Treatment of stable angina: medical and invasive therapy--implications for the elderly

Currently available therapies for chronic stable angina are reviewed. Revascularization, i.e., coronary artery bypass surgery and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, is summarized briefly, with short- and long-term results summarized from several large registries and review articles. Advancing age is a risk factor for both coronary artery bypass surgery and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, but risks of coronary events are also higher without interventions in the elderly. In-hospital mortality for coronary artery bypass surgery is about 8% for patients over age 80 in one large national registry and not much different in elective coronary artery bypass surgery in highly-selected patients over age 90 in one institution. The few randomized trials of invasive vs. noninvasive therapy for stable coronary artery disease are described. Although patient numbers in available studies are too small to be conclusive as to which type of therapy is generally better, data appear to suggest that higher-risk patients have better outcomes with revascularization. Methods of risk stratification are discussed. Finally, unusual therapies for angina are briefly noted, including transmyocardial revascularization, external counterpulsation, and gene therapy.     

Treatment of Stable Angina: Medical and Invasive Therapy—Implications for the Elderly

Currently available therapies for chronic stable angina are reviewed. Revascularization, i.e., coronary artery bypass surgery and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, is summarized briefly, with short- and long-term results summarized from several large registries and review articles. Advancing age is a risk factor for both coronary artery bypass surgery and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, but risks of coronary events are also higher without interventions in the elderly. In-hospital mortality for coronary artery bypass surgery is about 8% for patients over age 80 in one large national registry and not much different in elective coronary artery bypass surgery in highly-selected patients over age 90 in one institution. The few randomized trials of invasive vs. noninvasive therapy for stable coronary artery disease are described. Although patient numbers in available studies are too small to be conclusive as to which type of therapy is generally better, data appear to suggest that higher-risk patients have better outcomes with revascularization. Methods of risk stratification are discussed. Finally, unusual therapies for angina are briefly noted, including transmyocardial revascularization, external counterpulsation, and gene therapy.     

Rotablation and stent placement in an unprotected left main coronary ostial stenosis

We report the case of a patient with postinfarction rest angina, high grade ostial left main (LM) stenosis, and right and circumflex coronary occlusion. Coronary artery bypass was performed, yet all grafts failed within 2 months of surgery. We elected to proceed with coronary intervention on the ostial LM lesion with intracoronary ultrasound lesion characterization and percutaneous cardiopulmonary bypass support. Rotablation followed by stent deployment achieved a successful angiographic outcome with no associated clinical complications. At 1-year follow-up, the patient remains stable with evidence of mild restenosis. Interventional approaches in unprotected LM coronary stenoses are associated with high procedural risk. Combined atherectomy/ablation with stent placement guided by intracoronary ultrasound may enhance procedural and long-term outcome.     

Optimal Treatment Strategies in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease and Coronary Artery Disease

Background

Chronic kidney disease is an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease and is associated with an increase in adverse outcomes. However, the optimal treatment strategies for patients with chronic kidney disease and coronary artery disease are yet to be defined.

Methods

MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL were searched for studies including at least 100 patients with chronic kidney disease (defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate ≤60 mL/min/1.73 m² or on dialysis) and coronary artery disease treated with medical therapy, percutaneous coronary intervention, or coronary artery bypass surgery and followed for at least 1 month and reporting outcomes. The outcome evaluated was all-cause mortality. Meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the outcomes with revascularization (percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass surgery) when compared with medical therapy alone. In addition, outcomes with percutaneous coronary intervention vs coronary artery bypass surgery were evaluated.

Results

The search yielded 38 nonrandomized studies that enrolled 85,731 patients. Revascularization (percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass surgery) was associated with lower long-term mortality (mean 4.0 years) when compared with medical therapy alone (relative risk [RR] 0.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.62-0.87), driven by lower mortality with percutaneous coronary intervention vs medical therapy and coronary artery bypass surgery vs medical therapy. Coronary artery bypass surgery was associated with a higher upfront risk of death (RR 1.81; 95% CI, 1.47-2.24) but a lower long-term risk of death (RR 0.94; 95% CI, 0.89-0.98) when compared with percutaneous coronary intervention.

Conclusions

In chronic kidney disease patients with coronary artery disease, the current data from nonrandomized studies indicate lower mortality with revascularization, via either coronary artery bypass surgery or percutaneous coronary intervention, when compared with medical therapy. These associations should be tested in future randomized trials.     

