Coronary microembolization with normal epicardial coronary arteries and no visible infarcts on nitrobluetetrazolium chloride-stained specimens: Evaluation with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in a swine model

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Jin, Hang; Yun, Hong; Zeng, Meng Su [Dept. of Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University and Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Shanghai (China); Ma, Jian Ying; Chen, Zhang Wei; Chang, Shu Fu [Dept. of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University and Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Shanghai (China)

2016-02-15

To assess magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of coronary microembolization in a swine model induced by small-sized microemboli, which may cause microinfarcts invisible to the naked eye. Eleven pigs underwent intracoronary injection of small-sized microspheres (42 µm) and catheter coronary angiography was obtained before and after microembolization. Cardiac MRI and measurement of cardiac troponin T (cTnT) were performed at baseline, 6 hours, and 1 week after microembolization. Postmortem evaluation was performed after completion of the imaging studies. Coronary angiography pre- and post-microembolization revealed normal epicardial coronary arteries. Systolic wall thickening of the microembolized regions decreased significantly from 42.6 ± 2.0% at baseline to 20.3 ± 2.3% at 6 hours and 31.5 ± 2.1% at 1 week after coronary microembolization (p < 0.001 for both). First-pass perfusion defect was visualized at 6 hours but the extent was largely decreased at 1 week. Delayed contrast enhancement MRI (DE-MRI) demonstrated hyperenhancement within the target area at 6 hours but not at 1 week. The microinfarcts on gross specimen stained with nitrobluetetrazolium chloride were invisible to the naked eye and only detectable microscopically. Increased cTnT was observed at 6 hours and 1 week after microembolization. Coronary microembolization induced by a certain load of small-sized microemboli may result in microinfarcts invisible to the naked eye with normal epicardial coronary arteries. MRI features of myocardial impairment secondary to such microembolization include the decline in left ventricular function and myocardial perfusion at cine and first-pass perfusion imaging, and transient hyperenhancement at DE-MRI.

Posterior Coronary Vein as the Substrate for an Epicardial Accessory Pathway

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Laura Cipoletta, MD

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Catheter ablation of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome is associated with up to 5% of failure. Coronary sinus (CS abnormalities or connections between CS myocardial coat and left ventricular epicardium are associated with posteroseptal and left posterior accessory pathways (AP. A 41-year-old patient with WPW syndrome was referred to our hospital after three unsuccessful ablations. The 12-lead ECG suggested a left posteroseptal AP. CT imaging and electro-anatomic mapping showed a relationship between AP electrical course and CS posterior branch. This finding supports the hypothesis CSAPs lie in the myocardial coat around CS and represent an extensive connection between atrial and ventricular epicardial surface.

Gender disparities in the association between epicardial adipose tissue volume and coronary atherosclerosis: A 3-dimensional cardiac computed tomography imaging study in Japanese subjects

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Dagvasumberel Munkhbaatar

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Growing evidence suggests that epicardial adipose tissue (EAT may contribute to the development of coronary artery disease (CAD. In this study, we explored gender disparities in EAT volume (EATV and its impact on coronary atherosclerosis. Methods The study population consisted of 90 consecutive subjects (age: 63 ± 12 years; men: 47, women: 43 who underwent 256-slice multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT coronary angiography. EATV was measured as the sum of cross-sectional epicardial fat area on CT images, from the lower surface of the left pulmonary artery origin to the apex. Subjects were segregated into the CAD group (coronary luminal narrowing > 50% and non-CAD group. Results EATV/body surface area (BSA was higher among men in the CAD group than in the non-CAD group (62 ± 13 vs. 33 ± 10 cm3/m2, p 3/m2, not significant. Multivariate logistic analysis showed that EATV/BSA was the single predictor for >50% coronary luminal narrowing in men (p Conclusions Increased EATV is strongly associated with coronary atherosclerosis in men.

The quantitative assessment of epicardial fat distribution on human hearts: Implications for epicardial electrophysiology.

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Mattson, Alexander R; Soto, Mario J; Iaizzo, Paul A

2018-07-01

Epicardial electrophysiological procedures rely on dependable interfacing with the myocardial tissue. For example, epicardial pacing systems must generate sustainable chronic pacing capture, while epicardial ablations must effectively deliver energy to the target hyper-excitable myocytes. The human heart has a significant adipose layer which may impede epicardial procedures. The objective of this study was to quantitatively assess the relative location of epicardial adipose on the human heart, to define locations where epicardial therapies might be performed successfully. We studied perfusion-fixed human hearts (n = 105) in multiple isolated planes including: left ventricular margin, diaphragmatic surface, and anterior right ventricle. Relative adipose distribution was quantitatively assessed via planar images, using a custom-generated image analysis algorithm. In these specimens, 76.7 ± 13.8% of the left ventricular margin, 72.7 ± 11.3% of the diaphragmatic surface, and 92.1 ± 8.7% of the anterior right margin were covered with superficial epicardial adipose layers. Percent adipose coverage significantly increased with age (P history of coronary artery disease (P history of hypertension, and/or history of congestive heart failure. Additionally, we describe two-dimensional probability distributions of epicardial adipose coverage for each of the three analysis planes. In this study, we detail the quantitative assessment and probabilistic mapping of the distribution of superficial epicardial adipose on the adult human heart. These findings have implications relative to performing epicardial procedures and/or designing procedures or tools to successfully perform such treatments. Clin. Anat. 31:661-666, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[The role of epicardial fat and obesity parameters in the prediction of coronary heart disease].

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Prídavková, Dana; Kantárová, Daniela; Lišková, Renáta; Červeň, Peter; Kovář, František; Mokáň, Marián

2016-04-01

To assess the relationship of parameters of obesity in relationship to coronary angiography findings with correlation of epicardial fat (EF) thickness in uppermentioned context. There were 80 patients examined (43 males, 37 postmenopausal females) undergoing elective coronary angiography. We examined the regular obesity parameters - BMI, waist circumference (WC), neck circumference (NC), total body fat (TBF), and visceral fat (VF) using bioimpedance. We assessed the echocardiographically measured EF thickness. We added examination of lipidogram, glycaemia, HOMA-IR (insulin resistance index) and AIP (aterogenic index of plasma). The set was divided into group with coronarographically proved stenosis or stenoses (withCS), and a group without finding of quantifiable stenosis or stenoses (withoutCS). The average thickness of EF in withCS group was 6.3 vs 5.6 mm in group withoutCS (p obesity parameters in assessment of pre-clinical stages of coronary atherosclerosis and prediction of risk of coronary heart disease. In adipose parameters, EF thickness was correlated the most by WC. Risk stratification of coronary artery disease is supplemented by increased HOMA-IR and AIP.

Target vessel detection by epicardial ultrasound in off-pump coronary bypass surgery.

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Hayakawa, Masato; Asai, Tohru; Kinoshita, Takeshi; Suzuki, Tomoaki; Shiraishi, Shoichiro

2013-01-01

The detection of embedded coronary arteries is difficult especially in off-pump coronary bypass surgery. From June 2010, we introduced high-frequency epicardial ultrasound (ECUS) to assess and evaluate embedded arteries during off-pump coronary bypass surgery. Between June 2010 and June 2011, a total of 89 consecutive patients underwent isolated coronary bypass surgery at our institution. The patients consisted of 72 men and 17 women with a mean age of 67.9 years. We routinely use the VeriQC system (MediStim, Oslo, Norway) to detect the target vessels in the operation. The patients were assigned to one of two groups, depending on whether ECUS was used in the operation (n = 10, ECUS group) or not (n = 79, non-ECUS group). We analyzed the impact of introducing the ECUS in terms of operative outcome. All patients underwent revascularization using the off-pump technique without emergent conversion to cardiopulmonary bypass during surgery. The total number of distal anastomoses was 299, and 12 target vessels could not be identified either visually or on palpation. Thus, the frequency of the embedded coronary arteries was 4.01% (12/299 cases). The preoperative profiles of the two groups were not significantly different. Operation time was significantly longer in the ECUS group (P = 0.02). There were no significant differences in postoperative outcome between the two groups. In the present study, in which the target coronary arteries could not be detected either visually or on palpation in 12 (4.01%) of 299 cases, the use of high-frequency ECUS allowed all patients to undergo off-pump coronary bypass surgery without conversion to cardiopulmonary bypass during the operation. High-frequency ECUS is therefore useful in off-pump coronary bypass surgery.

Association of chemerin mRNA expression in human epicardial adipose tissue with coronary atherosclerosis

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Wang Linjie

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Growing evidence suggests that epicardial adipose tissue (EAT may play a key role in the pathogenesis and development of coronary artery disease (CAD by producing several inflammatory adipokines. Chemerin, a novel adipokine, has been reported to be involved in regulating immune responses and glucolipid metabolism. Given these properties, chemerin may provide an interesting link between obesity, inflammation and atherosclerosis. In this study, we sought to determine the relationship of chemerin expression in EAT and the severity of coronary atherosclerosis in Han Chinese patients. Methods Serums and adipose tissue biopsies (epicardial and thoracic subcutaneous were obtained from CAD (n = 37 and NCAD (n = 16 patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery. Gensini score was used to assess the severity of CAD. Serum levels of chemerin, adiponectin and insulin were measured by ELISA. Chemerin protein expression in adipose tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry. The mRNA levels of chemerin, chemR23, adiponectin and TNF-alpha in adipose tissue were detected by RT-PCR. Results We found that EAT of CAD group showed significantly higher levels of chemerin and TNF-alpha mRNA, and significantly lower level of adiponectin mRNA than that of NCAD patients. In CAD group, significantly higher levels of chemerin mRNA and protein were observed in EAT than in paired subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT, whereas such significant difference was not found in NCAD group. Chemerin mRNA expression in EAT was positively correlated with Gensini score (r = 0.365, P P P P P P P > 0.05. Conclusions The expressions of chemerin mRNA and protein are significantly higher in EAT from patients with CAD in Han Chinese patients. Furthermore, the severity of coronary atherosclerosis is positive correlated with the level of chemerin mRNA in EAT rather than its circulating level.

Role of high-resolution image integration to visualize left phrenic nerve and coronary arteries during epicardial ventricular tachycardia ablation.

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Yamashita, Seigo; Sacher, Frédéric; Mahida, Saagar; Berte, Benjamin; Lim, Han S; Komatsu, Yuki; Amraoui, Sana; Denis, Arnaud; Derval, Nicolas; Laurent, François; Montaudon, Michel; Hocini, Mélèze; Haïssaguerre, Michel; Jaïs, Pierre; Cochet, Hubert

2015-04-01

Epicardial ventricular tachycardia (VT) ablation is associated with risks of coronary artery (CA) and phrenic nerve (PN) injury. We investigated the role of multidetector computed tomography in visualizing CA and PN during VT ablation. Ninety-five consecutive patients (86 men; age, 57 ± 15) with VT underwent cardiac multidetector computed tomography. The PN detection rate and anatomic variability were analyzed. In 49 patients undergoing epicardial mapping, real-time multidetector computed tomographic integration was used to display CAs/PN locations in 3-dimensional mapping systems. Elimination of local abnormal ventricular activities (LAVAs) was used as ablation end point. The distribution of CAs/PN with respect to LAVA was analyzed and compared between VT etiologies. Multidetector computed tomography detected PN in 81 patients (85%). Epicardial LAVAs were observed in 44 of 49 patients (15 ischemic cardiomyopathy, 15 nonischemic cardiomyopathy, and 14 arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy) with a mean of 35 ± 37 LAVA points/patient. LAVAs were located within 1 cm from CAs and PN in 35 (80%) and 18 (37%) patients, respectively. The prevalence of LAVA adjacent to CAs was higher in nonischemic cardiomyopathy and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy than in ischemic cardiomyopathy (100% versus 86% versus 53%; P < 0.01). The prevalence of LAVAs adjacent to PN was higher in nonischemic cardiomyopathy than in ischemic cardiomyopathy (93% versus 27%; P < 0.001). Epicardial ablation was performed in 37 patients (76%). Epicardial LAVAs could not be eliminated because of the proximity to CAs or PN in 8 patients (18%). The epicardial electrophysiological VT substrate is often close to CAs and PN in patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy. High-resolution image integration is potentially useful to minimize risks of PN and CA injury during epicardial VT ablation. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Gender disparities in the association between epicardial adipose tissue volume and coronary atherosclerosis: A 3-dimensional cardiac computed tomography imaging study in Japanese subjects

OpenAIRE

Dagvasumberel Munkhbaatar; Shimabukuro Michio; Nishiuchi Takeshi; Ueno Junji; Takao Shoichiro; Fukuda Daiju; Hirata Yoichiro; Kurobe Hirotsugu; Soeki Takeshi; Iwase Takashi; Kusunose Kenya; Niki Toshiyuki; Yamaguchi Koji; Taketani Yoshio; Yagi Shusuke

2012-01-01

Abstract Background Growing evidence suggests that epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) may contribute to the development of coronary artery disease (CAD). In this study, we explored gender disparities in EAT volume (EATV) and its impact on coronary atherosclerosis. Methods The study population consisted of 90 consecutive subjects (age: 63 ± 12 years; men: 47, women: 43) who underwent 256-slice multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) coronary angiography. EATV was measured as the sum of cross-se...

Coronary vasodilatory action after a single dose of nicorandil

NARCIS (Netherlands)

H. Suryapranata (Harry); P.W.J.C. Serruys (Patrick); P.J. de Feyter (Pim); P.D. Verdouw (Pieter); P.G. Hugenholtz (Paul)

1988-01-01

textabstractCoronary hemodynamics and vasodilatory effects on major epicardial arteries were investigated after a single dose of nicorandil in 22 patients undergoing cardiac catheterization for suspected coronary artery disease. Nicorandil, 20 mg, was administered sublingually to 11 consecutive

[Relationship between epicardial adipose tissue and clinical prognosis of patients with coronary heart disease after percutaneous coronary intervention].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Y Y; Li, X; Lin, W H; Liu, J J; Jing, R; Lu, Y J; Di, C Y; Shi, H Y; Gao, P

2018-01-16

Objective: To further evaluate the clinical value of epicardial adipose tissue volume (EATV) in predicting the prognosis of coronary heart disease (CHD) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: From July 2013 to July 2016 in TEDA International Cardiovascular Disease Hospital, a total of 474 patients diagnosed with CHD were included in this study.According to the result of EATV, patients were divided into three groups, group A (EATV≤75 ml), group B (75 mlEATVEATV≥150 ml). Then the level of body mass index (BMI), hypersensitive c-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were tested for all the three groups.All the patients were followed up for 1 year for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). The clinical value of EATV in predicting the occurrence of MACE events was evaluated. Results: The BMI, level of hs-CRP, TNF-α in group B were higher than group A, group C were significantly higher than group B, with statistically significant difference across all the comparisons ( P EATV was positively correlated with hs-CRP, IL-6, TNF-α ( r =0.675-0.700, P EATV level was 120.39 ml to predict MACE (area under cure: 0.751, 95% CI : 0.634-0.868, P EATV>120.39 ml can be used as an independent risk factor for predicting the occurrence of MACE. Conclusion: The level of EATV is closely related to the occurrence of MACE events, and EATV>120.39 ml is an independent risk factor for MACE in patients with CHD after PCI.

Relationship between epicardial adipose tissue, coronary artery disease and adiponectin in a Mexican population.

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Yañez-Rivera, Teresa G; Baños-Gonzalez, Manuel A; Ble-Castillo, Jorge L; Torres-Hernandez, Manuel E; Torres-Lopez, Jorge E; Borrayo-Sanchez, Gabriela

2014-09-08

The amount of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) around the heart has been identified as an independent predictor of coronary artery disease (CAD), potentially through local release of inflammatory cytokines. Ethnic differences have been observed, but no studies have investigated this relationship in the Mexican population. The objective of the present study was to evaluate whether a relationship exist between EAT thickness assessed via echocardiography with CAD and adiponectin levels in a Mexican population. We studied 153 consecutive patients who underwent coronary angiography and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). EAT thickness on the free wall of the right ventricle was measured at the end of systole from parasternal long and short axis views of three consecutive cardiac cycles. Coronary angiograms were analyzed for the presence, extent and severity of CAD. Serum adiponectin, lipids, glucose, C-reactive protein and fibrinogen were determined. EAT thickness was greater in patients with CAD than in those without CAD from both parasternal long (5.39 ± 1.75 mm vs 4.00 ± 1.67 mm p<0.0001) and short-axis views (5.23 ± 1.67 vs 4.12 ± 1.77, p=0.001). EAT thickness measured from parasternal long and short-axis showed a statistically significant positive correlation with age (r=0.354, p<0.001; r=0.286, p<0.001 respectively), and waist circumference (r=0.189, p=0.019; r=0.217, p=0.007 respectively). A significant negative correlation between EAT thickness from the parasternal long axis with cholesterol-HDL was observed (r=-0.163, p=0.045). No significant correlation was found between epicardial fat thickness and serum adiponectin or with the severity of CAD. EAT thickness was greater in patients with CAD. However, no correlation was observed with the severity of the disease or with serum adiponectin levels. EAT thickness measured by echocardiography might provide additional information for risk assessment and prediction of CAD.

Gender-linked impact of epicardial adipose tissue volume in patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery or non-coronary valve surgery.

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Maimaituxun, Gulinu; Shimabukuro, Michio; Salim, Hotimah Masdan; Tabata, Minoru; Yuji, Daisuke; Morimoto, Yoshihisa; Akasaka, Takeshi; Matsuura, Tomomi; Yagi, Shusuke; Fukuda, Daiju; Yamada, Hirotsugu; Soeki, Takeshi; Sugimoto, Takaki; Tanaka, Masashi; Takanashi, Shuichiro; Sata, Masataka

2017-01-01

Traditional and non-traditional risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) are different between men and women. Gender-linked impact of epicardial adipose tissue volume (EATV) in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) remains unknown. Gender-linked impact of EATV, abdominal fat distribution and other traditional ASCVD risk factors were compared in 172 patients (men: 115; women: 57) who underwent CABG or non-coronary valvular surgery (non-CABG). In men, EATV, EATV index (EATV/body surface area) and the markers of adiposity such as body mass index, waist circumference and visceral fat area were higher in the CABG group than in the non-CABG group. Traditional ASCVD risk factors were also prevalent in the CABG group. In women, EATV and EATV index were higher in the CABG group, but other adiposity markers were comparable between CABG and non-CABG groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that in men, CABG was determined by EATV Index and other ASCVD risk factors including hypertension, dyslipidemia, adiponectin, high sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (Corrected R2 = 0.262, p EATV Index (Corrected R2 = 0.266, p = 0.005). Our study found that multiple risk factors, including epicardial adipose tissue volume and traditional ASCVD factors are determinants for CABG in men, but type 2 diabetes mellitus was the sole determinant in women. Gender-specific disparities in risk factors of CABG prompt us to evaluate new diagnostic and treatment strategies and to seek underlying mechanisms.

Epicardial and Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue Fatty Acids Profiles in Diabetic and Non-Diabetic Patients Candidate for Coronary Artery Bypass Graft

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Masoud Pezeshkian

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: We have recently shown that in high cholesterol-fed rabbits, the sensitivity of epicardial adipose tissue to changes in dietary fat is higher than that of subcutaneous adipose tissue. Although the effects of diabetes on epicardial adipose tissue thickness have been studied, the influence of diabetes on profile of epicardial free fatty acids (FFAs has not been studied. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of diabetes on the FFAs composition in serum and in the subcutaneous and epicardial adipose tissues in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG. Methods: Forty non-diabetic and twenty eight diabetic patients candidate for CABG with > 75% stenosis participated in this study.Fasting blood sugar (FBS and lipid profiles were assayed by auto analyzer. Phospholipids and non-estrified FFA of serum and the fatty acids profile of epicardial and subcutaneous adipose tissues were determined using gas chromatography method. Results: In the phospholipid fraction of diabetic patients’ serum, the percentage of 16:0, 18:3n-9, 18:2n-6 and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs was lower than the corresponding values of the non-diabetics; whereas, 18:0 value was higher. A 100% increase in the amount of 18:0 and 35% decrease in the level of 18:1n-11 was observed in the diabetic patients’ subcutaneous adipose tissue. In epicardial adipose tissue, the increase of 18:0 and conjugated linolenic acid (CLA and decrease of 18:1n-11, ω3 (20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3 were significant; but, the contents of arachidonic acid and its precursor linoleic acid were not affected by diabetes. Conclusion: The fatty acids’ profile of epicardial and subcutaneous adipose tissues is not equally affected by diabetes. The significant decrease of 16:0 and ω3 fatty acids and increase of trans and conjugated fatty acids in epicardial adipose tissue in the diabetic patients may worsen the formation of atheroma in the related arteries.

Single-slice epicardial fat area measurement. Do we need to measure the total epicardial fat volume?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oyama, Noriko; Goto, Daisuke; Ito, Yoichi M.

2011-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess a method for measuring epicardial fat volume (EFV) by means of a single-slice area measurement. We investigated the relation between a single-slice fat area measurement and total EFV. A series of 72 consecutive patients (ages 65±11 years; 36 men) who had undergone cardiac computed tomography (CT) on a 64-slice multidetector scanner with prospective electrocardiographic triggering were retrospectively reviewed. Pixels in the pericardium with a density range from -230 to -30 Hounsfield units were considered fat, giving the per-slice epicardial fat area (EFA). The EFV was estimated by the summation of EFAs multiplied by the slice thickness. We investigated the relation between total EFV and each EFA. EFAs measured at several anatomical landmarks - right pulmonary artery, origins of the left main coronary artery, right coronary artery, coronary sinus - all correlated with the EFV (r=0.77-0.92). The EFA at the LMCA level was highly reproducible and showed an excellent correlation with the EFV (r=0.92). The EFA is significantly correlated with the EFV. The EFA is a simple, quick method for representing the time-consuming EFV, which has been used as a predictive indicator of cardiovascular diseases. (author)

Intraoperative echocardiographic imaging of coronary arteries and graft anastomoses during coronary artery bypass grafting without cardiopulmonary bypass.

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Suematsu, Y; Takamoto, S; Ohtsuka, T

2001-12-01

No accepted approach exists for the intraoperative evaluation of the quality of coronary arteries and the technical adequacy of graft anastomoses during coronary artery bypass grafting without cardiopulmonary bypass. We assessed the accuracy of high-frequency epicardial echocardiography and power Doppler imaging in evaluating coronary arteries during coronary artery bypass grafting without cardiopulmonary bypass. To validate measurements of coronary arteries and graft anastomoses by high-frequency epicardial echocardiography and power Doppler imaging, we compared luminal diameters determined by these methods with diameters determined histologically in a study of off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting in 20 dogs. Technical errors were deliberately created in 10 grafts (stenosis group). The results of these animal validation studies showed that the maximum luminal diameters of coronary arteries and graft anastomoses measured by high-frequency epicardial echocardiography (HEE) and power Doppler imaging (PDI) correlated well with the histologic measurements: HEE = 1.027 x Histologic measurements + 0.005 (P anastomoses were examined intraoperatively by high-frequency epicardial echocardiography and power Doppler imaging, and luminal diameters determined by power Doppler imaging were compared with those determined by postoperative coronary angiography. The results demonstrated that graft anastomosis by power Doppler imaging correlated well with the angiographic measurements: PDI = 1.018 x Angiographic measurements - 0.106 (P anastomoses and can detect technical errors and inadequacies during coronary artery bypass grafting without cardiopulmonary bypass.

Gender-linked impact of epicardial adipose tissue volume in patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery or non-coronary valve surgery.

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Gulinu Maimaituxun

Full Text Available Traditional and non-traditional risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD are different between men and women. Gender-linked impact of epicardial adipose tissue volume (EATV in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG remains unknown.Gender-linked impact of EATV, abdominal fat distribution and other traditional ASCVD risk factors were compared in 172 patients (men: 115; women: 57 who underwent CABG or non-coronary valvular surgery (non-CABG.In men, EATV, EATV index (EATV/body surface area and the markers of adiposity such as body mass index, waist circumference and visceral fat area were higher in the CABG group than in the non-CABG group. Traditional ASCVD risk factors were also prevalent in the CABG group. In women, EATV and EATV index were higher in the CABG group, but other adiposity markers were comparable between CABG and non-CABG groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that in men, CABG was determined by EATV Index and other ASCVD risk factors including hypertension, dyslipidemia, adiponectin, high sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP and type 2 diabetes mellitus (Corrected R2 = 0.262, p < 0.0001, while in women, type 2 diabetes mellitus is a single strong predictor for CABG, excluding EATV Index (Corrected R2 = 0.266, p = 0.005.Our study found that multiple risk factors, including epicardial adipose tissue volume and traditional ASCVD factors are determinants for CABG in men, but type 2 diabetes mellitus was the sole determinant in women. Gender-specific disparities in risk factors of CABG prompt us to evaluate new diagnostic and treatment strategies and to seek underlying mechanisms.

Endocardial-epicardial distribution of myocardial perfusion reserve assessed by multidetector computed tomography in symptomatic patients without significant coronary artery disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kühl, Jørgen Tobias; George, Richard T; Mehra, Vishal C

2016-01-01

(MPR) in humans. We aimed to test the hypothesis that MPR in all myocardial layers is determined by age, gender, and cardiovascular risk profile in patients with ischaemic symptoms or equivalent but without obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 149 patients enrolled...... in endocardial-epicardial distribution of perfusion reserve may be demonstrated with static CT perfusion. Low MPR in all myocardial layers was observed specifically in obese patients....

Revealing new mouse epicardial cell markers through transcriptomics.

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Lars Bochmann

2010-06-01

Full Text Available The epicardium has key functions during myocardial development, by contributing to the formation of coronary endothelial and smooth muscle cells, cardiac fibroblasts, and potentially cardiomyocytes. The epicardium plays a morphogenetic role by emitting signals to promote and maintain cardiomyocyte proliferation. In a regenerative context, the adult epicardium might comprise a progenitor cell population that can be induced to contribute to cardiac repair. Although some genes involved in epicardial function have been identified, a detailed molecular profile of epicardial gene expression has not been available.Using laser capture microscopy, we isolated the epicardial layer from the adult murine heart before or after cardiac infarction in wildtype mice and mice expressing a transgenic IGF-1 propeptide (mIGF-1 that enhances cardiac repair, and analyzed the transcription profile using DNA microarrays.Expression of epithelial genes such as basonuclin, dermokine, and glycoprotein M6A are highly enriched in the epicardial layer, which maintains expression of selected embryonic genes involved in epicardial development in mIGF-1 transgenic hearts. After myocardial infarct, a subset of differentially expressed genes are down-regulated in the epicardium representing an epicardium-specific signature that responds to injury.This study presents the description of the murine epicardial transcriptome obtained from snap frozen tissues, providing essential information for further analysis of this important cardiac cell layer.

Is epicardial adipose tissue, assessed by echocardiography, a reliable method for visceral adipose tissue prediction?

Science.gov (United States)

Silaghi, Alina Cristina; Poantă, Laura; Valea, Ana; Pais, Raluca; Silaghi, Horatiu

2011-03-01

Epicardial adipose tissue is an ectopic fat storage at the heart surface in direct contact with the coronary arteries. It is considered a metabolically active tissue, being a local source of pro-inflammatory factors that contribute to the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease. The AIM of our study was to establish correlations between echocardiographic assessment of epicardial adipose tissue and anthropometric and ultrasound measurements of the central and peripheral fat depots. The study was conducted on 22 patients with or without coronaropathy. Epicardial adipose tissue was measured using Aloka Prosound α 10 machine with a 3.5-7.5 MHz variable-frequency transducer and subcutaneous and visceral fat with Esaote Megas GPX machine and 3.5-7.5 MHz variable frequency transducer. Epicardial adipose tissue measured by echocardiography is correlated with waist circumference (p < 0.05), visceral adipose tissue thickness measured by ultrasonography (US) and is not correlated with body mass index (p = 0.315), hip and thigh circumference or subcutaneous fat thickness measured by US. Our study confirms that US assessment of epicardial fat correlates with anthropometric and US measurements of the central fat, representing an indirect but reliable marker of the visceral fat.

An increase in epicardial fat in women is associated with thrombotic risk.

Science.gov (United States)

Basurto Acevedo, Lourdes; Barrera Hernández, Susana; Fernández Muñoz, María de Jesús; Saucedo García, Renata Patricia; Rodríguez Luna, Ana Karen; Martínez Murillo, Carlos

2018-01-29

A decrease in fibrinolytic activity and an increase in the thickness of the epicardial adipose tissue have been observed in patients with coronary artery disease. The aim of this study was to determine the association between epicardial adipose tissue and fibrinolytic activity by measuring the concentration of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1). A cross-sectional study was conducted on 56 apparently healthy women aged 45 to 60 years. Anthropometric measurements and biochemical determinations were performed on all participants. The fibrinolytic activity was determined by measuring PAI-1 by ELISA. Epicardial thickness was assessed by transthoracic echocardiography. The concentration of PAI-1 was directly associated with the thickness of the epicardial adipose tissue (r=0.475, P=.001), body mass index (BMI), visceral adipose tissue, insulin resistance, glucose, and HDL-cholesterol. The multivariate regression analysis indicated that epicardial fat independently predicts the concentrations of PAI-1. Women with thicker epicardial adipose tissue have reduced fibrinolytic activity, and consequently greater thrombotic risk. Copyright © 2017 Sociedad Española de Arteriosclerosis. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Myocardial blood flow reserve is impaired in patients with aortic valve calcification and unobstructed epicardial coronary arteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Nel, Karen; Nam, Michael C Y; Anstey, Chris; Boos, Christopher J; Carlton, Edward; Senior, Roxy; Kaski, Juan Carlos; Khattab, Ahmed; Shamley, Delva; Byrne, Christopher D; Stanton, Tony; Greaves, Kim

2017-12-01

Although calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is associated with coronary atherosclerosis, it is not known whether early CAVD is associated with coronary microcirculatory dysfunction (CMD). We sought to investigate the relationship between myocardial blood flow reserve (MBFR) - a measure of CMD, and early CAVD in the absence of obstructive epicardial coronary artery disease. We also determined whether this relationship was independent of coronary artery disease (CAD) and hs-CRP, a marker of systemic inflammation. 183 patients with chest pain and unobstructed coronary arteries were studied. Aortic valve calcification score (AVCS), coronary total plaque length (TPL), and coronary calcium score were quantified from multislice CT. MBFR was assessed using vasodilator myocardial contrast echocardiography. Hs-CRP was measured from venous blood using a particle-enhanced immunoassay. Mean (±SD) participant age was 59.8 (9.6) years. Mean AVCS was 68 (258) AU, TPL was 15.6 (22.2) mm, and median coronary calcification score was 43.5AU. Mean MBFR was 2.20 (0.52). Mean hs-CRP was 2.52 (3.86) mg/l. Multivariable linear regression modelling incorporating demographics, coronary plaque characteristics, MBFR, and inflammatory markers, demonstrated that age (β=0.05, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.08, P=0.007), hs-CRP (β=0.09, CI: 0.02, 0.16, P=0.010) and diabetes (β=1.03, CI: 0.08, 1.98, P=0.033), were positively associated with AVCS. MBFR (β=-0.87, CI: -1.44, -0.30, P=0.003), BMI (β=-0.11, CI: -0.21, -0.01, P=0.033), and LDL (β=-0.32, CI: -0.61, -0.03, P=0.029) were negatively associated with AVCS. TPL and coronary calcium score were not independently associated with AVCS when included in the regression model. Coronary microvascular function as determined by measurement of myocardial blood flow reserve is independently associated with early CAVD. This effect is independent of the presence of coronary artery disease and also systemic inflammation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights

The impact of obesity on the relationship between epicardial adipose tissue, left ventricular mass and coronary microvascular function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bakkum, M.J.; Danad, I.; Romijn, M.A.J.; Stuijfzand, W.J.A.; Leonora, R.M.; Rossum, A.C. van; Knaapen, P.; Tulevski, I.I.; Somsen, G.A.; Lammertsma, A.A.; Kuijk, C. van; Raijmakers, P.G.

2015-01-01

Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) has been linked to coronary artery disease (CAD) and coronary microvascular dysfunction. However, its injurious effect may also impact the underlying myocardium. This study aimed to determine the impact of obesity on the quantitative relationship between left ventricular mass (LVM), EAT and coronary microvascular function. A total of 208 (94 men, 45 %) patients evaluated for CAD but free of coronary obstructions underwent quantitative [ 15 O]H 2 O hybrid positron emission tomography (PET)/CT imaging. Coronary microvascular resistance (CMVR) was calculated as the ratio of mean arterial pressure to hyperaemic myocardial blood flow. Obese patients [body mass index (BMI) > 25, n = 133, 64 % of total] had more EAT (125.3 ± 47.6 vs 93.5 ± 42.1 cc, p < 0.001), a higher LVM (130.1 ± 30.4 vs 114.2 ± 29.3 g, p < 0.001) and an increased CMVR (26.6 ± 9.1 vs 22.3 ± 8.6 mmHg x ml -1 x min -1 x g -1 , p < 0.01) as compared to nonobese patients. Male gender (β = 40.7, p < 0.001), BMI (β = 1.61, p < 0.001), smoking (β = 6.29, p = 0.03) and EAT volume (β = 0.10, p < 0.01) were identified as independent predictors of LVM. When grouped according to BMI status, EAT was only independently associated with LVM in nonobese patients. LVM, hypercholesterolaemia and coronary artery calcium score were independent predictors of CMVR. EAT volume is associated with LVM independently of BMI and might therefore be a better predictor of cardiovascular risk than BMI. However, EAT volume was not related to coronary microvascular function after adjustments for LVM and traditional risk factors. (orig.)

The impact of obesity on the relationship between epicardial adipose tissue, left ventricular mass and coronary microvascular function

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bakkum, M.J.; Danad, I.; Romijn, M.A.J.; Stuijfzand, W.J.A.; Leonora, R.M.; Rossum, A.C. van; Knaapen, P. [VU University Medical Center, Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Tulevski, I.I.; Somsen, G.A. [Cardiology Centers of the Netherlands, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Lammertsma, A.A.; Kuijk, C. van; Raijmakers, P.G. [VU University Medical Center, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam (Netherlands)

2015-09-15

Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) has been linked to coronary artery disease (CAD) and coronary microvascular dysfunction. However, its injurious effect may also impact the underlying myocardium. This study aimed to determine the impact of obesity on the quantitative relationship between left ventricular mass (LVM), EAT and coronary microvascular function. A total of 208 (94 men, 45 %) patients evaluated for CAD but free of coronary obstructions underwent quantitative [{sup 15}O]H{sub 2}O hybrid positron emission tomography (PET)/CT imaging. Coronary microvascular resistance (CMVR) was calculated as the ratio of mean arterial pressure to hyperaemic myocardial blood flow. Obese patients [body mass index (BMI) > 25, n = 133, 64 % of total] had more EAT (125.3 ± 47.6 vs 93.5 ± 42.1 cc, p < 0.001), a higher LVM (130.1 ± 30.4 vs 114.2 ± 29.3 g, p < 0.001) and an increased CMVR (26.6 ± 9.1 vs 22.3 ± 8.6 mmHg x ml{sup -1} x min{sup -1} x g{sup -1}, p < 0.01) as compared to nonobese patients. Male gender (β = 40.7, p < 0.001), BMI (β = 1.61, p < 0.001), smoking (β = 6.29, p = 0.03) and EAT volume (β = 0.10, p < 0.01) were identified as independent predictors of LVM. When grouped according to BMI status, EAT was only independently associated with LVM in nonobese patients. LVM, hypercholesterolaemia and coronary artery calcium score were independent predictors of CMVR. EAT volume is associated with LVM independently of BMI and might therefore be a better predictor of cardiovascular risk than BMI. However, EAT volume was not related to coronary microvascular function after adjustments for LVM and traditional risk factors. (orig.)

[Association of human epicardial adipose tissue volume and inflammatory mediators with atherosclerosis and vulnerable coronary atherosclerotic plaque].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Liangliang; Gong, Jianbin; Li, Demin; Lu, Guangming; Chen, Dong; Wang, Jing

2015-02-01

To investigate the relation of epicardial adipose tissue volume (EATV) determined by dual-source CT (DSCT) cardiac angiography and EAT-derived inflammatory factors to coronary heart disease (CHD) and vulnerable plaque. A total of 260 patients underwent cardiac computed tomography to evaluate stenosis of coronary artery, and blood samples were obtained from each patient. CHD was confirmed in 180 patients by DSA and CHD was excluded in the remaining 80 patients (NCHD). Vascular remodeling index and plaque vulnerability parameters (fatty volume, fibrous volume and calcification volume and fiber volume) were measured in CHD patients and correlation with EATV was analyzed. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) and intrathoracic adipose tissue (TAT) were collected from 40 CHD patients undergoing CABG surgery, and, mRNA and protein expressions of leptin and MMP9 were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. (1) The EATV was significantly higher in the CHD group than in NCHD group ((121.2 ± 40.6) mm³ vs. (74.7 ± 18.1) mm³, P = 0.01). (2) Subgroup analysis of the CHD patients demonstrated that EATV was significantly higher in patients with positive remodeling than in patients without positive remodeling ((97.6 ± 42.0) cm³ vs. (75.5 ± 25.4) cm³, P = 0.01). Lipid plaque volume was positively correlated with EATV (r = 0.34, P = 0.002); however, fiber plaque volume was negatively correlated with EATV (r = -0.30, P = 0.008). (3) Logistic regression analysis indicated that EATV was an independent risk factor for positive vascular remodeling (OR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.30-2.32, P = 0.01). (4) mRNA and protein expression of leptin and MMP9 in EAT was significantly upregulated in 40 CHD patients who received CABG surgery compared to 40 NCHD patients (P 0.05) in mRNA and protein expression of leptin and MMP9 from the SAT between CHD and NCHD patients. (5) In the CHD group, leptin and MMP9 levels in EAT and EATV were positively correlated with lipid plaque volume and fibrous plaque

Role of endothelial function in coronary slow-flow phenomenon with angiographically normal coronaries

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Srikanth Nathani

2016-01-01

Conclusion: Coronary slow flow phenomenon is a marker of atherosclerosis (as documented by carotid intima media thickness and our study has also shown that endothelial function is significantly impaired in patients with coronary slow flow (as documented by impaired endothelial dependent vasodilatation than that of patients with normal epicardial coronaries with normal flow.

Coronary hemodynamics in vasospastic angina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumura, Kentaro; Kubota, Shinobu; Serizawa, Takashi; Nakase, Emiko; Kawai, Ichiro; Saito, Takayuki

1991-01-01

To evaluate the coronary circulation and myocardial perfusion dynamics, we performed left coronary digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in 35 patients with vasospastic angina. The left coronary circulation time (CCT) measured from the proximal left coronary artery to the coronary sinus was 5.77±0.86 sec, and the left epicardial conducting artery transmission time (CAT) measured from the proximal left coronary artery to the apical area was 2.65±0.82 sec in normal controls. The CCT and CAT were significantly prolonged in patients with vasospastic angina, indicating that the coronary peripheral vascular resistance is probably greater after the cessation of nitrates and Ca ++ -antagonists. After the intracoronary injection of ergonovine malate, the CCT was slightly shortened, but the apical T 1/2 was significantly prolonged in patients with vasospastic angina. This suggested that coronary vasospasm is present not only in the epicardial arteries but also in coronary arteries with peripheral resistance. These phenomena were not observed in normal controls. We performed left coronary DSA after conventional left coronary cineangiography. When the CCT exceeded 6.7 sec, we considered that the coronary circulation was significantly impaired. We concluded that the coronary DSA is very useful for evaluating abnormal coronary circulation in patients with vasospastic angina during myocardial perfusion. (author)

Epicardial left ventricular lead placement for cardiac resynchronization therapy: optimal pace site selection with pressure-volume loops.

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Dekker, A L A J; Phelps, B; Dijkman, B; van der Nagel, T; van der Veen, F H; Geskes, G G; Maessen, J G

2004-06-01

Patients in heart failure with left bundle branch block benefit from cardiac resynchronization therapy. Usually the left ventricular pacing lead is placed by coronary sinus catheterization; however, this procedure is not always successful, and patients may be referred for surgical epicardial lead placement. The objective of this study was to develop a method to guide epicardial lead placement in cardiac resynchronization therapy. Eleven patients in heart failure who were eligible for cardiac resynchronization therapy were referred for surgery because of failed coronary sinus left ventricular lead implantation. Minithoracotomy or thoracoscopy was performed, and a temporary epicardial electrode was used for biventricular pacing at various sites on the left ventricle. Pressure-volume loops with the conductance catheter were used to select the best site for each individual patient. Relative to the baseline situation, biventricular pacing with an optimal left ventricular lead position significantly increased stroke volume (+39%, P =.01), maximal left ventricular pressure derivative (+20%, P =.02), ejection fraction (+30%, P =.007), and stroke work (+66%, P =.006) and reduced end-systolic volume (-6%, P =.04). In contrast, biventricular pacing at a suboptimal site did not significantly change left ventricular function and even worsened it in some cases. To optimize cardiac resynchronization therapy with epicardial leads, mapping to determine the best pace site is a prerequisite. Pressure-volume loops offer real-time guidance for targeting epicardial lead placement during minimal invasive surgery.

Patients ≥ 75 years with acute coronary syndrome but without critical epicardial coronary disease: prevalence, characteristics, and outcome

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Vincent; Farah, Ahmed; von Korn, Hubertus; Memisevic, Nedim; Richter, Stefan; Tukhiashvili, Ketevan; Lauer, Bernward; Ohlow, Marc-Alexander

2015-01-01

Objective Absence of significant epicardial coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with acute onset of chest pain and elevation of myocardial necrosis markers is occasionally observed. The aim of this study was to analyse the clinical characteristics and outcome of such patients with advanced age. Methods We retrospectively analysed 4,311 patients with acute onset of chest pain plus necrosis marker elevation. Two hundred and seventy two patients without CAD on angiogram (6.3%) were identified. Out of them, 50 (1.2%) patients ≥ 75 years (Group I) were compared with (1) 222 acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients without CAD on angiogram < 75 years (Group II), and (2) 610 consecutive patients ≥ 75 years with Non-ST-elevation Myocardial Infarction (NSTEMI) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (Group III). Results Group I compared to Group III patients made up for more females (64.0% vs. 49.2%; P < 0.0001), and had more severe anginal symptoms on presentation [Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) class I/II, 26.0% vs. 49.8%; P = 0.02]. Group I patients also had lower troponin levels (0.62 ± 0.8 ng/mL vs. 27 ± 74 ng/mL; P < 0.02), lower leukocyte count (9.4 ± 3.13 × 109 vs. 12 ± 5.1 × 109; P = 0.001) and better preserved left ventricular function (56.7% ± 14.3% vs. 45% ± 11%; P < 0.0001). Event-free survival (cardiac death, myocardial infarction, recurrent angina, and re-hospitalisation) was more frequent in Group I and II patients compared to Group III patients (64.9%, 66.7%, and 41.6%, respectively; P < 0.0001). Conclusions ACS in patients ≥ 75 years without CAD is very infrequent, associated with a (1) similar outcome compared to ACS patients < 75 years without CAD, and (2) significant better outcome compared to NSTEMI patients ≥ 75 years. PMID:25678899

Prevalence of Coronary Artery Intramyocardial Course in a Large Population of Clinical Patients Detected by Multislice Computed Tomography Coronary Angiography

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De Rosa, R.; Sacco, M.; Tedeschi, C.; Pepe, R.; Capogrosso, P.; Montemarano, E.; Rotondo, A.; Runza, G.; Midiri, M.; Cademartiri, F. (UO di Radiologia, Ospedale San Gennaro, Napoli (Italy))

2008-10-15

Background: Intramyocardial course, an inborn coronary anomaly, is defined as a segment of a major epicardial coronary artery that runs intramurally through the myocardium; in particular, we distinguish myocardial bridging, in which the vessel returns to an epicardial position after the muscle bridge, and intramyocardial course, which is described as a vessel running and ending in the myocardium. Purpose: To evaluate the prevalence of myocardial bridging and intramyocardial course of coronary arteries as defined by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) angiography. Material and Methods: The study population consisted of 242 consecutive patients (211 men, 31 women; mean age 59+-6 years) with atypical chest pain admitted to our hospital between December 2004 and September 2006. All MDCT examinations were performed using a 16-detector-row scanner (Aquilion 16 CFX; Toshiba Medical System, Tokyo, Japan). Patients with heart rate above 65 bpm received 50 mg atenolol orally for 3 days prior to the MDCT scan, or they increased their usual therapy with beta-blockers, in order to obtain a prescan heart rate <60 bpm. Curved multiplanar and 3D volume reconstructions were performed to explore coronary anatomy. Results: In 235 patients, the CT scan was successful and images were appropriate for evaluation. The prevalence of myocardial bridging and intramyocardial course of coronary arteries was 18.7% (47 cases) in our patient population. In 30 segments (63.8%), the vessels ran and ended in the myocardium. In the remaining 17 segments (36.2%), the vessels returned to an epicardial position after the muscle bridge. We found no difference in the prevalence of this inborn coronary anomaly when comparing different clinical characteristics of the study population (sex, age, body-mass index [BMI], etc.). The mean length of the subepicardial artery was 7 mm (range 5-12 mm), and the mean depth in the diastolic phase was 1.9 mm (range 1.2-2.3 mm). There was no significant difference of

Association Between Epicardial Fat Thickness and Premature Coronary Artery Disease: A Case Control Study

Science.gov (United States)

Faghihi, Shadi; Vasheghani-Farahani, Ali; Parsaee, Mozhgan; Saedi, Sedigheh; Ghadrdoost, Behshid

2015-01-01

Background: The association between epicardial fat thickness (EFT) and premature coronary artery disease (CAD) has not been elaborately studied. Objectives: In the present study, we sought whether such a relationship between EFT and CAD exists. Patients and Methods: Sixty two consecutive subjects, under 50 years of age, who underwent coronary angiography (CAG) with the aspect of CAD, were included in this case control study. They were divided into two groups of 31 subjects, namely CAD (cases) and non-CAD (controls) group, according to CAG data. Presence of conventional coronary risk factors, drug history, and anthropometric data were recorded. Then, each subject underwent standard transthoracic echocardiography for measuring EFT in the proximal part of right ventricular outflow tract in the parasternal long axis view at end diastole, as well as other parameters of systolic and diastolic function, and left ventricle (LV) mass. Images were stored for offline analysis when the echocardiocardiographers were blind to CAG data. Results: Among baseline characteristics, waist circumference, triglyceride levels, cigarette smoking and history of statin use were significantly higher in the CAD group. The body mass index (BMI) was significantly higher in the non-CAD group. According to echocardiographic data, the EFT with a cut off value of 2.95 mm could well differentiate subjects in each group. The LV mass and E/e were significantly higher in CAD group, in addition to EFT. Also, there was a significant correlation between EFT and waist circumference, as well as LV mass. However, no significant relation was between EFT and LV systolic and diastolic function. Conclusions: The EFT, as measured by echocardiography, with a cut off value 2.95 mm has a strong association with premature CAD. PMID:26380819

Epicardial adipose tissue volume and adipocytokine imbalance are strongly linked to human coronary atherosclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Shimabukuro, Michio; Hirata, Yoichiro; Tabata, Minoru; Dagvasumberel, Munkhbaatar; Sato, Hiromi; Kurobe, Hirotsugu; Fukuda, Daiju; Soeki, Takeshi; Kitagawa, Tetsuya; Takanashi, Shuichiro; Sata, Masataka

2013-05-01

The impact of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) over abdominal or overall adiposity on coronary artery disease (CAD) is currently unknown. We compared the association among EAT volume (EATV), cytokine/adipocytokine profiles in EAT and subcutaneous fat, and atherogenic CAD. Paired samples were obtained from EAT and subcutaneous adipose tissue during elective cardiac surgery for CAD (n=50) or non-CAD (n=50). EATV was the sum of cross-sectional EAT areas, and visceral and subcutaneous fat areas were determined at the umbilicus level on computed tomography scans. CD68(+), CD11c(+), and CD206(+) cells were counted using immunohistochemical staining. Cytokine/adipocytokine expression was evaluated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Multivariate analysis indicated that male sex, age, diabetes mellitus, high triglycerides, and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and EATV index (EATV/body surface area, cm(3)/m(2)) were significant CAD predictors (corrected R(2)=0.401; PEATV index positively correlated with the CD68(+) and CD11c(+) cell numbers and nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich-containing family, pyrin domain-containing-3 (NLRP3), interleukin-1β, and interleukin-1R expression; and negatively correlated with adiponectin expression in EAT. A multivariate analysis model, including CD68(+) cells and interleukin-1β, and adiponectin expression in EAT strongly predicted CAD (corrected R(2)=0.756; PEATV and macrophage and cytokine/adipocytokine signals in EAT strongly correlated with CAD. Our findings suggest that EATV and adipocytokine imbalance are strongly linked to human coronary atherosclerosis.

Epicardial fat thickness in stable coronary artery disease: its relationship with high-sensitive cardiac troponin T and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide.

Science.gov (United States)

Börekçi, Abdurrezzak; Gür, Mustafa; Özaltun, Betül; Baykan, Ahmet Oytun; Harbalioğlu, Hazar; Seker, Taner; Sen, Ömer; Acele, Armağan; Gözükara, Mehmet Yavuz; Kuloğlu, Osman; Koç, Mevlüt; Çayli, Murat

2014-12-01

Epicardial adipose tissue is related to coronary atherosclerosis, left ventricle hypertrophy, myocardial dysfunction, cardiomyopathy, and inflammation, which produces a variety of cytokines that influence key pathogenic mechanisms of atherogenesis. The main goal of this study is to examine the relationship between epicardial fat thickness (EFT) and cardiovascular risk markers as well as the complexity of coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with stable CAD. We prospectively included 439 stable CAD patients undergoing coronary angiography in the present study (mean age: 62.2±10.7 years). Patients were divided into two groups (EFTlow and EFThigh groups) according to their median EFT values. EFT was evaluated by two-dimensional echocardiography before angiography. The SYNTAX score was calculated in all patients. N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), high-sensitive cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT), uric acid, and other biochemical markers were also measured. Age, SYNTAX score, frequencies of diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension, NT-proBNP, hs-CRP, hs-cTnT, and uric acid levels were higher in EFThigh group compared with the EFTlow group (P<0.05 for all). EFT was associated independently with age (β=-0.102, P=0.001), diabetes (β=-0.083, P=0.011), SYNTAX score (β=0.352, P<0.001), hs-CRP level (β=0.217, P<0.001), hs-cTnT level (β=0.197, P<0.001), and NT-proBNP level (β=0.300, P<0.001) in multivariate analysis. EFT obtained by echocardiograpy may not only be an easy tool but also an important tool for early detection of increased cardiac risk as well as the extent and complexity of CAD in patients with stable CAD.

Primary PCI: time to change focus from epicardial reperfusion towards protection of the microvasculature

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Lavieren, Martijn A.; van de Hoef, Tim P.; Piek, Jan J.

2014-01-01

Myocardial tissue perfusion remains compromised in 30-40% of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) despite restored epicardial patency after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). This phenomenon is attributed to microvascular dysfunction secondary to numerous

Epicardial adipose tissue volume estimation by postmortem computed tomography of eviscerated hearts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hindsø, Louise; Jakobsen, Lykke S; Jacobsen, Christina

2017-01-01

Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) may play a role in the development of coronary artery disease. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a method based on postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) for the estimation of EAT volume. We PMCT-scanned the eviscerated hearts of 144 deceased individuals, wh...

Influence of radiographic contrast agents on quantitative coronary angiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jost, Stefan; Hausmann, Dirk; Lippolt, Peter; Gerhardt, Uwe; Lichtlen, Paul R.

1997-01-01

Purpose. Quantitative angiographic studies on the vasomotility of epicardial coronary arteries are gaining increasing relevance. We investigated whether radiographic contrast agents might influence coronary vasomotor tone and thereby the results of such studies. Methods. Coronary angiograms were taken in 12 patients with coronary artery disease at intervals of 5, 3, 2, and 1 min with the low-osmolar, nonionic contrast agent iopamidol 300, and were repeated at identical intervals with the high-osmolar, ionic agent diatrizoate 76%. Results. Quantitative cine film analysis demonstrated no significant diameter changes in angiographically normal and stenotic coronary arteries with iopamidol. With diatrizoate, however, normal segments were dilated 2%±2% (p<0.01) after 2 min and 10%±3% after the 1 min interval (p<0.001). Stenoses showed no uniform responses to diatrizoate. Conclusion. Low-osmolar, nonionic contrast agents should be preferred for quantitative angiographic studies on epicardial coronary vasomotility. When using ionic contrast agents, injection intervals of at least 3 min are required

Stable coronary syndromes: pathophysiology, diagnostic advances and therapeutic need

Science.gov (United States)

Corcoran, David

2018-01-01

The diagnostic management of patients with angina pectoris typically centres on the detection of obstructive epicardial CAD, which aligns with evidence-based treatment options that include medical therapy and myocardial revascularisation. This clinical paradigm fails to account for the considerable proportion (approximately one-third) of patients with angina in whom obstructive CAD is excluded. This common scenario presents a diagnostic conundrum whereby angina occurs but there is no obstructive CAD (ischaemia and no obstructive coronary artery disease—INOCA). We review new insights into the pathophysiology of angina whereby myocardial ischaemia results from a deficient supply of oxygenated blood to the myocardium, due to various combinations of focal or diffuse epicardial disease (macrovascular), microvascular dysfunction or both. Macrovascular disease may be due to the presence of obstructive CAD secondary to atherosclerosis, or may be dynamic due to a functional disorder (eg, coronary artery spasm, myocardial bridging). Pathophysiology of coronary microvascular disease may involve anatomical abnormalities resulting in increased coronary resistance, or functional abnormalities resulting in abnormal vasomotor tone. We consider novel clinical diagnostic techniques enabling new insights into the causes of angina and appraise the need for improved therapeutic options for patients with INOCA. We conclude that the taxonomy of stable CAD could improve to better reflect the heterogeneous pathophysiology of the coronary circulation. We propose the term ‘stable coronary syndromes’ (SCS), which aligns with the well-established terminology for ‘acute coronary syndromes’. SCS subtends a clinically relevant classification that more fully encompasses the different diseases of the epicardial and microvascular coronary circulation. PMID:29030424

Correlation between coronary artery disease severity, left ventricular mass index and carotid intima media thickness, assessed by radio-frequency

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Ciccone Marco M

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery (CCA-IMT is a validated marker of systemic atherosclerosis process. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between coronary artery disease (CAD, left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH and CCA-IMT, assessed by Radio Frequency-Quality Intima Media Thickness (RFQIMT method, the next generation of IMT real-time measurement, based on the direct analysis of the radiofrequency signal and endowed with high accuracy and reproducibility in early detection of arterial wall thickness. Methods 115 patients (76 men, mean age: 65.1 ± 12 years referred to our department and shown significant (≥ 70% luminal obstruction stenosis at least in one major epicardial coronary artery were studied. Coronary angiograms were divided for severity and extent of the disease: 79 patients (69% had one, 24 patients (21% two, 12 patients (10% three major epicardial coronary arteries with ≥ 70% stenosis. All patients underwent echocardiography and carotid ultrasound examination, assessed by RF. Results Dividing RFQIMT data in tertiles, dyslipidaemia (31 patients with IMT ≥ 1.20 mm vs 16 with IMT = 0.91-1.19 vs 25 with IMT ≤ 0.9, p = 0.004, LVMI (153.5 ± 20.6 g/m2 in IMT ≥ 1.20 mm vs 131.2 ± 8.4 g/m2 in IMT = 0.91-1.19 mm vs 114.3 ± 11.1 g/m2 in IMT ≤ 0.9 mm, P 2 = 0.88, RFQIMT remained significantly associated with the dyslipidemia (regression coefficient ± standard error [SE]: 0.057 ± 0.023; p = 0.017, LVMI (regression coefficient ± SE: 0.01 ± 0.001; P Conclusions RFQIMT is a sophisticated method for carotid ultrasound evaluation. Its evaluation in patients with at least one important major epicardial coronary vessel stenosis would help the accuracy in the general assessment of the number of coronary lesions in these patients.

Reduced myocardial perfusion reserve in myocardium having coronary artery aneurysm of Kawasaki disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, S. N.; Lee, D. S.; Choi, J. Y.; Kil, H. R.; Jeong, Z. K.; Lee, M. C.; Ko, C. S.

1997-01-01

Kawasaki disease is a systemic vasculitis involving the coronary arteries at early childhood and cause coronary artery aneurysms and thrombotic occlusions. These coronary artery aneurysms were usually transformed later into stenotic or obstructive lesions, however, the majority of these aneurysms, even the giant ones, are known to be associated with normal epicardial coronary flow. Flow reserve is difficult to assess in aneurysmal arteries with echo or angiography. We performed this study to question if there are abnormalities in flow reserve in myocardial tissue with normal epicardial arterial flow on angiography in patients with Kawasaki disease, dipyridamole stress and rest Tc-99m-sestamibi SPECT were performed in 37 patients (28 boys, 9 girls, mean age 6.6 years). We compared SPECT findings with coronary angiography (CAG) findings in 21 patients who did both studies after finding abnormality on echocardiaography. On CAG, aneurysms were found in 26 arteries of 16 patients, i.e., 10 left main arteries, 6 left anterior descending arteries (LAD), 2 left circumflex arteries (LCX), and 8 right coronary arteries (RCA). Localized and segmental stenotic lesions were found in 11 arteries in 9 patients (LAD: 4, LCX: 1, RCA: 6). Eight of the 10 patients with aneurysms had no obvious stenosis. On stress-rest SPECT, 16(43%) out of 37 patients showed normal perfusion and the other 21(57%) showed reversible or persistent decrease. Among 11 stenotic artery territories, 3(27%) showed persistent and/or reversible perfusion defects. The other 8 were normal. Among 26 aneurysmal artery territories, 12 artery territories showe perfusion decrease. Three of the 5 patients with normal CAG showed persistent and/or transient perfusion defects. Among 14 artery territories with perfusion decrease in the 16 patients, 3(21%) could be localized to vascular territory having stenosis of supplying coronary arteries, 12(86%) were related to the coronary artery aneurysms. Two were not related to

Catheter-based high-intensity ultrasound for epicardial ablation of the left ventricle: device design and in vivo feasiblity

Science.gov (United States)

Salgaonkar, Vasant A.; Nazer, Babak; Jones, Peter D.; Tanaka, Yasuaki; Martin, Alastair; Ng, Bennett; Duggirala, Srikant; Diederich, Chris J.; Gerstenfeld, Edward P.

2015-03-01

The development and in vivo testing of a high-intensity ultrasound thermal ablation catheter for epicardial ablation of the left ventricle (LV) is presented. Scar tissue can occur in the mid-myocardial and epicardial space in patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy and lead to ventricular tachycardia. Current ablation technology uses radiofrequency energy, which is limited epicardially by the presence of coronary vessels, phrenic nerves, and fat. Ultrasound energy can be precisely directed to deliver targeted deep epicardial ablation while sparing intervening epicardial nerve and vessels. The proof-of-concept ultrasound applicators were designed for sub-xyphoid access to the pericardial space through a steerable 14-Fr sheath. The catheter consists of two rectangular planar transducers, for therapy (6.4 MHz) and imaging (5 MHz), mounted at the tip of a 3.5-mm flexible nylon catheter coupled and encapsulated within a custom-shaped balloon for cooling. Thermal lesions were created in the LV in a swine (n = 10) model in vivo. The ultrasound applicator was positioned fluoroscopically. Its orientation and contact with the LV were verified using A-mode imaging and a radio-opaque marker. Ablations employed 60-s exposures at 15 - 30 W (electrical power). Histology indicated thermal coagulation and ablative lesions penetrating 8 - 12 mm into the left ventricle on lateral and anterior walls and along the left anterior descending artery. The transducer design enabled successful sparing from the epicardial surface to 2 - 4 mm of intervening ventricle tissue and epicardial fat. The feasibility of targeted epicardial ablation with catheter-based ultrasound was demonstrated.

Spectral analysis of epicardial 60-lead electrograms in dogs with 4-week-old myocardial infarction.

Science.gov (United States)

Hosoya, Y; Ikeda, K; Komatsu, T; Yamaki, M; Kubota, I

2001-01-01

There were few studies on the spectral analysis of multiple-lead epicardial electrograms in chronic myocardial infarction. Spectral analysis of multi-lead epicardial electrograms was performed in 6 sham-operated dogs (N group) and 8 dogs with 4-week-old myocardial infarction (MI group). Four weeks after the ligation of left anterior descending coronary artery, fast Fourier transform was performed on 60-lead epicardial electrograms, and then inverse transform was performed on 5 frequency ranges from 0 to 250 Hz. From the QRS onset to QRS offset, the time integration of unsigned value of reconstructed waveform was calculated and displayed as AQRS maps. On 0-25 Hz AQRS map, there was no significant difference between the 2 groups. In the frequency ranges of 25-250 Hz, MI group had significantly smaller AQRS values than N group solely in the infarct zone. It was shown that high frequency potentials (25-250 Hz) within QRS complex were reduced in the infarct zone.

Coronary physiology assessment in the catheterization laboratory

OpenAIRE

Díez-delhoyo, Felipe; Gutiérrez-Ibañes, Enrique; Loughlin, Gerard; Sanz-Ruiz, Ricardo; Vázquez-Álvarez, María Eugenia; Sarnago-Cebada, Fernando; Angulo-Llanos, Rocío; Casado-Plasencia, Ana; Elízaga, Jaime; Fernández Avilés Diáz, Francisco

2015-01-01

Physicians cannot rely solely on the angiographic appearance of epicardial coronary artery stenosis when evaluating patients with myocardial ischemia. Instead, sound knowledge of coronary vascular physiology and of the methods currently available for its characterization can improve the diagnostic and prognostic accuracy of invasive assessment of the coronary circulation, and help improve clinical decision-making. In this article we summarize the current methods available for a thorough asses...

Identification of canine coronary resistance and intramyocardial compliance on the basis of the waterfall model.

Science.gov (United States)

Burattini, R; Sipkema, P; van Huis, G A; Westerhof, N

1985-01-01

This study was performed to elucidate the effects of cardiac contraction on coronary pressure-flow relations. On the basis of the waterfall mechanism, a lumped model of the coronary arterial system is presented consisting of a proximal (epicardial) compliance, a coronary resistance, and an intramyocardial compliance. A "back"-pressure, assumed to be proportional (constant k) to left ventricular pressure, impedes flow. From steady-state measurements of circumflex coronary artery flow and inflow pressure, together with left ventricular pressure, the values of the three model parameters and the constant k have been estimated. In the control condition proximal compliance is found to be 1.7 X 10(-12) m4s2kg-1, intramyocardial compliance 110 X 10(-12)m4s2kg-1, and resistance 7.5 X 10(9) kgm-4s-1. The proportionality constant k is close to unity. Effects of changes in left ventricular pressure and inflow pressure and the effect of vasoactive drugs on the parameters are also investigated. Changes in coronary resistance are always opposite to changes in intramyocardial compliance. Sensitivity analysis showed that epicardial compliance plays its major role during isovolumic contraction and relaxation; resistance plays a role throughout the cardiac cycle but is more important in diastole than in systole, whereas intramyocardial compliance plays a role in systole and in early diastole.

Prognostic value of epicardial fat volume measurements by computed tomography: a systematic review of the literature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Spearman, James V.; Krazinski, Aleksander W. [Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); Renker, Matthias [Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); Giessen University, Department of Internal Medicine I, Cardiology/Angiology, Giessen (Germany); Schoepf, U.J. [Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); Medical University of South Carolina, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Charleston, SC (United States); Herbert, Teri L. [Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Library Science and Informatics, Charleston, SC (United States); De Cecco, Carlo N. [Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); University of Rome ' Sapienza' - Polo Pontino, Department of Radiological Sciences, Oncology and Pathology, Latina (Italy); Nietert, Paul J. [Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Public Health Sciences, Charleston, SC (United States); Meinel, Felix G. [Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); Ludwig-Maximilians-University Hospital, Institute for Clinical Radiology, Munich (Germany)

2015-11-15

To perform a systematic review of the growing body of literature evaluating the prognostic value of epicardial fat volume (EFV) quantified by cross-sectional imaging. Two independent reviewers performed systematic searches on both PubMed and Scopus using search terms developed with a medical librarian. Peer-reviewed articles were selected based on the inclusion of outcome data, utilization of epicardial fat volume and sufficient reporting for analysis. A total of 411 studies were evaluated with nine studies meeting the inclusion criteria. In all, the studies evaluated 10,252 patients. All nine studies were based on CT measurements. Seven studies evaluated the prognostic value of EFV unadjusted for calcium score, and six of these studies found a significant association between EFV and clinical outcomes. Seven studies evaluated the incremental value of EFV beyond calcium scoring, and six of these studies found a significant association. The majority of studies suggest that EFV quantification is significantly associated with clinical outcomes and provides incremental prognostic value over coronary artery calcium scoring. Future research should use a binary cutoff of 125 mL for evaluation of EFV to provide consistency with other research. (orig.)

Transthoracic Doppler echocardiography – noninvasive diagnostic window for coronary flow reserve assessment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dimitrow Paweł

2003-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract This review focuses on transthoracic Doppler echocardiography as noninvasive method used to assess coronary flow reserve (CFR in a wide spectrum of clinical settings. Transthoracic Doppler echocardiography is rapidly gaining appreciation as popular tool to measure CFR both in stenosed and normal epicardial coronary arteries (predominantly in left anterior descending coronary artery. Post-stenotic CFR measurement is helpful in: functional assessment of moderate stenosis, detection of significant or critical stenosis, monitoring of restenosis after revascularization. In the absence of stenosis in the epicardial coronary artery, decreased CFR enable to detect impaired microvascular vasodilatation in: reperfused myocardial infarct, arterial hypertension with or without left ventricular hypertrophy, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, syndrome X, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In these diseases, noninvasive transthoracic Doppler echocardiography allows for serial CFR evaluations to explore the effect of various pharmacological therapies.

Disruption of canonical TGFβ-signaling in murine coronary progenitor cells by low level arsenic

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allison, Patrick; Huang, Tianfang; Broka, Derrick; Parker, Patti [Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology College of Pharmacy, Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center, Steele Children' s Research Center and Bio5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Barnett, Joey V. [Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt Medical University, Nashville, TN (United States); Camenisch, Todd D., E-mail: camenisch@pharmacy.arizona.edu [Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology College of Pharmacy, Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center, Steele Children' s Research Center and Bio5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States)

2013-10-01

Exposure to arsenic results in several types of cancers as well as heart disease. A major contributor to ischemic heart pathologies is coronary artery disease, however the influences by environmental arsenic in this disease process are not known. Similarly, the impact of toxicants on blood vessel formation and function during development has not been studied. During embryogenesis, the epicardium undergoes proliferation, migration, and differentiation into several cardiac cell types including smooth muscle cells which contribute to the coronary vessels. The TGFβ family of ligands and receptors is essential for developmental cardiac epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and differentiation into coronary smooth muscle cells. In this in vitro study, 18 hour exposure to 1.34 μM arsenite disrupted developmental EMT programming in murine epicardial cells causing a deficit in cardiac mesenchyme. The expression of EMT genes including TGFβ2, TGFβ receptor-3, Snail, and Has-2 are decreased in a dose-dependent manner following exposure to arsenite. TGFβ2 cell signaling is abrogated as detected by decreases in phosphorylated Smad2/3 when cells are exposed to 1.34 μM arsenite. There is also loss of nuclear accumulation pSmad due to arsenite exposure. These observations coincide with a decrease in vimentin positive mesenchymal cells invading three-dimensional collagen gels. However, arsenite does not block TGFβ2 mediated smooth muscle cell differentiation by epicardial cells. Overall these results show that arsenic exposure blocks developmental EMT gene programming in murine coronary progenitor cells by disrupting TGFβ2 signals and Smad activation, and that smooth muscle cell differentiation is refractory to this arsenic toxicity. - Highlights: • Arsenic blocks TGFβ2 induced expression of EMT genes. • Arsenic blocks TGFβ2 triggered Smad2/3 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation. • Arsenic blocks epicardial cell differentiation into cardiac mesenchyme. �

Direct Proof of Endo-Epicardial Asynchrony of the Atrial Wall During Atrial Fibrillation in Humans.

