Extension of necrosis in the acute phase of myocardial infarct. Clinical picture and prognosis

In a consecutive series of 297 patients prospectively evaluated at the time of admission for an acute myocardial infarction, the extension of necrosis was found to occur in 16,4% of the cases. The electrocardiographic site of extension was the same as during the initial episode in over 75% of cases suggesting the possibility of a similar pathogenetic mechanism and the involvement of the same coronary district. Patients in Killip class I were respectively 61% and 45% before and after the extension, in class II 33% and 14%, in class III 6% and 14%, in class IV 0 and 27% (p less than 0,001). In-hospital mortality was 16,1% without and 38,8% with extension (p less than 0,001). The peak level of CPK-MB was an average of 110 +/- 45 U/1 before and 96 +/- 34 after the extension (p = N.S.). It was not possible to recognize the patients at risk of extension according to the traditional clinical parameters (age, sex, site of necrosis, transmural involvement, residual angina, Norris index and Killip class before the extension). It is concluded that the protection of the myocardium at risk is of primary importance in the setting of acute myocardial infarction, regardless of the possibility of saving areas already compromised at the time of admission or the hypothetical "border zone".     

Long-term outcomes with drug-eluting stents versus bare metal stents in the treatment of saphenous vein graft disease (results from the REgistro Regionale AngiopLastiche Emilia-Romagna registry)

Percutaneous revascularization of saphenous vein grafts (SVGs) remains a challenging task. Drug-eluting stents (DESs) have been shown to decrease the incidence of restenosis in de novo native coronary artery lesions. However, their clinical value in SVGs remains to be established. We compared long-term clinical outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention with DESs and bare metal stents (BMSs) for de novo lesions in SVGs. In a large prospective, multicenter registry, 360 patients underwent stenting of a de novo lesion in SVGs using BMSs (288 patients) or DESs (72 patients). Incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACEs), including all-cause mortality, reinfarction, and target vessel revascularization, was recorded at a 12-month follow-up. Compared with the DES group, patients receiving BMSs were more likely to be men, to have chronic renal insufficiency or higher Charlson scores, but less likely to have undergone previous percutaneous coronary intervention. Incidence of MACEs at 12-month follow-up was similar in the 2 groups (17.8% in DES group vs 20.3% in BMS group, respectively, p = 0.460). Cox regression analysis identified age, chronic renal failure, cardiogenic shock at presentation, and ostial location of stenosis as independent predictors of long-term MACEs. In conclusion, our data suggest that rates of 12-month MACEs associated with the use of DESs and BMSs are similar in patients undergoing treatment of de novo lesions in SVGs.     

Management and prognosis of acute myocardial infarct in advanced age: comparison of the cardiac intensive care unit and the cardiology ward]

The aim of this prospective study was to assess the prognostic and most suitable management of AMI in elderly patients (age > or = 75 years). From September 1988 to August 1991, 129 such patients (pts) were evaluated: 35 (27%) were admitted to CCU because of arrhythmias or severe hemodynamic complications; 94 (73%) were addressed, according to bed availability, to CCU (55 pts) or Cardiology Ward (39 pts), where all patients underwent continuous ECG monitoring for at least 72 hours. Age, gender, history of previous angina or myocardial infarction, presence of chest pain or ECG ischemia on admission, site and extent of AMI, delay on admission, CPK-MB peak, recurrent angina, arrhythmias, heart failure, emotional disorders, hospital mortality and length of hospital stay were compared. Our results show that elderly patients who suffered from complicated AMI were at high risk for death and severe in-hospital complications. No significant prognostic differences were observed between the two groups with uncomplicated AMI. Thus hospitalization in the Cardiology Ward seems to be valuable, safe and well tolerated in our population of elderly patients with AMI, and without initial complications.     