Surgical, medical, and percutaneous therapies for patients with multivessel coronary artery disease

Patients with multivessel coronary artery disease (CAD) are now faced with a number of treatment choices, including coronary artery bypass graft surgery, medical therapy, and percutaneous coronary interventions (using bare-metal or drug-eluting stents). Each carries certain benefits and risks: bypass surgery is favored in the subset of patients with multivessel disease and diabetes or impaired left ventricular systolic function who are able to receive a left internal mammary artery graft; medical therapy consisting of β-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, statins, aspirin, and nitrates is offered to patients with stable angina. Percutaneous procedures have previously been limited in their efficacy by restenosis and resulting morbidity, but contemporary stenting procedures appear to show equivalent mortality and morbidity outcomes (to bypass surgery) at 5 years. Drugeluting stents are the newest percutaneous technique and show significant reduction in restenosis compared with older catheter-based therapies, but further investigation is needed to definitively define the role of drug-eluting stents in the treatment of multivessel CAD. This review summarizes the data comparing medical, surgical, and percutaneous treatment approaches for patients with multivessel CAD.     

Early recognition of catheter‐induced left main coronary artery vasospasm: Implications for revascularization

Catheter‐induced left main coronary artery (LMCA) vasospasm is a rare complication of coronary angiography that confounds the decision for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. We report two cases of catheter‐induced LMCA vasospasm. The first case was a 68‐year‐old woman who presented 6 years after CABG for presumed severe LMCA atherosclerotic disease. Coronary angiography demonstrated totally occluded CABGs and normal native coronary arteries, including a normal LMCA. The second case was a 56‐year‐old man with severe LMCA stenosis, who was scheduled for unprotected LM percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Repeat angiography 2 days later showed no stenosis. These cases emphasize the need for meticulous technique and a high index of suspicion of LMCA vasospasm. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) at the time of angiography may help to identify minimal atherosclerotic disease suggesting vasospasm. Alternatively, noninvasive testing, such as Computed Tomography (CT) angiography, may diagnose LM spasm in these patients prior to CABG surgery. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty of the left main coronary artery with a 5Fr catheter system

The protected left main coronary artery (LM) is accessible to percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), and the procedure is usually performed with large size catheter systems. This report describes a successful PTCA of a partially protected LM through a 5Fr diagnostic catheter system in a patient with previous coronary artery bypass grafting. Such an approach is time- and cost-efficient when combined with the diagnostic study.     

Interventional cardiology in New Zealand

Death rates from coronary heart disease in New Zealand are among the highest in the world although they have steadily fallen since a peak in 1968. The health care system is largely publicly funded with most cardiologists being salaried, although there has been a growth in fee-for-service private practice. Waiting times in public hospitals for bypass surgery can be years for chronic stable angina. The publicly funded health care system is being reformed. In 1993 there were in New Zealand, for a population of just less than 3.5 million: 6,227 coronary angiograms; 1,365 percutaneous interventions; and 1,513 coronary artery bypass only operations. The percutaneous intervention rate was 391 per million. There has been an increase in new device use so that in Auckland 11% of percutaneous interventions involved new devices.     

Single-center experience with the TandemHeart percutaneous ventricular assist device to support patients undergoing high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention

We describe our experience of patients, from December 2005 through May 2007 who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with severely depressed left ventricle systolic function and complex coronary lesions. The complex coronary lesions included multiple vessel coronary artery disease, left main (LM) coronary artery disease, calcified coronary lesions and bypass graft disease. All patients were clinically assessed to be at too high of a risk for circulatory collapse without maximal hemodynamic support while they underwent high-risk PCI. The TandemHeart percutaneous ventricular assist device (THpVAD) may be able to provide the necessary circulatory support required to enhance procedural success and patient safety during high-risk PCI. METHODS AND RESULTS: We implanted the THpVAD in 6 patients who underwent high-risk PCI. There was unanimity among several physicians in our institution that each patient was an exceptionally high risk for circulatory collapse due to the anticipated procedural complexity. The average ejection fraction was 33% (range 15-65%). Five of the patients were considered to be at an unacceptably high risk for coronary artery bypass surgery. All 6 patients underwent multivessel PCI. Five of the 6 underwent unprotected LM PCI. One patient of the 5 underwent vein-graft PCI as well as a debulking procedure with rotational atherectomy and PCI of the LM. We had a 100% success rate with implantation of the THpVAD. Five of the 6 patients were alive at 30 days post procedure. One patient died 3 days after the procedure due to multiorgan failure. A vascular surgeon performed the removal of the devices with no associated complications. CONCLUSIONS: Our clinical experiences with the TandemHeart pVAD demonstrated that hemodynamic support could be achieved safely, efficiently and effectively by way of a percutaneous route in anticipation of high-risk PCI.     

