Endothelial dysfunction assessed by digital tonometry and discrepancy between fraction flow reserve and instantaneous wave free ratio.

Background: We tested whether the level of endothelial dysfunction assessed by digital tonometry, and expressed as reactive hyperemia index (RHI), is related to occurrences of a discrepancy between fractional flow reserve (FFR) and the instantaneous wave free ratio (iFR) (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03033810).Methods: We examined patients with coronary stenosis in the range of 40-70%, assessed by both FFR and iFR (system Philips-Volcano) for stable angina. We included consecutive patients with FFR and iFR in one native coronary artery, and who had had no previous intervention.Results: We included 138 patients. Out of those, 24 patients (17.4%) had a negative FFR (with an FFR value >0.8) and positive iFR (with a iFR value ≤0.89) - designated the FFRn/iFRp discrepancy group, and 22 patients (15.9%) had a positive FFR (≤0.8) and negative iFR (>0.89) - designated the FFRp/iFRn discrepancy. RHI was higher in the discrepancy groups compared the group without discrepancy (1.73 ± 0.79 vs. 1.48 ± 0.50, p = 0.025). However, this finding was not confirmed in multivariant logistic regression analyses. Patients with any type of discrepancy differed from the agreement group by having a higher occurrence of diabetes mellitus [9 patients (21.4%) vs. 36 patients (39.6%), p = 0.029], active smoking (23 patients or 54.8% vs. 26 patients or 28.6%, p = 0.003) and lower use of calcium channel blockers (9 patients, 21.4%, vs. 43 patients, 46.7%, p = 0.004).Conclusion: The presence of endothelial dysfunction can be associated with a discrepancy in FFR/iFR. However, RHI correlated with risk factors of atherosclerosis, not with FFR or iFR.

Noninvasive Assessment of Aortic Pulse Wave Velocity by the Brachial Occlusion-Cuff Technique: Comparative Study.

Cardiovascular diseases are one of most frequent cause of morbidity and mortality in the world. There is an emerging need for integrated, non-invasive, and easy-to-use clinical tools to assess accurately cardiovascular system primarily in the preventative medicine. We present a novel design for a non-invasive pulse wave velocity (PWV) assessment method integrated in a single brachial blood pressure monitor allowing for up to 100 times more sensitive recording of the pressure pulsations based on a brachial occlusion-cuff (suprasystolic) principle. The monitor prototype with built-in proprietary method was validated with a gold standard reference technique SphygmoCor VX device. The blood pressure and PWV were assessed on twenty-five healthy individuals (9 women, age (37 ± 13) years) in a supine position at rest by a brachial cuff blood pressure monitor prototype, and immediately re-tested using a gold standard method. PWV using our BP monitor was (6.67 ± 0.96) m/s compared to PWV determined by SphygmoCor VX (6.15 ± 1.01) m/s. The correlation between methods using a Pearson's correlation coefficient was r = 0.88 (p < 0.001). The study demonstrates the feasibility of using a single brachial cuff build-in technique for the assessment of the arterial stiffness from a single ambulatory blood pressure assessment.

Plaque volume and plaque risk profile in diabetic vs. non-diabetic patients undergoing lipid-lowering therapy: a study based on 3D intravascular ultrasound and virtual histology.

BACKGROUND: Coronary atherosclerosis progresses faster in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and causes higher morbidity and mortality in such patients compared to non-diabetics ones (non-DM). We quantify changes in plaque volume and plaque phenotype during lipid-lowering therapy in DM versus non-DM patients using advanced intracoronary imaging. METHODS: We analyzed data from 61 patients with stable angina pectoris included to the PREDICT trial searching for prediction of plaque changes during intensive lipid-lowering therapy (40 mg rosuvastatin daily). Geometrically correct, fully 3-D representation of the vascular wall surfaces and intravascular ultrasound virtual histology (IVUS-VH) defined tissue characterization was obtained via fusion of two-plane angiography and IVUS-VH. Frame-based indices of plaque morphology and virtual histology analyses were computed and averaged in 5 mm long baseline/follow-up registered vessel segments covering the entire length of the two sequential pullbacks (baseline, 1-year). We analyzed 698 5-mm-long segments and calculated the Liverpool active plaque score (LAPS). RESULTS: Despite reaching similar levels of LDL cholesterol (DM 2.12 ± 0.91 mmol/l, non-DM 1.8 ± 0.66 mmol/l, p = 0.21), DM patients experienced, compared to non-DM ones, higher progression of mean plaque area (0.47 ± 1.15 mm2 vs. 0.21 ± 0.97, p = 0.001), percent atheroma volume (0.7 ± 2.8% vs. - 1.4 ± 2.5%, p = 0.007), increase of LAPS (0.23 ± 1.66 vs. 0.13 ± 1.79, p = 0.018), and exhibited more locations with TCFA (Thin-Cap Fibro-Atheroma) plaque phenotype in 5 mm vessel segments (20.3% vs. 12.5%, p = 0.01). However, only non-DM patients reached significant decrease of LDL cholesterol. Plaque changes were more pronounced in PIT (pathologic intimal thickening) compared to TCFA with increased plaque area in both phenotypes in DM patients. CONCLUSION: Based on detailed 3D analysis, we found advanced plaque phenotype and further atherosclerosis progression in DM patients despite the same reached levels of LDLc as in non-DM patients. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01773512.