Science.gov (United States)

de Groot, Natasja; van der Does, Lisette; Yaksh, Ameeta; Lanters, Eva; Teuwen, Christophe; Knops, Paul; van de Woestijne, Pieter; Bekkers, Jos; Kik, Charles; Bogers, Ad; Allessie, Maurits

2016-05-01

The presence of focal fibrillation waves during atrial fibrillation (AF) can, besides ectopic activity, also be explained by asynchronous activation of the atrial endo- and epicardial layer and transmurally propagating fibrillation waves. To provide direct proof of endo-epicardial asynchrony, we performed simultaneous high-resolution mapping of the right atrial endo- and epicardial wall during AF in humans. Intraoperative mapping of the endo- and epicardial right atrial wall was performed during (induced) AF in 10 patients with AF (paroxysmal: n=3; persistent: n=4; and longstanding persistent: n=3) and 4 patients without a history of AF. A clamp made of 2 rectangular 8×16 electrode arrays (interelectrode distance 2 mm) was inserted into the incision in the right atrial appendage. Recordings of 10 seconds of AF were analyzed to determine the incidence of asynchronous endo-epicardial activation times (≥15 ms) of opposite electrodes. Asynchronous endo-epicardial activation ranged between 0.9 and 55.9% without preference for either side. Focal waves appeared equally frequent at endocardium and epicardium (11% versus 13%; ITALIC! P=0.18). Using strict criteria for breakthrough (presence of an opposite wave within 4 mm and ≤14 ms before the origin of the focal wave), the majority (65%) of all focal fibrillation waves could be attributed to endo-epicardial excitation. We provided the first evidence for asynchronous activation of the endo-epicardial wall during AF in humans. Endo-epicardial asynchrony may play a major role in the pathophysiology of AF and may offer an explanation why in some patients therapy fails. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

Epicardial adipose tissue in endocrine and metabolic diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Iacobellis, Gianluca

2014-05-01

Epicardial adipose tissue has recently emerged as new risk factor and active player in metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Albeit its physiological and pathological roles are not completely understood, a body of evidence indicates that epicardial adipose tissue is a fat depot with peculiar and unique features. Epicardial fat is able to synthesize, produce, and secrete bioactive molecules which are then transported into the adjacent myocardium through vasocrine and/or paracrine pathways. Based on these evidences, epicardial adipose tissue can be considered an endocrine organ. Epicardial fat is also thought to provide direct heating to the myocardium and protect the heart during unfavorable hemodynamic conditions, such as ischemia or hypoxia. Epicardial fat has been suggested to play an independent role in the development and progression of obesity- and diabetes-related cardiac abnormalities. Clinically, the thickness of epicardial fat can be easily and accurately measured. Epicardial fat thickness can serve as marker of visceral adiposity and visceral fat changes during weight loss interventions and treatments with drugs targeting the fat. The potential of modulating the epicardial fat with targeted pharmacological agents can open new avenues in the pharmacotherapy of endocrine and metabolic diseases. This review article will provide Endocrine's reader with a focus on epicardial adipose tissue in endocrinology. Novel, established, but also speculative findings on epicardial fat will be discussed from the unexplored perspective of both clinical and basic Endocrinologist.

Improved assessment of functional severity of coronary artery stenosis by analysis of combined intracoronary pressure and flow velocity signals

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nolte, F.

2014-01-01

Coronary artery disease (CAD) accounts for almost 2 million deaths per year within the EU. CAD is often characterized by focal narrowing of epicardial arteries, limiting coronary arterial flow and myocardial perfusion. Treatment of critical lesions by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) can be

Relationship between left main coronary artery plaque burden and nonleft main coronary atherosclerosis: results from the PROSPECT study.

Science.gov (United States)

Shimizu, Takehisa; Mintz, Gary S; De Bruyne, Bernard; Farhat, Naim Z; Inaba, Shinji; Cao, Yang; Marso, Steven P; Weisz, Giora; Serruys, Patrick W; Stone, Gregg W; Maehara, Akiko

2018-05-17

Whether the severity of left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease reflects LMCA and overall coronary atherosclerotic burden is not known. We aimed to assess nonculprit LMCA disease characteristics and the relationship with atherosclerosis in the rest of the coronary arteries as well as patient outcomes. In the PROSPECT study, 697 patients with acute coronary syndromes underwent three-vessel gray-scale and radiofrequency intravascular ultrasound after percutaneous coronary intervention. Overall, 552 patients with adequate LMCA imaging were compared according to LMCA plaque burden. The tertile with the highest plaque burden in the LMCA had the smallest LMCA minimum lumen area (17.4, 14.2, 10.5, lowest through highest tertiles, respectively, PPROSPECT predictors of future nonculprit major adverse cardiac events (MACE) (minimum lumen area≤4 mm, plaque burden≥70%, and virtual histology thin-cap fibroatheroma), the tertile with the highest LMCA plaque burden had the highest number of patients with at least one of three PROSPECT predictors (P=0.03). In multivariable model, though total atheroma volume (per 1%) was an independent predictor of all MACE [hazard ratio (95% confidence interval)=1.06 (1.01-1.11), P=0.02] and strong trend for non-culprit-related MACE [hazard ratio (95% confidence interval)=1.06 (1.00-1.13), P=0.06], plaque burden at LMCA was not (all MACE, P=0.90, non-culprit-related MACE, P=0.85). The severity of atherosclerosis in LMCA predicted the overall atherosclerotic plaque burden as well as the presence of high-risk plaques in the three major epicardial coronary arteries.

Acute Heart Failure Triggered by Coronary Spasm With Transient Left Ventricular Dysfunction.

Science.gov (United States)

Adachi, Yusuke; Sakakura, Kenichi; Ibe, Tatsuro; Yoshida, Nanae; Wada, Hiroshi; Fujita, Hideo; Momomura, Shin-Ichi

2017-04-06

Coronary spasm is abnormal contraction of an epicardial coronary artery resulting in myocardial ischemia. Coronary spasm induces not only depressed myocardial contractility, but also incomplete myocardial relaxation, which leads to elevated ventricular filling pressure. We herein report the case of a 55-year-old woman who had repeated acute heart failure caused by coronary spasm. Acetylcholine provocation test with simultaneous right heart catheterization was useful for the diagnosis of elevated ventricular filling pressure as well as coronary artery spasm. We should add coronary spasm to a differential diagnosis for repeated acute heart failure.

A tomographic approach to intravenous coronary arteriography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ritman, E.L.; Bove, A.A.

1986-01-01

Coronary artery anatomy can be visualized using high speed, volume scanning X-ray CT. A single scan during a bolus injection of contrast medium provides image data for display of all angles of view of the opacified coronary arterial tree. Due to the tomographic nature of volume image data the superposition of contrast filled cardiac chambers, such as would occur in the levophase of an intravenous injection of contrast agent, can be eliminated. Data are presented which support these statements. The Dynamic Spatial Reconstructor (DSR) was used to scan a life-like radiologic phantom of an adult human thorax in which the left atrial and ventricular chambers and the major epicardial coronary arteries were opacified so as to simulate the levophase of an intravenous injection of contrast agent. A catheter filled with diluted contrast agent and with regions of luminal narrowing (i.e. 'stenoses') was advanced along a tract equivalent to a right ventricular catheterization. Ease of visualization of the catheter 'stenoses' and the accuracy with which they can be measured are presented. (Auth.)

Transmural myocardial perfusion gradients in relation to coronary artery stenoses severity assessed by cardiac multidetector computed tomography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Linde, Jesper James; Kühl, Jørgen Tobias; Hove, Jens Dahlgaard

2015-01-01

To assess the relationship between epicardial coronary artery stenosis severity and the corresponding regional transmural perfusion at rest and during adenosine stress, using multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). We evaluated the relationship between the severity of coronary artery diameter...

Inversion prepared coronary MR angiography: direct visualization of coronary blood flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Katoh, M.; Spuentrup, E.; Buecker, A.; Guenther, R.W.; Stuber, M.; Manning, W.J.; Botnar, R.M.

2005-01-01

Purpose: visualization of coronary blood flow by means of a slice-selective inversion pre-pulse in concert with bright-blood coronary MRA. Materials and methods: coronary magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) of the right coronary artery (RCA) was performed in eight healthy adult subjects on a 1.5 Tesla MR system (Gyroscan ACS-NT, Philips Medical Systems, Best, NL) using a free-breathing navigator-gated and cardiac-triggered 3D steady-state free-precession (SSFP) sequence with radial k-space sampling. Imaging was performed with and without a slice-selective inversion pre-pulse, which was positioned along the main axis of the coronary artery but perpendicular to the imaging volume. Objective image quality parameters such as SNR, CNR, maximal visible vessel length, and vessel border definition were analyzed. Results: in contrast to conventional bright-blood 3D coronary MRA, the selective inversion pre-pulse provided a direct measure of coronary blood flow. In addition, CNR between the RCA and right ventricular blood pool was increased and the vessels had a tendency towards better delineation. Blood SNR and CNR between right coronary blood and epicardial fat were comparable in both sequences. (orig.)

Expression of Sterol Regulatory Element-Binding Proteins in epicardial adipose tissue in patients with coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus: preliminary study

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez-Belmonte, Luis M.; Moreno-Santos, Inmaculada; Cabrera-Bueno, Fernando; Sánchez-Espín, Gemma; Castellano, Daniel; Such, Miguel; Crespo-Leiro, María G; Carrasco-Chinchilla, Fernando; Alonso-Pulpón, Luis; López-Garrido, Miguel; Ruiz-Salas, Amalio; Becerra-Muñoz, Víctor M.; Gómez-Doblas, Juan J.; de Teresa-Galván, Eduardo; Jiménez-Navarro, Manuel

2017-01-01

Objectives: Sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBP) genes are crucial in lipid biosynthesis and cardiovascular homeostasis. Their expression in epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) and their influence in the development of coronary artery disease (CAD) and type-2 diabetes mellitus remain to be determined. The aim of our study was to evaluate the expression of SREBP genes in EAT in patients with CAD according to diabetes status and its association with clinical and biochemical data. Methods: SREBP-1 and SREBP-2 mRNA expression levels were measured in EAT from 49 patients with CAD (26 with diabetes) and 23 controls without CAD or diabetes. Results: Both SREBPs mRNA expression were significantly higher in patients with CAD and diabetes (pcardiovascular risk factor for coronary artery disease in patients with type-2 diabetes (SREBP-1: OR 1.7, 95%CI 1.1-2.5, p=0.02; SREBP-2: OR 1.6, 95%CI 1.2-3, p=0.02) and were independently associated with the presence of multivessel CAD, left main and anterior descending artery stenosis, and higher total and LDL cholesterol levels, and lower HDL cholesterol levels, in patients with CAD and diabetes. Conclusions: SREBP genes are expressed in EAT and were higher in CAD patients with diabetes than those patients without CAD or diabetes. SREBP expression was associated as cardiovascular risk factor for the severity of CAD and the poor lipid control. In this preliminary study we suggest the importance of EAT in the lipid metabolism and cardiovascular homeostasis for coronary atherosclerosis of patients with diabetes and highlight a future novel therapeutic target. PMID:28367087

A rare cause of acute coronary syndrome: Kounis syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Almeida, João; Ferreira, Sara; Malheiro, Joana; Fonseca, Paulo; Caeiro, Daniel; Dias, Adelaide; Ribeiro, José; Gama, Vasco

2016-12-01

Kounis syndrome is an acute coronary syndrome in the context of a hypersensitivity reaction. The main pathophysiological mechanism appears to be coronary vasospasm. We report the case of a patient with a history of allergy to quinolones, who was given ciprofloxacin before an elective surgical procedure and during drug administration developed symptoms and electrocardiographic changes suggestive of ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome. The drug was suspended and coronary angiography excluded epicardial coronary disease. Two hours after withdrawal of the drug the symptoms and ST elevation had resolved completely. Copyright © 2016 Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Effect of darapladib on major coronary events after an acute coronary syndrome

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

O'Donoghue, Michelle L; Braunwald, Eugene; White, Harvey D

2014-01-01

]) at 868 sites in 36 countries. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomized to either once-daily darapladib (160 mg) or placebo on a background of guideline-recommended therapy. Patients were followed up for a median of 2.5 years between December 7, 2009, and December 6, 2013. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES......: The primary end point (major coronary events) was the composite of coronary heart disease (CHD) death, MI, or urgent coronary revascularization for myocardial ischemia. Kaplan-Meier event rates are reported at 3 years. RESULTS: During a median duration of 2.5 years, the primary end point occurred in 903...

Relationship Between Neck Circumference and Epicardial Fat Thickness in a Healthy Male Population

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Uğur Küçük

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background: Epicardial fat is an upper body visceral fat depot that may play a significant role in the development of adverse metabolic and cardiovascular risk profiles. There is a significant direct relationship between the amount of epicardial fat and general body adiposity (body mass index, BMI, but data regarding subcutaneous adiposity is limited. Objective: We conducted a study to determine the association between neck circumference and epicardial fat thickness in healthy young male individuals, and assess their individual correlations with general body adiposity and cardiometabolic risk factors. Methods: One hundred consecutive male patients aged 18 years or older with no known major medical conditions were included in the study. All participants underwent detailed physical examination including measurement of blood pressure, weight, height, waist/hip ratio, and neck circumference. Blood was collected to determine fasting glucose and lipid parameters. A standard echocardiographic examination was performed with additional epicardial fat thickness determination. Results: Among 100 study participants, neck circumference correlated significantly with weight, waist circumference, BMI, blood glucose, serum total cholesterol, low-density (LDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides levels. No significant correlation was found between neck circumference and high-density lipoprotein (HDL-cholesterol levels. Neck circumference correlated moderately and positively with echocardiographic epicardial fat thickness. Conclusion: Among patients with low cardiometabolic risk, increased neck circumference was associated with increased epicardial fat thickness.

Ondas ultra-sônicas de alta freqüência causam disfunção endotelial em artérias coronárias caninas epicárdicas High-frequency ultrasonic waves cause endothelial dysfunction on canine epicardial coronary arteries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Berent Discigil

2008-06-01

investigations. METHODS: To determine whether ultrasound energy impairs the production of nitric oxide or damages vascular smooth muscle function, isolated canine epicardial coronary artery segments were exposed to either high (25 W or low (0-10 W ultrasonic energy outputs, for 15 seconds, using an endarterectomy device prototype. After exposure, segments of epicardial coronary artery were studied in organ chambers. The following drugs were used: adenosine diphosphate (ADP, acetylcholine (Ach and sodium fluoride (NaF to study endothelium-dependent relaxation and sodium nitroprusside (SNP and isoproterenol to evaluate endothelium-independent relaxation. RESULTS: Application of high ultrasonic energy power impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation to ADP (10-9 - 10-4 M, Ach (10-9 - 10-4 M and NaF (0.5 - 9.5 mM in epicardial coronary arteries. However, low ultrasound energy output at the tip of the probe did not alter the endothelium-dependent relaxation (either maximal relaxation or EC50 to the same agonists. Vascular smooth muscle relaxation to isoproterenol (10-9 - 10-5 M or SNP (10-9 - 10-6 M was unaltered following exposure to either low or high ultrasonic energy outputs. CONCLUSION: These experiments currently prove that ultrasonic energy changes endothelial function of epicardial coronary arteries at high power. However, ultrasound does not alter the ability of vascular smooth muscle of canine epicardial coronary arteries to relax.

Coronary microvasculopathy in heart transplantation: Consequences and therapeutic implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Vecchiati, Alessandra; Tellatin, Sara; Angelini, Annalisa; Iliceto, Sabino; Tona, Francesco

2014-06-24

Despite the progress made in the prevention and treatment of rejection of the transplanted heart, cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) remains the main cause of death in late survival transplanted patients. CAV consists of a progressive diffuse intimal hyperplasia and the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells, ending in wall thickening of epicardial vessels, intramyocardial arteries (50-20 μm), arterioles (20-10 μm), and capillaries (system. The non-immunological factors are older donor age, ischemia-reperfusion time, hyperlipidemia and CMV infections. Diagnostic techniques that are able to assess microvascular function are lacking. Intravascular ultrasound and fractional flow reserve, when performed during coronary angiography, are able to detect epicardial coronary artery disease but are not sensitive enough to assess microvascular changes. Some authors have proposed an index of microcirculatory resistance during maximal hyperemia, which is calculated by dividing pressure by flow (distal pressure multiplied by the hyperemic mean transit time). Non-invasive methods to assess coronary physiology are stress echocardiography, coronary flow reserve by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography, single photon emission computed tomography, and perfusion cardiac magnetic resonance. In this review, we intend to analyze the mechanisms, consequences and therapeutic implications of microvascular dysfunction, including an extended citation of relevant literature data.

Frequency and clinical predictors of coronary artery disease in chronic renal failure renal transplant candidates.

Science.gov (United States)

de Albuquerque Seixas, Emerson; Carmello, Beatriz Leone; Kojima, Christiane Akemi; Contti, Mariana Moraes; Modeli de Andrade, Luiz Gustavo; Maiello, José Roberto; Almeida, Fernando Antonio; Martin, Luis Cuadrado

2015-05-01

Cardiovascular diseases are major causes of mortality in chronic renal failure patients before and after renal transplantation. Among them, coronary disease presents a particular risk; however, risk predictors have been used to diagnose coronary heart disease. This study evaluated the frequency and importance of clinical predictors of coronary artery disease in chronic renal failure patients undergoing dialysis who were renal transplant candidates, and assessed a previously developed scoring system. Coronary angiographies conducted between March 2008 and April 2013 from 99 candidates for renal transplantation from two transplant centers in São Paulo state were analyzed for associations between significant coronary artery diseases (≥70% stenosis in one or more epicardial coronary arteries or ≥50% in the left main coronary artery) and clinical parameters. Univariate logistic regression analysis identified diabetes, angina, and/or previous infarction, clinical peripheral arterial disease and dyslipidemia as predictors of coronary artery disease. Multiple logistic regression analysis identified only diabetes and angina and/or previous infarction as independent predictors. The results corroborate previous studies demonstrating the importance of these factors when selecting patients for coronary angiography in clinical pretransplant evaluation.

Inadequate increase in the volume of major epicardial coronary arteries compared with that in left ventricular mass. Novel concept for characterization of coronary arteries using 64-slice computed tomography.

Science.gov (United States)

Ehara, Shoichi; Okuyama, Takuhiro; Shirai, Nobuyuki; Sugioka, Kenichi; Oe, Hiroki; Itoh, Toshihide; Matsuoka, Toshiyuki; Ikura, Yoshihiro; Ueda, Makiko; Naruko, Takahiko; Hozumi, Takeshi; Yoshiyama, Minoru

2009-08-01

Previous studies have shown a correlation between coronary artery cross-sectional diameter and left ventricular (LV) mass. However, no studies have examined the correlation between actual coronary artery volume (CAV) and LV mass. In the present study, measurements of CAV by 64-multislice computed tomography (MSCT) were validated and the relationship between CAV and LV mass was investigated. First, coronary artery phantoms consisting of syringes filled with solutions of contrast medium moving at simulated heart rates were scanned by 64-MSCT. Display window settings permitting accurate calculation of small volumes were optimized by evaluating volume-rendered images of the segmented contrast medium at different window settings. Next, 61 patients without significant coronary artery stenosis were scanned by 64-MSCT with the same protocol as for the phantoms. Coronary arteries were segmented on a workstation and the same window settings were applied to the volume-rendered images to calculate total CAV. Significant correlations between total CAV and LV mass (r=0.660, Pconcept of "CAV" for the characterization of coronary arteries may prove useful for future research, particularly on the causes of LV hypertrophy.

Influence of technical parameters on epicardial fat volume quantification at cardiac CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bucher, Andreas M.; Joseph Schoepf, U.; Krazinski, Aleksander W.; Silverman, Justin; Spearman, James V.; De Cecco, Carlo N.; Meinel, Felix G.; Vogl, Thomas J.; Geyer, Lucas L.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Upper threshold levels and contrast enhancement influence epicardial fat volumetry. • Cardiac cycle does not significantly influence epicardial fat volumetry. • Adjustments of upper threshold can lead to comparable volumetry results. - Abstract: Objectives: To systematically analyze the influence of technical parameters on quantification of epicardial fat volume (EATV) at cardiac CT. Methods: 153 routine cardiac CT data sets were analyzed using three-dimensional pericardial border delineation. Three image series were reconstructed per patient: (a) CTA D : coronary CT angiography (CTA), diastolic phase; (b) CTA S : coronary CTA, systolic phase; (c) CaSc D : non-contrast CT, diastolic phase. EATV was calculated using three different upper thresholds (−15HU, −30HU, −45HU). Repeated measures ANOVA, Spearman's rho, and Bland Altman plots were used. Results: Mean EATV differed between all three image series at a −30HU threshold (CTA D 87.2 ± 38.5 ml, CTA S 90.9 ± 37.7 ml, CaSc D 130.7 ± 49.5 ml, P < 0.001). EATV of diastolic and systolic CTA reconstructions did not differ significantly (P = 0.225). Mean EATV for contrast enhanced CTA at a −15HU threshold (CTA D15 102.4 ± 43.6 ml, CTA S15 105.3 ± 42.3 ml) could be approximated most closely by non-contrast CT at −45HU threshold (CaSc D45 105.3 ± 40.8 ml). The correlation was excellent: CTA S15 –CTA D15 , rho = 0.943; CTA D15 –CaSc D45 , rho = 0.905; CTA S15 –CaSc D45 , rho = 0.924; each P < 0.001). Bias values from Bland Altman Analysis were: CTA S15 –CTA D15 , 4.9%; CTA D15 –CaSc D45 , −4.3%; CTA S15 –CaSc D45 , 0.6%. Conclusions: Measured EATV can differ substantially between contrast enhanced and non-contrast CT studies, which can be reconciled by threshold modification. Heart cycle phase does not significantly influence EATV measurements

Influence of technical parameters on epicardial fat volume quantification at cardiac CT

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Bucher, Andreas M. [Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (United States); Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Clinic of the Goethe University, Frankfurt (Germany); Joseph Schoepf, U., E-mail: schoepf@musc.edu [Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (United States); Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (United States); Krazinski, Aleksander W.; Silverman, Justin; Spearman, James V. [Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (United States); De Cecco, Carlo N. [Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (United States); Department of Radiological Sciences, Oncology and Pathology, University of Rome “Sapienza” – Polo Pontino, Latina (Italy); Meinel, Felix G. [Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (United States); Institute for Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Hospital, Munich (Germany); Vogl, Thomas J. [Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Clinic of the Goethe University, Frankfurt (Germany); Geyer, Lucas L. [Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (United States); Institute for Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Hospital, Munich (Germany)

2015-06-15

Highlights: • Upper threshold levels and contrast enhancement influence epicardial fat volumetry. • Cardiac cycle does not significantly influence epicardial fat volumetry. • Adjustments of upper threshold can lead to comparable volumetry results. - Abstract: Objectives: To systematically analyze the influence of technical parameters on quantification of epicardial fat volume (EATV) at cardiac CT. Methods: 153 routine cardiac CT data sets were analyzed using three-dimensional pericardial border delineation. Three image series were reconstructed per patient: (a) CTA{sub D}: coronary CT angiography (CTA), diastolic phase; (b) CTA{sub S}: coronary CTA, systolic phase; (c) CaSc{sub D}: non-contrast CT, diastolic phase. EATV was calculated using three different upper thresholds (−15HU, −30HU, −45HU). Repeated measures ANOVA, Spearman's rho, and Bland Altman plots were used. Results: Mean EATV differed between all three image series at a −30HU threshold (CTA{sub D} 87.2 ± 38.5 ml, CTA{sub S} 90.9 ± 37.7 ml, CaSc{sub D} 130.7 ± 49.5 ml, P < 0.001). EATV of diastolic and systolic CTA reconstructions did not differ significantly (P = 0.225). Mean EATV for contrast enhanced CTA at a −15HU threshold (CTA{sub D15} 102.4 ± 43.6 ml, CTA{sub S15} 105.3 ± 42.3 ml) could be approximated most closely by non-contrast CT at −45HU threshold (CaSc{sub D45} 105.3 ± 40.8 ml). The correlation was excellent: CTA{sub S15}–CTA{sub D15}, rho = 0.943; CTA{sub D15}–CaSc{sub D45}, rho = 0.905; CTA{sub S15}–CaSc{sub D45}, rho = 0.924; each P < 0.001). Bias values from Bland Altman Analysis were: CTA{sub S15}–CTA{sub D15}, 4.9%; CTA{sub D15}–CaSc{sub D45}, −4.3%; CTA{sub S15}–CaSc{sub D45}, 0.6%. Conclusions: Measured EATV can differ substantially between contrast enhanced and non-contrast CT studies, which can be reconciled by threshold modification. Heart cycle phase does not significantly influence EATV measurements.

Computerized analysis of the 12-lead electrocardiogram to identify epicardial ventricular tachycardia exit sites.

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Yokokawa, Miki; Jung, Dae Yon; Joseph, Kim K; Hero, Alfred O; Morady, Fred; Bogun, Frank

2014-11-01

Twelve-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) criteria for epicardial ventricular tachycardia (VT) origins have been described. In patients with structural heart disease, the ability to predict an epicardial origin based on QRS morphology is limited and has been investigated only for limited regions in the heart. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a computerized algorithm is able to accurately differentiate epicardial vs endocardial origins of ventricular arrhythmias. Endocardial and epicardial pace-mapping were performed in 43 patients at 3277 sites. The 12-lead ECGs were digitized and analyzed using a mixture of gaussian model (MoG) to assess whether the algorithm was able to identify an epicardial vs endocardial origin of the paced rhythm. The MoG computerized algorithm was compared to algorithms published in prior reports. The computerized algorithm correctly differentiated epicardial vs endocardial pacing sites for 80% of the sites compared to an accuracy of 42% to 66% of other described criteria. The accuracy was higher in patients without structural heart disease than in those with structural heart disease (94% vs 80%, P = .0004) and for right bundle branch block (82%) compared to left bundle branch block morphologies (79%, P = .001). Validation studies showed the accuracy for VT exit sites to be 84%. A computerized algorithm was able to accurately differentiate the majority of epicardial vs endocardial pace-mapping sites. The algorithm is not region specific and performed best in patients without structural heart disease and with VTs having a right bundle branch block morphology. Copyright © 2014 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Myocardial bridging: evaluation with multislice computed tomography coronary angiography

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Barros, M.V.L. de; Rabelo, D.R.; Nunes, M.C.P.; Siqueira, M.H.A. [Mater Dei Hospital, Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil)

2012-04-15

Myocardial bridging (MB) is defined as a segment of a major epicardial coronary artery that proceeds intramurally through the myocardium beneath the muscle bridge. Although MB is clinically silent in most cases, it has been associated with myocardial ischemia, myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, and sudden death. Conventional coronary angiography (CCA) is the gold standard for detection, but it is invasive and may not be sensitive enough to detect a thin bridge. Recently, multislice computed tomography coronary angiography (MCTCA) have made possible the clear detection of the entire running courses of coronary arteries and the MB itself. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence MB in patients suspect to coronary artery disease submitted to MCTCA and assessing the predictive value of this method in the midterm. Methods: 498 consecutive patients were examined by MCTCA for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease and followed for a mean follow-up of 17 months for the occurrence of cardiovascular events (death, hospitalization and / or revascularization myocardial). Results: The mean age of patients was 58.4 ± 12.5 years old, 74.3% male. Among the patients, 6,02% (30 patients) showed MB. The major indications were angina pectoris in 45,8% and positive stress testing in 33,3%. 62,5% showed absent atherosclerotic disease and only 1 patient showed moderade descending anterior stenosis. During the follow-up none patient showed hard events. Conclusion: Patients with MB could present with angina pectoris and positive stress testing and showed midterm excellent prognosis. MCTCA is an alternative noninvasive imaging tool that allows for easy and accurate evaluation of MB.

Distribution of coronary arterial capacitance in a canine model.

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Lader, A S; Smith, R S; Phillips, G C; McNamee, J E; Abel, F L

1998-03-01

The capacitative properties of the major left coronary arteries, left main (LM), left anterior descending (LAD), and left circumflex (LCX), were studied in 19 open-chest isolated dog hearts. Capacitance was determined by using ramp perfusion and a left ventricular-to-coronary shunt diastolic decay method; both methods gave similar results, indicating a minimal systolic capacitative component. Increased pericardial pressure (PCP), 25 mmHg, was used to experimentally alter transmural wall pressure. The response to increased PCP was different in the LAD vs. LCX; increasing PCP decreased capacitance in the LCX but increased capacitance in the LAD. This may have been due to the different intramural vs. epicardial volume distribution of these vessels and a decrease in intramural tension during increased PCP. Increased PCP decreased LCX capacitance by approximately 13%, but no changes in conductance or zero flow pressure intercept occurred in any of the three vessels, i. e., evidence against the waterfall theory of vascular collapse at these levels of PCP. Coronary arterial capacitance was also linearly related to perfusion pressure.

Three Vessel Coronary Cameral Fistulae Associated with New Onset Atrial Fibrillation and Angina Pectoris

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Murat Yuksel

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Coronary cameral fistulas are abnormal communications between a coronary artery and a heart chamber or a great vessel which are reported in less than 0.1% of patients undergoing diagnostic coronary angiography. All three major coronary arteries are even less frequently involved in fistula formation as it is the case in our patient. A 68-year-old woman was admitted to cardiology clinic with complaints of exertional dyspnea and angina for two years and a new onset palpitation. Standard 12-lead electrocardiogram revealed atrial fibrillation (AF with a ventricular rate of 114 beat/minute and accompanying T wave abnormalities and minimal ST-depression on lateral derivations. Transthoracic echocardiographic examination was normal except for diastolic dysfunction, minimally mitral regurgitation, and mild to moderate enlargement of the left atrium. Sinus rhythm was achieved by medical cardioversion with amiodarone infusion. Coronary angiography revealed diffuse and multiple coronary-left ventricle fistulas originating from the distal segments of both left and right coronary arterial systems without any stenosis in epicardial coronary arteries. The patient’s symptoms resolved almost completely with medical therapy. High volume shunts via coronary artery to left ventricular microfistulas may lead to increased volume overload and subsequent increase in end-diastolic pressure of the left ventricle and may cause left atrial enlargement.

Impact of Body Mass Index on the relationship of epicardial adipose tissue to metabolic syndrome and coronary artery disease in an Asian population

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Yoon Myeong-Ho

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In a previous study, we demonstrated that the thickness of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT, measured by echocardiography, was increased in patients with metabolic syndrome (MS and coronary artery disease (CAD. Several studies on obese patients, however, failed to demonstrate any relationship between EAT and CAD. We hypothesized that body mass index (BMI affected the link between EAT and MS and CAD. Methods We consecutively enrolled 643 patients (302 males, 341 females; 59 ± 11 years, who underwent echocardiography and coronary angiography. The EAT thickness was measured on the free wall of the right ventricle at the end of diastole. All patients were divided into two groups: high BMI group, ≥27 kg/m2 (n = 165, and non-high BMI group, 2 (n = 478. Results The median and mean EAT thickness of 643 patients were 3.0 mm and 3.1 ± 2.4 mm, respectively. In the non-high BMI group, the median EAT thickness was significantly increased in patients with MS compared to those without MS (3.5 vs. 1.9 mm, p Conclusions While EAT thickness was significantly increased in patients with MS and CAD, the power of EAT thickness to predict MS and CAD was stronger in patients with BMI 2. These findings showed that the measurement of EAT thickness by echocardiography might be especially useful in an Asian population with a non-high BMI, less than 27 kg/m2.

Epicardial Fat: Definition, Measurements and Systematic Review of Main Outcomes

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Bertaso, Angela Gallina [Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Cardiologia e Ciências Cardiovasculares - Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre (Brazil); Bertol, Daniela [Programa de Pós-Graduação em Epidemiologia - Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre (Brazil); Duncan, Bruce Bartholow; Foppa, Murilo, E-mail: mfoppa@cardiol.br [Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Cardiologia e Ciências Cardiovasculares - Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre (Brazil); Programa de Pós-Graduação em Epidemiologia - Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre (Brazil)

2013-07-15

Epicardial fat (EF) is a visceral fat deposit, located between the heart and the pericardium, which shares many of the pathophysiological properties of other visceral fat deposits, It also potentially causes local inflammation and likely has direct effects on coronary atherosclerosis. Echocardiography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging have been used to evaluate EF, but variations between methodologies limit the comparability between these modalities. We performed a systematic review of the literature finding associations of EF with metabolic syndrome and coronary artery disease. The summarization of these associations is limited by the heterogeneity of the methods used and the populations studied, where most of the subjects were at high cardiovascular disease risk. EF is also associated with other known factors, such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, age and hypertension, which makes the interpretation of its role as an independent risk marker intricate. Based on these data, we conclude that EF is a visceral fat deposit with potential implications in coronary artery disease. We describe the reference values of EF for the different imaging modalities, even though these have not yet been validated for clinical use. It is still necessary to better define normal reference values and the risk associated with EF to further evaluate its role in cardiovascular and metabolic risk assessment in relation to other criteria currently used.

Epicardial Fat: Definition, Measurements and Systematic Review of Main Outcomes

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Bertaso, Angela Gallina; Bertol, Daniela; Duncan, Bruce Bartholow; Foppa, Murilo

2013-01-01

Epicardial fat (EF) is a visceral fat deposit, located between the heart and the pericardium, which shares many of the pathophysiological properties of other visceral fat deposits, It also potentially causes local inflammation and likely has direct effects on coronary atherosclerosis. Echocardiography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging have been used to evaluate EF, but variations between methodologies limit the comparability between these modalities. We performed a systematic review of the literature finding associations of EF with metabolic syndrome and coronary artery disease. The summarization of these associations is limited by the heterogeneity of the methods used and the populations studied, where most of the subjects were at high cardiovascular disease risk. EF is also associated with other known factors, such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, age and hypertension, which makes the interpretation of its role as an independent risk marker intricate. Based on these data, we conclude that EF is a visceral fat deposit with potential implications in coronary artery disease. We describe the reference values of EF for the different imaging modalities, even though these have not yet been validated for clinical use. It is still necessary to better define normal reference values and the risk associated with EF to further evaluate its role in cardiovascular and metabolic risk assessment in relation to other criteria currently used

Epicardial shock-wave therapy improves ventricular function in a porcine model of ischaemic heart disease.

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Holfeld, Johannes; Zimpfer, Daniel; Albrecht-Schgoer, Karin; Stojadinovic, Alexander; Paulus, Patrick; Dumfarth, Julia; Thomas, Anita; Lobenwein, Daniela; Tepeköylü, Can; Rosenhek, Raphael; Schaden, Wolfgang; Kirchmair, Rudolf; Aharinejad, Seyedhossein; Grimm, Michael

2016-12-01

Previously we have shown that epicardial shock-wave therapy improves left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in a rat model of myocardial infarction. In the present experiments we aimed to address the safety and efficacy of epicardial shock-wave therapy in a preclinical large animal model and to further evaluate mechanisms of action of this novel therapy. Four weeks after left anterior descending (LAD) artery ligation in pigs, the animals underwent re-thoracotomy with (shock-wave group, n = 6) or without (control group, n = 5) epicardial shock waves (300 impulses at 0.38 mJ/mm 2 ) applied to the infarcted anterior wall. Efficacy endpoints were improvement of LVEF and induction of angiogenesis 6 weeks after shock-wave therapy. Safety endpoints were haemodynamic stability during treatment and myocardial damage. Four weeks after LAD ligation, LVEF decreased in both the shock-wave (43 ± 3%, p wave animals 6 weeks after treatment (62 ± 9%, p = 0.006); no improvement was observed in controls (41 ± 4%, p = 0.36), yielding a significant difference. Quantitative histology revealed significant angiogenesis 6 weeks after treatment (controls 2 ± 0.4 arterioles/high-power field vs treatment group 9 ± 3; p = 0.004). No acute or chronic adverse effects were observed. As a potential mechanism of action in vitro experiments showed stimulation of VEGF receptors after shock-wave treatment in human coronary artery endothelial cells. Epicardial shock-wave treatment in a large animal model of ischaemic heart failure exerted a positive effect on LVEF improvement and did not show any adverse effects. Angiogenesis was induced by stimulation of VEGF receptors. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Comparison of arrhythmogenicity and proinflammatory activity induced by intramyocardial or epicardial myoblast sheet delivery in a rat model of ischemic heart failure.

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Tommi Pätilä

Full Text Available Although cell therapy of the failing heart by intramyocardial injections of myoblasts to results in regenerative benefit, it has also been associated with undesired and prospectively fatal arrhythmias. We hypothesized that intramyocardial injections of myoblasts could enhance inflammatory reactivity and facilitate electrical cardiac abnormalities that can be reduced by epicardial myoblast sheet delivery. In a rat model of ischemic heart failure, myoblast therapy either by intramyocardial injections or epicardial cell sheets was given 2 weeks after occlusion of the coronary artery. Ventricular premature contractions (VPCs were assessed, using an implanted three-lead electrocardiograph at 1, 7, and 14 days after therapy, and 16-point epicardial electropotential mapping (EEPM was used to evaluate ventricular arrhythmogenicity under isoproterenol stress. Cardiac functioning was assessed by echocardiography. Both transplantation groups showed therapeutic benefit over sham therapy. However, VPCs were more frequent in the Injection group on day 1 and day 14 after therapy than in animals receiving epicardial or sham therapy (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively. EEPM under isoproterenol stress showed macroreentry at the infarct border area, leading to ventricular tachycardias in the Injection group, but not in the myoblast sheet- or sham-treated groups (p = 0.045. Both transplantation types modified the myocardial cytokine expression profile. In animals receiving epicardial myoblast therapy, selective reductions in the expressions of interferon gamma, interleukin (IL-1β and IL12 were observed, accompanied by reduced infiltration of inflammatory CD11b- and CD68-positive leukocytes, compared with animals receiving myoblasts as intramyocardial injections. Intramyocardial myoblast delivery was associated with enhanced inflammatory and immunomodulatory reactivity and increased frequency of VPCs. In comparison to intramyocardial injection, the epicardial

Comparison of the TIMI and the GRACE risk scores with the extent of coronary artery disease in patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome

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Mahmood, M.; Achakzai, A.S.; Akhtar, P.; Zaman, K.S.

2013-01-01

Objective: To compare the accuracy of the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events risk score and the Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction risk score in predicting the extent of coronary artery disease in patients with non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndrome. Methods: The cross-sectional study comprising 406 consecutive patients was conducted at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Karachi, from August 2010 to March 2011. For all patients, the GRACE and TIMI RS's relevant scores on the two indices were calculated on admission using specified variables. The patients underwent coronary angiography to determine the extent of the disease. A significant level was defined as >70% stenosis in any major epicardial artery or >50% stenosis in the left main coronary artery. SPSS 19 was used for statistical analysis. Results: Both the indices showed good predictive value in identifying the extent of the disease. A Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction score >4 and Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events score >133 was significantly associated with 3vessel disease and left main disease, while for the former score <4 and latter score <133 was associated with normal or non-obstructive coronary disease (p<0.01). On comparison of the two risk scores, the discriminatory accuracy of the latter was significantly superior to the former in predicting 2vessel, 3vessel and left main diseases (p<0.05). Conclusion: Although both the indices were helpful in predicting the extent of the disease, the Global Registry showed better performance and was more strongly associated with multi-vessel and left main coronary artery disease. (author)

Coronary atherosclerosis in medico-legal autopsy cases

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VN Prasad

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Coronary atherosclerosis is the major cause of death worldwide. Lifestyle and habits are the major contributory factor in the development of coronary atherosclerosis. Materials and Methods: This is an autopsy-based study in which 45 autopsy cases were randomly selected for study. Proximal one third of all three epicardial coronary arteries (LAD, LCX and RCA were dissected out for study and serial sections were made and stained with H&E method and under the light microscope. Atherosclerosis was graded according to American heart association classification. The risk factors (cigarette smoking, hypertension, diabetes, alcohol consumption, age, sex were also correlated with the grade of atherosclerosis. Results: Seventy-Eight percent of American Heart Association classification grade V lesions were seen in > 70 yrs of age. Almost all cases of > 70 yrs of age had American Heart Association classification grade > IV lesions. Out of all grade IV lesions, 88.9% was seen in male while only 11.1% in female. Similarly out of all grade V lesions, 77.8% was seen in male while 22.2% in female. LAD showed maximum involvement by higher grade lesion, followed by LCX and RCA. American Heart Association classification grade > IV in LAD, LCX and RCA was seen in 25(55.6%, 5(11.1%, and 3(6.7% cases respectively. Conclusion: Higher grade lesion occurs in advancing age. Various cardiovascular risk factors were significantly associated with higher grade of lesions. The multiple risk factors had a synergistic effect on the progression of coronary atherosclerosis. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jpn.v4i8.11492 Journal of Pathology of Nepal; Vol.4,No8(2014 607-611

Unipolar Endocardial Voltage Mapping in the Right Ventricle: Optimal Cutoff Values Correcting for Computed Tomography-Derived Epicardial Fat Thickness and Their Clinical Value for Substrate Delineation.

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Venlet, Jeroen; Piers, Sebastiaan R D; Kapel, Gijsbert F L; de Riva, Marta; Pauli, Philippe F G; van der Geest, Rob J; Zeppenfeld, Katja

2017-08-01

Low endocardial unipolar voltage (UV) at sites with normal bipolar voltage (BV) may indicate epicardial scar. Currently applied UV cutoff values are based on studies that lacked epicardial fat information. This study aimed to define endocardial UV cutoff values using computed tomography-derived fat information and to analyze their clinical value for right ventricular substrate delineation. Thirty-three patients (50±14 years; 79% men) underwent combined endocardial-epicardial right ventricular electroanatomical mapping and ablation of right ventricular scar-related ventricular tachycardia with computed tomographic image integration, including computed tomography-derived fat thickness. Of 6889 endocardial-epicardial mapping point pairs, 547 (8%) pairs with distance 1.50 mV, the optimal endocardial UV cutoff for identification of epicardial BV the curve, 0.75; sensitivity, 60%; specificity, 79%) and cutoff for identification of abnormal epicardial electrogram was 3.7 mV (area under the curve, 0.88; sensitivity, 100%; specificity, 67%). The majority of abnormal electrograms (130 of 151) were associated with transmural scar. Eighty-six percent of abnormal epicardial electrograms had corresponding endocardial sites with BV the remaining could be identified by corresponding low endocardial UV right ventricular scar, an endocardial UV cutoff value of 3.9 mV is more accurate than previously reported cutoff values. Although the majority of epicardial abnormal electrograms are associated with transmural scar with low endocardial BV, the additional use of endocardial UV at normal BV sites improves the diagnostic accuracy resulting in identification of all epicardial abnormal electrograms at sites with <1.0 mm fat. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Minimal invasive epicardial lead implantation: optimizing cardiac resynchronization with a new mapping device for epicardial lead placement.

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Maessen, J G; Phelps, B; Dekker, A L A J; Dijkman, B

2004-05-01

To optimize resynchronization in biventricular pacing with epicardial leads, mapping to determine the best pacing site, is a prerequisite. A port access surgical mapping technique was developed that allowed multiple pace site selection and reproducible lead evaluation and implantation. Pressure-volume loops analysis was used for real time guidance in targeting epicardial lead placement. Even the smallest changes in lead position revealed significantly different functional results. Optimizing the pacing site with this technique allowed functional improvement up to 40% versus random pace site selection.

Normal stress-only myocardial single photon emission computed tomography predicts good outcome in patients with coronary artery stenoses between 40 and 70.

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Jiang, Zhixin; Liu, Yangqing; Xin, Chaofan; Zhou, Yanli; Wang, Cheng; Zhao, Zhongqiang; Li, Chunxiang; Li, Dianfu

2016-09-01

Normal stress myocardial single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) usually indicates good physiologic function of all coronary lesions, and also indicates a good outcome. We hypothesize that it can still predict good outcome in patients with coronary stenoses between 40 and 70%. A group of patients who underwent stress myocardial SPECT after coronary angiography were consecutively recruited in our center. Patients were eligible if they had one or more coronary stenoses between 40 and 70%. Patients with coronary stenoses greater than 50% diameter of left main or greater than 70% diameter of nonleft main epicardial vessels, and left ventricular ejection fraction less than 50% were excluded. The outcome was defined as major adverse events, including cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and revascularization. Patients' survival curves were constructed accorded to the method of Kaplan and Meier and compared using the log-rank test. A study cohort of 77 patients was enrolled. According to the summed stress score, 43 patients were assigned to the perfusion defect group and 34 patients were assigned to the perfusion normal group. The follow-up duration was 6.4±0.3 years. In the perfusion normal group, only one of 34 (2.9%) patients developed major adverse events. In the perfusion defect group, six of 43 (14%) developed major adverse events, P-value of 0.041. It is safe to defer a percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with coronary stenoses between 40 and 70% and normal stress myocardial SPECT.

Relationship between platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio and coronary slow flow.

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Oylumlu, Muhammed; Doğan, Adnan; Oylumlu, Mustafa; Yıldız, Abdülkadir; Yüksel, Murat; Kayan, Fethullah; Kilit, Celal; Amasyalı, Basri

2015-05-01

The coronary slow flow phenomenon (CSFP), which is characterized by delayed distal vessel opacification in the absence of significant epicardial coronary disease, is an angiographic finding. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and coronary blood flow rate. This is a retrospective observational study. It was based on two medical centers. A total of 197 patients undergoing coronary angiography were included in the study, 95 of whom were patients with coronary slow flow without stenosis in coronary angiography and 102 of whom had normal coronary arteries and normal flow. The PLR was higher in the coronary slow flow group compared with the control groups (p=0.001). In the correlation analysis, PLR showed a significant correlation with left anterior descending (LAD) artery thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) frame count. After multiple logistic regression, high levels of PLR were independently associated with coronary slow flow, together with hemoglobin. PLR was higher in patients with CSFP, and we also showed that PLR was significantly and independently associated with CSFP.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme DD polymorphism is associated with poor coronary collateral circulation in patients with coronary artery disease.

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Ceyhan, Koksal; Kadi, Hasan; Celik, Atac; Burucu, Turgay; Koc, Fatih; Sogut, Erkan; Sahin, Semsettin; Onalan, Orhan

2012-01-01

Although association between angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism and cardiovascular diseases was reported by many studies, the relation between ACE I/D polymorphism and coronary collateral circulation (CCC) has not been studied yet. The aim of the present study was to investigate a possible relationship between ACE I/D polymorphism and CCC. Patients who were subjected to coronary angiography in the 2006 to 2009 period and had at least a completely occluded major artery were included in this study. To classify collateral circulation, we used the Rentrop classification. Patients were classified as having poor CCC (Rentrop grades 0 to 1) or good CCC (Rentrop grades 2 to 3). Gene polymorphism was detected through the detailed melting curve analysis of polymerase chain reaction products after amplification using real-time polymerase chain reaction method and LightCycler 1.5 apparatus. We prospectively studied 113 patients who had at least 1 totally occluded major epicardial coronary artery. Forty-seven patients had poor CCC and 67 patients had good CCC. There were no differences among groups in age, sex, risk factors, lipid profile, uses of cardiovascular drugs, and number of diseased vessels. Plasma ACE levels were significantly higher in poor CCC group (P DD polymorphism was higher in the poor CCC group (P DD genotype (95% CI, 2.55-12.79; P = 0.001), presence of diabetes (95% CI, 1.03-3.16; P = 0.005), and pulse pressure (95% CI, 1.04-1.56; P = 0.045) were independent determinants of poor coronary collateral development. This study showed that ACE DD polymorphism is associated with poor CCC. Poor collateral circulation in patients carrying the D allele may be associated with endothelial dysfunction and elevated blood ACE levels in these patients.

The relationship between epicardial fat and indices of obesity and the metabolic syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

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Rabkin, Simon W

2014-02-01

Epicardial fat (epicardial adipose tissue, EAT) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease (CAD). The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between EAT and generalized obesity, central or visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and the components of the metabolic syndrome--systolic blood pressure (SBP), triglycerides (TGs), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and fasting blood glucose (FBG)--that are linked to CAD. A systematic review of the literature, following meta-analysis guidelines, was conducted until May, 2013, using the search strategy "Obesity" OR "abdominal obesity" OR "metabolic syndrome" OR "metabolic syndrome X" AND "epicardial fat". Thirty-eight studies fulfilled the criteria. There was a highly significant (Pcorrelation between EAT and body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), or VAT. The correlation between EAT and VAT was significantly (Pcorrelation between EAT and WC, which in turn was significantly greater than the correlation between EAT and BMI. Overall, EAT was 7.5 ± 0.1 mm in thickness in the metabolic syndrome (n=427) compared to 4.0 ± 0.1 mm in controls (n=301). EAT correlated significantly (PHDL, and FBG, but the strength of the association was less than one-half of the relationship of EAT to indices of obesity. The results of multivariate analysis were less consistent but show a relationship between EAT and metabolic syndrome independent of BMI. In summary, the very strong correlation between EAT and VAT suggests a relationship between these two adipose tissue depots. Measurement of EAT can be useful to indicate VAT. Whereas EAT correlates significantly with each of the components of the metabolic syndrome- SBP, TGs, HDL, or FBG-the magnitude of the relationship is considerably and significantly less than the relationship of EAT to BMI. These data show the strong relationship between EAT and BMI but especially with WC and VAT. They also demonstrate the smaller magnitude of the

Adipogenesis and epicardial adipose tissue: a novel fate of the epicardium induced by mesenchymal transformation and PPARγ activation.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamaguchi, Yukiko; Cavallero, Susana; Patterson, Michaela; Shen, Hua; Xu, Jian; Kumar, S Ram; Sucov, Henry M

2015-02-17

The hearts of many mammalian species are surrounded by an extensive layer of fat called epicardial adipose tissue (EAT). The lineage origins and determinative mechanisms of EAT development are unclear, in part because mice and other experimentally tractable model organisms are thought to not have this tissue. In this study, we show that mouse hearts have EAT, localized to a specific region in the atrial-ventricular groove. Lineage analysis indicates that this adipose tissue originates from the epicardium, a multipotent epithelium that until now is only established to normally generate cardiac fibroblasts and coronary smooth muscle cells. We show that adoption of the adipocyte fate in vivo requires activation of the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) pathway, and that this fate can be ectopically induced in mouse ventricular epicardium, either in embryonic or adult stages, by expression and activation of PPARγ at times of epicardium-mesenchymal transformation. Human embryonic ventricular epicardial cells natively express PPARγ, which explains the abundant presence of fat seen in human hearts at birth and throughout life.

Prediction of coronary artery disease in patients undergoing operations for mitral valve degeneration

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Lin, S. S.; Lauer, M. S.; Asher, C. R.; Cosgrove, D. M.; Blackstone, E.; Thomas, J. D.; Garcia, M. J.

2001-01-01

OBJECTIVES: We sought to develop and validate a model that estimates the risk of obstructive coronary artery disease in patients undergoing operations for mitral valve degeneration and to demonstrate its potential clinical utility. METHODS: A total of 722 patients (67% men; age, 61 +/- 12 years) without a history of myocardial infarction, ischemic electrocardiographic changes, or angina who underwent routine coronary angiography before mitral valve prolapse operations between 1989 and 1996 were analyzed. A bootstrap-validated logistic regression model on the basis of clinical risk factors was developed to identify low-risk (coronary atherosclerosis was defined as 50% or more luminal narrowing in one or more major epicardial vessels, as determined by means of coronary angiography. RESULTS: One hundred thirty-nine (19%) patients had obstructive coronary atherosclerosis. Independent predictors of coronary artery disease include age, male sex, hypertension, diabetes mellitus,and hyperlipidemia. Two hundred twenty patients were designated as low risk according to the logistic model. Of these patients, only 3 (1.3%) had single-vessel disease, and none had multivessel disease. The model showed good discrimination, with an area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve of 0.84. Cost analysis indicated that application of this model could safely eliminate 30% of coronary angiograms, corresponding to cost savings of $430,000 per 1000 patients without missing any case of high-risk coronary artery disease. CONCLUSION: A model with standard clinical predictors can reliably estimate the prevalence of obstructive coronary atherosclerosis in patients undergoing mitral valve prolapse operations. This model can identify low-risk patients in whom routine preoperative angiography may be safely avoided.

Wall thickness of major coronary arteries in Pakistani population

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ullah, Q.W.; Qamar, K.; Butt, S.A.; Butt, S.A.

2012-01-01

To measure the wall thickness of major coronary arteries in Pakistani population, through micrometry. Study design: An observational study. Place and duration of study: Combined Military Hospital Rawalpindi, Khyber Medical College Peshawar and District Headquarter Hospital, Rawalpindi, in collaboration with Departments of Anatomy and Pathology, Army Medical College Rawalpindi. The duration of study was six months with effect from September 2009 to March 2010. Material and methods: After incising pericardium, 1 mm long segments of major coronary arteries i.e. right coronary artery (RCA), left anterior descending artery (LAD) and left circumflex artery (LCX) were taken 1cm distal to their origin, from adult male cadavers of up to 40 years age. After processing for paraffin embedding, 5 mu m thick sections were prepared, mounted on glass slides and subsequently stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin (H and E) for routine histological study. Verhoeff's elastic stain was used to make the elastic lamina more prominent. Wall thickness for each section was measured through micrometry, circumferentially at eight different places along the planes at 45 deg. to each other and then their mean taken as a reading for the respective artery. Results: The total wall thickness of major coronary arteries and of the individual tunicae was less in Pakistani population. The mean thickness of RCA was 0.61 +- 0.05 mm; LAD had mean thickness of 0.55 +- 0.06 mm whereas that of LCX was 0.66 +- 0.13 mm. The mean thickness of tunica intima of RCA was noted to be 0.230 +- 0.044 mm; tunica media measured 0.205 +- 0.031 mm whereas tunica adventitia was 0.172 +- 0.023 mm thick. The mean thickness of tunica intima of LAD measured 0.156 +- 0.032 mm; tunica media was observed to be 0.224 +- 0.026 mm thick whereas the tunica adventitia was 0.170 +- 0.032 mm thick. The mean thickness of tunica intima of LCX was observed to be 0.203 +- 0.059 mm; tunica media to be 0.282 +- 0.097 mm whereas that of tunica

Epicardial fat and atrial fibrillation: current evidence, potential mechanisms, clinical implications, and future directions.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Christopher X; Ganesan, Anand N; Selvanayagam, Joseph B

2017-05-01

Obesity is increasingly recognized as a major modifiable determinant of atrial fibrillation (AF). Although body mass index and other clinical measures are useful indications of general adiposity, much recent interest has focused on epicardial fat, a distinct adipose tissue depot that can be readily assessed using non-invasive imaging techniques. A growing body of data from epidemiological and clinical studies has demonstrated that epicardial fat is consistently associated with the presence, severity, and recurrence of AF across a range of clinical settings. Evidence from basic science and translational studies has also suggested that arrhythmogenic mechanisms may involve adipocyte infiltration, pro-fibrotic, and pro-inflammatory paracrine effects, oxidative stress, and other pathways. Despite these advances, however, significant uncertainty exists and many questions remain unanswered. In this article, we review our present understanding of epicardial fat, including its classification and quantification, existing evidence implicating its role in AF, potential mechanisms, implications for clinicians, and future directions for research. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2016. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Prediction of coronary artery disease in patients undergoing operations for mitral valve degeneration

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, S. S.; Lauer, M. S.; Asher, C. R.; Cosgrove, D. M.; Blackstone, E.; Thomas, J. D.; Garcia, M. J.

2001-01-01

OBJECTIVES: We sought to develop and validate a model that estimates the risk of obstructive coronary artery disease in patients undergoing operations for mitral valve degeneration and to demonstrate its potential clinical utility. METHODS: A total of 722 patients (67% men; age, 61 +/- 12 years) without a history of myocardial infarction, ischemic electrocardiographic changes, or angina who underwent routine coronary angiography before mitral valve prolapse operations between 1989 and 1996 were analyzed. A bootstrap-validated logistic regression model on the basis of clinical risk factors was developed to identify low-risk (< or =5%) patients. Obstructive coronary atherosclerosis was defined as 50% or more luminal narrowing in one or more major epicardial vessels, as determined by means of coronary angiography. RESULTS: One hundred thirty-nine (19%) patients had obstructive coronary atherosclerosis. Independent predictors of coronary artery disease include age, male sex, hypertension, diabetes mellitus,and hyperlipidemia. Two hundred twenty patients were designated as low risk according to the logistic model. Of these patients, only 3 (1.3%) had single-vessel disease, and none had multivessel disease. The model showed good discrimination, with an area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve of 0.84. Cost analysis indicated that application of this model could safely eliminate 30% of coronary angiograms, corresponding to cost savings of $430,000 per 1000 patients without missing any case of high-risk coronary artery disease. CONCLUSION: A model with standard clinical predictors can reliably estimate the prevalence of obstructive coronary atherosclerosis in patients undergoing mitral valve prolapse operations. This model can identify low-risk patients in whom routine preoperative angiography may be safely avoided.

Major bleeding in acute coronary syndromes: Incidence, predictors and prognostic value

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Walid Ammar

2014-03-01

Conclusions: Major bleeding is a powerful independent predictor of in-hospital and 30 day mortality in patients with ACS. Advanced age, renal insufficiency, high clopidogrel loading and invasive coronary procedures are independent risk factors for major bleeding in ACS patients.

Tissue Doppler echocardiography improves the diagnosis of coronary artery stenosis in stable angina pectoris

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hoffmann, Soren; Jensen, Jan Skov; Iversen, Allan Zeeberg

2012-01-01

Aim To determine if colour tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) performed at rest in patients with suspected stable angina pectoris (SAP) is able to predict the presence of significant coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS AND RESULTS: This study comprises 296 consecutive patients with clinically...... by colour TDI at six mitral annular sites and averaged to provide global estimates. Duke score (DS), including ST depression, chest pain, and exercise capacity, was used as the outcome of the exercise ECG. Patients with an area stenosis of ≥70% in at least one epicardial coronary artery were categorized...

Diabetes mellitus and female gender are the strongest predictors of poor collateral vessel development in patients with severe coronary artery stenosis.

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Yetkin, Ertan; Topal, Ergun; Erguzel, Nuri; Senen, Kubilay; Heper, Gulumser; Waltenberger, Johannes

2015-04-01

Coronary collateral vessel development (CVD), i.e., arteriogenesis, is regarded as one of the most important mechanisms—along with angiogenesis—to result in protection of the myocardium. Coronary CVD is associated with a reduction in infarct size, future cardiovascular events and improved survival in patients with occlusive coronary artery disease by enhancing regional perfusion in the chronically ischemic myocardium. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the relation of cardiovascular risk factors and hematological parameters with collateral development in patients with severely stenotic (≥95%) and totally occluded coronary artery disease including at least one major coronary artery. The study population was selected from the patients who underwent coronary angiography between January 2008 and March 2009. Five hundred and two patients who had at least one coronary artery stenosis ≥95% (368 men; mean age 59 ± 10 years) comprised the study population. Of the 502 patients, 228 had total occlusion in at least one major epicardial coronary artery. Collateral artery grading was performed by using Cohen-Rentrop method to the vessel with coronary artery stenosis of ≥95% and patients with chronic total occlusions (CTO). Patients with grade 0-1 collateral development were regarded as the poor collateral group, and patients with grade 2-3 collateral development were regarded as the good collateral group. Two hundred and fifty-eight (51%) of 502 patients had poor collateral development, and 244 (49%) had good collateral development. Logistic regression analysis revealed that DM was independently associated with poor CVD in patients with ≥95% stenosis (p risk factor for poor CVD in addition to DM in patients with CTO.

Sex-Related Differences in Vasomotor Function in Patients With Angina and Unobstructed Coronary Arteries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aziz, Ahmed; Hansen, Henrik Steen; Sechtem, Udo

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND Coronary vasomotor dysfunction is an important mechanism for angina in patients with unobstructed coronary arteries. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to determine sex differences in the prevalence and clinical presentation of vasomotor dysfunction in a European population...... and to examine sex differences in the dose of acetylcholine leading to a positive acetylcholine provocation test (ACH test). METHODS Between 2007 and 2014, we included 1,379 consecutive patients with stable angina, unobstructed coronaries and ACH test performed for epicardial vasospasm or coronary microvascular...... dysfunction (CMD) due to microvascular spasm. The predictive value of sex, risk factors, symptoms, and noninvasive test results was analyzed by means of logistic regression. RESULTS The mean patient age was 62 years, and 42% were male. There were 813 patients (59 with a pathological ACH test, 33% for CMD...

Association between endothelial dysfunction, epicardial fat and subclinical atherosclerosis during menopause.

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Cabrera-Rego, Julio Oscar; Navarro-Despaigne, Daisy; Staroushik-Morel, Liudmila; Díaz-Reyes, Karel; Lima-Martínez, Marcos M; Iacobellis, Gianluca

Menopausal transition is critical for the development of early, subclinical vascular damage. Multiple factors, such as atherosclerosis, increased epicardial fat, and endothelial dysfunction can play a role. Hence, the objective of this study was the comparison of epicardial adipose tissue and carotid intima media thickness in order to establish the best predictor of carotid stiffness in middle-aged women with endothelial dysfunction. A total of 43 healthy women aged 40-59 years old with endothelial dysfunction previously demonstrated by flow mediated dilation were recruited to have anthropometric, biochemical, hormonal and ultrasound determinations of carotid intima media thickness and epicardial fat thickness. Carotid arterial stiffness parameters (local pulse wave velocity [4.7±0.7 vs 4.8±0.5 vs 5.6±0.5m/s, respectively, p<0.001], pressure strain elastic modulus [55.2±13.4 vs 59.2±11.8 vs 81.9±15.6kPa, respectively, p<0.001], arterial stiffness index β [4.4±1.4 vs 5.0±1.1 vs 6.4±1.3, respectively, p<0.001]) and epicardial fat thickness (2.98±1.4 vs 3.28±1.9 vs 4.70±1.0mm, respectively, p=0.007) showed a significant and proportional increase in the group of late post-menopausal women when compared to early post-menopausal and pre-menopausal groups, respectively. Among body fat markers, epicardial fat was the strongest predictor of local pulse wave velocity, independent of age. In menopausal women with endothelial dysfunction, menopausal transition is associated with increased carotid arterial stiffness and epicardial fat thickness, independent of age. Ultrasound measured epicardial fat was a better independent predictor of arterial stiffness than carotid intima media thickness in these women. Copyright © 2017 Sociedad Española de Arteriosclerosis. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Prognostic value of Angiographic Perfusion Score (APS) following percutaneous interventions in acute coronary syndromes.

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Narain, V S; Fischer, L; Puri, A; Sethi, R; Dwivedi, S K

2013-01-01

Identifying reperfusion and predicting post procedure risk is important following Percutaneous Coronary Interventions (PCI). An Angiographic Perfusion Score (APS) combining TIMI flow (TFG) and myocardial perfusion (TMPG) grades before and after PCI can accurately measure both epicardial and myocardial perfusion and predict Major Adverse Cardiac Events (MACE). APS was calculated in 226 (88 ST elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) and 138 Non STEMI) patients. Maximum score being 12, reperfusion was defined as failed: 0-3, partial: 4-9, and full APS: 10-12. Thirty day MACE were observed. APS identified reperfusion significantly more than TMPG alone (STEMI: 50.6% vs 11.8% (p APS group (1.8% vs 22.5%) (p APS detects more low risk reperfused patients, post PCI. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Assessment of the safety and performance of the STENTYS self-expanding coronary stent in acute myocardial infarction: Results from the APPOSITION I study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

G. Amoroso (Giovanni); R.J.M. van Geuns (Robert Jan); C.M. Spaulding (Christian); S. Manzo-Silberman (Stephane); K. Hauptmann (Karl); R. Spaargaren (René); H.M. Garcia-Garcia (Hector); P.W.J.C. Serruys (Patrick); S. Verheye (Stefan)

2011-01-01

textabstractAims: In the setting of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), epicardial vasoconstriction and throm- bus load may lead to stent undersizing and malapposition after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI), which can both be responsible for stent thrombosis or restenosis.

Does quantifying epicardial and intrathoracic fat with noncontrast computed tomography improve risk stratification beyond calcium scoring alone?

Science.gov (United States)

Forouzandeh, Farshad; Chang, Su Min; Muhyieddeen, Kamil; Zaid, Rashid R; Trevino, Alejandro R; Xu, Jiaqiong; Nabi, Faisal; Mahmarian, John J

2013-01-01

Noncontrast cardiac computed tomography allows calculation of coronary artery calcium score (CACS) and measurement of epicardial adipose tissue (EATv) and intrathoracic fat (ITFv) volumes. It is unclear whether fat volume information contributes to risk stratification. Cardiac computed tomography was performed in 760 consecutive patients with acute chest pain admitted thorough the emergency department. None had prior coronary artery disease. CACS was calculated using the Agatston method. EATv and ITFv were semiautomatically calculated. Median patient follow-up was 3.3 years. Mean patient age was 54.4±13.7 years and Framingham risk score 8.2±8.2. The 45 patients (5.9%) with major acute cardiac events (MACE) were older (64.8±13.9 versus 53.7±13.4 years), more frequently male (60% versus 40%), and had a higher median Framingham risk score (16 versus 4) and CACS (268 versus 0) versus those without events (all PEATv (154 versus 116 mL) and ITFv (330 versus 223 mL), and a higher prevalence of EATv >125 mL (67% versus 44%) and ITFv >250 mL (64% versus 42%) (all PEATv, and ITFv were all independently associated with MACE. CACS was associated with MACE after adjustment for fat volumes (PEATv and ITFv improved the risk model only in patients with CACS >400. CACS and fat volumes are independently associated with MACE in acute chest pain patients and beyond that provided by clinical information alone. Although fat volumes may add prognostic value in patients with CACS >400, CACS is most strongly correlated with outcome.

Inverse electrocardiographic transformations: dependence on the number of epicardial regions and body surface data points.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnston, P R; Walker, S J; Hyttinen, J A; Kilpatrick, D

1994-04-01

The inverse problem of electrocardiography, the computation of epicardial potentials from body surface potentials, is influenced by the desired resolution on the epicardium, the number of recording points on the body surface, and the method of limiting the inversion process. To examine the role of these variables in the computation of the inverse transform, Tikhonov's zero-order regularization and singular value decomposition (SVD) have been used to invert the forward transfer matrix. The inverses have been compared in a data-independent manner using the resolution and the noise amplification as endpoints. Sets of 32, 50, 192, and 384 leads were chosen as sets of body surface data, and 26, 50, 74, and 98 regions were chosen to represent the epicardium. The resolution and noise were both improved by using a greater number of electrodes on the body surface. When 60% of the singular values are retained, the results show a trade-off between noise and resolution, with typical maximal epicardial noise levels of less than 0.5% of maximum epicardial potentials for 26 epicardial regions, 2.5% for 50 epicardial regions, 7.5% for 74 epicardial regions, and 50% for 98 epicardial regions. As the number of epicardial regions is increased, the regularization technique effectively fixes the noise amplification but markedly decreases the resolution, whereas SVD results in an increase in noise and a moderate decrease in resolution. Overall the regularization technique performs slightly better than SVD in the noise-resolution relationship. There is a region at the posterior of the heart that was poorly resolved regardless of the number of regions chosen. The variance of the resolution was such as to suggest the use of variable-size epicardial regions based on the resolution.

Epicardial adipose tissue is associated with visceral fat, metabolic syndrome, and insulin resistance in menopausal women.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernández Muñoz, María J; Basurto Acevedo, Lourdes; Córdova Pérez, Nydia; Vázquez Martínez, Ana Laura; Tepach Gutiérrez, Nayive; Vega García, Sara; Rocha Cruz, Alberto; Díaz Martínez, Alma; Saucedo García, Renata; Zárate Treviño, Arturo; González Escudero, Eduardo Alberto; Degollado Córdova, José Antonio

2014-06-01

Epicardial adipose tissue has been associated with several obesity-related parameters and with insulin resistance. Echocardiographic assessment of this tissue is an easy and reliable marker of cardiometabolic risk. However, there are insufficient studies on the relationship between epicardial fat and insulin resistance during the postmenopausal period, when cardiovascular risk increases in women. The objective of this study was to examine the association between epicardial adipose tissue and visceral adipose tissue, waist circumference, body mass index, and insulin resistance in postmenopausal women. A cross sectional study was conducted in 34 postmenopausal women with and without metabolic syndrome. All participants underwent a transthoracic echocardiogram and body composition analysis. A positive correlation was observed between epicardial fat and visceral adipose tissue, body mass index, and waist circumference. The values of these correlations of epicardial fat thickness overlying the aorta-right ventricle were r = 0.505 (P < .003), r = 0.545 (P < .001), and r = 0.515 (P < .003), respectively. Epicardial adipose tissue was higher in postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome than in those without this syndrome (mean [standard deviation], 544.2 [122.9] vs 363.6 [162.3] mm(2); P = .03). Epicardial fat thickness measured by echocardiography was associated with visceral adipose tissue and other obesity parameters. Epicardial adipose tissue was higher in postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome. Therefore, echocardiographic assessment of epicardial fat may be a simple and reliable marker of cardiovascular risk in postmenopausal women. Copyright © 2013 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Minimally Invasive Epicardial Pacemaker Implantation in Neonates with Congenital Heart Block.

Science.gov (United States)

Costa, Roberto; Silva, Katia Regina da; Martinelli Filho, Martino; Carrillo, Roger

2017-10-01

Few studies have characterized the surgical outcomes following epicardial pacemaker implantation in neonates with congenital complete atrioventricular block (CCAVB). This study sought to assess the long-term outcomes of a minimally invasive epicardial approach using a subxiphoid access for pacemaker implantation in neonates. Between July 2002 and February 2015, 16 consecutive neonates underwent epicardial pacemaker implantation due to CCAVB. Among these, 12 (75.0%) had congenital heart defects associated with CCAVB. The patients had a mean age of 4.7 ± 5.3 days and nine (56.3%) were female. Bipolar steroid-eluting epicardial leads were implanted in all patients through a minimally invasive subxiphoid approach and fixed on the diaphragmatic ventricular surface. The pulse generator was placed in an epigastric submuscular position. All procedures were successful, with no perioperative complications or early deaths. Mean operating time was 90.2 ± 16.8 minutes. None of the patients displayed pacing or sensing dysfunction, and all parameters remained stable throughout the follow-up period of 4.1 ± 3.9 years. Three children underwent pulse generator replacement due to normal battery depletion at 4.0, 7.2, and 9.0 years of age without the need of ventricular lead replacement. There were two deaths at 12 and 325 days after pacemaker implantation due to bleeding from thrombolytic use and progressive refractory heart failure, respectively. Epicardial pacemaker implantation through a subxiphoid approach in neonates with CCAVB is technically feasible and associated with excellent surgical outcomes and pacing lead longevity.