Left main coronary angioplasty: early and late results of 127 acute and elective procedures

The results of 127 left main (LM) coronary angioplasties were reviewed to assess short- and long-term effectiveness. Three major subgroups were considered: (1) elective "protected" (defined as the presence of a patent bypass graft to the left coronary circulation) patients (n = 84); (2) elective "unprotected" patients (n = 33); and (3) acute patients, in whom LM coronary angioplasty was performed in the setting of an acute myocardial infarction (n = 10). Successful LM dilation was achieved in 94% of elective patients and 90% of acute patients. Procedural mortality was 4.3% in elective patients (2.4 and 9.1% in protected and unprotected patients, respectively, p = 0.14) and 50% in the acute subgroup. Long-term follow-up data, available for 98% of patients, revealed actuarial 3-year survival rates of 90 and 36% in elective protected and unprotected subgroups, respectively (p less than 0.0005). In the acute subgroup, 3 patients (30%) were alive at the time of follow-up; all had undergone coronary artery bypass surgery. Thus, although elective angioplasty of an unprotected LM coronary artery is technically feasible, the long-term prognosis of such patients is very poor. LM angioplasty in this subgroup should be reserved for patients in whom surgical revascularization is not an option. In contrast, elective angioplasty of a protected LM coronary artery can be accomplished safely with good long-term results. LM coronary angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction can be effective as a salvage procedure; however, adjunctive coronary bypass surgery is important for long-term survival.     

Dual-guidewire percutaneous intervention of anomalous coronary artery facilitated by steerable guidewire

Anomalous coronary arteries are rare and usually incidental angiographic findings. Their clinical importance lies in the potential risk for sudden cardiac death, especially if the course is interarterial (between the aorta and pulmonary artery). In these situations, coronary bypass surgery is the recommended treatment. When percutaneous interventions are undertaken, however, the nontraditional locations and frequently angulated ostia of these vessels can pose technical challenges. We hereby report a case of percutaneous intervention in an anomalous circumflex artery arising acutely from the right coronary ostium. Despite the use of an anchor wire in the patient's right coronary artery, access into the circumflex artery was possible only with a steerable guidewire. We believe that this is a potentially useful tool in percutaneous intervention of anomalous as well as other angulated coronary anatomies. The technical advantages of this wire, as well as a review of the literature on coronary anomalies and percutaneous interventions in these patients, are discussed.     

Current perspectives on interventional treatment strategies in diabetic patients with coronary artery disease.

Diabetes mellitus has a negative impact on mortality and morbidity following catheter-based coronary procedures as well as coronary artery bypass surgery. Increased restenosis remains the main limitation of catheter-based coronary intervention among diabetes mellitus in addition to accelerated atherosclerosis lesion progression in other untreated coronary sites. Determinants such as excess restenosis, high atherosclerosis burden, lesion complexity, small target vessel size, and accelerated coronary atherosclerosis in remote sites may favor the surgical strategy in most cases of diabetic multivessel disease. The importance of periprocedural adjunctive pharmacotherapy, specifically with the use of antiplatelet and long-term antilipidemic treatment, was shown to improve outcomes in diabetics undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions. The purpose of the review is to examine potential mechanisms causing more restenosis in diabetics, the clinical outcomes of patients with diabetes after coronary interventions including stenting, the treatment alternatives of diabetic patients with diffuse coronary artery disease, including coronary bypass surgery, and current understanding of the benefit of adjunctive pharmacology on clinical outcomes after coronary interventions among diabetics.     

