Myocardial strain analysis by 4D-speckle tracking echocardiography for prediction of coronary artery disease severity in patients with stable angina pectoris

Objective: We sought to evaluate the myocardial strain by four-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (4D-STE) in patients with stable angina pectoris (SAP) to determine the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) based on the Gensini score. Methods: The present study comprised of 150 patients with SAP. Patients with history of SAP, normal left ventricular ejection fraction, and without regional wall motion abnormalities (RWMA) were scheduled for elective coronary angiography. Based on Gensini score, there were two groups: non-critical stenosis group [Gensini score (0e19), n ¼ 117] and critical stenosis group [Gensini score 20, n ¼ 33]. Correlation between Gensini score and 4D-STE strain parameters were investigated. Results: Out of 150 patients, critical stenosis group had significantly depressed values of all 4D-STE strain parameters than non-critical stenosis group (p < 0.001), except global radial strain (GRS) parameter. Significant positive correlation was found between Gensini score and 4D global longitudinal strain (GLS), global circumferential strain (GCS), global area strain (GAS) with Spearman's correlation coefficient (r) as 0.626, 0.548, and 0.631, respectively (p < 0.001), whereas significant negative correlation was found between Gensini score and GRS (r ¼ 0.433, p < 0.001). A 4D GLS value of 17 had 84.9% sensitivity and 97.4% specificity, GAS 31 (90.9% sensitivity, 78.6% specificity), GCS 17 (69.7% sensitivity, 92.3% specificity), and GRS <47 (sensitivity 72.7%, specificity 76.1%) to detect critical CAD described by Gensini score 20. Conclusion: The 4D-STE can aid in the assessment of severe CAD stenosis with good sensitivity and specificity in the patients with SAP without RWMA on traditional echocardiography.

Stable Angina Pectoris with Sleep Disorders Treated by Modified Tongmai Anshen Formula （通脉安神方加减）： An Clinical Observation of 74 Cases / 中医杂志

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy of the Modified Tongmai Anshen Formula （通脉安神方加减， MTAF） in the treatment of stable angina pectoris （SAP） with sleep disorders. MethodsA total of 148 patients suffering from SAP with sleep disorder were included and randomly divided into control group and treatment group， with 74 patients in each group. The control group received conventional western medicine， and the treatment group additionally received MTAF （1 dose per day）， both for 4 weeks. The changes in angina pectoris symptoms， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndromes， sleep quality， quality of life， serological indicators including serum intercellular adhesion molecule-1 （ICAM-1） and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 （VCAM-1）， brain-derived nerve growth factor （BDNF） and tyrosine kinase receptor B （TrkB） were compared between groups before and after treatment， and the safety was evaluated. ResultsIn the treatment group and the control group， the total effective rates of TCM syndromes（82.43% vs 52.70%）， angina pectoris （79.73% vs 64.86%） and sleep （89.19% vs 68.92%） showing significant difference （P＜0.001）. After treatment， the total TCM syndrome score， primary symptom score， secondary symptom score， and secondary symptoms sleeplessness， restlessness， tiredness and fatigue individual score， angina pectoris score， PSQI total score and each item score were all significantly reduced in both groups， while the SF-36 single item score significantly increased （P＜0.05）. The total TCM syndromes and primary symptom scores， secon-dary symptoms sleeplessness， restlessness， tiredness and fatigue individual score， angina pectoris score， time to fall asleep， sleep quality， hypnotic medication， sleep disturbance， daytime dysfunction score and PSQI total score were significantly lower in the treatment group than those in the control group after treatment （P＜0.05）， while the somatic pain， general health status， social functioning， emotional functioning， mental health， and health change were significantly higher in the treatment group （P＜0.05）. After treatment， ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 level significantly decreased （P＜0.05）， and BDNF and TrkB levels increased （P＜0.05） in the treatment group， while BDNF level significantly decreased in the control group （P＜0.05）. The TrkB level was significantly higher in the treatment group compared to the control group after treatment （P＜0.05）. A total of four adverse events occurred during the treatment， none of which were considered to be related to this study. ConclusionMTAF can significantly improve angina pectoris symptoms， TCM syndromes， sleep quality and quality of life in patients suffering from SAP with sleep disorders， the mechanism of which may be related to the protection of vascular endothelial function and central neurons.

Network Meta-analysis of Chinese medicine injection combined with conventional western medicine in treatment of stable angina pectoris / 中国中药杂志