Unipolar atrial electrogram morphology from an epicardial and endocardial perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Does, Lisette J M E; Knops, Paul; Teuwen, Christophe P; Serban, Corina; Starreveld, Roeliene; Lanters, Eva A H; Mouws, Elisabeth M J P; Kik, Charles; Bogers, Ad J J C; de Groot, Natasja M S

2018-02-22

Endo-epicardial asynchrony (EEA) and the interplay between the endocardial and epicardial layers could be important in the pathophysiology of atrial arrhythmias. The morphologic differences between epicardial and endocardial atrial electrograms have not yet been described, and electrogram morphology may hold information about the presence of EEA. The purpose of this study was to directly compare epicardial to endocardial unipolar electrogram morphology during sinus rhythm (SR) and to evaluate whether EEA contributes to electrogram fractionation by correlating fractionation to spatial activation patterns. In 26 patients undergoing cardiac surgery, unipolar electrograms were simultaneously recorded from the epicardium and endocardium at the inferior, middle, and superior right atrial (RA) free wall during SR. Potentials were analyzed for epi-endocardial differences in local activation time, voltage, RS ratio, and fractionation. The surrounding and opposite electrograms of fractionated deflections were evaluated for corresponding local activation times in order to determine whether fractionation originated from EEA. The superior RA was predisposed to delayed activation, EEA, and fractionation. Both epicardial and endocardial electrograms demonstrated an S-predominance. Fractionation was mostly similar between the 2 sides; however, incidentally deflections up to 4 mV on 1 side could be absent on the other side. Remote activation was responsible for most fractionated deflections (95%) in SR, of which 4% could be attributed to EEA. Local epi-endocardial differences in electrogram fractionation occur occasionally during SR but will likely increase during arrhythmias due to increasing EEA and (functional) conduction disorders. Electrogram fractionation can originate from EEA, and this study demonstrated that unipolar electrogram fractionation can potentially identify EEA. Copyright © 2018 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Changes in myocardial blood flow and S-T segment elevation following coronary artery occlusion in dogs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, H.J.; Singh, B.N.; Norris, R.M.; John, M.B.; Hurley, P.J.

1975-01-01

The relationship between regional blood flow and epicardial S-T segment elevation was studied in 26 open-chest anesthetized dogs with left anterior coronary artery ligations. Changes in myocardial blood flow, measured with 15 +- 5 μ (diameter) microspheres labeled with 141 Ce, 85 Sr, and 169 Yb, were correlated with summated S-T segment elevations 15 minutes, 1 hour, and 2 hours after coronary artery occlusion. In normal areas, myocardial blood flow was 113 +- 5 ml/min 100 g -1 and summated S-T segment elevation was 0.3 +- 0.2 mv. Fifteen minutes after coronary artery occlusion in 26 dogs, S-T segment elevation was 5.7 +- 0.7 mv over the center of the infarct and myocardial blood flow was 10 +- 1 ml/min 100 g -1 ; over the border zone, myocardial blood flow was 63 +- 4 ml/min 100 g -1 and S-T segment elevation was 3.1 +- 0.1 mv. One third of the areas with a myocardial blood flow of 10 ml/min 100 g -1 or less had no S-T segment elevation. In the center and border zones of the infarct in 9 dogs, myocardial blood flow increased from 11 +- 2 and 67 +- 8 ml/min 100 g -1 15 minutes after occlusion to 20 +- 4 and 84 +- 12 ml/min 100 g -1 , respectively, 2 hours after coronary artery occlusion. These increases were not associated with a significant reduction in summated S-T segment elevation. The results do not suggest a simple quantitative relationship between epicardial S-T segment elevation and myocardial blood flow following acute coronary artery occlusion

Electrical neuromodulation for disabling angina pectoris related to isolated stenoses of small epicardial coronary arteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Jessurun, G A; Hautvast, R W; DeJongste, M J; Meyler, W J; van Boven AJ; Crijns, H J

1999-07-01

Patients with symptomatic small vessel coronary artery disease may be inadequate candidates for revascularization procedures. They may suffer from refractory angina, which does not respond to maximal anti-anginal drug therapy. In addition to patients with end stage coronary artery disease and syndrome X, this newly defined group of subjects with an isolated stenosis of a small coronary artery may benefit from electrical neurostimulation. We describe two patients with intractable angina caused by a significant narrowing of a diagonal branch. This treatment modality should be considered as an alternative method for unsatisfactory revascularization procedures.

Ditection of coronary artery disease: accuracy of 64- slice computed tomography versus converntional invasive angiography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taghizadeh M

2008-11-01

Full Text Available "nBackground: Multislice computed tomography (MSCT is a noninvasive method of detecting coronary artery disease (CAD. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the accuracy of 64-slice MSCT (64-MSCT in daily practice, without patient selection. "nMethods: Sixty-four consecutive suspected CAD patients underwent both 64-MSCT and quantitative coronary angiography (QCA. The CT system The mean time span between MSCT and QCA was 7.2±3.9 days. For the 64-MSCT, detection or exclusion of CAD, defined as one or more areas of >50% stenosis within major epicardial coronary arteries, the sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV, and negative predictive value (NPV were evaluated both per patient and per segment. "nResults: Sixty-one of the 64 coronary CT angiograms (95% were of diagnostic image quality. QCA showed significant CAD in 64% (39/61 of the patients, with the other 36% (22/61 showing nonsignificant disease or no disease. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV, and NPV of 64-MSCT per patient were 92%, 86%, 90%, 92% and 96%, respectively. By the per-segment analysis, 695 of 791 coronary artery segments were assessable (88%. Of these, 64-MSCT showed a sensitivity of 80%, specificity of 92%, accuracy of 90%, PPV of 65%, and NPV of 96%, respectively, in detecting CAD. "nConclusions: Both per patient and per segment analyses for coronary 64-MSCT showed a higher diagnostic accuracy than QCA. This suggests 64-MSCT should primarily be used for risk stratification on a per patient basis as a noninvasive gate-keeper diagnostic method.

Retrograde approach for the recanalization of coronary chronic total occlusion: collateral selection and collateral related complication.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Jian-Ying; Qian, Ju-Ying; Ge, Lei; Fan, Bing; Wang, Qi-Bing; Yan, Yan; Zhang, Feng; Yao, Kang; Huang, Dong; Ge, Jun-Bo

2013-03-01

The retrograde approach through collaterals has been applied in the treatment of chronic total occlusion (CTO) lesions during percutaneous recanalization of coronary arteries. This study was to investigate the success rate of recanalization and collateral related complications in patients when using the retrograde approach. Eighty-four cases subjected to retrograde approach identified from July 2005 to July 2012 were included in this study. Patient characteristics, procedural outcomes and in-hospital clinical events were evaluated. Mean age of the patient was (59.6 ± 11.2) years old and 91.7% were men. The target CTO lesions were distributed among the left anterior descending artery in 45 cases (53.5%), left circumflex artery in one case (1.2%), right coronary artery in 34 cases (40.5%), and left main in four cases (4.8%). The overall success rate of recanalization was 79.8%. The septal collateral was three times more frequently used for retrograde access than the epicardial collateral, 68/84 (81%) vs. 16/84 (19%). Successful wire passage through the collateral channel was achieved in 58 (72.6%) patients. The success rate of recanalization was 93.1% (54/58) in patients with and 50% (13/26) in patients without successful retrograde wire passage of the collateral channel (P collaterals was achieved in 49 of 68 septal collaterals (72.1%) and in 9 of 16 epicardial collaterals (56.3%) (P = NS). There was no significant difference between the septal collateral group and the epicardial group in the success rate of recanalization after retrograde wire crossing the collaterals (91.8% vs. 100%, P > 0.05). CART or reverse CART technique was used in 15 patients, and 14 patients (93.3%) were recanalized successfully. Collateral related perforation occurred in three (18.8%) cases with the epicardial collateral as the first choice (compared with the septal collateral group (0), P collaterals. The retrograde approach is an effective technique to recanalize CTO lesions, the septal

Electrical neuromodulation for disabling angina pectoris related to isolated stenoses of small epicardial coronary arteries

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jessurun, GAJ; Hautvast, RWM; DeJongste, MJL; Meyler, WJ; van Boven, AJ; Crijns, HJGM

Patients with symptomatic small vessel coronary artery disease may be inadequate candidates for revascularization procedures. They may suffer from refractory angina, which does not respond to maximal anti-anginal drug therapy. In addition to patients with end stage coronary artery disease and

Betel nut usage is a major risk factor for coronary artery disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Muhammad Shahzeb; Bawany, Faizan Imran; Ahmed, Muhammad Umer; Hussain, Mehwish; Khan, Asadullah; Lashari, Muhammad Nawaz

2013-12-27

The objective of our study was to assess betel nut usage as one of the major risk factors associated with coronary artery disease. This case control study consisted of 300 controls and 300 cases. A structured questionnaire was administered to the participants to assess consumption of betel nut and confounding variables. A respondent was considered a regular consumer of betel nut if he/she consumed one or more pieces of betel nut every day for a period of greater than 6 months. About 8 in 10 betel nut chewers developed coronary artery disease. After adjusting for diabetes and hypertension, the odds ratio analysis depicted 7.72 times greater likelihood for coronary artery disease in patients who chewed betel nut for more than 10 years. Our study concludes that betel nut chewing is a significant risk factor leading to the development of coronary artery disease.

High-resolution coronary MR angiography for evaluation of patients with anomalous coronary arteries: visualization of the intramural segment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Biko, David M. [UCSF Benioff Children' s Hospital Oakland, Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Oakland, CA (United States); The Children' s Hospital of Philadelphia, Department of Radiology, Philadelphia, PA (United States); Chung, Claudia; Chung, Taylor [UCSF Benioff Children' s Hospital Oakland, Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Oakland, CA (United States); Hitt, David M. [Philips Healthcare, Cleveland, OH (United States); Kurio, Gregory [UCSF Benioff Children' s Hospital Oakland, Department of Cardiology, Oakland, CA (United States); Reinhartz, Olaf [UCSF Benioff Children' s Hospital Oakland, Department of Cardiac Surgery, Oakland, CA (United States)

2015-08-15

Anomalous origin of the coronary artery from the contralateral coronary sinus is a rare coronary anomaly associated with sudden death. The inter-arterial course is most closely associated with sudden death, but it has been suggested that the presence of an intramural segment of a right anomalous coronary is associated with more symptoms and therefore may be an important criterion for intervention in these patients. To demonstrate that MR angiography can accurately determine the presence or absence of an intramural segment in an anomalous coronary artery. All studies of children who underwent MR angiography for the evaluation of an anomalous coronary artery were retrospectively reviewed by two pediatric radiologists in consensus. Criteria for an intramural anomalous coronary artery were the presence of a small or slit-like ostium and the relative smaller size of the proximal intramural portion of the coronary artery in relation to the more distal epicardial coronary artery. The anomalous coronary artery was classified as not intramural if these two findings were absent. These findings were correlated with operative reports confirming the presence or absence of an intramural segment. Twelve patients (86%) met MR angiography criteria for the presence of an intramural course. Only 2 patients (14%) met MR angiography criteria for a non-intramural course. When correlating with intraoperative findings, MR angiography was successful in distinguishing between intramural and non-intramural anomalous coronary arteries in all cases (P = 0.01). MR angiography may be able to reliably identify the intramural segment of an anomalous coronary artery in older children using the imaging criteria of a small or slit-like ostium and relative decrease in size of the proximal portion of the anomalous coronary artery compared to the distal portion of the anomalous coronary artery. Determining the presence of the intramural segment may help with surgical planning and may be an important

Usefulness of Epicardial Area in the Short Axis to Identify Elevated Left Ventricular Mass in Men.

Science.gov (United States)

Fitzpatrick, Jesse K; Cohen, Beth E; Rosenblatt, Andrew; Shaw, Richard E; Schiller, Nelson B

2018-06-15

Left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy is strongly associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The 2-dimensional LV mass algorithms suffer from measurement variability that can lead to misclassification of patients with LV hypertrophy as normal, or vice versa. Among the 4 echocardiographic measurements required by the 2-dimensional LV mass algorithms, epicardial and endocardial area have the lowest interobserver variation and could be used to corroborate LV mass calculations. We sought cut-off values that are able to discriminate between elevated and normal LV mass based on endocardial or epicardial area alone. Using data from 664 men enrolled in the Mind Your Heart Study, we calculated the correlation of LV mass index with epicardial area and endocardial area. We then used receiver operator characteristic curves to identify epicardial and endocardial area cut-points that could discriminate subjects with normal LV mass and LV hypertrophy. LV mass index was more strongly correlated with epicardial area compared with endocardial area, r = 0.70 versus r = 0.27, respectively. Epicardial area had a significantly higher area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (p versus 0.63 (95% confidence interval 0.57 to 0.71). An epicardial area cut-point of ≥38.0 cm 2 corresponded to a sensitivity of 95.0% and specificity of 54.4% for detecting LV hypertrophy. In conclusion, epicardial area showed promise as a method of rapid screening for LV hypertrophy and could be used to validate formal LV mass calculations. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of myocardial bridging by coronary computed tomography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barros, Marcio Vinicius Lins; Rabelo, Daniel Rocha; Siqueira, Maria Helena Albernaz, E-mail: marciovlbarros@uol.com.br [Hospital Mater Dei, Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil); Garretto, Luiza Samarane; Paula, Marcela Mascarenhas De; Carvalho, Marina Oliveira; Alves, Marina Rangel Moreira Barros [Faculdade de Saude e Ecologia Humana (FASEH), Vespasiano, MG (Brazil)

2013-01-15

The myocardial bridge (MB) is defined as a segment of an epicardial coronary artery that has an intramural course in the myocardium. Although MB is clinically silent in most cases, has been associated with myocardial ischemia, arrhythmias and sudden death. Coronary conventional angiography is the gold standard for detection of MB, but is invasive and cannot be sufficiently sensitive compared to autopsy studies. Recently, multislice computed tomography of coronary arteries (MCTCA) has allowed the detection of coronary artery course, including PM. Objectives: to evaluate MB prevalence in patients with suspected coronary artery disease undergoing MCTCA and to evaluate the predictive value of this method at medium term. Methods: during the period 2008 to 2011, 498 consecutive patients were examined by TMC for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease, being conducted to evaluate the presence of BM and followed for a mean follow-up of 23 months for the occurrence of cardiovascular hard events (death, hospitalization or revascularization). Results: patients mean age was 55.3 ± 14.2, being male 71.1%. Among the patients, 7.6% (38 patients) showed MB. Main findings included angina pectoris in 40% and a positive stress test in 34%. 34.2% had atherosclerotic disease, and one patient had significant coronary stenosis. During follow-up, no patients showed adverse events. Conclusion: MCTCA is a noninvasive technique with high accuracy in anatomical evaluation of the coronary arteries and may be particularly useful to assess the incidence, location and morphology of myocardial bridging in vivo. (author)

Long-term major adverse cardiovascular events and quality of life after coronary angiography in elderly patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Sigurjonsdottir, R; Barywani, S; Albertsson, P; Fu, M

2016-11-01

Although the elderly comprise the majority of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients, limited data exist on major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) and quality of life (QoL). To study MACEs and QoL prospectively in ACS patients >70years referred for coronary angiography. A prospective observational study that included ACS patients >70years undergoing coronary angiography. The outcomes were MACEs and QoL 3years after inclusion. MACEs were defined as death, recurrent ACS, new-onset of heart failure and repeated revascularization by coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). A QoL questionnaire was completed by the patients along with a physical examination and a personal interview at the 3-year follow-up. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify the predictors for MACEs. In total, 138 patients (mean age 78.8±3.8years) with ACS were included in the study. Mean follow-up was 1196±296days. In all, 42% of the patients had MACEs and 25% had post-ACS heart failure. The mortality rate was 11%. After adjusting for significant cardiovascular risk factors, the following factors were significantly associated with MACEs: Age, high-sensitive troponin T (hsTNT), use of diuretics and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Furthermore, the QoL evaluated with SF-36 in survivors from ACS at the end of study was similar to the QoL in an age-matched healthy Swedish population. In this prospective study on elderly ACS patients MACEs still occurred in 42% of the cases (despite low mortality and good QoL), with post-ACS heart failure as the most important event. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Three major coronary artery-to-left ventricular shunts: Report of three cases and review of literature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nawa, Sugato; Miyachi, Yasuo; Toshino, Norihide; Shiba, Takeshi; Hayashi, Kenji; Tamesue, Kiyokazu; Yamamoto, Hiroshi; Shimizu, Nobuyoshi

1997-01-01

Among the congenital coronary artery fistulas, diffuse fistulation into the left ventricular chamber, usually expressed in terms of a coronary artery-left ventricular shunt, is not as rare today as was previously thought. However, the origin of such a shunt from all three major coronary arteries is rare. This paper reports three cases of such an occurrence and presents the clinical features and management of this rare anomaly by analyzing 31 cases, including 28 from the literature

Simultaneous epicardial and noncontact endocardial mapping of the canine right atrium: simulation and experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Sabouri, Sepideh; Matene, Elhacene; Vinet, Alain; Richer, Louis-Philippe; Cardinal, René; Armour, J Andrew; Pagé, Pierre; Kus, Teresa; Jacquemet, Vincent

2014-01-01

Epicardial high-density electrical mapping is a well-established experimental instrument to monitor in vivo the activity of the atria in response to modulations of the autonomic nervous system in sinus rhythm. In regions that are not accessible by epicardial mapping, noncontact endocardial mapping performed through a balloon catheter may provide a more comprehensive description of atrial activity. We developed a computer model of the canine right atrium to compare epicardial and noncontact endocardial mapping. The model was derived from an experiment in which electroanatomical reconstruction, epicardial mapping (103 electrodes), noncontact endocardial mapping (2048 virtual electrodes computed from a 64-channel balloon catheter), and direct-contact endocardial catheter recordings were simultaneously performed in a dog. The recording system was simulated in the computer model. For simulations and experiments (after atrio-ventricular node suppression), activation maps were computed during sinus rhythm. Repolarization was assessed by measuring the area under the atrial T wave (ATa), a marker of repolarization gradients. Results showed an epicardial-endocardial correlation coefficients of 0.80 and 0.63 (two dog experiments) and 0.96 (simulation) between activation times, and a correlation coefficients of 0.57 and 0.46 (two dog experiments) and 0.92 (simulation) between ATa values. Despite distance (balloon-atrial wall) and dimension reduction (64 electrodes), some information about atrial repolarization remained present in noncontact signals.

Simultaneous epicardial and noncontact endocardial mapping of the canine right atrium: simulation and experiment.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sepideh Sabouri

Full Text Available Epicardial high-density electrical mapping is a well-established experimental instrument to monitor in vivo the activity of the atria in response to modulations of the autonomic nervous system in sinus rhythm. In regions that are not accessible by epicardial mapping, noncontact endocardial mapping performed through a balloon catheter may provide a more comprehensive description of atrial activity. We developed a computer model of the canine right atrium to compare epicardial and noncontact endocardial mapping. The model was derived from an experiment in which electroanatomical reconstruction, epicardial mapping (103 electrodes, noncontact endocardial mapping (2048 virtual electrodes computed from a 64-channel balloon catheter, and direct-contact endocardial catheter recordings were simultaneously performed in a dog. The recording system was simulated in the computer model. For simulations and experiments (after atrio-ventricular node suppression, activation maps were computed during sinus rhythm. Repolarization was assessed by measuring the area under the atrial T wave (ATa, a marker of repolarization gradients. Results showed an epicardial-endocardial correlation coefficients of 0.80 and 0.63 (two dog experiments and 0.96 (simulation between activation times, and a correlation coefficients of 0.57 and 0.46 (two dog experiments and 0.92 (simulation between ATa values. Despite distance (balloon-atrial wall and dimension reduction (64 electrodes, some information about atrial repolarization remained present in noncontact signals.

Simultaneous Epicardial and Noncontact Endocardial Mapping of the Canine Right Atrium: Simulation and Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Sabouri, Sepideh; Matene, Elhacene; Vinet, Alain; Richer, Louis-Philippe; Cardinal, René; Armour, J. Andrew; Pagé, Pierre; Kus, Teresa; Jacquemet, Vincent

2014-01-01

Epicardial high-density electrical mapping is a well-established experimental instrument to monitor in vivo the activity of the atria in response to modulations of the autonomic nervous system in sinus rhythm. In regions that are not accessible by epicardial mapping, noncontact endocardial mapping performed through a balloon catheter may provide a more comprehensive description of atrial activity. We developed a computer model of the canine right atrium to compare epicardial and noncontact endocardial mapping. The model was derived from an experiment in which electroanatomical reconstruction, epicardial mapping (103 electrodes), noncontact endocardial mapping (2048 virtual electrodes computed from a 64-channel balloon catheter), and direct-contact endocardial catheter recordings were simultaneously performed in a dog. The recording system was simulated in the computer model. For simulations and experiments (after atrio-ventricular node suppression), activation maps were computed during sinus rhythm. Repolarization was assessed by measuring the area under the atrial T wave (ATa), a marker of repolarization gradients. Results showed an epicardial-endocardial correlation coefficients of 0.80 and 0.63 (two dog experiments) and 0.96 (simulation) between activation times, and a correlation coefficients of 0.57 and 0.46 (two dog experiments) and 0.92 (simulation) between ATa values. Despite distance (balloon-atrial wall) and dimension reduction (64 electrodes), some information about atrial repolarization remained present in noncontact signals. PMID:24598778

Influence of technical parameters on epicardial fat volume quantification at cardiac CT.

Science.gov (United States)

Bucher, Andreas M; Joseph Schoepf, U; Krazinski, Aleksander W; Silverman, Justin; Spearman, James V; De Cecco, Carlo N; Meinel, Felix G; Vogl, Thomas J; Geyer, Lucas L

2015-06-01

To systematically analyze the influence of technical parameters on quantification of epicardial fat volume (EATV) at cardiac CT. 153 routine cardiac CT data sets were analyzed using three-dimensional pericardial border delineation. Three image series were reconstructed per patient: (a) CTAD: coronary CT angiography (CTA), diastolic phase; (b) CTAS: coronary CTA, systolic phase; (c) CaScD: non-contrast CT, diastolic phase. EATV was calculated using three different upper thresholds (-15HU, -30 HU, -45HU). Repeated measures ANOVA, Spearman's rho, and Bland Altman plots were used. Mean EATV differed between all three image series at a -30HU threshold (CTAD 87.2 ± 38.5 ml, CTAS 90.9 ± 37.7 ml, CaScD 130.7 ± 49.5 ml, PEATV of diastolic and systolic CTA reconstructions did not differ significantly (P=0.225). Mean EATV for contrast enhanced CTA at a -15HU threshold (CTAD15 102.4 ± 43.6 ml, CTAS15 105.3 ± 42.3 ml) could be approximated most closely by non-contrast CT at -45HU threshold (CaScD45 105.3 ± 40.8 ml). The correlation was excellent: CTAS15-CTAD15, rho=0.943; CTAD15-CaScD45, rho=0.905; CTAS15-CaScD45, rho=0.924; each PEATV can differ substantially between contrast enhanced and non-contrast CT studies, which can be reconciled by threshold modification. Heart cycle phase does not significantly influence EATV measurements. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Feasibility of remote magnetic navigation for epicardial ablation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

P. Abraham; L.D. Abkenari; E.C.H. Peters; T. Szili-Torok (Tamas)

2013-01-01

textabstractPercutaneous epicardial mapping and ablation is an emerging method to treat ventricular tachycardias (VT), premature ventricular complexes (PVC), and accessory pathways. The use of a remote magnetic navigation system (MNS) could enhance precision and maintain safety. This multiple case

Effect of high-intensity statin therapy on atherosclerosis in non-infarct-related coronary arteries (IBIS-4)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Räber, Lorenz; Taniwaki, Masanori; Zaugg, Serge

2015-01-01

AIM: The effect of long-term high-intensity statin therapy on coronary atherosclerosis among patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is unknown. The aim of this study was to quantify the impact of high-intensity statin therapy on plaque burden, composition, and phen......AIM: The effect of long-term high-intensity statin therapy on coronary atherosclerosis among patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is unknown. The aim of this study was to quantify the impact of high-intensity statin therapy on plaque burden, composition......-infarct-related epicardial coronary arteries (non-IRA) after successful primary PCI. Patients were treated with high-intensity rosuvastatin (40 mg/day) throughout 13 months and serial intracoronary imaging with the analysis of matched segments was available for 82 patients with 146 non-IRA. The primary IVUS end...

Invasive assessment of coronary microvascular dysfunction in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: the index of microvascular resistance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gutiérrez-Barrios, Alejandro; Camacho-Jurado, Francisco; Díaz-Retamino, Enrique; Gamaza-Chulián, Sergio; Agarrado-Luna, Antonio; Oneto-Otero, Jesús; Del Rio-Lechuga, Ana; Benezet-Mazuecos, Javier

2015-01-01

Summary: We present a review of microvascular dysfunction in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and an interesting case of a symptomatic familial HCM patient with inducible ischemia by single photon emission computed tomography. Coronary angiography revealed normal epicardial arteries. Pressure wire measurements of fractional flow reserve (FFR), coronary flow reserve (CFR) and index of microvascular resistance (IMR) demonstrated a significant microcirculatory dysfunction. This is the first such case that documents this abnormality invasively using the IMR. The measurement of IMR, a novel marker of microcirculatory dysfunction, provides novel insights into the pathophysiology of this condition. - Highlights: • Microvascular dysfunction is a common feature in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and represents a strong predictor of unfavorable outcome and cardiovascular mortality. • The index of microvascular resistance (IMR) is a new method for invasively assessing the state of the coronary microcirculation using a single pressure-temperature sensor-tipped coronary wire. • However assessment of IMR in HCM has not been previously reported. We report a case in which microvascular dysfunction is assessed by IMR. This index may be useful in future researches of HCM.

Invasive assessment of coronary microvascular dysfunction in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: the index of microvascular resistance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gutiérrez-Barrios, Alejandro, E-mail: aleklos@hotmail.com [Cardiology Department, Jerez Hospital, Jerez (Spain); Camacho-Jurado, Francisco [Cardiology Department, Punta Europa Hospital, Algeciras (Spain); Díaz-Retamino, Enrique; Gamaza-Chulián, Sergio; Agarrado-Luna, Antonio; Oneto-Otero, Jesús; Del Rio-Lechuga, Ana; Benezet-Mazuecos, Javier [Cardiology Department, Jerez Hospital, Jerez (Spain)

2015-10-15

Summary: We present a review of microvascular dysfunction in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and an interesting case of a symptomatic familial HCM patient with inducible ischemia by single photon emission computed tomography. Coronary angiography revealed normal epicardial arteries. Pressure wire measurements of fractional flow reserve (FFR), coronary flow reserve (CFR) and index of microvascular resistance (IMR) demonstrated a significant microcirculatory dysfunction. This is the first such case that documents this abnormality invasively using the IMR. The measurement of IMR, a novel marker of microcirculatory dysfunction, provides novel insights into the pathophysiology of this condition. - Highlights: • Microvascular dysfunction is a common feature in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and represents a strong predictor of unfavorable outcome and cardiovascular mortality. • The index of microvascular resistance (IMR) is a new method for invasively assessing the state of the coronary microcirculation using a single pressure-temperature sensor-tipped coronary wire. • However assessment of IMR in HCM has not been previously reported. We report a case in which microvascular dysfunction is assessed by IMR. This index may be useful in future researches of HCM.

Myocardial oxygenation and transmural lactate metabolism during experimental acute coronary stenosis in pigs.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonschior, P; Gonschior, G M; Conzen, P F; Hobbhahn, J; Goetz, A E; Peter, K; Brendel, W

1992-01-01

Measurement of surface tissue pO2 (ptO2) with surface electrodes is increasingly applied in experimental medicine. Its use on the beating heart may seem to be problematic because transmural gradients of tissue pO2 would reduce the validity of pO2 determinations in the epicardial layers. This study attempted to determine whether ptO2 may be a valid and sensitive indicator of transmural myocardial oxygenation. In order to measure ptO2, two eight-channel Clark-type electrodes were placed on a beating porcine left ventricle (n = 13). Measurements were made at different degrees of acute stenosis of the left anterior descending artery (LAD). A 24-F cannula was inserted into the great cardiac vein, draining the poststenotic myocardium to obtain coronary venous blood samples. Transmural metabolic changes were detected simultaneously by coronary venous blood gas parameters and lactate levels. Epicardial tissue pO2 was 49 +/- 2 mm Hg (mean +/- SEM) before stenosis and decreased to a mean value of 25 +/- 2 mm Hg during stenosis. Different degrees of LAD stenosis (ptO2 range: 12-35 mm Hg) were substantial enough to alter arterio-coronary venous lactate difference (avd lactate) from +0.31 +/- 0.07 mmol/l (control) to -0.62 +/- 0.15 mmol/l (stenosis). A significant linear correlation between changes of ptO2 (delta ptO2) and changes of avd lactate (delta avd lactate) resulted (y = 0.59 + 0.62x; r = 0.86; p less than or equal to 0.001). However, linear regression analysis between delta ptO2 correlated with the corresponding data from coronary venous pO2 (delta pO2cv) oxygen content (delta O2contcv), and oxygen saturation (delta O2satcv) showed no significant correlations. We conclude that measurement of ptO2 is a sensitive and valuable indicator of transmural oxygenation in ischemic myocardium, whereas pO2cv, O2contcv and O2satcv do not seem to be valid predictors of ischemia in myocardial oxygenation.

Fractional flow reserve-guided management in stable coronary disease and acute myocardial infarction: recent developments

Science.gov (United States)

Berry, Colin; Corcoran, David; Hennigan, Barry; Watkins, Stuart; Layland, Jamie; Oldroyd, Keith G.

2015-01-01

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a leading global cause of morbidity and mortality, and improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of CAD can reduce the health and economic burden of this condition. Fractional flow reserve (FFR) is an evidence-based diagnostic test of the physiological significance of a coronary artery stenosis. Fractional flow reserve is a pressure-derived index of the maximal achievable myocardial blood flow in the presence of an epicardial coronary stenosis as a ratio to maximum achievable flow if that artery were normal. When compared with standard angiography-guided management, FFR disclosure is impactful on the decision for revascularization and clinical outcomes. In this article, we review recent developments with FFR in patients with stable CAD and recent myocardial infarction. Specifically, we review novel developments in our understanding of CAD pathophysiology, diagnostic applications, prognostic studies, clinical trials, and clinical guidelines. PMID:26038588

Effect of the Epicardial Adipose Tissue Volume on the Prevalence of Paroxysmal and Persistent Atrial Fibrillation.

Science.gov (United States)

Oba, Kageyuki; Maeda, Minetaka; Maimaituxun, Gulinu; Yamaguchi, Satoshi; Arasaki, Osamu; Fukuda, Daiju; Yagi, Shusuke; Hirata, Yukina; Nishio, Susumu; Iwase, Takashi; Takao, Shoichiro; Kusunose, Kenya; Yamada, Hirotsugu; Soeki, Takeshi; Wakatsuki, Tetsuzo; Harada, Masafumi; Masuzaki, Hiroaki; Sata, Masataka; Shimabukuro, Michio

2018-05-25

Although increasing evidence suggests that epicardial adipose tissue volume (EATV) is associated with atrial fibrillation (AF), it is controversial whether there is a dose-response relationship of increasing EATV along the continuum of AF. We evaluated the effect of the EATV on the prevalence of paroxysmal AF (PAF) and persistent AF (PeAF) and the relationships with cardiac structure and functional remodeling.Methods and Results:Subjects who underwent multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) coronary angiography because of symptoms suggestive of coronary artery disease were divided into sinus rhythm (SR) (n=112), PAF (n=133), and PeAF (n=71) groups. The EATV index (EATV/body surface area, mL/m 2 ) was strongly associated with the prevalence of PAF and PeAF on the model adjusted for known AF risk factors. The effect of the EATV index on the prevalence of PeAF, but not on that of PAF, was modified by the left atrial (LA) dimension, suggesting that extension of the LA dimension is related to EATV expansion in PeAF. The cutoff value of the EATV index for the prevalence was higher in PeAF than in PAF (64 vs. 55 mL/m 2 , PEATV index is associated with the prevalence of PAF and PeAF, and its cutoff values are predictive for PAF and PeAF development independently of other AF risk factors.

Hypothyroidism Is Associated With Coronary Endothelial Dysfunction in Women

Science.gov (United States)

Sara, Jaskanwal D; Zhang, Ming; Gharib, Hossein; Lerman, Lilach O; Lerman, Amir

2015-01-01

Background Hypothyroidism is associated with an increased risk of coronary artery disease, beyond that which can be explained by its association with conventional cardiovascular risk factors. Coronary endothelial dysfunction precedes atherosclerosis, has been linked to adverse cardiovascular events, and may account for some of the increased risk in patients with hypothyroidism. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is an association between epicardial and microvascular coronary endothelial dysfunction and hypothyroidism. Methods and Results In 1388 patients (mean age 50.5 [12.3] years, 34% male) presenting with stable chest pain to Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN for diagnostic coronary angiography, and who were found to have nonobstructive coronary artery disease (hypothyroidism, defined as a documented history of hypothyroidism or a thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) >10.0 mU/mL, n=188, and euthyroidism, defined as an absence of a history of hypothyroidism in the clinical record and/or 0.3hypothyroidism had a significantly lower % Δ CBF Ach (48.26 [80.66] versus 64.58 [128.30]) compared to patients with euthyroidism, while the % Δ CAD Ach did not vary significantly between groups. After adjusting for covariates, females with hypothyroidism still had a significantly lower % Δ CBF Ach (estimated difference in % Δ CBF Ach [SE]: −16.79 [8.18]). Conclusions Hypothyroidism in women is associated with microvascular endothelial dysfunction, even after adjusting for confounders, and may explain some of the increased risk of cardiovascular disease in these patients. PMID:26224049

Relationship Between Neck Circumference and Epicardial Fat Thickness in a Healthy Male Population.

Science.gov (United States)

Küçük, Uğur; Küçük, Hilal Olgun; Cüce, Ferhat; Balta, Sevket

2016-09-01

Epicardial fat is an upper body visceral fat depot that may play a significant role in the development of adverse metabolic and cardiovascular risk profiles. There is a significant direct relationship between the amount of epicardial fat and general body adiposity (body mass index, BMI), but data regarding subcutaneous adiposity is limited. We conducted a study to determine the association between neck circumference and epicardial fat thickness in healthy young male individuals, and assess their individual correlations with general body adiposity and cardiometabolic risk factors. One hundred consecutive male patients aged 18 years or older with no known major medical conditions were included in the study. All participants underwent detailed physical examination including measurement of blood pressure, weight, height, waist/hip ratio, and neck circumference. Blood was collected to determine fasting glucose and lipid parameters. A standard echocardiographic examination was performed with additional epicardial fat thickness determination. Among 100 study participants, neck circumference correlated significantly with weight, waist circumference, BMI, blood glucose, serum total cholesterol, low-density (LDL)-cholesterol, and triglycerides levels. No significant correlation was found between neck circumference and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol levels. Neck circumference correlated moderately and positively with echocardiographic epicardial fat thickness. Among patients with low cardiometabolic risk, increased neck circumference was associated with increased epicardial fat thickness. A gordura epicárdica é um depósito de gordura visceral na parte superior do organismo que pode desempenhar um papel importante no desenvolvimento de perfis cardiovasculares e metabólicos adversos. Há uma relação direta significativa entre a quantidade de gordura epicárdica e a adiposidade corporal geral (índice de massa corporal, IMC), mas dados sobre a adiposidade

Automatic detection and classification of human epicardial atrial unipolar electrograms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dubé, B; Vinet, A; Xiong, F; Yin, Y; LeBlanc, A-R; Pagé, P

2009-01-01

This paper describes an unsupervised signal processing method applied to three-channel unipolar electrograms recorded from human atria. These were obtained by epicardial wires sutured on the right and left atria after coronary artery bypass surgery. Atrial (A) and ventricular (V) activations had to be detected and identified on each channel, and gathered across the channels when belonging to the same global event. The algorithm was developed and optimized on a training set of 19 recordings of 5 min. It was assessed on twenty-seven 2 h recordings taken just before the onset of a prolonged atrial fibrillation for a total of 1593697 activations that were validated and classified as normal atrial or ventricular activations (A, V) and premature atrial or ventricular activations (PAA, PVA). 99.93% of the activations were detected, and amongst these, 99.89% of the A and 99.75% of the V activations were correctly labelled. In the subset of the 39705 PAA, 99.83% were detected and 99.3% were correctly classified as A. The false positive rate was 0.37%. In conclusion, a reliable fully automatic detection and classification algorithm was developed that can detect and discriminate A and V activations from atrial recordings. It can provide the time series needed to develop a monitoring system aiming to identify dynamic predictors of forthcoming cardiac events such as postoperative atrial fibrillation

Coronary artery bypass grafting without cardiopulmonary bypass and without interruption of native coronary flow using a novel anastomosis site restraining device ("Octopus").

Science.gov (United States)

Borst, C; Jansen, E W; Tulleken, C A; Gründeman, P F; Mansvelt Beck, H J; van Dongen, J W; Hodde, K C; Bredée, J J

1996-05-01

This study assessed the feasibility of coronary artery bypass grafting on the beating heart without interruption of native coronary blood flow using a novel anastomosis site restraining device. Recently, an end-to-side bypass technique was described that does not require interruption of flow in the recipient artery. By means of a suction device ("Octopus"), in 31 pigs the epicardium was grasped and immobilized through an arm contraption fixed to the operating table. In the first 15 consecutive pigs (study I), the two-dimensional motion of an epicardial beacon was monitored. In 16 subsequent pigs (study II), an internal mammary artery was grafted under the microscope in two steps to a proximal coronary artery segment, without cardiopulmonary bypass. First, the internal mammary artery was sutured end-to-side to the outside of the coronary artery. Secondly, an orifice was punched in the partitioning coronary wall by an excimer laser catheter introduced through a temporary side-branch of the internal mammary artery. Study II: During 43 suction periods in four anastomosis areas, immobilization was achieved for 15 to 169 min (>30 h in total) in 13 open- and 9 closed-chest procedures without hemodynamic deterioration. The area circumscribed by the edges of the beacon trajectory (area in which the anastomosis is to be tracked) was reduced from 73.0 +/- 43.0 mm(2) (mean +/- SD) to 1.3 +/- 0.5 mm(2) (p<0.001) in the open-chest and to 0.2 +/- 0.2 mm(2) in the closed-chest procedure. At 6 weeks, no myocardial or coronary suction lesions were found. Study II: Nonocclusive anastomosis surgery required 25 +/- 3 min. No leakage, serious arrhythmias, graft closure or hemodynamic deterioration occurred during the procedure or for 2 h after ligating the coronary artery proximally. At 6 weeks, all seven grafts were patent. Coronary bypass on the beating heart without interruption of coronary flow is feasible. In both open- and in closed-chest procedures, the "Octopus" reduced

A risk score for predicting coronary artery disease in women with angina pectoris and abnormal stress test finding.

Science.gov (United States)

Lo, Monica Y; Bonthala, Nirupama; Holper, Elizabeth M; Banks, Kamakki; Murphy, Sabina A; McGuire, Darren K; de Lemos, James A; Khera, Amit

2013-03-15

Women with angina pectoris and abnormal stress test findings commonly have no epicardial coronary artery disease (CAD) at catheterization. The aim of the present study was to develop a risk score to predict obstructive CAD in such patients. Data were analyzed from 337 consecutive women with angina pectoris and abnormal stress test findings who underwent cardiac catheterization at our center from 2003 to 2007. Forward selection multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the independent predictors of CAD, defined by ≥50% diameter stenosis in ≥1 epicardial coronary artery. The independent predictors included age ≥55 years (odds ratio 2.3, 95% confidence interval 1.3 to 4.0), body mass index stress imaging (odds ratio 2.8, 95% confidence interval 1.5 to 5.5), and exercise capacity statistic of 0.745 (95% confidence interval 0.70 to 0.79), and an optimized cutpoint of a score of ≤2 included 62% of the subjects and had a negative predictive value of 80%. In conclusion, a simple clinical risk score of 7 characteristics can help differentiate those more or less likely to have CAD among women with angina pectoris and abnormal stress test findings. This tool, if validated, could help to guide testing strategies in women with angina pectoris. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Technetium-99m sestamibi myocardial tomography based on dipyridamole echocardiography testing in hypertensive patients with chest pain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schillaci, O. [Section of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Experimental Medicine and Pathology, University ``La Sapienza``, Rome (Italy); Moroni, C. [Department of Internal Medicine, University ``La Sapienza``, Rome (Italy); Scopinaro, F. [Section of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Experimental Medicine and Pathology, University ``La Sapienza``, Rome (Italy); Tavolaro, R. [Section of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Experimental Medicine and Pathology, University ``La Sapienza``, Rome (Italy); Danieli, R. [Section of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Experimental Medicine and Pathology, University ``La Sapienza``, Rome (Italy); Bossini, A. [Department of Internal Medicine, University ``La Sapienza``, Rome (Italy); Cassone, R. [Department of Internal Medicine, University ``La Sapienza``, Rome (Italy); Colella, A.C. [Section of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Experimental Medicine and Pathology, University ``La Sapienza``, Rome (Italy)

1997-07-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic capability of technetium-99m sestamibi tomography based on dipyridamole echocardiography testing in hypertensives with chest pain, and to compare the scintigraphic results with those of coronary angiography, exercise electrocardiography and dipyridamole echocardiography. Forty subjects with mild to moderate hypertension, chest pain and no previous myocardial infarction were submitted to {sup 99m}Tc-sestamibi tomography (at rest and after high-dose dipyridamole echocardiography) and to exercise electrocardiography testing. At coronary angiography 22 patients (group A) had significant epicardial coronary artery disease ({>=}70% stenosis of at least one major vessel) and 18 normal main coronary vessels (group B). Dipyridamole {sup 99m}Tc-sestamibi imaging was positive in 21/22 patients of group A and in 5/18 of group B. Dipyridamole echocardiography was positive in 18/22 patients of group A and in 5/18 of group B. Exercise electrocardiography was positive in 15/22 patients of group A and in 11/18 of group B. Four out of five subjects in group B with positive results in all the tests showed a slow run-off of angiographic contrast medium, probably due to small-vessel disease. Significant epicardial coronary artery disease in hypertensives with chest pain is unlikely when dipyridamole {sup 99m}Tc-sestamibi tomography is negative. When scintigraphy is positive, either epicardial coronary artery disease or a small-vessel disease condition is possible. The association of scintigraphy with dipyridamole echocardiography testing allows the assessment of contractile function and myocardial perfusion by a single pharmacological stress. (orig./AJ). With 3 figs., 2 tabs.

The role of coronary microvascular dysfunction in the genesis of cardiovascular diseases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parodi, O.; Sambuceti, G.

1996-01-01

Using PET, myocardial perfusion abnormalities secondary to microvascular disorders have beeen investigated in arterial hypertension (AH), dilated and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (CM), as well as in ischemic heart disease (CAD). In AH, regional perfusion at rest is within the normal range, while the coronary reserve and flow response to increase in metabolic demand are blunted. Both dilated and hypertrophic CM demonstrate abnormal vasodilaing capability, wich as bee schown to be presented in the subclinical form of dilated DM; the reduction of coronary reserve is not related to the presence and extent of the hemodynamic impairment in dilated CM, and involved also nonhypertropied myocardium in asymmetric hypertropic CM. These finding indicate a primary involvement of coronary microcirculation in non advanced forms of dilated and hypertrophic CM. Finally, in patients with CAD, myocardia teritories supplied by angiographically normal coronary arteries schow abnormal coronary reserve and flow during pacing, tachycardia, indicating that, even in absence of epicardial coronary artery obstruction, microcirculation is impaired in subject with coronary atherosclerosis. this abnormally can smooth perfusion differences, between control andd jeopardized regions. Although the agreement with the angiographic documantation of coronary artery disease has been frequently considered to characterize the diagnostic reliability of these techiques, the evaluation of myocardial perfusion provides an independent tool for the functional assessment of patient with heart disease. The possibility of obtain measurement of regional myocardial blood flow, provided by positron emission thermography, helps to identify the mechanisms affecting flow regulation in the myocardium. This tool thus provides a new rationale for the application of perfusion imaging, to obtain a more precise characterization of these patients, beyond the agreement with the morphological angiographic picture

Prevalence and Characteristics of Myocardial Bridging in Multidetector-Row Computed Tomography Coronary Angiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carrascosa, Patricia; Martin Lopez, Elba; Capunay, Carlos; Deviggiano, Alejandro; Vallejos, Javier; Carrascosa, Jorge

2009-01-01

Background: Myocardial bridging (MB) are congenital defects of the coronary arteries in which a segment of an epicardial artery lies in the myocardium for part of its course. The current gold standard for diagnosing MB is coronary angiography; however other invasive techniques are also useful. Myocardial bridging can also be visualized with the use of novel non-invasive imaging techniques such as multidetector-row computed tomography coronary angiography (MDCT-CA). Objectives: To assess the prevalence and characteristics of myocardial bridging in patients undergoing multidetector-row computed tomography coronary angiography (MDCT-CA). Material and Methods: A total of 452 consecutive patients were evaluated with 16-row and 64-row MDCT-CA due to the presence of abnormal findings in myocardial perfusion image tests, symptoms suggestive of coronary artery disease, and in asymptomatic patients with a family history of coronary artery disease. The presence of MB, their location and characteristics were analyzed. Myocardial bridging were classified as complete and incomplete bridges with respect to continuity of the myocardium over the tunneled segment of the artery involved. Quantitative measurements of vessel diameter during systole and diastole were evaluated. Results: The prevalence of MB was 35.18%; 88 were complete and 71 incomplete. Among complete MB, 6 affected both systole and diastole, 27 presented only systolic compression and 55 showed no compression. Incomplete MB showed absence of arterial compression. Conclusions: Multidetector-row computed tomography coronary angiography detected a higher prevalence of MB in the study population and allowed to classify them and to assess their functional aspects throughout the cardiac cycle. (authors) [es

Automated quantification of epicardial adipose tissue using CT angiography: evaluation of a prototype software

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spearman, James V.; Silverman, Justin R.; Krazinski, Aleksander W.; Costello, Philip; Meinel, Felix G.; Geyer, Lucas L.; Schoepf, U.J.; Apfaltrer, Paul; Canstein, Christian; De Cecco, Carlo Nicola

2014-01-01

This study evaluated the performance of a novel automated software tool for epicardial fat volume (EFV) quantification compared to a standard manual technique at coronary CT angiography (cCTA). cCTA data sets of 70 patients (58.6 ± 12.9 years, 33 men) were retrospectively analysed using two different post-processing software applications. Observer 1 performed a manual single-plane pericardial border definition and EFV M segmentation (manual approach). Two observers used a software program with fully automated 3D pericardial border definition and EFV A calculation (automated approach). EFV and time required for measuring EFV (including software processing time and manual optimization time) for each method were recorded. Intraobserver and interobserver reliability was assessed on the prototype software measurements. T test, Spearman's rho, and Bland-Altman plots were used for statistical analysis. The final EFV A (with manual border optimization) was strongly correlated with the manual axial segmentation measurement (60.9 ± 33.2 mL vs. 65.8 ± 37.0 mL, rho = 0.970, P 0.9). Automated EFV A quantification is an accurate and time-saving method for quantification of EFV compared to established manual axial segmentation methods. (orig.)

Change in coronary blood flow after percutaneous coronary intervention in relation to baseline lesion physiology: results of the JUSTIFY-PCI study.

Science.gov (United States)

Nijjer, Sukhjinder S; Petraco, Ricardo; van de Hoef, Tim P; Sen, Sayan; van Lavieren, Martijn A; Foale, Rodney A; Meuwissen, Martijn; Broyd, Christopher; Echavarria-Pinto, Mauro; Al-Lamee, Rasha; Foin, Nicolas; Sethi, Amarjit; Malik, Iqbal S; Mikhail, Ghada W; Hughes, Alun D; Mayet, Jamil; Francis, Darrel P; Di Mario, Carlo; Escaned, Javier; Piek, Jan J; Davies, Justin E

2015-06-01

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) aims to increase coronary blood flow by relieving epicardial obstruction. However, no study has objectively confirmed this and assessed changes in flow over different phases of the cardiac cycle. We quantified the change in resting and hyperemic flow velocity after PCI in stenoses defined physiologically by fractional flow reserve and other parameters. Seventy-five stenoses (67 patients) underwent paired flow velocity assessment before and after PCI. Flow velocity was measured over the whole cardiac cycle and the wave-free period. Mean fractional flow reserve was 0.68±0.02. Pre-PCI, hyperemic flow velocity is diminished in stenoses classed as physiologically significant compared with those classed nonsignificant (PPCI, resting flow velocity over the wave-free period increased little (5.6±1.6 cm/s) and significantly less than hyperemic flow velocity (21.2±3 cm/s; P0.80 had a significantly smaller gain (Δ4.6±2.3 cm/s; PPCI physiology is strongly associated with post-PCI increase in hyperemic coronary flow velocity. Hyperemic flow velocity increases 6-fold more when stenoses classed as physiologically significant undergo PCI than when nonsignificant stenoses are treated. Resting flow velocity measured over the wave-free period changes at least 4-fold less than hyperemic flow velocity after PCI. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Change in Coronary Blood Flow After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Relation to Baseline Lesion Physiology Results of the JUSTIFY-PCI Study

Science.gov (United States)

Nijjer, Sukhjinder S.; Petraco, Ricardo; van de Hoef, Tim P.; Sen, Sayan; van Lavieren, Martijn A.; Foale, Rodney A.; Meuwissen, Martijn; Broyd, Christopher; Echavarria-Pinto, Mauro; Al-Lamee, Rasha; Foin, Nicolas; Sethi, Amarjit; Malik, Iqbal S.; Mikhail, Ghada W.; Hughes, Alun D.; Mayet, Jamil; Francis, Darrel P.; Di Mario, Carlo; Escaned, Javier; Piek, Jan J.; Davies, Justin E.

2016-01-01

Background Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) aims to increase coronary blood flow by relieving epicardial obstruction. However, no study has objectively confirmed this and assessed changes in flow over different phases of the cardiac cycle. We quantified the change in resting and hyperemic flow velocity after PCI in stenoses defined physiologically by fractional flow reserve and other parameters. Methods and Results Seventy-five stenoses (67 patients) underwent paired flow velocity assessment before and after PCI. Flow velocity was measured over the whole cardiac cycle and the wave-free period. Mean fractional flow reserve was 0.68±0.02. Pre-PCI, hyperemic flow velocity is diminished in stenoses classed as physiologically significant compared with those classed nonsignificant (PPCI, resting flow velocity over the wave-free period increased little (5.6±1.6 cm/s) and significantly less than hyperemic flow velocity (21.2±3 cm/s; P0.80 had a significantly smaller gain (Δ4.6±2.3 cm/s; PPCI physiology is strongly associated with post-PCI increase in hyperemic coronary flow velocity. Hyperemic flow velocity increases 6-fold more when stenoses classed as physiologically significant undergo PCI than when nonsignificant stenoses are treated. Resting flow velocity measured over the wave-free period changes at least 4-fold less than hyperemic flow velocity after PCI. PMID:26025217

Syndrome of diminished vasodilator reserve of the coronary microcirculation (microvascular angina or syndrome X): Diagnosis by combined atrial pacing and thallium 201 imaging--a case report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Magarian, G.J.; Palac, R.; Reinhart, S.

1990-01-01

Patients with angina-like chest pain without evidence of epicardial coronary artery disease or coronary arterial vasospasm are becoming increasingly recognized. These are often related to noncardiac causes including esophageal, musculoskeletal, and hyperventilatory or panic states. However, recently a subgroup of such patients are being recognized as having true myocardial ischemia and chest pain on the basis of diminished coronary microvascular vasodilatory reserve (microvascular ischemia or Syndrome X). The authors describe such a patient who was found to have replication of anginal pain associated with a reversible ischemic defect on thallium 201 imaging during atrial pacing, suggesting ischemia in this myocardial segment. Resolution of angina and ST segment electrocardiographic changes of ischemia occurred with cessation of pacing. We believe this is the first report of a patient with this form of myocardial ischemia diagnosed by this method and should be considered in patients with anginal chest pain after significant coronary artery disease and coronary vasospasm have been excluded

Epicardial Breakthrough Waves During Sinus Rhythm: Depiction of the Arrhythmogenic Substrate?

Science.gov (United States)

Mouws, Elisabeth M J P; Lanters, Eva A H; Teuwen, Christophe P; van der Does, Lisette J M E; Kik, Charles; Knops, Paul; Bekkers, Jos A; Bogers, Ad J J C; de Groot, Natasja M S

2017-09-01

Epicardial breakthrough waves (EBW) during atrial fibrillation are important elements of the arrhythmogenic substrate and result from endo-epicardial asynchrony, which also occurs to some degree during sinus rhythm (SR). We examined the incidence and characteristics of EBW during SR and its possible value in the detection of the arrhythmogenic substrate associated with atrial fibrillation. Intraoperative epicardial mapping (interelectrode distances 2 mm) of the right atrium, Bachmann's bundle, the left atrioventricular groove, and the pulmonary vein area was performed during SR in 381 patients (289 male, 67±10 years) with ischemic or valvular heart disease. EBW were referred to as sinus node breakthrough waves if they were the earliest right atrial activated site. A total of 218 EBW and 57 sinus node breakthrough waves were observed in 168 patients (44%). EBW mostly occurred at right atrium (N=105, 48%) and left atrioventricular groove (N=67, 31%), followed by Bachmann's bundle (N=27, 12%) and pulmonary vein area (N=19, 9%; P <0.001). EBW occurred most often in ischemic heart disease patients (N=114, 49%) compared with (ischemic and) valvular heart disease patients (N=26, 17%; P <0.001). EBW electrograms most often consisted of double and fractionated potentials (N=137, 63%). In case of single potentials, an R wave was observed in 88% (N=71) of EBW, as opposed to 21% of sinus node breakthrough waves (N=5; P <0.001). Fractionated EBW potentials were more often observed at the right atrium and Bachmann's bundle ( P <0.001). During SR, EBW are present in over a third of patients, particularly in thicker parts of the atrial wall. Features of SR EBW indicate that muscular connections between endo- and epicardium underlie EBW and that a slight degree of endo-epicardial asynchrony required for EBW to occur is already present in some areas during SR. Hence, an anatomic substrate is present, which may enhance the occurrence of EBW during atrial fibrillation, thereby

Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Differentiation into Functional Epicardial Progenitor Cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Guadix, Juan Antonio; Orlova, Valeria V.; Giacomelli, Elisa; Bellin, Milena; Ribeiro, Marcelo C.; Mummery, Christine L.; Pérez-Pomares, José M.; Passier, Robert

2017-01-01

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are widely used to study cardiovascular cell differentiation and function. Here, we induced differentiation of hPSCs (both embryonic and induced) to proepicardial/epicardial progenitor cells that cover the heart during development. Addition of retinoic acid (RA)

ST peak during percutaneous coronary intervention serves as an early prognostic predictor in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lønborg, Jacob; Kelbæk, Henning; Engstrøm, Thomas

2014-01-01

AIMS: To evaluate the clinical importance of the ST peak phenomenon during primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). METHODS AND RESULTS: Continuous ST monitoring was performed in 942 STEMI patients from arrival until 90...... minutes after revascularisation. ST peak was defined as ≥1 mm increase in the ST-segment during PCI compared with the ST elevation before intervention. ST peak was observed in 26.9% of patients. During median follow-up of 4.1 years, 20.7% of patients experienced a major adverse cardiac event (MACE). ST...... and ST peak including ST resolution and epicardial flow, ST peak remained significantly associated with MACE: adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.40 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.95) and 1.41 (95% CI: 1.02-1.96). CONCLUSIONS: In the largest study hitherto evaluating the ST peak phenomenon during primary...

Influence of type of aortic valve prosthesis on coronary blood flow velocity.

Science.gov (United States)

Jelenc, Matija; Juvan, Katja Ažman; Medvešček, Nadja Tatjana Ružič; Geršak, Borut

2013-02-01

Severe aortic valve stenosis is associated with high resting and reduced hyperemic coronary blood flow. Coronary blood flow increases after aortic valve replacement (AVR); however, the increase depends on the type of prosthesis used. The present study investigates the influence of type of aortic valve prosthesis on coronary blood flow velocity. The blood flow velocity in the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) and the right coronary artery (RCA) was measured intraoperatively before and after AVR with a stentless bioprosthesis (Sorin Freedom Solo; n = 11) or a bileaflet mechanical prosthesis (St. Jude Medical Regent; n = 11). Measurements were made with an X-Plore epicardial Doppler probe (Medistim, Oslo, Norway) following induction of hyperemia with an adenosine infusion. Preoperative and postoperative echocardiography evaluations were used to assess valvular and ventricular function. Velocity time integrals (VTI) were measured from the Doppler signals and used to calculate the proportion of systolic VTI (SF), diastolic VTI (DF), and normalized systolic coronary blood flow velocities (NSF) and normalized diastolic coronary blood flow velocities (NDF). The systolic proportion of the LAD VTI increased after AVR with the St. Jude Medical Regent prosthesis, which produced higher LAD SF and NSF values than the Sorin Freedom Solo prosthesis (SF, 0.41 ± 0.09 versus 0.29 ± 0.13 [P = .04]; NSF, 0.88 ± 0.24 versus 0.55 ± 0.17 [P = .01]). No significant changes in the LAD velocity profile were noted after valve replacement with the Sorin Freedom Solo, despite a significant reduction in transvalvular gradient and an increase in the effective orifice area. AVR had no effect on the RCA flow velocity profile. The coronary flow velocity profile in the LAD was significantly influenced by the type of aortic valve prosthesis used. The differences in the LAD velocity profile probably reflect differences in valve design and the systolic transvalvular flow pattern.

Neointimal Healing Evaluated by Optical Coherence Tomography after Drug-Eluting Absorbable Metal Scaffold Implantation in de novo Native Coronary Lesions: Rationale and Design of the Magmaris-OCT Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Karjalainen, Pasi; Paana, Tuomas; Sia, Jussi; Nammas, Wail

We sought to explore neointimal healing assessed by optical coherence tomography (OCT) following implantation of the Magmaris sirolimus-eluting absorbable metal scaffold. The Magmaris-OCT is a prospective, multicenter, single-arm observational clinical study, intended to enrol 60 consecutive patients with up to 2 de novo native coronary lesions, each located in different major epicardial vessels, with a reference vessel diameter of 2.5-3.5 mm, and a maximum lesion length of 20 mm. Patients will undergo Magmaris scaffold implantation in the target lesion, according to the standard practice. Clinical follow-up will take place at 30 days, and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. For invasive-imaging follow-up, patients will be classified into 3 groups: cohort A will be scheduled for follow-up at 3 months, cohort B at 6 months, and cohort C at 12 months. Invasive imaging will include quantitative coronary angiography, OCT evaluation, and coronary flow reserve measurement. The primary end point will be the percentage of uncovered scaffold struts assessed by OCT at the prespecified follow-up. This study will provide insight into the short- and mid-term healing properties following Magmaris scaffold implantation, with special emphasis on the neointimal coverage of scaffold struts. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Surgical treatment of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome: epicardial approach without the use of cardiopulmonary bypass.

Science.gov (United States)

Graffigna, A; Pagani, F; Vigano, M

1993-03-01

Epicardial dissection without the use of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) was performed in 88 patients (56 males and 32 females, mean age 31.9 years). With intraoperative epicardial mapping, 101 accessory pathways were detected, with multiple pathways in 11 patients. CPB was avoided in all but one patient due to frequent onset of atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular rate. Surgical ablation was successful in 86 patients (97.6%). Three patients required multiple surgical procedures because of persistence of conduction along a component of the original pathway. All but two patients were discharged without antiarrhythmic medication; these two patients were given quinidine therapy because of atrial fibrillation, but had normal early and late electrophysiological studies. Surgical ablation of Kent bundles by the epicardial approach for the treatment of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome can be achieved without the use of CPB. Optimal and steady exposure of the area are mandatory for the procedure, and dissection is eased by avoidance of heparin required for CPB.

Epicardial oesophageal duplication with hiatal hernia in a case of Turner's syndrome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamburrini, O.; Cigliano, S.; Esposito, G.; Cucchiara, S.

1983-01-01

The authors of this paper report the first case of epicardial oesophageal duplication causing hiatal hernia in a patient afflicted with Turner's syndrome, and they discuss its possible etiology. (orig.)

Reversible Stress Cardiomyopathy Presenting as Acute Coronary Syndrome with Elevated Troponin in the Absence of Regional Wall Motion Abnormalities: A Forme Fruste of Stress Cardiomyopathy?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahesh Anantha Narayanan

2014-01-01

Full Text Available We present a case of reversible stress cardiomyopathy in a surgical patient, described here as a forme fruste due to its atypical features. It is important to recognize such unusual presentation of stress cardiomyopathy that mimics acute coronary syndrome. Stress cardiomyopathy commonly presents as acute coronary syndrome and is characterized by typical or atypical variants of regional wall motion abnormalities. We report a 60-year-old Caucasian male with reversible stress cardiomyopathy following a sternal fracture fixation. Although the patient had several typical features of stress cardiomyopathy including physical stress, ST-segment elevation, elevated cardiac biomarkers and normal epicardial coronaries, there were few features that were atypical, including unusual age, gender, absence of regional wall motion abnormalities, high lateral ST elevation, and high troponin-ejection fraction product. In conclusion, this could represent a forme fruste of stress cardiomyopathy.

Epicardial Ablation: Prevention of Phrenic Nerve Damage by Pericardial Injection of Saline and the Use of a Steerable Sheath

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kars Neven, MD

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Because of the close proximity of the phrenic nerve to the pericardium, phrenic nerve damage caused by epicardial ablation can easily occur. We report two cases of epicardial VT ablation where pericardial injection of saline, combined with the use of a steerable sheath, successfully prevents the phrenic nerve from being damaged.

Quantification of the Arrhythmogenic Effects of Spontaneous Atrial Extrasystole Using High-Resolution Epicardial Mapping.

Science.gov (United States)

Teuwen, Christophe P; Kik, Charles; van der Does, Lisette J M E; Lanters, Eva A H; Knops, Paul; Mouws, Elisabeth M J P; Bogers, Ad J J C; de Groot, Natasja M S

2018-01-01

Atrial extrasystoles (AES) can initiate atrial fibrillation. However, the impact of spontaneous AES on intra-atrial conduction is unknown. The aims of this study were to examine conduction disorders provoked by AES and to correlate these conduction differences with patient characteristics, mapping locations, and type of AES. High-resolution epicardial mapping (electrodes N=128 or N=192; interelectrode distance, 2 mm) of the entire atrial surface was performed in patients (N=164; 69.5% male; age 67.2±10.5 years) undergoing open-chest cardiac surgery. AES were classified as premature, aberrant, or prematurely aberrant. Conduction delay and conduction block were quantified during sinus rhythm and AES and subsequently compared. Median incidence of conduction delay and conduction block during sinus rhythm was 1.2% (interquartile, 0%-2.3%) and 0.4% (interquartile, 0%-2.1%). In comparison, the median incidence of conduction delay and conduction block during 339 AES was respectively 2.8% (interquartile, 1.3%-4.6%) and 2.2% (interquartile, 0.3%-5.1%) and differed between the types of AES (prematurely aberrant>aberrant>premature). The degree of prematurity was not associated with a higher incidence of conduction disorders ( P >0.05). In contrast, a higher degree of aberrancy was associated with a higher incidence of conduction disorders; AES emerging as epicardial breakthrough provoked most conduction disorders ( P ≥0.002). AES caused most conduction disorders in patients with diabetes mellitus and left atrial dilatation ( P <0.05). Intraoperative high-resolution epicardial mapping showed that conduction disorders are mainly provoked by prematurely aberrant AES, particularly in patients with left atrial dilation and diabetes mellitus or emerging as epicardial breakthrough. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Changes in myocardial fluid filtration are reflected in epicardial lymph pressure

NARCIS (Netherlands)

VanTeeffelen, J. W.; Merkus, D.; Vergroesen, I.; Spaan, J. A.

1997-01-01

The effect of increased fluid filtration on stopped-flow epicardial lymph pressure (P(lymph)), used as an indicator of myocardial interstitial volume, was investigated in the anesthetized open-chest dog. Histamine infusion resulted in an increased systolic peak in the P(lymph) signal together with

The value of applying nitroglycerin in 3D coronary MR angiography with real-time navigation technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hackenbroch, M.; Meyer, C.; Schmiedel, A.; Hofer, U.; Flacke, S.; Kovacs, A.; Schild, H.; Sommer, T.; Tiemann, K.; Skowasch, D.

2004-01-01

Purpose: Nitroglycerin administration results in dilation of epicardial coronary vessels and in an increase in coronary blood flow, and has been suggested to improve MR coronary angiography. This study evaluates systematically whether administration of nitroglycerin improves the visualization of coronary arteries and, as a result, the detection of coronary artery stenosis during free breathing 3D coronary MR angiography. Materials and Methods: Coronary MR angiography was performed in 44 patients with suspected coronary artery disease at a 1.5 Tesla System (Intera, Philips Medical Systems) (a) with and (b) without continuous administration of intravenous nitroglycerin at a dose rate of 2.5 mg/h, using an ECG gated gradient echo sequence with real-time navigator correction (turbo field echo, in-plane resolution 0.70 x 0.79 mm 2 , acquisition window 80 ms). Equivalent segments of the coronary arteries in the sequences with and without nitroglycerin were evaluated for visualized vessel length and diameter, qualitative assessment of visualization using a four point grading scale and detection of stenoses >50%. Catheter coronary angiography was used as a gold-standard. Results: No significant differences were found between scans with and without nitroglycerin as to average length of the contiguously visualized vessel length (p>0.05) and diameter (p>0.05). There was also no significant difference in the coronary MR angiography with and without nitroglycerin in the average qualitative assessment score of the visualization of LM, proximal LAD, proximal CX, and proximal and distal RCA (2.1±0.8 and 2.2±0.7; p> 0.05). Sensitivity (77% [17/22] vs. 82% [18/22] p>0.05) and specificity (72% [13/18] vs. 72% [13/18] p>0.05) for the detection of coronary artery stenosis also did not differ significantly between scans with and without intravenous administration of nitroglycerin. Conclusion: Administration of nitroglycerin does not improve visualization of the coronary arteries and

Cardiac PET/CT for the diagnosis and prognostic evaluation of coronary artery disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geronazzo, R.J.; Romero, R.L.; Campisi, R.

2014-01-01

Coronary artery disease is considered by de World Health Organization (WHO) to be pandemic. Eighty percent of the deaths occurs secondary to coronary artery disease, stroke and diabetes, thus they can be prevented. All of them are related to the same risk factors. Ischemic heart disease is the mayor cause of death in Argentina in the elderly population. Primary prevention strategies are essential in the health system. Hence, image complementary methods are very important to accomplish risk stratification, secondary prevention and pre-surgical evaluation. Nuclear cardiology has occupied this place through myocardial perfusion studies with radiopharmaceuticals, using SPECT (Single photon emission computed tomography) that have improved the level of sensitivity and specificity with ECG gated. Furthermore, positron emission tomography (PET) can evaluate relative myocardial perfusion, quantify absolute myocardial blood flow and coronary flow reserve. With its capacity to quantify rest-peak stress left ventricular systolic function we can underscore for example “balance ischemia”. By using hybrid PET/CT, also we can get information of coronary artery calcium scoring and coronary angiography. Currently, with the available softwares, we can acquire images in List mode. It means, from a single acquisition, it allows multiple image reconstructions, along with the associated electrocardiographic phase. PET/CT uses radiopharmaceuticals with short physical half life, and in conjunction with the possibility of acquiring in 3D mode, the perfusion studies can be done in a short time and offers lower radiation exposure to the patient. The new softwares for routine correction of misalignments between transmission and emission images have helped to reduce the frequency of artifacts and improve diagnostic accuracy. Hybrid PET/CT technology allows functional evaluation of myocardial perfusion combined with anatomic characterization of the epicardial coronary arteries, thereby

Impact of irrigation flow rate and intrapericardial fluid on cooled-tip epicardial radiofrequency ablation.

