evolving trouble which, in this situation, is coming out of an unstable phase, and the myocardium, which has often been revascularised and has suffered deterioration of its contractile and electrophysiological characteristics to a greater or lesser extent. Prescriptions, based on proven factors and always centred on hygiene and dietary advice and the use of a combination of statins and aspirin, are adapted to suit the atherosclerotic and myocardial risk assessed for the individual patient. The prescription starts off the secondary preventive phase. It marks the first stage of the follow up, which is inevitable though of variable duration, for a disease which may evolve. It is the first step in the accompaniment of an attentive, informed patient whose confidence has been restored and who must now avoid falling into the double trap of not taking the treatment sufficiently seriously or of obsessively over-reacting.

[Cardiac cellular therapy: from cells to the first clinical uses]. / Thérapie cellulaire cardiaque: des cellules aux premières indications cliniques.

Despite the improvement in revascularisation techniques, coronary artery disease remains the principal aetiology of cardiac failure in developed countries. The therapeutic management of cardiac failure has been improved over recent years, yet cardiac failure is still associated with significant morbidity and mortality. As cardiac transplantation lacks donors, techniques that allow myocardial regeneration represent an attractive alternative. To date, several types of cells are under study and are suitable for implantation into infarcted myocardium (myoblasts, medullary stem cells...). Following good preclinical study results, the first human cell therapy trials, using the intramyocardial route, have begun, in the course of aorto-coronary bypass surgery in patients with chronic ischaemic cardiopathy and little altered left ventricular function, and then in those with ventricular dysfunction. Different modes of administration of these cell therapy products are under study and could be envisaged in clinical situations such as just after infarction in order to improve ventricular remodelling with an intracoronary injection technique. As for every new treatment, there are numerous problems to resolve, from understanding the relevant mechanisms of cellular transplantation, to the secondary effects that it could entail. Nevertheless, cardiac cellular transplantation is expanding rapidly and with the evolution of techniques it allows a glimpse of a new field of treatment for cardiac failure.

[Long-term follow-up after primary angioplasty: is stenting beneficial?]. / Angioplastie primaire a long-terme: quel bénéfice des endoprothèses?

BACKGROUND: Primary stenting leads to a better short-term outcome than balloon angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction in randomised trials. However few data are available about the long-term outcome of primary stenting in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare the three-year outcome after primary stenting versus balloon angioplasty in patients with acute myocardial infarction. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study including 157 patients with AMI in a single center. Patients underwent balloon angioplasty (N = 48) or primary stenting (N = 109) within six hours after the onset of chest pain. We looked at the outcome during three years focusing on global mortality, major adverse cardiac events (MACE), reinterventions and target vessel revascularization (TVR). RESULTS: The two groups are similar for their baseline characteristics. No difference was noted for in-patient mortality in the balloon angioplasty group and the primary stenting group (2.1 vs 2.8%; P = ns). The three-year mortality was not significantly different in the two groups. Regarding MACE (27.8 vs 31.7; P = 0.95), reinterventions (20.4 vs 24.7%; P = 0.98) and TVR (18.6 vs 17.8%; P = 0.69), both groups were statistically not different. CONCLUSION: In the long-term patients treated with stent placement have similar rates of MACE, reinterventions or TVR than patients undergoing balloon angioplasty. If few studies noted a benefit in short-term outcomes, primary stenting doesn't improve the prognosis of acute myocardial infarction on long-term follow-up, which is dependent on atherosclerosis.

[Prognosis scores to help revascularization for ischemic heart failure]. / Scores pronostiques pour la revascularisation des myocardiopathies ischémiques.