This study aimed to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of different Chinese medicine injections combined with conventional western medicine for stable angina pectoris. PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMbase, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and SinoMed were searched to collect randomized controlled trial(RCT) of Chinese medicine injection combined with conventio-nal western medicine in the treatment of stable angina pectoris from the inception of the databases to July 8, 2022. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted the data, and evaluated the risk of bias of the included studies. Stata 15.1 was used for network Meta-analysis. A total of 52 RCTs were included, involving 4 828 patients treated by 9 Chinese medicine injections(Danhong Injection, Salvia Miltiorrhiza Polyphenol Hydrochloride Injection, Tanshinone Sodium Ⅱ_A Sulfonate Injection, Salvia Miltiorrhiza Ligustrazine Injection, Dazhu Hongjingtian Injection, Puerarin Injection, Safflower Yellow Pigment Injection, Shenmai Injection and Xuesaitong Injection). The network Meta-analysis showed that:(1)in terms of improving the efficacy of angina pectoris, the surface under the cumulative ranking curve(SUCRA) followed the order of conventional western medicine combined with Salvia Miltiorrhiza Ligustrazine Injection>Tanshinone Sodium Ⅱ_A Sulfonate Injection>Danhong Injection>Salvia Miltiorrhiza Polyphenol Hydrochloride Injection>Xuesaitong Injection>Shenmai Injection>Puerarin Injection>Safflower Yellow Pigment Injection>Dazhu Hongjingtian Injection;(2)in terms of improving the efficacy of electrocardiogram(ECG), SUCRA followed the order of conventional western medicine combined with Salvia Miltiorrhiza Ligustrazine Injection>Puerarin Injection>Danhong Injection>Salvia Miltiorrhiza Polyphenol Hydrochloride Injection>Shenmai Injection>Xuesaitong Injection>Safflower Yellow Pigment Injection>Tanshinone Sodium Ⅱ_A Sulfonate Injection>Dazhu Hongjingtian Injection;(3)in terms of increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C), SUCRA followed the order of conventional western medicine combined with Danhong Injection>Shenmai Injection>Safflower Yellow Pigment Injection>Xuesaitong Injection>Tanshinone Sodium Ⅱ_A Sulfonate Injection>Dazhu Hongjingtian Injection;(4)in terms of lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C), SUCRA followed the order of conventional western medicine combined with Safflower Yellow Pigment Injection>Danhong Injection>Shenmai Injection>Tanshinone Sodium Ⅱ_A Sulfonate Injection>Dazhu Hongjingtian Injection>Xuesaitong Injection;(5)in terms of safety, the overall adverse reactions of Chinese medicine injection combined with conventional western medicine were less than those of the control group. Current evidence indicated that Chinese medicine injection combined with conventional western medicine could improve the curative effect of stable angina pectoris with higher safety. Limited by the number and quality of included studies, the above conclusion needed to be verified by more high-quality studies.

Prognostic value of age, creatinine, and left ventricular ejection fraction risk score in patients evaluated with fractional flow reserve: a cross-sectional study

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: In this study, we investigated the relationship between age, creatinine, and left ventricular ejection fraction risk score and the severity of coronary lesions detected by applying fractional flow reserve in the patient group presenting with chronic coronary syndrome. Also, we presented long-term follow-up results in patients whose age, creatinine, and left ventricular ejection fraction score was evaluated by the fractional flow reserve procedure. METHODS: This study was planned retrospectively and in two centers. For this purpose, 114 patients who met the study criteria and who underwent elective fractional flow reserve between January 2014 and January 2019 were included in the study. Age, creatinine, and left ventricular ejection fraction was calculated as age/left ventricular ejection fraction +1 (if estimated glomerular filtration rate<30 mL/min). RESULTS: They were divided into two groups according to the cutoff value of the age, creatinine, and left ventricular ejection fraction score. A total of 76 patients had an age, creatinine, and left ventricular ejection fraction score of ≤1.17 (Group I) and 38 patients had an age, creatinine, and left ventricular ejection fraction score of >1.17 (Group II). The number of patients with severe lesions in fractional flow reserve was significantly higher in Group II compared with Group I (60.5 vs. 32.9%, p=0.005). According to the Kaplan-Meier analysis, a significant increase was observed in major adverse cardiac events and mortality during the follow-up period in the group with a high-risk score (Log Rank: 15.01, p<0.001 and Log Rank: 8.51, p=0.004, respectively). CONCLUSION: In light of the data we obtained from our study, we found a correlation between the severity of the lesion detected in fractional flow reserve and the age, creatinine, and left ventricular ejection fraction scores. In addition, we found that patients with high age, creatinine, and left ventricular ejection fraction scores had higher mortality and major adverse cardiac events rates during follow-up.

An increase in a long noncoding RNA ANRIL in peripheral plasma is an indicator of stable angina

Abstract Introduction: Stable angina develops during physical activity or stress, and it is typically an aspect of Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) that can lead to arrhythmia, heart failure and even sudden death. ANRIL, an Antisense Non-coding RNA gene in the INK4 Locus, is associated with multiple disorders including CHD; however, expressional levels of ANRIL in between patients with stable angina and myocardial infarction, one of the acute coronary syndrome, have not been clarified yet. Methods: The authors enrolled 62 patients with myocardial infarction and 59 with stable angina before primary percutaneous coronary intervention, as well as 48 healthy volunteers. Their peripheral blood was collected for analysis of ANRIL and cardiac troponin I, a traditional diagnostic index of CHD by real-time PCR. Results: The data showed that ANRIL is a better diagnostic indicator than cardiac troponin I in patients with stable angina and that the levels of ANRIL are higher in patients with stable angina than those with the myocardial infarction. Discussion: The levels of ANRIL in peripheral plasma could be used as a good biomarker for stable angina.

