Timing of clopidogrel loading before percutaneous coronary intervention in clopidogrel-naive patients with stable or unstable angina: a comparison of two strategies.

BACKGROUND: Clopidogrel-naive patients subjected to coronary angiography may be candidates for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Clopidogrel loading with 600 mg at least 2 hours before the procedure is advised for such patients. However, there is no direct evidence that delaying PCI for 2 hours after clopidogrel loading is superior to ad hoc PCI. METHODS: After coronary angiography, clopidogrel-naive patients (N = 199) with stable or unstable angina, candidates for PCI, were loaded with 900 mg of clopidogrel and then randomized to ad hoc PCI (ad hoc group, n = 103) or delayed PCI 2 hours after loading (delayed group, n = 96). Combined primary end point was death/periprocedural myocardial infarction (MI)/stroke/reintervention within 30 days post-PCI. Secondary end points were periprocedural MI; periprocedural creatine kinase-MB elevation >3 x upper limit of normal; any periprocedural increase of creatine kinase-MB, troponin-I, or myoglobin above upper limit of normal; Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction flow <3 after PCI; thrombocytopenia with platelet count of <70,000/mL; major bleeding defined according to the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction criteria; and elevation of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and soluble P selectin. RESULTS: Primary end point occurred in 12.6% ad hoc group versus 15.6% delayed group patients (P = .34). High-sensitivity C-reactive protein increased in both groups post-PCI (analysis of variance P < .0001) without difference between groups (P = .5). Major bleeding occurred in 2.9% ad hoc group versus 3.1% delayed group patients (P = .9). No significant difference was observed in any other secondary end point. CONCLUSIONS: In clopidogrel-naive patients, a strategy of delaying PCI for 2 hours after high-dose clopidogrel loading does not seem to confer any benefit compared to ad hoc PCI.

Diabetes mellitus vs. Raynaud disease: different lung vascular bed disorders.

BACKGROUND: In type II diabetes mellitus there are few data concerning pulmonary function abnormalities. In normal subjects and in patients with primary Raynaud phenomenon, cold pressor test induces a decrease in carbon monoxide single-breath diffusing capacity (DL,co) but not in secondary Raynaud phenomenon. Our objective was to assess evaluation of lung diffusion capacity postural changes in diabetes mellitus and in secondary Raynaud phenomenon, two diseases with different pulmonary capillaries functional disorders. METHODS: Twenty-five patients with type II diabetes mellitus (mean age 52.24 years), 17 patients with secondary Raynaud phenomenon (mean age 47.06 years), non-smokers without pulmonary or heart disease, and 26 healthy matched subjects (mean age 47.50 years) underwent lung diffusion capacity measurements by single-breath method also corrected by alveolar volume (DL,co) in sitting and supine positions. RESULTS: Patients with diabetes mellitus exhibited lower values of DL,co and DL,co/VA measurements in comparison with subjects with Raynaud phenomenon and control group (p <0.01). Additionally, they had a significant decrease in DL,co in supine compared to sitting position (83.88 +/- 16.53 vs. 89.68 +/- 18.03, p = 0.023). To the contrary, supine position in secondary Raynaud phenomenon and in control group after cold pressor test showed a significant increase in DL,co/VA (120.93 vs. 109.78 in Raynaud and 114.36 vs. 99.47 in control group, p <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Postural changes of lung diffusion capacity could be used as a simple, non-invasive method to detect vascular disease resulting from different pathophysiologic mechanisms such as diabetes mellitus and Raynaud phenomenon.