Erectile Dysfunction in Young Myocardial Infarction Survivors: Evaluation, Follow Up.

Erectile dysfunction significantly affects quality of life in young men. Authors have evaluated erectile function in men with coronary artery disease (CAD) and the relationship between the degree of erectile dysfunction (ED) and the age of their first acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The incidence of erectile dysfunction in three groups of patients of AMI survivors was investigated: AMI survivors younger than 45 years, AMI survivors older than 65 years, and normal male population aged between 30 and 60 years. Erectile function was assessed by the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) questionnaire. In post-AMI male patients younger than 45 years ( n = 76), mild ED occurred in 26% and severe in 7%. In the older AMI group, mild ED occurred in 52% and severe in 38%. In the control group age matched to younger survivors, 96% denied ED and only one control patient had a score of 20 on the IIEF-5. A paradoxical result was observed in patients using beta blockers (BB), who had better scores than the group without BB. Statin treatment had a positive influence on the score in questionnaires. Those on statins had an average score of 21.0 ± 4.9 vs. without statin 17.7 ± 5.7, p = .03. The current findings identified that the prevalence of ED is relatively high in young patients with CAD and is related to treatment of the CAD. The overall increase in ED presence suggests that the background of their coronary event is not due to destabilization of single focused atheroma but may reflect a generalized atherosclerotic process.

Multiple thrombophilia mutations as a possible cause of premature myocardial infarction.

The incidence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) increases with clustering of predisposing risk factors. In younger subjects with a positive family history of AMI occurring in relatives under the age of 60 years without obvious risk factors for atherosclerosis, there is a potential for strong inherited traits contributing to the risk of coronary disease. Among them there is increasing evidence that hereditary thrombophilia may play a major role. We present a unique case of a patient developing AMI at the age of 48 years. In this patient, without traditional risk factors for atherosclerosis, eight mutations and polymorphisms in six different genes were identified: polymorphism of factor V Leiden (1691 GA), factor II prothrombin (20210 GA), methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR, 677 CT and 1298 AC), plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) polymorphism 4G/5G and glycoprotein VI (GP6, 13254 TC, Ser219Pro). All could be involved in the pathogenesis of the arterial thrombosis. Although such associations are extremely rare, it underlines the importance of thrombophilia assessment in cases with otherwise unexpected coronary disease occurring at young age. According to our experience, in the case of documented hereditary thrombophilia lineal relatives should be examined and/or followed up.

[Early detection of ISHD in diabetic patients and determining the type of treatment]. / Casná detekce ICHS u diabetiku a urcení typu lécby.

Diabetes mellitus is a major risk factor for the development of ischemic heart disease. Its prevalence in diabetic patients is reported to range broadly between 10-55 %. It is necessary to actively search for the presence of myocardial ischemia in patients with diabetes, since waiting for the development of symptoms is associated with the finding of already advanced coronary atherosclerosis in these patients, with less satisfactory outcomes of coronary interventions and surgery. Results of the BARDOT study seem to indicate that the appropriate tool for stratification of the risk of cardiac events in diabetics could be stress myocardial scintigraphy. This test is successful in detecting the presence of myocardial ischemia, assessing its size and location and identifying whether reversible ischemia is involved. Such data is very important with regard to choosing the right treatment strategy. We often find advanced coronary atherosclerosis in diabetic patients for which surgical treatment is more appropriate. Nonetheless in the era of modern stents also the patients with diabetes can be treated with intervention. All the influenceable risk factors for ischemic heart disease should be consistently treated by intervention in each diabetic patient, who should be given optimum pharmacotherapy. This involves medication with a proven impact on the patient prognosis, influencing the progression of coronary atherosclerosis and mitigation of myocardial ischemia.