Relationship Between NT-proBNP Levels and Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction in Patients with Unstable Angina and Diabetes Mellitus and Preserved LVEF.

N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is suggested to be altered in patients with systolic heart failure or acute coronary syndrome. We explored the relationship between left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and levels of NT-proBNP in patients with unstable angina and type 2 diabetes mellitus and preserved LVEF.Patients with unstable angina were divided into normal glucose tolerance (controls) and type 2 diabetes mellitus groups. The plasma NT-proBNP concentration was measured in these patients within 30 minute of admission for a comparative study. The severity of coronary arterial lesions was evaluated using Syntax scores. Results: NT-proBNP levels were not significantly different in patients with unstable angina and type 2 diabetes mellitus (median [quartiles]: 167.0 [66.1, 623.3] pg/mL) from those of controls (116.0 [69.8, 233.0], P = 0.278). Subsequent analyses indicated that ln (NT-proBNP) was positively associated with the following parameters: left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (r = 0.495, P = 0.019), left ventricular end-systolic diameter (r = 0.648, P = 0.001), and Syntax score (r = 0.567, P = 0.006); ln (NT-proBNP) was negatively associated with LVEF (r = -0.652, P = 0.001) in patients with unstable angina and type 2 diabetes mellitus. In multiple linear regression analysis, ln (NT-proBNP) levels were significantly independently correlated with the LVEF and Syntax score. However, no correlation was observed between ln (NT-proBNP) and each parameter in patients with unstable angina and normal glucose tolerance (controls).The NT-proBNP level is independently correlated with the LVEF in patients with unstable angina and type 2 diabetes mellitus and preserved LVEF.

Impact of red blood cell distribution width on long-term mortality in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVES: Recent studies have reported increased red blood cell distribution width (RDW) has been associated with adverse outcomes in heart failure and stable coronary disease. We investigated the association between RDW and risk of all-cause mortality in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who were free of heart failure at baseline. METHODS: We enrolled 691 patients with STEMI who were free of heart failure at baseline confirmed by coronary angiography in Beijing Friendship Hospital from January 2007 to December 2008. According to the median RDW at baseline (13.0%) on admission, the patients were divided into two groups: a low-RDW group (RDW <13.0%, n = 329) and a high-RDW group (RDW ≥13.0%, n = 362). All-cause mortality rates were compared between groups. Mean duration of follow-up was 41.8 months. The relation between RDW and clinical outcomes after hospital discharge were tested using Cox regression models, adjusting for clinical variables. At the same time, the sensitivity and specificity of RDW were analyzed by ROC analysis. RESULTS: Forty-seven patients (6.8%) died during follow-up. The cumulative incidence of all-cause death was significantly higher in the high-RDW group than in the low-RDW group (log-rank p = 0.007). Multivariate analysis revealed that high RDW was associated with all-cause mortality (hazard ratio: 3.43; 95% confidence interval: 1.17-8.32; p = 0.025). The area under the ROC curve was 0.562. CONCLUSION: From the statistical point of view, increased RDW is associated with all-cause and cardiac mortality rates in patients with STEMI who were free of heart failure at baseline. But RDW is a marker with a very low prognostic accuracy that does not seem to be clinically helpful.

Antithrombotic treatment strategy for patients with coronary artery ectasia and acute myocardial infarction: A case report.

BACKGROUND: There is no consensus on the antithrombotic treatment strategy for patients with coronary artery ectasia (CAE). CASE SUMMARY: This case reports the dynamic observation of a patient for 48 mo after a diagnosis of CAE with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The first antithrombotic agents used were aspirin (100 mg/d) and clopidogrel (75 mg/d). During the sixth month of observation, a second AMI occurred involving the same culprit vessel; therefore, antithrombotic agents were changed to aspirin (100 mg/d) and ticagrelor (90 mg twice per day). Twelve months after the second AMI, an attempt to reduce the dosage ticagrelor failed; therefore the original dose was continued. The CAE was relatively stable during the following 4 years. CONCLUSION: This case indicates that a combination of aspirin and ticagrelor may be more effective for CAE patients with AMI than aspirin and clopidogrel.