AIMS: Patients suffering from coronary heart disease with ventricular systolic dysfunction present a bad prognosis and should be potentially revascularized. Up to now, surgery appeared to be the most feasible revascularization technique for such patients. Aims of this study were to assess the influence of different treatments (surgery, angioplasty or exclusively medical treatment) on clinical outcome and to establish a prognostic score practitioners to select the most appropriate therapy adapted to their patient profiles. METHOD: From 1995 to 2000, 492 patients were included in this cohort: 365 in the angioplasty group, 96 in the surgical group and 31 in the medical group. Kaplan Meier curves were made with a multivariate analysis to determine the significant predictive factors of mortality and major adverse cardiac events. RESULTS: After a mean follow-up of 32 +/- 19 months, there was no statistical difference in mortality rate between the groups. However, the survival rate without MACE is higher in the surgical group, intermediate in the angioplasty group and lower in the medical group. Using the significant predictive factors of MACE in multivariate analysis, a prognostic score has been established in order to discriminate three categories of severity. For each category, angioplasty was compared with surgery in terms of the event-free-survival rate. For the two extreme categories (severe and non-severe), both treatments were equal. For the intermediate category, surgery obtained greater results. CONCLUSION: This prognostic score could help physicians in choosing the appropriate revascularization technique to treat patients with severe ischemic heart failure.

Pre-hospital fibrinolysis followed by angioplasty or primary angioplasty in acute myocardial infarction: the long-term clinical outcome.

BACKGROUND: Randomized trials comparing primary angioplasty and in-hospital fibrinolysis in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have shown an advantage for primary angioplasty. The long-term follow-up of pre-hospital fibrinolysis followed by elective or rescue coronary angioplasty versus primary angioplasty is not well established after acute myocardial infarction. This study sought to assess the long-term clinical outcome of patients with AMI having either received pre-hospital fibrinolysis optimized by coronary angioplasty or primary angioplasty. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis involving 318 patients who either underwent primary angioplasty ( n = 157) or received pre-hospital fibrinolysis followed by an angioplasty (rescue or elective) ( n = 161) within 6 hours of the onset of chest pain. RESULTS: The groups were similar regarding their baseline characteristics except for the ages. No difference was noted for in-hospital mortality (primary PTCA group: 2.48%, combined group: 2.54%; p = ns) with no increased risk of hemorrhage. The 3-year mortality was not significantly different in the two groups (9.7% vs. 4.9%; p = 0.15). Regarding major adverse cardiac events (29.5% vs. 37.5%; p = 0.23), reintervention (22.5% vs. 23.2%; p = 0.99) or target lesion revascularization (16.1% vs. 14.7%; p = 0.68), the groups were statistically similar. CONCLUSION: These data from real-life practice emphasize the safety and similar benefits on the long-term clinical outcome of AMI patients having undergone either pre-hospital fibrinolysis followed by angioplasty or primary angioplasty.

[Effects of bradykinin in the cardiovascular effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors]. / Effets de la bradykinine dans les effets cardiovasculaires des inhibiteurs de l'enzyme de conversion.

The role of bradykinin in the cardiovascular effects of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors remains difficult to establish. On their haemodynamic effects, bradykinin acts during their acute administration, participating in their vasodilatation action, while during their chronic administration they act slightly or not at all. On their trophic effects, the action of the tissue kallikrein-kinin system, suggested by the results of animal experimentation, is yet to be demonstrated in man. For their effects on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality the role of bradykinin remains under discussion. Nevertheless, besides ACE inhibitors, the other therapeutic agents which increase the levels of bradykinin, such as neutral endopeptidase inhibitors, have a significant field of development in the course of cardiovascular pathologies.

[Prognostic value of the assessment of ischemic status at admission to the coronary care unit after pre-hospital thrombolysis]. / Intérêt pronostique de l'évaluation du statut ischémique à l'arrivée en USIC après une thrombolyse préhospitalière.

