Depression, stress and coronary heart disease--epidemiology, prognosis and therapeutic sequelae

Depression and coronary heart disease may be related in several ways: (1) There is epidemiological evidence that high levels of depressive symptoms in male and female patients are associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction and a higher mortality following an acute cardiac event. Furthermore, patients developing depression after myocardial infarction have more complications, including cardiac arrhythmias. (2) In patients with a chronic coronary heart disease depression also results in a worse cardiac functional status with more frequent and severe chest pain, more physical limitation, less treatment satisfaction and a lower perceived quality of life. Non-compliance with drug therapy is also more prevalent in depressed cardiac patients. (3) The possible pathophysiological mechanisms leading to more frequent complications of coronary heart disease in patients with depression are not fully explained, but could partly be due to higher sympatho-adrenergic stimulation and increased platelet aggregation. Some anti-depressant medications, on the other hand, may also cause cardiac symptoms and increase the risk in patients with coronary heart disease. The use of tricyclic antidepressants has been shown to result in a higher relative risk of myocardial infarction even after adjustment for other cardiovascular risk factors. Tricyclic anti-depressants may have direct cardiac effects, such as QT-prolongation with ventricular arrhythmias, orthostatic hypotension and, less frequently, myocardial dysfunction. In contrast such associations were not found with the newer serotonin re-uptake inhibitors. What are the practical consequences of the observed association between coronary artery disease and depression? First of all depression should better and earlier be recognised also by non-psychiatrists and treatment indications be discussed with specialists. At present, however, there is no clear evidence that ant-depressant drugs or psychotherapy will reduce the risk of myocardial infarction and improve prognosis. Further data are urgently needed to clarify the role of therapeutic interventions. Therefore, a closer research co-operation between cardiologists and psychiatrists should be promoted in future.     

Acute myocardial infarction in twin pregnancy after assisted reproduction: A case report

BACKGROUNDAcute myocardial infarction (AMI) during pregnancy is rare, especially in twin pregnancy, and it can endanger the lives of the mother and children. Except for conventional cardiovascular risk factors, pregnancy and assisted reproduction can increase the risk of AMI during pregnancy. AMI develops secondary to different etiologies, such as coronary spasm and spontaneous coronary artery dissection.CASE SUMMARYA 33-year-old woman, with twin pregnancy in the 31^st week of gestation, presented to the hospital with intermittent chest tightness for 12 wk, aggravation for 1 wk, and chest pain for 4 h. Combined with the electrocardiogram and hypersensitive troponin results, she was diagnosed with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Although the patient had no related medical history, she presented several risk factors, such as age greater than 30 years, assisted reproduction, and hyperlipidemia. After diagnosis, the patient received antiplatelet and anticoagulant treatment. Cesarean section and coronary angiography performed 7 d later showed stenosis and thrombus shadow of the right coronary artery. After receiving medication, the patient was in good condition.CONCLUSIONThis case suggests that, with the widespread use of assisted reproductive technology, more attention should be paid to perinatal healthcare, especially when chest pain occurs, to facilitate early diagnosis and intervention of AMI, and the etiology of AMI in pregnancy needs to be differentiated, especially between coronary spasm and spontaneous coronary artery dissection.     

Rationale, design, and methods for the risk evaluation and communication health outcomes and utilization trial (REACH OUT)

OBJECTIVE: To test the primary study hypothesis that a physician-delivered coronary heart disease risk evaluation and communication program can lower patients' predicted 10-year risk of myocardial infarction or death due to coronary heart disease by 10% within 6 months compared to usual care. DESIGN: Prospective, parallel group, open-label, controlled, cluster-randomized multinational trial; the study site is the unit of randomization. SETTING: Patients were recruited from 106 general practices located in nine European countries. PATIENTS: Men and women aged 45 to 64 (N=1500) with a documented history of hypertension (treated or untreated), systolic blood pressure > or =140 mmHg (or > or =130 mmHg in the presence of renal or kidney disease), no history of cardiovascular disease, and a predicted 10-year risk of myocardial infarction or death due to coronary heart disease > or =10%. INTERVENTION: Sites were randomized to deliver a physician-directed coronary heart disease risk communication and education program or usual care. The intervention program included informing patients of their 10-year risk of myocardial infarction or death due to coronary heart disease, educating patients about modifiable risk factors and their control, and three follow-up phone calls by a physician or study nurse. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Predicted 10-year risk of myocardial infarction or death due to coronary heart disease at 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: REACH OUT will evaluate a novel, patient-focused, physician-implemented application of coronary heart disease risk equations. Results of the study will be of practical relevance to physicians, health care organizations, and those who issue clinical guidelines for the reduction of cardiovascular risk.     