Science.gov (United States)

Aryana, Arash; O'Neill, Padraig Gearoid; Pujara, Deep K; Singh, Steve K; Bowers, Mark R; Allen, Shelley L; d'Avila, André

2016-08-01

The optimal irrigation flow rate (IFR) during epicardial radiofrequency (RF) ablation has not been established. This study specifically examined the impact of IFR and intrapericardial fluid (IPF) accumulation during epicardial RF ablation. Altogether, 452 ex vivo RF applications (10 g for 60 seconds) delivered to the epicardial surface of bovine myocardium using 3 open-irrigated ablation catheters (ThermoCool SmartTouch, ThermoCool SmartTouch-SF, and FlexAbility) and 50 in vivo RF applications delivered (ThermoCool SmartTouch-SF) in 4 healthy adult swine in the presence or absence of IPF were examined. Ex vivo, RF was delivered at low (≤3 mL/min), reduced (5-7 mL/min), and high (≥10 mL/min) IFRs using intermediate (25-35 W) and high (35-45 W) power. In vivo, applications were delivered (at 9.3 ± 2.2 g for 60 seconds at 39 W) using reduced (5 mL/min) and high (15 mL/min) IFRs. Ex vivo, surface lesion diameter inversely correlated with IFR, whereas maximum lesion diameter and depth did not differ. While steam pops occurred more frequently at low IFR using high power (ThermoCool SmartTouch and ThermoCool SmartTouch-SF), tissue disruption was rare and did not vary with IFR. In vivo, charring/steam pop was not detected. Although there were no discernible differences in lesion size with IFR, surface lesion diameter, maximum diameter, depth, and volume were all smaller in the presence of IPF at both IFRs. Cooled-tip epicardial RF ablation created using reduced IFRs (5-7 mL/min) yields lesion sizes similar to those created using high IFRs (≥10 mL/min) without an increase in steam pop/tissue disruption, whereas the presence of IPF significantly reduces the lesion size. Copyright © 2016 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Epicardial mapping of ventricular fibrillation over the posterior descending artery and left posterior papillary muscle of the swine heart.

Science.gov (United States)

Nielsen, Thomas D; Huang, Jian; Rogers, Jack M; Killingsworth, Cheryl R; Ideker, Raymond E

2009-01-01

Recent studies suggest that during ventricular fibrillation (VF) epicardial vessels may be a site of conduction block and the posterior papillary muscle (PPM) in the left ventricle (LV) may be the location of a "mother rotor." The goal of this study was to obtain evidence to support or refute these possibilities. Epicardial activation over the posterior LV and right ventricle (RV) was mapped during the first 20 s of electrically induced VF in six open-chest pigs with a 504 electrode plaque covering a 20 cm(2) area centered over the posterior descending artery (PDA). The locations of epicardial breakthrough as well as reentry clustered in time and space during VF. Spatially, reentry occurred significantly more frequently over the LV than the RV in all 48 episodes, and breakthrough clustered near the PPM (p < 0.001). Significant temporal clustering occurred in 79% of breakthrough episodes and 100% of reentry episodes. These temporal clusters occurred at different times so that there was significantly less breakthrough when reentry was present (p < 0.0001). Conduction block occurred significantly more frequently near the PDA than elsewhere. The PDA is a site of epicardial block which may contribute to VF maintenance. Epicardial breakthrough clusters near the PPM. Reentry also clusters in space but at a separate site. The fact that breakthrough and reentry cluster at different locations and at different times supports the possibility of a drifting filament at the PPM so that at times reentry is present on the surface but at other times the reentrant wavefront breaks through to the epicardium.

Assessment of relationships between novel inflammatory markers and presence and severity of preeclampsia: Epicardial fat thickness, pentraxin-3, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio.

Science.gov (United States)

Cakmak, Huseyin Altug; Dincgez Cakmak, Burcu; Abide Yayla, Cigdem; Inci Coskun, Ebru; Erturk, Mehmet; Keles, Ibrahim

2017-08-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation of three new inflammatory markers with presence and severity of preeclampsia and to compare the predictive values of all markers for presence of this setting. In this study, a total of 100 consecutive pregnants with a diagnosis of preeclampsia and 40 healthy pregnants between October 2014 and April 2015 were included. Epicardial fat tissue was calculated by two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography, and pentraxin-3 and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio were measured by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method and routine blood count analysis, respectively. Epicardial fat thickness (p preeclampsia as compared to the healthy pregnants. Furthermore, epicardial fat thickness (p = 0.002), pentraxin-3 (p preeclampsia compared to mild preeclampsia. In the multivariate analysis, epicardial fat thickness (p = 0.013), pentraxin-3 (p = 0.04), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (p preeclampsia after adjusting for other risk factors. Epicardial fat thickness, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and pentraxin-3 are important markers that provide an additional information beyond that provided by conventional methods in predicting presence and severity of preeclampsia.

Left atrial enlargement increases the risk of major adverse cardiac events independent of coronary vasodilator capacity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koh, Angela S. [Brigham and Women' s Hospital, Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Department of Radiology, Boston, MA (United States); National Heart Centre Singapore, Singapore (Singapore); Murthy, Venkatesh L.; Sitek, Arkadiusz; Gayed, Peter; Bruyere, John; Di Carli, Marcelo F. [Brigham and Women' s Hospital, Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Department of Radiology, Boston, MA (United States); Wu, Justina [Brigham and Women' s Hospital, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, and the Noninvasive Cardiovascular Imaging Program, Departments of Medicine (Cardiology) and Radiology, Boston, MA (United States); Dorbala, Sharmila [Brigham and Women' s Hospital, Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Department of Radiology, Boston, MA (United States); Brigham and Women' s Hospital, Department of Radiology and the Division of Cardiology, Noninvasive Cardiovascular Imaging Section, Boston, MA (United States)

2015-09-15

Longstanding uncontrolled atherogenic risk factors may contribute to left atrial (LA) hypertension, LA enlargement (LAE) and coronary vascular dysfunction. Together they may better identify risk of major adverse cardiac events (MACE). The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that chronic LA hypertension as assessed by LAE modifies the relationship between coronary vascular function and MACE. In 508 unselected subjects with a normal clinical {sup 82}Rb PET/CT, ejection fraction ≥40 %, no prior coronary artery disease, valve disease or atrial fibrillation, LAE was determined based on LA volumes estimated from the hybrid perfusion and CT transmission scan images and indexed to body surface area. Absolute myocardial blood flow and global coronary flow reserve (CFR) were calculated. Subjects were systematically followed-up for the primary end-point - MACE - a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, hospitalization for heart failure, stroke, coronary artery disease progression or revascularization. During a median follow-up of 862 days, 65 of the subjects experienced a composite event. Compared with subjects with normal LA size, subjects with LAE showed significantly lower CFR (2.25 ± 0.83 vs. 1.95 ± 0.80, p = 0.01). LAE independently and incrementally predicted MACE even after accounting for clinical risk factors, medication use, stress left ventricular ejection fraction, stress left ventricular end-diastolic volume index and CFR (chi-squared statistic increased from 30.9 to 48.3; p = 0.001). Among subjects with normal CFR, those with LAE had significantly worse event-free survival (risk adjusted HR 5.4, 95 % CI 2.3 - 12.8, p < 0.0001). LAE and reduced CFR are related but distinct cardiovascular adaptations to atherogenic risk factors. LAE is a risk marker for MACE independent of clinical factors and left ventricular volumes; individuals with LAE may be at risk of MACE despite normal coronary vascular function. (orig.)

Epicardial phrenic nerve displacement during catheter ablation of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias: procedural experience and outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Saurabh; Barbhaiya, Chirag R; Baldinger, Samuel H; Koplan, Bruce A; Maytin, Melanie; Epstein, Laurence M; John, Roy M; Michaud, Gregory F; Tedrow, Usha B; Stevenson, William G

2015-08-01

Arrhythmia origin in close proximity to the phrenic nerve (PN) can hinder successful catheter ablation. We describe our approach with epicardial PN displacement in such instances. PN displacement via percutaneous pericardial access was attempted in 13 patients (age 49±16 years, 9 females) with either atrial tachycardia (6 patients) or atrial fibrillation triggered from a superior vena cava focus (1 patient) adjacent to the right PN or epicardial ventricular tachycardia origin adjacent to the left PN (6 patients). An epicardially placed steerable sheath/4 mm-catheter combination (5 patients) or a vascular or an esophageal balloon (8 patients) was ultimately successful. Balloon placement was often difficult requiring manipulation via a steerable sheath. In 2 ventricular tachycardia cases, absence of PN capture was achieved only once the balloon was directly over the ablation catheter. In 3 atrial tachycardia patients, PN displacement was not possible with a balloon; however, a steerable sheath/catheter combination was ultimately successful. PN displacement allowed acute abolishment of all targeted arrhythmias. No PN injury occurred acutely or in follow up. Two patients developed acute complications (pleuro-pericardial fistula 1 and pericardial bleeding 1). Survival free of target arrhythmia was achieved in all atrial tachycardia patients; however, a nontargeted ventricular tachycardia recurred in 1 patient at a median of 13 months' follow up. Arrhythmias originating in close proximity to the PN can be targeted successfully with PN displacement with an epicardially placed steerable sheath/catheter combination, or balloon, but this strategy can be difficult to implement. Better tools for phrenic nerve protection are desirable. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Outcomes of coronary artery bypass grafting versus percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stents for patients with multivessel coronary artery disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Javaid, Aamir; Steinberg, Daniel H; Buch, Ashesh N; Corso, Paul J; Boyce, Steven W; Pinto Slottow, Tina L; Roy, Probal K; Hill, Peter; Okabe, Teruo; Torguson, Rebecca; Smith, Kimberly A; Xue, Zhenyi; Gevorkian, Natalie; Suddath, William O; Kent, Kenneth M; Satler, Lowell F; Pichard, Augusto D; Waksman, Ron

2007-09-11

Advances in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents have dramatically improved results of these procedures. The optimal treatment for patients with multivessel coronary artery disease is uncertain given the lack of prospective, randomized data reflecting current practice. This study represents a "real-world" evaluation of current technology in the treatment of multivessel coronary artery disease. A total of 1680 patients undergoing revascularization for multivessel coronary artery disease were identified. Of these, 1080 patients were treated for 2-vessel disease (196 CABG and 884 PCI) and 600 for 3-vessel disease (505 CABG and 95 PCI). One-year mortality, cerebrovascular events, Q-wave myocardial infarction, target vessel failure, and composite major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events were compared between the CABG and PCI cohorts. Outcomes were adjusted for baseline covariates and reported as hazard ratios. The unadjusted major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular event rate was reduced with CABG for patients with 2-vessel disease (9.7% CABG versus 21.2% PCI; P<0.001) and 3-vessel disease (10.8% CABG versus 28.4% PCI; P<0.001). Adjusted outcomes showed increased major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular event with PCI for patients with 2-vessel (hazard ratio 2.29; 95% CI 1.39 to 3.76; P=0.01) and 3-vessel disease (hazard ratio 2.90; 95% CI 1.76 to 4.78; P<0.001). Adjusted outcomes for the nondiabetic subpopulation demonstrated equivalent major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular event with PCI for 2-vessel (hazard ratio 1.77; 95% CI 0.96 to 3.25; P=0.07) and 3-vessel disease (hazard ratio 1.70; 95% CI 0.77 to 3.61; P=0.19). Compared with PCI with drug-eluting stents, CABG resulted in improved major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular event in patients with 2- and 3-vessel coronary artery disease, primarily in those with underlying diabetes

Sensibility and specificity of the stress echocardiography with Dobutamine for the detection of coronary disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Senior, Juan Manuel; Escobar, Carlos Ignacio; Jaramillo, Mario and others

2001-01-01

Dobutamine stress echocardiography has become a useful method for detecting coronary artery disease in the high prevalence population. The reported sensitivity varies between 76-90% and the specificity between 60-95%. 60-95% there have been few reports regarding sensitivity and specificity among our population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of dopamine stress echocardiography in a population with a high probability of coronary disease. This was a randomized retrospective-prospective study. Between February 1 of 1998 and February 1 of 1999. 409 patients underwent dopamine stress echocardiography and were analyzed according to established protocol. The Dobutamine stress echocardiography as well as the angiography was checked in a blind form by one of the participating researchers trained in those procedures. The diagnostic concordance was found to be greater than 90%. Significant coronary disease was considered to be present in those cases in which there was severe stenosis greater than 50% in a major epicardial artery or greater than 40 % in the left main artery. Coronary arteriography was performed within three months of Dobutamine stress echocardiography imaging. A sixteen-segment model was used as the index for the evaluation of systolic wall thickening and the results were classified as follows: normal (l), ischemia (ll), fixed abnormality (lll) and mixed (lV). 409 patients with an average age of 62.8 +/- 12) were included in the study at random. Six patients with mediocre technical examinations were excluded. 47 % were male. 29% had a history of myocardial infarction, 35 % had a history of arterial hypertension and 10% had diabetes mellitus. The average ejection fraction was 54 +/- 13%. The examination was prescribed in order to detect the presence of ischemia in 95.8% of the cases and as part of preoperative evaluation in 4.2 %. There were adverse effects in 40% of the cases; 15% of these were systemic and 25 % cardiac. The test was

Influence of increasing convolution kernel filtering on plaque imaging with multislice CT using an ex-vivo model of Coronary Angiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cademartiri, Filippo; Mollet, Nico R.; Runza, Giuseppe

2005-01-01

Purpose. To assess the variability in attenuation of coronary plaques with multislice CT angiography (MSCT-CA) in an ex-vivo model with varying convolution kernels. Materials and methods. MSCT-CA (Sensation 16, Siemens) was performed in three ex-vivo left coronary arteries after instillation of contrast material solution (Iomeprol 400 mgI/ml, dilution: 1180). The specimens were placed in oil to simulate epicardial fat. Scan parameters: slices 16/0.75 mm, rotation time 375 ms, feed/rotation 3.0 mm, mAs 500, slice thickness 1 mm, and FOV 50 mm. Datasets were reconstructed using 4 different kernels (B30f-smooth, B36f-medium smooth, B46f medium, and B60f-sharp). Each scan was scored for the presence of plaques. Once a plaque was detected, the operator performed attenuation measurements (HU) in coronary lumen, oil, calcified and soft plaque tissue using the same settings in all datasets. The results were compared with T-test and correlated with Pearson's test. Results. Overall, 464 measurements were performed. Significant differences (p [it

Epicardial adipose tissue thickness and NGAL levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Sahin, Serap Baydur; Cure, Medine Cumhur; Ugurlu, Yavuz; Ergul, Elif; Gur, Emine Uslu; Alyildiz, Nese; Bostan, Mehmet

2014-02-16

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with an increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and early atherosclerosis. Epicardial adipose tissue thickness (EATT) is clinically related to subclinical atherosclerosis. In the present study, considering the major role of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) which is an acute phase protein rapidly releasing upon inflammation and tissue injury, we aimed to evaluate NGAL levels and EATT in PCOS patients and assess their relationship with cardiometabolic factors. 64 patients with PCOS and 50 age- and body mass index-matched healthy controls were included in the study. We evaluated anthropometric, hormonal and metabolic parameters. EATT was measured by echocardiography above the free wall of the right ventricle. Serum NGAL and high-sensitive C- reactive protein (hsCRP) levels were measured by ELISA. Mean EATT was 0,38 +/-0,16 mm in the PCOS group and 0,34 +/-0,36 mm in the control group (p = 0,144). In the obese PCOS group (n = 44) EAT was thicker compared to the obese control group (n = 41) (p = 0.026). Mean NGAL levels of the patients with PCOS were 101,98 +/-21,53 pg/ml, while mean NGAL levels were 107,40 +/-26,44 pg/ml in the control group (p = 0,228). We found a significant positive correlation between EATT and age, BMI, waist circumference, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, triglyceride and hsCRP levels in PCOS group. Thickness of the epicardial adipose tissue can be used to follow the risk of CVD development in obese PCOS cases. However serum NGAL levels do not differ in patients with PCOS and control group.

Novel approach to epicardial pacemaker implantation in patients with limited venous access.

Science.gov (United States)

Costa, Roberto; Scanavacca, Mauricio; da Silva, Kátia Regina; Martinelli Filho, Martino; Carrillo, Roger

2013-11-01

Limited venous access in certain patients increases the procedural risk and complexity of conventional transvenous pacemaker implantation. The purpose of this study was to determine a minimally invasive epicardial approach using pericardial reflections for dual-chamber pacemaker implantation in patients with limited venous access. Between June 2006 and November 2011, 15 patients underwent epicardial pacemaker implantation. Procedures were performed through a minimally invasive subxiphoid approach and pericardial window with subsequent fluoroscopy-assisted lead placement. Mean patient age was 46.4 ± 15.3 years (9 male [(60.0%], 6 female [40.0%]). The new surgical approach was used in patients determined to have limited venous access due to multiple abandoned leads in 5 (33.3%), venous occlusion in 3 (20.0%), intravascular retention of lead fragments from prior extraction in 3 (20.0%), tricuspid valve vegetation currently under treatment in 2 (13.3%), and unrepaired intracardiac defects in 2 (13.3%). All procedures were successful with no perioperative complications or early deaths. Mean operating time for isolated pacemaker implantation was 231.7 ± 33.5 minutes. Lead placement on the superior aspect of right atrium, through the transverse sinus, was possible in 12 patients. In the remaining 3 patients, the atrial lead was implanted on the left atrium through the oblique sinus, the postcaval recess, or the left pulmonary vein recess. None of the patients displayed pacing or sensing dysfunction, and all parameters remained stable throughout the follow-up period of 36.8 ± 25.1 months. Epicardial pacemaker implantation through pericardial reflections is an effective alternative therapy for those patients requiring physiologic pacing in whom venous access is limited. © 2013 Heart Rhythm Society. All rights reserved.

Phenotype commitment in vascular smooth muscle cells derived from coronary atherosclerotic plaques: differential gene expression of endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ML Rossi

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Unstable angina and myocardial infarction are the clinical manifestations of the abrupt thrombotic occlusion of an epicardial coronary artery as a result of spontaneous atherosclerotic plaque rupture or fissuring, and the exposure of highly thrombogenic material to blood. It has been demonstrated that the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs and impaired bioavailabilty of nitric oxide (NO are among the most important mechanisms involved in the progression of atherosclerosis. It has also been suggested that a NO imbalance in coronary arteries may be involved in myocardial ischemia as a result of vasomotor dysfunction triggering plaque rupture and the thrombotic response. We used 5’ nuclease assays (TaqMan™ PCRs to study gene expression in coronary plaques collected by means of therapeutic directional coronary atherectomy from 15 patients with stable angina (SA and 15 with acute coronary syndromes (ACS without ST elevation. Total RNA was extracted from the 30 plaques and the cDNA was amplified in order to determine endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS gene expression. Analysis of the results showed that the expression of eNOS was significantly higher (p<0.001 in the plaques from the ACS patients. Furthermore, isolated VSMCs from ACS and SA plaques confirmed the above pattern even after 25 plating passages. In situ RT-PCR was also carried out to co-localize the eNOS messengers and the VSMC phenotype.

Left atrial enlargement increases the risk of major adverse cardiac events independent of coronary vasodilator capacity.

Science.gov (United States)

Koh, Angela S; Murthy, Venkatesh L; Sitek, Arkadiusz; Gayed, Peter; Bruyere, John; Wu, Justina; Di Carli, Marcelo F; Dorbala, Sharmila

2015-09-01

Longstanding uncontrolled atherogenic risk factors may contribute to left atrial (LA) hypertension, LA enlargement (LAE) and coronary vascular dysfunction. Together they may better identify risk of major adverse cardiac events (MACE). The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that chronic LA hypertension as assessed by LAE modifies the relationship between coronary vascular function and MACE. In 508 unselected subjects with a normal clinical (82)Rb PET/CT, ejection fraction ≥40 %, no prior coronary artery disease, valve disease or atrial fibrillation, LAE was determined based on LA volumes estimated from the hybrid perfusion and CT transmission scan images and indexed to body surface area. Absolute myocardial blood flow and global coronary flow reserve (CFR) were calculated. Subjects were systematically followed-up for the primary end-point - MACE - a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, hospitalization for heart failure, stroke, coronary artery disease progression or revascularization. During a median follow-up of 862 days, 65 of the subjects experienced a composite event. Compared with subjects with normal LA size, subjects with LAE showed significantly lower CFR (2.25 ± 0.83 vs. 1.95 ± 0.80, p = 0.01). LAE independently and incrementally predicted MACE even after accounting for clinical risk factors, medication use, stress left ventricular ejection fraction, stress left ventricular end-diastolic volume index and CFR (chi-squared statistic increased from 30.9 to 48.3; p = 0.001). Among subjects with normal CFR, those with LAE had significantly worse event-free survival (risk adjusted HR 5.4, 95 % CI 2.3 - 12.8, p < 0.0001). LAE and reduced CFR are related but distinct cardiovascular adaptations to atherogenic risk factors. LAE is a risk marker for MACE independent of clinical factors and left ventricular volumes; individuals with LAE may be at risk of MACE despite normal coronary vascular function.

Relation of aortic calcification, wall thickness, and distensibility with severity of coronary artery disease: evaluation with coronary CT angiography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jang, Seonah; Yong, Hwan Seok; Doo, Kyung Won; Kang, Eun-Young; Woo, Ok Hee; Choi, Eun Jung [Dept. of Radiology, Korea Univ. Guro Hospital, Korea Univ. College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)], e-mail: yhwanseok@naver.com

2012-10-15

Background Three known risk factors for aortic atherosclerosis predict the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD): aortic calcification (AC), aortic wall thickness (AWT), and aortic distensibility (AD). Purpose To determine the relationship of AC, AWT, and AD with the severity of CAD. Material and Methods A total of 104 patients who underwent both coronary CT angiography (CCTA) and invasive coronary angiography were enrolled. The severity of CAD was assessed by three methods: the segment involvement score (SIS), the segment stenosis score (SSS), and the modified Gensini score (mG). We quantified AC using the Agatston method on low-dose ungated chest CT (LDCT). We measured AWT at the thickest portion of the descending thoracic aorta on CCTA. AD was calculated as the difference between the maximum and minimum areas of the ascending aorta and the pulse pressure. The relationships between the severity of CAD and the three aortic factors were assessed. Results The AC and AWT of the thoracic aorta were significantly higher in the occlusive CAD (OCAD) group (1984.21 {+-} 2986.10 vs. 733.00 {+-} 1648.71, P = 0.01; 4.13 {+-} 1.48 vs. 3.40 {+-} 1.01, P = 0.22). Patients with OCAD had more than one epicardial coronary artery with >50% luminal stenosis. The AC (r = 0.453 with SIS; r = 0.454 with SSS; r = 0.427 with mG) and the AWT (r = 0.279 with SIS; r = 0.324 with SSS; r = 0.304 with mG) were significantly correlated with all three methods, and the AD was negatively correlated with the SIS (r = - 0.221, P < 0.05, respectively) in the unadjusted model. After adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors, only the correlations between AC and all three methods assessing CAD remained significant. Conclusion There are significant relationships between AC, AWT and AD and severity of CAD. In particular, AC measured on LDCT is the most consistent predictor of severity of CAD.

Effects of dipyridamole and aminophylline on hemodynamics, regional myocardial blood flow and thallium-201 washout in the setting of a critical coronary stenosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Granato, J.E.; Watson, D.D.; Belardinelli, L.; Cannon, J.M.; Beller, G.A.

1990-01-01

Experiments were performed to characterize the interaction of intravenous dipyridamole and aminophylline on thallium-201 transport kinetics, regional myocardial blood flow and systemic hemodynamics in the presence of a critical coronary artery stenosis. In 12 dogs with a critical left anterior descending coronary artery stenosis, arterial pressure decreased from a mean value (+/- SEM) of 107 +/- 6 to 94 +/- 3 mm Hg and distal left anterior descending artery pressure decreased from 70 +/- 7 to 55 +/- 4 mm Hg after intravenous administration of dipyridamole. In the left anterior descending perfusion zone, the endocardial/epicardial flow ratio decreased from 0.70 to 0.36 and the intrinsic thallium washout rate was significantly prolonged. Intravenous aminophylline reversed the dipyridamole-induced systemic hypotension and transmural coronary steal and restored the thallium washout rate to baseline values. In six other dogs, aminophylline alone resulted in no alterations in systemic and coronary hemodynamics or regional myocardial blood flow. As expected, dipyridamole-induced vasodilation and coronary steal were prevented by aminophylline pretreatment. These data show that in a canine model of partial coronary stenosis, systemic hypotension, adverse regional flow effects and prolonged thallium-201 washout consequent to intravenously administered dipyridamole are promptly reversed by intravenous aminophylline administration. Aminophylline alone had no significant hemodynamic and coronary flow effects. This study provides further insight into the altered thallium kinetics occurring as a consequence of dipyridamole-induced vasodilation and suggests that the prompt reversal of symptoms and signs of ischemia with aminophylline in patients receiving intravenous dipyridamole for clinical imaging studies probably reflects the reversal of transmural coronary steal

Ventricular tachycardia in ischemic cardiomyopathy; a combined endo-epicardial ablation as the first procedure versus a stepwise approach (EPILOGUE) - study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A.A. Hendriks (Astrid A.); M. Khan (M.); L. Geller (Laszlo); A. Kardos (Attila); L.J. de Vries (Lennart); S-C. Yap (Sing-Chien); S.A. Wijchers (Sip A.); D.A.M.J. Theuns (Dominic); T. Szili-Torok (Tamas)

2015-01-01

textabstractBackground: The role of epicardial substrate ablation of ventricular tachycardia (VT) as a first-line approach in patients with ischemic heart disease is not clearly defined. Epicardial ablation as a first-line option is standard for patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy and

Epicardial, Biatrial Ablation With Integrated Uni-bipolar Radiofrequency Technology in Stand-alone Persistent Atrial Fibrillation.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosati, Fabrizio; Muneretto, Claudio; Merati, Elisa; Polvani, Gianluca; Moltrasio, Massimo; Tondo, Claudio; Curnis, Antonio; Cerini, Manuel; Metras, Alexandre; Bisleri, Gianluigi

Although minimally invasive approaches for surgical treatment of stand-alone atrial fibrillation have gained popularity for the past decade, ablation technology and extensive lesion sets play a major role in the achievement of a successful procedure, especially in presence of persistent and long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation. We evaluated clinical outcomes after totally endoscopic biatrial epicardial ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation with a novel integrated uni-bipolar radiofrequency device. Forty-nine (49) consecutive patients with stand-alone atrial fibrillation underwent right-sided monolateral thoracoscopic surgical ablation with a novel integrated uni-bipolar radiofrequency energy delivery and temperature-controlled technology. Atrial fibrillation was persistent in 13 (26.5%) of 49 and long-standing persistent in 36 (73.5%) of 49 patients. Mean ± SD age was 60.6 ± 10.3 years. Median duration of atrial fibrillation was 74 months. Mean ± SD left atrial diameter was 44.7 ± 4.0 mm. Epicardial en bloc isolation of all pulmonary veins (box lesion) and additional ablation of the right atrial free wall was successfully performed via minimally invasive approach without any intraoperative and postoperative major complications. Intraoperative entrance and exit block was achieved in 77.5% (38/49) and 91.8% (45/49) of patients, respectively. Mean ± SD ablation time was 16.3 ± 4.8 minutes. No intensive care unit stay was required. Postoperative sinus rhythm was achieved in 93.8% (30/32) patients, and no pacemaker implantation was required. At 13 months, 87.7% (43/49) of patients were in sinus rhythm; 71.4% (35/49) were free from antiarrhythmic drugs and 75.5% (37/49) from oral anticoagulation. Integrated uni-bipolar radiofrequency ablation technology showed to be effective for the surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation with a total endoscopic approach. A versapolar suction device with extensive right-left atrial lesion set may further improve

Assessment of myocardial blood flow and coronary flow reserve with positron emission tomography in ischemic heart disease: current state and future directions.

Science.gov (United States)

Al Badarin, Firas; Aljizeeri, Ahmed; Almasoudi, Fatimah; Al-Mallah, Mouaz H

2017-07-01

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a versatile imaging technology that allows assessment of myocardial perfusion, both at a spatially relative scale and also in absolute terms, thereby enabling noninvasive evaluation of myocardial blood flow (MBF) and coronary flow reserve (CFR). Assessment of MBF using FDA-approved PET isotopes, such as 82 Rb and 13 N-ammonia, has been well validated, and several software packages are currently available, thereby allowing for MBF evaluation to be incorporated into routine workflow in contemporary nuclear laboratories. Incremental diagnostic and prognostic information provided with the knowledge of MBF has the potential for widespread applications. Improving the ability to identify the true burden of obstructive epicardial coronary stenoses and allowing for noninvasive assessment of coronary micro circulatory function can be achieved with MBF assessment. On the other hand, attenuated CFR has been shown to predict adverse cardiovascular prognosis in a variety of clinical settings and patient subgroups. With expanding applications of MBF, this tool promises to provide unique insight into the integrity of the entire coronary vascular bed beyond what is currently available with relative perfusion assessment. This review intends to provide an in-depth discussion of technical and clinical aspects of MBF assessment with PET as it relates to patients with ischemic heart disease.

Multiple Culprit Coronary Artery Thrombosis in a Patient with Coronary Ectasia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruno da Silva Matte

2018-01-01

Full Text Available We here report a case of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI due to simultaneous acute coronary artery occlusions of two major coronary arteries in a patient with coronary ectasia. The patient had been previously submitted to percutaneous coronary angioplasty with bare metal stent implantation in both culprit vessels. Very late stent thrombosis could be the cause of the first occlusion, triggering the event in the other vessel. In addition, concomitant embolic sources were not identified. Although routine aspiration thrombectomy in STEMI was not proven to be beneficial in randomized clinical trials, it was of great value in this case. We also discuss the relation between coronary ectasia, chronic inflammatory status, and increased platelet activity which may have caused plaque disruption in another already vulnerable vessel.

Evaluation of retrospectively ECG-gated 4-row multidetector CT in patients planned for minimal invasive coronary artery bypass grafting; Die EKG-getriggerte 4-Zeilen-Spiral-CT des Herzens in der praeoperativen Bildgebung vor minimalinvasiver koronarer Bypass-Operation

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Begemann, P.G.C.; Ittrich, H.; Koops, A.; Adam, G.; Weber, C. [Klinik und Poliklinik fuer Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie, Radiologisches Zentrum, Universitaetsklinikum, Hamburg (Germany); Arnold, M.; Detter, C.; Boehm, D.H.; Reichenspurner, H. [Universitaetsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Herzzentrum, Herz und Gefaesschirurgie, Hamburg (Germany)

2005-08-01

Purpose: Minimal invasive direct coronary artery bypass grafting (MIDCAB) or off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) on the beating heart with full or mini-sternotomy are becoming more common in coronary bypass surgery of the left anterior descending (LAD). In the decision, which surgical approach (MIDCAB, OPCAB or conventional surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass) will be best used, knowledge of the anatomical field is of major importance. The aim of the study was to evaluate retrospective ECG-gated 4-row multidetector CT (MDCT) in patients planned for MIDCAB as additional imaging to coronary angiography. Material and methods: The study included 25 consecutive patients. MSCT was performed as unenhanced (collimation 4 x 2.5 mm) and contrast-enhanced examination (140-170 ml, 300 mg Iodine/ml, collimation 4 x 1 mm). The evaluation included presence of LAD calcifications, distance of LAD and left internal mammarian artery (LIMA), coursek of LAD and LIMA, the presence or absence of bridging through myocardium or epicardial fat and the presence of pleural fibrosis. The MDCT results were correlated with intra-operative findings. Results: All MDCTs could be assessed with reference to the demands. In 20/25 operations, MDCT had direct influence as to the selection of the surgical approach (11 MIDCAB, 7 OPCAB with mini-sternotomy and 5 with full sternotomy, 2 conventional surgeries). The distance of LAD and LIMA varied from 0.9 to 4.5 cm in MDCT. As to calcifications, 3/25 correlated patients had calcifications and 10 patients had no calcifications in the middle LAD. Seven patients had intraoperative fibrosis of the vessel wall without calcification of the middle LAD, which could not be detected with MDCT. Another 5 patients had single calcified plaques in the middle LAD, 4 of these had a fibrosis of the vessel and 1 had a normal vessel at surgery. In these cases, the anastomosis was done between the calcified plaques. No myocardial bridging was detected by MDCT and

Resting heart rate associates with one-year risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with acute coronary syndrome after percutaneous coronary intervention.

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Wang, Shao-Li; Wang, Cheng-Long; Wang, Pei-Li; Xu, Hao; Du, Jian-Peng; Zhang, Da-Wu; Gao, Zhu-Ye; Zhang, Lei; Fu, Chang-Geng; Chen, Ke-Ji; Shi, Da-Zhuo

2016-03-01

The study was to access the association between resting heart rate (RHR) and one-year risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Patients with ACS after PCI (n = 808) were prospectively followed-up for MACE. RHR was obtained from electrocardiogram. MACE was defined as a composite of cardiac death, nonfatal recurrent myocardial infarction, ischemic-driven revascularization, and ischemic stroke. The association between RHR and one-year risk of MACE was assessed using Cox proportional hazards regression model. Compared with patients with RHR >76 bpm, the adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) was 0.51 (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.23-1.14; P = 0.100) for patients with RHR 76 bpm were at higher risk of MACE during one-year follow-up compared with patients with RHR 61-76 bpm. An elevated RHR ≥ 61 bpm was associated with increased risk of one-year MACE in ACS patients. © 2015 by the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine.

Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Differentiation into Functional Epicardial Progenitor Cells

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Juan Antonio Guadix

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Summary: Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs are widely used to study cardiovascular cell differentiation and function. Here, we induced differentiation of hPSCs (both embryonic and induced to proepicardial/epicardial progenitor cells that cover the heart during development. Addition of retinoic acid (RA and bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4 promoted expression of the mesodermal marker PDGFRα, upregulated characteristic (proepicardial progenitor cell genes, and downregulated transcription of myocardial genes. We confirmed the (proepicardial-like properties of these cells using in vitro co-culture assays and in ovo grafting of hPSC-epicardial cells into chick embryos. Our data show that RA + BMP4-treated hPSCs differentiate into (proepicardial-like cells displaying functional properties (adhesion and spreading over the myocardium of their in vivo counterpart. The results extend evidence that hPSCs are an excellent model to study (proepicardial differentiation into cardiovascular cells in human development and evaluate their potential for cardiac regeneration. : The authors have shown that hPSCs can be instructed in vitro to differentiate into a specific cardiac embryonic progenitor cell population called the proepicardium. Proepicardial cells are required for normal formation of the heart during development and might contribute to the development of cell-based therapies for heart repair. Keywords: human pluripotent stem cells, proepicardium, progenitor cells, cardiovascular, differentiation

EVALUATION OF METABOLIC SYNDROME, ITS CORRELATION WITH CLINICAL AND ANGIOGRAPHIC PROFILE IN PATIENTS WITH CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE- A PROSPECTIVE STUDY AT TERTIARY HOSPITAL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eruvaram Srikanth

2016-10-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND Coronary artery disease has a major share for cardiovascular disease in a developing country like India, which is in epidemic proportion. There are number of risk factors for development of coronary artery disease. According to INTERHEART study, there were 9 modifiable risk factors with population attributable risk of 90 percent in men and 94 percent in women. Metabolic syndrome cluster of risk factors, which include insulin resistance, subclinical inflammation, increased future risk of diabetes and coronary artery disease. In south Asian people are increased tendency to develop metabolic syndrome because of their high percentage of body fat, abdominal obesity and insulin resistance. Metabolic syndrome has more mortality and morbidity from CAD. It is desirable identifying this subset of patients, which could improve patient or physician adherence to risk-reducing behaviours or interventions and improve clinical outcomes. There are reports in literature on association inflammatory markers and insulin resistance with severity of disease in CAD. There are few studies, which correlated severity of CAD with SYNTAX score in patients with metabolic syndrome, so in these study prospectively evaluated clinical and angiographic profile in patients with CAD in subset patients with metabolic syndrome, CAD severity was assessed with SYNTAX scoring system and thrombus burden was evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS Among 101 patients who were diagnosed to have metabolic syndrome according to ATP III guidelines were evaluated in the study. All patients were evaluated by clinical examination including waist circumference, body mass index, routine blood investigations were carried out. Lipid profile, ECG and 2D echo was done. Then, patients were evaluated with coronary angiogram and among patients who underwent coronary angiography, the lesions were classified according to AHA/ACC classification into type A, type B and type C for assessing lesion

Epicardial excitation pattern as observed in the isolated revived and perfused fetal human heart

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Durrer, D.; Büller, J.; Graaff, P.; Lo, G.I.; Meijler, F.L.

1961-01-01

The resuscitated fetal human heart can be used as an experimental tooI for the investigation of the excitatory process in the human heart. During perfusion the configuration of the epicardial electrocardiograms does not change appreciably. For accurate recording permitting a detailed analysis, the

Blood plasma lipidomic signature of epicardial fat in healthy obese women.

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Scherer, Max; Montoliu, Ivan; Qanadli, Salah D; Collino, Sebastiano; Rezzi, Serge; Kussmann, Martin; Giusti, Vittorio; Martin, François-Pierre J

2015-01-01

A lipidomic approach was employed in a clinically well-defined cohort of healthy obese women to explore blood lipidome phenotype ascribed to body fat deposition, with emphasis on epicardial adipose tissue (EAT). The present investigation delivered a lipidomics signature of epicardial adiposity under healthy clinical conditions using a cohort of 40 obese females (age: 25-45 years, BMI: 28-40 kg/m(2) ) not showing any metabolic disease traits. Lipidomics analysis of blood plasma was employed in combination with in vivo quantitation of mediastinal fat depots by computerized tomography. All cardiac fat depots correlated to indicators of hepatic dysfunctions (ALAT and ASAT), which describe physiological connections between hepatic and cardiac steatosis. Plasma lipidomics encompassed overall levels of lipid classes, fatty acid profiles, and individual lipid species. EAT and visceral fat associated with diacylglycerols (DAG), triglycerides, and distinct phospholipid and sphingolipid species. A pattern of DAG and phosphoglycerols was specific to EAT. Human blood plasma lipidomics appears to be a promising clinical and potentially diagnostic readout for patient stratification and monitoring. Association of blood lipidomics signature to regio-specific mediastinal and visceral adiposity under healthy clinical conditions may help provide more biological insights into obese patient stratification for cardiovascular disease risks. © 2014 The Obesity Society.

Communication between integrin receptors facilitates epicardial cell adhesion and matrix organization.

Science.gov (United States)

Pae, So Hyun; Dokic, Danijela; Dettman, Robert W

2008-04-01

Formation of the epicardium requires interactions between alpha(4)beta(1) integrin, and the extracellular matrix. We investigated the role of other integrins expressed by epicardial cells. We detected transcripts for alpha(5), alpha(8), alpha(v), beta(1), beta(3), and beta(5) integrins in the chick proepicardial organ (PE). We demonstrate that alpha(5)beta(1), alpha(8)beta(1), and alpha(v)beta(3) integrins are expressed by chick epicardial mesothelial cells (EMCs). Migration of EMCs in vitro was reduced by RGD-containing peptides. Using adenoviruses expressing an antisense to chick alpha(4) (AdGFPalpha4AS), full-length (Adhalpha4V5), and C-terminal deleted alpha(4) (Adhalpha4DeltaCV5), we found that EMCs were less able to adhere to vitronectin and fibronectin(120) indicating that alpha(4)beta(1) plays a role in regulating EMC adhesion to ligands of alpha(5)beta(1), alpha(8)beta(1), and alpha(v)beta(3). In Adhalpha4DeltaCV5-infected EMCs, alpha(5)beta(1) was diminished in fibrillar adhesions and new FN matrix assembly was abnormal. We propose that cooperation between alpha(4)beta(1) and RGD integrins is important for EMC adhesion and subepicardial matrix formation. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Comparison of RISK-PCI, GRACE, TIMI risk scores for prediction of major adverse cardiac events in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

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Jakimov, Tamara; Mrdović, Igor; Filipović, Branka; Zdravković, Marija; Djoković, Aleksandra; Hinić, Saša; Milić, Nataša; Filipović, Branislav

2017-12-31

To compare the prognostic performance of three major risk scoring systems including global registry for acute coronary events (GRACE), thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI), and prediction of 30-day major adverse cardiovascular events after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (RISK-PCI). This single-center retrospective study involved 200 patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) who underwent invasive diagnostic approach, ie, coronary angiography and myocardial revascularization if appropriate, in the period from January 2014 to July 2014. The GRACE, TIMI, and RISK-PCI risk scores were compared for their predictive ability. The primary endpoint was a composite 30-day major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE), which included death, urgent target-vessel revascularization (TVR), stroke, and non-fatal recurrent myocardial infarction (REMI). The c-statistics of the tested scores for 30-day MACE or area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) with confidence intervals (CI) were as follows: RISK-PCI (AUC=0.94; 95% CI 1.790-4.353), the GRACE score on admission (AUC=0.73; 95% CI 1.013-1.045), the GRACE score on discharge (AUC=0.65; 95% CI 0.999-1.033). The RISK-PCI score was the only score that could predict TVR (AUC=0.91; 95% CI 1.392-2.882). The RISK-PCI scoring system showed an excellent discriminative potential for 30-day death (AUC=0.96; 95% CI 1.339-3.548) in comparison with the GRACE scores on admission (AUC=0.88; 95% CI 1.018-1.072) and on discharge (AUC=0.78; 95% CI 1.000-1.058). In comparison with the GRACE and TIMI scores, RISK-PCI score showed a non-inferior ability to predict 30-day MACE and death in ACS patients. Moreover, RISK-PCI was the only scoring system that could predict recurrent ischemia requiring TVR.

Characteristic detected on computed tomography angiography predict coronary artery plaque progression in non-culprit lesions

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Tan, Ya Hang; Zhou, Jia Zhou; Zhou, Ying; Yang, Xiaobo; Yang, Jun Jie; Chen, Yun Dai [Dept. of Cardiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing (China)

2017-06-15

This study sought to determine whether variables detected on coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) would predict plaque progression in non-culprit lesions (NCL). In this single-center trial, we analyzed 103 consecutive patients who were undergoing CCTA and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for culprit lesions. Follow-up CCTA was scheduled 12 months after the PCI, and all patients were followed for 3 years after their second CCTA examination. High-risk plaque features and epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volume were assessed by CCTA. Each NCL stenosis grade was compared visually between two CCTA scans to detect plaque progression, and patients were stratified into two groups based on this. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the factors that were independently associated with plaque progression in NCLs. Time-to-event curves were compared using the log-rank statistic. Overall, 34 of 103 patients exhibited NCL plaque progression (33%). Logistic regression analyses showed that the NCL progression was associated with a history of ST-elevated myocardial infarction (odds ratio [OR] = 5.855, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.391–24.635, p = 0.016), follow-up low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level (OR = 6.832, 95% CI = 2.103–22.200, p = 0.001), baseline low-attenuation plaque (OR = 7.311, 95% CI = 1.242–43.028, p = 0.028) and EAT (OR = 1.015, 95% CI = 1.000–1.029, p = 0.044). Following the second CCTA examination, major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) were observed in 12 patients, and NCL plaque progression was significantly associated with future MACEs (log rank p = 0.006). Noninvasive assessment of NCLs by CCTA has potential prognostic value.

Relationship of Hypertension to Coronary Atherosclerosis and Cardiac Events in Patients With Coronary Computed Tomographic Angiography.

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Nakanishi, Rine; Baskaran, Lohendran; Gransar, Heidi; Budoff, Matthew J; Achenbach, Stephan; Al-Mallah, Mouaz; Cademartiri, Filippo; Callister, Tracy Q; Chang, Hyuk-Jae; Chinnaiyan, Kavitha; Chow, Benjamin J W; DeLago, Augustin; Hadamitzky, Martin; Hausleiter, Joerg; Cury, Ricardo; Feuchtner, Gudrun; Kim, Yong-Jin; Leipsic, Jonathon; Kaufmann, Philipp A; Maffei, Erica; Raff, Gilbert; Shaw, Leslee J; Villines, Todd C; Dunning, Allison; Marques, Hugo; Pontone, Gianluca; Andreini, Daniele; Rubinshtein, Ronen; Bax, Jeroen; Jones, Erica; Hindoyan, Niree; Gomez, Millie; Lin, Fay Y; Min, James K; Berman, Daniel S

2017-08-01

Hypertension is an atherosclerosis factor and is associated with cardiovascular risk. We investigated the relationship between hypertension and the presence, extent, and severity of coronary atherosclerosis in coronary computed tomographic angiography and cardiac events risk. Of 17 181 patients enrolled in the CONFIRM registry (Coronary CT Angiography Evaluation for Clinical Outcomes: An International Multicenter Registry) who underwent ≥64-detector row coronary computed tomographic angiography, we identified 14 803 patients without known coronary artery disease. Of these, 1434 hypertensive patients were matched to 1434 patients without hypertension. Major adverse cardiac events risk of hypertension and non-hypertensive patients was evaluated with Cox proportional hazards models. The prognostic associations between hypertension and no-hypertension with increasing degree of coronary stenosis severity (nonobstructive or obstructive ≥50%) and extent of coronary artery disease (segment involvement score of 1-5, >5) was also assessed. Hypertension patients less commonly had no coronary atherosclerosis and more commonly had nonobstructive and 1-, 2-, and 3-vessel disease than the no-hypertension group. During a mean follow-up of 5.2±1.2 years, 180 patients experienced cardiac events, with 104 (2.0%) occurring in the hypertension group and 76 (1.5%) occurring in the no-hypertension group (hazard ratios, 1.4; 95% confidence intervals, 1.0-1.9). Compared with no-hypertension patients without coronary atherosclerosis, hypertension patients with no coronary atherosclerosis and obstructive coronary disease tended to have higher risk of cardiac events. Similar trends were observed with respect to extent of coronary artery disease. Compared with no-hypertension patients, hypertensive patients have increased presence, extent, and severity of coronary atherosclerosis and tend to have an increase in major adverse cardiac events. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Coronary artery disease confined to secondary branches of the left coronary system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iskandrian, A.S.; Klein, B.L.; Segal, B.L.; Kimbiris, D.; Bemis, C.E.

1981-01-01

Among 3,000 patients studied by coronary arteriography during a 4-year period, 31 patients (1%) had coronary artery disease limited to a diagonal branch of the left anterior descending (15 patients), marginal branch of the left circumflex (10 patients), or to both branches (6 patients). Ten patients had 50-69% and twenty-one had greater than or equal to 70% diameter narrowing. The suitability for grafting was noted in 20 patients as judged by the caliber and distribution of the diseased branches. Collaterals were noted in seven patients. Disease was present in 28 men and 3 women (age range 38-70 years). At least one major coronary risk factor was present in 27 patients. Angina was noted in 27 patients; prior myocardial infarction was noted in 5 patients by history and in 4 by ECG. The left ventriculogram was normal in 22 patients and showed mild segmental asynergy in 9; ejection fraction was normal in all. Exercise ECGs were positive in 12 of 25 patients; exercise 201thallium scans were positive in 13. All patients responded to medical therapy. In conclusion, among the population of patients who undergo catheterization, coronary branch disease is rare. The clinical findings are indistinguishable from patients with major coronary disease. Prognosis remains benign and patients respond to medical therapy

Novel Percutaneous Epicardial Autonomic Modulation in the Canine for Atrial Fibrillation: Results of an Efficacy and Safety Study

Science.gov (United States)

Madhavan, Malini; Venkatachalam, K. L.; Swale, Matthew J.; DeSimone, Christopher V.; Gard, Joseph J.; Johnson, Susan B.; Suddendorf, Scott H.; Mikell, Susan B.; Ladewig, Dorothy J.; Nosbush, Toni Grabinger; Danielsen, Andrew J.; Knudson, Mark; Asirvatham, Samuel J.

2016-01-01

Background Endocardial ablation of atrial ganglionated plexi (GP) has been described for treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). Our objective in this study was to develop percutaneous epicardial GP ablation in a canine model using novel energy sources and catheters. Methods Phase 1: The efficacy of several modalities to ablate the GP was tested in an open chest canine model (n=10). Phase 2: Percutaneous epicardial ablation of GP was done in 6 dogs using the most efficacious modality identified in phase 1 using 2 novel catheters. Results Phase 1: DC in varying doses [blocking (7 -12μA), electroporation (300-500μA), ablation (3000- 7500μA)], radiofrequency ablation (25–50 W), ultrasound (1.5MHz), and alcohol (2-5ml) injection were successful at 0/8, 4/12, 5/7, 3/8, 1/5 and 5/7 GP sites. DC (500–5000μA) along with alcohol irrigation was tested in phase 2. Phase 2: Percutaneous epicardial ablation of the right atrium, oblique sinus, vein of Marshall, and transverse sinus GP was successful in 5/6 dogs. One dog died of ventricular fibrillation (VF) during DC ablation at 5000 μA. Programmed stimulation induced AF in 6 dogs pre-ablation and no atrial arrhythmia in 3, flutter in 1 and AF in 1 post-ablation. Heart rate, blood pressure, effective atrial refractory period and local atrial electrogram amplitude did not change significantly post-ablation. Microscopic examination showed elimination of GP, and minimal injury to atrial myocardium. Conclusion Percutaneous epicardial ablation of GP using direct current and novel catheters is safe and feasible and may be used as an adjunct to pulmonary vein isolation in the treatment of atrial fibrillation in order to minimize additional atrial myocardial ablation. PMID:26854009

All-cause mortality and major cardiovascular outcomes comparing percutaneous coronary angioplasty versus coronary artery bypass grafting in the treatment of unprotected left main stenosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laukkanen, Jari A; Kunutsor, Setor K; Niemelä, Matti

2017-01-01

Objective: We compared percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for the treatment of left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Methods: RCTs of PCI versus CABG in...

Automated quantification of epicardial adipose tissue using CT angiography: evaluation of a prototype software

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Spearman, James V.; Silverman, Justin R.; Krazinski, Aleksander W.; Costello, Philip [Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); Meinel, Felix G.; Geyer, Lucas L. [Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); Ludwig-Maximilians-University Hospital, Institute for Clinical Radiology, Munich (Germany); Schoepf, U.J. [Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); Medical University of South Carolina, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Charleston, SC (United States); Apfaltrer, Paul [Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); University Medical Center Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim - Heidelberg University, Institute of Clinical Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Mannheim (Germany); Canstein, Christian [Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc., Malvern, PA (United States); De Cecco, Carlo Nicola [Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); University of Rome ' ' Sapienza' ' - Polo Pontino, Department of Radiological Sciences, Oncology and Pathology, Latina (Italy)

2014-02-15

This study evaluated the performance of a novel automated software tool for epicardial fat volume (EFV) quantification compared to a standard manual technique at coronary CT angiography (cCTA). cCTA data sets of 70 patients (58.6 ± 12.9 years, 33 men) were retrospectively analysed using two different post-processing software applications. Observer 1 performed a manual single-plane pericardial border definition and EFV{sub M} segmentation (manual approach). Two observers used a software program with fully automated 3D pericardial border definition and EFV{sub A} calculation (automated approach). EFV and time required for measuring EFV (including software processing time and manual optimization time) for each method were recorded. Intraobserver and interobserver reliability was assessed on the prototype software measurements. T test, Spearman's rho, and Bland-Altman plots were used for statistical analysis. The final EFV{sub A} (with manual border optimization) was strongly correlated with the manual axial segmentation measurement (60.9 ± 33.2 mL vs. 65.8 ± 37.0 mL, rho = 0.970, P < 0.001). A mean of 3.9 ± 1.9 manual border edits were performed to optimize the automated process. The software prototype required significantly less time to perform the measurements (135.6 ± 24.6 s vs. 314.3 ± 76.3 s, P < 0.001) and showed high reliability (ICC > 0.9). Automated EFV{sub A} quantification is an accurate and time-saving method for quantification of EFV compared to established manual axial segmentation methods. (orig.)

Coronary Microvascular Function and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Women With Angina Pectoris and No Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mygind, Naja Dam; Michelsen, Marie Mide; Peña, Adam

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: The majority of women with angina-like chest pain have no obstructive coronary artery disease when evaluated with coronary angiography. Coronary microvascular dysfunction is a possible explanation and associated with a poor prognosis. This study evaluated the prevalence of coronary...... microvascular dysfunction and the association with symptoms, cardiovascular risk factors, psychosocial factors, and results from diagnostic stress testing. METHODS AND RESULTS: After screening 3568 women, 963 women with angina-like chest pain and a diagnostic coronary angiogram without significant coronary.......01), hypertension (P=0.02), current smoking (Ppain characteristics or results from diagnostic stress testing...

Coronary Artery Anomalies in Animals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brian A. Scansen

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Coronary artery anomalies represent a disease spectrum from incidental to life-threatening. Anomalies of coronary artery origin and course are well-recognized in human medicine, but have received limited attention in veterinary medicine. Coronary artery anomalies are best described in the dog, hamster, and cow though reports also exist in the horse and pig. The most well-known anomaly in veterinary medicine is anomalous coronary artery origin with a prepulmonary course in dogs, which limits treatment of pulmonary valve stenosis. A categorization scheme for coronary artery anomalies in animals is suggested, dividing these anomalies into those of major or minor clinical significance. A review of coronary artery development, anatomy, and reported anomalies in domesticated species is provided and four novel canine examples of anomalous coronary artery origin are described: an English bulldog with single left coronary ostium and a retroaortic right coronary artery; an English bulldog with single right coronary ostium and transseptal left coronary artery; an English bulldog with single right coronary ostium and absent left coronary artery with a prepulmonary paraconal interventricular branch and an interarterial circumflex branch; and a mixed-breed dog with tetralogy of Fallot and anomalous origin of all coronary branches from the brachiocephalic trunk. Coronary arterial fistulae are also described including a coronary cameral fistula in a llama cria and an English bulldog with coronary artery aneurysm and anomalous shunting vessels from the right coronary artery to the pulmonary trunk. These examples are provided with the intent to raise awareness and improve understanding of such defects.

Infected Congenital Epicardial Cyst Presenting as Acute Abdomen.

Science.gov (United States)

Dribin, Timothy; Files, Matthew D; Rudzinski, Erin R; Kaplan, Ron; Stone, Kimberly P

2016-12-01

A previously healthy 3-year-old boy presented to the emergency department with abdominal pain, fever, and emesis. Laboratory and radiologic evaluation for causes of acute abdomen were negative; however, review of the abdominal x-ray demonstrated cardiomegaly with the subsequent diagnosis of pericardial cyst by echocardiogram and computed tomography. The patient underwent surgical decompression and attempted removal of the cystic structure revealing that the cyst originated from the epicardium. His abdominal pain and fever resolved postoperatively and he completed a 3-week course of ceftriaxone for treatment of Propionibacterium acnes infected congenital epicardial cyst. Emergency department physicians must maintain a broad differential in patients with symptoms of acute abdomen to prevent complications from serious cardiac or pulmonary diseases that present with symptoms of referred abdominal pain.

Impact of ischemic and valvular heart disease on atrial excitation : A high-resolution epicardial mapping study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

E.M.J.P. Mouws (Elisabeth); E. Lanters (Eva); C. Teuwen (Christophe); L. van der Does (Lisette); C. Kik (Charles); S.P. Knops (Simon); A. Yaksh (Ameeta); J.A. Bekkers (Jos); A.J.J.C. Bogers (Ad); N.M.S. de Groot (Natasja)

2018-01-01

markdownabstractBackground--The influence of underlying heart disease or presence of atrial fibrillation (AF) on atrial excitation during sinus rhythm (SR) is unknown. We investigated atrial activation patterns and total activation times of the entire atrial epicardial surface during SR in patients

Correlation of cardiac Troponin I levels (10 folds upper limit of normal) and extent of coronary artery disease in Non-ST elevation myocardial infarction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qadir, F.; Khan, M.; Hanif, B.; Lakhani, S.L.; Farooq, S.

2010-01-01

Objective: To determine the correlation of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) 10 folds upper limit of normal (ULN) and extent of coronary artery disease (CAD) in Non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 230 consecutive NSTEMI patients admitted in Tabba Heart Institute, Karachi between April to December 2008. cTnI was measured using MEIA method. All patients underwent coronary angiography in the index hospitalization. Stenosis > 70% in any of the three major epicardial vessels was considered significant CAD. Extent of CAD was defined as significant single, two or three vessel CAD. Chi-square test was applied to test the association between cTnI levels and CAD extent. Results: Out of 230 patients, in 111 patients with cTnI levels 10 folds ULN, 23(19.3%) had single vessel, 37(31.1 %) had two vessel and 55(46.2%) had three vessel significant CAD. The results suggest that there was an insignificant association between the cTnI levels and single vessel, two vessel and the overall CAD extent (p= 0.35, p= 0.21 and p= 0.13 respectively), however there was a statistically significant association between the cTnI levels and three vessel CAD (p < 0.04). Conclusion: Higher cTnI levels are associated with an increased proportion of severe three vessel CAD involvement. Prompt identification and referral of this patient subset to early revascularization strategies would improve clinical outcomes. (author)

CD8+ T Cells Contribute to the Development of Coronary Arteritis in the Lactobacillus casei Cell Wall Extract-Induced Murine Model of Kawasaki Disease.

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Noval Rivas, Magali; Lee, Youngho; Wakita, Daiko; Chiba, Norika; Dagvadorj, Jargalsaikhan; Shimada, Kenichi; Chen, Shuang; Fishbein, Michael C; Lehman, Thomas J A; Crother, Timothy R; Arditi, Moshe

2017-02-01

Kawasaki disease (KD) is the leading cause of acquired heart disease among children in developed countries. Coronary lesions in KD in humans are characterized by an increased presence of infiltrating CD3+ T cells; however, the specific contributions of the different T cell subpopulations in coronary arteritis development remain unknown. Therefore, we sought to investigate the function of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, Treg cells, and natural killer (NK) T cells in the pathogenesis of KD. We addressed the function of T cell subsets in KD development by using a well-established murine model of Lactobacillus casei cell wall extract (LCWE)-induced KD vasculitis. We determined which T cell subsets were required for development of KD vasculitis by using several knockout murine strains and depleting monoclonal antibodies. LCWE-injected mice developed coronary lesions characterized by the presence of inflammatory cell infiltrates. Frequently, this chronic inflammation resulted in complete occlusion of the coronary arteries due to luminal myofibroblast proliferation (LMP) as well as the development of coronary arteritis and aortitis. We found that CD8+ T cells, but not CD4+ T cells, NK T cells, or Treg cells, were required for development of KD vasculitis. The LCWE-induced murine model of KD vasculitis mimics many histologic features of the disease in humans, such as the presence of CD8+ T cells and LMP in coronary artery lesions as well as epicardial coronary arteritis. Moreover, CD8+ T cells functionally contribute to the development of KD vasculitis in this murine model. Therapeutic strategies targeting infiltrating CD8+ T cells might be useful in the management of KD in humans. © 2016, American College of Rheumatology.

Acute myocardial infarcts. A changing clinical picture

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Just, H.

1988-09-01

Acute myocardial infarction is a major complication of stenosing coronary artery disease and constitutes the most frequent single cause of death. It is caused by thrombotic occlusion of one of the major epicardial coronary arterial branches in most cases. Sudden death due to ventricular fibrillation is responsible for the majority of early fatalities. In 60% of all fatal infarcts, death occurs within 1 h of the onset of pain. The final extension of myocardial necrosis is reached within 2-4 h. An integrated programme has therefore been developed for the supervision and treatment of patients suffering acute coronary attack; it has been shown that it can markedly lower infarct mortality. It includes mobile prehospital care, intensive care treatment in the hospital, and rehabilitative procedures for application during reconvalescence. Early antiarrhythmic treatment and myocardial reperfusion via fibrinolysis are the main therapeutic procedures in the earliest stage. In hospital an operating room and an operating team must be available round the clock for the performance of coronary angiography followed by percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty or bypass surgery, which can be safely carried out in the acute stage provided the indications are strictly observed. Mortality and morbidity can be significantly lowered and both life expectancy and quality of life can be remarkably improved.

Acute myocardial infarcts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Just, H.

1988-01-01

Acute myocardial infarction is a major complication of stenosing coronary artery disease and constitutes the most frequent single cause of death. It is caused by thrombotic occlusion of one of the major epicardial coronary arterial branches in most cases. Sudden death due to ventricular fibrillation is responsible for the majority of early fatalities. In 60% of all fatal infarcts, death occurs within 1 h of the onset of pain. The final extension of myocardial necrosis is reached within 2-4 h. An integrated programme has therefore been developed for the supervision and treatment of patients suffering acute coronary attack; it has been shown that it can markedly lower infarct mortality. It includes mobile prehospital care, intensive care treatment in the hospital, and rehabilitative procedures for application during reconvalescence. Early antiarrhythmic treatment and myocardial reperfusion via fibrinolysis are the main therapeutic procedures in the earliest stage. In hospital an operating room and an operating team must be available round the clock for the performance of coronary angiography followed by percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty or bypass surgery, which can be safely carried out in the acute stage provided the indications are strictly observed. Mortality and morbidity can be significantly lowered and both life expectancy and quality of life can be remarkably improved. (orig.) [de

Aneurysmal coronary artery disease: An overview

Science.gov (United States)

ElGuindy, Mohamed S.

Aneurysmal coronary artery disease (ACAD) comprises both coronary artery aneurysms (CAA) and coronary artery ectasia (CAE). The reported prevalence of ACAD varies widely from 0.2 to 10%, with male predominance and a predilection for the right coronary artery (RCA). Atherosclerosis is the commonest cause of ACAD in adults, while Kawasaki disease is the commonest cause in children and adolescents, as well as in the Far East. Most patients are asymptomatic, but when symptoms do exist, they are usually related to myocardial ischemia. Coronary angiography is the mainstay of diagnosis, but follow up is best achieved using noninvasive imaging that does not involve exposure to radiation. The optimal management strategy in patients with ACAD remains controversial. Medical therapy is indicated for the vast majority of patients and includes antiplatelets and/or anticoagulants. Covered stents effectively limit further expansion of the affected coronary segments. Surgical ligation, resection, and coronary artery bypass grafting are appropriate for large lesions and for associated obstructive coronary artery disease. PMID:29564347

Percutaneous Stent Implantation for Treating Multivessel Coronary Disease in Patients with and without Involvement of the Proximal Segment of the Anterior Descending Coronary Artery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salgueiro Sandro

2002-01-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To assess coronary stent placement in patients with multivessel coronary disease and involvement of the proximal portion of the anterior descending coronary artery. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the in-hospital and late evolution of 189 patients with multivessel coronary disease, who underwent percutaneous coronary stent placement. These patients were divided into 2 groups as follows: group I (GI - 59 patients with involvement of the proximal segment of the anterior descending coronary artery; and group II (GII - 130 patients without involvement of the proximal segment of the anterior descending coronary artery. RESULTS: No significant difference was observed in the success rate of the procedure (91.5% versus 97.6%, p=0.86, nor in the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (5.1% versus 1.5%, p=0.38, nor in the occurrence of major vascular complications (1.7% versus 0%, p=0.69 in the in-hospital phase. In the late follow-up, the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (15.4% versus 13.7%, p=0.73 and the need for new revascularization (13.5% versus 10.3%, p=0.71 were similar for both groups. CONCLUSION: The in-hospital and late evolution of patients with multivessel coronary disease with and without involvement of the proximal segment of the anterior descending coronary artery treated with coronary stent placement did not differ. This suggests that this revascularization method is an effective procedure and a valuable option for treating these types of patients.

Increased bioactive lipids content in human subcutaneous and epicardial fat tissue correlates with insulin resistance.

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Błachnio-Zabielska, Agnieszka U; Baranowski, Marcin; Hirnle, Tomasz; Zabielski, Piotr; Lewczuk, Anna; Dmitruk, Iwona; Górski, Jan

2012-12-01

Obesity is a risk factor for metabolic diseases. Intramuscular lipid accumulation of ceramides, diacylglycerols, and long chain acyl-CoA is responsible for the induction of insulin resistance. These lipids are probably implicated in obesity-associated insulin resistance not only in skeletal muscle but also in fat tissue. Only few data are available about ceramide content in human subcutaneous adipose tissue. However, there are no data on DAG and LCACoA content in adipose tissue. The aim of our study was to measure the lipids content in human SAT and epicardial adipose tissue we sought to determine the bioactive lipids content by LC/MS/MS in fat tissue from lean non-diabetic, obese non-diabetic, and obese diabetic subjects and test whether the lipids correlate with HOMA-IR. We found, that total content of measured lipids was markedly higher in OND and OD subjects in both types of fat tissue (for all p lipids content is greater in subcutaneous and epicardial fat tissue and the particular lipids content positively correlates with HOMA-IR.

Effect of Loading Dose of Atorvastatin Prior to Planned Percutaneous Coronary Intervention on Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events in Acute Coronary Syndrome: The SECURE-PCI Randomized Clinical Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Berwanger, Otavio; Santucci, Eliana Vieira; de Barros E Silva, Pedro Gabriel Melo; Jesuíno, Isabella de Andrade; Damiani, Lucas Petri; Barbosa, Lilian Mazza; Santos, Renato Hideo Nakagawa; Laranjeira, Ligia Nasi; Egydio, Flávia de Mattos; Borges de Oliveira, Juliana Aparecida; Dall Orto, Frederico Toledo Campo; Beraldo de Andrade, Pedro; Bienert, Igor Ribeiro de Castro; Bosso, Carlos Eduardo; Mangione, José Armando; Polanczyk, Carisi Anne; Sousa, Amanda Guerra de Moraes Rego; Kalil, Renato Abdala Karam; Santos, Luciano de Moura; Sposito, Andrei Carvalho; Rech, Rafael Luiz; Sousa, Antônio Carlos Sobral; Baldissera, Felipe; Nascimento, Bruno Ramos; Giraldez, Roberto Rocha Corrêa Veiga; Cavalcanti, Alexandre Biasi; Pereira, Sabrina Bernardez; Mattos, Luiz Alberto; Armaganijan, Luciana Vidal; Guimarães, Hélio Penna; Sousa, José Eduardo Moraes Rego; Alexander, John Hunter; Granger, Christopher Bull; Lopes, Renato Delascio

2018-04-03

The effects of loading doses of statins on clinical outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and planned invasive management remain uncertain. To determine if periprocedural loading doses of atorvastatin decrease 30-day major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with ACS and planned invasive management. Multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial conducted at 53 sites in Brazil among 4191 patients with ACS evaluated with coronary angiography to proceed with a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) if anatomically feasible. Enrollment occurred between April 18, 2012, and October 6, 2017. Final follow-up for 30-day outcomes was on November 6, 2017. Patients were randomized to receive 2 loading doses of 80 mg of atorvastatin (n = 2087) or matching placebo (n = 2104) before and 24 hours after a planned PCI. All patients received 40 mg of atorvastatin for 30 days starting 24 hours after the second dose of study medication. The primary outcome was MACE, defined as a composite of all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, and unplanned coronary revascularization through 30 days. Among the 4191 patients (mean age, 61.8 [SD, 11.5] years; 1085 women [25.9%]) enrolled, 4163 (99.3%) completed 30-day follow-up. A total of 2710 (64.7%) underwent PCI, 333 (8%) underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery, and 1144 (27.3%) had exclusively medical management. At 30 days, 130 patients in the atorvastatin group (6.2%) and 149 in the placebo group (7.1%) had a MACE (absolute difference, 0.85% [95% CI, -0.70% to 2.41%]; hazard ratio, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.69-1.11; P = .27). No cases of hepatic failure were reported; 3 cases of rhabdomyolysis were reported in the placebo group (0.1%) and 0 in the atorvastatin group. Among patients with ACS and planned invasive management with PCI, periprocedural loading doses of atorvastatin did not reduce the rate of MACE at 30 days. These findings do not support the routine use

Left Ventricular Myocardial Deformation Parameters Are Affected by Coronary Slow Flow Phenomenon: A Study of Speckle Tracking Echocardiography.