Análise da Custo-Efetividade da Angiotomografia Coronariana no SUS, em Comparação com Outros Métodos Não Invasivos na Suspeita de DAC Estável / Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of CCTA in SUS, as Compared to Other Non-Invasive Imaging Modalities in Suspected Obstructive CAD

Resumo Fundamento Atualmente o sistema de saúde público brasileiro (SUS) não contempla a angiotomografia de coronárias. Objetivos Ranquear sob a perspectiva do SUS, a custo-efetividade de estratégias diagnósticas combinando teste ergométrico, cintilografia miocárdica, ecocardiograma por estresse e angiotomografia de coronárias para o diagnóstico de doença arterial coronariana em uma coorte hipotética de pacientes com probabilidade pré-teste intermediária. Métodos Análise de custo-efetividade por meio de árvore de decisão. Foram analisados a relação de custo-efetividade incremental e o benefício líquido em saúde das estratégias diagnósticas, com a adoção de múltiplos limiares de disposição a pagar entre 0,05 e 1 PIB per capita por diagnóstico correto. Nos casos de testes sequenciais, um segundo teste confirmatório era realizado quando o primeiro fosse positivo. Resultados Após exclusão das estratégias diagnósticas dominadas ou com dominância estendida, a fronteira de eficiência foi composta por três estratégias: teste ergométrico, teste ergométrico seguido de ecocardiograma de estresse, e ecocardiograma de estresse seguido de angiotomografia de coronárias, sendo esta última a estratégia mais custo-efetiva. Pelo critério do benefício líquido, o ranqueamento das estratégias mais custo-efetivas variou conforme a disposição a pagar. Conclusão Utilizando conceitos atuais de avaliação de tecnologias em saúde, este estudo fornece um ranqueamento para a tomada de decisão sobre qual estratégia diagnóstica utilizar, em uma população com risco pré-teste intermediário para DAC. Com estimativa factível de custos para a ATC, o impacto da inclusão desta ao rol do arsenal diagnóstico representaria uma estratégia custo-efetiva na maioria dos cenários avaliados nas variações de disposição a pagar.

Abstract Background The Brazilian public health system does not include computed tomography angiography (CTA). Objective Rank, according to the Brazilian public health system, the cost-effectiveness of different strategies for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD), combining exercise tests (ET), myocardial scintigraphy (MS), stress echocardiography (SE), and CTA in a hypothetical intermediate pre-test probability cohort of patients. Methods This study implemented a cost-effectiveness analysis through a decision tree. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) and net benefit were analyzed by adopting multiple thresholds of willingness to pay, from 0.05 to 1 GDP per capita per correct diagnosis. In sequential tests, a second confirmatory test was performed only when the first was positive. Results After excluding dominated or extended dominance diagnostic strategies, the efficiency frontier consisted of three strategies: ET, ET followed by SE, and SE followed by CTA, the last being the most cost-effective strategy. Through the net benefit, the ranking of the most cost-effective strategies varied according to willingness to pay. Conclusions Using current concepts of health technology assessment, this study provides a ranking for decision-making concerning which diagnostic strategy to use in a population with an intermediate pre-test risk for CAD. With a feasible cost estimate adopted for CTA, the impact of including this to the list of the diagnostic arsenal would represent a cost-effective strategy in most of the evaluated scenarios with broad variations in the willingness to pay.

Protection Mechanism of Addition and Subtraction Therapy of Danshenyin Combined with Wendantang for Myocardial Ischemia in Patients with Stable Angina / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To observe the efficacy of addition and subtraction therapy of Danshenyin combined with Wendantang in the treatment to stable angina pectoris （SAP） with stagnation of phlegm and blood stasis， and to explore its protection mechanism for myocardial ischemia. Method:One hundred and thirty-two patients were randomly divided into control group and observation group equally. Finished the 63 cases study both in control group and observation group after dropout， loss of follow-up and withdrawal. Patients in control group and observation group got antianginal drugs and the treatment of drug therapy to control the risk factors. All patients were treated with anti-angina drugs and risk factors control drugs. Patients in control group got Danlou Tablets by oral administration， 5 tablets/time， 3 times/day. Patients in observation group got dispensing decoction pieces of Danshenyin and Wendantang 1 dose/day. The treatment continued for 3 months in both groups. Scores of angina attack were graded every week. Before and after treatment， electrocardiogram treadmill exercise test was made to evaluate myocardial ischemia of coronary heart disease， and scores of phlegm stasis block syndrome and Seattle Angina questionnaire （SAQ） were graded for TCM symptoms and quality of life. Levels of hemorheology index， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， tumor necrosis factor-<italic>α</italic> （TNF-<italic>α</italic>）， intercellular adhesion molecule-1 （ICAM-1）， Cystatin C （CysC）， homocysteine （Hcy）， ischemic modified albumin （IMA） and macrophage migration inhibitory factor were detected. In addition， safety was evaluated. Result:After treatment， scores of times， duration， degree of angina pectoris， nitroglycerin dosage of angina pectoris and nitroglycerin dosage in the observation group were lower than those in the control group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Total exercise time， duration of ST depression for 1.0 mm， occurrence time of stable angina pectoris， metabolic equivalent and scores of Duke in the observation group were more than those in the control group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Score of stagnation of phlegm and blood stasis in the observation group was lower than that in the control group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， while score of SAQ was higher than that in the control group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Levels of IL-6， TNF-<italic>α</italic>， ICAM-1， CysC， IMA， Hcy， MIF， whole blood viscosity （low cut， high cut）， whole blood reducing viscosity， plasma viscosity， platelet aggregation rate and fibrinogen （FIB） in the observation group were lower than those in the control group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Effect of angina pectoris in observation group was superior to that in control group （<italic>Z</italic>=2.091， <italic>P</italic><0.01）. No adverse reactions related to Danshenyin combined with Wendantang were found. Conclusion:Addition and subtraction therapy of Danshenyin combined with Wendantang based on the routine western medicine treatment can control the attack of angina pectoris， relieve the symptoms of phlegm and stasis block syndrome， and improve the quality of life for patients with SAP， showing superior clinical efficacy and safety. In addition， it can improve the hemorheology of patients， inhibit the inflammatory reaction， reduce the stenosis or obstruction of lumen in order to improve the degree of myocardial ischemia.

