The Significance of Coronary Artery Calcification for Percutaneous Coronary Interventions

The prevalence of calcium deposits in coronary arteries grows with age. Risk factors include, e.g., diabetes and chronic kidney disease. There are several underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of calcium deposition. Severe calcification increases the complexity of percutaneous coronary interventions. Invasive techniques to modify the calcified atherosclerotic plaque before stenting have been developed over the last years. They include balloon- and non-balloon-based techniques. Rotational atherectomy has been the most common technique to treat calcified lesions but new techniques are emerging (orbital atherectomy, intravascular lithotripsy, laser atherectomy). The use of intravascular imaging (intravascular ultrasound and optical coherence tomography) is especially important during the procedures in order to choose the optimal strategy and to assess the final effect of the procedure. This review provides an overview of the role of coronary calcification for percutaneous coronary interventions.

Prognostic value of acid-base balance parameters obtained from peripheral venous blood sample on admission in patients with myocardial infarction treated with percutaneous coronary intervention

INTRODUCTION

Peripheral venous blood sample may be used to obtain acid-base balance parameters (PVA-BP) measured in rapid point-of-care test analyzers (POCT) on admission to emergency department (ED). Thus, lactates, anion gap (AG) and base excess (BE) may be early prognostic markers in patients with myocardial infarction (MI).

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to confirm the relationship between PVA-BP on admission and the outcome in patients with MI treated by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A retrospective, observational analysis of MI patients admitted primarily to ED and secondly transferred to PCI department.

RESULTS

336 patients (41.1% STEMI, 58.9% NSTEMI) were divided according to lactates level: G1:≤2.0 mmol/l (n = 207), G2:>2.0 mmol/l (n = 129). G2 patients had higher values of AG (mean (SD), 9.6 (4.3) vs 6.8 (3.2) mEq/l; P <0.001) and lower BE (median [interquartile range (IQR)], -0.7 [-3.9;0.8] vs 1.0 [-0.2;2.4] mEq/l; P <0.001). In-hospital non-survivors had higher values of lactates (4.0 [2.0;8.7] vs 1.7 [1.3;2.4] mmol/l; P <0.001), AG (10.5 (4.6) vs 7.7 (3.8) mEq/l; P <0.001) and lower BE (-4.8 [-10.6;-1.8] vs 1.5 [-0.8;2.3] mEq/l; P <0.001) compared to survivors. Lactates, AG and BE correlated with GRACE score (r = 0.361; P <0.001, r = 0.158; P = 0.004, r = -0.383; P <0.001, respectively). Only BE independently predicted both 30- and 365-days mortality in whole group (HR 0.79, 95%CI 0.65-0.95; P = 0.01, HR 0.89, 95%CI 0.76-0.99; P = 0.04, respectively) as well as in-hospital mortality among patients without infarct-related out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OR 0.74, 95%CI 0.57-0.97; P = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients admitted to ED with MI treated with PCI the evaluation of PVA-BP assessed in POCT analyzers may be a reliable tool for early risk stratification.

Recanalisation of coronary chronic total occlusion by retrograde approach: the first experience in Poland

BACKGROUND

The effectiveness of revascularisation procedures of coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) has been improved by the introduction of retrograde approach.

AIM

This study compared the outcomes of CTO revascularisation in a single centre in Krakow, Poland using antegrade and retrograde approach.

METHODS

From January 2011 to September 2013, 150 patients underwent 159 procedures for percutaneous revascularisation of CTO of 153 vessels. Of the 159 procedures, 124 (78%) were performed using an antegrade approach and 35 (22%) using a retrograde approach.

RESULTS

All patients were symptomatic, with mean CCS class (2.3 ± 0.6 vs. 2.1 ± 0.7, p = 0.9), mean age (59.2 ± 8.3 vs. 62.6 ± 9.9 years, p = 0.067), and mean number of males (81.3% vs. 81.8%, p = 0.9) similar in the retrograde and antegrade groups, respectively. Most patients in both groups had ejection fraction (EF) ≥ 50% (84.4% vs. 74.4%, respectively). Occlusions assessed according to the J-CTO score showed that 82.9% and 56.4%, respectively, were rated as difficult or very difficult (p < 0.01). Overall procedural success rate was 88.2%, 87.9% in the antegrade, and 74.3% in the retrograde group. Complication rates were low and similar in two groups. However, the retrograde approach was associated with a longer mean fluoroscopy time (47.8 ± 19.6 vs. 19.3 ± 10.0 min, p < 0.00001) and higher volume of contrast fluid (494.6 ± 142.4 vs. 291.9 ± 118.1 mL, p < 0.00001).