Science.gov (United States)

Gulel, Okan; Akcay, Murat; Soylu, Korhan; Aksan, Gokhan; Yuksel, Serkan; Zengin, Halit; Meric, Murat; Sahin, Mahmut

2016-05-01

The coronary slow flow phenomenon (CSFP) is defined as a delayed distal vessel contrast opacification in the absence of obstructive epicardial coronary artery disease during coronary angiography. There is conflicting data in medical literature regarding the effects of CSFP on the left ventricular functions assessed by conventional echocardiography or tissue Doppler imaging. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate whether there is any abnormality in the myocardial deformation parameters (strain, strain rate (SR), rotation, twist) of the left ventricle obtained by speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) in patients with CSFP. Twenty patients with CSFP were included prospectively in the study. Another 20 patients with similar demographics and cardiovascular risk factors as well as normal coronary angiography were used as the control group. Two-dimensional echocardiographic images of the left ventricle from the apical long-axis, two-chamber, four-chamber, and parasternal short-axis views were used for STE analysis. The analysis of left ventricular circumferential deformation parameters showed that the averaged peak systolic strain, systolic SR, and early diastolic SR values were significantly lower in patients with CSFP (P = 0.009, P = 0.02, and P = 0.02, respectively). Among the left ventricular rotation and twist values, apical rotation was significantly lower in patients with CSFP (P = 0.02). Further, the mean thrombolysis in myocardial infarction frame count value was found to be negatively correlated with the averaged peak circumferential early diastolic SR (r = -0.35, P = 0.03). It was positively correlated with the averaged peak circumferential systolic strain (r = 0.47, P = 0.003) and circumferential systolic SR (r = 0.46, P = 0.005). Coronary slow flow phenomenon leads to significant alterations in the myocardial deformation parameters of the left ventricle as assessed by STE. Specifically, circumferential deformation parameters are affected in CSFP patients. © 2015

The value of coronary artery calcium score assessed by dual-source computed tomography coronary angiography for predicting presence and severity of coronary artery disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Almasi, Alireza; Pouraliakbar, Hamidreza; Sedghian, Ahmad; Karimi, Mohammad Ali; Firouzi, Ata; Tehrai, Mahmood

2014-01-01

Measuring coronary artery calcium score (CACS) using a dual-source CT scanner is recognized as a major indicator for assessing coronary artery disease. The present study aimed to validate the clinical significance of CACS in predicting coronary artery stenosis and its severity. This prospective study was conducted on 202 consecutive patients who underwent both conventional coronary angiography and dual-source (256-slice) computed tomography coronary angiography (CTA) for any reason in our cardiac imaging center from March to September 2013. CACS was measured by Agatston algorithm on non-enhanced CT. The severity of coronary artery disease was assessed by Gensini score on conventional angiography. There was a significant relationship between the number of diseased coronary vessels and mean calcium score, i.e. the mean calcium score was 202.25±450.06 in normal coronary status, 427.50±607.24 in single-vessel disease, 590.03±511.34 in two-vessel disease, and 953.35±1023.45 in three-vessel disease (p<0.001). There was a positive association between calcium score and Gensini score (r=0.636, p<0.001). In a linear regression model, calcium score was a strong determinant of the severity of coronary artery disease. Calcium scoring had an acceptable value for discriminating coronary disease from normal condition with optimal cutoff point of 350, yielding a sensitivity and specificity of 83% and 70%, respectively. Our study confirmed the strong relationship between the coronary artery calcium score and the presence and severity of stenosis in coronary arteries assessed by both the number of diseased coronary vessels and also by the Gnesini score

Prognostic value of computed tomography coronary angiography in patients with suspected coronary artery disease: a 24-month follow-up study

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Aldrovandi, Annachiara; Maffei, Erica; Seitun, Sara; Martini, Chiara; Ruffini, Livia; Crisi, Girolamo; Ardissino, Diego [Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria, Department of Radiology and Cardiology, Parma (Italy); Palumbo, Alessandro [Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria, Department of Radiology and Cardiology, Parma (Italy); Erasmus Medical Center, Department of Radiology and Cardiology, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Brambilla, Valerio [University of Parma, Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation Unit, Don Gnocchi ONLUS, Parma (Italy); Zuccarelli, Alessandra [Ospedale di Carrara, Department of Cardiology, Carrara (Italy); Tarantini, Giuseppe [University of Padua, Department of Cardiology, Padua (Italy); Weustink, Annick C.; Mollet, Nico R.; Feyter, Pim J. de; Krestin, Gabriel P. [Erasmus Medical Center, Department of Radiology and Cardiology, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Cademartiri, Filippo [Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria, Department of Radiology and Cardiology, Parma (Italy); Erasmus Medical Center, Department of Radiology and Cardiology, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma, Department of Radiology, c/o Piastra Tecnica - Piano 0 - CT Section, Parma (Italy)

2009-07-15

The aim of this study was to determine the predictive value of 64-slice computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) for major cardiac events in patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). A total of 187 consecutive patients (119 men, age 62.5 {+-} 10.5 years) without known heart disease underwent single-source 64-slice CTCA (Somatom Sensation 64, Siemens) for clinical suspicion of CAD. Patients underwent follow-up for the occurrence of cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, unstable angina and cardiac revascularization. In total, 2,822 coronary segments were assessed. Forty-two segments (1.5%) were not assessable because of insufficient image quality. Overall, CTCA revealed absence of CAD in 65 (34.7%) patients, nonobstructive CAD (coronary plaque {<=}50%) in 87 (46.5%) patients and obstructive CAD (>50%) in 35 (18.8%) patients. A total of 20 major cardiac events (3 myocardial infarctions, 16 cardiac revascularizations, 1 unstable angina) occurred during a mean follow-up of 24 months. One noncardiac death occurred. Seventeen events occurred in the group of patients with obstructive CAD and three events occurred in the group of nonobstructive CAD. The event rate was 0% among patients with normal coronary arteries at CTCA. CTCA has a 100% negative predictive value for major cardiac events at 24-month follow-up in patients with normal coronary arteries. (orig.)

Prognostic value of computed tomography coronary angiography in patients with suspected coronary artery disease: a 24-month follow-up study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aldrovandi, Annachiara; Maffei, Erica; Seitun, Sara; Martini, Chiara; Ruffini, Livia; Crisi, Girolamo; Ardissino, Diego; Palumbo, Alessandro; Brambilla, Valerio; Zuccarelli, Alessandra; Tarantini, Giuseppe; Weustink, Annick C.; Mollet, Nico R.; Feyter, Pim J. de; Krestin, Gabriel P.; Cademartiri, Filippo

2009-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine the predictive value of 64-slice computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) for major cardiac events in patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). A total of 187 consecutive patients (119 men, age 62.5 ± 10.5 years) without known heart disease underwent single-source 64-slice CTCA (Somatom Sensation 64, Siemens) for clinical suspicion of CAD. Patients underwent follow-up for the occurrence of cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, unstable angina and cardiac revascularization. In total, 2,822 coronary segments were assessed. Forty-two segments (1.5%) were not assessable because of insufficient image quality. Overall, CTCA revealed absence of CAD in 65 (34.7%) patients, nonobstructive CAD (coronary plaque ≤50%) in 87 (46.5%) patients and obstructive CAD (>50%) in 35 (18.8%) patients. A total of 20 major cardiac events (3 myocardial infarctions, 16 cardiac revascularizations, 1 unstable angina) occurred during a mean follow-up of 24 months. One noncardiac death occurred. Seventeen events occurred in the group of patients with obstructive CAD and three events occurred in the group of nonobstructive CAD. The event rate was 0% among patients with normal coronary arteries at CTCA. CTCA has a 100% negative predictive value for major cardiac events at 24-month follow-up in patients with normal coronary arteries. (orig.)

Coronary Angiography Findings and Its Determinants in Patients Presenting With Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Descriptive Analysis from Asian Population.

Science.gov (United States)

Chourasiya, M; Satheesh, S; Selvaraj, R; Jayaraman, B; Pillai, A A

2017-10-01

The aim was to study the angiographic profile in patients presented as acute coronary syndrome and its relation with risk factors and comparison between genders. This prospective observational study was performed on total 352 patients of acute coronary syndrome were analyzed for various risk factors, angiographic pattern in Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry, South India from January 2015 to July 2016. Mean age of presentation was 52.62±11.63 years. Male were 271(77.0%) and female were 81(23.0%). Majority of patients were STEMI (67.6%) followed by UA (24.4%) and NSTEMI (8%). Smoker was 117(33.3%) patients. Hypertensive were 124(35.2%) of patients and 149(42.3%) were diabetics. Family history of CAD was positive in 45(12.8%). On angiographic evaluation left main reference diameter was lower in females (4.02±0.72) than males (4.07±0.82). LAD was most commonly involved followed by RCA and LCX among all three group of acute coronary syndrome. Left main was least involved (8.3%). In STEMI SVD (40.3%) was most common presentation, after that DVD was seen in 22.3%, TVD in 10.5%, non-obstructive coronary was seen in 16% of patients and normal coronary was seen in 11% of patients. In UA 28%, 22.8%, 13.2%, 15.8%, 20.2% was seen in SVD, DVD, TVD, non-obstructive and normal coronary respectively. Long length coronary lesions (>20mm) were seen in majority in all type of acute coronary syndrome. Coronary lesion length was not associated with presentation acute coronary syndrome and genders. Male were most commonly presented as acute coronary syndrome. STEMI was most common presentation. Diabetic was most prevalent risk factor. SVD was most common angiographic pattern and LAD was most common involved arteries.

Coronary artery with aberrant origin malignant right

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ozcan, E.; Bozlar, U.; Demirkol, S.; Saglam, M.

2012-01-01

Full text: Introduction: Congenital anomalies of the coronary arteries is a major cause of sudden death, especially in young patients. Objectives and tasks: In this study we aim to present a young patient with chest pain who had malignant right coronary artery (RCA) with aberrant origin. Materials and methods: 24-year-old man who applied cardiology clinic for chest pain and palpitations especially after exercise, was referred to our clinic for coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography to evaluate coronary artery anomalies. Results: In CT angiography; we detected aberrant RCA with origin of tubularly part of ascendant aorta with a malignant course between aorta and pulmonary artery. Left main coronary artery, left anterior descending and circumflex artery had normal origin and course. Conclusion: Coronary artery with malignant course may cause sudden death especially after exercise. Coronary CT angiography has an important role in diagnosis of congenital coronary artery anomalies, with high resolution multiplanner reformatted images

Coronary Plaque Volume and Composition Assessed by Computed Tomography Angiography in Patients With Late-Onset Major Depression

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Devantier, Torben Albert; Nørgaard, Bjarne Linde; Ovrehus, Kristian Altern

2013-01-01

Background: Depression is a stronger predictor for the onset of or death from clinical coronary artery disease than traditional cardiovascular risk factors. The association between depression and coronary artery disease has previously been investigated in non-contrast enhanced computed tomography...... studies with conflicting results. The aim of this study was to further elucidate the depression-coronary artery disease relation by use of coronary computed tomography angiography. Methods: The calcified and noncalcified coronary plaque volumes were determined by semiautomatic volumetric quantification...... with controls (14% vs. 7%, p = 0.044). Correspondingly, having depression was associated with an increased calcified plaque proportion of 11.3 [95% confidence interval: 2.63-20.1; p = 0.012] percentage points after adjustment for demographics and cardiovascular risk factors. Conclusion: The proportion...

Role of miRNAs in Epicardial Adipose Tissue in CAD Patients with T2DM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang Liu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT is identified as an atypical fat depot surrounding the heart with a putative role in the involvement of metabolic disorders, including obesity, type-2 diabetes mellitus, and atherosclerosis. We profiled miRNAs in EAT of metabolic patients with coronary artery disease (CAD and type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM versus metabolically healthy patients by microarray. Compared to metabolically healthy patients, we identified forty-two miRNAs that are differentially expressed in patients with CAD and T2DM from Xinjiang, China. Eleven miRNAs were selected as potential novel miRNAs according to P value and fold change. Then the potential novel miRNAs targeted genes were predicted via TargetScan, PicTar, and miRTarbase, and the function of the target genes was predicted via Gene Ontology (GO analysis while the enriched KEGG pathway analyses of the miRNAs targeted genes were performed by bioinformatics software DAVID. Then protein-protein interaction networks of the targeted gene were conducted by online software STRING. Finally, using microarray, bioinformatics approaches revealed the possible molecular mechanisms pathogenesis of CAD and T2DM. A total of 11 differentially expressed miRNAs were identified and among them, hsa-miR-4687-3p drew specific attention. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that insulin signaling pathway is the central way involved in the progression of metabolic disorders. Conclusions. The current findings support the fact that miRNAs are involved in the pathogenesis of metabolic disorders in EAT of CAD patients with T2DM, and validation of the results of these miRNAs by independent and prospective study is certainly warranted.

Is epicardial adipose tissue, another measure of central obesity, correlated with erectile dysfunction?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chih-Wei Tsao

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background: This study investigated the correlation between epicardial adipose tissue (EAT, a measure of central obesity, and sexual function in males with vasculogenic erectile dysfunction (ED. Materials and Methods: The study was a cross-sectional study of selected males with ED aged <75 years who attended the Urology Outpatient Department of Tri-Service General Hospital. Sixty subjects were included in the study, which employed biochemical data, anthropometric indexes, echocardiography, and questionnaires. Biochemical lipid profiles and associated inflammation markers were recorded. The anthropometric indexes included general and central obesity and bioelectrical impedance analysis. Echocardiography results were assessed by a single experienced cardiologist and included epicardial and pericardial fat thickness measurements. Sexual function was evaluated using the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5 score. Results: According to the analysis of variance and multivariate logistic regression, only the erectile hardness score (EHS was statistically positively correlated with the IIEF-5 score. All other anthropometric indexes and echocardiography parameters, including EAT thickness, pericardial adipose tissue thickness, and ejection fraction (EF, were not significantly associated with sexual function. Conclusions: Only EHS was statistically associated with sexual function in the male subjects with ED. The anthropometric indexes and EAT thickness, a measure of central obesity, were not significantly correlated with sexual function in the male patients with ED.

The role of the ECG in diagnosis, risk estimation, and catheterization laboratory activation in patients with acute coronary syndromes: a consensus document.

Science.gov (United States)

Birnbaum, Yochai; Nikus, Kjell; Kligfield, Paul; Fiol, Miguel; Barrabés, Jose Antonio; Sionis, Alessandro; Pahlm, Olle; Niebla, J Garcia; de Luna, Antonio Bayès

2014-09-01

The electrocardiogram (ECG) is the most widely used imaging tool helping in diagnosis and initial management of patients presenting with symptoms compatible with acute coronary syndrome. Acute ischemia affects the configuration of the QRS complexes, the ST segments and the T waves. The ECG should be read along with the clinical assessment of the patient. ST segment elevation (and ST depression in leads V1 -V3 ) in patients with active symptoms usually indicates acute occlusion of an epicardial artery with ongoing transmural ischemia. These patients should be triaged for emergent reperfusion therapy per current guidelines. However, many patients have ST segment elevation secondary to nonischemic causes. ST depression in leads other than V1 -V3 usually are indicative of subendocardial ischemia secondary to subocclusion of the epicardial artery, distal embolization to small arteries or spasm supply/demand mismatch. ST depression may also be secondary to nonischemic etiologies, such as left ventricular hypertrophy, cardiomyopathies, etc. Knowing the clinical scenario, comparison to previous ECG and subsequent ECGs (in cases that there are changes in the quality or severity of symptoms) may add in the diagnosis and interpretation in difficult cases. This review addresses the different ECG patterns, typically seen in patients with active symptoms, after resolution of symptoms and the significance of such changes when seen in asymptomatic patients. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Prognostic factors of male patients with acute coronary syndrome after percutaneous coronary intervention therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Peng; Zhang Gaofeng; Wu Xusheng; Qiao Qi; Yu Liqun

2005-01-01

Objective: To study the prognostic risk factors of male patients with coronary heart disease in stent placement era. Methods: One hundred and four patients were enrolled in this study (aged 64.9 ± 9.6 years) including 61 diagnosed as acute myocardial infarction, and 43 as unstable angina with followed up 11.9 ± 8.7 months. All factors including demographic factors, non-interventional work-up, associated clinical complications and results of coronary artery angiography reached a model of Logistic regression analysis. Results: Based on MACE (major adverse cardiac events), as quantitative factors, diseased proximal middle left anterior descending artery was a significant independent variable (P<0.05), and its coefficient was 22.00. Conclusions: Diseased proximal middle left anterior descending coronary artery is the prognostic factor of MACE in male patients with acute coronary syndrome. (authors)

High-resolution 3D coronary vessel wall imaging with near 100% respiratory efficiency using epicardial fat tracking: reproducibility and comparison with standard methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Scott, Andrew D; Keegan, Jennifer; Firmin, David N

2011-01-01

To quantitatively assess the performance and reproducibility of 3D spiral coronary artery wall imaging with beat-to-beat respiratory-motion-correction (B2B-RMC) compared to navigator gated 2D spiral and turbo-spin-echo (TSE) acquisitions. High-resolution (0.7 × 0.7 mm) cross-sectional right coronary wall acquisitions were performed in 10 subjects using four techniques (B2B-RMC 3D spiral with alternate (2RR) and single (1RR) R-wave gating, navigator-gated 2D spiral (2RR) and navigator-gated 2D TSE (2RR)) on two occasions. Wall thickness measurements were compared with repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Reproducibility was assessed with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). In all, 91% (73/80) of acquisitions were successful (failures: four TSE, two 3D spiral (1RR) and one 3D spiral (2RR)). Respiratory efficiency of the B2B-RMC was less variable and substantially higher than for navigator gating (99.6 ± 1.2% vs. 39.0 ± 7.5%, P B2B-RMC permits coronary vessel wall assessment over multiple thin contiguous slices in a clinically feasible duration. Excellent reproducibility of the technique potentially enables studies of disease progression/regression. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

COVERED STENTS IN IATROGENIC CORONARY ARTERY FISTULA; A CASE REPORT

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Masoud Poormoghaddas

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract    BACKGROUND: Coronary artery fistula is an abnormal communication between a coronary artery and a cardiac chamber or major cardiac vessels, mostly congenital but some of them are acquired as a consequence of coronary artery perforation.    CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of cavity spilling coronary artery perforation during percutaneous coronary intervention 7 years ago. Because of continuing symptoms and risk of developing heart failure and pulmonary hypertension we were ought to treat this iatrogenically formed coronary artery fistula. We used stent graft implantation to treat it with acceptable results.    CONCLUSION: Beside their application as a rescue for acute coronary artery perforations, stent grafts can be used with acceptable results in iatrogenically acquired coronary artery coronary artery fistula      Keywords: Coronary artery perforation, Coronary artery fistula, Stent graft.

Coronary grafts flow and cardiac pacing modalities: how to improve perioperative myocardial perfusion.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

D'Ancona, Giuseppe

2012-02-03

OBJECTIVE: Aim of this study was to investigate modifications of coronary grafts flow during different pacing modalities after CABG. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two separate prospective studies were conducted in patients undergoing CABG and requiring intraoperative epicardial pacing. In a first study (22 patients) coronary grafts flows were measured during dual chamber pacing (DDD) and during ventricular pacing (VVI). In a second study (10 patients) flows were measured during DDD pacing at different atrio-ventricular (A-V) delay periods. A-V delay was adjusted in 25 ms increments from 25 to 250 ms and flow measurements were performed for each A-V delay increment. A transit time flowmeter was used for the measurements. RESULTS: An average of 3.4 grafts\\/patient were performed. In the first study, average coronary graft flow was 47.4+\\/-20.8 ml\\/min during DDD pacing and 41.8+\\/-18.2 ml\\/min during VVI pacing (P = 0.0004). Furthermore average systolic pressure was 94.3+\\/-10.1 mmHg during DDD pacing and 89.6+\\/-12.2 mmHg during VVV pacing (P = 0.0007). No significant differences in diastolic pressure were recorded during the two different pacing modalities. In the second study, maximal flows were achieved during DDD pacing with an A-V delay of 175 ms (54+\\/-9.6 ml\\/min) and minimal flows were detected at 25 ms A-V delay (38.1+\\/-4.7 ml\\/min) (P=ns). No significant differences in systolic or diastolic blood pressure were noticed during the different A-V delays. CONCLUSION: Grafts flowmetry provides an extra tool to direct supportive measures such as cardiac pacing after CABG. DDD mode with A-V delay around 175 ms. should be preferred to allow for maximal myocardial perfusion via the grafts.

Has the frequency of bleeding changed over time for patients presenting with an acute coronary syndrome? The global registry of acute coronary events.

OpenAIRE

Fox, KA; Carruthers, K; Steg, PG; Avezum, A; Granger, CB; Montalescot, G; Goodman, SG; Gore, JM; Quill, AL; Eagle, KA; GRACE Investigators,

2010-01-01

08.09.14 KB. Ok to add published version to spiral, OA paper AIMS: To determine whether changes in practice, over time, are associated with altered rates of major bleeding in acute coronary syndromes (ACS). METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients from the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events were enrolled between 2000 and 2007. The main outcome measures were frequency of major bleeding, including haemorrhagic stroke, over time, after adjustment for patient characteristics, and impact of major b...

Prognostic value of coronary atherosclerosis progression evaluated by coronary CT angiography in patients with stable angina

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Gu, Hui; Gao, Yang; Hou, Zhihui; Lu, Bin; Schoepf, U.J.; Snyder, Alan N.; Duguay, Taylor M.; Wang, Ximing

2018-01-01

To investigate the progression of coronary atherosclerosis burden by coronary CT angiography (CCTA) and to demonstrate its association with the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE). We retrospectively studied patients with stable angina who had undergone repeat CCTA due to recurrent or worsening symptoms. Lipid-rich, fibrous, calcified and total plaque burden as well as coronary diameter stenosis were quantitatively analysed. The incidence of MACE during follow-up was determined. The final cohort consisted of 268 patients (mean age 52.9 ± 9.8 years, 71 % male) with a mean follow-up period of 4.6 ± 0.9 years. Patients with lipid-rich, fibrous, calcified and total plaque burden (%) progression, as well as coronary diameter stenosis (%) progression had a significantly higher incidence of MACE than those without (all p < 0.05). The progression of lipid-rich plaque (HR = 1.601, p = 0.021), total plaque burden (HR = 2.979, p = 0.043) and coronary diameter stenosis (HR = 4.327, p <0.001) were independent predictors of MACE (all p < 0.05). Patients presenting with recurrent or worsening symptoms associated with coronary artery disease who have coronary atherosclerosis progression on CCTA are at an increased risk of future MACE. (orig.)

Prognostic value of coronary atherosclerosis progression evaluated by coronary CT angiography in patients with stable angina

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Gu, Hui [Shandong University, Department of CT, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Cardio-Cerebral Vascular Diseases, Shandong Medical Imaging Research Institute, Jinan, Shandong (China); Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Department of Radiology, Fuwai Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, National Centre for Cardiovascular Diseases, Beijing (China); Gao, Yang; Hou, Zhihui; Lu, Bin [Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Department of Radiology, Fuwai Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, National Centre for Cardiovascular Diseases, Beijing (China); Schoepf, U.J.; Snyder, Alan N.; Duguay, Taylor M. [Medical University of South Carolina, Division of Cardiovascular Imaging, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); Wang, Ximing [Shandong University, Department of CT, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Cardio-Cerebral Vascular Diseases, Shandong Medical Imaging Research Institute, Jinan, Shandong (China)

2018-03-15

To investigate the progression of coronary atherosclerosis burden by coronary CT angiography (CCTA) and to demonstrate its association with the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE). We retrospectively studied patients with stable angina who had undergone repeat CCTA due to recurrent or worsening symptoms. Lipid-rich, fibrous, calcified and total plaque burden as well as coronary diameter stenosis were quantitatively analysed. The incidence of MACE during follow-up was determined. The final cohort consisted of 268 patients (mean age 52.9 ± 9.8 years, 71 % male) with a mean follow-up period of 4.6 ± 0.9 years. Patients with lipid-rich, fibrous, calcified and total plaque burden (%) progression, as well as coronary diameter stenosis (%) progression had a significantly higher incidence of MACE than those without (all p < 0.05). The progression of lipid-rich plaque (HR = 1.601, p = 0.021), total plaque burden (HR = 2.979, p = 0.043) and coronary diameter stenosis (HR = 4.327, p <0.001) were independent predictors of MACE (all p < 0.05). Patients presenting with recurrent or worsening symptoms associated with coronary artery disease who have coronary atherosclerosis progression on CCTA are at an increased risk of future MACE. (orig.)

Total and interatrial epicardial adipose tissues are independently associated with left atrial remodeling in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Seung Yong; Yong, Hwan Seok; Lim, Hong Euy; Na, Jin Oh; Choi, Cheol Ung; Choi, Jong Il; Kim, Seong Hwan; Kim, Jin Won; Kim, Eung Ju; Park, Sang Weon; Rha, Seung-Woon; Park, Chang Gyu; Seo, Hong Seog; Oh, Dong Joo; Kim, Young-Hoon

2011-06-01

As epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is a metabolically active visceral fat, potential interaction between EAT and myocardium is strongly suggested. The aims of this study were to determine whether the amount and regional distribution of EAT are related to the chronicity of atrial fibrillation (AF) and left atrial (LA) remodeling. This study consisted of 40 subjects with paroxysmal AF (PAF) and 40 with persistent AF (PeAF). Eighty subjects with no history of AF were enrolled as controls. Total volume of EAT (EAT(total)), regional thickness of EAT, and LA volume (LAV) were measured by multislice computed tomography. In the AF group, blood samples were drawn from coronary sinus for analysis of inflammatory cytokines including adiponectin. Compared with controls, AF subjects had larger LAV, EAT(total), and the thicknesses of periatrial EAT including interatrial septum (IAS). However, the thicknesses of periventricular EAT were not different between the groups. The PeAF subjects had larger LAV, EAT(total), and periatrial EAT thicknesses, higher levels of inflammatory cytokines, and lower level of adiponectin than did the PAF subjects. Adiponection level was significantly associated with EAT(total) and IAS thickness. Multivariate analysis revealed that EAT(total) (P = 0.004) and IAS thickness (P = 0.016) were independently associated with LAV. EAT(total) and thickness of periatrial EAT were significantly larger in AF subjects compared to those of the matched controls and were closely related to the chronicity of AF. Moreover, EAT(total) and IAS thickness were independently associated with LAV in subjects with AF. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Sevoflurane mitigates shedding of hyaluronan from the coronary endothelium, also during ischemia/reperfusion: an ex vivo animal study

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Chen C

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Congcong Chen,1,3 Daniel Chappell,2,3 Thorsten Annecke,2,3 Peter Conzen,2 Matthias Jacob,2,3 Ulrich Welsch,4 Bernhard Zwissler,2 Bernhard F Becker3 1Department of Anesthesiology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China; 2Clinic of Anesthesiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany; 3Walter-Brendel-Centre of Experimental Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany; 4Institute of Anatomy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany Abstract: Glycosaminoglycan hyaluronan (HA, a major constituent of the endothelial glycocalyx, helps to maintain vascular integrity. Preconditioning the heart with volatile anesthetic agents protects against ischemia/reperfusion injury. We investigated a possible protective effect of sevoflurane on the glycocalyx, especially on HA. The effect of pre-ischemic treatment with sevoflurane (15 minutes at 2% vol/vol gas on shedding of HA was evaluated in 28 isolated, beating guinea pig hearts, subjected to warm ischemia (20 minutes at 37°C followed by reperfusion (40 minutes, half with and half without preconditioning by sevoflurane. HA concentration was measured in the coronary effluent. Over the last 20 minutes of reperfusion hydroxyethyl starch (1 g% was continuously infused and the epicardial transudate collected over the last 5 minutes for measuring the colloid extravasation. Additional hearts were fixed by perfusion after the end of reperfusion for immunohistology and electron microscopy. Sevoflurane did not significantly affect post-ischemic oxidative stress, but strongly inhibited shedding of HA during the whole period, surprisingly even prior to ischemia. Immunohistology demonstrated that heparan sulfates and SDC1 of the glycocalyx were also preserved by sevoflurane. Electron microscopy revealed shedding of glycocalyx caused by ischemia and a mostly intact glycocalyx in hearts exposed to sevoflurane. Coronary vascular permeability of the

Major depression is associated with lower omega-3 fatty acid levels in patients with recent acute coronary syndromes.

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Frasure-Smith, Nancy; Lespérance, François; Julien, Pierre

2004-05-01

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are intrinsic cell membrane components and closely involved in neurotransmission and receptor function. Lower omega-3 levels are associated with increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD), increases in cardiac events in CAD patients, and depression. We sought to examine relationships between depression and serum levels of omega-3 and omega-6 PUFAs in patients recovering from acute coronary syndromes (ACS). We carried out a case-control study of serum PUFA levels and current major depression in 54 age- and sex-matched pairs approximately 2 months following ACS. Depressed patients had significantly lower concentrations of total omega-3 and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and higher ratios of arachidonic acid (AA) to DHA, AA to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and n-3 to n-6 than controls. There were no baseline differences in any potential risk or protective factors for depression. Results are consistent with previous reports in depressed patients without CAD, and with literature concerning omega-3 levels and risk of CAD events. Dietary, genetic, and hormonal factors may all play a role in both depression and CAD. Both prospective studies and randomized trials are needed to help clarify the interrelationships.

Acute Coronary Syndromes: From The Laboratory Markers To The Coronary Vessels

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Palazzuoli Alberto

2006-01-01

Full Text Available A number of "interesting" risk markers have been proposed as providing prognostic information in acute coronary syndromes (ACS. Elevation in plasma inflammatory and necrosis biomarkers have been related to future cardiovascular events in individuals with or without prior myocardial infarction. Recently BNP and pro-BNP are entered in clinical practice to recognize patients at major risk, providing incremental information respect to the traditional markers. Together with these laboratory indexes, a few of promising laboratory markers once easily available, could become useful in identification of patients at high risk. Several studies evaluated many markers of platelet aggregation, endothelial dysfunction and vascular thrombosis, but it is not yet clear whether each of the proposed markers may provide incremental predictive information. We describe, following the most studies reported in literature, the laboratory markers with potential clinical and prognostic power that could early help physicians in the identifi cation of patients with impaired coronary disease and more narrowed coronary arteries.

Metabolic syndrome and the risk of adverse cardiovascular events after an acute coronary syndrome.

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Cavallari, Ilaria; Cannon, Christopher P; Braunwald, Eugene; Goodrich, Erica L; Im, KyungAh; Lukas, Mary Ann; O'Donoghue, Michelle L

2018-05-01

Background The incremental prognostic value of assessing the metabolic syndrome has been disputed. Little is known regarding its prognostic value in patients after an acute coronary syndrome. Design and methods The presence of metabolic syndrome (2005 International Diabetes Federation) was assessed at baseline in SOLID-TIMI 52, a trial of patients within 30 days of acute coronary syndrome (median follow-up 2.5 years). The primary endpoint was major coronary events (coronary heart disease death, myocardial infarction or urgent coronary revascularization). Results At baseline, 61.6% ( n = 7537) of patients met the definition of metabolic syndrome, 34.7% (n = 4247) had diabetes and 29.3% had both ( n = 3584). The presence of metabolic syndrome was associated with increased risk of major coronary events (adjusted hazard ratio (adjHR) 1.29, p metabolic syndrome was numerically but not significantly associated with the risk of major coronary events (adjHR 1.13, p = 0.06). Conversely, diabetes was a strong independent predictor of major coronary events in the absence of metabolic syndrome (adjHR 1.57, p metabolic syndrome identified patients at highest risk of adverse outcomes but the incremental value of metabolic syndrome was not significant relative to diabetes alone (adjHR 1.07, p = 0.54). Conclusions After acute coronary syndrome, diabetes is a strong and independent predictor of adverse outcomes. Assessment of the metabolic syndrome provides only marginal incremental value once the presence or absence of diabetes is established.

Impact of iso-osmolar versus low-osmolar contrast agents on contrast-induced nephropathy and tissue reperfusion in unselected patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (from the Contrast Media and Nephrotoxicity Following Primary Angioplasty for Acute Myocardial Infarction [CONTRAST-AMI] Trial).

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Bolognese, Leonardo; Falsini, Giovanni; Schwenke, Carsten; Grotti, Simone; Limbruno, Ugo; Liistro, Francesco; Carrera, Arcangelo; Angioli, Paolo; Picchi, Andrea; Ducci, Kenneth; Pierli, Carlo

2012-01-01

Conflicting data have been reported on the effects of low-osmolar and iso-osmolar contrast media on contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI). In particular, no clinical trial has yet focused on the effect of contemporary contrast media on CI-AKI, epicardial flow, and microcirculatory function in patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction who undergo primary percutaneous coronary intervention. The Contrast Media and Nephrotoxicity Following Coronary Revascularization by Angioplasty for Acute Myocardial Infarction (CONTRAST-AMI) trial is a prospective, randomized, single-blind, parallel-group, noninferiority study aiming to evaluate the effects of the low-osmolar contrast medium iopromide compared to the iso-osmolar agent iodixanol on CI-AKI and tissue-level perfusion in patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction. Four hundred seventy-five consecutive, unselected patients who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention were randomized to iopromide (n = 239) or iodixanol (n = 236). All patients received high-dose N-acetylcysteine and hydration. The primary end point was the proportion of patients with serum creatinine (sCr) increases ≥25% from baseline to 72 hours. Secondary end points were Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) myocardial perfusion grade, increase in sCr ≥50%, increase in sCr ≥0.5 or ≥1 mg/dl, and 1-month major adverse cardiac events. The primary end point occurred in 10% of the iopromide group and in 13% of the iodixanol group (95% confidence interval -9% to 3%, p for noninferiority = 0.0002). A TIMI myocardial perfusion grade of 0 or 1 was present in 14% of patients in the 2 groups. No differences between the 2 groups were found in any of the secondary analyses of sCr increase. No significant difference in 1-month major adverse cardiac events was found (8% vs 6%, p = 0.37). In conclusion, in a population of unselected patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction

Opium addiction as an independent risk factor for coronary microvascular dysfunction: A case-control study of 250 consecutive patients with slow-flow angina.

Science.gov (United States)

Esmaeili Nadimi, Ali; Pour Amiri, Farah; Sheikh Fathollahi, Mahmood; Hassanshahi, Gholamhossien; Ahmadi, Zahra; Sayadi, Ahmad Reza

2016-09-15

Approximately 20% to 30% of patients who undergo coronary angiography for assessment of typical cardiac chest pain display microvascular coronary dysfunction (MCD). This study aimed to determine potential relationships between baseline clinical characteristics and likelihood of MCD diagnosis in a large group of patients with stable angina symptoms, positive exercise test and angiographic ally normal epicardial coronary arteries. This cross-sectional study included 250 Iranian with documented evidence of cardiac ischemia on exercise testing, class I or II indication for coronary angiography, and either: (1) angiographically normal coronary arteries and diagnosis of MCD with slow-flow phenomenon, or (2) normal angiogram and no evidence of MCD. All patients completed a questionnaire designed to capture key data including clinical demographics, past medical history, and social factors. Data was evaluated using single and multivariable logistic regression models to identify potential individual patient factors that might help to predict a diagnosis of MCD. 125 (11.2% of total) patients were subsequently diagnosed with MCD. 125 consecutive control subjects were selected for comparison. The mean age was similar among the two groups (52.38 vs. 53.26%, p=ns), but there was a higher proportion of men in the study group compared to control (42.4 vs. 27.2%, p=0.012). No significant relationships were observed between traditional cardiovascular risk factors (diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia) or body mass index (BMI), and likelihood of MCD diagnosis. However, opium addiction was found to be an independent predictor of MCD on single and multivariable logistic regression model (OR=3.575, 95%CI: 1.418-9.016; p=0.0069). We observed a significant relationship between opium addiction and microvascular angina. This novel finding provides a potential mechanistic insight into the pathogenesis of MCD with slow-flow phenomenon. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights

Ventricular filling slows epicardial conduction and increases action potential duration in an optical mapping study of the isolated rabbit heart

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Sung, Derrick; Mills, Robert W.; Schettler, Jan; Narayan, Sanjiv M.; Omens, Jeffrey H.; McCulloch, Andrew D.; McCullough, A. D. (Principal Investigator)

2003-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Mechanical stimulation can induce electrophysiologic changes in cardiac myocytes, but how mechanoelectric feedback in the intact heart affects action potential propagation remains unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS: Changes in action potential propagation and repolarization with increased left ventricular end-diastolic pressure from 0 to 30 mmHg were investigated using optical mapping in isolated perfused rabbit hearts. With respect to 0 mmHg, epicardial strain at 30 mmHg in the anterior left ventricle averaged 0.040 +/- 0.004 in the muscle fiber direction and 0.032 +/- 0.006 in the cross-fiber direction. An increase in ventricular loading increased average epicardial activation time by 25%+/- 3% (P action potential duration at 20% repolarization (APD20) but did at 80% repolarization (APD80), from 179 +/- 7 msec to 207 +/- 5 msec (P action potential duration by a load-dependent mechanism that may not involve stretch-activated channels.

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection: A retrospective analysis of 19,676 coronary angiograms

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Dinesha Basavanna

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Aim: Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD is a rare cause of angina, myocardial infarction (MI, and sudden cardiac death (SCD and may frequently manifest as acute coronary syndrome (ACS. The diagnosis of SCAD relies on angiographic visualization of a radiolucent intimal flap. Therapeutic options include medical therapy, percutaneous coronary interventions, and bypass surgery. The aim of this study is to analyze the clinical profile, inhospital outcomes, management, and follow-up of patients with angiographic SCAD. Methods: About 19,676 diagnostic coronary angiograms (CAGs were reviewed retrospectively during a 2-year period; 64 patients had SCAD and were included in the study. Complete medical histories before and during the event as well as treatment regimens were obtained from patients' hospital files. Results: A total of 64 cases of SCAD were considered for the study within an age range of 25–70 years. Fifty-eight patients presented with ACS, two patients presented with unstable angina, one patient presented with rheumatic mitral stenosis in atrial fibrillation, one patient presented with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction, one patient with dilated cardiomyopathy with left ventricular dysfunction, and one patient with effort. Out of 64 patients, four patients died and the average hospital stay is 3–5 days. Conclusion: SCAD occurs in 0.32% of patients undergoing CAG for evaluation of coronary artery disease. Majority of SCAD occurs in men. The left coronary artery is most commonly affected. The inhospital outcomes are good. Most of the patients with SCAD have good prognosis following optimal medical therapy.

Comparison of fatty acid composition of subcutaneous, pericardial and epicardial adipose tissue and atrial tissue in patients with heart disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eschen, Rikke Bülow; Gu, Jiwei; Andreasen, Jan Jesper

2016-01-01

(EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), from three different adipose tissue compartments [epicardial (EAT), pericardial (PAT) and subcutaneous (SAT)]. Furthermore, we studied the correlation between the content of EPA and DHA in these compartments and in atrial tissue (AT). METHODS We obtained AT from......OBJECTIVES The content in adipose tissue of marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) is a marker of long-term fish consumption and data suggest an antiarrhythmic effect of n-3 PUFAs. We investigated the correlation between adipose tissue content of the major n-3 PUFAs, eicosapentaenoic acid...... auricles, EAT above the right ventricle, PAT, and SAT below the sternum from 50 patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Samples were frozen at -80°C and the content of n-3 PUFAs determined by gas chromatography with results given in relative weight%. RESULTS EPA and DHA were significantly correlated in EAT...

Cellular mechanisms underlying the effects of milrinone and cilostazol to suppress arrhythmogenesis associated with Brugada syndrome.

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Szél, Tamás; Koncz, István; Antzelevitch, Charles

2013-11-01

Brugada syndrome is an inherited disease associated with vulnerability to ventricular tachycardia and sudden cardiac death in young adults. Milrinone and cilostazol, oral phosphodiesterase (PDE) type III inhibitors, have been shown to increase L-type calcium channel current (ICa) and modestly increase heart rate by elevating the level of intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate. To examine the effectiveness of these PDE inhibitors to suppress arrhythmogenesis in an experimental model of Brugada syndrome. Action potential (AP) and electrocardiographic recordings were obtained from epicardial and endocardial sites of coronary-perfused canine right ventricular wedge preparations. The Ito agonist NS5806 (5 μM) and Ca(2+) channel blocker verapamil (2 μM) were used to pharmacologically mimic Brugada phenotype. The combination induced all-or-none repolarization at some epicardial sites but not others, leading to ST-segment elevation as well as an increase in both epicardial and transmural dispersion of repolarization. Under these conditions, phase 2 reentry developed as the epicardial AP dome propagated from sites where it was maintained to sites at which it was lost, generating closely coupled extrasystoles and ventricular tachycardia. The addition of the PDE inhibitor milrinone (2.5 μM) or cilostazol (5-10 μM) to the coronary perfusate restored the epicardial AP dome, reduced dispersion, and abolished phase 2 reentry-induced extrasystoles and ventricular tachycardia. Our study identifies milrinone as a more potent alternative to cilostazol for reversing the repolarization defects responsible for the electrocardiographic and arrhythmic manifestations of Brugada syndrome. Both drugs normalize ST-segment elevation and suppress arrhythmogenesis in experimental models of Brugada syndrome. © 2013 Heart Rhythm Society. All rights reserved.

Antithrombotic strategies in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention for acute coronary syndrome

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Son V Pham

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Son V Pham1, Phuong-Chi T Pham2, Phuong-Mai T Pham3, Jeffrey M Miller4, Phuong-Thu T Pham5, Phuong-Anh T Pham61Bay Pines VA Medical Center, Department of Cardiology, Bay Pines, FL, USA; 2Department of Medicine, Nephrology Division, UCLA-Olive View Medical Center, 3Department of Medicine, Greater Los Angeles VA Medical Center, 4Department of Medicine, Hematology-Oncology Division, UCLA-Olive View Medical Center, 5Department of Medicine, Nephrology Division, Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Program, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA; 6Mercy General Hospital, Heart and Vascular Institute, Department of Cardiology, Sacramento, CA, USAAbstract: In patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI for acute coronary syndrome (ACS, both periprocedural acute myocardial infarction and bleeding complications have been shown to be associated with early and late mortality. Current standard antithrombotic therapy after coronary stent implantation consists of lifelong aspirin and clopidogrel for a variable period depending in part on the stent type. Despite its well-established efficacy in reducing cardiac-related death, myocardial infarction, and stroke, dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel is not without shortcomings. While clopidogrel may be of little beneficial effect if administered immediately prior to PCI and may even increase major bleeding risk if coronary artery bypass grafting is anticipated, early discontinuation of the drug may result in insufficient antiplatelet coverage with thrombotic complications. Optimal and rapid inhibition of platelet activity to suppress ischemic and thrombotic events while minimizing bleeding complications is an important therapeutic goal in the management of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. In this article we present an overview of the literature on clinical trials evaluating the different aspects of antithrombotic therapy in patients

Percutaneous brachial artery catheterization for coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary interventions (pci): an encouraging experience of 100 cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Islam, Z.U.; Maken, G.R.; Saif, M.; Khattak, Z.A.

2013-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the practicability and safety of the percutaneous transbrachial approach (TBA) for diagnostic coronary angiography and therapeutic percutaneous coronary interventions. Study Design: Quasi experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology- National Institute of Heart Diseases (AFIC-NIHD) from March 2009 to May 2011. Patients and Methods: We collected data of 100 consecutive patients who underwent coronary catheterization by the percutaneous transbrachial approach. Transbrachial catheterization was performed only if the radial access failed or radial pulse was feeble. Study endpoints included successful brachial artery catheterization, vascular and neurological complications at access site and procedure success rate. Results: Mean age of the patients was 54 years (range 33-79 yrs) and 65(65%) were males and 35 (35%) were females. The right brachial artery was used in all of the cases. Procedural success was achieved in 100% of the patients. Coronary angiography was performed in 70 patients and percutaneous coronary interventions were done in 30 cases. Out of these 30 cases, PCI to left coronary arteries (LAD and LCX) were performed in 19 patients while 11 patients had PCI to right coronary artery (RCA). No case of vascular complications such as major access site bleeding, vascular perforation, brachial artery occlusion causing forearm ischemia, compartment syndrome, vascular spasm or failure to catheterize coronary arteries requiring alternate vascular access were observed. Conclusion: Brachial artery is a safe and easily accessible approach for coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary interventions. (author)

High-Risk Coronary Plaques Complicated with Acute Coronary Syndrome in Young Patients

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Opincariu Diana

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA has evolved notably over the last decade, gaining an increased amount of temporo-spatial resolution in combination with decreased radiation exposure. The importance of CCTA is emerging especially in vulnerable and young patients who might not have developed a viable collateral vascular network to sustain the circulation to an infarction area during a major adverse coronary event. There are a few well-known markers by which a vulnerable plaque can be assessed and that can predict the subsequent events of sudden myocardial ischemia, such as an increased positive remodeling index (cut-off >1.4, low-attenuation plaque (cut-off 0.7, and napkin-ring sign (NRS. This manuscript presents a series of 3 clinical cases of young patients experiencing symptoms and signs of myocardial ischemia who underwent CCTA in order to assess the composition and functional characteristics of atherosclerotic plaques and their repercussion in developing an acute coronary syndrome.

Relation of epicardial adipose tissue with arterial compliance and stiffness in patients with hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Korkmaz, Levent; Cirakoglu, Omer Faruk; Ağaç, Mustafa Tarik; Erkan, Hakan; Korkmaz, Ayca Ata; Acar, Zeydin; Kul, Selim; Hatem, Engin; Çelik, Şükrü

2014-09-01

The main aim of the present study was to investigate the association between epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) and arterial function in patients with asymptomatic hypertension. Patients with hypertension (n = 155) were enrolled consecutively. Patients with decreased arterial compliance (AC) and increased cardioankle vascular index (CAVI) had higher EAT values compared with those with normal AC and CAVI (6.23 ± 1.67 vs 4.91 ± 1.40, P arterial function in patients with asymptomatic hypertension. The link between EAT and arterial stiffness deserves further investigation. © The Author(s) 2013.

Prognostic value of combined CT angiography and myocardial perfusion imaging versus invasive coronary angiography and nuclear stress perfusion imaging in the prediction of major adverse cardiovascular events

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chen, Marcus Y.; Rochitte, Carlos E.; Arbab-Zadeh, Armin

2017-01-01

Purpose: To compare the prognostic importance (time to major adverse cardiovascular event [MACE]) of combined computed tomography (CT) angiography and CT myocardial stress perfusion imaging with that of combined invasive coronary angiography (ICA) and stress single photon emission CT myocardial p...

Association of Epicardial Adipose Tissue and High?Risk Plaque Characteristics: A Systematic Review and Meta?Analysis

OpenAIRE

Nerlekar, Nitesh; Brown, Adam J.; Muthalaly, Rahul G.; Talman, Andrew; Hettige, Thushan; Cameron, James D.; Wong, Dennis T. L.

2017-01-01

Background Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is hypothesized to alter atherosclerotic plaque composition, with potential development of high?risk plaque (HRP). EAT can be measured by volumetric assessment (EAT?v) or linear thickness (EAT?t). We performed a systematic review and random?effects meta?analysis to assess the association of EAT with HRP and whether this association is dependent on the measurement method used. Methods and Results Electronic databases were systematically searched up to...

Rationale, Design, and Methodological Aspects of the BUDAPEST-GLOBAL Study (Burden of Atherosclerotic Plaques Study in Twins-Genetic Loci and the Burden of Atherosclerotic Lesions).

Science.gov (United States)

Maurovich-Horvat, Pál; Tárnoki, Dávid L; Tárnoki, Ádám D; Horváth, Tamás; Jermendy, Ádám L; Kolossváry, Márton; Szilveszter, Bálint; Voros, Viktor; Kovács, Attila; Molnár, Andrea Á; Littvay, Levente; Lamb, Hildo J; Voros, Szilard; Jermendy, György; Merkely, Béla

2015-12-01

The heritability of coronary atherosclerotic plaque burden, coronary geometry, and phenotypes associated with increased cardiometabolic risk are largely unknown. The primary aim of the Burden of Atherosclerotic Plaques Study in Twins-Genetic Loci and the Burden of Atherosclerotic Lesions (BUDAPEST-GLOBAL) study is to evaluate the influence of genetic and environmental factors on the burden of coronary artery disease. By design this is a prospective, single-center, classical twin study. In total, 202 twins (61 monozygotic pairs, 40 dizygotic same-sex pairs) were enrolled from the Hungarian Twin Registry database. All twins underwent non-contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) for the detection and quantification of coronary artery calcium and for the measurement of epicardial fat volumes. In addition, a single non-contrast-enhanced image slice was acquired at the level of L3-L4 to assess abdominal fat distribution. Coronary CT angiography was used for the detection and quantification of plaque, stenosis, and overall coronary artery disease burden. For the primary analysis, we will assess the presence and volume of atherosclerotic plaques. Furthermore, the 3-dimensional coronary geometry will be assessed based on the coronary CT angiography datasets. Additional phenotypic analyses will include per-patient epicardial and abdominal fat quantity measurements. Measurements obtained from monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs will be compared to evaluate the genetic or environmental effects of the given phenotype. The BUDAPEST-GLOBAL study provides a unique framework to shed some light on the genetic and environmental influences of cardiometabolic disorders. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Updates in management of coronary artery disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Dong Heon; Chae, Shung Chull

2005-01-01

Coronary artery disease (CAD) has been increasing during the last decade and is the one of major causes of death. The management of patients with coronary artery disease has evolved considerably. There are two main strategies in the management of CAD, complementary, not competitive, each other; the pharmacologic therapy to prevent and treat CAD and the percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to restore coronary flow. Antiplatelet drugs and cholesterol lowering drugs have central roles in pharmacotherapy. Drug eluting stent (DES) bring about revolutional changes in PCL in the management of patients with ST segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (AMI), there has been a debate on the better strategy for the restoration of coronary flow. Thrombolytic therapy is widely available and easy to administer, whereas primary PCI is less available and more complex, but more complete. Recently published evidences in the pharmacologic therapy including antiplatelet and statin, and PCI including DES and reperfusion therapy in patients with ST segment elevation AMI were reviewed

Updates in management of coronary artery disease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Dong Heon; Chae, Shung Chull [Kyungpook National University Medical School, Daegu (Korea, Republic of)

2005-02-15

Coronary artery disease (CAD) has been increasing during the last decade and is the one of major causes of death. The management of patients with coronary artery disease has evolved considerably. There are two main strategies in the management of CAD, complementary, not competitive, each other; the pharmacologic therapy to prevent and treat CAD and the percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to restore coronary flow. Antiplatelet drugs and cholesterol lowering drugs have central roles in pharmacotherapy. Drug eluting stent (DES) bring about revolutional changes in PCL in the management of patients with ST segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (AMI), there has been a debate on the better strategy for the restoration of coronary flow. Thrombolytic therapy is widely available and easy to administer, whereas primary PCI is less available and more complex, but more complete. Recently published evidences in the pharmacologic therapy including antiplatelet and statin, and PCI including DES and reperfusion therapy in patients with ST segment elevation AMI were reviewed.

Effectiveness of a stepped-care intervention to prevent major depression in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and/or coronary heart disease and subthreshold depression : A pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pols, Alide D.; Van Dijk, Susan E.; Bosmans, Judith E.; Hoekstra, Trynke; van Marwijk, Harm W J; Van Tulder, Maurits W.; Adriaanse, Marcel C.

2017-01-01

Purpose: Given the public health significance of poorly treatable co-morbid major depressive disorders (MDD) among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) and coronary heart disease (CHD), we need to investigate whether strategies to prevent the development of major depression could reduce its

[Major depressive disorder in relation with coronary heart disease and stroke in Chinese adults aged 30-79 years].

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, C Q; Chen, Y P; Lv, J; Guo, Y; Sherliker, P; Bian, Z; Zhou, H Y; Tan, Y L; Chen, J S; Chen, Z M; Li, L M

2016-06-18

To investigate the associations of major depressive disorder with coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke in Chinese adults aged 30-79 years. In 2004-2008, China Kadoorie Biobank was conducted in 10 geographically defined regions (5 urban and 5 rural) of China. A total number of 512 891 participants aged 30-79 years were recruited in the baseline survey. A laptop-based electronic questionnaire was administrated face-to-face by trained health workers, collecting the general demographic and socio-economic status, dietary and other lifestyle behaviours (e.g. smoking, alcohol drinking, physical activity), medical history and family history of common chronic diseases. Major depressive episodes (MDE) in the past 12 months were assessed with the World Health Organization composite international diagnostic interview-short form (CIDI-SF). The physical measurements included the heights and weights, which were used to calculate the body mass indexes (BMI).Chi squared and t test were used to compare the differences in participants characteristics according to their major depressive disorder. Logistic models were employed to estimate the odds ratios (OR) and 95% CI of their major depressive disorder with prevalent coronary heart disease and stroke. Among the 512 891 participants, 3 281 (0.6%) showed an MDE in the preceding 12 months, 15 472 (3.0%) reported prevalent CHD, and 8 884 (1.7%) reported prevalent stroke. Major depressive disorder was significantly associated with an increased risk of CHD and risk of stroke. Age- and gender-adjusted ORs (95% CI) were 1.80 (1.53-2.12) for CHD and 2.53 (2.09-3.05) for stroke. The associations were significant after further adjustment for potential confounders, such as other socio-demographic status, smoking, alcohol drinking, physical activity, and BMI, prevalent hypertension, diabetes as well as family history of cardiovascular diseases (OR=1.83, 95% CI=1.54-2.18 for CHD; OR=2.19, 95% CI=1.79-2.69 for stroke). Moreover, gender

Epicardial clip occlusion of the left atrial appendage during cardiac surgery provides optimal surgical results and long-term stability.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurfirst, Vojtech; Mokrácek, Aleš; Canádyová, Júlia; Frána, Radim; Zeman, Petr

2017-07-01

Occlusion of the left atrial appendage (LAA) has become an integral and important part of the surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation. Different methods of surgical occlusion of the LAA have been associated with varying levels of short- and long-term success for closure. The purpose of this study was to evaluate long-term results of epicardial placement and endocardial occlusion in patients undergoing cardiac operative procedures. A total of 101 patients (average age 65.7 years) undergoing cardiac operative procedures with the epicardial AtriClip Exclusion System of the LAA were enrolled in the study. The AtriClip was placed via a sternotomy or a thoracotomy or from a thoracoscopic approach. Postoperative variables, such as thromboembolic events, clip stability and endocardial leakage around the device, were examined by transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and/or computed tomography. Perioperative clip implantation was achieved in 98% of patients. TEE and/or computed tomography conducted during the follow-up period, comprising 1873 patient-months with a mean duration of 18 ± 11 months, revealed no clip migration, no leakage around the device and no clot formation near the remnant cul-de-sac. During the follow-up period, 4 of the cardiac patients experienced transitory ischaemic attacks, whereas no patient experienced a cerebrovascular attack. The Epicardial AtriClip Exclusion System of the LAA appears to be a feasable and safe operative method with a high success rate. Long-term follow-up confirmed clip stability, complete occlussion of the LAA and absence of any atrial fibrilation-related thromboembolic events. These results need to be confirmed by a larger, multicentre study. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.

Risk prediction models for major adverse cardiac event (MACE) following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI): A review

Science.gov (United States)

Manan, Norhafizah A.; Abidin, Basir

2015-02-01

Five percent of patients who went through Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) experienced Major Adverse Cardiac Events (MACE) after PCI procedure. Risk prediction of MACE following a PCI procedure therefore is helpful. This work describes a review of such prediction models currently in use. Literature search was done on PubMed and SCOPUS database. Thirty literatures were found but only 4 studies were chosen based on the data used, design, and outcome of the study. Particular emphasis was given and commented on the study design, population, sample size, modeling method, predictors, outcomes, discrimination and calibration of the model. All the models had acceptable discrimination ability (C-statistics >0.7) and good calibration (Hosmer-Lameshow P-value >0.05). Most common model used was multivariate logistic regression and most popular predictor was age.

Comparison of Durable-Polymer Zotarolimus-Eluting and Biodegradable-Polymer Biolimus-Eluting Coronary Stents in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Raungaard, Bent; Christiansen, Evald H; Bøtker, Hans Erik

2017-01-01

artery disease or acute coronary syndromes and at least 1 coronary artery lesion requiring treatment with a drug-eluting stent. Endpoints included major adverse cardiac events (MACE), a composite of safety (cardiac death and myocardial infarction not clearly attributable to a non-target lesion......OBJECTIVES: The authors sought to compare the safety and efficacy of the biocompatible durable-polymer zotarolimus-eluting stent with the biodegradable-polymer biolimus-eluting stent in unselected coronary patients. BACKGROUND: Biodegradable-polymer biolimus-eluting stents are superior to first......-generation durable-polymer drug-eluting stents in long-term randomized all-comer trials. Long-term data comparing them to second-generation durable-polymer drug-eluting stents are lacking. METHODS: The study was a randomized, multicenter, all-comer, noninferiority trial in patients with chronic stable coronary...

Quantitative thallium-201 single-photon emission computed tomography during maximal pharmacologic coronary vasodilation with adenosine for assessing coronary artery disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishimura, S.; Mahmarian, J.J.; Boyce, T.M.; Verani, M.S.

1991-01-01

The diagnostic value of maximal pharmacologic coronary vasodilation with intravenously administered adenosine in conjunction with thallium-201 single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) for detection of coronary artery disease was investigated in 101 consecutive patients who had concomitant coronary arteriography. Tomographic images were assessed visually and from computer-quantified polar maps of the thallium-201 distribution. Significant coronary artery disease, defined as greater than 50% luminal diameter stenosis, was present in 70 patients. The sensitivity for detecting patients with coronary artery disease using quantitative analysis was 87% in the total group, 82% in patients without myocardial infarction and 96% in those with prior myocardial infarction; the specificity was 90%. The sensitivity for diagnosing coronary artery disease in patients without infarction with single-, double-and triple-vessel disease was 76%, 86% and 90%, respectively. All individual stenoses were identified in 68% of patients with double-vessel disease and in 65% of those with triple-vessel disease. The extent of the perfusion defects, as quantified by polar maps, was directly related to the extent of coronary artery disease. In conclusion, quantitative thallium-201 SPECT during adenosine infusion has high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing the presence of coronary artery disease, localizing the anatomic site of coronary stenosis and identifying the majority of affected vascular regions in patients with multivessel involvement

Calcified Plaque of Coronary Artery: Factors Influencing Overestimation of Coronary Artery Stenosis on Coronary CT Angiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Mok Hee; Kim, Yun Hyeon; Choi, Song; Seon, Hyun Ju; Jeong, Gwang Woo; Park, Jin Gyoon; Kang, Heoung Keun; Ko, Joon Seok

2010-01-01

To assess the influence of calcified plaque characteristics on the overestimation of coronary arterial stenosis on a coronary CT angiography (CCTA). The study included 271 coronary arteries with calcified plaques identified by CCTA, and based on 928 coronary arteries from 232 patients who underwent both CCTA and invasive coronary angiography (ICA). Individual coronary arteries were classified into two groups by agreement based on the degree of stenosis from each CCTA and ICA: 1) group A includes patients with concordant CCTA and ICA results and, 2) group B includes patients with an overestimation of CCTA compared to ICA. Parameters including total calcium score, calcium score of an individual coronary artery, calcium burden number of an individual coronary artery, and the density of each calcified plaque (calcium score / number of calcium burden) for each individual coronary artery were compared between the two groups. Of the 271 coronary arteries, 164 (60.5%) were overestimated on CCTA. The left anterior descending artery (LAD) had a significantly low rate of overestimation (47.1%) compared to the other coronary arteries (p=0.001). No significant differences for total calcium score, calcium score of individual coronary artery, and the density of each calcified plaque from individual coronary arteries between two groups was observed. However, a decreasing tendency for the rate of overestimation on CCTA was observed with an increase in calcium burden of individual coronary arteries (p<0.05). The evaluation of coronary arteries suggests that the degree of coronary arterial stenosis had a tendency to be overestimated by calcified plaques on CCTA. However, the rate of overestimation for the degree of coronary arterial stenosis by calcified plaques was not significantly influenced by total calcium score, calcium score of individual coronary artery, and density of each calcified plaque

Regulation of Coronary Blood Flow in Health and Ischemic Heart Disease

Science.gov (United States)

Duncker, Dirk J.; Koller, Akos; Merkus, Daphne; Canty, John M.

2018-01-01

The major factors determining myocardial perfusion and oxygen delivery have been elucidated over the past several decades, and this knowledge has been incorporated into the management of patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD). The basic understanding of the fluid mechanical behavior of coronary stenoses has also been translated to the cardiac catheterization laboratory where measurements of coronary pressure distal to a stenosis and coronary flow are routinely obtained. However, the role of perturbations in coronary microvascular structure and function, due to myocardial hypertrophy or coronary microvascular dysfunction, in IHD is becoming increasingly recognized. Future studies should therefore be aimed at further improving our understanding of the integrated coronary microvascular mechanisms that control coronary blood flow, and of the underlying causes and mechanisms of coronary microvascular dysfunction. This knowledge will be essential to further improve the treatment of patients with IHD. PMID:25475073

Selective intra-coronary injection of sup(99m)Tc-labelled microspheres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Degeorges, M; Roucayrol, J C; Comet, M; Sol, C; Devaux, J Y; Delebarre, P; d' Izarn, J J [Hopital Cochin, 75 - Paris (France)

1977-02-01

A technique of myocardial perfusion imaging and a clinical experience with this technique in 83 patients with coronary artery disease are described. sup(99m)Tc-labelled microspheres were injected directly into one or both major coronary arteries, at the time of coronary arteriography. Microspheres with a mean diameter of 15..mu.. were used. Myocardial infarcts resulting from small vessel occlusions were detected by this technique. The results were compared to those obtained with coronary arteriography and with scintigraphy using /sup 201/Tl or /sup 131/Cs administered intravenously. Certain conclusions regarding coronary arterial injection can be drawn from this comparison. The possibility of irregularities of microsphere distribution after intra-coronary injection must be considered.

Effects of unilateral stellate ganglion stimulation and ablation on electrophysiologic changes induced by acute myocardial ischemia in dogs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Janse, M. J.; Schwartz, P. J.; Wilms-Schopman, F.; Peters, R. J.; Durrer, D.

1985-01-01

We recorded direct-current extracellular electrograms simultaneously from 60 left ventricular epicardial sites in 38 alpha-chloralose-anesthetized dogs during repeated, 5 min coronary arterial occlusions. In each dog recordings made during control occlusions were compared with those made in

New method for cardiac resynchronization therapy: Transapical endocardial lead implantation for left ventricular free wall pacing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

I. Kassai (Imre); C. Foldesi (Csaba); A. Szekely (Andrea); T. Szili-Torok (Tamas)

2008-01-01

textabstractCoronary sinus lead placement for transvenous left ventricular (LV) pacing in cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has a significant failure rate at implant and a significant dislocation rate during follow-up. For these patients, epicardial pacing lead implantation is the most

Acute coronary syndromes amongst type 2 diabetics with ischaemic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Majority had three coronary artery disease (CAD) risk factors: obesity 86%, elevated LDL 73% and hypertension 60%. Therapy in use was OHA 43%, insulin 42%, insulin and OHA 1%; prophylactic aspirin 14.7% and statins 8.4%. Thirty four (35.8%) were classified as acute coronary syndrome (ACS); 29 ( 30.5%) acute ...

The minimum coronary artery diameter in which coronary spasm can be identified by synchrotron radiation coronary angiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsushita, Shonosuke; Hyodo, Kazuyuki; Imazuru, Tomohiro; Tokunaga, Chiho; Sato, Fujio; Enomoto, Yoshiharu; Hiramatsu, Yuji; Sakakibara, Yuzuru

2008-01-01

Background: Coronary vasospasm is defined as a temporary, intense narrowing of the coronary conduit artery. It brings about ischemic chest pain and becomes one of the causes of myocardial infarction. Coronary spasms are divided into two categories. One is the coronary spasm of the conduit artery and the other is the coronary microvascular spasm. Although coronary spasms are diagnosed with the images of coronary angiography, microvascular spasms cannot be diagnosed because of the limitations of conventional angiographic systems. However, synchrotron radiation coronary angiography (SRCA) can identify coronary arteries down to 100 μm in diameter in the beating heart and 50 μm in arrested heart. Aim: The purpose of this study was to confirm whether microvascular spasms could be identified or not using SRCA, and then down that size identification was possible. Methods: The Langendorff perfusion system with isolated rat hearts was employed. Krebs-Henseleit solution (KH solution) was used as a perfusate. 10 mM of 4-aminopyridine (4-AP: a voltage-gated potassium channel blocker; spasm inducer) was added to the KH solution and maintained for 5 min. SRCA was performed at pre-, during and 10 min after cessation of the KH solution with 4-AP. Coronary spasms were defined as a temporal 75% reduction of coronary arterial diameter. Results and conclusion: Multiple sizes of coronary arteries showed coronary spasms. The minimum stenosed coronary artery size was 100 μm. Since coronary microvascular spasms are seen in the arterioles (50-400 μm), coronary microvascular spasms may be diagnosed with the use of synchrotron radiation coronary angiography

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging of myocardial oedema following acute myocardial infarction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hamshere, Stephen; Jones, A Daniel; Pellaton, Cyril

2016-01-01

patients after successful primary percutaneous coronary intervention. 82 patients underwent a novel 3-slice SAX protocol and 85 patients underwent standard 10-slice SAX protocol. AAR was obtained by manual endocardial and epicardial contour mapping followed by a semi- automated selection of normal...

Prophylactic antidepressant treatment following acute coronary syndrome

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, Ole G; Madsen, Michael T; Simonsen, Erik

2017-01-01

Major depressive disorder is significantly increased in patients following acute coronary syndrome resulting in twofold increased mortality compared with patients without depression. The depression diagnosis is often missed leading to considerable undertreatment. This systematic review assesses...... the current evidence of primary prophylactic treatment of depression in patients after acute coronary syndrome. The study protocol was prospectively registered at PROSPERO (registration number CRD42015025587). A systematic review were conducted and reported according to Preferred Reporting Items...... for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. PubMed, Embase, PsychINFO, CINAHL, and Cochran Library was searched. Two independent reviewers screened the records. The inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials on adult patients with acute coronary syndrome treated prophylactically...

[Obesity and heart].

Science.gov (United States)

Svačina, Štěpán

2014-12-01

Cardiovascular complications of obesity are traditionally considered an important complication of obesity. Obesity itself is probably not direct cause of atherosclerosis or coronary heart disease. This may occur indirectly in metabolic complications of obesity, especially diabetes and metabolic syndrome. However, thrombogenicity potential of obesity contributes to embolism and atherosclerosis development. In cardiology is well-known a phenomenon of obesity paradox when obese patients have better prognosis than thin. This is the case of heart failure and some other cardiovascular diseases. Recently, a new concept has emerged of myokines - hormones from muscle tissue that have extensive protective effects on organism and probably on heart. Whether heart is a source of myokines is uncertain. However, undoubted importance has epicardial and pericardial fatty tissue. The epicardial fatty tissue has mainly protective effects on myocardium. This fatty tissue may produce factors of inflammation affecting the myocardium. Relationship between amount of epicardial fatty tissue and coronary heart disease is rather pathogenic. Currently, it is certain that obesity brings more metabolic and cancer complications than cardiovascular and accurate contribution to pathogenic or protective character of fatty tissue in cardiology requires further research. Nevertheless, the conclusion is that adipose tissue of organism and around the heart may be in some circumstances beneficial.

Changes of junctions of endothelial cells in coronary sclerosis: A review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li-Zi Zhang

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Atherosclerosis, the major cause of cardiovascular diseases, has been a leading contributor to morbidity and mortality in the United States and it has been on the rise globally. Endothelial cell–cell junctions are critical for vascular integrity and maintenance of vascular function. Endothelial cell junctions dysfunction is the onset step of future coronary events and coronary artery disease. Keywords: Coronary atherosclerosis, Junctions, Endothelial cells

A Review of Coronary Artery Disease Research in Malaysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Ang, C S; Chan, K M J

2016-06-01

Coronary artery disease is the major cause of mortality and morbidity in Malaysia and worldwide. This paper reviews all research and publications on coronary artery disease in Malaysia published between 2000-2015. 508 papers were identified of which 146 papers were selected and reviewed on the basis of their relevance. The epidemiology, etiology, risk factors, prevention, assessment, treatment, and outcomes of coronary artery disease in the country are reviewed and summarized. The clinical relevance of the studies done in the country are discussed along with recommendations for future research.

Unusually Looped and Muzzled Branches of Right Coronary Artery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anitha Guru

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Coronary artery disease (CAD is the major cause of death in developed countries as it accounts on an average for 1 of every 5 deaths. Morphological variations of coronary arterial system is one of the causative factor for CAD. Anatomical knowledge of all possible variant patterns of coronary arterial system is imperative in the diagnostic and therapeutic approach of CAD. We report here a rare branching pattern of right coronary artery (RCA. The origin of RCA was normal but the course and branching pattern of it were atypical. RCA was not occupying its usual position in atrioventricular (coronary sulcus and its course was incomplete. It gave a ventricular branch to right ventricle, which presented an unusual looping pattern. It terminated as right marginal artery following its muzzled appearance within the musculature of the ventricle.

Percutaneous coronary intervention versus coronary-artery bypass grafting for severe coronary artery disease

NARCIS (Netherlands)

P.W.J.C. Serruys (Patrick); M-C. Morice (Marie-Claude); A.P. Kappetein (Arie Pieter); A. Colombo (Antonio); D.R. Holmes Jr (David); M.J. Mack (Michael); E. Stahle (Elisabeth); T.E. Feldman (Ted); M.J.B.M. van den Brand (Marcel); E.J. Bass (Eric); N. van Dyck (Nic); K. Leadly (Katrin); K.D. Dawkins (Keith); F.W. Mohr (Friedrich)

2009-01-01

textabstractBACKGROUND Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) involving drug-eluting stents is increasingly used to treat complex coronary artery disease, although coronary-artery bypass grafting (CABG) has been the treatment of choice historically. Our trial compared PCI and CABG for treating

Cost-effectiveness of a stepped-care intervention to prevent major depression in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and/or coronary heart disease and subthreshold depression: design of a cluster-randomized controlled trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Dijk, S.E.M.; Pols, A.D.; Adriaanse, M.C.; Bosmans, J.E.; Elders, P.J.M.; van Marwijk, H.W.J.; van Tulder, M.W.