Acute inferior wall myocardial infarction induced by aortic dissection in a young adult with Marfan syndrome: A case report

BACKGROUNDAortic dissection (AD) is an emergent and life-threatening disorder, and its in-hospital mortality was reported to be as high as 24.4%-27.4%. AD can mimic other more common disorders, especially acute myocardial infarction (AMI), in terms of both symptoms and electrocardiogram changes. Reperfusion for patients with AD may result in catastrophic outcomes. Increased awareness of AD can be helpful for early diagnosis, especially among younger patients.CASE SUMMARYWe report a 28-year-old man with acute left side chest pain without cardiovascular risk factors. He was diagnosed with acute inferior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), which, based on illness history, physical examination, and intraoperative findings, was eventually determined to be type A AD caused by Marfan syndrome. Emergent coronary angiography revealed the anomalous origin of the right coronary artery as well as eccentric stenosis of the proximal segment. Subsequently, computed tomography angiography (CTA) showed intramural thrombosis of the ascending aorta. Finally, the patient was transferred to the cardiovascular surgery department for a Bentall operation. He was discharged 13 d after the operation, and aortic CTA proved a full recovery at the 2-year follow-up.CONCLUSIONIt is essential and challenging to differentiate AD from AMI. Type A AD should be the primary consideration in younger STEMI patients without cardiovascular risk factors but with outstanding features of Marfan syndrome.     

Prevalence of acute myocardial infarction and other serious diagnoses in patients presenting to an urban emergency department with chest pain

A retrospective cohort study and chart review were performed to estimate the absolute and relative prevalence of the serious diagnoses that might cause a patient to present to the Emergency Department (ED) with a chief complaint of chest pain. In this study, we queried a database of 347,229 complete visits to the San Francisco General Hospital Emergency Department between July 1, 1993 and June 30, 1998 for visits by patients > 35 years old with a chief complaint of chest pain and no history of trauma. Visits for chest pain that resulted in hospitalization were assigned to one of nine diagnostic groups according to final diagnoses as coded in the database. Manual chart review by trained abstractors using explicit criteria was done when group assignment based on coded diagnoses was unclear and in all diagnoses of pulmonary embolism and aortic dissection. Of 8711 visits (2.5% of all visits) with a chief complaint of non-traumatic chest pain, 3271 (37.6%) resulted in hospitalization. Of the 3078 (94.1% of those hospitalized) assigned a final diagnosis, 329 (10.7% of hospitalizations, 3.8% of all visits) had acute myocardial infarction, 693 (22.5%) had either unstable angina or stable coronary artery disease, and 345 (11.2%) had pulmonary causes (mainly bacterial pneumonia) deemed serious enough to require hospitalization. Pulmonary embolism and aortic dissection were diagnosed in only 12 (0.4%) and 8 (0.3%) patients, respectively. In 905 (29.4%) hospitalizations for chest pain, myocardial infarction was “ruled out” and no cardiac ischemia or other serious etiology for the chest pain was diagnosed. Among patients presenting with chest pain, those in older age groups had dramatically increased risk of acute myocardial infarction. Women presenting with chest pain had a lower risk of acute myocardial infarction than men. In conclusion, the prevalence of acute myocardial infarction in the undifferentiated ED patient with a chief complaint of chest pain is only about 4%. An equal number of patients will have a serious pulmonary cause as the etiology of their pain. Pulmonary embolism and aortic dissection are important but extremely rare causes of a chest pain presentation to the ED.     