The object of this study was to assess and analyse TIMI (Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction) grade and secondary major cardiac events of patients with acute myocardial infarction benefiting from pre-hospital thrombolysis according to their predefined clinical and electrical "ischaemic status" (Active, Inactive, Intermediate) on admission to the coronary care unit and at the end of thrombolysis (90th minute). This single centre study was undertaken from March 1994 to August 1999 on 161 patients treated by thrombolysis by the emergency ambulance service for acute myocardial infarction (< or = 6 hours). The mean age was 56.2 +/- 11.3 years with 8.7% of women. On admission to the coronary care unit. 30.8% were classified as Inactive and 51.6% as Active. At the end of thrombolysis, 62.3% were classified as Inactive and 27.7% as Active. Nearly 93% of TIMI 3 flow was observed in Inactive patients at the 90th minute and 76.7% of TIMI < or = 2 flow in Active patients (p < 0.0001). Global hospital mortality was 2.48% but it was zero in the Inactive group at the end of thrombolysis. With an average follow-up of 26.9 +/- 15.8 months, the incidence of major cardiac events was 34.1%, including 16.1% of revascularisation of the target lesion. In multivariate analysis, predictive factors for TIMI < or = 2 at the end of thrombolysis included persistent pain, the number of leads with ST elevation and the absence of regression of ST elevation on admission to the coronary care unit. The only predictive factor for secondary major cardiac events was persistent ST elevation at the 90th minute of thrombolysis.

[Holter EKG for the hypertensive heart disease]. / Intérêt du holter ECG dans la surveillance de la cardiopathie hypertensive.

During chronic mechanical overload induced by hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy predisposes to atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. Atrial arrhythmias, mainly atrial fibrillation, decrease cardiac output and increase the risk of embolism whereas ventricular arrhythmias remain the major cause of sudden death. In hypertensive patients, Holter EKG recordings frequently detect atrial or ventricular premature beats and more rarely atrial or ventricular tachycardia. In these patients, the presence of non-sustained ventricular tachycardia is considered as an independent predictor of mortality. Moreover, this non invasive method through the assessment of heart rate variability allows the study of the autonomic control of the heart, known to modulate occurrence of arrhythmias.

[Left ventricular hypertrophy and sinus variability in arterial hypertension]. / Hypertrophie ventriculaire gauche et variabilité sinusale au cours de l'hypertension artérielle.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies of heart rate variability (HRV) in systemic hypertension have yielded conflicting results. We sought to assess the alterations of HRV in hypertensive patients with or without left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). METHODS: 195 hypertensive patients in sinus rhythm, mean age 53 +/- 11 years, without diabetes mellitus, nor symptomatic coronary disease or systolic dysfunction, were prospectively enrolled. Echocardiographic examination allowed their subdivision in 3 groups: normal geometry (112), concentric remodeling (43) and LVH (40). Time and frequency domain measures of HRV were obtained from 24 h Holter ECG recordings in all patients as in 40 control subjects. RESULTS: In comparison with control subjects, the 3 hypertensive groups presented a significant decrease of SDNN and total frequency power both indexes of global HRV; a significant decrease of pNN50 and high frequency power, indexes of HRV reflecting parasympathetic tone, and a significant decrease of SDANN and low frequency power, indexes reflecting sympathetic modulation of HRV. Comparisons among the three hypertensive groups showed that patients with LVH had significantly (p < 0.05) lower low frequency power (5.5 +/- 1.0 Ln m2) than patients with left ventricular normal geometry (5.9 +/- 0.8 Ln m2) or concentric remodeling (5.9 +/- 0.9 Ln m2). CONCLUSION: Assessment of HRV in hypertensive patients shows a constant decrease of parasympathetic indexes and a more markedly reduction of sympathetic parameters in presence of LVH.

Rehabilitation of patients with congestive heart failure with or without beta-blockade therapy.

BACKGROUND: Management of heart failure includes beta-blockade (betaB) therapy and cardiac rehabilitation. The aim of this study was to compare the exercise training response of patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) receiving betaB therapy with that of patients not receiving treatment. METHODS AND RESULTS: Thirty-four consecutive patients with CHF were included in a 4-week training program at their ventilatory threshold (VT); 6 patients received betaB treatment and 18 did not. The patients underwent a cardiopulmonary exercise test before and after training. Oxygen uptake (VO(2)) at peak exercise and at VT increased in both groups (P < or =.0001) without any significant differences between the groups. The same results were found after adjustment to ejection fraction and VO(2) at the start of the training program. There was no difference in VT improvement, measured as a percentage of utilization of maximal oxygen uptake, between the groups. After training, heart rate and ventilation decreased (P < or =.0001) at submaximal levels in both groups without significant differences between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: betaB therapy does not impair functional improvement induced by a rehabilitation program in patients with CHF. betaB therapy does not interfere with exercise training prescription if patient exercise evaluations are made at the time of therapeutic intake.

