Prognostic Implications of Declining Hemoglobin Content in Patients Hospitalized With Acute Coronary Syndromes

BackgroundContemporary definitions of bleeding endpoints are restricted mostly to clinically overt events. Whether hemoglobin drop per se, with or without overt bleeding, adversely affects the prognosis of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remains unclear.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to examine in the MATRIX (Minimizing Adverse Haemorrhagic Events by Transradial Access Site and Systemic Implementation of Angiox) trial the incidence, predictors, and prognostic implications of in-hospital hemoglobin drop in patients with ACS managed invasively stratified by the presence of in-hospital bleeding.MethodsPatients were categorized by the presence and amount of in-hospital hemoglobin drop on the basis of baseline and nadir hemoglobin values and further stratified by the occurrence of adjudicated in-hospital bleeding. Hemoglobin drop was defined as minimal (<3 g/dl), minor (≥3 and <5 g/dl), or major (≥5 g/dl). Using multivariate Cox regression, we modeled the association between hemoglobin drop and mortality in patients with and without overt bleeding.ResultsAmong 7,781 patients alive 24 h after randomization with available hemoglobin data, 6,504 patients (83.6%) had hemoglobin drop, of whom 5,756 (88.5%) did not have overt bleeding and 748 (11.5%) had overt bleeding. Among patients without overt bleeding, minor (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.37; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.32 to 4.24; p = 0.004) and major (HR: 2.58; 95% CI: 0.98 to 6.78; p = 0.054) hemoglobin drop were independently associated with higher 1-year mortality. Among patients with overt bleeding, the association of minor and major hemoglobin drop with 1-year mortality was directionally similar but had wider CIs (minor: HR: 3.53 [95% CI: 1.06 to 11.79]; major: HR: 13.32 [95% CI: 3.01 to 58.98]).ConclusionsAmong patients with ACS managed invasively, in-hospital hemoglobin drop ≥3 g/dl, even in the absence of overt bleeding, is common and is independently associated with increased risk for 1-year mortality. (Minimizing Adverse Haemorrhagic Events by Transradial Access Site and Systemic Implementation of Angiox; NCT01433627)     

Pharmacosimulation of delays and interruptions during administration of tirofiban: a systematic comparison between EU and US dosage regimens

Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis - Tirofiban is a glycoproteine (GP) IIb/IIIa receptor antagonist, which inhibits platelet-platelet aggregation and is a potential adjunctive antithrombotic...     

Effects of percutaneous transluminal septal myocardial ablation for obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy on systolic and diastolic left ventricular function assessed by pressure-volume loops

The aim of the present study was to determine the long-term effects of percutaneous transluminal septal myocardial ablation (PTSMA) on systolic and diastolic left ventricular (LV) functions in patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC). Ten consecutive patients with symptomatic HC despite optimal medical treatment were referred for PTSMA at our center. LV systolic and diastolic functions were assessed by online LV pressure-volume loops obtained by conductance catheter at baseline and at 6 months after the procedure. At follow-up, the mean gradients at rest and after extrasystole were significantly decreased compared with baseline (88 +/- 29 to 21 +/- 11 mm Hg and 130 +/- 50 to 35 +/- 22 mm Hg, respectively, p <0.01 for the 2 comparisons). End-systolic and end-diastolic pressures significantly decreased (p <0.01), whereas end-systolic and end-diastolic LV volumes significantly increased (p <0.01 for the 2 comparisons). Cardiac output and stroke volume were unchanged, as were ejection fraction (p = 0.25) and maximum dP/dt (p = 0.13). The slope of the end-systolic pressure-volume relation was not decreased, indicating a preserved contractility. The relaxation constant time, end-diastolic stiffness, projected volume of the end-diastolic pressure-volume relation at 30 mm Hg, and diastolic stiffness constant showed a significant improvement of active and passive myocardial diastolic properties. In conclusion, PTSMA is an effective method in the treatment of symptomatic patients with HC. At 6-month follow-up, the LV-aortic gradient was decreased and active and passive LV diastolic properties were increased. Myocardial contractility was not decreased and general hemodynamics was maintained.     

Plaque composition in the left main stem mimics the distal but not the proximal tract of the left coronary artery: influence of clinical presentation, length of the left main trunk, lipid profile, and systemic levels of C-reactive protein.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to investigate whether plaques located in the left main stem (LMS) differ in terms of necrotic core content from those sited in the proximal tract of the left coronary artery. BACKGROUND: Plaque composition, favoring propensity to vulnerability, might be nonuniformly distributed along the vessel, which might explain the greater likelihood for plaque erosion or rupture to occur in the proximal but not in the distal tracts of the coronary artery or in LMS. METHODS: A total of 72 patients were included prospectively; 48 (32 men; mean age 57 +/- 11 years; 25 with stable angina and 23 affected by acute coronary syndromes) underwent a satisfactory nonculprit vessel investigation through spectral analysis of intravascular ultrasound radiofrequency data (IVUS-Virtual Histology, Volcano Corp., Rancho Cordova, California). The region of interest was subsequently divided into LMS and LMS carina, followed by 6 consecutive nonoverlapping 6-mm segments in left anterior descending artery in 34 patients or in circumflex artery in 14 patients. RESULTS: Necrotic core content (%): 1) was minimal in LMS (median [interquartile range]: 4.6 [2 to 7]), peaked in the first 6-mm coronary segment (11.8 [8 to 16]; p < 0.01), and then progressively decreased distally; 2) was overall greater in patients with acute coronary syndromes (11.4 [5.5 to 19.8]) than stable angina (7.3 [3.2 to 12.9]; p < 0.001); 3) was largely independent from plaque size; and 4) did not correlate to systemic levels of C-reactive protein or lipid profile. CONCLUSIONS: Plaques located in the LMS carry minimal necrotic content. Thus, they mimic the distal but not the proximal tract of the left coronary artery, where plaque rupture or vessel occlusion occurs more frequently.     

Impact of Sex on Comparative Outcomes of Radial Versus Femoral Access in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndromes Undergoing Invasive Management: Data From the Randomized MATRIX-Access Trial

Objectives

This study sought to assess whether transradial access (TRA) compared with transfemoral access (TFA) is associated with consistent outcomes in male and female patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing invasive management.