Augmentation index and aortic stiffness in bicuspid aortic valve patients with non-dilated proximal aortas.

BACKGROUND: We compared aortic stiffness, aortic impedance and pressure from wave reflections in the setting of bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) to the tricuspid aortic valve (TAV) in the absence of proximal aortic dilation. We hypothesized BAV is associated with abnormal arterial stiffness. METHODS: Ten BAV subjects (47 ± 4 years, 6 male) and 13 TAV subjects (46 ± 4 years, 10 male) without significant aortic valve disease were prospectively recruited. Characteristic impedance (Zc) was derived from echocardiographic images and pulse wave Doppler of the left ventricular outflow tract. Applanation tonometry was performed to obtain pulse wave velocity (PWV) at several sites as measures of arterial stiffness and augmentation index (AIx) as a measure of wave reflection. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between BAV and TAV subjects with regard to heart rate or blood pressure. Zc was similar between BAV and TAV subjects (p=0.25) as was carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV) and carotid-radial PWV (cr-PWV) between BAV and TAV subjects (p=0.99). Carotid AIx was significantly higher in BAV patients compared with TAV patients (14.3 ± 4.18% versus -3.02 ± 3.96%, p=0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Aortic stiffness and impedance is similar between subjects with BAV and TAV with normal aortic dimensions. The significantly higher carotid AIx in BAV, a proxy of increased pressure from wave reflections, may reflect abnormal vascular function distal to the aorta.

Echocardiographic characterization of left ventricular apical hypoplasia accompanied by a patent ductus arteriosus.

Left ventricular (LV) apical hypoplasia is an unusual, recently identified cardiomyopathy, whose clinical course is uncertain. In this report, we describe a case of this cardiomyopathy occurring in an asymptomatic 50-year-old male with a remote history of a surgically corrected patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), primarily using transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) to illustrate the imaging characteristics. This patient had been referred to our institution for an abnormal electrocardiogram, and TTE subsequently (Figure 1) revealed a dilated left ventricle with moderately to severely reduced function; LV ejection fraction was 30% by two- and three-dimensional quantification. The left ventricle had a spherical appearance with a thin-walled, truncated, and akinetic distal LV. The right ventricle appeared elongated and was noted to wrap around the distal left ventricle, but right ventricular systolic function was normal. There were no significant valvular abnormalities, and no evidence of residual PDA flow. Subsequent cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging confirmed these findings (Figure 1). The TTE and CMR findings seen in this patient are consistent with LV apical hypoplasia. Until now, this cardiomyopathy has been described only as an isolated congenital anomaly primarily using CMR and cardiac computed tomography. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of LV apical hypoplasia in conjunction with another congenital cardiac abnormality, and the findings demonstrate that the distinctive appearance of this cardiomyopathy can be easily identified with echocardiography. As more cases are recognized and patients are followed over time, the natural history and optimal treatment for this cardiomyopathy may be further elucidated.

Health insurance and cardiovascular disease risk factors.

BACKGROUND: Compared with those with health insurance, the uninsured receive less care for chronic conditions, such as hypertension and diabetes, and experience higher mortality. METHODS: We investigated the relations of health insurance status to the prevalence, treatment, and control of major cardiovascular disease risk factors-hypertension and elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol-among Framingham Heart Study (FHS) participants in gender-specific, age-adjusted analyses. Participants who attended the seventh Offspring cohort examination cycle (1998-2001) or the first Third Generation cohort examination cycle (2002-2005) were studied. RESULTS: Among 6098 participants, 3.8% were uninsured at the time of the FHS clinic examination and ages ranged from 19 to 64 years. The prevalence of hypertension and elevated LDL cholesterol was similar for the insured and uninsured; however, the proportion of those who obtained treatment and achieved control of these risk factors was lower among the uninsured. Uninsured men and women were less likely to be treated for hypertension with odds ratios for treatment of 0.19 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.07-0.56) for men and 0.31 (95% CI, 0.12-0.79) for women. Among men, the uninsured were less likely to receive treatment or achieve control of elevated LDL cholesterol than the insured, with odds ratios of 0.12 (95% CI, 0.04-0.38) for treatment and 0.17 (95% CI, 0.05-0.56) for control. CONCLUSION: The treatment and control of hypertension and hypercholesterolemia are lower among uninsured adults. Increasing the proportion of insured individuals may be a means to improve the treatment and control of cardiovascular disease risk factors and to reduce health disparities.

Niacin's role in the statin era.

IMPORTANCE OF THE FIELD: The combination use of niacin and HMG Co-A reductases (statins) is increasing. While statin therapy reduces the risk of adverse cardiovascular events, additional therapies are needed to decrease event rates further. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) is of interest as a potential therapeutic target as epidemiologic evidence demonstrates that low HDL-C is a strong predictor of incident coronary events. Niacin is the most effective agent available at present to increase HDL-C. AREAS COVERED IN THIS REVIEW: This review focuses on the efficacy and safety of niacin in combination with statins, along with the combination's effects on cardiovascular end points and clinical outcomes. We systematically reviewed studies, dating from 2001 to the present, identified through MEDLINE and searches of reference lists, which contained a combination statin and niacin group. WHAT THE READER WILL GAIN: The reader will gain an understanding of the rationale and results of using niacin and statin therapy concurrently. TAKE HOME MESSAGE: The addition of niacin to statin therapy results in multiple favorable effects on lipid levels, and the combination seems to be as safe as the individual drugs separately. Current evidence indicates that adding niacin to statin therapy has the potential to result in substantial reductions in risk for adverse cardiovascular events. However, large-scale clinical outcome trials are needed to confirm the benefits of this combination.