Causes and outcomes of coronary arteries perforations

Coronary artery perforation is a rare but serious complication of percutaneous coronary interventions. Aim of this study--to assess inhospital and long term outcomes in patients in whom perforation occurred during coronary intervention and elucidation of predictors of coronary artery perforation. Between May 1997 and October 2002 perforations were formed in the course of percutaneous interventions in 127 patients what amounted 1.08% of 11,793 patients, subjected to coronary interventions, and 0.77% of 16,494 treated coronary segments. Causes of perforations were complex stenoses, chronic occlusions, calcified lesions, small predicted and minimal vessel lumen, high percent stenosis, use of excimer laser or thromboextrator. Rates of arterial perforations and subsequent adverse events including cardiac tamponade and urgent coronary artery bypass surgery as well as mortality had been declining throughout observation period.     

Clinical trials and graft patency data in coronary artery surgery--a 30-year perspective

The treatment of coronary artery disease, initially by medical and surgical and subsequently using percutaneous interventions, has evolved rapidly over the last 50 years. Randomized controlled clinical trials and observational studies of large cohorts have been instrumental in the evolution of the current practice of coronary artery revascularisation. This paper traces some of the historic trials of medical versus surgical therapy, surgical versus percutaneous intervention and graft patency studies. Medical therapy and percutaneous intervention are now the primary therapeutic modalities. However, there was an early recurrence rate with percutaneous intervention which has decreased with the use of drug-eluting stents. Coronary artery bypass surgery remains a major option for treating advanced coronary artery disease. Furthermore, it remains the treatment of first choice in most patients with left main coronary artery disease and those with extensive three-vessel proximal coronary artery disease, especially when associated with poor left ventricular function. The choice of a coronary artery bypass conduit is of major importance in developing a single long-term strategy for the surgical treatment of coronary artery disease. Bilateral internal thoracic artery grafting is now accepted as the treatment of choice, although not universally practiced. The role of other arterial conduits is being defined.     

The whole nine yards: multiple cardiac surgical and percutaneous interventions in a patient during 30 years of care

A 38-year-old man underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery for angina pectoris following myocardial infarction. During the following 28 years, he required two repeat coronary artery bypass graft surgical procedures, nine percutaneous coronary interventions and 17 coronary angiograms. His treatment included saphenous vein, left internal mammary artery and gastroepiploic artery grafting, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty and intragraft thrombolytic therapy, directional coronary atherectomy, cutting balloon angioplasty, intracoronary stenting with bare-metal and drug-eluting stents, treatment for in-stent restenosis, stenting of the left main and circumflex coronary arteries and saphenous vein graft as well as intracoronary pressure wire diagnostics. In addition to his statin therapy, antiplatelets and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, he also underwent biventricular automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator implantation and atrioventricular node radiofrequency ablation for his impaired left ventricular function, ventricular tachycardia and rapid atrial fibrillation. The present unusual case represents almost 'the whole nine yards' of treatment that has become available to patients with coronary artery disease during the past 30 years of technological development.     

Renin-angiotensin system and haemostasis gene polymorphisms and outcome after coronary artery bypass graft surgery

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery bypass graft surgery is associated with a considerable 2-year mortality rate. Gene polymorphisms of the renin-angiotensin system may be associated with the risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. The angiotensin I-converting enzyme DD genotype has recently been identified as independent predictor of the outcome after coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Genetic factors of the clotting system may be related to the risk of myocardial infarction and restenosis after coronary interventions. The aims of the present study were to investigate whether gene polymorphisms of the renin-angiotensin system (angiotensinogen 235 M/T, angiotensin II type 1 receptor 1166 A/C) or the clotting system (glycoprotein IIIa PlA1/PlA2 and factor V Leiden 1691 G/A) are associated with the outcome after coronary artery bypass grafting. METHODS: A study population of 247 patients was followed-up 2 years after coronary artery bypass graft surgery. The primary end-point was total mortality. The secondary end-point was mortality from cardiac cause or the need for myocardial revascularization (percutaneous coronary interventions or recurrent surgery) during follow-up. Geno typing was performed by polymerase chain reaction- and restriction fragment length polymorphism-based techniques. RESULTS: An older age and the non-use of the internal mammary artery graft were identified as independent predictors of the primary end-point after coronary artery bypass grafting. A decreased left ventricular ejection fraction was an independent predictor for the secondary end-point. No association was found between any of the genetic factors and the outcomes after coronary artery bypass graft surgery in the main factor regression models. However, the angiotensin II type 1 receptor 1166 A/C gene polymorphism modulated the effects of age on the primary end-point, and the angiotensinogen 235 M/T gene polymorphism modulated the effects of age on the secondary end-point. CONCLUSION: We conclude that there are interactions between the angiotensin II type 1 receptor 1166 A/C as well as the angiotensinogen 235 M/T gene polymorphism and age with respect to the outcome after coronary artery bypass graft surgery. The glycoprotein IIIa PlA1/PlA2 and the factor V Leiden 1691 G/A gene polymorphisms were not associated with mid-term mortality or cardiac morbidity after coronary artery bypass grafting.     