Effectiveness and Safety of Acupoint Application of Guan Xin Su He Pill () for Patients with Chronic Stable Angina Pectoris: A Multi-Center, Randomized Controlled Trial / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To assess the clinical effectiveness of acupoint application (AP) of Guan Xin Su He Pill (, GXSHP) for patients with chronic stable angina pectoris (CSAP).@*METHODS@#This study was carried out in 3 local hospitals in Chengdu, China. After baseline evaluation, eligible patients were randomly assigned to the placebo application for acupoints (PAA) group or the herbal application for acupoints (HAA) group. Patients in the HAA group underwent AP with herbal powder, which was mainly GXSHP, and patients in the PAA group underwent AP with sham drugs. For each treatment session, unilateral acupoints including Neiguan (PC 6), Danzhong (RN 17), Xinshu (BL 15) and Jueyinshu (BL 14), were stimulated for both groups. AP was performed 3 times a week with a 2-day interval for 4 weeks. The primary outcome was the frequency of angina pectoris attacks per week, while the secondary outcomes included angina pain intensity measured by the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), dose of rescue oral drugs (nitroglycerin), scores on the Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale scores (SAS) and Self-Rating Depression Scale scores (SDS). Clinical outcomes were measured at week 0, 4 and 8. The safety of AP of GXSHP treatment for CSAP were assessed.@*RESULTS@#A total of 121 patients were enrolled. Baseline characteristics were comparable across the 2 groups. After treatment, the angina attack numbers in the HAA group were significantly reduced from 11.00 to 4.81 (P<0.05). While, for PAA group, the angina frequency was not significantly improved (baseline 10.55; post-treatment 11.05). The HAA group had significantly fewer angina attacks than the PAA group (P<0.05). Pain intensity measured by VAS in HAA group was significantly reduced from 4.06 to 3.02 (P<0.05). While, for PAA group, the VAS was significantly increased (baseline 3.62; post-treatment 3.96; P<0.05). Clinical outcomes showed better improvement after treatment in the HAA group than in the PAA group in terms of oral administration of rescue drugs, SAS, SDS and SAQ scores (P<0.05). The adverse events were also reported.@*CONCLUSION@#AP of GXSHP is a safe and effective treatment for CSAP patients (Registration No. NCT02029118).

Medição do Fluxo Sanguíneo Coronário em Angiogramas Coronários Convencionais por um Novo Método Baseado na Detecção da Densidade de Contraste. Uma Visão Fisiológica / Coronary Blood Flow Measurement in Conventional Coronary Angiograms by a New Method Based on Contrast Density Detection. A Physiological Insight

Resumo Fundamento O grau de fluxo TIMI e a contagem quadro a quadro TIMI corrigida (CTFC) são métodos amplamente utilizados para avaliar o fluxo sanguíneo coronariano angiográfico. A medição do fluxo sanguíneo coronariano (FSC) na coronariografia (CAG) padrão despertou grande interesse recentemente, tentando combinar o conceito de CTFC com novos métodos para pós-angioplastia e avaliação da síndrome cardíaca X. Além disso, o fluxo coronariano lento é considerado um critério importante para a angina microvascular. Objetivo Explorar uma nova abordagem de medição angiográfica quantitativa do FSC com base na detecção densitométrica de contraste na CAG offline, usando um software acessível para obter uma avaliação mais precisa e confiável do FSC. Métodos Trinta pacientes foram estudados e divididos em 2 grupos: fluxo sanguíneo coronariano normal (FN) e fluxo sanguíneo coronariano lento (FL), de acordo com a definição da CTFC. O MD foi aplicado à amostra do estudo para diferenciar entre FN e FL. A estatística não paramétrica foi usada para avaliar diferenças entre os grupos com p<0,05. Resultados O valor de referência normal do MD obtido para o fluxo sanguíneo coronariano foi de 9 [5-10] quadros. Os grupos FN vs. FL foi comparado e expresso como mediana [intervalo interquartil], para a artéria descendente anterior esquerda: 10 [7-11] vs. 21 [8-33]; p=0,016; artéria circunflexa: 9 [4-13] vs. 14 [11-30]; p=0,012 e artéria coronária direita: 5 [3-11] vs. 13 [8-26]; p=0,009. Conclusão O MD mostrou a viabilidade de medir o fluxo sanguíneo coronariano com precisão, consistência e reprodutibilidade em um angiograma coronariano padrão, mostrando a capacidade adicional de diferenciar FN de FL em pacientes com dor precordial e artérias coronárias normais. (Arq Bras Cardiol. 2020; 115(3):503-512)

