Implementation of a Brazilian Cardioprotective Nutritional (BALANCE) Program for improvement on quality of diet and secondary prevention of cardiovascular events: A randomized, multicenter trial

Background Complex percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with higher ischemic risk, which can be mitigated by long-term dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT). However, concomitant high bleeding risk (HBR) may be present, making it unclear whether short- or long-term DAPT should be prioritized. Objectives This study investigated the effects of ischemic (by PCI complexity) and bleeding (by PRECISE-DAPT [PRE dicting bleeding Complications in patients undergoing stent Implantation and Sub sequent Dual Anti Platelet Therapy] score) risks on clinical outcomes and on the impact of DAPT duration after coronary stenting. Methods Complex PCI was defined as ≥3 stents implanted and/or ≥3 lesions treated, bifurcation stenting and/or stent length >60 mm, and/or chronic total occlusion revascularization. Ischemic and bleeding outcomes in high (≥25) or non-high (<25) PRECISE-DAPT strata were evaluated based on randomly allocated duration of DAPT. Results Among 14,963 patients from 8 randomized trials, 3,118 underwent complex PCI and experienced a higher rate of ischemic, but not bleeding, events. Long-term DAPT in non-HBR patients reduced ischemic events in both complex (absolute risk difference: −3.86%; 95% confidence interval: −7.71 to +0.06) and noncomplex PCI strata (absolute risk difference: −1.14%; 95% confidence interval: −2.26 to −0.02), but not among HBR patients, regardless of complex PCI features. The bleeding risk according to the Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction scale was increased by long-term DAPT only in HBR patients, regardless of PCI complexity. Conclusions Patients who underwent complex PCI had a higher risk of ischemic events, but benefitted from long-term DAPT only if HBR features were not present. These data suggested that when concordant, bleeding, more than ischemic risk, should inform decision-making on the duration of DAPT. (AU)

Suspeita de Apneia Obstrutiva do Sono definida pelo Questionário de Berlim prediz eventos em pacientes com Síndrome Coronariana Aguda / Suspicion of Obstructive Sleep Apnea by Berlin Questionnaire predicts events in patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome / Sospecha de apnea obstructiva del sueño definida por el cuestionario de Berlín predice eventos en pacientes con síndrome coronario agudo

FUNDAMENTO: De um ponto de vista mecanístico, a apneia obstrutiva do sono (SAOS) pode causar distúrbios extras à homeostase cardiovascular na presença de síndrome coronariana aguda (SCA). OBJETIVO: Investigar se um diagnóstico clínico padronizado de SAOS, em pacientes com SCA, prediz o risco de eventos cardiovasculares durante hospitalização. MÉTODOS: Em um estudo de coorte prospectivo, um grupo de 200 pacientes com diagnóstico de SCA estabelecido entre Setembro de 2005 e Novembro de 2007, foram estratificados pelo Questionário de Berlim (QB) para o risco de SAOS (alto ou baixo risco). Foi testado se o subgrupo de alto risco para SAOS apresenta maior tendência à eventos cardiovasculares. O endpoint primário avaliado foi um desfecho composto de morte cardiovascular, eventos cardíacos isquêmicos recorrentes, edema pulmonar agudo e acidente vascular cerebral durante a hospitalização. RESULTADOS: Noventa e quatro (47 por cento) dos pacientes identificados pelo QB apresentavam suspeita de SAOS. Alto risco para SAOS estava associado com uma mortalidade mais elevada, embora sem diferença estatística (4,25 por cento vs 0,94 por cento; p=0,189), mas com uma estatisticamente significante maior incidência de desfecho composto de eventos cardiovasculares (18,08 por cento vs 6,6 por cento; p=0,016). No modelo de regressão logística, os preditores multivariados de desfecho composto de eventos cardiovasculares foram idade (OR = 1,048; IC95 por cento: 1,008 a 1,090; p=0,019), fração de ejeção do VE (OR = 0,954; IC95 por cento: 0,920 a 0,989; p=0,010), e risco mais elevado de SAOS (OR = 3,657; IC95 por cento: 1,216 a 10,996; p=0,021). CONCLUSÃO: O uso de um questionário simples e validado (QB) para identificar pacientes com risco mais elevado de SAOS pode ajudar a prever o desfecho cardiovascular durante a hospitalização. Além disso, nossos dados sugerem que SAOS é muito comum em pacientes com SCA.