[Atrial flutter: a possible early sign of acute rejection in heart transplantation. A case report]. / Le flutter atrial: un témoin précoce possible du rejet aigu chez le transplanté cardiaque. A propos d'une observation.

The authors report the case of a cardiac transplant patient with a recurrence of atrial flutter two months after electrical cardioversion and despite long-term preventive treatment with amiodarone. Early investigation for signs of rejection with 4 endomyocardial biopsies was negative. Aggravation of the haemodynamic status due to flutter with a rapid ventricular response led to an attempted radio-frequency ablation. Endocavitary mapping confirmed persistence of sinus activity in the native atrium and the presence of a circuit of type I isthmic flutter (anticlockwise circuit) in the donor atrium. Ablation by radio-frequency in the same procedure was successful. A fifth myocardial biopsy the same day finally confirmed stage 3A acute rejection. No signs of recurrent rejection or arrhythmia have been observed after 24 months' follow-up in this patient. This preliminary experience confirms the need to look for graft rejection by repeated myocardial biopsies in cardiac transplant, patients with atrial flutter and the efficacy of radio-frequency ablation in cases of resistance to conventional therapy.

Prognostic value of heart rate variability in time domain analysis in congestive heart failure.

AIMS: Analysis of heart rate variability is a noninvasive tool that allows to study autonomic control of the heart. Several studies have shown disturbed heart rate variability in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). We sought to assess the prognostic value of time domain measures of heart rate variability in CHF. METHODS AND RESULTS: We prospectively enrolled 190 patients with CHF in sinus rhythm, mean age 61+/-12 years, 109 (57.4 %) in NYHA class II and 81 (42.6 %) in class III or IV, mean cardiothoracic ratio 57.6+/-6.4 % and mean left ventricular ejection fraction 28.2+/-8.8 %, 85 (45 %) with ischemic and 105 (55 %) with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. Time domain measures of heart rate variability were obtained from 24 h Holter ECG recordings. During follow-up (22+/-18 months), 55 patients died. In multivariate analysis, independent predictors for all-cause mortality were: ischemic heart disease, cardiothoracic ratio > or =60 % and standard deviation of all normal RR intervals <67 ms (RR=2.5, 95 % CI 1.5--4.2). CONCLUSIONS: Depressed heart rate variability has independent prognostic value in patients with CHF.

[Prophylactic value of automatic implantable defibrillators: a case report of a patient with asymptomatic Brugada syndrome]. / Intérêt prophylactique du défibrillateur automatique implantable: à propos d'une observation de patient ayant un syndrome de Brugada asymptomatique.

The authors report the case of an asymptomatic 32 year old man with no family history of sudden death but with ECG changes suggesting Brugada's syndrome. He underwent implantation of an automatic defibrillator after inducible syncope ventricular fibrillation had been demonstrated during electrophysiological investigation. The later occurrence of three episodes of ventricular fibrillation treated by the defibrillator confirmed a posteriori the logic of this therapeutic approach.

[Atherosclerosis--the role of nitric oxide]. / Athérosclérose: le rôle du monoxyde d'azote (NO).

ATHEROSCLEROSIS: Currently regarded as a multifactorial disease, atherosclerosis involves several factor including: oxidized LDL, endothelial cells, macrophages, immune cells, vascular smooth muscle cells. The endothelium appears to play a key role through the production of vasomotor, antiaggregate and leukocyte antiadhesion molecules. NITRIC OXIDE: NO is one of the most important mediators of endothelial antiatherothrombotic functions. Loss of endothelial production, called "endothelial dysfunction", i.e. loss of endothelial vasorelaxing, antiaggregate and leukocyte antiadhesion properties, could lead to increased fatty streak formation and acute arterial events (thrombus formation, vascular spasm). ANIMAL EXPERIMENTS: Although animal models strongly suggest a major role for NO in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis, human studies with nitrates have been disappointing to date. The local effect of NO is probably closely adapted to local conditions. Therefore, massive delivery of NO as is achieved with nitrates could not repair endothelial dysfunction.

