Gender Differences in Subclinical Coronary Atherosclerosis in the Asian Population With a Coronary Artery Calcium Score of Zero.

There is little evidence on whether gender difference influences the incidence of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis in Asian populations with a 0 score. In this study, we investigated the influence of age and gender on the extent of subclinical coronary atherosclerotic burden within a healthy Asian population with a 0 coronary artery calcium (CAC) score. A total of 934 participants (320 women and 614 men) from Taiwan's Han Chinese population with an initial CAC score of 0 were included in this study. They underwent 2 consecutive cardiac computed tomography scans over a clinical follow-up period of 4.35 ± 2.37 years. Clinical information and laboratory measurements were collected for analysis. Compared with the female group, the male group demonstrated significantly higher rates of subclinical CAC progression (27.4% vs 13.8%, p <0.001). Across the age group deciles (≤40, 41 to 50, 51 to 60, ≥61 years), the male group had a higher prevalence of subclinical CAC progression than the female group. For the subclinical CAC progression, the logistic regression model demonstrated that age, gender (male gender), cholesterol level, and follow-up period were statistically significant parameters. In conclusion, these findings support that a gender difference impacts the long-term natural course of subclinical coronary calcification conversion in women compared with men, suggesting that the gender-based effect on coronary CAC conversion plays an important role in subclinical coronary atherosclerosis risk stratification in personalized preventive medicine.

2023 Expert Consensus of the Taiwan Society of Cardiology on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Cardiac Amyloidosis.

Cardiac amyloidosis is one form of systemic amyloidosis caused by abnormal amyloid fibrils deposited in the extracellular space of the myocardium causing heart failure because of restrictive cardiomyopathy and conduction disturbances. The incidence and prevalence of cardiac amyloidosis are higher than previously noted, particularly among special populations. The most common forms of cardiac amyloidosis are light chain and transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy. Even though more than 70% of patients with systemic amyloidosis have cardiac amyloidosis, the diagnosis is often delayed, suggesting significant gaps in the knowledge of cardiac amyloidosis and a lack of multidisciplinary teamwork in our daily practice. The Taiwan Society of Cardiology Heart Failure Committee organized experts to draft the "Expert Consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac amyloidosis." This statement aims to help clinicians and healthcare professionals improve early diagnosis and management of cardiac amyloidosis in Taiwan. The expert panel met virtually to review the data and discuss the consensus statements. Our review provided practical information about diagnostic methods and algorithms, clinical clues and red-flag signs, cardiac amyloidosis per se and its comorbidities treatment modalities, and follow-up plans for asymptomatic transthyretin gene carriers. We especially innovate two acronyms, "HFpEF MUTED CALL" and "HFmrEF MUST COUNT", to help in the early diagnosis and screening of transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy as shown in the Central Illustration.

Association of Influenza Vaccination With Risk of Bell Palsy Among Older Adults in Taiwan.

Importance: Annual administration of the influenza vaccine (fluVc) is currently the most effective method of preventing the influenza virus in older adults. However, half of adults older than 65 years remain unvaccinated in Taiwan, possibly because of concern about adverse events, such as Bell palsy (BP). Currently, studies on the association between fluVc and risk of BP are inconsistent. Objective: To determine whether the incidence of BP increases following fluVc in older adults. Design, Setting, and Participants: A self-controlled case series study design was used. Days 1 through 7, days 8 through 14, days 15 through 30, and days 31 through 60 following fluVc were identified as risk intervals, and days 61 through 180 were considered the control interval. A total of 4367 vaccinated individuals aged 65 years or older who developed BP within 6 months following fluVc were enrolled. Population-based retrospective claims data were obtained between 2010 and 2017; data were analyzed from April 2022 through September 2022. Exposure: Government-funded seasonal fluVc. Main Outcomes and Measures: The outcome of interest was BP onset in risk intervals compared with control intervals. Three or more consecutive diagnoses of BP within 60 days following fluVc were used as the definition of a patient with BP. Poisson regression was used to analyze the incidence rate ratio (IRR) of risk intervals compared with control intervals. Results: In total, 13 261 521 patients who received the fluVc were extracted from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2017. Of those, 7 581 205 patients older than 65 years old met the inclusion criteria. The number of patients with BP diagnosed within 6 months following fluVc enrolled for risk analysis was 4367 (mean [SD] age, 74.19 [5.97] years; 2349 [53.79%] female patients). The incidence rate of BP among all observed fluVc older adults was 57.87 per 100 000 person-years. The IRRs for BP on days 1 through 7, days 8 through 14, and days 15 through 30 were 4.18 (95% CI, 3.82-4.59), 2.73 (95% CI, 2.45-3.05), and 1.67 (95% CI, 1.52-1.84), respectively. However, there was no increase during days 31 through 60 (IRR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.97-1.16). The postvaccination risk of BP was consistent across all subgroups stratified by sex, age group, and baseline conditions. Conclusions and Relevance: The present self-controlled case series indicated that the risk of BP in individuals older than 65 years increased within the first month, especially within the first week, following fluVc. But overall, the adverse event rate of BP was low, and considering the morbidity and mortality of influenza infection, the benefits of fluVc still outweigh the risks.