Acute chest pain — identification of patients at low risk for coronary events. The impact of symptoms, medical history and risk factors

BACKGROUND: The evaluation of patients with acute chest pain remains challenging, as it implies the risk of fatal misdiagnosis. It is well recognized that typical angina does not specifically identify patients at high risk. We investigated the predictive value of characteristics atypical for myocardial ischemia for exclusion of acute or subacute coronary events, focusing on patients' symptoms, medical history and risk factors. METHODS: We prospectively studied 1288 consecutive patients presenting with acute chest pain at a non-trauma emergency department. Patients' symptoms, history and risk factors were evaluated using seven predefined criteria and assigned as typical or atypical for ischemic coronary chest pain. Positive predictive value (PPV) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated to predict or exclude acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and major adverse cardiac events (MACE: cardiovascular death, percutaneous coronary interventions, bypass surgery, or myocardial infarction) within six months. RESULTS: AMI occurred in 168 patients (13%), and 6-months MACE (including AMI) overall in 240 patients (19%). Presence of four or more criteria typical for myocardial ischemia was associated with a PPV of 0.21 (0.17 to 0.25) for predicting AMI and 0.30 (0.25 to 0.35) for 6-months MACE. Presence of four or more criteria atypical for coronary ischemia was associated with a PPV of 0.94 (0.91 to 0.96) for excluding AMI and 0.93 (0.90 to 0.96) for excluding 6-months MACE. In 165 of 476 patients under 40 years of age (35%), four or more atypical criteria excluded AMI and 6-months MACE with PPVs of 0.98 (0.96 to 1.0). CONCLUSION: Evaluation of criteria atypical for myocardial ischemia with acute chest pain may help to identify candidates for early discharge, whereas typical characteristics have very little diagnostic value.     

Acute ST‐elevation myocardial infarction in a 24‐year‐old woman with atheromatous coronary artery disease

We report the case of a 24‐year‐old Torres Strait Islander woman who presented to a rural hospital ED with chest pain suspicious for myocardial ischaemia and was found to have an anterior ST‐elevation myocardial infarction. She was thrombolysed and transferred to a tertiary centre where subsequent angiography revealed atheromatous disease of the left anterior descending coronary artery. We believe this to be one of the youngest reported cases of myocardial infarction due to atheromatous coronary artery disease, and demonstrates important learning points regarding the demographics and risk factors of indigenous patients with chest pain.     

Diagnostics and treatment of traumatic myocardial infarction

The authors describe their own clinical observations of four patients with acute chest injury, who developed myocardial infarction due to traumatic dissection of anterior interventricular artery intima and a subsequent thrombosis of the artery. The authors adduce clinicolaboratory characterization of traumatic myocardial infarction and describe early and long-term (three years) results of transcutaneous coronary operations (balloon angioplasty and stenting) performed in these patients.     

Coronary artery occlusion following blunt chest trauma: a case report and review of the literature

Blunt chest trauma causing coronary artery occlusion and myocardial infarction is a rare but potentially fatal condition. We present the case of a healthy 29-year-old man who developed a myocardial infarction due to complete occlusion of the proximal right coronary artery following blunt chest trauma. A review of the literature found 63 cases of previously healthy patients under 40 years of age who developed coronary artery occlusion following blunt chest trauma; diagnosis in all cases had been proven by angiography or during autopsy. The presentation, results of electrocardiography and echocardiography and laboratory findings of these patients are described.     

A Case of Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection: It is Not Always Plaque Rupture

Background

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is an extremely rare cause of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Patients may present with a broad spectrum of clinical scenarios, ranging from angina pectoris to myocardial infarction, cardiogenic shock, and sudden death. Standard therapy has not been established; current treatments range from conservative management to percutaneous revascularization or coronary artery bypass surgery.

Objective

SCAD greatly mimics ACS, and this diagnosis should be considered when evaluating young patients who present with ACS with or without classical risk factors for coronary artery disease.

Case Report

We report a case of a 45-year old man who presented with chest pain typical of ACS. He had no risk factors except for a smoking history of 2.5 pack-years. Once the clinical findings suggested acute inferolateral myocardial infarction, the patient underwent emergent cardiac catheterization, which revealed left anterior descending coronary artery dissection. This in itself is not a common cause of inferolateral ST elevation changes on electrocardiogram.

Conclusion

This case highlights the fact that although SCAD is a rare entity, it is increasingly being recognized as a significant cause of ACS. Urgent angiography should be considered if SCAD is suspected, because early diagnosis and appropriate management significantly improve the outcome in these patients.     

