Long-term Prognosis of Mild to Moderate Aortic Stenosis and Coronary Artery Disease

Background@#There is an incomplete understanding of the natural course of mild to moderate aortic stenosis (AS). We aimed to evaluate the natural course of patients with mild to moderate AS and its association with coronary artery disease (CAD). @*Methods@#We retrospectively analyzed 787 patients diagnosed with mild to moderate AS using echocardiography between 2004 and 2010. Cardiac death and aortic valve replacement (AVR) for AS were assessed. @*Results@#A median follow-up period was 92 months. Compared to the general population, patients with mild to moderate AS had a higher risk of cardiac death (hazard ratio [HR], 17.16; 95% confidence interval [CI], 13.65–21.59; P < 0.001). Established CAD was detected in 22.4% and associated with a significantly higher risk of cardiac mortality (adjusted HR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.04–2.53; P = 0.033). The risk of cardiac death was lower when patients were taking statin (adjusted HR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.41–0.98; P = 0.041), which was clear only after 7 years. Both patients with CAD and on statin tended to undergo more AVR, but the difference was not statistically significant (the presence of established CAD; adjusted HR, 1.63; 95% CI, 0.51–3.51; P = 0.214 and the use of statin; adjusted HR, 1.86; 95% CI, 0.76–4.58; P = 0.177). @*Conclusion@#Mild to moderate AS does not have a benign course. The presence of CAD and statin use may affect the long-term prognosis of patients with mild to moderate AS.

Long-term Prognosis of Mild to Moderate Aortic Stenosis and Coronary Artery Disease

Background@#There is an incomplete understanding of the natural course of mild to moderate aortic stenosis (AS). We aimed to evaluate the natural course of patients with mild to moderate AS and its association with coronary artery disease (CAD). @*Methods@#We retrospectively analyzed 787 patients diagnosed with mild to moderate AS using echocardiography between 2004 and 2010. Cardiac death and aortic valve replacement (AVR) for AS were assessed. @*Results@#A median follow-up period was 92 months. Compared to the general population, patients with mild to moderate AS had a higher risk of cardiac death (hazard ratio [HR], 17.16; 95% confidence interval [CI], 13.65–21.59; P < 0.001). Established CAD was detected in 22.4% and associated with a significantly higher risk of cardiac mortality (adjusted HR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.04–2.53; P = 0.033). The risk of cardiac death was lower when patients were taking statin (adjusted HR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.41–0.98; P = 0.041), which was clear only after 7 years. Both patients with CAD and on statin tended to undergo more AVR, but the difference was not statistically significant (the presence of established CAD; adjusted HR, 1.63; 95% CI, 0.51–3.51; P = 0.214 and the use of statin; adjusted HR, 1.86; 95% CI, 0.76–4.58; P = 0.177). @*Conclusion@#Mild to moderate AS does not have a benign course. The presence of CAD and statin use may affect the long-term prognosis of patients with mild to moderate AS.

Angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor for the treatment of heart failure: a review of recent evidence

Heart failure (HF) is a growing health concern in aging societies worldwide. Sacubitril/valsartan is changing the real-world treatment in the whole spectrum of HF. The beginning was the PARADIGM-HF trial published in 2014, which demonstrated the beneficial effects of inhibiting natriuretic peptide breakdown in combination with hindering the renin-angiotensin system in HF patients with a reduced ejection fraction. Subsequent large-scale randomized trials have evaluated angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor in HF patients with acute decompensation or with preserved ejection fraction. The post hoc analyses are being conducted as well. This review summarizes the recent evidence of sacubitril/ valsartan regarding patient-centered outcomes, based on randomized controlled trials and their associated studies.

Update on heart failure management and future directions

Heart failure (HF) is an important cardiovascular disease because of its increasing prevalence, significant morbidity, high mortality, and rapidly expanding health care cost. The number of HF patients is increasing worldwide, and Korea is no exception. There have been marked advances in definition, diagnostic modalities, and treatment of HF over the past four decades. There is continuing effort to improve risk stratification of HF using biomarkers, imaging and genetic testing. Newly developed medications and devices for HF have been widely adopted in clinical practice. Furthermore, definitive treatment for end-stage heart failure including left ventricular assist device and heart transplantation are rapidly evolving as well. This review summarizes the current state-of-the-art management for HF and the emerging diagnostic and therapeutic modalities to improve the outcome of HF patients.