Determinants of amount of contrast utilized in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary procedures

OBJECTIVE: To determine predictors of contrast amount during coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention. BACKGROUND: Contrast-induced nephropathy is a leading cause of hospital-acquired acute renal insufficiency. During percutaneous coronary procedures, contrast amount is a major risk factor incriminated in development of contrast-induced nephropathy. METHODS: Demographic and procedural details were obtained for consecutive patients undergoing percutaneous coronary procedures between January 2002 and October 2005 (N=962, mean+/-standard error of contrast amount: 216.6+/-3.0 ml) at a tertiary care hospital. RESULTS: A significant difference (P value <0.05) in unadjusted mean contrast volume was observed between subgroups of percutaneous coronary intervention vs. coronary angiography, patients with a history of coronary artery bypass grafting, patients undergoing additional procedures and multivessel and multisite percutaneous coronary interventions. On General Linear Model analysis, independent predictors (beta coefficient, 95% confidence interval, P value) of increased contrast amount during percutaneous coronary procedures were history of coronary artery bypass grafting (44.4, 30.6-58.2, <0.001), type of coronary procedure (85.2, 73.4-97.0, <0.001 for percutaneous coronary intervention vs. coronary angiography), number of interventions and number of additional procedures performed. Among additional procedures, rotablation, intravascular ultrasound and Angiojet were associated with increased contrast use. No significant independent effect on the contrast amount was observed with percutaneous coronary intervention location (right coronary artery vs. left anterior descending artery vs. circumflex artery) site (ostial vs. proximal vs. mid vs. distal) of percutaneous coronary intervention or with interventions on chronic total occlusions on the contrast amount. CONCLUSION: Data from our study could guide the coronary angiographer in moderating the volume of contrast utilized as well as assist with the elective planning of complex therapeutic procedures.     

Outcome of composite arterial Y-grafts in off-pump coronary artery bypass

The efficacy of using composite arterial Y-grafts in off-pump coronary artery bypass has not been established. We assessed graft patency, long-term clinical outcomes, and the indications for composite arterial Y-grafting by reviewing 53 patients who underwent primary isolated elective off-pump coronary artery bypass with composite arterial Y-grafts between January 2002 and December 2008. Coronary angiography or 64-slice multidetector computed tomographic coronary angiography was used to assess graft patency. Follow-up ranged from 18 to 97 months. The rates of mortality, graft failure, and recurrence of ischemic heart disease were 0%, 22.6%, and 13.2%, respectively. Only 4 (7.5%) patients required additional procedures (percutaneous coronary interventions or repeat surgery) because of graft failure. A significantly higher rate of graft failure was evident when one end of the composite graft was anastomosed to a 75% stenosed branch of a native coronary artery and the other end to a branch with >90% stenosis. The long-term patency of composite arterial Y-grafts in off-pump coronary artery bypass requires proper judgment of the indications.     

孤立性左冠状动脉主干狭窄的诊治分析

目的分析孤立性左冠状动脉主干(左主干)狭窄的临床特点、造影所见和治疗方法.方法根据冠状动脉造影病变特点将129例左主干狭窄患者分为两组:孤立性左主干狭窄组7例;左主干合并一支或以上主要冠状动脉支狭窄组122例,对比分析两组间临床特点、造影所见和治疗方法.结果孤立性左冠状动脉主干狭窄的检出率为0.16%.6例表现为不稳定型心绞痛,1例为急性前壁心肌梗死.左主干狭窄部位:开口部4例,中部2例,叉口部1例.4例行外科手术,3例行冠状动脉支架术.与复合病变组相比较,孤立性左主干狭窄组女性的比例较高(57.1%vs20.5%,P<0.05),平均年龄较小[(52.3±5.1)岁vs(64.2±7.8)岁,P<0.001];开口部狭窄多见(57.1%vs17.2%,P<0.05).结论孤立性左冠状动脉主干狭窄以女性多见,以开口部狭窄多见,可选择外科和介入治疗.