Comparison of effectiveness of sirolimus-eluting stents versus bare metal stents for percutaneous coronary intervention in patients at high risk for coronary restenosis or clinical adverse events

We evaluated the clinical effect of selective use of sirolimus-eluting stents (SESs) in real-world, high-risk patients. A total of 4,237 consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (SES, n = 872, bare metal stents [BMSs], n = 3,365) was enrolled in a prospective regional survey. A prespecified high-risk subset of patients was selected on the basis of clinical and angiographic characteristics. A propensity score analysis was performed to compare patients who received SESs with those who received BMSs. Patients in the SES group more often had diabetes and more frequently had previous myocardial infarction or coronary revascularization, type C lesions, and multivessel procedures. Patients who presented with acute myocardial infarction were treated more often with BMSs. At 9 months, the use of SESs was associated with fewer major adverse cardiac events (death, myocardial infarction, or target lesion revascularization; hazard ratio 0.56, 95% confidence interval 0.37 to 0.85) and target lesion revascularizations (hazard ratio 0.43, 95% confidence interval 0.20 to 0.91). This decrease was more evident in a prespecified high-risk subgroup of patients (major adverse cardiac events, 8.0% SES vs 15.6% BMS, hazard ratio 0.45, 95% confidence interval 0.29 to 0.72). We conclude that selective SES use in real-world patients who have high-risk clinical and angiographic characteristics is associated with significant decreases in major adverse cardiac events and repeat revascularizations compared with BMS use.     

Bosentan fosters microvascular de-remodelling in systemic sclerosis

Bosentan, a dual endothelin receptor antagonist, may reduce blood pressure by blocking the vasoconstrictor effect of endothelin-1. In systemic sclerosis (SSc) nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC); allows diagnostic and follow-up of microvascular damage. Distinct NVC patterns have been identified for the evaluation of severity of SSc microvascular damage. The objective of this study is to evaluate the modification of the microvasculature under Bosentan therapy in SSc patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Nine patients with PAH related to SSc in New York Heart Association classes III?CIV were treated with Bosentan 125?mg twice a day. NVC optical probe videocapillaroscopy equipped with 100× and 200× contact lenses and connected to image analyse software was performed before and after 12?months of Bosentan therapy to evaluate the modification of microvasculature. Nine PAH SSc patients treated with Iloprost were used as controls. Before Bosentan therapy, seven patients showed at NVC severe loss of capillaries with large avascular areas and vascular architectural disorganisation which are typically ??late?? SSc pattern. After 12?months of Bosentan, NVC pattern changed in seven patients from ??late?? into ??active?? SSc pattern. The disappearance of avascular areas and capillary haemorrhages was the most striking result. Two patients had an ??active?? SSc pattern, not modified by Bosentan treatment. These data show that Bosentan may improve NVC pattern in SSC and the presence of new capillaries suggests that it may favour angiogenesis. Bosentan may improve and stabilise the microvasculature in long-term treatment modulating the structural modifications detected by NVC.     

Enoxaparin for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction with persistent ST-segment elevation

Enoxaparin (E) is a low-molecular-weight heparin which has been proven more effective than unfractionated heparin (UFH) for the treatment of non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes. Limited and inconclusive on the other hand, are the data on the use of E in acute myocardial infarction with persistent ST-segment elevation (STEAMI). Therefore, we performed a review of the literature in order to evaluate the level of evidence relative to the efficacy and safety of E in such a clinical setting. The effect of E in STEAMI has been evaluated in 7 clinical studies, including a total of about 9500 patients. Compared to placebo, E resulted more effective on the incidence of the combined end-point of death, re-infarction and recurrent angina in the study by Glick et al. and on the patency of the infarct-related artery in the AMI-SK study. Compared to UFH, E resulted more effective on the incidence of the combined end-point of death, reinfarction and unstable angina in the study by Baird et al. and of in-hospital re-infarction and refractory ischemia rates in both ASSENT-3 and ASSENT-3 PLUS, while the effect on the patency of the infarct-related artery, which was evaluated in HART-II and ENTIRE-TIMI 23, resulted non univocal. Overall, bleeding complications were more frequent than with placebo and comparable to UFH, with the exception of ASSENT-3 PLUS where pre-hospital administration of E was associated with a doubled incidence of intracranial bleeding (although only in patients older than 75 years). In conclusion, the administration of E, in association with aspirin and thrombolytics, already appears a possible therapeutic option for the treatment of STEAMI, due to its good efficacy and safety profile, along with its easiness of use. However, prior to have its use recommended, the current B level of evidence of a superior efficacy and safety compared to UFH needs to be reinforced. Further-more, some open issues relative to the use of E in particular settings (aged patients, in association with glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors and during percutaneous coronary revascularization) need to be clarified.