Abstract Background TIMI flow grade and corrected TIMI frame count (CTFC) are widely used methods to evaluate angiographic coronary blood flow. Measurement of coronary blood flow (CBF) on standard coronary angiography (CAG) has aroused great interest recently, trying to combine the CTFC concept with new methods for post-angioplasty and for cardiac syndrome X assessment. Additionally, coronary slow flow it is now considered a major criterion for microvascular angina. Objective Explore a new approach of quantitative angiographic measurement of CBF based on densitometric contrast detection in CAG off-line, using an accessible software to obtain a more precise and reliable CBF assessment. Methods Thirty patients were studied and divided in 2 groups, normal coronary blood flow (NF) and slow coronary blood flow (SF), according to CTFC definition. The DM was applied to the study sample to differentiate between NF and SF. Non-parametric statistics was used to assess differences between groups at p<0.05. Results The DM normal reference value obtained for coronary blood flow was 9 [5-10] frames. NF vs SF group were compared and expressed as median [interquartile range], for the left anterior descending: 10 [7-11] vs 21 [8-33];p= 0.016; circumflex: 9 [4-13] vs 14 [11-30]; p= 0.012 and right coronary artery: 5 [3-11] vs 13 [8-26]; p=0.009. Conclusion The DM showed the feasibility of measuring coronary blood flow with precision, consistency and reproducible in a standard coronary angiogram, showing the additional capability to differentiate between NF and SF in chest pain patients with normal coronary arteries. (Arq Bras Cardiol. 2020; 115(3):503-512)

Long-Term Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with or without Preprocedural Exercise Stress Test

Comparison of short-term and long-term dual antiplatelet therapy after implantation of drug-eluting stents—Meta analysis / 药学实践杂志

Objective To evaluate the clinical effects of short-term (3-6 months) and long-term (12 months) dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after the implantation of coronary drug-eluting stents (DES). Methods The eligibilities of the patients included stable angina, acute coronary syndrome and silent ischemia. The lesions were in a native coronary vessel. The clinical observation endpoints were all-cause death, cardiogenic death, myocardial infarction, stroke, stent thrombosis, target lesion revascularization, severe bleeding, and true adverse clinical events. The clinical observation endpoints were all-cause death, cardiogenic death, myocardial infarction, stroke, stent thrombosis, target lesion revascularization, severe bleeding, and true adverse clinical events. By searching Pubmed, Chinese biomedical literature and other Chinese and English databases and manual search, qualified randomized controlled studies were evaluated and data were extracted for meta-analysis. Results A total of 12 randomized controlled studies were conducted. Detsky scores were all greater than 5 points. There were a total of 25949 patients in the study with a follow-up rate of 97.9%. There were no significantly different in all cause death (OR = 0.86，95%CI 0.71-1.05，P = 0.14), cardiac death (OR = 0.94，95% CI 0.70-1.25，P = 0.67), stent thrombosis (OR = 1.36，95%CI 0.94-1.98，P = 0.11), stroke (OR = 1.01，95%CI 0.71-1.42，P = 0.98), target lesion revascularization (OR = 0.121，95%CI 0.94-1.55，P = 0.14),and true adverse clinical events (OR = 0.98，95%CI 0.83-1.14，P = 0.75). The incident rate of myocardial infarction during the follow-up period was higher in the short-term group than in the long-term group (OR = 1.27, 95% CI 1.02-1.59, P = 0.04). The proportion of severe bleeding in the long-term group increased significantly (OR = 0.69, 95% CI 0.50-0.95, P = 0.02). Asian population studies showed that all-cause mortality was higher in the long-term treatment group than in the short-term group (OR = 0.72, 95% CI 0.53-0.97, P = 0.03), and there was no significant difference in severe bleeding between the two groups. Conclusion According to the defined clinical observation endpoints, the short-term dual antiplatelet effect is not inferior to the long-term group. Seven asian group studies have shown that the long-term group has high all-cause mortality. It can not rule out the deviation and/or population caused by the small sample size or individual variation. The results need to be further verified. This result can be used as a clinical warning to adjust the dual antiplatelet cycle based on the individualized risk of bleeding and coronary lesions.

