A clinical survival score predicts the likelihood to benefit from preoperative thallium scanning and coronary revascularization before major vascular surgery.

AIMS: Guidelines advocate selective non-invasive testing before major non-cardiac surgery, yet data defining who may benefit from such tests is lacking. We aimed to find the predictors that define patients who are most likely to benefit from preoperative cardiac testing and coronary revascularization (CR). METHODS AND RESULTS: In 624 consecutive major vascular surgery patients, the preoperative thallium scanning (PTS) results and subsequent CRs were correlated with long-term (3-15 years) survival. Of all patients, 510 (80.6%) had PTS, 154 (24.7%) had moderate-severe ischaemia on PTS, and 96 (15.4%) underwent CR. Seven predictors: age >or=65, diabetes, cerebrovascular disease, ischaemic heart disease, congestive heart failure, ST-depression on preoperative ECG, and renal insufficiency, independently determined long-term survival. A long-term survival score (LTSS) comprised of these predictors, divided all patients into low, intermediate, and high-risk groups (0-1, 2-3, >or=4 predictors, respectively) with a 5-year survival of 83 +/- 2%, 60 +/- 3%, and 34 +/- 6%, respectively. Compared with low-risk patients, intermediate and high-risk patients had worse survival [HR (CI) = 2.6 (2.0-3.4) and 5.9 (4.1-8.9), respectively, P < 0.001]. Yet, only the intermediate-risk group had better long-term survival following preoperative CR [HR = 0.48 (0.31-0.75), P = 0.001]. The low-risk groups' favourable survival and high-risk groups' poor survival were not significantly affected by CR. CONCLUSION: Intermediate-risk patients (LTSS 2-3) are most likely to have a long-term survival benefit from PTS and CR.     

Effects of the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa antagonist Roxifiban on P-selectin expression,fibrinogen binding,and microaggregate formation in a phase I dose-finding study: no evidence for platelet activation during treatment with a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa antagonist

The hypothesis that glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa antagonists stimulate platelets is controversial. Here, we report the results of flow cytometric measurements of platelet activation markers in a phase I dose optimization study of Roxifiban, an orally active GP IIb/IIIa antagonist. Whole blood was collected at pre-dose and during the dosing interval directly into citrate fixative so that circulating levels of platelet activation could be assessed. P-selectin expression and fibrinogen binding of single platelets were unchanged at any of the dosing intervals compared to the pre-dose values, whereas microaggregate formation was reduced. Blood was also collected in hirudin to maintain physiological calcium concentrations and stimulated with platelet agonists to test whether GP IIb/IIIa antagonists lower the threshold for platelet activation. After stimulation with a concentration range of ADP and TRAP, P-selectin expression was not altered by Roxifiban administration compared to pre-dose levels. Fibrinogen binding and microaggregate formation were reduced by Roxifiban dosing in a dose-dependent manner. Inhibition of both parameters was retained at trough and no increase above pre-dose values was observed at any time. This study provides evidence for a dose-dependent inhibition of platelet functions by an orally active GP IIb/IIIa antagonist and does not detect paradoxical activation of platelets by a GP IIb/IIIa antagonist in humans.     

Thrombotic Risk and Antithrombotic Strategies After Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement

Severe mitral regurgitation (MR) is fairly common in the general population and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Although surgical mitral valve (MV) repair and replacement are well established treatment options for MV disease, as much as one-half of patients with severe, symptomatic MR are not referred for surgery due to prohibitive procedural risk. Novel transcatheter alternatives are therefore being developed to provide an alternative treatment for these patients. A growing experience with transcatheter MV replacement (TMVR) strategies is accumulating and promising early results have been reported. However, the risk of transcatheter heart valve (THV) thrombosis seems to be relevant after TMVR, potentially higher than that observed after transcatheter aortic valve replacement, and routine anticoagulant therapy appears to be necessary to mitigate this risk. Hereafter, the authors: 1) review available evidence on thrombotic risk after TMVR (including new dedicated THVs for native MV, valve-in-valve, valve-in-ring, and valve-in-mitral annular calcification); and 2) discuss the antithrombotic treatment strategies after TMVR.     

Non-traumatic aortic dissection or rupture as cause of cardiac arrest: presentation and outcome

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the frequency, presentation and outcome of non-traumatic aortic dissection/rupture as a cause of cardiac arrest. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of a cardiac arrest registry in a tertiary care hospital emergency department. RESULTS: Over 11.5 years, aortic dissection/rupture was identified as the immediate cause of cardiac arrest in 46 (2,3%) out of 1990 patients with sudden cardiac arrest, primarily affecting the abdominal aorta in 25 and the thoracic aorta in 21 cases. The characteristics of the 46 patients were as follows: male gender (74%), median age 71 years (IQR 59-76), high co-morbidity (89%), previously known aortic aneurysm (33%), pulseless electric activity (70%) as initial cardiac rhythm. When performed, bedside abdominal sonography or echocardiography was almost always diagnostic. Patients with abdominal aortic dissection/rupture had abdominal (52%) and/or flank pain (32%). Patients with thoracic aortic dissection/rupture complained of chest pain (48%) or dyspnoea (19%). Return of spontaneous circulation occurred in 12 (26%) of 46 patients, emergency surgery was performed in eight of these patients, 2 (4%) survived to discharge in good neurological condition. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiac arrest caused by aortic dissection/rupture is rare, and mortality remains very high, even when circulation can be restored initially. Common features such as previously known aortic aneurysm, old age, male gender and pulseless electrical activity as initial cardiac rhythm should increase suspicion of the condition.     