Acute myocardial infarction in a professional diver after jellyfish sting

To our knowledge, acute myocardial infarction after jellyfish envenomation has not been reported previously. We describe a previously healthy 45-year-old male diver who had an acute inferior myocardial infarction with right ventricular involvement after a jellyfish sting on his left forearm while diving in the Gulf Sea. The patient had a normal controlled ascent after the incident. He had no risk factors for coronary artery disease, and cardiac catheterization revealed normal coronary arteries. Acute myocardial infarction should be considered in patients who experience chest pain or have hemodynamic compromise after jellyfish envenomation.     

Long-term follow-up of coronary artery dissection due to blunt chest trauma with spontaneous healing in a young woman

We report a previously healthy 17-year-old woman who experienced coronary artery dissection with an acute transmural anterior myocardial infarction and myocardial contusion following blunt chest trauma in a motorcycle accident. A chest roentgenogram on admission was normal, and an electrocardiogram showed an acute transmural anterior myocardial infarction with complete right-bundle-branch block. A 2D echocardiogram revealed an akinesis of the anterior wall and a hypokinesis of the posterior wall in the left ventricle. Initial coronary angiography demonstrated severe stenosis with delayed antegrade filling in the proximal left anterior descending artery. Technetium-99m pyrophosphate myocardial scintigraphy demonstrated diffuse tracer uptake in the left ventricular wall. Follow-up coronary angiography performed 1 year after the accident showed a minor stenosis without any filling defects. We describe long-term follow-up of the coronary artery dissection following blunt chest trauma with spontaneous healing.     

Association of serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels against two periodontal pathogens and prothrombotic state: a clinical pilot study

Normal pregnancy corresponds to a procoagulant state. Acute myocardial infarction during pregnancy is rare, yet considering the low non-pregnant risk score of childbearing women it is still surprisingly frequent. We report a case of postpartum recurrent non-ST elevation myocardial infarction in a 40-year-old caucasian woman with essential thrombocythaemia in the presence of a positive JAK-2 mutation and an elevated anti-cardiolipin IgM antibody titer. In the majority of cases of myocardial infarction in pregnancy or in the peripartal period, atherosclerosis, a thrombus or coronary artery dissection is observed. The combination of essential thrombocythaemia and elevated anti-cardiolipin IgM antibody titer in the presence of several cardiovascular risk factors seems to be causative in our case. In conclusion, with the continuing trend of childbearing at older ages, rare or unlikely conditions leading to severe events such as myocardial infarction must be considered in pregnant women.     

Chest pain unit management of patients at low and not low-risk for coronary artery disease in the emergency department. A 5-year experience in the Florence area.

In this study, we screened a total of 6723 consecutive patients with chest pain and ECG non-diagnostic for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) on presentation to the emergency department (ED). The aim of the study was to avoid missed AMI, improve safe early discharge and reduce inappropriate coronary care unit (CCU) admission. Chest pain patients were triaged using a clinical chest pain score and managed in a chest pain unit (CPU). Patients with a low clinical chest pain score were considered at very 'low-risk' for cardiovascular events and discharged from the ED; patients with a high chest pain score were submitted to CPU management. Observation and titration of serum markers of myocardial injury were obtained up to 6 hours. Rest or stress myocardial scintigraphy (SPECT) was performed in patients > 40 years or with > or = 2 major coronary risk factors. Exercise Tolerance Test (ETT) or Stress-Echocardiogram (stress-Echo) were performed in younger patients or with < 2 coronary risk factor, or unable to exercise, respectively We discharged directly from the ED the majority of patients (4454; 66%): in this group there was only a 0.2% final diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD) at follow-up. The remaining 34% of patients, with non-diagnostic or normal ECG, were managed in the CPU. In this group, 1487 patients (representing 22% of the overall study group) were found positive for CAD, two-thirds because of delayed ECG or serum markers of myocardial injury, and one-third by Echo, SPECT or ETT. In conclusion, CPU based management allowed 22% early detection of myocardial ischaemia and 78% early discharge from the ED avoiding inappropriate CCU admission and optimizing the use of urgent angiography.     