Comparison of Exercise Performance and Clinical Outcome Between Functional Complete and Incomplete Revascularization

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Although percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is recommended to improve symptoms in patients with stable ischemic heart disease (SIHD), improvement of exercise performance is controversial. This study aimed to investigate changes in exercise duration after PCI according to functional completeness of revascularization by comparing pre- and post-PCI exercise stress test (EST).METHODS: Patients with SIHD were enrolled from a prospective PCI registry, and divided into 2 groups: 1) functional complete revascularization (CR) group had a positive EST before PCI and negative EST after PCI, 2) functional incomplete revascularization (IR) group had positive EST before and after PCI. Primary outcome was change in exercise duration after PCI and secondary outcome was major adverse cardiac events (MACE, a composite of any death, any myocardial infarction, and any ischemia-driven revascularization) at 3 years after PCI.RESULTS: A total of 256 patients (149 for CR group, and 107 for IR group) were eligible for analysis. Before PCI, exercise duration was not significantly different between the functional CR and IR groups (median 540 [interquartile range; IQR, 414, 602] vs. 480 [402, 589] seconds, p=0.091). After PCI, however, the CR group had a significantly higher increment of exercise duration than the IR group (median 62.0 [IQR, 12.0, 141.0] vs. 30.0 [−11.0, 103.5] seconds, p=0.011). The functional CR group also had a significantly lower risk of 3-year MACE (6.2% vs. 26.1%; adjusted hazard ratio, 0.19; 95% confidence interval, 0.09–0.41; p<0.001).CONCLUSIONS: Functional CR showed a higher increment of exercise duration than functional IR.

Circulating microrna expression profiles in patients with stable and unstable angina

OBJECTIVES: High incidence and case fatality of unstable angina (UA) is, to a large extent, a consequence of the lack of highly sensitive and specific non-invasive markers. Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) have been widely recommended as potential biomarkers for numerous diseases. In the present study, we characterized distinctive miRNA expression profiles in patients with stable angina (SA), UA, and normal coronary arteries (NCA), and identified promising candidates for UA diagnosis. METHODS: Serum was collected from patients with SA, UA, and NCA who visited the Department of Cardiovascular Diseases of the Meizhou People's Hospital. Small RNA sequencing was carried out on an Illumina HiSeq 2500 platform. miRNA expression in different groups of patients was profiled and then confirmed based on that in an independent set of patients. Functions of differentially expressed miRNAs were predicted using gene ontology classification and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis. RESULTS: Our results indicated that circulating miRNA expression profiles differed between SA, UA, and NCA patients. A total of 36 and 161 miRNAs were dysregulated in SA and UA patients, respectively. miRNA expression was validated by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that circulating miRNAs are potential biomarkers of UA.

Addition and Subtraction Therapy of Zhishi Xiebai Guizhitang and Lizhongtang for Stable Angina and Effect on Inflammatory Factors and Endothelial Function / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To discuss the efficacy of addition and subtraction therapy of Zhishi Xiebai Guizhitang and Lizhongtang for stable angina (SAP) with syndrome of Yin-cold stagnation and investigate its effects on inflammatory factors and endothelial function. Method:One hundred and thirty- eight patients were randomly divided into control group (69 cases) and observation group (69 cases) by random number table. During the study period, there were 3 drop-out cases, 3 excluded cases, and 63 completed cases in the control group. There were 3 drop-out cases, 1 excluded case, and 65 completed cases in the observation group. Basic therapy was given in both groups. Patients in both groups got metoprolol tartrate tablets, 50 mg/time, 2 times/days. Aspirin enteric-coated tablets, 100 mg/time, 1 time/day. Trimetazidine dihydrochloride tablets, 1 tablet/time, 3 times/days In case of angina pectoris attacks, nitroglycerin tablets under the tongue, 0.25-0.5 mg, for every 5 minutes until the angina is relieved. And they also got treatment to control blood glucose, lipids and blood pressure. Based on the above treatment, the patients in control group additionally received Guanxin Suhe pills, chewed for administration, 1 pill/time, twice a day. The patients in observation group additionally received addition and subtraction therapy of Zhishi Xiebai Guizhitang and Lizhongtang, 1 dose/day. The course of treatment was 12 weeks in both groups. One week before treatment and one week after treatment, the number of times and duration of anginal attacks and dosage of nitroglycerin were recorded. Before treatment and after treatment, electrocardiogram was checked, and scores of Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) and syndrome of Yin-cold stagnation were graded; levels of serum phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2), homocysteine (Hcy), D-dimer (D-D), hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin (ET-1) were detected. Result:The number of times of angina attacks and Nitroglycerin consumption in observation group were less than those in control group (P<0.01), and the duration of angina attacks was shorter than that in control group (P<0.01). Score of syndrome of Yin-cold stagnation in observation group was lower than that in control group (P<0.01), and score of SAQ was higher than that in control group (P<0.01). Levels of Lp-PLA2, D-D, Hcy, IL-6, hs-CRP, TNF-α and ET-1 in observation group were lower than those in control group (P<0.01), and level of NO was higher than that in control group (P<0.01). The efficacy shown in electrocardiogram was also better than that in control group (Z=2.043, P<0.05； Z=2.003, P<0.05). Conclusion:On the basis of routine treatment of western medicine, addition and subtraction therapy of Zhishi Xiebai Guizhitang and Lizhongtang can further alleviate symptoms, reduce ischemic attack, improve the quality of life in patients with SAP and syndrome of Yin-cold stagnation. It has anti-inflammatory effect and can improve the function of blood vessels and stabilize plaque, showing better clinical effects and electrocardiographic results than Western medicine alone.