Heart failure after dengue infection- a population-based self-controlled case-series study.

BACKGROUND: Major cardiovascular events (MACEs) have been described with dengue infection. Among these MACEs, heart failure (HF) is the most common but has not been thoroughly assessed. This study aimed to evaluate the association between dengue and HF. METHODS: Under the self-controlled case-series study design, we used the Notifiable Infectious Disease dataset linkage with the National Health Insurance claims data to obtain the study subjects. All laboratory-confirmed dengue cases who were hospitalized for HF after dengue infection within one year between 2009 and 2015 in Taiwan were included. We identified the first 7 and 14 days after dengue infection as the risk intervals. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for HF were estimated by conditional Poisson regression. RESULTS: Among the 65,906 dengue patients, 230 had admission for HF after dengue infection within one year. The IRR of HF admission within the first week after dengue infection was 56.50 (95% C.I. 43.88-72.75). This risk was highest in >60 years (IRR = 59.32, 95% C.I. 45.43-77.43) and lower in 0-40 years (IRR = 25.82, 95% C.I. 2.89-231.02). The risk was nearly nine times higher among admission (for dengue infection) than among nonadmission cases (IRR 75.35 vs. 8.61, p < 0.0001). The risks increased slightly in the second week 8.55 and became less obvious after the third and fourth week. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with dengue infection have a risk of developing acute heart failure within one week, especially in >60 years, men, and dengue admission subjects. The findings emphasize the awareness of diagnosis and further appropriate treatment of HF.

The Incidence of Myocarditis Following an Influenza Vaccination: A Population-Based Observational Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Recently, studies have pointed to a link between coronavirus disease 2019 vaccinations and myocarditis. Myocarditis following an influenza vaccine has been sporadically reported. However, it is not known whether this adverse event occurs among elderly individuals who have received influenza vaccines. We used a population-based database and a self-controlled case-series design to estimate the incidence of myocarditis following an influenza vaccination. METHODS: Data were extracted from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. The study population consisted of elderly people aged ≥ 65 years who had de novo myocarditis, which required hospitalization, within 6 months after receiving an influenza vaccination between 2003 and 2017. The first 1-7, 1-14, and 1-42 days after vaccination were defined as risk intervals, and the other periods were defined as control intervals. Poisson regression was used to calculate the incidence rate ratio for myocarditis between the risk and control periods. RESULTS: Within 180 days following a vaccination, 191 people were hospitalized for myocarditis among 19,678,904 people. In comparison with control intervals, the incidence rate ratios of an admission for myocarditis for days 1-7, 1-14, and 1-42 were 0.80 (95% confidence interval 0.36-1.81), 0.72 (95% confidence interval 0.39-1.32), and 0.73 (95% confidence interval 0.50-1.05), respectively. Subgroup analyses by sex, age, Charlson Comorbidity Index scores, and comorbidities did not yield significant differences in the incidence rate ratio. CONCLUSIONS: Regardless of the post-vaccination time and underlying baseline characteristics, the incidence risk of myocarditis is not significantly increased in the elderly following an influenza vaccination.

Risk Factors and Outcome of Acute Kidney Injury following Acute Myocardial Infarction-A Case Series Study from 2009 to 2019.