Erratum: Update on heart failure management and future directions

There is an additional information in the acknowledgments.

Successful Medical Treatment of Prosthetic Mitral Valve Endocarditis Caused by Brucella abortus

Although Brucella endocarditis is a rare complication of human brucellosis, it is the main cause of the mortality in this disease. Traditionally, the therapeutic approach to endocarditis caused by Brucella species requires a combination of antimicrobial therapy and valve replacement surgery. In the literature, only a few cases of mitral prosthetic valve endocarditis caused by Brucella species have been successfully treated without reoperation. We present a case of a 42-year-old man with a prosthetic mitral valve infected by Brucella abortus who was cured solely by medical treatment.

Patent Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) is not Sufficient for Myocardial Perfusion: Non-ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction Caused by Critical Subclavian Artery Stenosis

Myocardial revascularization using the left internal thoracic artery (LITA) has become a standard method for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery due to its long-term graft patency and lower repeated revascularization rate compared to a saphenous vein graft. The prevalence of significant subclavian artery stenosis was reported to be 0.2-6.8% in patients undergoing CABG surgery using LITA. We present a case of 49-year-old female patient who complained of resting chest pain and left arm pain after CABG surgery using the LITA. NSTEMI was caused by de novo subtotal left subclavian artery stenosis proximal to the LITA. The left subclavian artery was successfully stented, and the patient experienced complete relief of pain.

Amlodipine and cardiovascular outcomes in hypertensive patients: meta-analysis comparing amlodipine-based versus other antihypertensive therapy

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This meta-analysis compared the effects of amlodipine besylate, a charged dihydropyridine-type calcium channel blocker (CCB), with other non-CCB antihypertensive therapies regarding the cardiovascular outcome. METHODS: Data from seven long-term outcome trials comparing the cardiovascular outcomes of an amlodipine-based regimen with other active regimens were pooled and analyzed. RESULTS: The risk of myocardial infarction was significantly decreased with an amlodipine-based regimen compared with a non-CCB-based regimen (odds ratio [OR], 0.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.84 to 0.99; p = 0.03). The risk of stroke was also significantly decreased (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.79 to 0.90; p < 0.00001). The risk of heart failure increased slightly with marginal significance for an amlodipine-based regimen compared with a non-CCB-based regimen (OR, 1.14; 95% CI, 0.98 to 1.31; p = 0.08). However, when compared overall with beta-blockers and diuretics, amlodipine showed a comparable risk. Amlodipine-based regimens demonstrated a 10% risk reduction in overall cardiovascular events (OR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.82 to 0.99; p = 0.02) and total mortality (OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.91 to 0.99; p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Amlodipine reduced the risk of total cardiovascular events as well as all-cause mortality compared with non-CCB-based regimens, indicating its benefit for high-risk cardiac patients.

A Case of Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis with Pseudoaneurysm Formation Caused by Haemophilus parainfluenzae / 대한내과학회지

Prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) caused by Haemophilus parainfluenzae (H. parainfluenzae) is very rare. Here, we report a case of H. parainfluenzae PVE that developed following the Bentall procedure complicated by a pseudoaneurysm and cerebral emboli. A diagnosis was delayed in this case because of the slow-growing nature of the organism and the unusual clinical presentation.

A Case of Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis with Pseudoaneurysm Formation Caused by Haemophilus parainfluenzae / 대한내과학회지

Prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) caused by Haemophilus parainfluenzae (H. parainfluenzae) is very rare. Here, we report a case of H. parainfluenzae PVE that developed following the Bentall procedure complicated by a pseudoaneurysm and cerebral emboli. A diagnosis was delayed in this case because of the slow-growing nature of the organism and the unusual clinical presentation.

A Case of Cardiac Beriberi: A Forgotten but Memorable Disease

Thiamine (vitamin B1) serves as an important cofactor in body metabolism and energy production. It is related with the biosynthesis of neurotransmitters and the production of substances used in defense against oxidant stress. Thus, a lack of thiamine affects several organ systems, in particular the cardiovascular and nervous system. The cardiac insufficiency caused by thiamine deficiency is known as cardiac beriberi, with this condition resulting from unbalanced nutrition and chronic excessive alcohol intake. Given that the disease is now very rare in developed nations such as Korea, it is frequently missed by cardiologists, with potentially fatal consequences. Herein, we present a case study in order to draw attention to cardiac beriberi. We believe that this case will be helpful for young cardiologists, reminding them of the importance of this forgotten but memorable disease.

