A Case of Cardiac Cephalalgia Showing Reversible Coronary Vasospasm on Coronary Angiogram

BACKGROUND: Under certain conditions, exertional headaches may reflect coronary ischemia. CASE REPORT: A 44-year-old woman developed intermittent exercise-induced headaches with chest tightness over a period of 10 months. Cardiac catheterization followed by acetylcholine provocation demonstrated a right coronary artery spasm with chest tightness, headache, and ischemic effect of continuous electrocardiography changes. The patient's headache disappeared following intra-arterial nitroglycerine injection. CONCLUSIONS: A coronary angiogram with provocation study revealed variant angina and cardiac cephalalgia, as per the International Classification of Headache Disorders (code 10.6). We report herein a patient with cardiac cephalalgia that manifested as reversible coronary vasospasm following an acetylcholine provocation test.

The Effect of Isosorbide Dinitrate Intravenous Injection on the Hemodynamics and Arterial Stiffness of Patients with Isolated Systolic Hypertension

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In clinical practice, isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) is common for elderly patients and it is correlated with cardiovascular mortality. However, it is difficult to control the systolic blood pressure (BP) with using the currently available antihypertensive drugs without influencing the diastolic BP. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of isosorbide dinitrate on the central BP and arterial stiffness by performing invasive testing. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Thirty subjects who had ISH and who underwent coronary angiography were enrolled in this study. The invasively measured central blood pressure, pulse pressure and pulse wave velocity were obtained after isosorbide dinitrate was injected intravenously and these values were analyzed in relation to age, gender, the body mass index, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, smoking and the current dosing with antihypertensive drugs. RESULTS: One minute after intravenous injection of isosorbide dinitrate, the central systolic BP was significantly decreased compare to the baseline value (142.23+/-12.32 mmHg vs 164.97+/-14.43 mmHg, respectively, p<0.001), and this change was sustained for 5 minutes (141.05+/-14.84 mmHg vs 164.97+/-14.43 mmHg, respectively, p<0.001). The mean values, during the 5 minute period, of the pulse pressure (65.99+/-13.63 mmHg vs 87.30+/-13.71 mmHg, respectively, p<0.001) and the pulse wave velocity (11.22+/-3.20 m/sec vs 12.91+/-4.11 m/sec, respectively, p<0.001) also revealed significant changes. Yet there was no significant decrease of the diastolic BP. Analysis of subgroups that were classified by gender, age, BMI, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, smoking, the degree of the systolic BP and PWV, and taking antihypertensive drugs showed a similar pattern. CONCLUSION: Isosorbide dinitrate was very effective for selective control of the systolic BP in ISH patients. It is also expected to prevent cardiovascular complications by improving arterial stiffness.

Effect of Central Losartan on DOCA-Salt Hypertension Rats

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether brain AT1 receptor stimulation contributes as a hypertensive mechanism to deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertension. METHODS: 1) Acute injection:Losartan (1 mg/4 uL) or artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) was injected into the lateral cerebral ventricle (icv) of conscious control uninephrectomized Wistar rats or rats with DOCA-salt at 2 or 4 weeks, and mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rates (HR) were recorded. 2) Chronic injection:Using osmotic minipump, losartan (1 mg/kg/d) or aCSF was injected to a sham group or three DOCA-salt rat groups [icv-aCSF, icv-losartan, sc-losartan (subcutaneous) groups] for 4 weeks, after which the MAP and HR were recorded in addition to the weights of the left (LV) and right ventricles (RV) and kidneys. RESULTS: 1) Acute injection: In rats treated with DOCA-salt, resting MAP significantly increased compared to the control group [144+/-6 mmHg (2 weeks), 170+/-5 mmHg (4 weeks) vs 115-120 mmHg (controls)]. MAP decreased significantly (2 weeks, 4 weeks) at 4, 8, 24 hours after icv injection of losartan to the level of the control group. 2) Chronic injection: The general trend showed that MAP decreased more in the icv-losartan group than in the icv-aCSF group (127+/-15.2 mmHg vs 141.1+/-5.5 mmHg, p=0.0578). In all DOCA-salt groups, no differences in RV weight were found. In the icv-aCSF and sclosartan groups, the kidney weight increased compared to the control group, but there was no difference in LV and kidney weight between the icv-losartan group and the control group. CONCLUSION: Normalization of MAP after acute or chronic icv administration of the AT1 receptor antagonist suggests that the stimulation of the brain AT1 receptor plays a significant role in the development and maintenance of hypertension in the DOCA-salt hypertensive rat model. Losartan icv injection appeared to have a protective effect on the heart and kidney.

Results of heart transplantation in Korea / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND: Heart transplantation is a definite treatment modality of the patients with end-stage heart failure. Heart transplantation has been performed in Korea since 1992, and currently it is an established procedure for the management of terminal heart failure. The purpose of this study is to clarify the Korean status of heart transplantation. METHODS: Six major heart transplantation centers' 137 cases during the period November 1992 through May 1999 are analyzed to evaluate the general demographics, underlying heart diseases, postoperative management, complications, and survival. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients is 37 years old, and the mean follow-up period is 25 months (1 day - 80 months, median 20 months). Most common underlying disease related to heart failure is cardiomyopathy (86%). Total 16% of patients underwent cellular rejection of ISHLT (International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation) grade 3A or more within 1 year after transplantation. The most common type of clinical infection is bacterial (18%), and the most common organism is Herpes zoster virus (6.4%). Graft coronary artery disease examined by coronary angiography detected in 3.7% of recipients within 12 months after transplantation. One, 2, 3, and 5-year overall survival rates of recipients are 81% , 72%, 71%, and 62%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Distribution of underlying heart diseases and the frequency of graft coronary artery disease of Korean heart transplantation recipients were different from those of the western patients. Although the history of heart transplantation in Korea is relatively short, the early and long-term results are comparable with well-established centers.

The significance of PR segment slope in the evaluation of exercise-induced ST depression as an indicator of myocardial ischemia / 대한내과학회지

No abstract available.