2013-01-01

Background: Co-morbid major depression is a significant problem among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and/or coronary heart disease and this negatively impacts quality of life. Subthreshold depression is the most important risk factor for the development of major depression. Given the highly

Triiodothyronine promotes the proliferation of epicardial progenitor cells through the MAPK/ERK pathway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng, Song-Bai; Jing, Xiao-Dong; Wei, Xiao-ming; Du, Jian-Lin; Liu, Ya-Jie; Qin, Qin; She, Qiang

2017-01-01

Thyroid hormone has important functions in the development and physiological function of the heart. The aim of this study was to determine whether 3,5,3′-Triiodothyronine (T3) can promote the proliferation of epicardial progenitor cells (EPCs) and to investigate the potential underlying mechanism. Our results showed that T3 significantly promoted the proliferation of EPCs in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The thyroid hormone nuclear receptor inhibitor bisphenol A (100 μmol/L) did not affect T3's ability to induce proliferation. Further studies showed that the mRNA expression levels of mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1), MAPK3, and Ki67 in EPCs in the T3 group (10 nmol/L) increased 2.9-, 3-, and 4.1-fold, respectively, compared with those in the control group (P < 0.05). In addition, the mRNA expression of the cell cycle protein cyclin D1 in the T3 group increased approximately 2-fold compared with the control group (P < 0.05), and there were more EPCs in the S phase of the cell cycle (20.6% vs. 12.0%, P < 0.05). The mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) signaling pathway inhibitor U0126 (10 μmol/L) significantly inhibited the ability of T3 to promote the proliferation of EPCs and to alter cell cycle progression. This study suggested that T3 significantly promotes the proliferation of EPCs, and this effect may be achieved through activation of the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway. - Highlights: • Epicardial progenitor cells were successfully cultured from E12.5 mice. • Thyroid hormone T3 significantly promoted the proliferation of EPCs. • This biological effect may be mediated via activation of the MAPK/ERK pathway.

Thickening of the epicardial adipose tissue can be alleviated by thyroid hormone replacement therapy in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism.

Science.gov (United States)

Sayin, Irmak; Erkan, Aycan Fahri; Ekici, Berkay; Kutuk, Utku; Corakci, Ahmet; Tore, Hasan Fehmi

2016-01-01

Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is a common disorder which has adverse cardiovascular effects. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT), a novel marker of cardiovascular risk, is increased in SCH. We aimed to investigate whether L-thyroxine treatment can reverse the thickening of EAT in SCH. Forty-four patients with SCH and 42 euthyroid control subjects were included. EAT thickness was measured using transthoracic echocardiography at baseline and after restoration of the euthyroid status with 3 months of L-thyroxine treatment. At baseline, mean EAT thickness was significantly greater in the SCH group when compared to the control group (6.3 ± 1.7 mm vs. 4.1 ± 0.9 mm, respectively, p treatment (6.3 ± 1.7 mm vs. 5.1 ± 1.4 mm, p treatment when compared to baseline (DEAT) significantly correlated to the difference in TSH levels before and after treatment (DTSH; r = 0.323; p = 0.032). Epicardial adipose tissue thickness is increased in patients with SCH. This thickening was alleviated with restoration of the euthyroid status with L-thyroxine treatment in our study population of predominantly male, relatively old subjects with greater baseline EAT thickness.

Rationale of physical rehabilitation of patients with violation coronary circulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anvar Morad Pour Heidari Roudberi

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The aim of the study is to examine the risk factors that lead to the violation of the coronary circulation. Rationale for the use of physical rehabilitation to restore optimal hemodynamics in the myocardium. Considered views on the causes of the high mortality rate of the population of Ukraine of cardiovascular disease. It is shown that the main cause of death is coronary heart disease. Suggested that the major risk factors for coronary heart disease is high cholesterol, hypertension and obesity. Proposed to use exercise therapy, dosage walking, psychotherapy, autogenic training and diet therapy in rehabilitation program patients with impaired coronary circulation.

CT coronary angiography vs. invasive coronary angiography in CHD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anja Hagen

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Scientific background: Various diagnostic tests including conventional invasive coronary angiography and non-invasive computed tomography (CT coronary angiography are used in the diagnosis of coronary heart disease (CHD. Research questions: The present report aims to evaluate the clinical efficacy, diagnostic accuracy, prognostic value cost-effectiveness as well as the ethical, social and legal implications of CT coronary angiography versus invasive coronary angiography in the diagnosis of CHD. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in electronic data bases (MEDLINE, EMBASE etc. in October 2010 and was completed with a manual search. The literature search was restricted to articles published from 2006 in German or English. Two independent reviewers were involved in the selection of the relevant publications. The medical evaluation was based on systematic reviews of diagnostic studies with invasive coronary angiography as the reference standard and on diagnostic studies with intracoronary pressure measurement as the reference standard. Study results were combined in a meta-analysis with 95 % confidence intervals (CI. Additionally, data on radiation doses from current non-systematic reviews were taken into account. A health economic evaluation was performed by modelling from the social perspective with clinical assumptions derived from the meta-analysis and economic assumptions derived from contemporary German sources. Data on special indications (bypass or in-stent-restenosis were not included in the evaluation. Only data obtained using CT scanners with at least 64 slices were considered. Results: No studies were found regarding the clinical efficacy or prognostic value of CT coronary angiography versus conventional invasive coronary angiography in the diagnosis of CHD. Overall, 15 systematic reviews with data from 44 diagnostic studies using invasive coronary angiography as the reference standard (identification of obstructive

Atrioesophageal Fistula after Minimally Invasive Video-Assisted Epicardial Ablation for Lone Atrial Fibrillation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kik, Charles; van Valen, Richard; Mokhles, Mostafa M; Bekkers, Jos A; Bogers, Ad J J C

2017-09-01

Minimally invasive video-assisted epicardial beating heart ablation for lone atrial fibrillation claims to be safe and effective. We, however, report on three patients with an atrioesophageal fistula after this procedure. The exact pathogenesis of this complication is unknown. All patients presented around 6 weeks after surgery with either fever or neurological deficits. Diagnosis can be made by computed tomography scan. We advocate an aggressive surgical approach with closure of the atrial defect on cardiopulmonary bypass and closure and reinforcement of the esophagus with an intercostal muscle flap in a single-stage surgery. Some caution as to the low-risk character of this procedure seems to be realistic. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Increased epicardial fat is independently associated with the presence and chronicity of atrial fibrillation and radiofrequency ablation outcome

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Stojanovska, Jadranka; Kazerooni, Ella A.; Gross, Barry H.; Patel, Smita [University of Michigan Health System, Department of Radiology, Division of Cardiothoracic Radiology, UH B1-132 Taubman/Box 0302, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Sinno, Mohamad; Oral, Hakan [University of Michigan Health System, Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Medicine, Electrophysiology Laboratory, Cardiovascular Center, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Watcharotone, Kuanwong [University of Michigan, Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research (MICHR), Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Jacobson, Jon A. [University of Michigan Health System, Department of Radiology, Division of Musculoskeletal Radiology, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)

2015-08-15

To determine whether intrathoracic fat volumes are associated with presence and chronicity of atrial fibrillation (AF) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) treatment outcome. IRB approval was obtained and patient consent was waived for this HIPAA-compliant retrospective study. 169 patients with AF (75 non-paroxysmal and 94 paroxysmal) and 62 control patients underwent cardiac CT examination. Extrapericardial (EPFV) and epicardial fat volumes (EFV) were measured on CT, the sum of which is the total intrathoracic fat volume. Associations between these three fat volumes and presence and chronicity of AF, and outcome after RFA, were evaluated using logistic regression analysis. EFV was significantly associated with presence [OR 1.01 (95 % CI 1.003-1.03), p = 0.01], chronicity of AF [1.008 (1.001-1.020), p = 0.03] and AF recurrence after RFA [1.009 (1.001-1.01), p = 0.02] after adjustment for age, gender and BMI. Patients with a larger EFV had a shorter time to AF recurrence (p = 0.017) and a higher rate of recurrence (54 % vs 46 %) (p = 0.002) after RFA. EPFV had no significant associations. Increased epicardial fat is associated with the presence and chronicity of AF, a higher probability of AF recurrence after RFA and a shorter AF-free interval. (orig.)

Changes in arterial stiffness, carotid intima-media thickness, and epicardial fat after L-thyroxine replacement therapy in hypothyroidism.

Science.gov (United States)

del Busto-Mesa, Abdel; Cabrera-Rego, Julio Oscar; Carrero-Fernández, Lisván; Hernández-Roca, Cristina Victoria; González-Valdés, Jorge Luis; de la Rosa-Pazos, José Eduardo

2015-01-01

To assess the relationship between primary hypothyroidism and subclinical atherosclerosis and its potential changes with L-thyroxine replacement therapy. A prospective cohort study including 101 patients with primary hypothyroidism and 101 euthyroid patients as controls was conducted from July 2011 to December 2013. Clinical, anthropometrical, biochemical, and ultrasonographic parameters were assessed at baseline and after one year of L-thyroxine replacement therapy. At baseline, hypothyroid patients had significantly greater values of blood pressure, total cholesterol, VLDL cholesterol, left ventricular mass, epicardial fat, and carotid intima-media thickness as compared to controls. Total cholesterol, VLDL cholesterol, ventricular diastolic function, epicardial fat, carotid intima-media thickness, carotid local pulse wave velocity, pressure strain elastic modulus, and β arterial stiffness index showed a significant and positive correlation with TSH levels. After one year of replacement therapy, patients with hypothyroidism showed changes in total cholesterol, VLDL cholesterol, TSH, carotid intima-media thickness, and arterial stiffness parameters. Primary hypothyroidism is characterized by an increased cardiovascular risk. In these patients, L-thyroxine replacement therapy for one year is related to decreased dyslipidemia and improvement in markers of subclinical carotid atherosclerosis. Copyright © 2014 SEEN. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Reconsidering the Gatekeeper Paradigm for Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Stable Coronary Disease Management.

Science.gov (United States)

Schulman-Marcus, Joshua; Weintraub, William S; Boden, William E

2017-10-15

Major randomized clinical trials over the last decade support the role of optimal medical therapy for the initial management approach for patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD), whereas percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) ought to be reserved for patients with persistent symptoms despite optimal medical therapy. Likewise, several studies have continued to demonstrate the superiority of coronary artery bypass grafting surgery over PCI in many patients with extensive multivessel CAD, especially those with diabetes. Nevertheless, the decision-making paradigm for patients with stable CAD often continues to propagate the upfront use of "ad hoc PCI" and disadvantages alternative therapeutic approaches. In our editorial, we discuss how multiple systemic and interpersonal factors continue to favor early revascularization with PCI in stable patients. We discuss whether the interventional cardiologist can be an unbiased "gatekeeper" for the use of PCI or whether other physicians should also be involved with the patient in decision-making. Finally, we offer suggestions that can redefine the gatekeeper role to facilitate an evidence-based approach that embraces shared decision-making. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Treatment strategies in the left main coronary artery disease associated with acute coronary syndromes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmet Karabulut

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Significant left main coronary artery (LMCA stenosis is not rare and reported 3 to 10% of patients undergoing coronary angiography. Unprotected LMCA intervention is a still clinical challenge and surgery is still going to be a traditional management method in many cardiac centers. With a presentation of drug eluting stent (DES, extensive use of IVUS and skilled operators, number of such interventions increased rapidly which lead to change in recommendation in the guidelines regarding LMCA procedures in the stable angina (Class 2a recommendation for ostial and shaft lesion and class 2b recommendation for distal bifurcation lesion. However, there was not clear consensus about the management of unprotected LMCA lesion associated with acute myocardial infarction (MI with a LMCA culprit lesion itself or distinct culprit lesion of other major coronary arteries. Surgery could be preferred as an obligatory management strategy even in the high risk patients. With this review, we aimed to demonstrate treatment strategies of LMCA disease associated with acute coronary syndrome, particularly acute myocardial infarction (MI. In addition, we presented a short case series with LMCA lesion and ST elevated acute MI in which culprit lesion placed either in the left anterior descending artery or circumflex artery. We reviewed the current medical literature and propose simple algorithm for management.

Integral diagnosis of coronary atherosclerosis by coronary multidetector computed tomography and by invasive coronary angiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Llerena Rojas, Luis Roberto; Llerena Rojas, Lorenzo D; Mendoza Rodriguez, Vladimir

2013-01-01

Coronary angiography by multidetector computed tomography (CMDCT) visualizes the wall and lumen of coronary arteries. Invasive coronary angiography (INVCA) only visualizes the arterial lumen but with better resolution

Genetics of coronary artery calcification among African Americans, a meta-analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M.K. Wojczynski (Mary ); M. Li (Mingyao); L.F. Bielak (Lawrence F.); K.F. Kerr (Kathleen); A. Reiner (Alexander); N.D. Wong (Nathan); L.R. Yanek (Lisa); L. Qu (Liming); C.C. White (Charles); L.A. Lange (Leslie); J.F. Ferguson (Jane); J. He (Jing); T. Young (Taylor); T.H. Mosley (Thomas); J.A. Smith (Jennifer A); B.G. Kral (Brian); X. Guo (Xiuqing); Q. Wong (Quenna); S.K. Ganesh (Santhi); S.R. Heckbert (Susan); M.D. Griswold (Michael); D.H. O'Leary (Daniel H.); M.J. Budoff (Matthew); J. Carr (Jeffrey); H.A. Taylor (Herman); D.A. Bluemke (David); S. Demissie (Serkalem); S.-J. Hwang (Shih-Jen); D.N. Paltoo (Dina); J.F. Polak (Joseph F.); B.M. Psaty (Bruce); D.M. Becker (Diane); M.A. Province (Mike); W.S. Post (Wendy S.); C.J. O'Donnell (Christopher); J.G. Wilson (James); T.B. Harris (Tamara); M. Kavousi (Maryam); L.A. Cupples (Adrienne); J.I. Rotter (Jerome); M. Fornage (Myriam); L.C. Becker (Lewis); P.A. Peyser (Patricia A.); I.B. Borecki (Ingrid); M.P. Reilly (Muredach)

2013-01-01

textabstractBackground: Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the major cause of death in the United States. Coronary artery calcification (CAC) scores are independent predictors of CHD. African Americans (AA) have higher rates of CHD but are less well-studied in genomic studies. We assembled the largest

Clinical implementation of an emergency department coronary computed tomographic angiography protocol for triage of patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome

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Ghoshhajra, Brian B.; Staziaki, Pedro V.; Vadvala, Harshna; Kim, Phillip; Meyersohn, Nandini M.; Janjua, Sumbal A.; Hoffmann, Udo [Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Cardiac MR PET CT Program, Department of Radiology (Cardiovascular Imaging) and Division of Cardiology, Boston, MA (United States); Takx, Richard A.P. [Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Cardiac MR PET CT Program, Department of Radiology (Cardiovascular Imaging) and Division of Cardiology, Boston, MA (United States); University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Radiology, Utrecht (Netherlands); Neilan, Tomas G.; Francis, Sanjeev [Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Cardiac MR PET CT Program, Department of Radiology (Cardiovascular Imaging) and Division of Cardiology, Boston, MA (United States); Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Division of Cardiology, Boston, MA (United States); Bittner, Daniel [Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Cardiac MR PET CT Program, Department of Radiology (Cardiovascular Imaging) and Division of Cardiology, Boston, MA (United States); University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuernberg (FAU), Department of Medicine 2 - Cardiology, Erlangen (Germany); Mayrhofer, Thomas [Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Cardiac MR PET CT Program, Department of Radiology (Cardiovascular Imaging) and Division of Cardiology, Boston, MA (United States); Stralsund University of Applied Sciences, School of Business Studies, Stralsund (Germany); Greenwald, Jeffrey L. [Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Department of Medicine, Boston, MA (United States); Truong, Quyhn A. [Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Cardiac MR PET CT Program, Department of Radiology (Cardiovascular Imaging) and Division of Cardiology, Boston, MA (United States); Weill Cornell College of Medicine, Department of Radiology, New York, NY (United States); Abbara, Suhny [Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Cardiac MR PET CT Program, Department of Radiology (Cardiovascular Imaging) and Division of Cardiology, Boston, MA (United States); UT Southwestern Medical Center, Department Cardiothoracic Imaging, Dallas, TX (United States); Brown, David F.M.; Nagurney, John T. [Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Department of Emergency Medicine, Boston, MA (United States); Januzzi, James L. [Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Division of Cardiology, Boston, MA (United States); Collaboration: MGH Emergency Cardiac CTA Program Contributors

2017-07-15

To evaluate the efficiency and safety of emergency department (ED) coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) during a 3-year clinical experience. Single-center registry of coronary CTA in consecutive ED patients with suspicion of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The primary outcome was efficiency of coronary CTA defined as the length of hospitalization. Secondary endpoints of safety were defined as the rate of downstream testing, normalcy rates of invasive coronary angiography (ICA), absence of missed ACS, and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) during follow-up, and index radiation exposure. One thousand twenty two consecutive patients were referred for clinical coronary CTA with suspicion of ACS. Overall, median time to discharge home was 10.5 (5.7-24.1) hours. Patient disposition was 42.7 % direct discharge from the ED, 43.2 % discharge from emergency unit, and 14.1 % hospital admission. ACS rate during index hospitalization was 9.1 %. One hundred ninety two patients underwent additional diagnostic imaging and 77 underwent ICA. The positive predictive value of CTA compared to ICA was 78.9 % (95 %-CI 68.1-87.5 %). Median CT radiation exposure was 4.0 (2.5-5.8) mSv. No ACS was missed; MACE at follow-up after negative CTA was 0.2 %. Coronary CTA in an experienced tertiary care setting allows for efficient and safe management of patients with suspicion for ACS. (orig.)

Elevated oxidative stress among coronary artery disease patients on statin therapy: A cross sectional study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sabitha Palazhy

2015-05-01

Conclusions: Though coronary artery disease subjects had healthy lipid profile, oxidative stress, a recognized risk factor for coronary events, was still elevated among this patient group. Novel risk factors were not found to be major predictors for coronary artery disease among the study subjects.

Usefulness of preoperative coronary angiography and brain computed tomography in cases of coronary artery disease and cerebrovascular disease undergoing revascularization for arteriosclerosis obliterans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakurada, Tall; Shibata, Yoshiki

2003-01-01

Coronary angiography and brain computed tomography were preoperatively performed to evaluate the clinical condition of coronary artery disease and cerebrovascular disease in 101 patients (mean age, 68.4 years) with revascularization for arteriosclerosis obliterans. Eighty patients had hypertension, 12 had diabetes, and 26 had hyperlipidemia. Seventy-one patients (70.3%) had coronary stenosis. Significant stenoses in major coronary artery branches were confirmed in 35 patients, including 13 patients with old myocardial infarction. Coronary artery bypass grafting and percutaneous coronary angioplasty were performed in 2 and 7 patients with critical stenosis, respectively. Of 57 patients, who underwent brain computed tomography, abnormalities were found in 52 patients (91.2%), including cortical infarction in 9, lacunar infarction in 35, and leukoaraiosis in 27 patients. During the follow-up period 13 patients died (including 3 cases of myocardial infarction and 3 cases of stroke). Actuarial survival rate at 5 years was 80.4%. The influence of ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease on early and late mortality after surgical reconstruction for peripheral occlusive vascular disease is significant. Using visual diagnostic techniques, such as coronary angiography and brain computed tomography, long term survivor should be closely observed for multiple arteriosclerotic vascular diseases. (author)

Usefulness of preoperative coronary angiography and brain computed tomography in cases of coronary artery disease and cerebrovascular disease undergoing revascularization for arteriosclerosis obliterans

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Sakurada, Tall; Shibata, Yoshiki [Southern Tohoku Fukushima Hospital (Japan)

2003-05-01

Coronary angiography and brain computed tomography were preoperatively performed to evaluate the clinical condition of coronary artery disease and cerebrovascular disease in 101 patients (mean age, 68.4 years) with revascularization for arteriosclerosis obliterans. Eighty patients had hypertension, 12 had diabetes, and 26 had hyperlipidemia. Seventy-one patients (70.3%) had coronary stenosis. Significant stenoses in major coronary artery branches were confirmed in 35 patients, including 13 patients with old myocardial infarction. Coronary artery bypass grafting and percutaneous coronary angioplasty were performed in 2 and 7 patients with critical stenosis, respectively. Of 57 patients, who underwent brain computed tomography, abnormalities were found in 52 patients (91.2%), including cortical infarction in 9, lacunar infarction in 35, and leukoaraiosis in 27 patients. During the follow-up period 13 patients died (including 3 cases of myocardial infarction and 3 cases of stroke). Actuarial survival rate at 5 years was 80.4%. The influence of ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease on early and late mortality after surgical reconstruction for peripheral occlusive vascular disease is significant. Using visual diagnostic techniques, such as coronary angiography and brain computed tomography, long term survivor should be closely observed for multiple arteriosclerotic vascular diseases. (author)

Early and long-term outcomes of coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with acute coronary syndrome versus stable angina pectoris.

Science.gov (United States)

Fukui, Toshihiro; Tabata, Minoru; Morita, Satoshi; Takanashi, Shuichiro

2013-06-01

The aim of the present study was to determine the early and long-term outcomes of coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with acute coronary syndrome and stable angina pectoris. From September 2004 to September 2011, 382 patients with acute coronary syndrome (unstable angina pectoris and non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction) and 851 patients with stable angina pectoris underwent first-time isolated coronary artery bypass grafting at our institute. The early and long-term outcomes were compared between the 2 groups. Patients with acute coronary syndrome were older, were more likely to be women, had a smaller body surface area, and were more likely to have left main coronary artery disease. In both groups, bilateral internal thoracic artery grafts were used in approximately 89% of the patients, and off-pump techniques in approximately 97% of the patients. The acute coronary syndrome group had a greater operative death rate (2.6% vs 0.1%) and a greater incidence of low output syndrome (3.1% vs 1.2%) and hemodialysis requirement (2.9% vs 1.1%). Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that age, acute coronary syndrome, lower ejection fraction, and higher creatinine level before surgery were independent predictors of operative death. However, among the hospital survivors, no differences were seen in freedom from all death (85.4% ± 2.5% vs 87.7% ± 2.0%), cardiac death (97.4% ± 0.9% vs 96.5% ± 0.9%), or major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (78.0% ± 2.9% vs 78.1% ± 2.3%) at 7 years between the patients with acute coronary syndrome and stable angina pectoris. Although acute coronary syndrome is an independent predictor of early mortality in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, the long-term outcomes after surgery were similar between patients with acute coronary syndrome and stable angina pectoris who survived the early postoperative period. Copyright © 2013 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Severely Calcified Unprotected Left Main Coronary Artery Disease: Initial Experience With Orbital Atherectomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Michael S; Shlofmitz, Evan; Kaplan, Barry; Shlofmitz, Richard

2016-04-01

We report the clinical outcomes of patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with orbital atherectomy for severely calcified unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) disease. Although surgical revascularization is the gold standard for patients with ULMCA disease, not all patients are candidates for this. PCI is increasingly used to treat complex coronary artery disease, including ULMCA disease. The presence of severely calcified lesions increases the complexity of PCI. Orbital atherectomy can be used to facilitate stent delivery and expansion in severely calcified lesions. The clinical outcomes of patients treated with orbital atherectomy for severely calcified ULMCA disease have not been reported. From May 2014 to July 2015, a total of 14 patients who underwent PCI with orbital atherectomy for ULMCA disease were retrospectively evaluated. The primary endpoint was major cardiac and cerebrovascular event (cardiac death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and target-lesion revascularization) at 30 days. The mean age was 78.2 ± 5.8 years. The mean ejection fraction was 41.8 ± 19.8%. Distal bifurcation disease was present in 9 of 14 patients. Procedural success was achieved in all 14 patients. The 30-day major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular event rate was 0%. One patient had coronary dissection that was successfully treated with stenting. No patient had perforation, slow flow, or thrombosis. Orbital atherectomy in patients with severely calcified ULMCA disease is feasible, even in high-risk patients who were considered poor surgical candidates. Randomized trials are needed to determine the role of orbital atherectomy in ULMCA disease.

Coronary dual source multi detector computed tomography in patients suspected of coronary artery disease: Prevalence of incidental extra-cardiac findings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bendix, K.; Jensen, J.M.; Poulsen, S.; Mygind, N.; Norgaard, B.L.

2011-01-01

Objectives: (1) To establish the prevalence of incidental extra-cardiac findings (ECFs) in coronary multi detector computed tomography (CCT) performed in a large, homogeneous cohort of patients suspected of coronary artery disease (CAD). (2) To examine whether any association can be established between ECFs and pretest risk as determined by conventional risk factors for CAD, the Diamond-Forrester risk model or coronary artery calcium scores. (3) To assess cost related to extra-cardiac examinations. Design: Retrospective study of consecutive patients who had CCT performed. A large field of view was recreated from the non-enhanced CT scan and evaluated by a radiologist for incidental ECFs. Subjects: Patients with chest pain referred to CTA by a cardiologist. Results: In 1383 patients a total of 481 ECFs were indentified, 378 minor (meaning no follow-up was needed) and 103 major ECFs (ECF followed up clinically and/or with additional imaging), in a total of 393 (28%) patients. 85 (6%) patients had one major ECF and 9 (0.7%) patients had two major ECFs. In 19 (4 cases of malignancy) patients the major ECF had therapeutic consequences. Significant positive associations were found between age and smoking, respectively and the presence of ECFs. The cost estimate of saving one life from malignant disease based on ECF examinations is 40,190 Euro . Conclusion: Incidental extra-cardiac findings are common, sometimes revealing serious, even malignant disease. Diagnostic follow-up of major ECFs seems to be cost-effective in a Danish clinical setting. We recommend investigating a large field of view for incidental ECFs following CCT.

Adult mouse epicardium modulates myocardial injury by secreting paracrine factors

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Bin; Honor, Leah B.; He, Huamei; Ma, Qing; Oh, Jin-Hee; Butterfield, Catherine; Lin, Ruei-Zeng; Melero-Martin, Juan M.; Dolmatova, Elena; Duffy, Heather S.; von Gise, Alexander; Zhou, Pingzhu; Hu, Yong Wu; Wang, Gang; Zhang, Bing; Wang, Lianchun; Hall, Jennifer L.; Moses, Marsha A.; McGowan, Francis X.; Pu, William T.

2011-01-01

The epicardium makes essential cellular and paracrine contributions to the growth of the fetal myocardium and the formation of the coronary vasculature. However, whether the epicardium has similar roles postnatally in the normal and injured heart remains enigmatic. Here, we have investigated this question using genetic fate-mapping approaches in mice. In uninjured postnatal heart, epicardial cells were quiescent. Myocardial infarction increased epicardial cell proliferation and stimulated formation of epicardium-derived cells (EPDCs), which remained in a thickened layer on the surface of the heart. EPDCs did not adopt cardiomyocyte or coronary EC fates, but rather differentiated into mesenchymal cells expressing fibroblast and smooth muscle cell markers. In vitro and in vivo assays demonstrated that EPDCs secreted paracrine factors that strongly promoted angiogenesis. In a myocardial infarction model, EPDC-conditioned medium reduced infarct size and improved heart function. Our findings indicate that epicardium modulates the cardiac injury response by conditioning the subepicardial environment, potentially offering a new therapeutic strategy for cardiac protection. PMID:21505261

Clinical outcomes of patients with major bleeding after primary coronary intervention for acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng Hongchao; Zhang Qi; Zhang Ruiyan; Hu Jian; Yang Zhenkun; Zhang Jiansheng; Shen Weifeng

2009-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of patients complicated with major bleeding after primary coronary intervention (PCI) for acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods: During the period of January 2004-January 2008, primary PCI was performed in 412 consecutive patients with acute STEMI at Shanghai Ruijin Hospital. The clinical data were retrospectively analyzed. Major adverse cardiac events (MACE), including death, reoccurrence of myocardial infarction and target vessel revascularization, in patients with major bleeding were compared with that in patients without major bleeding. Results: Compared to patients without bleeding, the patients with bleeding were older (70.0 ± 8.9 years vs 64.9 ± 12.7 years, P=0.04), mainly the females (51.9% vs 23.1%, P=0.001) and treated more often with glycoprotein (GP) IIb / IIIa receptor inhibitor (88.9% vs 69.4%, P=0.03) or intra-aortic balloon pump (7.4% vs 1.3%, P=0.02). In-hospital and one-year MACE rate in the patients with bleeding was 18.5% and 37.0% respectively,which were significantly higher than that in the patients without bleeding (5.7% and 14.3%, with P=0.008 and P=0.002, respectively). Multivariate analysis indicated that patient aged over 70 years, feminine gender and use of GP IIb/IIIa receptor inhibitor were independent predictors for the occurrence of major bleeding. The occurrence of major bleeding after primary PCI was significantly correlated with MACE occurred within one year after the procedure (OR 2.79, 95% CI: 2.21-5.90, P<0.001). Conclusion: In patients with acute STEMI, the occurrence of major bleeding after primary PCI is closely linked to the increased MACE rate within one year after the treatment.Feminine gender, aged patient and use of GPIIb/IIIa receptor inhibitor are independent predictors to increase the danger of major bleeding. (authors)

Distal coronary hemoperfusion during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Muinck, Ebo Derk de

1994-01-01

In this thesis several aspects of passive and active coronary perfusion during coronary angioplasty are investigated. The autoperfusion balloon catheters that were evaluated are the Stack® and the RX-60® catheters (Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, inc., Santa Clara, California, U.S.A). The coronary

Coronary involvement in Churg-Strauss syndrome: a case report with CT findings.

Science.gov (United States)

Doo, Kyung Won; Yong, Hwan Seok; Kang, Eun-Young

2013-12-01

We report a case of Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) associated with coronary artery involvement, as demonstrated on coronary CT angiography (CCTA), without specific cardiac symptoms. A 69-year-old male had an 8-year history of bronchial asthma and chronic sinusitis with hypereosinophilia (35 %), polyneuropathy, and a positive antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody titer, so he was diagnosed with CSS. The patient had no specific cardiac symptoms, but CCTA showed vasculitis and a saccular aneurysm involving the proximal coronary arteries. The 3-year follow-up CCTA demonstrated an increase in the extent of soft-tissue wall thickening and infiltration involving the coronary arteries. Although vasculitis of the major coronary arteries is not a prominent feature of CSS, our case suggests that the coronary arteries may also be targeted in this syndrome.

Iodophenylpentadecanoic acid-myocardial blood flow relationship during maximal exercise with coronary occlusion

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Caldwell, J.H.; Martin, G.V.; Link, J.M.; Krohn, K.A.; Bassingthwaighte, J.B. (Seattle VA Medical Center, WA (USA))

1990-01-01

Imaging {sup 123}I-labeled iodophenylpentadecanoic acid (IPPA) uptake and clearance from the myocardium following exercise has been advocated as a means of detecting myocardial ischemia because fatty acid deposition is enhanced and clearance prolonged in regions of low flow. However, normal regional myocardial blood flows are markedly heterogeneous, and it is not known how this heterogeneity affects regional metabolism or substrate uptake and thus image interpretation. In five instrumented dogs running at near maximal workload on a treadmill, {sup 131}I-labeled IPPA and 15-micron 46Sc microspheres were injected into the left atrium after 30 sec of circumflex coronary artery occlusion. Microsphere and IPPA activity were determined in 250 mapped pieces of myocardium of approximately 400 mg. Myocardial blood flows (from microspheres) ranged from 0.05 to 7.6 ml/min/g. Deposition of IPPA was proportional to regional flows (r = 0.83) with an average retention of 25%. The mean endocardial-epicardial ratio for IPPA (0.90 {plus minus} 0.43) was similar to that for microspheres (0.94 {plus minus} 0.47; p = 0.08). Thus, initial IPPA deposition during treadmill exercise increases in proportion to regional myocardial blood flow over a range of flows from very low to five times normal.

Iodophenylpentadecanoic acid-myocardial blood flow relationship during maximal exercise with coronary occlusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caldwell, J.H.; Martin, G.V.; Link, J.M.; Krohn, K.A.; Bassingthwaighte, J.B.

1990-01-01

Imaging 123 I-labeled iodophenylpentadecanoic acid (IPPA) uptake and clearance from the myocardium following exercise has been advocated as a means of detecting myocardial ischemia because fatty acid deposition is enhanced and clearance prolonged in regions of low flow. However, normal regional myocardial blood flows are markedly heterogeneous, and it is not known how this heterogeneity affects regional metabolism or substrate uptake and thus image interpretation. In five instrumented dogs running at near maximal workload on a treadmill, 131 I-labeled IPPA and 15-micron 46Sc microspheres were injected into the left atrium after 30 sec of circumflex coronary artery occlusion. Microsphere and IPPA activity were determined in 250 mapped pieces of myocardium of approximately 400 mg. Myocardial blood flows (from microspheres) ranged from 0.05 to 7.6 ml/min/g. Deposition of IPPA was proportional to regional flows (r = 0.83) with an average retention of 25%. The mean endocardial-epicardial ratio for IPPA (0.90 ± 0.43) was similar to that for microspheres (0.94 ± 0.47; p = 0.08). Thus, initial IPPA deposition during treadmill exercise increases in proportion to regional myocardial blood flow over a range of flows from very low to five times normal

Iodophenylpentadecanoic acid-myocardial blood flow relationship during maximal exercise with coronary occlusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Caldwell, J H; Martin, G V; Link, J M; Krohn, K A; Bassingthwaighte, J B

1990-01-01

Imaging 123I-labeled iodophenylpentadecanoic acid (IPPA) uptake and clearance from the myocardium following exercise has been advocated as a means of detecting myocardial ischemia because fatty acid deposition is enhanced and clearance prolonged in regions of low flow. However, normal regional myocardial blood flows are markedly heterogeneous, and it is not known how this heterogeneity affects regional metabolism or substrate uptake and thus image interpretation. In five instrumented dogs running at near maximal workload on a treadmill, 131I-labeled IPPA and 15-micron 46Sc microspheres were injected into the left atrium after 30 sec of circumflex coronary artery occlusion. Microsphere and IPPA activity were determined in 250 mapped pieces of myocardium of approximately 400 mg. Myocardial blood flows (from microspheres) ranged from 0.05 to 7.6 ml/min/g. Deposition of IPPA was proportional to regional flows (r = 0.83) with an average retention of 25%. The mean endocardial-epicardial ratio for IPPA (0.90 +/- 0.43) was similar to that for microspheres (0.94 +/- 0.47; p = 0.08). Thus, initial IPPA deposition during treadmill exercise increases in proportion to regional myocardial blood flow over a range of flows from very low to five times normal.

MRI in coronary artery disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barkhausen, Joerg; Hunold, Peter; Waltering, Kai-Uwe

2004-01-01

Diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major challenge for medical imaging, because CAD is the leading cause of death in developed nations. Several non-invasive tests are used in clinical routine for the detection of CAD. However, due to limited sensitivity and specificity, the reliable diagnosis as well as the exclusion of CAD can only be established by catheter angiography. In patients with known CAD, therapeutic decisions require accurate information on myocardial function, ischemia and viability. Recently, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has emerged as a non-invasive cardiac imaging technique that provides information on cardiac morphology, cardiac function, myocardial viability, and coronary morphology. This review discusses technical aspects and the clinical impact of different MR techniques. (orig.)

Myocardial ischemia in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy; Isquemia miocardica na cardiomiopatia hipertrofica

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Lima Filho, Moyses de Oliveira; Figueiredo, Geraldo L.; Simoes, Marcus V.; Pyntia, Antonio O.; Marin Neto, Jose Antonio [Sao Paulo Univ., Ribeirao Preto, SP (Brazil). Faculdade de Medicina. Div. de Cardiologia

2000-08-01

Myocardial ischemia in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is multifactorial and explains the occurrence of angina, in about 50% of patients. The pathophysiology of myocardial ischemia may be explained by the increase of the ventricular mass and relative paucity of the coronary microcirculation; the elevated ventricular filling pressures and myocardial stiffness causing a compression of the coronary microvessels; the impaired coronary vasodilator flow reserve caused by anatomic and functional abnormalities; and the systolic compression of epicardial vessel (myocardial bridges). Myocardial ischemia must be investigated by perfusion scintigraphic methods since its presence influences the prognosis and has relevant clinical implications for management of patients. Patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and documented myocardial ischemia usually need to undergo invasive coronary angiography to exclude the presence of concomitant atherosclerotic coronary disease. (author)

Myocardial ischemia in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lima Filho, Moyses de Oliveira; Figueiredo, Geraldo L.; Simoes, Marcus V.; Pyntia, Antonio O.; Marin Neto, Jose Antonio

2000-01-01

Myocardial ischemia in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is multifactorial and explains the occurrence of angina, in about 50% of patients. The pathophysiology of myocardial ischemia may be explained by the increase of the ventricular mass and relative paucity of the coronary microcirculation; the elevated ventricular filling pressures and myocardial stiffness causing a compression of the coronary microvessels; the impaired coronary vasodilator flow reserve caused by anatomic and functional abnormalities; and the systolic compression of epicardial vessel (myocardial bridges). Myocardial ischemia must be investigated by perfusion scintigraphic methods since its presence influences the prognosis and has relevant clinical implications for management of patients. Patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and documented myocardial ischemia usually need to undergo invasive coronary angiography to exclude the presence of concomitant atherosclerotic coronary disease. (author)

Inflammation: a trigger for acute coronary syndrome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

SAGER, Hendrik B.; NAHRENDORF, Matthias

2016-01-01

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the vessel wall and a major cause of death worldwide. One of atherosclerosis’ most dreadful complications are acute coronary syndromes that comprise ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, and unstable angina. We now understand that inflammation substantially contributes to the initiation, progression, and destabilization of atherosclerosis. In this review, we will focus on the role of inflammatory leukocytes, which are the cellular protagonists of vascular inflammation, in triggering disease progression and, ultimately, the destabilization that causes acute coronary syndromes.

HUMAN CORONARY ARTERIES- A STUDY BASED ON GROSS ANATOMY AND CORONARY CAST

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Vijayamma K. N

2018-01-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND Present study is an attempt to throw light upon the coronary arterial pattern, variations in arterial distribution and extent of intercoronary anastomosis and arterial preponderance in different age groups. MATERIALS AND METHODS Total of 115 hearts were made use for this study. Ninety hearts were dissected for the gross anatomical study of coronary arteries and 25 hearts including three fetal hearts were used for the coronary cast study. The right and left coronary arteries were traced from aortic sinus along the atrioventricular groove to the area of its termination. The atrial ventricular and septal branches were traced and looked for anastomosis. Coronary casts were prepared by injecting coloured liquid latex through the coronary ostia and the branching pattern and anastomosis were studied. The coronary arterial pattern, extent of distribution of its branches, arterial preponderance and variations were observed. RESULTS It was found that 73 % cases of SA nodal branch arise from right coronary artery and 27 % from circumflex branch of left coronary artery. SA node has dual blood supply from both coronary arteries in 4% cases. Right coronary preponderance was observed in 83% of cases and left coronary preponderance in 11 % cases, and balanced supply in 6% cases. Coronary cast was helpful to understand the branching pattern of vessels, and the anastomosis of small capillaries. It was also seen that all 11 % of left preponderance were seen in male hearts and all of the 31 female hearts dissected were right preponderant. CONCLUSION Coronary arteries are called end arteries functionally. Right coronary artery originates from anterior aortic sinus in all cases except one which takes origin from posterior left aortic sinus along with left coronary artery. Right coronary preponderance is observed in 83% cases. Left coronary artery branching pattern shows variability. Left coronary preponderance was observed in 11% and all cases are male

Is diet an essential risk factor for coronary heart disease?

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Ball, K. P.

1980-01-01

Cigarette smoking, hypertension and diet each play a major role in the development of coronary heart attacks in most industrialized nations. In some countries where cigarette smoking and hypertension are prevalent there is a low risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Hyperlipidaemia resulting from national food habits appears to be the essential factor in the high rates of CHD in developed countries.

A comparison of hybrid coronary revascularization and off-pump coronary revascularization.

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Umakanthan, Ramanan; Leacche, Marzia; Gallion, Anna H; Byrne, John G

2013-04-01

Minimally invasive approaches to treat vascular disease have been accruing significant popularity over the last several decades. Due to progressive advances in technology, a variety of techniques are being now utilized in the field of cardiovascular surgery. The objectives of minimally invasive techniques are to curtail operative trauma and minimize perioperative morbidity without decreasing the quality of the treatment. The standard surgical approach for the treatment of coronary artery disease has traditionally been coronary artery bypass grafting surgery via median sternotomy. Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting surgery offers a less invasive alternative and enables coronary revascularization to be performed without cardiopulmonary bypass. Hybrid coronary revascularization offers an even less invasive option in which minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass can be combined with percutaneous coronary intervention. In this article, the authors review a recent publication comparing hybrid coronary revascularization and off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting surgery.

The Anti-Coronary Club: 1957 to 1972.

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Singman, H S; Berman, S N; Cowell, C; Maslansky, E; Archer, M

1980-06-01

The Diet and Coronary Heart Disease Study Project, known as the Anti-Coronary Club, was established by the New York City Department of Health, Bureau of Nutrition in June 1957. The major goals were: 1) to develop an acceptable experimental diet capable of reducing serum cholesterol in ambulatory middle-aged men; and 2) to test the hypothesis that a reduction in serum cholesterol is associated with a modified diet and a reduced incidence of coronary heart disease development. The Prudent Diet was developed to provide a way of eating consistent with the American dietary pattern, avoiding an excess of empty calories, saturated fat, and food cholesterol. It provides a favorable balance of nutrients, limits total fat content and makes possible a more desirable ratio of PUFA to saturated fats. Based on the data, it seems reasonable to attribute the lower coronary heart disease incidence rates in the active experimental group of both age categories studied (40 to 49 and 50 to 59) directly to the reduction in serum cholesterol levels, with weight reduction as a beneficial accomplishment. Dietary intervention with the Prudent Diet was instrumental in achieving the lower coronary heart disease incidence rates that demonstrated the efficacy of the Prudent Diet as a sensible diet.

Heart and coronary artery damage related to Kawasaki syndrome

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A. A. Leontyeva

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Kawasaki syndrome is an acute systemic vasculitis of unknown etiology, which mainly affects children within the first 5 years of fife. At the present time, Kawasaki syndrome is recognized to be a leading cause of acquired organic heart diseases in children, which may result in coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, and sudden death in children and young people. Most complications are associated with the cardiovascular system, with coronary artery changes in particular. Transthoracic echocardiography, which, besides coronary artery assessment, makes it possible to evaluate right and left ventricular systolic and diastolic functions and to study the cardiac valves and changes in pericardial effusion, is a major technique in Kawasaki syndrome. The paper outlines an update on the epidemiology, etiology, pathogenetic mechanisms, and pathomorphology of Kawasaki syndrome and considers possible coronary and noncoronary changes, outcomes, and clinical manifestations.

Coronary blood flow and coronary stenosis correlations in ischemic heart patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manukov, I.

2003-01-01

The aim of the study is the assessment of the methodology for the C-TIMI frame count by Gibson for easy and fast determination of the coronary blood flow during a selective coronary angiography. 75 patient have been studied with one-branch affection of the coronary arteries. The criteria for exclusion are: myocardial hypertrophy, valve lesions, myocardial infarction and dyslipidemia. Depending of the characteristics of the coronary stenotic changes, the patients have been divided into two groups: 1) Patients with 'ordinary' stenosis of the coronary artery and 2) Patients with 'complex' stenosis. The severity of the stenotic changes in percents is the same for the two groups - 78%±13% vs 81±12%, respectively. In the first group a pronounced correlation is observed between the severity of the coronary stenosis and the slowing of the coronary blood flow. The 'threshold' stenotic level is 89%. In the second group the lowest value of the coronary stenosis is 73% (p>0.01 vs group 1). No correlation is observed between the severity of the coronary stenosis and the slowing of the coronary blood flow. A conclusion is made that the Gibson method for the assessment of the blood flow is convenient for the daily practice not only for the assessment of the significance of the coronary changes, but also for fast analysis of the achieved reconstruction of the coronary arteries after angioplasty. Additional studies of the significance of the different signs of 'complexity' of the coronary stenosis for the slowing of the blood flow are necessary

Sensitivity of thallium scintigraphy in the detection of individual coronary artery disease

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Khan, A.; Rehman, A.; Wiqar, M.A.; Khan, Z.A.; Ahmad, S.A.

1988-01-01

In this study we randomly selected 45 patients whose coronary angiograms were abnormals i.e. showing triple, double and single vessel disease. Out of 80 patients who had undergone stress thallium imaging and coronary angiography during the one year. Majority of these patients were males and their ages ranged between 34-54 years. Fifteen patients had suffered inferior myocardial infraction and 5 had sustained anterior myocardial infraction in the fast. We analysed their coronary angiograms and compared them with the scintigraphic findings. It is concluded that although thallium scanning has high sensitivity for detection of coronary artery disease in general, it has only moderate sensitivity for detection of stenosis in individual coronary arteries. In this study thallium scan identified 75% of RCA lesions, 66% of LAD lesions and 38% circumflex lesions. Thallium scan sometimes fails to identify the less serve lesions in presence of more severe coronary lesions in the some patients. The sensitivity is much higher in single vessel coronary artery disease. (author)

Sublingual nitroglycerin administration in coronary computed tomography angiography: a systematic review

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Takx, Richard A.P. [Harvard Medical School, Cardiac MR PET CT Program, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (United States); University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Radiology, Utrecht (Netherlands); Sucha, Dominika; Leiner, Tim [University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Radiology, Utrecht (Netherlands); Park, Jakob [Harvard Medical School, Cardiac MR PET CT Program, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (United States); University of Heidelberg, Department of Cardiology, Heidelberg (Germany); Hoffmann, Udo [Harvard Medical School, Cardiac MR PET CT Program, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (United States)

2015-12-15

To systematically investigate the literature for the influence of sublingual nitroglycerin administration on coronary diameter, the number of evaluable segments, image quality, heart rate and blood pressure, and diagnostic accuracy of coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography. A systematic search was performed in PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science. The studies were evaluated for the effect of sublingual nitroglycerin on coronary artery diameter, evaluable segments, objective and subjective image quality, systemic physiological effects and diagnostic accuracy. Due to the heterogeneous reporting of outcome measures, a narrative synthesis was applied. Of the 217 studies identified, nine met the inclusion criteria: seven reported on the effect of nitroglycerin on coronary artery diameter, six on evaluable segments, four on image quality, five on systemic physiological effects and two on diagnostic accuracy. Sublingual nitroglycerin administration resulted in an improved evaluation of more coronary segments, in particular, in smaller coronary branches, better image quality and improved diagnostic accuracy. Side effects were mild and were alleviated without medical intervention. Sublingual nitroglycerin improves the coronary diameter, the number of assessable segments, image quality and diagnostic accuracy of coronary CT angiography without major side effects or systemic physiological changes. (orig.)

The Coronary Artery Disease-Reporting and Data System (CAD-RADS): Prognostic and Clinical Implications Associated With Standardized Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography Reporting.

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Xie, Joe X; Cury, Ricardo C; Leipsic, Jonathon; Crim, Matthew T; Berman, Daniel S; Gransar, Heidi; Budoff, Matthew J; Achenbach, Stephan; Ó Hartaigh, Bríain; Callister, Tracy Q; Marques, Hugo; Rubinshtein, Ronen; Al-Mallah, Mouaz H; Andreini, Daniele; Pontone, Gianluca; Cademartiri, Filippo; Maffei, Erica; Chinnaiyan, Kavitha; Raff, Gilbert; Hadamitzky, Martin; Hausleiter, Joerg; Feuchtner, Gudrun; Dunning, Allison; DeLago, Augustin; Kim, Yong-Jin; Kaufmann, Philipp A; Villines, Todd C; Chow, Benjamin J W; Hindoyan, Niree; Gomez, Millie; Lin, Fay Y; Jones, Erica; Min, James K; Shaw, Leslee J

2018-01-01

This study sought to assess clinical outcomes associated with the novel Coronary Artery Disease-Reporting and Data System (CAD-RADS) scores used to standardize coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) reporting and their potential utility in guiding post-coronary CTA care. Clinical decision support is a major focus of health care policies aimed at improving guideline-directed care. Recently, CAD-RADS was developed to standardize coronary CTA reporting and includes clinical recommendations to facilitate patient management after coronary CTA. In the multinational CONFIRM (COronary CT Angiography EvaluatioN For Clinical Outcomes: An InteRnational Multicenter) registry, 5,039 patients without known coronary artery disease (CAD) underwent coronary CTA and were stratified by CAD-RADS scores, which rank CAD stenosis severity as 0 (0%), 1 (1% to 24%), 2 (25% to 49%), 3 (50% to 69%), 4A (70% to 99% in 1 to 2 vessels), 4B (70% to 99% in 3 vessels or ≥50% left main), or 5 (100%). Kaplan-Meier and multivariable Cox models were used to estimate all-cause mortality or myocardial infarction (MI). Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to compare CAD-RADS to the Duke CAD Index and traditional CAD classification. Referrals to invasive coronary angiography (ICA) after coronary CTA were also assessed. Cumulative 5-year event-free survival ranged from 95.2% to 69.3% for CAD-RADS 0 to 5 (p data, 57% of CAD-RADS 3 patients who received 30-day ICA were either asymptomatic or not receiving antianginal therapy at baseline, whereas only 32% had angina and were receiving medical therapy. CAD-RADS effectively identified patients at risk for adverse events. Frequent ICA use was observed among patients without severe CAD, many of whom were asymptomatic or not taking antianginal drugs. Incorporating CAD-RADS into coronary CTA reports may provide a novel opportunity to promote evidence-based care post-coronary CTA. Copyright © 2018 American College of Cardiology

Posttraumatic stress disorder after myocardial infarction and coronary artery bypass grafting.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Amitoj; Agrawal, Sahil; Gargya, Sanchita; Saluja, Sabir; Kumar, Akshat; Kumar, Abhishek; Kalra, Kartik; Thind, Munveer; Saluja, Sajeev; Stone, Lauren E; Ali, Farhan; Duarte-Chavez, Rodrigo; Marchionni, Christine; Sholevar, Farhad; Shirani, Jamshid; Nanda, Sudip

2017-01-01

Post traumatic stress disorder is a psychiatric disease that is usually precipitated by life threatening stressors. Myocardial infarction, especially in the young can count as one such event. The development of post traumatic stress after a coronary event not only adversely effects psychiatric health, but leads to increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. There is increasing evidence that like major depression, post traumatic stress disorder is also a strong coronary risk factor. Early diagnosis and treatment of this disease in patients with acute manifestations of coronary artery disease can improve patient outcomes.

[Developments in percutaneous coronary intervention and coronary stents].

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Simsek, C; Daemen, J; Zijlstra, F

2014-01-01

In The Netherlands, more than 30.000 patients undergo a percutaneous coronary intervention every year, during which a coronary stent implantation will be performed in 90% of the cases. It is estimated that more than 5 million coronary stent implantations will be performed worldwide this year. While these numbers are impressive, however, coronary stents still have as a limitation the possibility of stent thrombosis. This has been and is an important stimulus for the development of both coronary stents, from a bare metal stent via a drug eluting stent to the present-day development of bio-absorbable stents, and anti-platelet drugs,from acenocoumarol to thieropyridines. The possibility of shortening the period of use of this powerful medication by developing new kinds of non-thrombogenic stents would, for example, make it possible to achieve significant reductions in subsequent bleeding during (dental) procedures.

Anomalous origin of right coronary artery from left coronary sinus.

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Hamzeh, Gadah; Crespo, Alex; Estarán, Rafael; Rodríguez, Miguel A; Voces, Roberto; Aramendi, José I

2008-08-01

Anomalous aortic origin of the coronary arteries is uncommon but clinically significant. Manifestations vary from asymptomatic patients to those who present with angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, heart failure, syncope, arrhythmias, and sudden death. We describe 4 patients, aged 34 to 59 years, who were diagnosed with right coronary artery arising from the left sinus of Valsalva, confirmed by coronary angiography, which was surgically repaired. Three patients presented dyspnea and angina, and one with acute myocardial infarction. At operation, the right coronary artery was dissected at the take-off from the intramural course, and reimplanted into the right sinus of Valsalva. There was no mortality. One patient had associated coronary artery disease that required stent placement postoperatively. This reimplantation technique provides a good physiological and anatomical repair, eliminates a slit-like ostium, avoids compression of the coronary artery between the aorta and the pulmonary artery, and gives superior results to coronary artery bypass grafting or the unroofing technique.

Paraoxonase 1 (Q192R) gene polymorphism, coronary heart disease and the risk of a new acute coronary event.

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez-Quintana, Efrén; Rodríguez-González, Fayna; Medina-Gil, José María; Garay-Sánchez, Paloma; Tugores, Antonio

Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) plays a major role in the oxidation of low density lipoprotein and in the prevention of coronary atherogenesis. In this context, coding region polymorphisms of PON1 gene, responsible for the enzyme activity, has become of interest as a marker for atherogenesis. A study and follow-up was conducted on 529 patients with an acute coronary event in order to assess the association between the PON1 Q192R (rs662;A/G) polymorphism, the type of acute coronary syndrome, cardiovascular risk factors (arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia, and smoking), the extent and severity of coronary atherosclerosis, and the medium-term clinical follow-up. The QQ genotype was found in 245 (46.3%) patients, with 218 (41.2%) patients showing the QR genotype, and 66 (14.5%) patients had the RR genotype. No significant differences were found between the QQ and QR/RR genotypes as regards the clinical characteristics, the analytical data, and the angiographic variables. Similarly, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed no significant differences in presenting with a new acute coronary event (p=0.598), cardiac mortality (p=0.701), stent thrombosis (p=0.508), or stent re-stenosis (p=0.598) between QQ and QR/RR genotypes during the follow-up period (3.3±2.2 years). In patients with an acute coronary syndrome, the PON1 Q192R genotypes did not influence the risk of suffering a new acute coronary event during the medium-term follow-up. Copyright © 2016 Sociedad Española de Arteriosclerosis. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Epicardial distribution of ST segment and T wave changes produced by stimulation of intrathoracic ganglia or cardiopulmonary nerves in dogs.

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Savard, P; Cardinal, R; Nadeau, R A; Armour, J A

1991-06-01

Sixty-three ventricular epicardial electrograms were recorded simultaneously in 8 atropinized dogs during stimulation of acutely decentralized intrathoracic autonomic ganglia or cardiopulmonary nerves. Three variables were measured: (1) isochronal maps representing the epicardial activation sequence, (2) maps depicting changes in areas under the QRS complex and T wave (regional inhomogeneity of repolarization), and (3) local and total QT intervals. Neural stimulations did not alter the activation sequence but induced changes in the magnitude and polarity of the ST segments and T waves as well as in QRST areas. Stimulation of the same neural structure in different dogs induced electrical changes with different amplitudes and in different regions of the ventricles, except for the ventral lateral cardiopulmonary nerve which usually affected the dorsal wall of the left ventricle. Greatest changes occurred when the right recurrent, left intermediate medial, left caudal pole, left ventral lateral cardiopulmonary nerves and stellate ganglia were stimulated. Local QT durations either decreased or did not change, whereas total QT duration as measured using a root-mean-square signal did not change, indicating the regional nature of repolarization changes. Taken together, these data indicate that intrathoracic efferent sympathetic neurons can induce regional inhomogeneity of repolarization without prolonging the total QT interval.

Primary coronary angioplasty in 9,434 patients during acute myocardial infarction: predictors of major in- hospital adverse events from 1996 to 2000 in Brazil

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Mattos Luiz Alberto

2002-01-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To verify the results after the performance of primary coronary angioplasty in Brazil in the last 4 years. METHODS: During the first 24 hours of acute myocardial infarction onset, 9,434 (12.2% patients underwent primary PTCA. We analyzed the success and occurrence of major in-hospital events, comparing them over the 4-year period. RESULTS: Primary PTCA use increased compared with that of all percutaneous interventions (1996=10.6% vs. 2000=13.1%; p<0.001. Coronary stent implantation increased (1996=20% vs. 2000=71.9%; p<0.001. Success was greater (1998=89.5% vs. 1999=92.5%; p<0.001. Reinfarction decreased (1998=3.9% vs. 99=2.4% vs. 2000=1.5%; p<0.001 as did emergency bypass surgery (1996=0.5% vs. 2000=0.2%; p=0.01. In-hospital deaths remained unchanged (1996=5.7% vs. 2000=5.1%, p=0.53. Balloon PTCA was one of the independent predictors of a higher rate of unsuccessful procedures (odds ratio 12.01 [CI=95%] 1.58-22.94, and stent implantation of lower mortality rates (odds ratio 4.62 [CI=95%] 3.19-6.08. CONCLUSION: The success rate has become progressively higher with a significant reduction in reinfarction and urgent bypass surgery, but in-hospital death remains nearly unchanged. Coronary stenting was a predictor of a lower death rate, and balloon PTCA was associated with greater procedural failure.

Factors associated with coronary artery disease progression assessed by serial coronary computed tomography angiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Camargo, Gabriel Cordeiro; Gottlieb, Ilan; Rothstein, Tamara; Derenne, Maria Eduarda; Sabioni, Leticia; Lima, Ronaldo de Souza Leão; Lima, João A. C.

2017-01-01

Background: Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) allows for noninvasive coronary artery disease (CAD) phenotyping. Factors related to CAD progression are epidemiologically valuable. Objective: To identify factors associated with CAD progression in patients undergoing sequential CCTA testing. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 384 consecutive patients who had at least two CCTA studies between December 2005 and March 2013. Due to limitations in the quantification of CAD progression, we excluded patients who had undergone surgical revascularization previously or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) between studies. CAD progression was defined as any increase in the adapted segment stenosis score (calculated using the number of diseased segments and stenosis severity) in all coronary segments without stent (in-stent restenosis was excluded from the analysis). Stepwise logistic regression was used to assess variables associated with CAD progression. Results: From a final population of 234 patients, a total of 117 (50%) had CAD progression. In a model accounting for major CAD risk factors and other baseline characteristics, only age (odds ratio [OR] 1.04, 95% confidence interval [95%CI] 1.01–1.07), interstudy interval (OR 1.03, 95%CI 1.01–1.04), and past PCI (OR 3.66, 95%CI 1.77–7.55) showed an independent relationship with CAD progression. Conclusions: A history of PCI with stent placement was independently associated with a 3.7-fold increase in the odds of CAD progression, excluding in-stent restenosis. Age and interstudy interval were also independent predictors of progression. (author)

Factors associated with coronary artery disease progression assessed by serial coronary computed tomography angiography

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Camargo, Gabriel Cordeiro; Gottlieb, Ilan, E-mail: ilangottlieb@gmail.com [Casa de Saúde São José, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Rothstein, Tamara; Derenne, Maria Eduarda; Sabioni, Leticia; Lima, Ronaldo de Souza Leão [Centro de Diagnóstico por Imagem CDPI, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Lima, João A. C. [Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore (United States)

2017-05-15

Background: Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) allows for noninvasive coronary artery disease (CAD) phenotyping. Factors related to CAD progression are epidemiologically valuable. Objective: To identify factors associated with CAD progression in patients undergoing sequential CCTA testing. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 384 consecutive patients who had at least two CCTA studies between December 2005 and March 2013. Due to limitations in the quantification of CAD progression, we excluded patients who had undergone surgical revascularization previously or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) between studies. CAD progression was defined as any increase in the adapted segment stenosis score (calculated using the number of diseased segments and stenosis severity) in all coronary segments without stent (in-stent restenosis was excluded from the analysis). Stepwise logistic regression was used to assess variables associated with CAD progression. Results: From a final population of 234 patients, a total of 117 (50%) had CAD progression. In a model accounting for major CAD risk factors and other baseline characteristics, only age (odds ratio [OR] 1.04, 95% confidence interval [95%CI] 1.01–1.07), interstudy interval (OR 1.03, 95%CI 1.01–1.04), and past PCI (OR 3.66, 95%CI 1.77–7.55) showed an independent relationship with CAD progression. Conclusions: A history of PCI with stent placement was independently associated with a 3.7-fold increase in the odds of CAD progression, excluding in-stent restenosis. Age and interstudy interval were also independent predictors of progression. (author)

Evaluation of the restenosis of coronary artery after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty by three-dimensional coronary magnetic resonance angiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arisaka, Hiraku

2000-01-01

Coronary magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) has been recently brought into clinical use, however, there has not been reports on the comparison with MRA and conventional contrast coronary angiography (CAG) in the detection of the localization and characteristics of coronary restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). To assess the restenosis of coronary artery after PTCA, this study compared three-dimensional (3D) coronary MRA and CAG. One hundred three patients (76 males and 27 females, average age of 64.6±9.3 years old) were performed coronary MRA at 3-6 months after PTCA. The right coronary artery (RCA) group consist of 21 patients, the left anterior descending branch (LAD) 63 patients and the left circumflex branch (LCX) 19 patients. Coronary MRA was performed with the patients in supine position on a 1.5 T whole body scanner (MAGNETOM VISION, Siemens AG, Germany) using body array coil. The imaging technique used a 3-D gradient echo sequence with respiratory gating and fat suppression. The slice thickness was 2 mm, slab thickness 32 mm, a field of view of 300 mm and a matrix of 128 x 256. Other parameters were an echo time of 2.7 ms and a repetition time of 600 to 1100 msec. The measurement time of 1 imaging slab took 15 to 20 minutes depending on the patient's heart rate. The coronary arteries were reconstructed from the 3-D data set using a multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) technique. According to previous coronary MRA studies, a significant stenosis with a luminal reduction of ≥50% was assumed if a marked signal reduction or signal loss of a vessel segment was visible. In CAG, 57 of 103 patients showed restenosis. In coronary MRA, 37 of 103 patients demonstrated restenosis. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were 64.9%, 100%, 100% and 69.6%, respectively. Predictive accuracy was 79.6%. Three-dimensional coronary MRA is useful in a noninvasive diagnostic method to evaluate the coronary

Coronary CT Angiography in the Quantitative Assessment of Coronary Plaques

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Zhonghua Sun

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA has been recently evaluated for its ability to assess coronary plaque characteristics, including plaque composition. Identification of the relationship between plaque composition by CCTA and patient clinical presentations may provide insight into the pathophysiology of coronary artery plaque, thus assisting identification of vulnerable plaques which are associated with the development of acute coronary syndrome. CCTA-generated 3D visualizations allow evaluation of both coronary lesions and lumen changes, which are considered to enhance the diagnostic performance of CCTA. The purpose of this review is to discuss the recent developments that have occurred in the field of CCTA with regard to its diagnostic accuracy in the quantitative assessment of coronary plaques, with a focus on the characterization of plaque components and identification of vulnerable plaques.

Detection of coronary calcification in ultrafast CT compared to coronary angiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koesling, S.; Hoffmann, U.; Rother, T.; Lieberenz, S.; Heywang-Koebrunner, S.H.; Schulz, H.G.

1994-01-01

The angiographical findings of 24 patients with coronary artery disease were compared with qualitative and quantitative detection of coronary calcification by ultrafast CT. Doubts concerning the capabilities of the ultrafast CT for a screening of coronary artery disease arise when the results of one third false positive and fase negative findings are considered. Variations in the quantification of coronary calcification were too great to allow a realistic assessment of the degree of stenosis of the coronary arteries. (orig.) [de

[As cardioprotective and angiogenic biomarker, can ghrelin predict coronary collateral development and severity of coronary atherosclerosis?

Science.gov (United States)

Akboğa, Mehmet Kadri; Taçoy, Gülten; Yılmaz Demirtaş, Canan; Türkoğlu, Sedat; Boyacı, Bülent; Çengel, Atiye

2017-06-01

Ghrelin exerts protective effects on cardiovascular system by inhibiting progression of atherosclerosis, supression of vascular inflammation, and stimulating angiogenesis. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of serum ghrelin on coronary collateral development and SYNTAX score in patients with severe coronary artery disease. Total of 91 patients who had ≥90% stenosis in at least one major coronary artery were prospectively included in this cross-sectional, observational study. Collateral degree was graded according to Rentrop-Cohen classification. Patients with grade 2 or 3 collateral degree were allocated to Good Collateral Group and patients with grade 0 or 1 collateral degree were included in Poor Collateral Group. Ghrelin and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) levels were measured using radioimmunoassay and ELISA kits. Serum ghrelin and VEGF-A levels were significantly higher in Good Collateral Group. Furthermore, ghrelin level showed significant inverse correlation with SYNTAX score (r=0.348; p=0.001). In multivariable regression analysis, ghrelin (Odds ratio, 1.013; 95% confidence interval, 1.011-1.017; p=0.013), VEGF-A, fasting plasma glucose and presence of chronic total occlusion were independent predictors of good collateral development. In receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, ghrelin value cut-off point of ≥781 pg/mL predicted good collateral development with sensitivity of 73.1% and specificity of 67.7%. Findings suggested that ghrelin has antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties that protect endothelial functions and also stimulate angiogenesis, which results in development of good coronary collateral and inhibition of progression of coronary atherosclerosis.

Accurate determination of high-risk coronary lesion type by multidetector cardiac computed tomography.

Science.gov (United States)

Alasnag, Mirvat; Umakanthan, Branavan; Foster, Gary P

2008-07-01

Coronary arteriography (CA) is the standard method to image coronary lesions. Multidetector cardiac computerized tomography (MDCT) provides high-resolution images of coronary arteries, allowing a noninvasive alternative to determine lesion type. To date, no studies have assessed the ability of MDCT to categorize coronary lesion types. The objective of this study was to determine the accuracy of lesion type categorization by MDCT using CA as a reference standard. Patients who underwent both MDCT and CA within 2 months of each other were enrolled. MDCT and CA images were reviewed in a blinded fashion. Lesions were categorized according to the SCAI classification system (Types I-IV). The origin, proximal and middle segments of the major arteries were analyzed. Each segment comprised a data point for comparison. Analysis was performed using the Spearman Correlation Test. Four hundred eleven segments were studied, of which 110 had lesions. The lesion distribution was as follows: 35 left anterior descending (LAD), 29 circumflex (Cx), 31 right coronary artery (RCA), 2 ramus intermedius, 8 diagonal, 4 obtuse marginal and 2 left internal mammary arteries. Correlations between MDCT and CA were significant in all major vessels (LAD, Cx, RCA) (p < 0.001). The overall correlation coefficient was 0.67. Concordance was strong for lesion Types II-IV (97%) and poor for Type I (30%). High-risk coronary lesion types can be accurately categorized by MDCT. This ability may allow MDCT to play an important noninvasive role in the planning of coronary interventions.

Comparison of exercise electrocardiography and stress perfusion CMR for the detection of coronary artery disease in women

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Greulich Simon

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Exercise electrocardiography (ECG is frequently used in the work-up of patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD, however the accuracy is reduced in women. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR stress testing can accurately diagnose CAD in women. To date, a direct comparison of CMR to ECG has not been performed. Methods and results We prospectively enrolled 88 consecutive women with chest pain or other symptoms suggestive of CAD. Patients underwent a comprehensive clinical evaluation, exercise ECG, a CMR stress test including perfusion and infarct imaging, and x-ray coronary angiography (CA within 24 hours. CAD was defined as stenosis ≥70% on quantitative analysis of CA. Exercise ECG, CMR and CA was completed in 68 females (age 66.4 ± 8.8 years, number of CAD risk factors 3.5 ± 1.4. The prevalence of CAD on CA was 29%. The Duke treadmill score (DTS in the entire group was −3.0 ± 5.4 and was similar in those with and without CAD (−4.5 ± 5.8 and −2.4 ± 5.1; P = 0.12. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for CAD diagnosis was higher for CMR compared with exercise ECG (sensitivities 85% and 50%, P = 0.02, specificities 94% and 73%, P = 0.01, and accuracies 91% and 66%, P = 0.0007, respectively. Even after applying the DTS the accuracy of CMR was higher compared to exercise ECG (area under ROC curve 0.94 ± 0.03 vs 0.56 ± 0.07; P = 0.0001. Conclusions In women with intermediate-to-high risk for CAD who are able to exercise and have interpretable resting ECG, CMR stress perfusion imaging has higher accuracy for the detection of relevant obstruction of the epicardial coronaries when directly compared to exercise ECG.

Paediatric-onset coronary artery anomalies in pregnancy: a single-centre experience and systematic literature review.

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Keir, Michelle; Bhagra, Catriona; Vatenmakher, Debra; Arancibia-Galilea, Francisca; Jansen, Katrijn; Toh, Norihisa; Silversides, Candice K; Colman, Jack; Siu, Samuel C; Sermer, Mathew; Crean, Andrew M; Wald, Rachel M

2017-10-01

Individuals with childhood-onset coronary artery anomalies are at increased risk of lifelong complications. Although pregnancy is thought to confer additional risk, a few data are available regarding outcomes in this group of women. We sought to define outcomes of pregnancy in this unique population. We performed a retrospective survey of women with paediatric-onset coronary anomalies and pregnancy in our institution, combined with a systematic review of published cases. We defined paediatric-onset coronary artery anomalies as congenital coronary anomalies and inflammatory arteriopathies of childhood that cause coronary aneurysms. Major cardiovascular events were defined as pulmonary oedema, sustained arrhythmia requiring treatment, stroke, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, or death. A total of 25 surveys were mailed, and 20 were returned (80% response rate). We included 46 articles from the literature, which described cardiovascular outcomes in 82 women (138 pregnancies). These data were amalgamated for a total of 102 women and 194 pregnancies; 59% of women were known to have paediatric-onset coronary artery anomalies before pregnancy. In 23%, the anomaly was unmasked during or shortly after pregnancy. The remainder, 18%, was diagnosed later in life. Major cardiovascular events occurred in 14 women (14%) and included heart failure (n=5, 5%), myocardial infarction (n=7, 7%), maternal death (n=2, 2%), cardiac arrest secondary to ventricular fibrillation (n=1, 1%), and stroke (n=1, 1%). The majority of maternal events (13/14, 93%) occurred in women with no previous diagnosis of coronary disease. Women with paediatric-onset coronary artery anomalies have a 14% risk of adverse cardiovascular events in pregnancy, indicating the need for careful assessment and close follow-up. Prospective, multicentre studies are required to better define risk and predictors of complications during pregnancy.