Effect and Safety of Guanxinning Tablet () for Stable Angina Pectoris Patients with Xin (Heart)-Blood Stagnation Syndrome: A Randomized, Multicenter, Placebo-Controlled Trial / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effect and safety of Guanxinning Tablet (, GXN) for the treatment of stable angina pectoris patients with Xin (Heart)-blood stagnation syndrome (XBSS).@*METHODS@#One hundred and sixty stable angina pectoris patients with XBSS were randomly assigned to receive GXN (80 cases) or placebo (80 cases, Guanxinning simulation tablets, mainly composed of lactose), 4 tablets (0.38 g/tablet), thrice daily for 12 weeks. After treatment, an exercise stress test (treadmill protocol), Chinese medicine (CM) syndrome score, electrocardiogram (ECG), and nitroglycerin withdrawal rate were evaluated and compared in the patients between the two groups. Meanwhile, adverse events (AEs) were evaluated during the whole clinical trial.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the control group, the time extension of exercise duration in the GXN group increased 29.28 ±17.67 s after treatment (P>0.05); moreover, the change of exercise duration in the GXN group increased 63.10 ±96.96 s in subgroup analysis (P<0.05). The effective rates of angina pectoris, CM syndrome and ECG as well as nitroglycerin withdrawal rate were 81.33%, 90.67%, 45.76%, and 70.73%, respectively in the GXN group, which were all significantly higher than those in the control group (40.58%, 75.36%, 26.92%, 28.21%, respectively, P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#GXN was a safe and effective treatment for stable angina pectoris patients with XBSS at a dose of 4 tablets, thrice daily.

Shenzhu Guanxin Recipe Granules () for Improving Exercise Tolerance in Patients with Stable Angina (SERIES Trial): A Protocol of Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo Parallel Controlled Clinical Trial / 中国结合医学杂志

BACKGROUND@#Many patients with chronic angina experience anginal episodes despite successful recanalization, antianginal and antiischemic medications. Empirical observations suggested that Shenzhu Guanxin Recipe Granules (, SGR), a Chinese herbal compound, exerted potential impacts on increased treadmill exercise performance and angina relieve. However, there has been no systematic study to clarify the impact of SGR on exercise tolerance in patients with stable angina. The SERIES (ShEnzhu guanxin Recipe for Improving Exercise tolerance in patients with Stable angina) trial is designed to determine the effects of SGR on exercise duration, electrocardiographic (ECG) evidence of myocardial ischemia, and incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in stable anginal patients.@*METHODS@#A total of 184 eligible patients with stable angina will be randomly assigned to receive placebo or SGR (10 g/day for 12 weeks) in a 1:1 ratio. The primary outcome will be the change from baseline in total exercise tolerance duration, time to onset of angina and ECG ischemia during exercise treadmill testing performed over a 12-week study period. The secondary outcome will include ECG measures, the occurrence and composite of MACE and the Seattle Angina Questionnaire score. Moreover, the coronary microcirculation will be evaluated to explore the possible effects in response to treatment of SGR. After the procedure, all participants will be followed up by interview at 3 and 6 months, enquiring about any cardiac events, hospitalizations, cardiac functional level and medication usage. Additionally, the occurrence of adverse events will be evaluated at each follow-up.@*DISCUSSION@#This study may provide novel evidence on the efficacy of SGR in improving exercise tolerance and potentially reducing clinical adverse events. (Trial registration No. ChiCTR-TRC-14004504).

Analysis of the correlation and diagnostic value of serum visfatin, hs-CRP and TNF-α in patients with different types of angina pectoris / 中国综合临床