Outcome analysis of chest pain patients discharged from the ED--a pilot study

The objective of this pilot study was to determine clinical predictors of adverse outcome, defined as myocardial infarction, angioplasy or stent placement, coronary artery bypass graft, or death, within 60 days for patients discharged from the emergency department with a presenting complaint of chest pain. All patients presenting to the emergency department with a chief complaint of chest pain were eligible for the study. A chest pain risk analysis sheet was completed as part of the patient evaluation. Patients discharged from the emergency department, in whom a risk analysis sheet was completed, were contacted to determine their clinical course within 60 days of their discharge from the emergency department. During the 6-month study period, 129 eligible patients were enrolled. Of these 129 patients, four had an adverse outcome within 60 days of their discharge. All four patients had either a balloon angioplasty procedure, coronary artery bypass graft, or both. None of the study patients had a myocardial infarction or died. Statistically significant predictors of adverse outcome in our study population were an abnormal electrocardiogram (ECG), a history of myocardial infarction, and a history of hypertension. In conclusion, patients discharged from the emergency department with a presenting complaint of chest pain were at a low risk for having a myocardial infarction or dying within 60 days of their discharge. Several patients, however, did have significant coronary artery disease requiring angioplasty or bypass. These patients were more likely to have an abnormal ECG, a history of myocardial infarction, or have a history of hypertension. A prospective study with larger numbers of patients is needed to validate these findings.     

Sildenafil-associated coronary thrombosis in a patient with angiographically normal coronary arteries: a case report with review of literature

Sildenafil is widely used as a primary pharmacological treatment of erectile dysfunction in men with and without underlying cardiovascular disease. Although initial reports of adverse cardiac events were reported soon after Food and Drug Administration approval of this agent, a large body of data suggests that sildenafil does not significantly increase the risk of nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke, or cardiovascular deaths in patients with preexisting ischemic heart disease. We report the case of a 66-year-old man who developed thrombotic occlusion of the left anterior descending artery and presented with acute myocardial infarction after the use of sildenafil. The patient had presented with chest pain syndrome and borderline elevation of serum troponin I levels 1 week before sildenafil use, and a coronary angiogram had demonstrated normal coronary arteries. This case emphasizes the potential of precipitating coronary thrombosis in patients with unstable plaque after sildenafil use, even in patients with angiographically normal coronary arteries.     

Ventricular premature complexes in the early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction

The morphology of ventricular premature complexes (VPCs) is useful in detecting old or recent myocardial infarction. Rarely, however, have VPCs provided the first objective evidence of transmural myocardial infarction. In two patients with chest pain, VPCs early in the hospital course revealed myocardial infarction, while normally conducted sinus beats showed no evidence of acute transmural infarction. Transmural infarction with total occlusion of a large coronary artery was confirmed angiographically. We conclude that acute transmural myocardial infarction may be diagnosed early and accurately from VPC morphology before the appearance of other evidence of infarction.     

Postpartum myocardial infarction induced by methergine

A 28-year-old woman presented to the emergency department for evaluation of acute chest pain. She lacked risk factors for coronary artery disease and her initial electrocardiogram (ECG) was nondiagnostic. Within 45 minutes of presentation she developed nausea, vomiting, restrosternal chest pain, and ECG changes comptible with an acute inferoposterior myocardial infarction. Emergent cardiac catheterization revealed three-vessel coronary artery ectasia and two-vessel occlusion. She underwent emergency coronary artery bypass grafting. Her myocardial ischemia was believed to have been induced by methergine, which she had been taking over the preceding 3 days. The etiology and pathophysiology of coronary artery ectasia, as well as the cardiovascular effects of methergine and a related drug, ergotamine, are discussed.     

A PATHY I S N OT W ELCOME H ERE

Abstract

A 41-year-old motocross rider sustained blunt trauma to the chest following a collision with another rider. He was initially hypoxic and was given oxygen with a non-rebreather mask. He complained of chest pain. A prehospital extended focused assessment with sonography in trauma (eFAST) scan was negative for pneumothorax, but demonstrated a hypokinetic left ventricle. An electrocardiogram (ECG) in the emergency department confirmed anterior myocardial infarction, found to be due to a traumatic left anterior descending coronary artery dissection. This case highlights a rare but life-threatening cause of hypoxia in blunt chest trauma.