[The protective action of nimodipine on the ischemic myocardium].

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Tsorin, I B; Kazanova, G V; Kirsanova, G Iu; Chirkova, E Iu; Chichkanov, G G

1992-01-01

The experiments with unconscious cats and dogs have demonstrated that the calcium antagonist nimodipine has a profound anti-ischemic property. The drug reduces the average value of ST-segment elevation in multiple epicardial ECG leads, during acute myocardial ischemia. Nimodipine maintains cardiac pump and contractile functions, elevates ATP levels in the arbitrarily intact and ischemic myocardium of the left ventricle during 40-min occlusion and 60-min reperfusion of the coronary artery. The protective action of the drug is unassociated with enhanced collateral coronary circulation.

The prevalence and clinical profile of angiographic coronary ectasia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sultana, R.; Ishaq, M.; Samad, A.

2011-01-01

To determine the incidence of Coronary Artery Ectasia (CAE) at our teaching hospital to describe the patients and angiographic characteristics. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on all coronary angiograms performed at the catheterization laboratory of Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases, a tertiary care center, between the period of August 2006 and August 2008. A one year follow up was performed to look for primary and secondary endpoints. Data were collected from catheterization films, and medical records. Results: Five thousand coronary angiograms were performed during the period of of the study. A total of 140 (2.8%) angiograms showed coronary ectasia of both mixed and pure types. Pure ectasia with no coronary obstructive lesions was seen in 75 (1.5%). The left anterior descending artery (LAD) was the most commonly affected vessel (63%) followed by the right coronary artery (RCA) 25% and 10% patients had circumflex artery involvement. The primary composite endpoint showed 6 (4.2%) patients with non-ST elevation MI, 5 (3.6%) with ST elevation inferior wall myocardial infarction, 70 (50%) with unstable angina and 2 (1.4%) deaths due to pulmonary oedema. Secondary endpoints showed 50% of the patients still complaining of chest pain. Conclusion: Prevalence of Coronary ectasia in the population presenting to KIHD during the study period was 1.5%. Majority of patients were males, associated with dyslipidaemia, hypertension and smoking. CAE was associated with obstructive coronary artery disease in about 80% of cases. LAD was the most commonly affected vessel. (author)

Value of epicardial potential maps in localizing pre-excitation sites for radiofrequency ablation. A simulation study

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Hren, Rok

1998-06-01

Using computer simulations, we systematically investigated the limitations of an inverse solution that employs the potential distribution on the epicardial surface as an equivalent source model in localizing pre-excitation sites in Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. A model of the human ventricular myocardium that features an anatomically accurate geometry, an intramural rotating anisotropy and a computational implementation of the excitation process based on electrotonic interactions among cells, was used to simulate body surface potential maps (BSPMs) for 35 pre-excitation sites positioned along the atrioventricular ring. Two individualized torso models were used to account for variations in torso boundaries. Epicardial potential maps (EPMs) were computed using the L-curve inverse solution. The measure for accuracy of the localization was the distance between a position of the minimum in the inverse EPMs and the actual site of pre-excitation in the ventricular model. When the volume conductor properties and lead positions of the torso were precisely known and the measurement noise was added to the simulated BSPMs, the minimum in the inverse EPMs was at 12 ms after the onset on average within cm of the pre-excitation site. When the standard torso model was used to localize the sites of onset of the pre-excitation sequence initiated in individualized male and female torso models, the mean distance between the minimum and the pre-excitation site was cm for the male torso and cm for the female torso. The findings of our study indicate that a location of the minimum in EPMs computed using the inverse solution can offer non-invasive means for pre-interventional planning of the ablative treatment.

The value and limitation thallium scintigraphy in the detection of coronary artery disease

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Khan, A.; Rehman, A.; Amin, W.; Khan, Z.A.; Ahmed, S.A.

1986-01-01

In this study we randomly selected 45 patients whose coronary angiograms were abnormal i.e. showing triple, double and single vessel disease out of a pool of 80 patients who had undergone stress thallium imaging and coronary angiography during the one year. Majority of these patients were males, their ages ranged between 34-54 years. Resting ECG's were normal in 25 patients, 15 patients had suffered inferior myocardial infraction and 5 had sustained anterior myocardial infraction in the past. Coronary angiography revealed triple vessel disease in 20 patients, double vessel disease in 15, and single vessel coronary artery disease in 10. We analysed their coronary angiograms and compared them with the scintigraphic finding. It is concluded that although thallium scanning has high sensitivity for detection of coronary artery disease in general, it has only moderate sensitivity for detection of stenosis in individual coronary arteries. In this study thallium scan identified 75% of RCA lesions, 66% of LAD lesions and 38% of circumflex lesions. The sensitivity is much higher in single vessel coronary artery disease. (author)

Myocardial bridging causing ischemia and recurrent chest pain: a case report

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Abdou Mohamed

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Myocardial bridging is present when a segment of a major epicardial coronary artery runs intramurally through the myocardium. It usually has a benign prognosis, but in some cases myocardial ischemia, infarction and sudden cardiac death have been reported. We are here reporting a case of myocardial bridging which was complicated with recurrent chest pain and transient ST-segment elevation during exercise treadmill test. Case presentation A 40 year-old-man presented with recurrent retrosternal chest pain of 2 months duration. He had history of smoking and was obese, otherwise no physical abnormalities were detected by examination. Electrocardiogram and blood tests were normal apart from impaired glucose tolerance with elevated triglycerides and decreased level of high density lipoprotein cholesterol. While doing exercise treadmill test, the patient developed chest pain and significant ST-segment elevation in almost all precordial leads that persisted for about 15 minutes through recovery. We decided to admit the patient to the coronary care unit for further management and to perform coronary angiogram. Myocardial bridging was observed in the mid segment of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Medical treatment was decided. At one year follow up, our patient was healthy and had no cardiac complaints. In conclusion, myocardial bridging may predispose to coronary vasospasm that may leads to ischemic complications.

Coronary arterial Disease associated with arteriosclerosis in lower extremity: Angiographic analysis

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Kim, Ji Hye; Chung, Jin Wook; Lee, Seon Kyu; Han, Joon Koo; Park, Jae Hyung; Kim, Jae Seung; Han, Man Chung

1993-01-01

We performed both peripheral and coronary angiographies in 52 patients with an arteriosclerosis in lower extremities. The severity of arteriosclerotic narrowing of the coronary and peripheral arteries were compared on angiographies. An angiographic vascular score(AVS, 0-5) reflecting the number and the degree of stenosis in 12 lower extremity arteries and three major coronary arteries was assigned to each angiogram and the sun of scores in the lower extremity arteries was compared with the incidence of significant coronary artery disease (more than grade 3) and coronary score. Relation of incidence and severity of vascular stenosis and risk factors (diabetes metallitus, hypertension, smoking, and hypercholesterolemia) was also analyzed. Thirty-four of 52 patients (65%) had an angiographically significant coronary artery disease. Thirteen of these 34 patients (38%) had no clinical symptom and sign of the ischemic heart disease. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence and severity of coronary artery disease between high (more than 30) and low AVS group in lower extremity (p>0.14). All patients had at least one risk factor and 49 of 52 patients (94%) had multiple risk factors. Coronary angiography was normal in there patients with only one risk factors, and angiographically significant coronary artery disease existed in nine of 16 cases (56.3%) with two risk factors. 13 of 17 case (76.5%) with three risk factors, and 12 of 16 cases (75.0%) with all four risk factors. There were no significant correlations between individual risk factors and incidence, severity of arteriosclerosis in coronary and lower extremity arteries. In conclusion, angiographic evaluation of the coronary artery disease in patients with lower extremity arteriosclerosis is necessary because of the high chance of coronary artery disease and difficulty in the prediction of coronary artery disease with a severity of the peripheral arteriosclerosis, presence of various risk

Management standards for stable coronary artery disease in India

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Sundeep Mishra

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Coronary artery disease (CAD is one of the important causes of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality globally, giving rise to more than 7 million deaths annually. An increasing burden of CAD in India is a major cause of concern with angina being the leading manifestation. Stable coronary artery disease (SCAD is characterised by episodes of transient central chest pain (angina pectoris, often triggered by exercise, emotion or other forms of stress, generally triggered by a reversible mismatch between myocardial oxygen demand and supply resulting in myocardial ischemia or hypoxia. A stabilised, frequently asymptomatic phase following an acute coronary syndrome (ACS is also classified as SCAD. This definition of SCAD also encompasses vasospastic and microvascular angina under the common umbrella.

'Variant' angina: Evidence for small vessel coronary artery spasm

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Pfisterer, M.; Mueller-Brand, J.; Cueni, T.; Luetold, B.; Burkart, F.; Basel Univ.

1980-01-01

A unique case of 'variant' angina pectoris has been observed in a patient with normal coronary arteries and typical chest pain appearing spontaneously at rest, and repeatedly provoked by ergonovine maleate (0.1 mg iv) associated with large transmural perfusion defects on 201 TI-imaging (after ergonovine) and a marked increase in T wave voltage despite no demonstrable spasm of a major coronary artery after the same doses of ergonovine. While saline solution could not provoke chest pain and treatment with a beta-blocking agent increased the frequency of ischemic attacks, a calcium antangonist therapy reduced and eventually eliminated the attacks. Thus, this case provides evidence for yet another aspect of a 'variant' form of angina pectoris: small vessel coronary artery spasm. (orig.) [de

In-Lab Upfront Use of Tirofiban May Reduce the Occurrence of No-Reflow During Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention. A Pilot Randomized Study.

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Lago, Igor Matos; Novaes, Gustavo Caires; Badran, André Vannucchi; Pavão, Rafael Brolio; Barbosa, Ricardo; Figueiredo, Geraldo Luiz de; Lima, Moysés de Oliveira; Haddad, Jorge Luiz; Schmidt, André; Marin, José Antônio

2016-11-01

Despite successful opening of culprit coronary artery, myocardial reperfusion does not always follows primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors are used in the treatment of no-reflow (NR), but their role to prevent it is unproven. To evaluate the effect of in-lab administration of tirofiban on the incidence of NR in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated with PPCI. STEMI patients treated with PPCI were randomized (24 tirofiban and 34 placebo) in this double-blinded study to assess the impact of intravenous tirofiban on the incidence of NR after PPCI according to angiographic and electrocardiographic methods. End-points of the study were: TIMI-epicardial flow grade; myocardial blush grade (MBG); resolution of ST-elevation grupos. A ocorrência de fluxo TIMI grupos tirofibana (25%) e placebo (35,3%). MBG ≤ 2 não ocorreu no grupo tirofibana, e foi detectado em 11,7% dos pacientes do grupo placebo (p=0,13). RST grupos tirofibana e placebo, respectivamente. NR grave (RST ≤ 30%) ocorreu em 0% x 26,5% (p=0,01) aos 90 minutos, e em 4,2% x 23,5% (p=0,06) em 24 horas nos grupos tirofibana e placebo, respectivamente. Este estudo piloto mostrou uma tendência de redução de NR associada ao uso, em laboratório, de tirofibana em pacientes com IAMCSST tratados com ICPP, e abre caminho para um estudo em escala real que teste essa hipótese.

Antiatherosclerotic effects of long-term maximally intensive statin therapy after acute coronary syndrome: insights from Study of Coronary Atheroma by Intravascular Ultrasound: Effect of Rosuvastatin Versus Atorvastatin.

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Puri, Rishi; Nissen, Steven E; Shao, Mingyuan; Ballantyne, Christie M; Barter, Philip J; Chapman, M John; Erbel, Raimund; Libby, Peter; Raichlen, Joel S; Uno, Kiyoko; Kataoka, Yu; Nicholls, Stephen J

2014-11-01

Patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) display diffuse coronary atheroma instability and heightened risk of early and late recurrent coronary events. We compared the long-term antiatherosclerotic efficacy of high-intensity statins in patients with ACS when compared with stable disease. Study of Coronary Atheroma by Intravascular Ultrasound: Effect of Rosuvastatin Versus Atorvastatin (SATURN) used serial intravascular ultrasound measures of coronary atheroma volume in patients treated with rosuvastatin 40 mg or atorvastatin 80 mg for 24 months. The overall effect of high-intensity statins on the change in coronary percent atheroma volume and major adverse cardiovascular events (death/nonfatal myocardial infarction/coronary revascularization) were evaluated in this post hoc analysis. When compared with non-ACS patients (n=678), patients with ACS (n=361) were younger, actively smoking, and have had a previous myocardial infarction (all P<0.001). At baseline, patients with ACS exhibited lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (43.5±11 versus 45.8±11 mg/dL; P=0.002), a higher apolipoprotein B: apolipoprotein A-1 ratio (0.90±0.24 versus 0.83±0.24; P<0.001) and greater percent atheroma volume (37.3±8.5% versus 35.9±8.1%; P=0.01) when compared with non-ACS patients. Despite similar achieved levels of lipid and inflammatory markers after high-intensity statin therapy, patients with ACS demonstrated greater percent atheroma volume regression than non-ACS patients (-1.46±0.14 versus -0.89±0.13; P=0.003). After propensity-weighted multivariable adjustment, baseline percent atheroma volume (P<0.001) and an ACS clinical presentation (P=0.02) independently associated with plaque regression. The 24-month major adverse cardiovascular events-free survival was similar between patients with ACS and non-ACS (90.6 versus 92.9%; P=0.25). Long-term high-intensity statin therapy caused greater plaque regression and comparable major adverse cardiovascular events rates in

The collateral circulation of the heart

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2013-01-01

The coronary arteries have been regarded as end arteries for decades. However, there are functionally relevant anastomotic vessels, known as collateral arteries, which interconnect epicardial coronary arteries. These vessels provide an alternative source of blood supply to the myocardium in cases of occlusive coronary artery disease. The relevance of these collateral arteries is a matter of ongoing debate, but increasing evidence indicates a relevant protective role in patients with coronary artery disease. The collateral circulation can be assessed by different methods; the gold standard involves intracoronary pressure measurements. While the first clinical trials to therapeutically induce growth of collateral arteries have been unavailing, recent pilot studies using external counterpulsation or growth factors such as granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) have shown promising results. PMID:23735225

Coronary CT angiography: How should physicians use it wisely and when do physicians request it appropriately?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Zhonghua; Aziz, Yang Faridah Abdul; Ng, Kwan-Hoong

2012-01-01

Coronary CT angiography has been increasingly used in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease due to rapid technological developments, which are reflected in the improved spatial and temporal resolution of the images. High diagnostic accuracy has been achieved with 64- and more slice CT scanners and in selected patients, coronary CT angiography is regarded as a reliable alternative to invasive coronary angiography. Although the tremendous contributions of coronary CT angiography to cardiac imaging are acknowledged, appropriate use of cardiac CT as the first line technique by physicians has not been well established. Optimal selection of cardiac CT is essential to ensure acquisition of valuable diagnostic information and avoid unnecessary invasive procedures. This is of paramount importance since cardiac CT not only involves patient risk assessment, prediction of major cardiac events, but also impacts physician decision-making on patient management. Applications of CT in cardiac imaging include coronary artery calcium scoring for predicting the patient risk of developing major cardiac events, followed by coronary CT angiography which is commonly used to determine the diagnostic and prognostic accuracy in the coronary artery disease. This review presents an overview of the applications of CT in cardiac imaging in terms of coronary calcium scoring and coronary CT angiography. Judicious use of both cardiac CT tools will be discussed with regard to their value in different patient risk groups with the aim of identifying the appropriate criteria for choosing a cardiac CT modality. An effective diagnostic pathway is finally recommended to physicians for appropriate selection of cardiac CT in clinical practice.

Differences in coronary artery disease by CT angiography between patients developing unstable angina pectoris vs. major adverse cardiac events

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Schlett, Christopher L. [Cardiac MR PET CT Program, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (United States); Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Heidelberg (Germany); Nance, John W. Jr. [Heart and Vascular Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (United States); The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD (United States); Schoepf, U. Joseph, E-mail: schoepf@musc.edu [Heart and Vascular Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (United States); O’Brien, Terrence X. [Heart and Vascular Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (United States); The Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, SC (United States); Ebersberger, Ullrich [Heart and Vascular Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (United States); Department of Cardiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Heart Centre Munich-Bogenhausen, Munich (Germany); Headden, Gary F. [Heart and Vascular Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (United States); Hoffmann, Udo [Cardiac MR PET CT Program, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (United States); Bamberg, Fabian [Cardiac MR PET CT Program, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (United States); Department of Radiology, University of Munich, Grosshadern Campus, and Munich Heart Alliance, Munich (Germany); Department of Radiology, University of Tuebingen (Germany)

2014-07-15

Highlights: • Patients developing UAP had overall more atherosclerosis as patients without any events. • Patients developing MACE had only more mixed plaque as those developing UAP. • Different atherosclerotic plaque components by CTA carry different prognostic value. - Abstract: Objective: CT angiography (CTA) has prognostic value in patients. But it is unknown whether differences in atherosclerosis by CTA predict the development of unstable angina pectoris (UAP) vs. major adverse cardiac events (MACE). Methods: We followed patients undergoing CTA as part of their acute chest pain work-up. Primary outcome was the development of UAP or MACE (cardiac death, myocardial infarction, revascularization) during a minimum follow-up of 12-months. CTAs were assessed for extent and composition of coronary plaque and stenosis. Ordinal regression with a 3-level outcome (no events, UAP, MACE) was applied. Results: Among 315 patients, 22 developed UAP and 31 MACE. While UAP patients had higher atherosclerosis burden with respect to all assessed features compared to patients with no events (p ≤ 0.02), only mixed plaque extent was significantly different between UAP and MACE patients (p = 0.02). The odds ratio was 4.55 for being in a higher disease-level comparing patients with low extent to those with no mixed plaque, and 3.02 comparing patients with high to those with low. These findings remained after adjustments for potential confounders. Conclusion: The extent of mixed coronary plaque is different between patients who develop UAP vs. MACE, supporting the hypothesis that it is a more culprit morphology.

Takayasu Arteritis of the Coronary Arteries Presenting as Sudden Death in a White Teenager.

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Hlavaty, Leigh; Diaz, Francisco; Sung, LokMan

2015-09-01

Takayasu arteritis is a rare disease that expresses chronic, large vessel inflammation. The etiology remains unclear and its presentation depends on the affected arteries. With coronary artery involvement, manifestations range from chest pain and shortness of breath to sudden death. We report a case of a 15-year-old white girl who presented with syncope immediately before passing. On autopsy, all 3 major coronary arteries grossly contained multiple proximal lesions that were consistent with Takayasu arteritis, microscopically. Takayasu arteritis solely affecting multiple coronary arteries is exceedingly rare. This report discusses the significance of coronary involvement in Takayasu arteritis at autopsy and sudden death.

Serum and saliva levels of cathepsin L in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

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Mirzaii-Dizgah, Iraj; Riahi, Esmail

2011-03-01

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the major cause of death nearly all over the world, and accurate and rapid diagnosis of CAD is of major medical and economic importance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the serum and saliva levels of cathepsin L in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). In a cross-sectional study, 39 patients with ACS and 28 with controls were recruited to the study, and cathepsin L levels were measured in serum, resting saliva, and stimulated saliva obtained 12 and 24 h after the onset of ACS by ELISA method. Statistical analyses of Fisher's exact test, the Student's t-test or Kruskal-Wallis test were performed. Stimulated saliva cathepsin L levels in patients with ACS 12 hours but not 24 hours after admission showed significant decrease compared with that in control subjects. However, there were no significant differences in serum and unstimulated saliva cathepsin L levels between groups. Serum and saliva levels of cathepsin L remain unchanged in patients with ACS and hence may not be a promising factor in CAD risk assessment. It seems that serum and saliva cathepsin L may not be a good biomarker for CHD. CAD: Coronary artery disease, ACS: Acute coronary syndrome, CHD: Coronary heart disease, EU: Emergency unit, MI: Myocardial infarction. Cathepsin L, Acute coronary syndrome, Resting saliva, Stimulated saliva. How to cite this article: Mirzaii-Dizgah I, Riahi E. Serum and Saliva Levels of Cathepsin L in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome. J Contemp Dent Pract 2011;12(2):114-119.

Epicardial adipose tissue and cardiometabolic risk factors in overweight and obese children and adolescents.

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Schusterova, I; Leenen, F H H; Jurko, A; Sabol, F; Takacova, J

2014-02-01

What is already known about this subject The prevalence of childhood obesity has increased markedly in the past 2 decades. Abdominal fat is a better predictor of risk than body mass index. Waist circumference (WC) as a measure of abdominal fat has limited sensitivity and specificity. What this study adds Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) as measured by echocardiography represents a simple and reliable marker of visceral adiposity. In children, both body mass index and EAT show a similar or better correlation with markers of cardiometabolic risk than does waist circumference. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is the visceral fat deposit around the heart and is commonly increased in obese subjects. EAT is related to cardiometabolic risk factors and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in adults, but this relationship is not well known in children. Echocardiographic assessment of EAT and its association with cardiometabolic risk factors in overweight and obese children. In 25 (mean age 13.0 ± 2.3) overweight and obese subjects and 24 lean controls, blood pressure (BP), WC, fasting plasma glucose and insulin, lipids, uric acid and hepatic enzymes were measured. EAT thickness was measured by transthoracic echocardiography. In overweight and obese subjects, EAT was significantly higher compared to normal weight children. Overweight and obese children had significantly higher body mass index (BMI), WC, BP, triglycerides (TAG), low-density lipoprotein and total cholesterol, hepatic enzymes alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and γ-glutamyl transferase, and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). EAT correlated significantly with BP, TAG, uric acid, HDL-C, apoprotein B and ALT. Correlation coefficients were similar or better than for WC, but similar or lower than for BMI. EAT thickness in children is associated with an unfavourable cardiometabolic risk profile including biochemical signs of NAFLD and hyperuricaemia, but is not a stronger indicator than BMI. �

The Incidence and the Risk Factors of Silent Embolic Cerebral Infarction After Coronary Angiography and Percutaneous Coronary Interventions.

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Deveci, Onur Sinan; Celik, Aziz Inan; Ikikardes, Firat; Ozmen, Caglar; Caglıyan, Caglar Emre; Deniz, Ali; Bicakci, Kenan; Bicakci, Sebnem; Evlice, Ahmet; Demir, Turgay; Kanadasi, Mehmet; Demir, Mesut; Demirtas, Mustafa

2016-05-01

Silent embolic cerebral infarction (SECI) is a major complication of coronary angiography (CAG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) who underwent CAG with or without PCI were recruited. Cerebral diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging was performed for SECI within 24 hours. Clinical and angiographic characteristics were compared between patients with and without SECI. Silent embolic cerebral infarction occurred in 12 (12%) of the 101 patients. Age, total cholesterol, SYNTAX score (SS), and coronary artery bypass history were greater in the SECI(+) group (65 ± 10 vs 58 ± 11 years,P= .037; 223 ± 85 vs 173 ± 80 mg/dL,P= .048; 30.1 ± 2 vs 15 ± 3,PSECI was more common in the PCI group (8/24 vs 4/77,P= .01). On subanalysis, the SS was significantly higher in the SECI(+) patients in both the CAG and the PCI groups (29.3 ± 1.9 vs 15 ± 3,PSECI after CAG and PCI increases with the complexity of CAD (represented by the SS). The SS is a predictor of the risk of SECI, a complication that should be considered more often after CAG. © The Author(s) 2015.

Demonstration of the Safety and Feasibility of Robotically Assisted Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Complex Coronary Lesions: Results of the CORA-PCI Study (Complex Robotically Assisted Percutaneous Coronary Intervention).

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Mahmud, Ehtisham; Naghi, Jesse; Ang, Lawrence; Harrison, Jonathan; Behnamfar, Omid; Pourdjabbar, Ali; Reeves, Ryan; Patel, Mitul

2017-07-10

The aims of this study were to evaluate the feasibility and technical success of robotically assisted percutaneous coronary intervention (R-PCI) for the treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD) in clinical practice, especially in complex lesions, and to determine the safety and clinical success of R-PCI compared with manual percutaneous coronary intervention (M-PCI). R-PCI is safe and feasible for simple coronary lesions. The utility of R-PCI for complex coronary lesions is unknown. All consecutive PCI procedures performed robotically (study group) or manually (control group) over 18 months were included. R-PCI technical success, defined as the completion of the procedure robotically or with partial manual assistance and without a major adverse cardiovascular event, was determined. Procedures ineligible for R-PCI (i.e., atherectomy, planned 2-stent strategy for bifurcation lesion, chronic total occlusion requiring hybrid approach) were excluded for analysis from the M-PCI group. Clinical success, defined as completion of the PCI procedure without a major adverse cardiovascular event, procedure time, stent use, and fluoroscopy time were compared between groups. A total of 315 patients (mean age 67.7 ± 11.8 years; 78% men) underwent 334 PCI procedures (108 R-PCIs, 157 lesions, 78.3% type B2/C; 226 M-PCIs, 336 lesions, 68.8% type B2/C). Technical success with R-PCI was 91.7% (rate of manual assistance 11.1%, rate of manual conversion 7.4%, rate of major adverse cardiovascular events 0.93%). Clinical success (99.1% with R-PCI vs. 99.1% with M-PCI; p = 1.00), stent use (stents per procedure 1.59 ± 0.79 with R-PCI vs. 1.54 ± 0.75 with M-PCI; p = 0.73), and fluoroscopy time (18.2 ± 10.4 min with R-PCI vs. 19.2 ± 11.4 min with M-PCI; p = 0.39) were similar between the groups, although procedure time was longer in the R-PCI group (44:30 ± 26:04 min:s vs. 36:34 ± 23:03 min:s; p = 0.002). Propensity-matched analysis confirmed that procedure time was longer

Coronary angioplasty with second generation Monorail catheters.

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Pande, A K; Meier, B; Urban, P; Villavicencio, R; de la Serna, F; Moles, V

1991-07-01

The Monorail system (Schneider) consists of a balloon catheter in which the guidewire passes through the balloon itself, exits the catheter proximal to the balloon, and runs alongside its small shaft (3 French) through the length of the guiding catheter. It offers distinct advantages over conventional systems of coronary angioplasty. It facilitates contrast injections and permits rapid balloon exchanges. This system was used for coronary angioplasty in 273 unselected consecutive patients (age 59 +/- 10, mean 35 to 73 years). There were 216 patients (84%) undergoing single-vessel and 57 patients (16%) with multi-vessel coronary angioplasty. A total of 335 coronary stenoses were dilated, which included 35 total occlusions. The size of balloon used ranged from 2.0 to 4.25 mm (3.0 +/- 0.5 mm) and the severity of stenosis was 85 +/- 11%. Technical success was defined as a residual stenosis of less than 50% as determined angiographically. Clinical success was defined as technical success, and absence of a major inhospital complication defined as absence of myocardial infarction, lack of need for coronary arterial bypass surgery, and survival. The Monorail system was technically successful in 294/300 stenotic lesions (98%). It was clinically successful for 281 lesions (94%). Of the 35 total occlusions, technical success was obtained in 25 (71%). The residual stenosis of successful cases was 26 +/- 21%. The Monorail system was also successful in 5 patients with stenosis of more than 90% in whom conventional systems failed. The complications included acute occlusion causing acute myocardial infarction in 13 cases (5%), emergency coronary arterial bypass surgery in 1 patient (0.4%), and death in 4 patients (1.5%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Pleiotrophin levels are associated with improved coronary collateral circulation.

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Türker Duyuler, Pinar; Duyuler, Serkan; Gök, Murat; Kundi, Harun; Topçuoğlu, Canan; Güray, Ümit

2018-01-01

Elucidation of the underlying mechanisms of angiogenesis and arteriogenesis in coronary collateral formation is necessary for new therapies. Pleiotrophin is a secreted multifunctional cytokine and associated with the formation of functional cardiovascular neovascularization in a series of experimental animal models. We aimed to evaluate the serum levels of pleiotrophin in patients with chronic total coronary artery occlusion and poor or good collateral development. We included 88 consecutive patients (mean age of the entire population: 63.7±12.1 years, 68 male patients) with stable angina pectoris who underwent coronary angiography and had chronic total occlusion in at least one major coronary artery. Collateral grading was performed according to the Rentrop classification. After grading, patients were divided into poor collateral circulation (Rentrop grade 0 and 1) and good collateral circulation (Rentrop grades 2 and 3) groups. Serum pleiotrophin levels were measured using a commercial human ELISA kit. Fifty-eight patients had good and 30 patients had poor coronary collaterals. The good collateral group had higher serum pleiotrophin levels than the poor collateral group (690.1±187.9 vs. 415.3±165.9 ng/ml, Pcollateral development (odds ratio: 1.007; confidence interval: 1.003-1.012; P=0.002). This study showed that increased serum pleiotrophin levels are associated with better developed coronary collateral circulation. Further studies are needed to better understand the relationship.

Noninvasive imaging of coronary arteries: current and future role of multidetector row computer tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nedevska, M.; Stoinova, V.

2006-01-01

Full text: This review will present the current and future role of cardiac computer tomography (CCT), and particular multidetector CCT, for imaging of atherosclerotic pathologic changes of the coronary arteries. Atherosclerosis and its cardio-vascular complications represent one of the major issues of public health in industrial countries. Different imaging modalities, including invasive coronarography, have been aimed to the diagnosis of the disease, when it provokes symptomatic decrease of the blood flow. In spite of development of surgical and percutaneous methods for coronary revascularization, coronary artery disease remains the major cause of death in North America and Europe. This demonstrates the need of novel, complementary diagnostic strategies, aimed to identify asymptomatic stages as the basis of pharmacological interventions. Noninvasive coronary angiography with multidetector CT allows both assessment of luminal stenosis and subclinical disease of arterial wall. Large trails are missing now to understand and present what will be the role of this technology in the comprehensive assessment of patients, suspected of having CAD. Based on experience and current potentials we will describe how tomographic coronary imaging may eventually supplement traditional angiographic techniques in understanding the patterns of atherosclerotic CAD development

Specific perfusion pattern in stress 201Tl myocardial scintigraphy of left main coronary artery disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wakasugi, Shigetoshi; Shibata, Nobuhiko; Kobayashi, Tohru; Fudemoto, Yoshiyuki; Hasegawa, Yoshihisa; Nakano, Shunichi

1986-01-01

The usefulness of stress 201 Tl myocardial scintigraphy for identifying left main coronary artery disease was evaluated with data from 23 patients with 50% or more narrowing of the left main coronary artery and 56 patients with 75% or more narrowing of the major coronary arteries but without left main coronary artery involvement (no left main coronary artery disease). Quantitative evaluation of stress perfusion scintigrams in all five patients with narrowing of the left main coronary artery of 90% or more showed a characteristic perfusion pattern (left main pattern) of extensive homogeneous defect over the whole anterolateral segment and simultaneous defects in all radii of the high anteroseptal and high posterolateral segments. On the other hand, such a perfusion pattern was noted in only 1 of 18 patients with less than 90% stenosis of the left main coronary artery and in only 1 of 56 patients with no left coronary artery disease. (orig.)

Eight-year follow-up of the Clopidogrel After Surgery for Coronary Artery Disease (CASCADE) trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Hage, Ali; Voisine, Pierre; Erthal, Fernanda; Larose, Éric; Glineur, David; Chow, Benjamin; Tremblay, Hugo; Fortier, Jacqueline; Ko, Gifferd; Une, Dai; Farkouh, Michael; Mesana, Thierry G; LeMay, Michel; Kulik, Alexander; Ruel, Marc

2018-01-01

In this 8 years' follow-up study, we evaluated the long-term outcomes of the addition of clopidogrel to aspirin during the first year after coronary artery bypass grafting, versus aspirin plus placebo, with respect to survival, major adverse cardiac, or major cerebrovascular events, including revascularization, functional status, graft patency, and native coronary artery disease progression. In the initial Clopidogrel After Surgery for Coronary Artery Disease trial, 113 patients were randomized to receive either daily clopidogrel (n = 56) or placebo (n = 57), in addition to aspirin, in a double-blind fashion for 1 year after coronary artery bypass grafting. All patients were re-evaluated to collect long-term clinical data. Surviving patients with a glomerular filtration rate > 30 mL/min were asked to undergo a coronary computed tomography angiogram to evaluate the late saphenous vein graft patency and native coronary artery disease progression. At a median follow-up of 7.6 years, survival rate was 85.5% ± 3.8% (P = .23 between the 2 groups). A trend toward enhanced freedom from all-cause death or major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events, including revascularization, was observed in the aspirin-clopidogrel group (P = .11). No difference in functional status or freedom from angina was observed between the 2 groups (P > .57). The long-term patency of saphenous vein graft was 89.11% in the aspirin-clopidogrel group versus 91.23% in the aspirin-placebo group (P = .79). A lower incidence of moderate to severe native disease progression was observed in the aspirin-clopidogrel group versus the aspirin-placebo group (7 out of 122 vs 13 out of 78 coronary segments that showed progression, respectively [odds ratio, 0.3 ± 0.2; 95% confidence interval, 0.1-0.8; P = .02]). At 8 years' follow-up, the addition of clopidogrel to aspirin during the first year after coronary artery bypass grafting exhibited a lower incidence of moderate to severe

Diagnosing coronary artery disease after a positive coronary computed tomography angiography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nissen, L; Winther, S; Westra, J

2018-01-01

Aims: Perfusion scans after coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) in patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) may reduce unnecessary invasive coronary angiographies (ICAs). However, the diagnostic accuracy of perfusion scans after primary CCTA is unknown. The aim...

Short-term effects of air pollution, markers of endothelial activation, and coagulation to predict major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with acute coronary syndrome: insights from AIRACOS study.

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Dominguez-Rodriguez, Alberto; Abreu-Gonzalez, Pedro; Rodríguez, Sergio; Avanzas, Pablo; Juarez-Prera, Ruben A

2017-07-01

The aim of this study was to determine whether markers of inflammation and coagulation are associated with short-term particulate matter exposure and predict major adverse cardiovascular events at 360 d in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We included 307 consecutive patients, and assessed the average concentrations of data on atmospheric pollution in ambient air and meteorological variables from 1 d up to 7 d prior to admission. In patients with ACS, the markers of endothelial activation and coagulation, but not black carbon exposure, are associated with major adverse cardiovascular events at one-year follow-up.

Non-obstructive coronary artery disease assessed by coronary computed tomography angiography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, L.; Bøtker, H. E.; Sorensen, H.

2015-01-01

Introduction: Coronary CT angiography (CTA) detects non-obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) that may not be recognized by functional testing, but the prognostic impact is not well understood. This study aimed to compare the risk of myocardial infarction (MI) and all-cause mortality...... in patients without or with non-obstructive and obstructive CAD assessed by coronary CTA. Methods: Consecutive patients without known coronary artery disease (CAD) and with chest pain who underwent coronary CTA (>64-detector row) between January 2007 and December 2012 in the 10 centers participating...... in the Western Denmark Cardiac Computed Tomography Registry were included. The endpoints were 3-year MI or all-cause mortality. The coronary CTA result was defined as normal (0% luminal stenosis), non-obstructive CAD (1%-49% luminal stenosis) or obstructive CAD (>50% luminal stenosis; 1-vessel, 2-vessel, or 3...

Short term results of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty with the monorail technique: experience in the first 1000 patients.

Science.gov (United States)

de Feyter, P J; Serruys, P W; van den Brand, M; Suryapranata, H; Beatt, K

1990-04-01

The monorail technique allows monitoring of all steps of the coronary angioplasty procedure by high quality coronary angiography; easy, rapid, and safe recrossing and redilatation of the lesion if necessary; and stepwise dilatation of a stenosis with sequential increase of size of balloons. Transstenotic pressure differences cannot, however, be measured through the narrow shaft of the standard monorail balloon catheter. The monorail technique was used in 1014 patients (820 men, 194 women; mean age 57.8 years (range 24 to 84]. The indication for coronary angioplasty was stable angina in 52%, unstable angina in 40%, and acute myocardial infarction in 8%. Single vessel coronary angioplasty was attempted in 78%, multilesion coronary angioplasty in 11%, and multivessel coronary angioplasty in 11%. Angiographic success (reduction of stenosis to less than 50% of the luminal diameter) of all attempted lesions was achieved in 93%. The technique was clinically successful--that is, angiographic success of all attempted lesions, no occurrence of a major complication (death, myocardial infarction, acute bypass surgery), and improvement of symptoms--in 92% and partially successful in 1.3%. The clinical success rates were similar for stable angina (91%) and unstable angina (94%), but were somewhat lower for acute myocardial infarction (88%). Failure without major complication occurred in 3.4% of the patients. Failure with a major complication occurred in 3.3% (death 0.3%, myocardial infarction 2.4%, and acute bypass surgery 2.3%). The total major complication rate was higher in unstable angina (4.2%) than in stable angina (3.0%). These results indicate that the monorail technique can be applied safely and effectively for coronary angioplasty of patients with stable angina, unstable angina, and acute myocardial infarction.

Duration of dual antiplatelet therapy in acute coronary syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Simon John; Newby, David E; Dawson, Dana; Irving, John; Berry, Colin

2017-04-01

Despite a large volume of evidence supporting the use of dual antiplatelet therapy in patients with acute coronary syndrome, there remains major uncertainty regarding the optimal duration of therapy. Clinical trials have varied markedly in the duration of therapy, both across and within trials. Recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses suggest that shorter durations of dual antiplatelet therapy are superior because the avoidance of atherothrombotic events is counterbalanced by the greater risks of excess major bleeding with apparent increases in all-cause mortality with longer durations. These findings did not show significant heterogeneity according to whether patients had stable or unstable coronary heart disease. Moreover, the potential hazards and benefits may differ when applied to the general broad population of patients encountered in everyday clinical practice who have markedly higher bleeding and atherothrombotic event rates. Clinicians lack definitive information regarding the duration of therapy in patients with acute coronary syndrome and risk scores do not appear to be sufficiently robust to address these concerns. We believe that there is a pressing need to undertake a broad inclusive safety trial of shorter durations of therapy in real world populations of patients with acute coronary syndrome. The clinical evidence would further inform future research into strategies for personalised medicine. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Anatomy and function: PET-CT.

Science.gov (United States)

Kajander, Sami; Saraste, Antti; Ukkonen, Heikki; Knuuti, Juhani

2010-05-01

CT coronary angiography and perfusion PET form an attractive combination to study coronary artery lesions and their consequences in patients with coronary artery disease. Whereas CT provides non-invasive assessment of coronary lumen and wall, PET perfusion is a reliable method for the evaluation of myocardial flow. CT, although very capable of ruling out significant coronary artery disease, is less than satisfactory in assessing the actual significance of the detected lesions. PET imaging, despite its excellent sensitivity, fails to describe the exact anatomy of the epicardial vessels. By fusing image data from these two modalities, lesions can be accurately correlated with their physiological or anatomical counterparts. Hybrid PET-CT devices, now in wide clinical use, allow such fusion in a one-stop-shop study. Although still seeking its place in clinical scenarios, growing evidence suggests that hybrid PET-CT imaging of coronary anatomy and myocardial perfusion can accurately - and non-invasively - assess the existence and degree of coronary artery disease.

Effects of escitalopram in prevention of depression in patients with acute coronary syndrome (DECARD)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Baiba Hedegaard; Hanash, Jamal Abed; Rasmussen, Alice

2012-01-01

Depression is a major problem in patients after acute coronary syndrome (ACS) with negative impact on survival and quality of life. No studies have examined prevention of post-ACS depression. We examined whether treatment with escitalopram can prevent post-ACS depression.......Depression is a major problem in patients after acute coronary syndrome (ACS) with negative impact on survival and quality of life. No studies have examined prevention of post-ACS depression. We examined whether treatment with escitalopram can prevent post-ACS depression....

Comparison of the safety and efficacy for application of (cypher)TM and (taxus)TM coronary stent in patients with coronary heart disease and concurrent diabetic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Junjie; Chen Shaoliang; Chen Huaixin; Li Zhiheng; Lin Yanting

2005-01-01

Objective: To compare the relative safety and efficacy of Cypher and Taxus stent in coronary heart disease complicated with diabetes. Methods: A retrospective study of our hospital's Cardiology database containing one hundred and twenty-two CHD complicated with diabetes undergone selective or urgent implantation of DES stent between June 2002 and February 2004 were divided into Cypher stent group (n=31) and Taxus stent group (n=91). The endpoints included cardiac death ,myocardial infarction (MI) and TLR at 6-month. Results: 122 patients with majority of males (80%) and mean age of 56 ± 11 years. The baseline characteristics were similar in both groups. Majority lesions treated were consisted of AHA/ACC Type B2/C (75%). Compared to the Taxus group, the Cypher group had a smaller mean reference diameter (2.4±0.6 mm versus 2.6±0.7 mm, P TM and (Taxus) TM coronary stents are proved to be equally safe and effective with low rate of clinical restenosis, TLR and MACE at 6-month in coronary heart disease complicated with diabetes patients. (authors)

Early results of coronary artery bypass grafting with coronary endarterectomy for severe coronary artery disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Toischer Karl

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite the existence of controversial debates on the efficiency of coronary endarterectomy (CE, it is still used as an adjunct to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG. This is particularly true in patients with endstage coronary artery disease. Given the improvements in cardiac surgery and postoperative care, as well as the rising number of elderly patient with numerous co-morbidities, re-evaluating the pros and cons of this technique is needed. Methods Patient demographic information, operative details and outcome data of 104 patients with diffuse calcified coronary artery disease were retrospectively analyzed with respect to functional capacity (NYHA, angina pectoris (CCS and mortality. Actuarial survival was reported using a Kaplan-Meyer analysis. Results Between August 2001 and March 2005, 104 patients underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG with adjunctive coronary endarterectomy (CE in the Department of Thoracic-, Cardiac- and Vascular Surgery, University of Goettingen. Four patients were lost during follow-up. Data were gained from 88 male and 12 female patients; mean age was 65.5 ± 9 years. A total of 396 vessels were bypassed (4 ± 0.9 vessels per patient. In 98% left internal thoracic artery (LITA was used as arterial bypass graft and a total of 114 vessels were endarterectomized. CE was performed on right coronary artery (RCA (n = 55, on left anterior descending artery (LAD (n = 52 and circumflex artery (RCX (n = 7. Ninety-five patients suffered from 3-vessel-disease, 3 from 2-vessel- and 2 from 1-vessel-disease. Closed technique was used in 18%, open technique in 79% and in 3% a combination of both. The most frequent endarterectomized localization was right coronary artery (RCA = 55%. Despite the severity of endstage atherosclerosis, hospital mortality was only 5% (n = 5. During follow-up (24.5 ± 13.4 months, which is 96% complete (4 patients were lost caused by unknown address 8 patients died (cardiac

[Comparison of 64 MDCT coronary CTA and coronary angiography in the detection of coronary artery stenosis in low risk patients with stable angina and acute coronary syndrome].

Science.gov (United States)

Cazalas, G; Sarran, A; Amabile, N; Chaumoitre, K; Marciano-Chagnaud, S; Jacquier, A; Paganelli, F; Panuel, M

2009-09-01

To determine the accuracy of 64 MDCT coronary CTA (CCTA) compared to coronary angiography in low risk patients with stable angina and acute coronary syndrome and determine the number of significant coronary artery stenoses ( 50%) in these patients. Materials and methods. Fifty-five patients underwent CCTA using a 32 MDCT unit with z flying focus allowing the acquisition of 64 slices of 0.6 mm thickness as well as coronary angiography (gold standard). Nine patients were excluded due to prior coronary artery bypass surgery (n=4), insufficient breath hold (n=3), calcium scoring>1000 (n=1) and delay between both examinations over 4 months (n=1). Forty-six patients: 27 males and 19 females were included. CCTA results were compared to coronary angiography per segment and artery with threshold detection of stenoses 50%. The degree of correlation between both examinations was performed using a regression analysis with a Pearson correlation coefficient<0.05 considered significant. The overall accuracy of CCTA was 90%; limitations related to the presence of calcifications, motion artifacts or insufficient vessel opacification. The correlation for all analyzed segments was 96.4%. Thirty-eight of 50 significant stenoses seen on coronary angiography were correctly detected on CCTA. Sensitivity, specificity, PPVC and NPV for detection of stenoses 50% were 76%, 98.3%, 80.3% and 97.7% respectively. Evaluation per segment had a NPV of 96.8% (interventricular and diagonal segments) to 100% (main trunk). Our results for specificity and NPV are similar to reports from the literature. This suggests that CCTA in this clinical setting may replace coronary angiography.

New method for imaging epicardial motion with scattered radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tilley, D.G.

1976-01-01

A new method for monitoring cardiac motion is described which employs the secondary radiation emerging from the thorax during fluoroscopic x-ray examination of the heart. The motion of selected points on the heart's epicardial surface can be investigated by detecting the intensity variations of radiation scattered in the local vicinity of the heart-lung border. Also discussed are the radiation detectors and signal processing electronics used to produce a voltage analog depicting the periodic displacements of the heart surface. Digital data processing methods are described which are used to accomplish a transformation from a time scale for representing surface motion, to a frequency scale that is better suited for the quantitative analysis of the heart's myocardial dynamics. The dynamic radiographic technique is compared to other methods such as electrocardiography, phonocardiography, radarkymography, and echocardiography; which are also used to sense the dynamic state of the heart. A three-dimensional Monte Carlo computer code is used to investigate the transport of x-radiation in the canine thorax. The Monte Carlo computer studies are used to explore the capabilities and limitations of the dynamic radiograph as it is used to sense motions of the canine heart. Animal studies were conducted with the dynamic radiograph to determine the reproducibility of the examination procedure. Canine case studies are reported showing the effects of increased myocardial contractility resulting from intervention with these inotropic agents

Morphological study on coronary ostial and clinicoangiographic analysis of isolated coronary ostial stenosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanoh, Tatsuji

2007-01-01

A morphological study of coronary ostia was performed in 70 autopsied human hearts, with particular attention being focused on the funnel-shaped structure, aging changes, and relation to atherosclerosis. The following results were obtained: The ostium is particularly well-defined and forms a funnel-shaped structure. The structure is predominantly a double circular shape on the right and comet-shaped on the left. The funnel-shaped structure of coronary ostia is characterized by a longitudinal smooth muscle arrangement in the inner layer and circular one in the outer layer. Including overhang formation, coronary sclerosis of the ostium appears mainly on the upper margin of the funnel-shaped structure of the right ostium and at the upper right margin of the left. In ischemic heart disease, along with changes in coronary arteries themselves, changes in the ostia of these arteries should be paid close attention. Ostial stenosis of the coronary artery in the absence of distal vessel obstructions, isolated ostial stenosis, is a rare form of coronary artery disease. In a previous review of the international literature, the incidence of coronary ostial stenosis varied between 0.13% and 2.7%. Among 7,500 patients undergoing selective coronary cineangiography at Juntendo University Hospital and Juntendo Urayasu Hospital from 1975 to 1990, five women (0.07%) were diagnosed as having ''isolated coronary ostial stenosis'', of which the cause is unknown. Atherosclerosis, particularly early premature atherome, congenital coronary anomaly, fibro-muscular dysplasia, Takayasu's aortitis, humoral factors, spasm, and iatrogenic events have been considered as its causes. In contrast to usual atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, patients with isolated coronary ostial stenosis of unknown etiology were characterized as being middle-aged, premenopausal, slender females having few coronary risk factors, experiencing severe angina pector is with marked ischemic electrocardiogram changes

Factors influencing delay time and coronary arterial density during coronary angiography with DSCT.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Lijun; Zhu, Xiaomei; Xu, Yi; Yu, Tongfu; Xu, Hai; Tang, Jinhua; Dogra, Vikram; Wang, Dehang

2011-02-01

CT angiography (CTA) plays an important role in diagnosing coronary arterial disease. Delay time and density of the coronary arteries related with patient-specific factors are essential for getting an optimal CTA image. To investigate various factors influencing delay time and coronary arterial density during coronary CTA with dual source CT. One hundred and sixteen consecutive subjects who underwent cardiac DSCT with retrospective ECG-gating were included. Factors including gender, age, height, weight, transversal cardiac diameter (TCD), transversal thoracic diameter (TTD), heart rate (HR), body surface area (BSA = [weight × height/3600](1/2)) and cardiothoracic ratio (CTR = TCD/TTD) were recorded, measured and calculated before administration of contrast media during coronary CT angiography. Delay time was determined as duration from the beginning of the injection to the density in the descending aorta at the level of right main pulmonary artery reaching a threshold of 100 HU. Coronary arterial density was measured at the mid portion of the right coronary artery. Regression analysis and stepwise regression analysis were used to investigate the influence of these factors on delay time and coronary arterial density. Delay time decreased with an increasing HR and it was shorter in women than men. Delay time increased with an increasing TCD. Delay time could be predicted by the formula: DT = 16.651-0.110 × HR + 1.902 × gender + 0.394 × TCD (where DT is abbreviation for delay time, gender is 0 for women and 1 for men). Coronary arterial density decreased with an increasing HR and weight. Coronary arterial density could be predicted by the formula: CAD = 923.42-4.099 × HR-3.293 × weight (CAD = coronary arterial density). There was no relationship between the other factors mentioned above and delay time or coronary arterial density. Delay time is influenced by HR, gender and TCD. Coronary arterial density also changes with HR and weight. So HR, gender, TCD and

The impact of chronic kidney disease as a predictor of major cardiac events in patients with no evidence of coronary artery disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Furuhashi, Tatsuhiko; Moroi, Masao; Joki, Nobuhiko; Hase, Hiroki; Masai, Hirofumi; Kunimasa, Taeko; Nakazato, Ryo; Fukuda, Hiroshi; Sugi, Kaoru

2010-01-01

Normal stress myocardial perfusion images (MPI) generally show good prognosis for cardiovascular events. However, chronic kidney disease (CKD) is one of the important risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD), and the interpretation of normal stress MPI has not been well established in CKD patients with no evidence of CAD. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term prognostic value of stress MPI in CKD patients with no evidence of myocardial ischemia or infarction. Patients who had no history but were suspected of CAD and had normal stress MPI (n=307, male=208, age=67 years, CKD/non-CKD=46/261) were followed-up for 4.5 years. CKD was defined as a glomerular filtration ratio of 2 and/or persistent proteinuria. Cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and unstable angina requiring hospitalization were defined as major cardiac events. Major cardiac events were observed in 3 of 261 (1.1%) non-CKD patients and 6 of 46 (13%) CKD patients (p<0.001, with log-rank test). CKD was an independent risk factor for major cardiac events (hazard ratio=13.1, p<0.001, multivariate Cox regression analysis). Normal stress MPI does not always promise a good prognosis for major cardiac events. Even in patients with no evidence of CAD from stress MPI, CKD can be an independent and significant risk factor for major cardiac events. (author)

Highly sensitive C-reactive protein and male gender are independently related to the severity of coronary disease in patients with metabolic syndrome and an acute coronary event

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C.M.C. Monteiro

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Patients with metabolic syndrome are at high-risk for development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular events. The objective of this study was to examine the major determinants of coronary disease severity, including those coronary risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome, during the early period after an acute coronary episode. We tested the hypothesis that inflammatory markers, especially highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP, are related to coronary atherosclerosis, in addition to traditional coronary risk factors. Subjects of both genders aged 30 to 75 years (N = 116 were prospectively included if they had suffered a recent acute coronary syndrome (acute myocardial infarction or unstable angina pectoris requiring hospitalization and if they had metabolic syndrome diagnosed according to the National Cholesterol Education Program/Adult Treatment Panel III. Patients were submitted to a coronary angiography and the burden of atherosclerosis was estimated by the Gensini score. The severity of coronary disease was correlated (Spearman’s or Pearson’s coefficient with gender (r = 0.291, P = 0.008, age (r = 0.218, P = 0.048, hsCRP (r = 0.256, P = 0.020, ApoB/ApoA ratio (r = 0.233, P = 0.041, and carotid intima-media thickness (r = 0.236, P = 0.041. After multiple linear regression, only male gender (P = 0.046 and hsCRP (P = 0.012 remained independently associated with the Gensini score. In this high-risk population, male gender and high levels of hsCRP, two variables that can be easily obtained, were associated with more extensive coronary disease, identifying patients with the highest potential of developing new coronary events.

Estimation of the flow resistances exerted in coronary arteries using a vessel length-based method.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Kyung Eun; Kwon, Soon-Sung; Ji, Yoon Cheol; Shin, Eun-Seok; Choi, Jin-Ho; Kim, Sung Joon; Shim, Eun Bo

2016-08-01

Flow resistances exerted in the coronary arteries are the key parameters for the image-based computer simulation of coronary hemodynamics. The resistances depend on the anatomical characteristics of the coronary system. A simple and reliable estimation of the resistances is a compulsory procedure to compute the fractional flow reserve (FFR) of stenosed coronary arteries, an important clinical index of coronary artery disease. The cardiac muscle volume reconstructed from computed tomography (CT) images has been used to assess the resistance of the feeding coronary artery (muscle volume-based method). In this study, we estimate the flow resistances exerted in coronary arteries by using a novel method. Based on a physiological observation that longer coronary arteries have more daughter branches feeding a larger mass of cardiac muscle, the method measures the vessel lengths from coronary angiogram or CT images (vessel length-based method) and predicts the coronary flow resistances. The underlying equations are derived from the physiological relation among flow rate, resistance, and vessel length. To validate the present estimation method, we calculate the coronary flow division over coronary major arteries for 50 patients using the vessel length-based method as well as the muscle volume-based one. These results are compared with the direct measurements in a clinical study. Further proving the usefulness of the present method, we compute the coronary FFR from the images of optical coherence tomography.

Three-Year Major Clinical Outcomes of Angiography-Guided Single Stenting Technique in Non-Complex Left Main Coronary Artery Diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Yong Hoon; Her, Ae-Young; Rha, Seung-Woon; Choi, Byoung Geol; Shim, Minsuk; Choi, Se Yeon; Byun, Jae Kyeong; Li, Hu; Kim, Woohyeun; Kang, Jun Hyuk; Choi, Jah Yeon; Park, Eun Jin; Park, Sung Hun; Lee, Sunki; Na, Jin Oh; Choi, Cheol Ung; Lim, Hong Euy; Kim, Eung Ju; Park, Chang Gyu; Seo, Hong Seog; Oh, Dong Joo

2017-10-12

There is limited long-term comparative clinical outcome data concerning angiography- versus intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in non-complex left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease treated with the single stenting technique in the drug-eluting stent (DES) era.The aim of this study was to investigate whether angiography-guided stenting is comparable to IVUS-guided stenting during 3-year clinical follow-up periods in patients with non-complex LM disease treated with the single stenting technique.A total of 196 patients treated with either angiography-guided (n = 74) or IVUS-guided (n = 122) PCI were included. The primary outcome was the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) defined as total death, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), target lesion revascularization (TLR), target vessel revascularization (TVR), and non-target vessel revascularization (Non-TVR). To adjust for any potential confounders, propensity score (PS) adjusted analysis was performed.During 3-year follow-up, the PS adjusted Cox-proportional hazard ratio (HR) was not significantly different between the two groups for total death, cardiac death, and MI. Also, TLR and the combined rates of TVR and non-TVR were not significantly different. Finally, MACE was not significantly different between the two groups (HR: 0.63, 95% Confidence interval (CI): 0.33-1.17; P = 0.149).Angiography-guided PCI for non-complex LMCA diseases treated with the single stenting technique showed comparable results compared with IVUS-guided PCI in reducing clinical events during 3-year clinical follow-up in the DES era. Although IVUS guided PCI is the ideal strategy, angiography-guided PCI can be an option for LMCA PCI in some selected cases.

Myocardial flow reserve is influenced by both coronary artery stenosis severity and coronary risk factors in patients with suspected coronary artery disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsukamoto, Takahiro; Naya, Masanao; Tsutsui, Hiroyuki; Morita, Koichi; Katoh, Chietsugu; Inubushi, Masayuki; Kuge, Yuji; Tamaki, Nagara

2006-01-01

Myocardial flow reserve (MFR) measurement has an important role in assessing the functional severity of coronary artery stenosis. However, a discrepancy between the anatomical severity of coronary artery stenosis and MFR is often observed. Such a discrepancy may be explained by coronary risk factors. In this study, we aimed to investigate the influence of coronary artery stenosis severity and risk factors on MFR. Seventy-four patients suspected to have coronary artery disease and seven age-matched healthy volunteers were enrolled. Myocardial blood flow (MBF) and MFR were measured using 15 O-labelled water PET. Regional MFR was calculated in regions with significant coronary artery stenosis (stenotic regions) and in regions without significant stenosis (remote regions). The contributions of coronary artery stenosis severity and coronary risk factors were assessed using univariate and multivariate analyses. In stenotic regions, MFR correlated inversely with coronary artery stenosis severity (r=-0.50, p<0.01). Univariate analysis did not show any significant difference in MFR between the patients with and the patients without each risk factor. In remote regions, however, MFR was significantly decreased in the diabetes and smoking groups (each p<0.05). By multivariate analysis, diabetes and smoking were independent predictors of MFR (each p<0.05). In the group with more than one risk factor, MFR was significantly lower (2.78±0.79) than in the other group (3.40±1.22, p<0.05). MFR is influenced not only by coronary stenosis severity but also by coronary risk factors. In particular, the influence of risk factors should be considered in regions without severe coronary stenosis. (orig.)

Coronary artery aneurysms

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Koischwitz, D.; Harder, T.; Schuppan, U.; Thurn, P.

1982-04-01

Seven saccular coronary artery aneurysms have been demonstrated in the course of 1452 selective coronary artery angiograms. In six patients they were arterio-sclerotic; in one patient the aneurysm must have been congenital or of mycotic-embolic origin. The differential diagnosis between true aneurysms and other causes of vascular dilatation is discussed. Coronary artery aneurysms have a poor prognosis because of the possibility of rupture with resultant cardiac tamponade, or the development of thrombo-embolic myocardial infarction. These aneurysms can only be diagnosed by means of coronary angiography and require appropriate treatment.

Membrane omega-3 Fatty Acid deficiency as a preventable risk factor for comorbid coronary heart disease in major depressive disorder.

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McNamara, Robert K

2009-01-01

Major depression disorder (MDD) significantly increases the risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) which is a leading cause of mortality in patients with MDD. Moreover, depression is frequently observed in a subset of patients following acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and increases risk for mortality. Here evidence implicating omega-3 (n-3) fatty acid deficiency in the pathoaetiology of CHD and MDD is reviewed, and the hypothesis that n-3 fatty acid deficiency is a preventable risk factor for CHD comorbidity in MDD patients is evaluated. This hypothesis is supported by cross-national and cross-sectional epidemiological surveys finding an inverse correlation between n-3 fatty acid status and prevalence rates of both CHD and MDD, prospective studies finding that lower dietary or membrane EPA+DHA levels increase risk for both MDD and CHD, case-control studies finding that the n-3 fatty acid status of MDD patients places them at high risk for emergent CHD morbidity and mortality, meta-analyses of controlled n-3 fatty acid intervention studies finding significant advantage over placebo for reducing depression symptom severity in MDD patients, and for secondary prevention of cardiac events in CHD patients, findings that n-3 fatty acid status is inversely correlated with other documented CHD risk factors, and patients diagnosed with MDD after ACS exhibit significantly lower n-3 fatty acid status compared with nondepressed ACS patients. This body of evidence provides strong support for future studies to evaluate the effects of increasing dietary n-3 fatty acid status on CHD comorbidity and mortality in MDD patients.

Coronary artery ectasia, its clinical profile and angiographic characteristics, single centre experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmed, N.; Mohyudin, M.T.; Saad, A.A.; Iqbal, M.M.

2013-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the incidence of coronary ectasia and its, its clinical profile and angiographic characteristics in our population. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on all coronary angiograms performed at the catheterization laboratory of Ch. Pervaiz Elahi Institute of Cardiology, Multan between the period of January 2011 and December 2012. Data were collected from catheterization films, and medical records. Results: In a total of 6540 coronary angiograms were performed during the period of the study. A total of 225 (3.44%) angiograms showed coronary ectasia of both mixed and pure types. Pure ectasia with no coronary obstructive lesions was seen in 58 (25.77%). Type 4 was most common 95 pts. (42.22%), as per the Markis classification. Right coronary artery (RCA) was the most commonly affected vessel 162 (72%) followed by left anterior descending artery (LAD) 76 (33.78%) and 38 patients (16.88%) patients had circumflex artery involvement. 132 patients (58.66%) had good left ventricular (LV) systolic function. Conclusion: Prevalence of Coronary ectasia in the population presenting to Ch. Pervaiz Elahi Institute of Cardiology, Multan during the study period was 3.4%. Majority of patients were males, associated with, hypertension and diabetes mellitus. CAE was associated with obstructive coronary artery disease in about 74.22% of cases. RCA was the most commonly affected vessel. (author)

Severity of coronary artery disease in obese patients undergoing coronary angiography

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Javed, A.; Ali, J.; Kayani, A.M.

2012-01-01

Objective: To assess the relationship of severity of coronary artery disease with obesity in patients undergoing coronary angiography. Design: Cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology - National Institute of Heart Diseases (AFIC-NIHD), 1st February 2010 to 31st August 2010 Patients and Methods: The study population included 468 patients undergoing coronary angiography. Obesity was classified according to the BMI using the National Institutes of Health (NIH) criteria as normal (BMI 21-24 kg/m2), overweight (BMI 25-29 kg/m2), obesity class I (BMI 30-34 kg/m2), obesity class II (BMI 35 to 39 kg/m2 and obesity class III (BMI 40 or above kg/m2). Coronary angiography data were obtained from the Siemens Queries software system, which maintains the database including detailed angiographic findings of all patients at this institution. Significant lesions were defined as those with >70% diameter narrowing of coronary arteries (>50% for the left main coronary artery). We attempted to quantify the 'severity of CAD' by ascertaining the prevalence of High-Risk Coronary Anatomy (HRCA). Results: Insignificant difference was observed in traditional risk factors i.e. age, diabetes mellitus and smoking except hypertension and gender. Statistically significantly low prevalence of HRCA was encountered in the obese group (57.7%) as compared to normal/overweight group (75.8%) (p < 0.05). Conclusion: We conclude that obesity is associated with less severe coronary artery disease. (author)

Long-term outcome in patients treated with sirolimus-eluting stents in complex coronary artery lesions: 3-year results of the SCANDSTENT (Stenting Coronary Arteries in Non-Stress/Benestent Disease) trial

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kelbaek, H.; Klovgaard, L.; Helqvist, S.

2008-01-01

data of the long-term outcome of patients with complex coronary artery lesions. METHODS: We randomly assigned 322 patients with total coronary occlusions or lesions located in bifurcations, ostial, or angulated segments of the coronary arteries to have SES or BMS implanted. RESULTS: At 3 years, major...... performed between 1 and 3 years after the index treatment (p = NS). According to revised definitions, stent thrombosis occurred in 5 patients (3.1%) in the SES group and in 7 patients (4.4%) in the BMS group (p = NS); very late stent thrombosis was observed in 4 versus 1 patient. CONCLUSIONS: A continued...

Coronary Anomaly and Coronary Artery Fistula as Cause of Angina Pectoris with Literature Review

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Jayanth Koneru

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Coronary artery fistulas are rare anomalies of the coronary arteries that may sometimes cause symptoms by shunting blood flow away from the myocardial capillary network. We report the case of a 46-year old lady which shows the right coronary cusp giving rise to left main coronary artery called anomalous origin of a coronary artery (AOCA, and also a fistula between the left coronary artery and pulmonary artery. We describe our diagnostic approach and review the literature on the epidemiology, pathophysiology, the diagnostic modalities, and treatment options.

Role of coronary physiology in the contemporary management of coronary artery disease

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Ruparelia, Neil; Kharbanda, Rajesh K

2015-01-01

Coronary artery disease (CAD) remains the leading cause of death worldwide with approximately 1 in 30 patients with stable CAD experiencing death or acute myocardial infarction each year. The presence and extent of resultant myocardial ischaemia has been shown to confer an increased risk of adverse outcomes. Whilst, optimal medical therapy (OMT) forms the cornerstone of the management of patients with stable CAD, a significant number of patients present with ischaemia refractory to OMT. Historically coronary angiography alone has been used to determine coronary lesion severity in both stable and acute settings. It is increasingly clear that this approach fails to accurately identify the haemodynamic significance of lesions; especially those that are visually “intermediate” in severity. Revascularisation based upon angiographic appearances alone may not reduce coronary events above OMT. Technological advances have enabled the measurement of physiological indices including the fractional flow reserve, the index of microcirculatory resistance and the coronary flow reserve. The integration of these parameters into the routine management of patients presenting to the cardiac catheterization laboratory with CAD represents a critical adjunctive tool in the optimal management of these patients by identifying patients that would most benefit from revascularisation and importantly also highlighting patients that would not gain benefit and therefore reducing the likelihood of adverse outcomes associated with coronary revascularisation. Furthermore, these techniques are applicable to a broad range of patients including those with left main stem disease, proximal coronary disease, diabetes mellitus, previous percutaneous coronary intervention and with previous coronary artery bypass grafting. This review will discuss current concepts relevant to coronary physiology assessment, its role in the management of both stable and acute patients and future applications. PMID

Role of coronary physiology in the contemporary management of coronary artery disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruparelia, Neil; Kharbanda, Rajesh K

2015-02-16

Coronary artery disease (CAD) remains the leading cause of death worldwide with approximately 1 in 30 patients with stable CAD experiencing death or acute myocardial infarction each year. The presence and extent of resultant myocardial ischaemia has been shown to confer an increased risk of adverse outcomes. Whilst, optimal medical therapy (OMT) forms the cornerstone of the management of patients with stable CAD, a significant number of patients present with ischaemia refractory to OMT. Historically coronary angiography alone has been used to determine coronary lesion severity in both stable and acute settings. It is increasingly clear that this approach fails to accurately identify the haemodynamic significance of lesions; especially those that are visually "intermediate" in severity. Revascularisation based upon angiographic appearances alone may not reduce coronary events above OMT. Technological advances have enabled the measurement of physiological indices including the fractional flow reserve, the index of microcirculatory resistance and the coronary flow reserve. The integration of these parameters into the routine management of patients presenting to the cardiac catheterization laboratory with CAD represents a critical adjunctive tool in the optimal management of these patients by identifying patients that would most benefit from revascularisation and importantly also highlighting patients that would not gain benefit and therefore reducing the likelihood of adverse outcomes associated with coronary revascularisation. Furthermore, these techniques are applicable to a broad range of patients including those with left main stem disease, proximal coronary disease, diabetes mellitus, previous percutaneous coronary intervention and with previous coronary artery bypass grafting. This review will discuss current concepts relevant to coronary physiology assessment, its role in the management of both stable and acute patients and future applications.

Acute Thrombotic Coronary Occlusion in a Patient with Coronary Artery Anomaly

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Beganu Elena

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Patients with coronary artery anomalies are more susceptible to develop acute thrombotic coronary occlusions due to the abnormal anatomy of these arteries and the disturbance of the pathophysiological mechanisms that lead to an accelerated atherosclerosis development. The following article presents the case of a 64-year-old female patient diagnosed with anterior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. The patient underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention, which revealed the absence of the right coronary artery and separated origins of the left anterior descending artery and the left circumflex artery from the aorta.

Acute effects of chewing tobacco on coronary microcirculation and hemodynamics in habitual tobacco chewers

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Vikas Thakran

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Long-term adverse cardiovascular effects of smokeless tobacco are well established, however, the effect of chewing tobacco on coronary microcirculation and hemodynamic have not been studied. We intended to analyze the acute effect of chewing tobacco on coronary microcirculation and hemodynamics in habitual tobacco chewers with stable coronary artery disease undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI. Materials and Methods: We prospectively enrolled seven habitual tobacco chewers with stable coronary artery disease with single vessel disease or double vessel disease satisfying the criteria for elective PCI. Patients were instructed to keep 1 g of crushed dried tobacco leaves in the mouth after a successful PCI. Lesion in last stented vessels was evaluated for fractional flow reserve (FFR, coronary flow reserve (CFR, and index of microcirculatory resistance (IMR post-PCI, after 15 min and 30 min of tobacco chewing along with the measurement of serum cotinine levels. Results: Oral tobacco led to high levels of cotinine in the majority of patients. There was an insignificant rise in heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure following tobacco consumption. Baseline CFR (median 1.6, range 1.1–5.5 was low in tobacco chewers after PCI even after optimum FFR (0.9 ± 0.05 in the majority of patients suggesting abnormal microvascular hemodynamics (high IMR in 3 patients, overall median 14.2, range 7–36.2. However, there was no significant change in the estimated CFR or IMR values following tobacco chewing. One patient had bradycardia and hypotension which may be related to vagal reaction or acute nicotine poisoning. Conclusion: Tobacco chewers have abnormal coronary microcirculation hemodynamics even following a successful PCI. However, the coronary micocirculation and hemodynamics do not change acutely following tobacco chewing despite high serum cotinine concentrations.

