Coronary artery disease
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Coronary artery disease · Sep 2014
ReviewFunctional assessment of multivessel coronary artery disease: ischemia-guided percutaneous coronary intervention.
Invasive evaluation and treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD) has traditionally been based upon coronary angiography to determine the need for and the success of revascularization. However, coronary angiography augmented with fractional flow reserve (FFR) creates a paradigm shift, providing a more complete functional assessment of coronary lesions. Measuring FFR to identify ischemic lesions and guide revascularization results in fewer adverse outcomes, including persistent angina, myocardial infarction, and mortality. ⋯ Although the mechanism explaining this is unclear, it is likely multifactorial, including the impact of mechanical forces, upregulation of inflammatory mediators, and the amount of distal myocardial tissue at risk. Using both anatomic and ischemia-guided assessments (such as the Functional SYNTAX Score) aids in the therapeutic decision-making process in patients with multivessel CAD. This review focuses on the evidence for FFR-guided management of multivessel CAD.
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Coronary artery disease · Sep 2014
Comparative StudyHeart rate recovery after exercise and its relation with neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in patients with cardiac syndrome X.
The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are measures of systemic inflammation. Heart rate recovery (HRR) after exercise is influenced by autonomic function. The aim of this study was to ascertain whether HRR and the Duke Treadmill Score (DTS) values are related to NLR and PLR in patients with cardiac syndrome X (CSX). ⋯ CSX patients have higher NLR and PLR and slower HRR and lower DTS, similar to CAD patients, suggesting that CSX patients may be at a higher risk for developing cardiovascular events in the future. NLR may predict autonomic imbalance assessed by HRR in CSX.
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Coronary artery disease · Aug 2014
Comparative StudyTwo-year clinical outcomes of patients with overlapping second-generation drug-eluting stents for treatment of long coronary artery lesions: comparison of everolimus-eluting stents with resolute zotarolimus-eluting stents.
The aim of this study was to compare the 2-year clinical outcomes of overlapping second-generation everolimus-eluting stents (EES) with those of overlapping resolute zotarolimus-eluting stents (R-ZES) in the treatment of long coronary artery lesions. ⋯ Stent overlap with second-generation EES or R-ZES was associated with low rates of MACE, TVR, and stent thrombosis at 2-year follow-up. Our results suggest that the use of overlapping EES or R-ZES in long coronary lesions is associated with good long-term clinical outcomes. These results need to be validated with randomized controlled trials.
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Coronary artery disease · Jun 2014
Comparative StudyLong-term outcomes of patients with complex coronary artery disease according to agreement between the SYNTAX score and revascularization procedure in contemporary practice.
The SYNTAX score (SS) has been shown to identify subgroups of patients with left main or triple-vessel coronary artery disease (LM/3VCAD) that can be treated with a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with equal clinical outcomes as coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG).We sought to assess the adequacy of referral to PCI/CABG of patients with LM/3VCAD at our institution. ⋯ At our institution, there was considerable disagreement between a clinical judgment-based coronary revascularization and the SS/cSS-based allocation process as to the preferred revascularization modality for patients with complex CAD. Our results suggest that integrating the SS/cSS into the decision-making process for assigning patients to revascularization would yield better clinical outcomes.
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Coronary artery disease · Jun 2014
ReviewA controversial step forward: A commentary on the 2013 ACC/AHA guideline on the treatment of blood cholesterol to reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk in adults.
The 2013 ACC/AHA guidelines on the treatment of blood cholesterol in adults is a major step forward in the field of preventive cardiology but it is not without controversy. It should be well accepted that in individuals with established atherosclerotic vascular disease, individuals with a low-density lipoprotein cholesterol of greater than 190 mg/dl and individuals with diabetes, treatment with an appropriate fixed dose of a statin, without titration to a specific low-density lipoprotein goal, will provide substantial protection against future atherosclerotic vascular disease events. ⋯ For as long as these risk calculators are in question, primary care practitioners will struggle to make treatment decisions. Factors such as cardiovascular fitness, measures of adiposity, and details of the family history will aid in treatment decisions.