Organized Prosthetic Tricuspid Valve Thrombosis Treated Successfully with Medical Treatment

Prosthetic valve thrombosis (PVT) can be a life-threatening complication that requires immediate treatment. We present a case of 57-year-old woman with tricuspid PVT who was definitely diagnosed by multi-detector-row computed tomography limited with echocardiography. The patient was treated successfully with an alternative approach using low molecular weight heparin bridging therapy followed by intensifying anticoagulation alone.

Total Occlusion of Right Main Pulmonary Artery in a Patient with Takayasu's Arteritis and Severe Pulmonary Hypertension

Takayasu's arteritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder that mainly involves medium to large sized arteries. Although pulmonary artery involvement is reported with a prevalence of about 10% to 50%, its clinical significance is underestimated. We report here one case of Takayasu's arteritis complicated by severe pulmonary hypertension due to right main pulmonary artery total occlusion.

Post-Marketing Surveillance for the Safety and Effectiveness of Adefovir in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B

BACKGROUND: To investigate the safety and effectiveness of adefovir in Korean patients with chronic hepatitis B, an observational study was carried out. METHODS: A total of 4,393 patients with chronic hepatitis B were enrolled from February 2004 to February 2010. For the safety assessment, investigators recorded the occurrence of observed and patient-reported adverse events (AEs) throughout the course of treatment. Antiviral effectiveness was assessed by measuring the degree of symptom improvement and the reduction of HBV DNA after 12 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: Of the 4,393 patients, 4,158 patients were evaluated for safety and 3,867 patients for effectiveness assessment. A total of 118 AEs were reported in 4,158 patients (1.8 %). The most frequent AE was hepatic failure (0.2 %) followed by coughing (0.2 %), hepatic neoplasm (0.2 %), abdominal pain (0.1 %), dyspepsia (0.1 %), nausea (0.1 %), flatulence (0.1 %), hepatic cirrhosis (0.1 %), asthenia (0.1 %), increase in sputum production (0.1 %), and varicose vein (0.1 %). The incidence of unexpected AEs was 0.9 %. Forty-nine cases of serious AE were reported in 32 patients but all of those were thought to be unrelated to adefovir according to physician's evaluations. The rate of subjects with well effectiveness was 96.2 %. CONCLUSION: Adefovir was clinically well tolerated and effective in treatment of chronic hepatitis B patients.

Analysis of the cost-effectiveness of antiviral therapies in chronic hepatitis B patients in Korea / 대한간학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of 1 year and up to 5 years of antiviral treatment for chronic hepatitis B (CHB). METHODS: Two ten-health-state Markov models were developed for CHB patients. The proportion of patients remaining alive in each health state, and healthcare costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were determined during annual cycles of these Markov models. The total healthcare costs, life years, and QALYs over the 40-year time horizon of the model were calculated. The perspectives of the cost-effectiveness analysis were the Korean healthcare system and the healthcare needs of the CHB patient. RESULTS: Short-course therapy with alpha-interferon or 1-year treatment with pegylated interferon alpha-2a, lamivudine (LMV), or adefovir (ADV) had limited impact on disease progression. In contrast, either LMV-ADV or ADV-LMV as rescue medication administered for 5 years resulted in a more sustained decrease in the rate of disease progression. The cost-effectiveness threshold in Korea was estimated to be approximately 25,000,000 South Korean won. LMV administered for 1 year is cost-effective in comparison with no treatment for both HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative CHB patients, but longer duration antiviral therapies administered for up to 5 years in CHB patients were found to be highly cost-effective by international standards. CONCLUSIONS: Antiviral treatment of CHB with LMV or ADV for up to 5 years using the alternative antiviral agent as rescue medication appears to be a cost-effective strategy for both HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative CHB patients in Korea. Economic evaluation of antiviral therapies should be studied further and updated, particularly for newer agents.