BACKGROUND: From a mechanistic standpoint, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may further disturb cardiovascular homeostasis in the setting of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). OBJECTIVE: We sought to investigate if a standardized clinical diagnosis of OSA, in acute coronary syndrome patients, predicts the risk of cardiovascular events during hospitalization. METHODS: In a prospective cohort study, a group of 200 patients diagnosed with ACS between September 2005 and November 2007 were stratified by the Berlin Questionnaire (BQ) regarding the risk for OSA (high or low risk). We tested if the subgroup of high risk for OSA was prone to a higher frequency of cardiovascular events. The primary endpoint evaluated was a composite outcome of cardiovascular death, recurrent cardiac ischemic events, acute pulmonary edema and stroke during hospitalization. RESULTS: Ninety four (47 percent) patients assessed by the BQ were likely to have OSA. High risk for OSA was associated with a non-significant higher mortality (4.25 percent vs 0.94 percent; p=0.189), but a significant higher incidence of composite cardiovascular events (18.08 percent vs 6.6 percent; p=0.016). In the logistic regression model, multivariate predictors of composite cardiovascular events were age (OR= 1.048; 95 percent CI 1.008 to 1.090; p=0.019), left ventricular ejection fraction (OR= 0.954; 95 percent CI 0.920 to 0.989; p=0.010), and higher risk for OSA (OR= 3.657; 95 percent CI 1.216 to 10.996; p=0.021). CONCLUSION: The use of a simple and validated questionnaire (BQ) to identify patients with higher risk for OSA may help in the prediction of cardiovascular outcome during hospitalization. Moreover, our data suggests that OSA is very common in patients with ACS.

FUNDAMENTO: Desde un punto de vista mecanístico, la apnea obstructiva del sueño (SAOS) puede ocasionar disturbios extras a la homeostasis cardiovascular en la presencia del síndrome coronario aguda (SCA) OBJETIVO: Investigar si un diagnóstico clínico estandarizado de SAOS, en pacientes con SCA, predice el riesgo de eventos cardiovasculares durante la hospitalización. MÉTODOS: En un estudio de cohorte prospectivo, un grupo de 200 pacientes con diagnóstico de SCA elecido entre Septiembre de 2005 y Noviembre de 2007, fueron estratificados por el Cuestionario de Berlín (CB) para el riesgo de SAOS (alto o bajo riesgo). Se probó si el subgrupo de alto riesgo para SAOS presenta mayor tendencia a eventos cardiovasculares. El endpoint primario evaluado fue un desenlace conformado por muerte cardiovascular, eventos cardíacos isquémicos recurrentes, edema pulmonar agudo y accidente vascular cerebral durante la hospitalización. RESULTADOS: Noventa y cuatro (47 por ciento) de los pacientes identificados por el CB presentaban sospecha de SAOS. Alto riesgo para SAOS estaba asociado con una mortalidad más elevada, aunque sin diferencia estadística (4,25 por ciento vs 0,94 por ciento; p=0,189), pero con una estadísticamente significativa mayor incidencia de desenlace conformada por eventos cardiovasculares (18,08 por ciento vs 6,6 por ciento; p=0,016). En el modelo de regresión logística, los predictores multivariados de desenlace conformado por eventos cardiovasculares fueron edad (OR= 1,048; IC95 por ciento: 1,008 a 1,090; p=0,019), fracción de eyección del VI (OR= 0,954; IC95 por ciento: 0,920 a 0,989; p=0,010), y riesgo más elevado de SAOS (OR= 3,657; IC95 por ciento: 1,216 a 10,996; p=0,021). CONCLUSIÓN: El uso de un cuestionario sencillo y validado (CB) para identificar a pacientes con riesgo más elevado de SAOS puede ayudar a prever el desenlace cardiovascular durante la hospitalización. Además de ello, nuestros datos sugieren que SAOS es mucho común en pacientes con SCA.