[Utilization of heart rate at the ventilatory threshold for the prescription of intensity of exercise training in cardiac failure]. / Utilisation de la fréquence cardiaque au seuil ventilatoire dans la prescription des intensités d'entraînement à l'effort chez l'insuffisant cardiaque.

Physical exercise is a treatment for cardiac failure but a large range of intensities of exercise is proposed. The aims of this study were to determine the range of intensities of effort used and to individualize the intensities used. Thirty patients with stable cardiac failure (NYHA Classes II-III, age: 53 +/- 2.1 years, ejection fraction: 31 +/- 1.4%) underwent a cardiorespiratory exercise stress test before and after individualized training at the ventilatory threshold. However, before and after the training period, standard methods of calculation of the intensities at the ventilatory threshold showed individual differences greater than +/- 2 standard deviations, indicating different metabolic stimulations. After the individualized training programme, peak oxygen consumption on exercise (1679 +/- 100 vs 1487 +/- 89 ml.min-1, p = 0.0001) and at ventilatory threshold increased (1365 +/- 85 vs 1133 +/- 65 ml.min-1, p = 0.0001), the ventilatory threshold/peak exercise ratio increased (81.2 +/- 1.3 vs 76.7 +/- 1.4%, p = 0.0008), and there was a decrease in heart and ventilatory rates at submaximal metabolic levels (p = 0.0001). The authors conclude that protocols using intensity of effort at the ventilatory threshold give similar results with respect to improvement of aerobic capacity as other methods of indirect calculation, based on maximal heart rate of oxygen consumption. The value of this particular method lies in the adequation between aerobic capacity of the patient and the intensity of training. The results obtained attain the physiopathological aims of rehabilitation.

[Hyperinsulinism, heart rate variability and circadian variation of arterial pressure in obese hypertensive patients]. / Hyperinsulinisme, variabilité de la fréquence cardiaque et variation circadienne de la pression artérielle chez les sujets obèses hypertendus.

AIMS: During insulin resistance, sympathetic nerve activity is increased. However insulin resistance is a common feature of obesity and essential hypertension, it is unclear if chronic hyperinsulinemia per se contributes to sympathetic overactivation. The purpose of our study was to explore++ the relationships between chronic hyperinsulinemia and heart rate variability (HRV), a non-intensive tool to assess autonomic function, in obese and hypertensive subjects. METHODS: 24 hours Holter ECG for HRV time and frequency domain analysis was performed in 77 patients, mean age 53 +/- 10 years, 52 men and 25 women, free of diabetes, without beta-blockers, divided in four groups according to three parameters, body mass index (BMI > 27 kg/m2 in man and > 25 kg/m2 in woman defined obesity), arterial pressure and insulinemia (fasting insulinemia > 25 mUI/L defined hyperinsulinemia): 27 patients obese, hypertensive, with hyperinsulinemia; 28 patients obese, hypertensive, without hyperinsulinemia; 12 patients non obese, hypertensive, without hyperinsulinemia; 10 patients obese, normotensive, without hyperinsulinemia. RESULTS: In comparison with the three other groups, patients with hyperinsulinemia showed a significant decrease (p < 0.05) of SDNN and the power of total spectrum (0.01-1 Hz) band, which are indexes of global HRV, and a significant decrease (p < 0.005) of SD and the normalized power of the low frequency (0.04-0.15 Hz) band, both indexes reflecting sympathetic modulation of HRV. In contrast, no significant difference was observed between the four groups for indexes of HRV reflecting parasympathetic tone. These relations were independent of mean RR. Fasting insulinemia was significantly (p < 0.0001) related with HRV in time domain (SDNN; r = -0.43; SD: r = -0.49) and spectral domain (total spectrum: r = -0.49; low frequency: r = -0.52). CONCLUSION: Chronic hyperinsulinemia appears to be an important determinant of HRV, particularly for the indexes reflecting sympathetic influence, independent of obesity and hypertension.