Invasive Coronary Physiological Assessment in Symptomatic Middle-Aged Endurance Athletes

Despite the health benefits of routine exercise, coronary artery disease (CAD) is common among older competitive athletes and is an important cause of sudden cardiac death. Athletes with suspected or confirmed CAD routinely undergo conventional coronary angiography involving the performance of invasive coronary physiological assessment using the fractional flow reserve (FFR) or the instantaneous-wave free ratio (iFR). Data defining the role of invasive coronary physiological assessment, while robust in general clinical populations, are untested among older competitive athletes with CAD. The paper discusses the challenges and uncertainties surrounding the use of the FFR and iFR in this unique population with an emphasis on the need for future work to better define this approach

Effect of high-dose oral multivitamins and minerals in participants not treated with statins in the randomized Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT).

IMPORTANCE: In a prespecified subgroup analysis of participants not on statin therapy at baseline in the TACT, a high-dose complex oral multivitamins and multimineral regimen was found to have a large unexpected benefit compared with placebo. The regimen tested was substantially different from any vitamin regimen tested in prior clinical trials. OBJECTIVE: To explore these results, we performed detailed additional analyses of participants not on statins at enrollment in TACT. DESIGN: TACT was a factorial trial testing chelation treatments and a 28-component high-dose oral multivitamins and multiminerals regimen versus placebo in post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients 50 years or older. PARTICIPANTS: There were 460 (27%) of 1,708 TACT participants not taking statins at baseline, 224 (49%) were in the active vitamin group and 236 (51%) were in the placebo group. SETTING: Patients were enrolled at 134 sites around the United States and Canada. INTERVENTION: Daily high-dose oral multivitamins and multiminerals (6 tablets, active or placebo). MAIN OUTCOME: The primary end point of TACT was time to the first occurrence of any component of the composite end point: all-cause mortality, MI, stroke, coronary revascularization, or hospitalization for angina. RESULTS: The primary end point occurred in 137 nonstatin participants (30%), of which 51 (23%) of 224 were in the active group and 86 (36%) of 236 were taking placebo (hazard ratio, 0.62; 95% confidence interval, 0.44-0.87; P=.006). Results in the key TACT secondary end point, a combination of cardiovascular mortality, stroke, or recurrent MI, was consistent in favoring the active vitamin group (hazard ratio, 0.46; 95% confidence interval, 0.28-0.75; P=.002). Multiple end point analyses were consistent with these results. CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: High-dose oral multivitamin and multimineral supplementation seem to decrease combined cardiac events in a stable, post-MI population not taking statin therapy at baseline. These unexpected findings are being retested in the ongoing TACT2.

Edetate Disodium-Based Treatment for Secondary Prevention in Post-Myocardial Infarction Patients.

An abundance of data, known for decades, is available linking metals, such as lead and cadmium, with cardiovascular disease. However, the idea that these toxic metals could be a modifiable risk factor for atherosclerosis did not become apparent clinically until the completion of the Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy in 2012. This pivotal study was the first double-blind, randomized, controlled trial of its kind to demonstrate a clear improvement in cardiovascular outcomes with edetate disodium therapy in a secondary prevention, post-myocardial infarction population. This effect size was most striking in diabetic patients, where the efficacy of edetate disodium was comparable, if not superior, to that of current guideline-based therapies. Given the economic burden of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, the potential impact of this therapy could be enormous if the results of this study are replicated.

The use of nitrates in the prevention of contrast-induced nephropathy in patients hospitalized after undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality and effective strategies for its prevention are greatly needed. The purpose of this retrospective, single-center study was to investigate whether nitrate use during percutaneous coronary artery intervention reduces the incidence of CIN. Chart review of all individuals who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) from April 2010 to March 2011 was done. Included in the study were patients who were admitted to the hospital after percutaneous coronary artery intervention and had baseline and follow-up creatinine measured. Patients with end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis and those patients with insufficient information to calculate Mehran score were excluded. There were 199 patients who met the eligibility criteria for inclusion in this study. In the identified population, postprocedure renal function was compared between 112 patients who received nitrates prior to coronary intervention and 87 who did not. Baseline characteristics were similar between the 2 groups. Contrast-induced nephropathy was defined as either a 25% or a 0.5 mg/dL, or greater, increase in serum creatinine during the first 48 to 72 hours after contrast exposure. Overall, 43 (21.6%) patients developed CIN post-PCI. Of the patients who received nitrates, 15.2% developed renal impairment when compared to 29.9% in those who did not (odds ratio [OR] = 0.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.21-0.84, P = .014). Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that nitrate use was independently correlated with a reduction in the development of contrast nephropathy (OR = 0.334, 95% CI 0.157-0.709, P = .004). Additionally, of the various methods of nitrate administration, intravenous infusion was shown to be the most efficacious route in preventing renal impairment (OR = 0.42, 95% CI 0.20-0.90, P = .03). In conclusion, the use of nitrates prior to PCI, particularly intravenous nitroglycerin infusion, may be associated with a decreased incidence of CIN.

Cardiac angiofibroma: a rare primary cardiac tumor.

Cardiac angiofibromas are rare tumors. We report a patient with an angiofibroma of the mitral valve and discuss the management of these tumors.