[Acute angiographic and clinical outcomes of patients with calcified chronic total occlusion underwent percutaneous coronary intervention].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the in-hospital outcome of patients with calcified chronic total occlusion (CTO) lesion underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: The clinic and lesion characteristics as well as acute PCI outcome were analyzed in 726 patients with calcified CTO [624 detected by coronary angiography (CAG) and 102 detected by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)] and received PCI therapy from June 1995 to February 2007 in our department. RESULTS: There were 728 diseased vessels with 732 lesions in these patients. Total procedure success rate (80.6% vs. 89.2%, P < 0.05) and the lesion success rate (80.2% vs. 88.2%, P < 0.05) were significantly lower in calcified CTO detected by CAG compared to that detected by IVUS. The causes of procedure failures in CAG detected patients were as follows: 87 guide failure, 21 balloon failure, 8 procedure related complications and 5 low TIMI blood flow (grade 2) at the end of PCI procedure. The causes of procedure failures in IVUS detected patients were as follows: 7 guide wire failure, 2 balloon failure, 1 procedure related complications and 1 patient with low TIMI blood flow (grade 2). The in-hospital major adverse cardiac events (MACE) rate was 1.1% in CAG detected calcified CTO and 1.0% in IVUS detected calcified CTO (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: PCI therapy resulted in satisfactory procedure success rate and in-hospital outcome for patients with calcified CTO and IVUS is helpful for further increasing the PCI procedure success rate in patients with calcified CTO.

Multivessel coronary artery ectasia and severe calcification in a patient with pheochromocytoma: a case report.

Multivessel coronary artery ectasia with severe calcification is rare among patients with coronary artery disease. A 74-year-old Chinese woman suffered from acute myocardial infarction on a background of 50 years of poorly controlled hypertension secondary to pheochromocytoma, which was surgically removed in June 2012 prior to the presentation. Coronary angiography revealed total occlusion of the proximal left anterior descending artery, and multiple ectasias with severe calcification in the left main, circumflex and right coronary artery. After an aspiration thrombectomy and balloon angioplasty, grade 3 coronary flow was restored in the left descending coronary artery. No cardiac events were found in the 12-month follow-up. We conclude that multivessel coronary artery ectasia and severe calcification may be present in patients with a long-standing history of hypertension secondary to pheochromocytoma.

Short- and Long-term Outcomes in Patients with Connective Tissue Diseases Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with connective tissue diseases (CTDs). Risk factors and clinical characteristics in these patients are not equivalent to those in traditional CAD patients. The objective of this study was to report short- and long-term clinical outcomes in a consecutive series of patients with CTD who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stent implantation. METHODS: The study group comprised 106 consecutive patients with CTD who underwent PCI in Beijing Friendship Hospital between January 2009 and June 2012. Medical records were analyzed retrospectively including clinical basic material, coronary angiogram data, and the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) during the short- and long-term (median 3 years) follow-up. RESULTS: Ninety-two of the patients (86.8%) had one or more traditional CAD risk factors. Multivessel disease was present in more than 2/3 of patients (73.6%). The left anterior descending coronary artery was the most commonly affected vessel (65.1%). Five bare-metal stents and 202 drug-eluting stents were implanted. After a median follow-up period of 36 months, thirteen patients (12.3%) died from cardiac causes, the rate of stent thrombosis was 9.4%, and the rate of target vessel revascularization (TVR) was 14.2%. Multivariate analysis revealed that hypertension (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.07, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.30-7.24, P = 0.041), anterior myocardial infarction (HR = 2.77, 95% CI: 1.06-7.03, P = 0.04), longer duration of steroid treatment (HR = 3.60, 95% CI: 1.43-9.08, P = 0.032), and C-reactive protein level >10 mg/L (HR = 3.98, 95% CI: 1.19-12.56, P = 0.036) were independent predictors of MACEs. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with CTD and CAD may have severe coronary lesions. PCI in these patients tends to result in an increased rate of stent thrombosis and TVR during long-term follow-up, which may be influenced by traditional and nontraditional risk factors.