Objective To explore the correlation and diagnostic value of serum visfatin (visfatin),high sensitive C reactive protein (hs-CRP) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in patients with different types of angina pectoris.Methods Eighty-four patients with angina pectoris who were treated in the Eighth hospital of Wuhan from January 2013 to December 2016 were selected as the research subjects,the patients were divided into stable angina pectoris (SAP) group with 39 cases and unstable angina pectoris (UAP) group with 45 cases according to the classification criteria of angina pectoris,Thirty-seven healthy volunteers in the outpatient department of the same period were selected as the control group.To compare the levels of serum visfatin,hs-CRP and TNF-alpha in three groups,analyze the correlation between the levels of serum visfatin and hs-CRP and TNF-alpha levels in patients with angina pectoris,and analyze the diagnostic value of the levels of serum visfatin,hs-CRP,TNF-α and plasma oxidized low density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) by ROC curve.Results There were no significant differences in fasting blood glucose,uric acid,creatinine,total cholesterol (TC),triglyceride (TG),high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) among the three groups (all P＞0.05).The systolic pressure (SBP) was (134.27± 11.96) mmHg and diastolic pressure (DBP) was (84.23 ± 7.15) mmHg in SAP group,the SBP was (135.98±12.33) mmHg and DBP was (84.47±7.22) mmHg in UAP group,which were all higher than SBP ((121.49±9.97)mmHg)and DBP ((77.38±6.94)mmHg) in the control group (all P＜0.05),but there was no significant differences between the SAP group and the UAP group (all P＞0.05).The level of visfatin in UAP group was (6.57± 1.36) μg/L,which was higher than that in SAP group ((4.62 ± 1.08) μg/L) and in control group((4.27± 1.03)μg/L) (all P＜0.05),but there was no significant differences between the SAP group and the control group (P＞0.05).The level of serum hs-CRP,TNF-α and plasma Ox-LDL were (12.38±2.63) mg/L,(4.35±0.28) ng/L and (617.32±53.48) μg/L in UAP group,and the level of serum hs-CRP,TNF-α and plasma Ox-LDL were (8.29 ± 1.74) mg/L,(1.82 ± 0.34) ng/L and (418.57±43.85) μg/L in SAP group,which were higher than hs-CRP (4.06±1.52) mg/L,TNF-α (0.98 ±0.13) ng/L,Ox-LDL (213.64±32.83) μg/L in control group(all P＜0.05),and the UAP group was higher than that in the SAP group (all P＜0.05).The level of serum visfatin in group SAP and group UAP had no significant correlation with age,body mass index,SBP,DBP,fasting blood glucose,uric acid,creatinine,total cholesterol,triglyceride,HDL cholesterol,low density lipoprotein cholesterol (all P ＞ 0.05).The serum visfatin level was positively correlated with serum hs-CRP,TNF-alpha level and plasma Ox-LDL level in SAP group.(r=0.687,0.634,0.656,all P＜0.05).The serum visfatin level was positively correlated with the serum hs-CRP,TNF-a level and Ox-LDL level in UAP group (r =0.721,0.652,0.673,all P＜ 0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that the levels of serum visfatin,hs-CRP,TNF-α and plasma Ox-LDL were all near 0.7,and the sensitivity and specificity were all above 0.6 identification of different types of angina pectoris.Conclusion The level of serum visfatin in patients with UAP was significantly higher than that of SAP patients,its level is related to serum hs-CRP,TNF-alpha and plasma Ox-LDL levels,the four indexes have a certain predictive value for different types of angina pectoris,and can provide reference for different types of angina.

Shensong Yangxin Capsules in the adjuvant treatment of stable angina pectoris:a Meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis / 中国中药杂志

To systemically evaluate the benefits and side effects of Shensong Yangxin Capsules( SYC) in the adjuvant treatment of stable angina pectoris( SAP). Chinese and English databases( PubMed,EMbase,the Cochrane Library,CBM,CNKI,VIP,Wan Fang database) were retrieved to collect the randomized controlled trials( RCTs) about therapeutic efficacy of SYC combined with routine drug( trial group) vs routine drug( control group) in the treatment of SAP. The methodological quality of the RCTs was evaluated based on the cochrane risk of bias assessment tool. The data were extracted and Meta-analyzed by Reviewer Manager 5. 3. TSA 0. 9 software was used for trial sequential analysis( TSA) of the total effective rate of symptoms improvement. A total of 15 RCTs with 1 316 participants were included. RESULTS:: of Meta-analysis showed that the total effective rate of angina symptoms improvement( RR = 1. 15,95% CI[1. 09,1. 21],P<0. 001) of trial group were significantly higher than those of control group,with statistical significance,the total effective rate of electrocardiograms( ECG) improvement( RR = 1. 10,95% CI[0. 94,1. 29],P = 0. 25) of trial group were significantly higher than those of control group,but the difference was not statistically significant. After treatment,the improvement of the total time of 24 h general ischemia( SMD =-1. 21,95%CI[-1. 97,-0. 45],P = 0. 002),the ST-segment depression amplitude( SMD =-1. 30,95%CI [-1. 52,-1. 09],P<0. 001),the duration of angina pectoris attack( SMD =-1. 16,95% CI[-1. 36,-0. 95],P< 0. 001),the angina pectoris attack every week( SMD =-0. 80,95%CI[-1. 10,-0. 50],P<0. 001),the onsumption of nitroglycerin every week( SMD=-0. 72,95%CI[-1. 05,-0. 39],P<0. 001) in the trial group were better than that of the control group,and the difference was statistically significant. Besides,the improvement of the blood lipid and high sensitivity C reactive protein( hs-CRP) in the trial group were better than those of the control group after treatment,and the difference was statistically significant( P< 0. 001). Funnel plots and Egger's linear regression showed that there was no publication bias. By sensitivity analysis,it showed that the results of this study were stable and reliable. No obvious adverse drug reactions were observed in all studies. TSA analysis showed that the evidence of Meta-analysis was reliable. SYC combined with routine Western medicine treatment for SAP can improve the total effective rate of angina pectoris,reduce 24 h total ischemia time,ST segment depression amplitude,duration of angina pectoris attack,frequency of angina pectoris attack and nitroglycerin dosage,and also can improve blood lipid and hs-CRP levels.