Suspicion of obstructive sleep apnea by Berlin Questionnaire predicts events in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

BACKGROUND: From a mechanistic standpoint, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may further disturb cardiovascular homeostasis in the setting of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). OBJECTIVE: We sought to investigate if a standardized clinical diagnosis of OSA, in acute coronary syndrome patients, predicts the risk of cardiovascular events during hospitalization. METHODS: In a prospective cohort study, a group of 200 patients diagnosed with ACS between September 2005 and November 2007 were stratified by the Berlin Questionnaire (BQ) regarding the risk for OSA (high or low risk). We tested if the subgroup of high risk for OSA was prone to a higher frequency of cardiovascular events. The primary endpoint evaluated was a composite outcome of cardiovascular death, recurrent cardiac ischemic events, acute pulmonary edema and stroke during hospitalization. RESULTS: Ninety four (47%) patients assessed by the BQ were likely to have OSA. High risk for OSA was associated with a non-significant higher mortality (4.25% vs 0.94%; p=0.189), but a significant higher incidence of composite cardiovascular events (18.08% vs 6.6%; p=0.016). In the logistic regression model, multivariate predictors of composite cardiovascular events were age (OR= 1.048; 95% CI 1.008 to 1.090; p=0.019), left ventricular ejection fraction (OR= 0.954; 95% CI 0.920 to 0.989; p=0.010), and higher risk for OSA (OR= 3.657; 95% CI 1.216 to 10.996; p=0.021). CONCLUSION: The use of a simple and validated questionnaire (BQ) to identify patients with higher risk for OSA may help in the prediction of cardiovascular outcome during hospitalization. Moreover, our data suggests that OSA is very common in patients with ACS.

Prognostic value of exercise echocardiography in diabetic patients.

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death in diabetic patients. Although exercise echocardiography (EE) is established as a useful method for diagnosis and stratification of risk for CAD in the general population, there are few studies on its value as a prognostic tool in diabetic patients. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the value of EE in predicting cardiac events in diabetics. METHODS: 193 diabetic patients, 97 males, 59.8 +/- 9.3 yrs (mean +/- SD) were submitted to EE between 2001 and 2006 and followed from 7 to 65 months with median of 29 months by phone calls and personal interviews with patients and their primary physician, and reviewing medical records and death certificates. The end points were cardiac events, defined as non-fatal myocardial infarction, late myocardial revascularization and cardiac death. Sudden death without another explanation was considered cardiac death. Survival free of end points was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Twenty-six cardiac events were registered in 24 individuals during the follow-up. The rates of cardiac events were 20.6 and 7% in patients with positive and negative EE, respectively (p < 0.001). Predictors of cardiac events included sedentary lifestyle, with RR of 2.57 95%CI [1.09 to 6.02] (P = 0.03) and positive EE, with RR 3.63, 95%CI [1.44 to 9.16] (P = 0.01). Patients with positive EE presented higher rates of cardiac events at 12 months (6.8% vs. 2.2%), p = 0.004. CONCLUSION: EE is a useful method to predict cardiac events in diabetic patients with suspected or known CAD.

Chronotropic incompetence and a higher frequency of myocardial ischemia in exercise echocardiography.

BACKGROUND: Exercise echocardiography (EE) is an established method to diagnose coronary artery disease (CAD). Chronotropic incompetence (CI) during the EE may be a marker of myocardial ischemia. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the additive value of CI during EE in CAD diagnosis. METHODS: Between 2000 and 2006, 4042 patients (1900 men with a mean age of 56 +/- 11 years) were evaluated by EE. Based on the heart rate (HR) reached during the exercise test, the subjects were divided into two groups: G1 group - 490 patients who failed to achieve 85% of the maximal age-predicted HR, and G2 group - 3552 patients who were able to achieve 85% of the maximal age-predicted HR. Clinical characteristics, left ventricular wall motion abnormalities - wall motion score index (WMSI) - and coronary angiography (CA) were the parameters compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The left ventricular wall motion abnormalities were more frequent in G1 group than in G2 group (54% versus 26%; P < 0.00001). WMSI was higher in G1 group than in G2 group, both at rest (1.06 +/- 0.17 versus 1.02 +/- 0.09; P < 0.0001) and after exercise (1.12 +/- 0.23 versus 1.04 +/- 0.21; P < 0.0001). In G1 group, 82% of the patients with positive EE for myocardial ischemia presented obstructive coronary, compared to 71% (P = 0.03) in G2 group. CONCLUSION: CI is associated with a higher frequency of myocardial ischemia during EE, reinforcing the concept that CI is a marker of the severity of myocardial ischemia.