CONCLUSIONS

Using novel equipment with adequate experience allowed high rates of successful revascularisation. The retrograde technique for CTO revascularisation showed good overall success and was safe.

Age and gender dependent heart rate circadian model development and performance verification on the proarrhythmic drug case study

BACKGROUND

There are two main reasons for drug withdrawals at the various levels of the development path - hepatic and cardiac toxicity. The latter one is mainly connected with the proarrhythmic potency and according to the present practice is supposed to be recognized at the pre-clinical (in vitro and animal in vivo) or clinical level (human in vivo studies). There are, although, some limitations to all the above mentioned methods which have led to novel in vitro - in vivo extrapolation methods being introduced. With the use of in silico implemented mathematical and statistical modelling it is possible to translate the in vitro findings into the human in vivo situation at the population level. Human physiology is influenced by many parameters and one of them which needs to be properly accounted for is a heart rate which follows the circadian rhythm. We described such phenomenon statistically which enabled the improved assessment of the drug proarrhythmic potency.

METHODS

A publicly available data set describing the circadian changes of the heart rate of 18 healthy subjects, 5 males (average age 36, range 26-45) and 13 females (average age 34, range 20-50) was used for the heart rate model development. External validation was done with the use of a clinical research database containing heart rate measurements derived from 67 healthy subjects, 34 males and 33 females (average age 33, range 17-72). The developed heart rate model was then incorporated into the ToxComp platform to simulate the impact of circadian variation in the heart rate on QTc interval. The usability of the combined models was assessed with moxifloxacin (MOXI) as a model drug.

RESULTS

The developed heart rate model fitted well, both to the training data set (RMSE = 128 ms and MAPE = 12.3%) and the validation data set (RMSE = 165 ms and MAPE = 17.1%). Simulations performed at the population level proved that the combination of the IVIVE platform and the population variability description allows for the precise prediction of the circadian variation of drugs proarrhythmic effect.

CONCLUSIONS

It can be concluded that a flexible and practically useful model describing the heart rate circadian variation has been developed and its performance was verified.

[Selection and maintenance of the blood pressure monitor for self-blood pressure monitoring (SBPM)]

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The choice of an attested blood pressure (BP) monitor with an adequate arm cuff size and its proper maintenance are crucial for obtaining reliable results in Self-Blood Pressure Monitoring (SBPM) practice. The aim of the study was to assess the factors determining the BP monitor selection, its purchase place and technical use aspects.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Two hun. dred consecutive patients with arte. rial hypertension regularly performing SBPM (100 individuals from a munici. pal primary health care centre and 100 from a specialized hypertension office at a university cardiology clinic, aged 57.7 +/-12.4 years, 54.0% female) have undergone an inquiry study based on the European Society of Hyperten. sion (ESH) guidelines for home BP monitoring.

RESULTS

Almost half of the re. spondents are utilizing BP monitors that are not routinely recommended for SBPM: wrist devices - 22.0%, aneroid appliances -15.0%, mercury monitors - 7.0% and finger monitors - 1.0%. Only 45.0% of the study participants have checked if the cuff size is ap. propriate, whereas arm circumference in 26.0% of the patients exceeded 34 cm and in 3.5% of the individuals was below 24 cm. As few as 2.5% of SBPM practitioners perform regular techni. cal checkups of their BP monitors. Patients of a specialized hypertension office have significantly more often chosen their BP apparatus according to the doctor's recommendation than primary health care patients (27.0% vs 12.0%, p=0.007, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Sphygmomanometer type and appropriate arm cuff size selections for SBPM is random. The aspects of BP monitor attest and its proper maintenance are neglected. Physicians recommend an adequate BP apparatus choice too rarely.

[The oxidative stress in pathogenesis of arterial hypertension - role of methylated arginines]

Oxidative stress plays significant role in pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. Imbalance of antioxidants and reactive oxygen species contributes to endothelium damage and leads to hypertension. The knowledge on these processes may contribute to prevention and therapy of cardiovascular diseases. This paper describes the role of methylated arginines in pathogenesis of arterial hypertension, which are nowadays object of wide research and pathways involved in their formation and metabolism are often recognised as potential targets for cardiovascular drugs.