Safety and feasibility of transendocardial autologous bone marrow cell transplantation in patients with advanced heart disease

The present report contains the final results of a Phase I study that evaluated the feasibility, safety, and potential efficacy of intramyocardial injection of autologous bone marrow (BM) in "no-option" patients with refractory angina and myocardial ischemia. Twenty-seven patients underwent electromechanic mapping-guided transendomyocardial injections (n = 12, 0.2 ml each) of unfractionated autologous BM cells directed to ischemic, noninfarcted myocardial territory. Patients were injected with 28 +/- 27 x 10(6)/ml nucleated cells containing 2.2 +/- 1.4% CD34+ cells. The autologous BM injection procedure was successful in all patients and was associated with no adverse events. At 3 months, the Canadian Cardiovascular Society angina score (3.2 +/- 0.5 vs 2.0 +/- 0.91, p = 0.001) and treadmill exercise duration (418 +/- 136 vs 489 +/- 142 seconds, p = 0.017) had improved significantly. The stress-induced ischemia score within the injected territories (118 segments) had also improved (2.2 +/- 0.8 vs 1.7 +/- 1.1, p < 0.001). At 1 year, the clinical improvement was sustained, although 5 patients had undergone revascularization procedures. The number of total injected nucleated cells (CD45+), progenitor cells (CD34+), and the magnitude of secreted vascular endothelial growth factor and macrophage chemoattractant protein-1 by cultured BM cells failed to predict the clinical response. In conclusion, the 3- and 12-month study results have indicated the safety of catheter-based transendocardial delivery of autologous BM cells in patients with advanced symptomatic ischemic heart disease and may suggest sustained potential efficacy. The cellular and humeral characteristics of autologous BM cells did not predict the clinical response, underscoring the advisability of additional mechanistic exploration.     

Two-year outcomes after sirolimus-eluting stent implantation: results from the Sirolimus-Eluting Stent in de Novo Native Coronary Lesions (SIRIUS) trial.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the two-year clinical outcomes in patients enrolled in the Sirolimus-Eluting Stent in De Novo Native Coronary Lesions (SIRIUS) study. BACKGROUND: The SIRIUS study was a double-blinded randomized study which demonstrated that sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) significantly improved angiographic results (at 8 months) and clinical outcomes (at 9 and 12 months) compared with bare-metal stents (BMS). METHODS: Patients with de novo native coronary artery lesions randomized to either SES (533 patients) or control BMS (525 patients) were followed for two years. RESULTS: Between one and two years, there were infrequent additional clinical events that were equally distributed between the sirolimus and control groups. After two years, target lesion revascularization was 5.8% and 21.3% in SES and control patients, respectively (p < 0.001), and major adverse cardiovascular events and target vessel failure rates were 10.1% versus 24.4% and 12.0% versus 26.7%, respectively (p < 0.0001 for both). There were no differences in death, myocardial infarction, and stent thrombosis between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical outcomes two years after implantation of SES continue to demonstrate significant reduction in the need for repeat target lesion (and vessel) revascularization compared with BMS without evidence for either disproportionate late restenosis or late stent thrombosis.     

Quality of life measured in a practice-based hypertension trial of an angiotensin receptor blocker

Effectiveness of antihypertensive treatment depends not only on drugs that avoid or minimize symptomatic side effects but also on therapy that has a positive effect on quality of life. This study assessed the effect on quality of life of a contemporary agent (an angiotensin receptor blocker) and evaluated the validity and practicality of using a quality-of-life instrument in the practice-based setting. A total of 2716 hypertensive patients, either untreated or on single-agent therapy, were started on or switched to 40 mg telmisartan for 6 weeks; in patients whose blood pressures remained above 130/85 mm Hg after 2 weeks, the dose was increased to 80 mg for the remaining 4 weeks of treatment. Quality of life was measured by patient self-administration of the Psychological General Well-Being Index (GWBI) at baseline and at the end of the study. Sixty-eight percent (n=1858) of patients treated with telmisartan fully completed both GWBI tests; the test score increased by 5.2±0.3 ( p <0.0001) from 77.7±0.4. This improvement was observed across all six emotional and health subscales of the GWBI. White and black patients, those aged <65 or >65 years, and men and women had similar increases, though the baseline value in women was sharply lower ( p <0.001) than in men. The GWBI rose more in patients whose blood pressure was controlled by treatment (<140/90 mm Hg) than in noncontrolled patients (6.1 vs. 4.1 , p <0.0001); for all patients the decreases in systolic and diastolic blood pressures produced by telmisartan correlated significantly ( p <0.001 for each) with the increases in the GWBI scores. Controlling blood pressure appears to be an important element in improving subjective health perceptions of hypertensive patients.