Factors influencing delay time and coronary arterial density during coronary angiography with DSCT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lijun Tang; Xiaomei Zhu; Yi Xu; Tongfu Yu; Hai Xu; Jinhua Tang; Dehang Wang; Dogra, Vikram

2011-01-01

Background: CT angiography (CTA) plays an important role in diagnosing coronary arterial disease. Delay time and density of the coronary arteries related with patient-specific factors are essential for getting an optimal CTA image. Purpose: To investigate various factors influencing delay time and coronary arterial density during coronary CTA with dual source CT. Material and Methods: One hundred and sixteen consecutive subjects who underwent cardiac DSCT with retrospective ECG-gating were included. Factors including gender, age, height, weight, transversal cardiac diameter (TCD), transversal thoracic diameter (TTD), heart rate (HR), body surface area (BSA = [weight x height/3600]1/2) and cardiothoracic ratio (CTR = TCD/TTD) were recorded, measured and calculated before administration of contrast media during coronary CT angiography. Delay time was determined as duration from the beginning of the injection to the density in the descending aorta at the level of right main pulmonary artery reaching a threshold of 100 HU. Coronary arterial density was measured at the mid portion of the right coronary artery. Regression analysis and stepwise regression analysis were used to investigate the influence of these factors on delay time and coronary arterial density. Results: Delay time decreased with an increasing HR and it was shorter in women than men. Delay time increased with an increasing TCD. Delay time could be predicted by the formula: DT = 16.651-0.110 x HR + 1.902 x gender + 0.394 x TCD (where DT is abbreviation for delay time, gender is 0 for women and 1 for men). Coronary arterial density decreased with an increasing HR and weight. Coronary arterial density could be predicted by the formula: CAD = 923.42-4.099 x HR-3.293 x weight (CAD = coronary arterial density). There was no relationship between the other factors mentioned above and delay time or coronary arterial density. Conclusion: Delay time is influenced by HR, gender and TCD. Coronary arterial density

[Experimental evaluation of the role of the coronary sinus pressure in the regulation of coronary return volume via the coronary sinus. Surgical considerations in atrio-pulmonary diversion procedures].

Science.gov (United States)

Fantidis, P; Fernández Ruiz, M A; Madero Jarabo, R; Moreno Granados, F; Cordovilla Zurdo, G; Sanz Galeote, E

1990-11-01

In order to find out the validity of the vascular waterfall mechanism in coronary venous circulation, the role of coronary sinus pressure in the regulation of coronary return volume via the coronary sinus is studied in healthy animals. An experimental model of pressure regulation in the coronary sinus was prepared, and aortic pressure, EKG and the cardiac output (measured by thermodilution) were recorded. The return volume via the coronary sinus was measured at coronary sinus pressure of 10 or less, 15, 20, and 25 mmHg or more, for a total of 36 determinations. Increased coronary sinus pressure did not produce significant changes in aortic pressure, heart rate, cardiac index or coronary return volume via coronary sinus. When coronary sinus pressure was 25 mmHg or more, there was a significant decline in the average of coronary return volume via coronary sinus. Nevertheless, stepwise variant regression showed that the coronary sinus pressure per se does not condition the volume of coronary return via the coronary sinus. Our results suggest that in the healthy animals, the vascular waterfall mechanism in coronary venous circulation is not valid. Our results suggest that in the correction of congenital cardiac malformations using atriopulmonary anastomosis procedures, employing techniques that ensure coronary sinus drainage into the left atrium, in order to avoid the hemodynamic repercussions attributable to the vascular waterfall mechanism, is not justified.

CORONARY ARTERY DOMINANCE PATTERN IN EAST-GODAVARI DISTRICT: A CADAVERIC STUDY

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Arindom

2016-01-01

Full Text Available With the advent of coronary angiography, coronary artery diseases can be well combated; but with time sedentary life style and stress as our constant partner have kept coronary artery disease as one of the major causes of death. Revascularization procedures demand a sound knowledge of the course of coronary arteries and their branches, both normal and their quite common variations. In this regard, posterior inter-ventricular artery (PIVA deserves a special importance; PIVA determines the coronary dominance depending on its parent artery. Dominance can be right, left or of balanced type. Balanced type means that PIVA is derived from both right & left coronary arteries. Circulation can occur when both the coronary arteries emit a branch in that area. These and other variations form a very important repertoire of information based on which coronary bypass surgery and angioplasty can be safely and effectively performed. The aim of this study therefore is to document the coronary dominance pattern in this East Godavari district of Andhra-Pradesh. 60 adult human hearts were collected from museum of Anatomy department during the tenure of 5 years (2009 to 2014 and were preserved in 10% formalin. The hearts were dissected carefully to observe the posterior inter-ventricular artery in the posterior inter-ventricular sulcus of each heart and dominance pattern was recorded. In our present study right dominance type was the commonest (46 out of 60 followed by left dominance (10 out of 60. Only 4 out of 60 were of the balanced type. Present study, though not of the only member of its kind will definitely add up to the already existing vast knowledge, based on which various diagnostic and therapeutic intervention of coronary artery diseases can be done effectively and safely

Three-Dimensional Respiratory-Gated Coronary Mr Angiography with Reference to X-Ray Coronary Angiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ikonen, A. E. J.; Manninen, H. I.; Vainio, P.; Vanninen, R. L.; Matsi, P. J.; Soimakallio, S.; Hirvonen, T.P.J.; Hartikainen, J.E.K.

2003-01-01

Purpose: To assess the clinical value of three-dimensional coronary MR angiography (CMRA) in the detection of significant coronary artery stenosis using conventional X-ray angiography as the standard reference. Material and Methods: Sixty-nine patients underwent X-ray coronary angiography and CMRA because of suspected or previously diagnosed coronary artery disease. MRI was performed with a 1.5-T whole body imaging system using ECG-triggered 3D gradient echo sequence with retrospective navigator echo respiratory gating and fat suppression. Results: A total of 276 coronary artery segments were analyzed. The X-ray coronary angiography was normal in 22 patients. Significant proximal stenoses (exceeding 50%) or occlusions were present in 102 coronary artery segments. In all, 120 stenoses or occlusions were identified in CMRA. Sixteen percent of the coronary artery segments had to be excluded because of poor image quality. The overall sensitivity and specificity for MRA for identification of significant stenosis were 75% and 62%, respectively. CMRA correctly detected 89% of patients with at least one vessel disease, but 6 patients with coronary artery disease would have been missed. Conclusions: Because of the high data exclusion and false-negative case rate, CMRA with retrospective navigator echo triggering is at present not suitable as a clinical screening method in coronary artery disease

Coronary artery anomalies in adults: imaging at dual source CT coronary angiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laspas, Fotios; Roussakis, Arkadios; Mourmouris, Christos; Kritikos, Nikolaos; Efthimiadou, Roxani; Andreou, John

2013-01-01

Congenital abnormalities of the coronary arteries have an incidence of 1%, and most of these are benign. However, a small number are associated with myocardial ischaemia and sudden death. Various imaging modalities are available for coronary artery assessment. Recently, multi-detector CT has emerged as an accurate diagnostic tool for defining coronary artery anomalies. The purpose of this pictorial essay is to review the dual source CT appearance of congenital anomalies of the coronary arteries in adults.

Contemporary sex differences among patients with acute coronary syndrome treated by emergency percutaneous coronary intervention.

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Wada, Hideki; Ogita, Manabu; Miyauchi, Katsumi; Tsuboi, Shuta; Konishi, Hirokazu; Shitara, Jun; Kunimoto, Mitsuhiro; Sonoda, Taketo; Iso, Takashi; Ebina, Hideki; Aoki, Eriko; Kitamura, Kenichi; Tamura, Hiroshi; Suwa, Satoru; Daida, Hiroyuki

2017-10-01

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is an important cause of mortality and morbidity in the general population. Recent advances in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and optimal medical treatment have helped to improve the prognosis of patients with ACS. The previous reports indicated that women with ACS have a higher risk of adverse outcomes. However, sex differences in clinical outcomes with contemporary coronary revascularization and medical therapy for ACS have not been elucidated. We analyzed data from 676 consecutive patients with ACS (female, n = 166; male, n = 510) who were treated by emergency PCI between 2011 and 2014 at Juntendo Shizuoka Hospital. The patients were grouped according to sex. We defined major adverse cardiovascular events as a composite of all-cause death and ACS recurrence at 1 year and compared rates of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) between the groups. Women were older (75.4 ± 11.0 vs. 66.2 ± 12.2 years) and had a higher rate of multi-vessel disease, chronic kidney disease, and Killip IV at presentation. The cumulative rate of MACE at 1 year was significantly higher among women than men (17.5 vs. 10.2 %, p = 0.02, log-rank test). However, the association between women and a higher risk of MACE was attenuated after adjusting for age (HR 1.25, 95 % CI 0.77-2.00, p = 0.36) and other variables (HR 0.93, 95 % CI 0.36-2.44, p = 0.88). Adjustment for age and other risk factors attenuated sex differences in mid-term clinical outcomes among patients with ACS after emergency PCI.

Radial artery approach for coronary intervention - early experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jan, H.; Hadi, A.; Fahim, M.; Gul, A.M.; Irfan, M.; Khan, S.B.; Hafizullah, M.

2012-01-01

Objective: To see the clinical outcome of patients undergoing Transradial Coronary Angioplasty with stable Angina. Methodology: This was a single center observational study with prospective data collection of 338 patients who underwent transradial coronary angioplasty from September 2009 to August 2011, at Post Graduate Medical Institute, Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar. Patients of both genders and all ages who had transradial coronary angioplasty for chronic stable angina were included in the study. Patients were clinically examined in out patients department on first month of hospital discharge and clinical outcome data was recorded. Results: A total of 338 patients were included in the study. Male were 58.8% and 41.2% were female with mean age of 52+-7 years. All the patients had coronary intervention through right radial artery. Baseline characteristics of the patients were; 48.2% diabetic, 43.2% hypertensive, 30.5% smokers, dyslipidemia was 45.7% and mean values of serum creatinine and Hemoglobin were 1.1+-0.3 and 11.5+-1.5, respectively. The frequency of various complications were as follow; hematoma 1.3%, nausea and vomiting 2.2%, pain in hand 11.2%, re admission to hospital for chest pain 6.5%, need for revascularization 2.2%, hand ischemia 1.8%, minor bleeding 0.9%, no major bleeding and 1.9% mortality. Conclusion: The radial artery approach for coronary intervention is useful with low degree of access site vascular complications and an early mobilization. (author)

Radial artery approach for coronary intervention - early experience

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Jan, H; Hadi, A; Fahim, M; Gul, A M; Irfan, M; Khan, S B; Hafizullah, M [Lady Reading Hospital and Khyber Medical University, Peshawar (Pakistan). Dept. of Cardiology

2012-01-15

Objective: To see the clinical outcome of patients undergoing Transradial Coronary Angioplasty with stable Angina. Methodology: This was a single center observational study with prospective data collection of 338 patients who underwent transradial coronary angioplasty from September 2009 to August 2011, at Post Graduate Medical Institute, Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar. Patients of both genders and all ages who had transradial coronary angioplasty for chronic stable angina were included in the study. Patients were clinically examined in out patients department on first month of hospital discharge and clinical outcome data was recorded. Results: A total of 338 patients were included in the study. Male were 58.8% and 41.2% were female with mean age of 52+-7 years. All the patients had coronary intervention through right radial artery. Baseline characteristics of the patients were; 48.2% diabetic, 43.2% hypertensive, 30.5% smokers, dyslipidemia was 45.7% and mean values of serum creatinine and Hemoglobin were 1.1+-0.3 and 11.5+-1.5, respectively. The frequency of various complications were as follow; hematoma 1.3%, nausea and vomiting 2.2%, pain in hand 11.2%, re admission to hospital for chest pain 6.5%, need for revascularization 2.2%, hand ischemia 1.8%, minor bleeding 0.9%, no major bleeding and 1.9% mortality. Conclusion: The radial artery approach for coronary intervention is useful with low degree of access site vascular complications and an early mobilization. (author)

Percutaneous coronary revascularization in patients with formerly "refractory angina pectoris in end-stage coronary artery disease" – Not "end-stage" after all

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Khattab Ahmed A

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Patients with refractory angina pectoris in end-stage coronary artery disease represent a severe condition with a higher reduction of life-expectancy and quality of life as compared to patients with stable coronary artery disease. It was the purpose of this study to invasively re-evaluate highly symptomatic patients with formerly diagnosed refractory angina pectoris in end-stage coronary artery disease for feasible options of myocardial revascularization. Methods Thirty-four Patients formerly characterized as having end stage coronary artery disease with refractory angina pectoris were retrospectively followed for coronary interventions. Results Of those 34 patients 21 (61.8% were eventually revascularized with percutaneous interventional revascularization (PCI. Due to complex coronary morphology (angulation, chronic total occlusion PCI demanded an above-average amount of time (66 ± 42 minutes, range 25–206 minutes and materials (contrast media 247 ± 209 ml, range 50–750 ml; PCI guiding wires 2.0 ± 1.4, range 1–6 wires. Of PCI patients 7 (33.3% showed a new lesion as a sign of progression of atherosclerosis. Clinical success rate with a reduction to angina class II or lower was 71.4% at 30 days. Surgery was performed in a total of8 (23.5% patients with a clinical success rate of 62.5%. Based on an intention-to-treat 2 patients of originally 8 (25% demonstrated clinical success. Mortality during follow-up (1–18 months was 4.8% in patients who underwent PCI, 25% in patients treated surgically and 25% in those only treated medically. Conclusion The majority of patients with end-stage coronary artery disease can be treated effectively with conventional invasive treatment modalities. Therefore even though it is challenging and demanding PCI should be considered as a first choice before experimental interventions are considered.

Knockdown of Zebrafish Blood Vessel Epicardial Substance Results in Incomplete Retinal Lamination

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Yu-Ching Wu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Cell polarity during eye development determines the normal retinal lamination and differentiation of photoreceptor cells in the retina. In vertebrates, blood vessel epicardial substance (Bves is known to play an important role in the formation and maintenance of the tight junctions essential for epithelial cell polarity. In the current study, we generated a transgenic zebrafish Bves (zbves promoter-EGFP zebrafish line to investigate the expression pattern of Bves in the retina and to study the role of zbves in retinal lamination. Immunostaining with different specific antibodies from retinal cells and transmission electron microscopy were used to identify the morphological defects in normal and Bves knockdown zebrafish. In normal zebrafish, Bves is located at the apical junctions of embryonic retinal neuroepithelia during retinogenesis; later, it is strongly expressed around inner plexiform layer (IPL and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE. In contrast, a loss of normal retinal lamination and cellular polarity was found with undifferentiated photoreceptor cells in Bves knockdown zebrafish. Herein, our results indicated that disruption of Bves will result in a loss of normal retinal lamination.

Development of Coronary Pulse Wave Velocity: New Pathophysiological Insight Into Coronary Artery Disease.

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Harbaoui, Brahim; Courand, Pierre-Yves; Cividjian, Andrei; Lantelme, Pierre

2017-02-02

Although aortic stiffness assessed by pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a strong predictor of coronary artery disease, the significance of local coronary stiffness has never been tackled. The first objective of this study was to describe a method of measuring coronary PWV (CoPWV) invasively and to describe its determinants. The second objective was to assess both CoPWV and aortic PWV in patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes or stable coronary artery disease. In 53 patients, CoPWV was measured from the delay in pressure wave and distance traveled as a pressure wire was withdrawn from the distal to the proximal coronary segment. Similarly, aortic PWV was measured invasively when the wire was pulled across the ascending aorta; carotid-femoral PWV was also measured noninvasively using the SphygmoCor system (AtCor Medical). Mean CoPWV was 10.3±6.1 m/s. Determinants of increased CoPWV were fractional flow reserve, diastolic blood pressure, and previous stent implantation in the recorded artery. CoPWV was lower in patients with acute coronary syndromes versus stable coronary artery disease (7.6±3 versus 11.5±6.4 m/s; P=0.02), and this persisted after adjustment for confounders. In contrast, aortic stiffness, assessed by aortic and carotid-femoral PWV, did not differ significantly. CoPWV seems associated with acute coronary events more closely than aortic PWV. High coronary compliance, whether per se or because it leads to a distal shift in compliance mismatch, may expose vulnerable plaques to high cyclic stretch. CoPWV is a new tool to assess local compliance at the coronary level; it paves the way for a new field of research. © 2017 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.

Coronary MR angiography: current status

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Danias, P.G.; Manning, W.J.

2000-01-01

Since first described in the early 1990s, coronary magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) has evolved as a promising noninvasive modality for imaging of the coronary arteries and evaluation of coronary artery disease. Despite technical limitations, coronary MRA has established value for imaging of anomalous coronary arteries and assessment of bypass graft patency. Current research focuses on the development of optimal respiratory compensation strategies, improved spatial and temporal resolution and faster acquisition of image data. The accurate detection of stenoses and assessment of the severity of coronary atherosclerosis is presently being evaluated with large multi-center studies. With further technique enhancements and more clinical experience, coronary MRA is likely to become the dominant noninvasive modality in clinical cardiology. (orig.) [de

Balloon Occlusion Types in the Treatment of Coronary Perforation during Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiangfei Wang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Coronary artery perforation is an uncommon complication in patients with coronary heart disease undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. However, pericardial tamponade following coronary artery perforation may be lethal, and prompt treatment is crucial in managing such patients. Balloon occlusion and the reversal of anticoagulant activity are the common methods used to prevent cardiac tamponade by reducing the amount of bleeding. Herein, we discuss the pros and cons of currently used occlusion types for coronary perforation. Optimal balloon occlusion methods should reduce the amount of bleeding and ameliorate subsequent myocardial ischemia injury, even during cardiac surgery.

Evaluation of carbohydrate cardiac metabolism by the 18FDG and positron emission tomography in the myocardial infarction with healthy coronaries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agostini, D.; Quennelle, F.; Babatasi, G.; Grollier, G.; Potier, J.C.; Bouvard, G.

1997-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the regional myocardial metabolism of glucose (RMMG) by positron emission tomography (PET) with fluoro-de-oxy-glucose ( 18 FDG) in patients having myocardial infarction with healthy coronaries (MIHC). Four patients (4M, age: 41 ± 12 years) have presented: MI with a coronarography showing no significant lesions on the epicardial arteries, an irreversible anterior hypo-perfusion, moderated at 201 Tl scintigraphy and an isotopic FEVG 18 FDG. The dynamical images allow measuring RMMG and the static image to define the regions of interest on ventricular transaxial cross sections. A myocardial region embodying the totality of VG, including the septal, anterior and lateral regions and an intracavitary region are handy delimited. A model with 3 compartments is applied to the time-activity curves measured in the VG (input function) and in the myocardium (Patlak's method) and allows measuring the RMMG. The mean value of RMMG, measured along the VG, is significantly diminished as compared with that measured in healthy subjects. In conclusion, the PET based on 18 FDG shows that the myocardial carbohydrate metabolism is altered in patients afflicted with MIHC

Congenital coronary artery fistula

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Yeon Hee; Kim, Hong; Zeon, Seoc Kil; Suh, Soo Jhi

1986-01-01

Congenital coronary artery fistula (CCAF) is communication of a coronary artery or its main branch with one of the atria or ventricles, the coronary sinus, the superior vena cava, or the pulmonary artery. In Korean peoples, only 4 cases of the CCAF were reported as rare as worldwide and authors want to report another case of CCAF, confirmed by operation. 10-year-old girl shows a fistula between sinus node artery of the right coronary artery and right atrium on root aortogram with left-to-right shunt and Qp/Qs=1.58, in which simple ligation of the sinus node artery from right coronary artery was performed. All of the 5 Korean CCAF (4 were previously reported and 1 of authors) were originated from right coronary artery, and of which 4 were opening into right ventricle and 1 of authors were into right atrium. Associated cardiac anomaly was noted in only 1 case as single coronary artery. Ages were from 9 months of age to 10 years old and no adult left case were found. 3 were female and 2 were male patients.

Effects of exercise training on coronary collateralization and control of collateral resistance

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, Janet L.

2011-01-01

Coronary collateral vessels serve as a natural protective mechanism to provide coronary flow to ischemic myocardium secondary to critical coronary artery stenosis. The innate collateral circulation of the normal human heart is typically minimal and considerable variability occurs in extent of collateralization in coronary artery disease patients. A well-developed collateral circulation has been documented to exert protective effects upon myocardial perfusion, contractile function, infarct size, and electrocardiographic abnormalities. Thus therapeutic augmentation of collateral vessel development and/or functional adaptations in collateral and collateral-dependent arteries to reduce resistance into the ischemic myocardium represent a desirable goal in the management of coronary artery disease. Tremendous evidence has provided documentation for the therapeutic benefits of exercise training programs in patients with coronary artery disease (and collateralization); mechanisms that underlie these benefits are numerous and multifaceted, and currently under investigation in multiple laboratories worldwide. The role of enhanced collateralization as a major beneficial contributor has not been fully resolved. This topical review highlights literature that examines the effects of exercise training on collateralization in the diseased heart, as well as effects of exercise training on vascular endothelial and smooth muscle control of regional coronary tone in the collateralized heart. Future directions for research in this area involve further delineation of cellular/molecular mechanisms involved in effects of exercise training on collateralized myocardium, as well as development of novel therapies based on emerging concepts regarding exercise training and coronary artery disease. PMID:21565987

Non-invasive assessment of coronary calcification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vliegenthart, Rozemarijn; Oei, Hok-Hay S.; Hofman, Albert; Oudkerk, Matthijs; Witteman, Jackqueline C. M.

2004-01-01

Electron-beam tomography (EBT) and multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) enable the noninvasive assessment of coronary calcification. The amount of coronary calcification, as detected by EBT, has a close relation with the amount of coronary atherosclerosis, which is the substrate for the occurrence of myocardial infarction and sudden cardiac death. Calcification of the coronary arteries can be seen as a cumulative measure of life-time exposure to cardiovascular risk factors. Several studies have shown that the amount of coronary calcification is associated with the risk of coronary heart disease. Therefore, coronary calcification is a promising method for non-invasive detection of asymptomatic subjects at high risk of developing coronary heart disease. Whether measurement of coronary calcification also increases the predictive power of coronary events based on cardiovascular risk factors is topic of current research

Coronary artery bypass surgery or coronary stenting in diabetic patients: too soon to make a statement?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rodriguez, Alfredo E., E-mail: arodriguez@centroceci.com.ar

2014-11-15

Diabetic patients have been associated with poor procedural and long term outcome if they were treated either with percutaneous coronary interventions or coronary artery bypass surgery. Recently several randomized clinical trials (RCT) in this subset of patients have been published showing a greater incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events, death/myocardial infarction/stroke, if they were treated with first generation drug eluting stents (DES) which was not observed previously in the bare metal stent era. However, almost simultaneously with this data, several RCT demonstrated better safety profile with new generation DES including biocompatible polymers, biodegradable polymers and lately complete absorbable DES, all of them showed reduction in adverse cardiac events compared to 1st generation DES in patients with diabetes. In this editorial we review the old and new randomized data in diabetic patients and conclude that there are many unresolved issues to make a definitive statement regarding which is the best revascularization preference in diabetic patients and the measured final efficacy of PCI and CABG will not be reached until the arrival of RCT using next generation DES, including complete absorbable scaffolds. - Highlights: • Diabetic patients have been associated with poor procedural and long term outcome if they were treated either with percutaneous coronary interventions or coronary artery bypass surgery. Recently several randomized clinical trials (RCT) in this subset of patients have been published showing a greater incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events, death/myocardial infarction/stroke, if they were treated with first generation drug eluting stents (DES) which was not observed previously in the bare metal stent era. • In recent years, several RCT demonstrated better safety profile with new generation DES including biocompatible polymers, biodegradable polymers and lately complete absorbable DES, all of them showed reduction in

Coronary artery bypass surgery or coronary stenting in diabetic patients: too soon to make a statement?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodriguez, Alfredo E.

2014-01-01

Diabetic patients have been associated with poor procedural and long term outcome if they were treated either with percutaneous coronary interventions or coronary artery bypass surgery. Recently several randomized clinical trials (RCT) in this subset of patients have been published showing a greater incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events, death/myocardial infarction/stroke, if they were treated with first generation drug eluting stents (DES) which was not observed previously in the bare metal stent era. However, almost simultaneously with this data, several RCT demonstrated better safety profile with new generation DES including biocompatible polymers, biodegradable polymers and lately complete absorbable DES, all of them showed reduction in adverse cardiac events compared to 1st generation DES in patients with diabetes. In this editorial we review the old and new randomized data in diabetic patients and conclude that there are many unresolved issues to make a definitive statement regarding which is the best revascularization preference in diabetic patients and the measured final efficacy of PCI and CABG will not be reached until the arrival of RCT using next generation DES, including complete absorbable scaffolds. - Highlights: • Diabetic patients have been associated with poor procedural and long term outcome if they were treated either with percutaneous coronary interventions or coronary artery bypass surgery. Recently several randomized clinical trials (RCT) in this subset of patients have been published showing a greater incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events, death/myocardial infarction/stroke, if they were treated with first generation drug eluting stents (DES) which was not observed previously in the bare metal stent era. • In recent years, several RCT demonstrated better safety profile with new generation DES including biocompatible polymers, biodegradable polymers and lately complete absorbable DES, all of them showed reduction in

[Pregnancy and coronary artery dissection].

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez-Quintana, Efrén; Rodríguez-González, Fayna

2015-01-01

Acute myocardial infarction during pregnancy is associated with high maternal and fetal mortality. Coronary atherosclerosis is the most common cause due to an increase in the age of the patients and the association with cardiovascular risk factors such as smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, preeclampsia, and the existence of family history of coronary disease. However, thrombosis, coronary dissection or coronary vasospasms are other causes that may justify it. We report the case of a 33 weeks pregnant first-time mother, without cardiovascular risk factors, who presented an acute coronary event in the context of atherosclerotic disease and coronary dissection after percutaneous coronary intervention. Copyright © 2014 Sociedad Española de Arteriosclerosis. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Accumulation of epicardial fat rather than visceral fat is an independent risk factor for left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis

OpenAIRE

Lin, Heng-Hsu; Lee, Jen-Kuang; Yang, Chung-Yi; Lien, Yu-Chung; Huang, Jenq-Wen; Wu, Cho-Kai

2013-01-01

Background Symptoms of heart failure with preserved left ventricular systolic function are common among patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD). Epicardial fat (EpF) is an ectopic fat depot with possible paracrine or mechanical effects on myocardial function. The aim of our current study is to assess the association between EpF and Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) in patients undergoing PD and to clarify the relationships among EpF, inflammation, and LVDD in this population....

Functional significance of coronary collateral circulation during dynamic exercise evaluated by thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wainwright, R.J.; Maisey, M.N.; Edwards, A.C.; Sowton, E.

1980-01-01

Sixty-five patients with angiographically documented coronary artery disease were investigated by thallium-201 ( 201 Tl) scintigraphy to determine the role of the collateral circulation during dynamic exercise. Fifty-three patients had complete proximal occlusion of at least one major coronary artery. One patient had total occlusion of all three major coronary arteries. Sixty-four collateral channels were identified, graded, and compared with corresponding regions of the myocardial scintigram. Tracer uptake was also graded and classified as various degrees of protection from ischaemia. A significant correlation between good collaterals with complete protection and poor or absent collaterals with no protection was noted. Seventeen patients (20 occluded vessels) had total coronary occlusion without myocardial infarction. Collaterals conferred protection in 9/15 occlusions whereas no protection was seen in five occlusions without collaterals. There was no difference in the protective role of homocoronary and heterocoronary collateral vessels. Hypertrophy of the first septal left anterior descending perforator conferred significant protection from ischaemia in contrast to bridging collaterals and ghosting. During exercise the right coronary bed is preferentially protected from ischaemia, in contrast to the left anterior descending territory. This probably reflects the direction of a transmural flow gradient between left and right ventricles during exercise. (author)

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Is More Beneficial Than Optimal Medical Therapy in Elderly Patients with Angina Pectoris.

Science.gov (United States)

Won, Hoyoun; Her, Ae Young; Kim, Byeong Keuk; Kim, Yong Hoon; Shin, Dong Ho; Kim, Jung Sun; Ko, Young Guk; Choi, Donghoon; Kwon, Hyuck Moon; Jang, Yangsoo; Hong, Myeong Ki

2016-03-01

Data comparing the clinical benefits of medical treatment with those of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in an elderly population with angina pectoris are limited. Therefore, we evaluated the efficacy of elective PCI versus optimal medical treatment (OMT) in elderly patients (between 75 and 84 years old) with angina pectoris. One hundred seventy-seven patients with significant coronary artery stenosis were randomly assigned to either the PCI group (n=90) or the OMT group (n=87). The primary outcome was a composite of major adverse events in the 1-year follow-up period that included cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization, and stroke. Major adverse events occurred in 5 patients (5.6%) of the PCI group and in 17 patents (19.5%) of the OMT group (p=0.015). There were no significant differences between the PCI group and the OMT group in cardiac death [hazard ratio (HR) for the PCI group 0.454; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.041-5.019, p=0.520], myocardial infarction (HR 0.399; 95% CI 0.039-4.050, p=0.437), or stroke (HR 0.919; 95% CI 0.057-14.709, p=0.952). However, the PCI group showed a significant preventive effect of the composite of major adverse events (HR 0.288; 95% CI 0.106-0.785, p=0.015) and against the need for coronary revascularization (HR 0.157; 95% CI 0.035-0.703, p=0.016). Elective PCI reduced major adverse events and was found to be an effective treatment modality in elderly patients with angina pectoris and significant coronary artery stenosis, compared to OMT.

Single coronary artery; extremely rare coronary anomaly successfully treated surgically in young adult male.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Shah, A R

2010-05-01

Single coronary artery arising from aortic root, is a rare congenital anomaly. A 30-year-old male presented with acute myocardial infarction (MI) complaining of chest pain and raised troponin levels. Emergency angiography showed no coronary lesions but both left and right coronary arteries arising from single ostium. Patient was operated electively and perioperative findings confirmed the diagnosis of single coronary artery, as left coronary artery after taking origin from right sinus of valsalva runs through the septum, before dividing into left anterior descending and circumflex branches. The single coronary ostium opened with a slit like incision over the course of left main coronary, making the size of ostium three to four times bigger than the native one. In addition left internal mammary artery was harvested and grafted to the left anterior descending branch distally. Patient made successful recovery. Four months follow up dobutamine stress echo showed no inducible ischemia.

Reality of obesity paradox: Results of percutaneous coronary intervention in Middle Eastern patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Jarrah, Mohamad; Hammoudeh, Ayman J; Khader, Yousef; Tabbalat, Ramzi; Al-Mousa, Eyas; Okkeh, Osama; Alhaddad, Imad A; Tawalbeh, Loai Issa; Hweidi, Issa M

2018-04-01

Objective The aim of this study was to assess the baseline clinical characteristics, coronary angiographic features, and adverse cardiovascular events during hospitalization and at 1 year of follow-up in obese patients compared with overweight and normal/underweight patients. Methods A prospective, multicenter study of consecutive patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention was performed. Results Of 2425 enrolled patients, 699 (28.8%) were obese, 1178 (48.6%) were overweight, and 548 (22.6%) were normal/underweight. Obese patients were more likely to be female and to have a higher prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, or previous percutaneous coronary intervention. Acute coronary syndrome was the indication for percutaneous coronary intervention in 77.0% of obese, 76.4% of overweight, and 77.4% of normal/underweight patients. No significant differences in the prevalence of multi-vessel coronary artery disease or multi-vessel percutaneous coronary intervention were found among the three groups. Additionally, no significant differences were found in stent thrombosis, readmission bleeding rates, or cardiac mortality among the three groups during hospitalization, at 1 month, and at 1 year. Conclusion The major adverse cardiovascular event rate was the same among the three groups throughout the study period. Accordingly, body mass index is considered a weak risk factor for cardiovascular comorbidities in Arab Jordanian patients.

PLACENTAL GROWTH FACTOR AND CORONARY NEOANGIOGENESIS IN CORONARY HEART DISEASE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. V. Tulikov

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Neoangiogenesis in coronary heart disease is a protective reaction aimed to improve ischemic myocardial perfusion, by increasing the number and size of arterial collaterals. Placental growth factor (PlGF is one of the key peptides regulating angiogenic processes in atherosclerosis. In particular, a number of investigators have shown that injection of recombinant PlGF into the system or regional blood flow can stimulate neoangiogenesis. On the other hand, there is evidence confirming the involvement of PlGF in the progression of atherosclerosis and in the development of acute coronary syndrome. In this connection, the problem of investigating the efficiency and safety of possible use of PlGF preparations, as well as its place in the diagnosis of coronary heart disease and acute coronary syndrome remains urgent

[Development of an automated processing method to detect coronary motion for coronary magnetic resonance angiography].

Science.gov (United States)

Asou, Hiroya; Imada, N; Sato, T

2010-06-20

On coronary MR angiography (CMRA), cardiac motions worsen the image quality. To improve the image quality, detection of cardiac especially for individual coronary motion is very important. Usually, scan delay and duration were determined manually by the operator. We developed a new evaluation method to calculate static time of individual coronary artery. At first, coronary cine MRI was taken at the level of about 3 cm below the aortic valve (80 images/R-R). Chronological change of the signals were evaluated with Fourier transformation of each pixel of the images were done. Noise reduction with subtraction process and extraction process were done. To extract higher motion such as coronary arteries, morphological filter process and labeling process were added. Using these imaging processes, individual coronary motion was extracted and individual coronary static time was calculated automatically. We compared the images with ordinary manual method and new automated method in 10 healthy volunteers. Coronary static times were calculated with our method. Calculated coronary static time was shorter than that of ordinary manual method. And scan time became about 10% longer than that of ordinary method. Image qualities were improved in our method. Our automated detection method for coronary static time with chronological Fourier transformation has a potential to improve the image quality of CMRA and easy processing.

A Variant in COX-2 Gene Is Associated with Left Main Coronary Artery Disease and Clinical Outcomes of Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hanning Liu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available As a particular severe phenotype of coronary artery disease (CAD, left main coronary artery disease (LMCAD is heritable. Genetic variants related to prostaglandin metabolism are associated with LMCAD. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2, a key synthase in prostaglandin pathways, displays high density in atherosclerotic lesions and promotes early atherosclerosis in CAD progression. We hypothesized that genetic variants in COX-2 gene contribute to LMCAD phenotype susceptibility compared to more peripheral coronary artery disease (MPCAD. In this study, we genotyped COX-2 rs5275, rs5277, and rs689466 of 1544 CAD patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG and found that rs5277 C allele carriage was associated with LMCAD (adjusted OR: 1.590; 95% CI: 1.103~2.291; p=0.013. Furtherly, long-term follow-up data suggested that rs5277 C allele carriage increased risk of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE in the whole cohort (adjusted HR: 1.561; 95% CI: 1.025~2.377; p=0.038 and LMCAD subgroup (adjusted HR: 2.014; 95% CI: 1.036~3.913; p=0.039 but not in MPCAD subgroup (adjusted HR: 1.375; 95% CI: 0.791~2.392; p=0.259. In conclusion, we demonstrate that COX-2 rs5277 C allele increases the risk of left main coronary artery lesion and is also correlated with poor prognosis of LMCAD patients with CABG therapy.

Congenital coronary-pulmonary artery fistula originating from right and left coronary artery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Kemal Gür

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Coronary artery fistula (CAF is a rare congenital anomalywith an incidence of 1 in 50 000 live births. The fistula wasobserved at the right coronary artery in 53%, the left coronaryartery in 42% and both coronary artery in 5% of thecases. Echocardiography examination in a 46 year-oldwoman with the symptoms of chest pain, palpitation anddyspnea revealed a severe mitral valve insufficiency anda moderate to severe tricuspid valve insufficiency. A CAForiginating from the proximal part of the left anterior descendingartery (LAD and another fistula originating fromosteal part of the right coronary artery (RCA were detectedby coronary angiography. Both fistulas were draininginto the main pulmonary artery. The coronary artery fistulaclosed under cardiopulmonary by-pass. Mitral insufficiencyoriginated from the posterior leaflet was diagnosedintra-operative exploration, and thereafter it was repairedwith mitral annuloplasty including a quadrangular resectionand use of a 32 No St Jude mitral ring. Tricuspid valvewas repaired with Calangos Ring annuloplasty. Followingsix day hospital stay, the woman was discharged free ofany symptom.Key words: Dyspnea, double arteriovenous fistula, mitral and tricuspid insufficiency

Selective coronary scintigraphy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gambini, D.-J.

1975-01-01

Isotopic techniques occupy a leading place amongst examinations practicable on coronary patients because of their reliability and the safety and simplicity of their use. The present work reviews the possible applications of selective coronary scintigraphy in pathology. After a brief discussion on scintigraphy, isotopic techniques for myocardium research, coronarography and other methods to study local myocardium perfusion the theoretical bases for the use of the exploration are studied, the techniques and methods employed are reported and the results discussed. Coronary scintigraphy consists of selective injection in the two coronary arteries previously catheterized during a coronarography, of two different populations of microspheres labelled with two physically short-lived indicators: 15μ 99m Tc-labelled serumalbumin microspheres, 10 to 15μ In-labelled siderophiline microspheres. Various studies have shown the complete harmlessness of the exploration when certain precautions are taken regarding the size and number of the spheres. The microspheres disperse into the downstream arterial territory proportionally to the number of capillaries present in the different parts of the irrigated region, and are temporarily stopped in the precapillaries. The preparation of the different images needed to interpret the Face and OAG examination for the left coronary, then for the right coronary, is carried out at the end of the coronarography and lasts about 45 minutes. It is also possible by selective injection in the aorta-coronary bridges to judge their functional condition by observation of the regions they irrigate. 56 patients of the Necker hospital cardiological clinic have been examined [fr

Current but not past smoking increases the risk of cardiac events: Insights from coronary computed tomographic angiography

NARCIS (Netherlands)

R. Nakanishi (Rine); D.S. Berman (Daniel); M.J. Budoff (Matthew J.); H. Gransar (Heidi); S. Achenbach (Stephan); M. Al-Mallah (Mouaz); D. Andreini (Daniele); F. Cademartiri (Filippo); T.Q. Callister (Tracy); H.-J. Chang (Hyuk-Jae); V.Y. Cheng (Victor Y.); K. Chinnaiyan (Kavitha); B.J.W. Chow (Benjamin); R.C. Cury (Ricardo); A. Delago (Augustin); M. Hadamitzky (Martin); J. Hausleiter (Jörg); G.M. Feuchtner (Gudrun); Y.-J. Kim (Yong-Jin); P.A. Kaufmann (Philipp A.); J. Leipsic (Jonathon); F.Y. Lin (Fay); E. Maffei (Erica); G. Pontone (Gianluca); G.L. Raff (Gilbert); L.J. Shaw (Leslee J.); T.C. Villines (Todd); A. Dunning (Allison); J.K. Min (James)

2015-01-01

textabstractAims We evaluated coronary artery disease (CAD) extent, severity, and major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) in never, past, and current smokers undergoing coronary CT angiography (CCTA). Methods and results We evaluated 9456 patients (57.1 ± 12.3 years, 55.5% male) without known CAD (1588

Physiologic assessment of coronary artery fistula

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gupta, N.C.; Beauvais, J. (Creighton Univ., Omaha, NE (USA))

1991-01-01

Coronary artery fistula is an uncommon clinical entity. The most common coronary artery fistula is from the right coronary artery to the right side of the heart, and it is less frequent to the pulmonary artery. The effect of a coronary artery fistula may be physiologically significant because of the steal phenomenon resulting in coronary ischemia. Based on published reports, it is recommended that patients with congenital coronary artery fistulas be considered candidates for elective surgical correction to prevent complications including development of congestive heart failure, angina, subacute bacterial endocarditis, myocardial infarction, and coronary aneurysm formation with rupture or embolization. A patient is presented in whom treadmill-exercise thallium imaging was effective in determining the degree of coronary steal from a coronary artery fistula, leading to successful corrective surgery.

Physiologic assessment of coronary artery fistula

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, N.C.; Beauvais, J.

1991-01-01

Coronary artery fistula is an uncommon clinical entity. The most common coronary artery fistula is from the right coronary artery to the right side of the heart, and it is less frequent to the pulmonary artery. The effect of a coronary artery fistula may be physiologically significant because of the steal phenomenon resulting in coronary ischemia. Based on published reports, it is recommended that patients with congenital coronary artery fistulas be considered candidates for elective surgical correction to prevent complications including development of congestive heart failure, angina, subacute bacterial endocarditis, myocardial infarction, and coronary aneurysm formation with rupture or embolization. A patient is presented in whom treadmill-exercise thallium imaging was effective in determining the degree of coronary steal from a coronary artery fistula, leading to successful corrective surgery

Coronary plaque quantification and fractional flow reserve by coronary computed tomography angiography identify ischaemia-causing lesions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gaur, Sara; Øvrehus, Kristian Altern; Dey, Damini

2016-01-01

AIMS: Coronary plaque characteristics are associated with ischaemia. Differences in plaque volumes and composition may explain the discordance between coronary stenosis severity and ischaemia. We evaluated the association between coronary stenosis severity, plaque characteristics, coronary computed...... tomography angiography (CTA)-derived fractional flow reserve (FFRCT), and lesion-specific ischaemia identified by FFR in a substudy of the NXT trial (Analysis of Coronary Blood Flow Using CT Angiography: Next Steps). METHODS AND RESULTS: Coronary CTA stenosis, plaque volumes, FFRCT, and FFR were assessed...

Coronary heart disease

Science.gov (United States)

Heart disease, Coronary heart disease, Coronary artery disease; Arteriosclerotic heart disease; CHD; CAD ... buildup of plaque in the arteries to your heart. This may also be called hardening of the ...

Coronary artery anatomy and variants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Malago, Roberto; Pezzato, Andrea; Barbiani, Camilla; Alfonsi, Ugolino; Nicoli, Lisa; Caliari, Giuliana; Pozzi Mucelli, Roberto [Policlinico G.B. Rossi, University of Verona, Department of Radiology, Verona (Italy)

2011-12-15

Variants and congenital anomalies of the coronary arteries are usually asymptomatic, but may present with severe chest pain or cardiac arrest. The introduction of multidetector CT coronary angiography (MDCT-CA) allows the detection of significant coronary artery stenosis. Improved performance with isotropic spatial resolution and higher temporal resolution provides a valid alternative to conventional coronary angiography (CCA) in many patients. MDCT-CA is now considered the ideal tool for three-dimensional visualization of the complex and tortuous anatomy of the coronary arteries. With multiplanar and volume-rendered reconstructions, MDCT-CA may even outperform CCA in determining the relative position of vessels, thus providing a better view of the coronary vascular anatomy. The purpose of this review is to describe the normal anatomy of the coronary arteries and their main variants based on MDCT-CA with appropriate reconstructions. (orig.)

Coronary artery anomalies in Turner Syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Viuff, Mette H; Trolle, Christian; Wen, Jan; Jensen, Jesper M; Nørgaard, Bjarne L; Gutmark, Ephraim J; Gutmark-Little, Iris; Mortensen, Kristian H; Gravholt, Claus Højbjerg; Andersen, Niels H

Congenital heart disease, primarily involving the left-sided structures, is often seen in patients with Turner Syndrome. Moreover, a few case reports have indicated that coronary anomalies may be more prevalent in Turner Syndrome than in the normal population. We therefore set out to systematically investigate coronary arterial anatomy by computed tomographic coronary angiography (coronary CTA) in Turner Syndrome patients. Fifty consecutive women with Turner Syndrome (mean age 47 years [17-71]) underwent coronary CTA. Patients were compared with 25 gender-matched controls. Coronary anomaly was more frequent in patients with Turner Syndrome than in healthy controls [20% vs. 4% (p = 0.043)]. Nine out of ten abnormal cases had an anomalous left coronary artery anatomy (absent left main trunk, n = 7; circumflex artery originating from the right aortic sinus, n = 2). One case had a tubular origin of the right coronary artery above the aortic sinus. There was no correlation between the presence of coronary arterial anomalies and karyotype, bicuspid aortic valve, or other congenital heart defects. Coronary anomalies are highly prevalent in Turner Syndrome. The left coronary artery is predominantly affected, with an absent left main coronary artery being the most common anomaly. No hemodynamically relevant coronary anomalies were found. Copyright © 2016 Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography. All rights reserved.

Coronary stent on coronary CT angiography: Assessment with model-based iterative reconstruction technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Eun Chae; Kim, Yeo Koon; Chun, Eun Ju; Choi, Sang IL [Dept. of of Radiology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

To assess the performance of model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR) technique for evaluation of coronary artery stents on coronary CT angiography (CCTA). Twenty-two patients with coronary stent implantation who underwent CCTA were retrospectively enrolled for comparison of image quality between filtered back projection (FBP), adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR) and MBIR. In each data set, image noise was measured as the standard deviation of the measured attenuation units within circular regions of interest in the ascending aorta (AA) and left main coronary artery (LM). To objectively assess the noise and blooming artifacts in coronary stent, we additionally measured the standard deviation of the measured attenuation and intra-luminal stent diameters of total 35 stents with dedicated software. All image noise measured in the AA (all p < 0.001), LM (p < 0.001, p = 0.001) and coronary stent (all p < 0.001) were significantly lower with MBIR in comparison to those with FBP or ASIR. Intraluminal stent diameter was significantly higher with MBIR, as compared with ASIR or FBP (p < 0.001, p = 0.001). MBIR can reduce image noise and blooming artifact from the stent, leading to better in-stent assessment in patients with coronary artery stent.

Large coronary intramural hematomas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Antonsen, Lisbeth; Thayssen, Per; Jensen, Lisette Okkels

2015-01-01

Isolated spontaneous coronary intramural hematoma is a unique subset of spontaneous coronary artery dissection that is characterized by a hemorrhage limited to the medial-adventitial layers, causing subsequent hematoma formation without visible intimal flaps. It is an infrequent and serious...... diagnostics and treatment strategy. Coronary intramural hematomas can also occur iatrogenically, as a complication to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Coronary angiography (CAG) has limited diagnostic value in the absence of intimal dissections, and lesions are often angiographically ambiguous....... Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is an important diagnostic tool in establishing the correct diagnosis, as it provides a complete vessel wall assessment, and enables morphometric information regarding the magnitude and severity of the underlying hematoma. Due to the rarity of this clinical scenario...

Predicting late restenosis after coronary angioplasty by very early (12 to 24 h) thallium-201 scintigraphy: Implications with regard to mechanisms of late coronary restenosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hardoff, R.; Shefer, A.; Gips, S.; Merdler, A.; Flugelman, M.Y.; Halon, D.A.; Lewis, B.S.

1990-01-01

To examine whether late coronary restenosis may be predicted by abnormalities of myocardial perfusion in the early hours after successful percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty and to study in greater detail the mechanisms involved in the development of late coronary restenosis after angioplasty, a prospective study was undertaken in 90 consecutive patients. Thallium-201 scintigrams were recorded at rest and during the stress of atrial pacing, 12 to 24 h after angioplasty, and the results were related to the findings at angiography in 70 patients undergoing late cardiac catheterization. A reversible thallium-201 perfusion defect was found in 39 (38%) of 104 myocardial regions supplied by the dilated coronary vessel and identified a subset of patients at high risk of late (6 to 12 months) angiographic restenosis (sensitivity 77%, specificity 67%). In contrast, late coronary restenosis developed in only 7 (11%) of 65 vessels and in 5 (14%) of 37 patients with a nonischemic thallium-201 scintigram on day 1 (p less than 0.005). Multivariate logistic regression analysis of 14 possible preangioplasty and periangioplasty clinical and angiographic variables selected reversible perfusion defect on the thallium-201 scintigram on day 1 (p = 0.016) and immediate postangioplasty residual coronary narrowing (p = 0.004) as significant independent predictors of late restenosis, with younger patient age as an additional less powerful predictor (p less than 0.05). The findings have important implications regarding the pathogenesis of late coronary restenosis in patients undergoing successful angioplasty and they imply that in the majority of these patients pathophysiologic events in the early minutes and hours after angioplasty may determine the development of late restenosis

Multislice CT coronary angiography: effect of sublingual nitroglycerine on the diameter of coronary arteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dewey, M.; Hamm, B.; Hoffmann, H.

2006-01-01

Purpose: to investigate the influence of sublingual glycerol trinitrate (1.2 mg, Nitrate [nitroglycerine], Nitrolingual N spray) on the coronary artery diameter on multislice computed tomography (MSCT) coronary angiography. Materials and methods: out of our database of patients who underwent MSCT (slice thickness of 0.5 mm, Aquilion, Toshiba) coronary angiography between July 2003 and November 2005 (950 patients) we retrospectively identified patients with follow-up examinations who received Nitrate for one examination while another examination was performed without Nitrate (10 patients). Another 10 patients who underwent two MSCT examinations with sublingual Nitrate administration were randomly selected from this database to serve as control group. For the resulting 40 MSCT examinations, blinded MSCT datasets were prepared, which were randomly evaluated by a reader blinded to the patient information and whether or not Nitrate had been given. The proximal coronary artery diameters were measured for the left main coronary artery (LMA), the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), the left circumflex coronary artery (LCX), and the right coronary artery (RCA) in all 40 datasets, resulting in altogether 160 measurements. Results: the proximal diameters of all four coronary arteries were significantly larger on the MSCT coronary angiograms obtained after sublingual administration of Nitrate compared with the examinations in the same 10 patients without Nitrate (p < 0.001). The average diameters without and with Nitrate for the LMA, LAD, LCX, and RCA were 4.3 ± 1.1 vs. 4.8 ± 0.9 mm (12% increase, p < 0.005), 3.0 ± 0.6 vs. 3.5 ± 0.5 mm (17% increase, p < 0.001), 2.7 ± 0.6 vs. 3.2 ± 0.7 mm (19% increase, p < 0.005), and 2.9 ± 0.9 vs. 3.5 ± 0.7 mm (21% increase, p < 0.005), respectively. In the control group of 10 patients who underwent two MSCT coronary angiographies after sublingual Nitrate, no significant difference in the proximal diameter of all four

Breath-hold two-dimensional MR angiography of coronary arteries. Comparison with conventional coronary angiography in ten cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Liwei; Zhang Wanshi; Liu Chaozhong; Lu Xiaoyan; Xu Jiaxing

1997-01-01

Purpose: To assess the diagnostic value of two-dimensional coronary magnetic resonance (MR) angiography in patients evaluated for ischemic heart disease. Materials and methods: Ten patients who underwent selective cardiac catheterization with coronary MR angiography were evaluated with two-dimensional coronary MR angiography. Coronary MR angiography was performed with breath-hold fat-suppressed ECG-gated Turbo-FLASH with K-space segmentation using a 1.5 T imager. Results: The left main coronary artery, proximal left anterior descending artery, circumflex artery and right coronary artery were demonstrated in all cases. Continuous segments (mean) of left anterior descending, circumflex and right coronary arteries visualized on MRA were 6.72 +- 3.16 cm, 3.67 +- 4.81 cm and 7.93 +- 3.12 cm respectively. The overall sensitivity for detection of hemodynamically significant coronary artery lesion (≥50%) was 62.5% respectively. Conclusion: Breath-hold two-dimensional coronary MR angiography was useful in showing relatively long segments of the main coronary arteries and also has potential in depicting hemodynamically significant coronary artery lesions

Diagnosis of coronary artery disease in hypertensive patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cuocolo, A.; Esposito, S.; Acampora, C.; Squame, C.

1988-01-01

Exercise radionuclide ventriculography (ERV) is considered a superior non-invasive screening test for coronary artery disease (CAD). ERV showed, however, a low specificity in hypertensive patients (H). The diagnostic accuracy of EAR and thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy (M) was evaluated in 23 patients (H) with chest pain and positive ECG-strees test. All patients underwent ERV and M, randomly, in different days. Finally, they all underwent coronary angiography: CAD was diagnosed in case of luminal narrowing ≥ 70% in 1 major coronary artery at least. Eleven patients had severe CAD. ERV was considered positive for CAD in presence of ex-induced abnormality of wall motion and/or in case of ex-induced ejection fraction increase ≤ 5% respect to the basal values. M was considered positive for CAD when perfusion defects were observed in early images only. ERV showed low diagnostic accuracy. On the contrary M had both sensibility and specificity, and a high positive and negative predictive value in the diagnosis of CAD. M is thus suggested as the non-invasive methodology of choice in hypertensive patients with suspected CAD

Mid-term follow-up outcomes of 2-staged hybrid coronary revascularization compared with off-pump coronary artery bypass for patients with multivessel coronary artery disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Song; Ling, Yunpeng; Fu, Yuanhao; Zhang, Lufeng; Yang, Hang; Guo, Lijun; Gao, Wei; Wan, Feng

2017-06-01

Two-staged hybrid coronary revascularization (HCR) is a novel procedure in selected patients with multivessel coronary artery disease. However, few studies are available on the mid-term or long-term outcomes of this 2-staged procedure as compared to off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB). To compare in-hospital and mid-term follow-up outcomes of 2-staged HCR with OPCAB in patients with multivessel coronary artery disease. The present retrospective study analyzed the data from 73 patients who underwent the 2-staged HCR (HCR group) during 2012-2014 at the heart center. Three hundred and eighty-three patients who underwent conventional OPCAB by the same surgeon were selected for the comparative analysis performed on in-hospital and mid-term follow-up outcomes between the two groups. No significant difference was observed in the preoperative outcome between the two groups. The HCR group had a shorter operation duration (152.9 ±43.8 vs. 262.6 ±51.8 min, p < 0.05), less bleeding (558.6 ±441.3 vs. 1035.5 ±613.3 ml, p < 0.05), shorter mechanical ventilation (9.4 ±7.4 vs. 19.0 ±18.3 h, p < 0.05), and less blood transfusion (12 (16.4%) vs. 200 (52.2%), p < 0.05). The mean follow-up duration was 25.0 ±9.6 months in the HCR group and 22.8 ±10.6 months in the OPCAB group. The incidence of major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events (MACCE) was similar in both groups (4 (5.5%) vs. 10 (2.8%), p = 0.408). The estimated 3-year survival was similar in both groups (log-rank χ 2 = 1.041, p = 0.308). The 2-staged HCR is a safe and effective surgical procedure and may offer similar mid-term follow-up outcomes to OPCAB.

Determinants and Outcomes of Stroke Following Percutaneous Coronary Intervention by Indication.

Science.gov (United States)

Myint, Phyo Kyaw; Kwok, Chun Shing; Roffe, Christine; Kontopantelis, Evangelos; Zaman, Azfar; Berry, Colin; Ludman, Peter F; de Belder, Mark A; Mamas, Mamas A

2016-06-01

Stroke after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a serious complication, but its determinants and outcomes after PCI in different clinical settings are poorly documented. The British Cardiovascular Intervention Society (BCIS) database was used to study 560 439 patients who underwent PCI in England and Wales between 2006 and 2013. We examined procedural-type specific determinants of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke and the likelihood of subsequent 30-day mortality and in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events (a composite of in-hospital mortality, myocardial infarction or reinfarction, and repeat revascularization). A total of 705 stroke cases were recorded (80% ischemic). Stroke after an elective PCI or PCI for acute coronary syndrome indications was associated with a higher risk of adverse outcomes compared with those without stroke; 30-day mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events outcomes in fully adjusted model were odds ratios 37.90 (21.43-67.05) and 21.05 (13.25-33.44) for elective and 5.00 (3.96-6.31) and 6.25 (5.03-7.77) for acute coronary syndrome, respectively. Comparison of odds of these outcomes between these 2 settings showed no differences; corresponding odds ratios were 1.24 (0.64-2.43) and 0.63 (0.35-1.15), respectively. Hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke complications are uncommon, but serious complications can occur after PCI and are independently associated with worse mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events outcomes in both the elective and acute coronary syndrome setting irrespective of stroke type. Our study provides a better understanding of the risk factors and prognosis of stroke after PCI by procedure type, allowing physicians to provide more informed advice around stroke risk after PCI and counsel patients and their families around outcomes if such neurological complications occur. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

Current status of hybrid coronary revascularization.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaik, Nikhil P; Umakanthan, Ramanan; Leacche, Marzia; Solenkova, Natalia; Balaguer, Jorge M; Hoff, Steven J; Ball, Stephen K; Zhao, David X; Byrne, John G

2011-10-01

Hybrid coronary revascularization combines coronary artery bypass surgery with percutaneous coronary intervention techniques to treat coronary artery disease. The potential benefits of such a technique are to offer the patients the best available treatments for coronary artery disease while minimizing the risks of the surgery. Hybrid coronary revascularization has resulted in the establishment of new 'hybrid operating suites', which incorporate and integrate the capabilities of a cardiac surgery operating room with that of an interventional cardiology laboratory. Hybrid coronary revascularization has greatly augmented teamwork and cooperation between both fields and has demonstrated encouraging as well as good initial outcomes.

The relation between intensity and complexity of coronary artery lesion and oxidative stress in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Turan, Turhan; Menteşe, Ümit; Ağaç, Mustafa Tarık; Akyüz, Ali Rıza; Kul, Selim; Aykan, Ahmet Çağrı; Bektaş, Hüseyin; Korkmaz, Levent; Öztaş Menteşe, Seda; Dursun, İhsan; Çelik, Şükrü

2015-10-01

Oxidative stress plays a major role in the development of atherosclerosis. However, the relationship between oxidative stress and complexity and intensity of coronary artery disease is less clear. The aim of this study is to assess the relationship between oxidative stress markers and the complexity and intensity of coronary artery disease in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Sixty-seven consecutive patients with an early phase of ACS (=22). Likewise patients were divided into two CAD severity groups according to the median Gensini score of 64: less intensive CAD with Gensini score (=64. Blood samples were taken in 1 hour within administration in order to measure total oxidative status (TOS) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) levels determined by Erel method. Oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated by TOS /TAC. There was no significant difference between the two SYNTAX groups for oxidative stress markers. Median TOS and OSI values were significantly high in the intensive CAD group (p=0.005, p=0.04, respectively). The Gensini score was positively correlated with TOS and OSI (p=0.003, p=0.02, respectively). Oxidative stress markers may be considered supportive laboratory parameters related to CAD intensity but not complexity in ACS patients.

Isolation of canine coronary sinus musculature from the atria by radiofrequency catheter ablation prevents induction of atrial fibrillation.

Science.gov (United States)

Morita, Hiroshi; Zipes, Douglas P; Morita, Shiho T; Wu, Jiashin

2014-12-01

The junction between the coronary sinus (CS) musculature and both atria contributes to initiation of atrial tachyarrhythmias. The current study investigated the effects of CS isolation from the atria by radiofrequency catheter ablation on the induction and maintenance of atrial fibrillation (AF). Using an optical mapping system, we mapped action potentials at 256 surface sites in 17 isolated and arterially perfused canine atrial tissues containing the entire musculature of the CS, right atrial septum, posterior left atrium, left inferior pulmonary vein, and vein of Marshal. Rapid pacing from each site before and after addition of acetylcholine (0.5 μmol/L) was applied to induce AF. Epicardial radiofrequency catheter ablation at CS-atrial junctions isolated the CS from the atria. Rapid pacing induced sustained AF in all tissues after acetylcholine. Microreentry within the CS drove AF in 88% of preparations. Reentries associated with the vein of Marshall (29%), CS-atrial junctions (53%), right atrium (65%), and pulmonary vein (76%) (frequently with 2-4 simultaneous circuits) were additional drivers of AF. Radiofrequency catheter ablation eliminated AF in 13 tissues before acetylcholine (Patrial tissue. The results suggest that CS can be a substrate of recurrent AF in patients after pulmonary vein isolation and that CS isolation might help prevent recurrent AF. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

Left ventricular apical ballooning syndrome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahman, N.; Tai, J.; Soofi, A.

2007-01-01

The transient left ventricular apical ballooning syndrome, also known as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, is characterized by transient left ventricular dysfunction in the absence of obstructive epicardial coronary disease. Although the syndrome has been reported in Japan since 1990, it is rare in other regions. Rapid recognition of the syndrome can modify the diagnostic and therapeutic attitude i.e. avoiding thrombolysis and performing catheterization in the acute phase. (author)

Milrinone infusion: A therapeutic option in coronary vasospasm after primary percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Singh Amarpal

2009-01-01

Full Text Available A 42-year-old male presented to the emergency department with acute chest pain. The electrocardiogram revealed inferior wall myocardial infarction. Emergency coronary angiography revealed total occlusion of the distal right coronary artery with thrombus. Patient was taken up for primary percutaneous coronary angioplasty with stenting of distal right coronary artery. Six hours following the procedure, the patient developed re-elevation of ST-segment in inferior leads of electrocardiogram and subsequent haemodynamic instability. Repeat coronary angiography revealed patent stent and coronary artery spasm in proximal part, which was relieved by intracoronary injection of nitroglycerine. After an hour, the patient re-developed symptoms of chest pain along with bradycardia, hypotension and ST segment elevation. Intravenous infusion of nitroglycerine did not improve the condition but produced persistent hypotension. Infusion of milrinone was then started. Over time, normalisation of electrocardiogram occurred. The patient was discharged in stable condition. This case suggests that milrinone may be effective in alleviating coronary artery spasm when the use of other agents fails

A Case of Cardiac Cephalalgia Showing Reversible Coronary Vasospasm on Coronary Angiogram

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, YoungSoon; Jin, Dong Gyu; Jang, Il Mi; Jang, YoungHee; Na, Hae Ri; Kim, SanYun

2010-01-01

Background Under certain conditions, exertional headaches may reflect coronary ischemia. Case Report A 44-year-old woman developed intermittent exercise-induced headaches with chest tightness over a period of 10 months. Cardiac catheterization followed by acetylcholine provocation demonstrated a right coronary artery spasm with chest tightness, headache, and ischemic effect of continuous electrocardiography changes. The patient's headache disappeared following intra-arterial nitroglycerine injection. Conclusions A coronary angiogram with provocation study revealed variant angina and cardiac cephalalgia, as per the International Classification of Headache Disorders (code 10.6). We report herein a patient with cardiac cephalalgia that manifested as reversible coronary vasospasm following an acetylcholine provocation test. PMID:20607049

Impact of coronary dominance on in-hospital outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Toshiki Kuno

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the manner in which coronary dominance affects in-hospital outcomes of acute coronary syndrome (ACS patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI. BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that left dominant coronary anatomies are associated with worse prognoses in patients with coronary artery disease. METHODS: Data were analyzed from 4873 ACS patients undergoing PCI between September 2008 and April 2013 at 14 hospitals participating in the Japanese Cardiovascular Database Registry. The patients were grouped based on diagnostic coronary angiograms performed prior to PCI; those with right- or co-dominant anatomy (RD group and those with left-dominant anatomy (LD group. RESULTS: The average patient age was 67.6±11.8 years and both patient groups had similar ages, coronary risk factors, comorbidities, and prior histories. The numbers of patients presenting with symptoms of heart failure, cardiogenic shock, or cardiopulmonary arrest were significantly higher in the LD group than in the RD group (heart failure: 650 RD patients [14.7%] vs. 87 LD patients [18.8%], P = 0.025; cardiogenic shock: 322 RD patients [7.3%] vs. 48 LD patients [10.3%], P = 0.021; and cardiopulmonary arrest: 197 RD patients [4.5%] vs. 36 LD patients [7.8%], P = 0.003. In-hospital mortality was significantly higher among LD patients than among RD patients (182 RD patients [4.1%] vs. 36 LD patients [7.8%], P = 0.001. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that LD anatomy was an independent predictor for in-hospital mortality (odds ratio, 1.75; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-2.89; P = 0.030. CONCLUSION: Among ACS patients who underwent PCI, LD patients had significantly worse in-hospital outcomes compared with RD patients, and LD anatomy was an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality.

[Fully absorbable drug eluting coronary stent: where do we stand in 2014?].

Science.gov (United States)

Kočka, Viktor; Toušek, Petr; Lisa, Libor; Buděšínský, Tomáš

2014-04-01

Coronary stent is routinely used in majority percutaneous coronary interventions for a long time. They have an important role, especially, in the first months after intervention. We can consider as a breakthrough point the development of stent which has ability to absorb in intervened artery after a few years. The review presents current techniques of fully absorbable coronary stents and also provides clinical trials and experiences available in 2014. The article continues with discussion between supporters and opponents of this new technique, but definitive conclusion can't be done yet. The authors conclude the review with their own opinion. There are many encouraging data in patients with good clinical outcome after implantation of absorbable stents in more than 10 years follow-up.

Early outcome of high energy Laser (Excimer) facilitated coronary angioplasty ON hARD and complex calcified and balloOn-resistant coronary lesions: LEONARDO Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ambrosini, Vittorio; Sorropago, Giovanni; Laurenzano, Eugenio; Golino, Luca; Casafina, Alfredo; Schiano, Vittorio; Gabrielli, Gabriele; Ettori, Federica; Chizzola, Giuliano; Bernardi, Guglielmo; Spedicato, Leonardo; Armigliato, Pietro; Spampanato, Carmine; Furegato, Martina

2015-01-01

Aim: An innovative xenon–chlorine (excimer) pulsed laser catheter (ELCA X80) has been recently used for the treatment of complex coronary lesions, as calcified stenosis, chronic total occlusions and non-compliant plaques. Such complex lesions are difficult to adequately treat with balloon angioplasty and/or intracoronary stenting. The aim of this study was to examine the acute outcome of this approach on a cohort of patients with coronary lesions. Methods and Results: Eighty patients with 100 lesions were enrolled through four centers, and excimer laser coronary angioplasty was performed on 96 lesions (96%). Safety and effectiveness data were compared between patients treated with standard laser therapy and those treated with increased laser therapy. Laser success was obtained in 90 lesions (93.7%), procedural success was reached in 88 lesions (91.7%), and clinical success in was obtained in 87 lesions (90.6%). There was no perforation, major side branch occlusion, spasm, no-reflow phenomenon, dissection nor acute vessel closure. Increased laser parameters were used successfully for 49 resistant lesions without complications. Conclusions: This study suggests that laser-facilitated coronary angioplasty is a simple, safe and effective device for the management of complex coronary lesions. Furthermore, higher laser energy levels delivered by this catheter improved the device performance without increasing complications. - Highlights: • We planned this multicenter study to examine the acute outcome of an innovative xenon–chlorine (excimer) pulsed laser catheter (ELCA X80) for treatment of complex coronary lesions. • We enrolled 80 patients with 100 lesions and performed excimer laser coronary angioplasty in 96 lesions (96%). • Laser success was obtained in 90 lesions (93.7%), procedural success was reached in 88 lesions (91.7%), and clinical success was obtained in 87 lesions (90.6%). • Increased laser parameters were used successfully for 49 resistant

Early outcome of high energy Laser (Excimer) facilitated coronary angioplasty ON hARD and complex calcified and balloOn-resistant coronary lesions: LEONARDO Study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ambrosini, Vittorio; Sorropago, Giovanni; Laurenzano, Eugenio [Montevergine Clinic, Mercogliano (Italy); Golino, Luca, E-mail: lucagolino.jazz@alice.it [Montevergine Clinic, Mercogliano (Italy); Moriggia-Pelascini Hospital, Gravedona, Como (Italy); Casafina, Alfredo; Schiano, Vittorio [Montevergine Clinic, Mercogliano (Italy); Gabrielli, Gabriele [University Hospital Ospedali Riuniti, Ancona (Italy); Ettori, Federica; Chizzola, Giuliano [Spedali Civili University Hospital, Brescia (Italy); Bernardi, Guglielmo; Spedicato, Leonardo [University Hospital S. Maria Misericordia, Udine (Italy); Armigliato, Pietro [Istituto Italiano Ricerche Mediche, Verona (Italy); Spampanato, Carmine [Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM), Naples (Italy); Furegato, Martina [Istituto Italiano Ricerche Mediche, Verona (Italy)

2015-04-15

Aim: An innovative xenon–chlorine (excimer) pulsed laser catheter (ELCA X80) has been recently used for the treatment of complex coronary lesions, as calcified stenosis, chronic total occlusions and non-compliant plaques. Such complex lesions are difficult to adequately treat with balloon angioplasty and/or intracoronary stenting. The aim of this study was to examine the acute outcome of this approach on a cohort of patients with coronary lesions. Methods and Results: Eighty patients with 100 lesions were enrolled through four centers, and excimer laser coronary angioplasty was performed on 96 lesions (96%). Safety and effectiveness data were compared between patients treated with standard laser therapy and those treated with increased laser therapy. Laser success was obtained in 90 lesions (93.7%), procedural success was reached in 88 lesions (91.7%), and clinical success in was obtained in 87 lesions (90.6%). There was no perforation, major side branch occlusion, spasm, no-reflow phenomenon, dissection nor acute vessel closure. Increased laser parameters were used successfully for 49 resistant lesions without complications. Conclusions: This study suggests that laser-facilitated coronary angioplasty is a simple, safe and effective device for the management of complex coronary lesions. Furthermore, higher laser energy levels delivered by this catheter improved the device performance without increasing complications. - Highlights: • We planned this multicenter study to examine the acute outcome of an innovative xenon–chlorine (excimer) pulsed laser catheter (ELCA X80) for treatment of complex coronary lesions. • We enrolled 80 patients with 100 lesions and performed excimer laser coronary angioplasty in 96 lesions (96%). • Laser success was obtained in 90 lesions (93.7%), procedural success was reached in 88 lesions (91.7%), and clinical success was obtained in 87 lesions (90.6%). • Increased laser parameters were used successfully for 49 resistant