Background: Historically, acute kidney injury (AKI) has been a common severe complication of acute myocardial infarction (MI). As percutaneous coronary interventions have become more widely used, AMI outcomes have significantly improved. However, post-AMI AKI epidemiology and its associated factors are not well-understood in the age of interventional cardiology. Materials and methods: This is a retrospective study examining changes in creatinine levels in all patients admitted for AMI in a single medical center between August 2009 and February 2019. KDIGO criteria were used to define the different stages of post-AMI AKI. Results: The study included 1299 eligible cases, among which 213 (16.4%) developed AKI during AMI index admission; and 128 (60.1%), 46 (21.6%), and 39 (18.3%) were classified as KDIGO stages 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Compared with non-AKI subjects, the AKI group had a higher prevalence of non-STEMI (48.4% vs. 29.1%, p < 0.001), higher Killip class (3 or 4), and higher in-hospital mortality (15% vs. 2.5%, p < 0.001). During the index MI hospitalization, 13.6% (29/213) of the post-MI AKI patients received hemodialysis. Baseline abnormal creatinine (≥1.5 mg/dL), dyslipidemia, and more advanced KDIGO stages (2 or 3) were associated with an increased risk of requiring in-hospital hemodialysis. Moreover, a more advanced KDIGO stage (≥2) was correlated with higher all-cause in-hospital mortality. Conclusion: AMI patients remain at risk of AKI, which negatively affects their survival in the modern age.

Risk of Guillain-Barré Syndrome Among Older Adults Receiving Influenza Vaccine in Taiwan.

Importance: Although influenza vaccination has been associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), the findings among studies of older adult populations are inconsistent. Objective: To determine the risk of GBS after influenza vaccination among older adults. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study incorporated a self-controlled case series design. Days 1 to 7, days 1 to 14, and days 1 to 42 after influenza vaccination were identified as risk intervals; days 8 to 180, days 15 to 180, and days 43 to 180 comprised the corresponding control interval. Population-based data were obtained from Taiwan's National Health Insurance research database between January 1, 2003, and December 31, 2017. Data were analyzed from November 1, 2021, through February 28, 2022. Adults 65 years or older who developed GBS within 180 days after influenza vaccination were enrolled. Exposure: Government-funded seasonal influenza vaccination. Main Outcomes and Measures: Onset of GBS during risk intervals after influenza vaccination compared with control intervals using Poisson regression to calculate incidence rate ratio (IRR). Results: Of 13 482 122 adults aged 65 years or older who received an influenza vaccination, 374 were hospitalized for GBS. The mean (SD) age of the study population was 75.0 (6.1) years; 215 (57.5%) were men and 159 (42.5%) were women. In terms of comorbidities, 33 adults (8.8%) had cancer and 4 (1.1%) had autoimmune diseases. The IRRs for GBS during days 1 to 7, days 1 to 14, and days 1 to 42 were 0.95 (95% CI, 0.55-1.61; P = .84), 0.87 (95% CI, 0.58-1.29; P = .48), and 0.92 (95% CI, 0.72-1.17; P = .49), respectively. No results showed statistical significance. Similarly, no significant differences in IRRs were noted for the overall risk interval (ie, days 1-42) in subgroup analyses pertaining to different age groups (65-74 years [0.93 (95% CI, 0.66-1.31)], 75-84 years [0.85 (95% CI, 0.58-1.26)], and ≥85 years [1.10 (95% CI, 0.57-2.11)]), sex (men, 0.97 [95% CI, 0.71-1.33; P = .87]; women, 0.85 [95% CI, 0.58-1.23; P = .39]), Charlson Comorbidity Index (1.03 [95% CI, 0.77-1.38; P = .84]), or comorbidities (cancer, 0.68 [95% CI, 0.28-1.64; P = .39]; autoimmune disease, 1.10 [95% CI, 0.11-10.53; P = .94]). Conclusions and Relevance: These findings suggest that influenza vaccination did not increase the risk of GBS among adults aged 65 years or older in Taiwan regardless of postvaccination period or underlying characteristics.

Differences in Cardiac Etiologies for Ischemic Stroke in Young and Middle-Aged Patients: A Single-Center Experience in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: The cardiac etiology of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) plays an important role in young adults; therefore, complete cardiac workups and subsequent prevention methods are important for treating young AIS patients. However, the definition of a young age for AIS patients could be below 45 years old, while in some previous studies, it has been below 55 years old. It remains unclear whether cardiac workups are equally important for AIS patients in the young (the age of 20-45 years old) and middle-aged (46-55 years old) categories. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective study included 103 patients admitted due to a first AIS attack younger than 55 years old during the period from 1 October 2018 to 31 December 2020. All the patients received cardiologist consultations and cardiac workups accordingly. The characteristics of patients, cardiac workups, clinical findings, and management were analyzed. RESULTS: AIS patients in the 46-55-year-old group had a higher prevalence of hypertension (61.4% vs. 39.0%), diabetes mellitus (27.3% vs. 15.3%), a previous history of coronary artery disease (9.1% vs. 1.7%), and atrial fibrillation (9.1% vs. 1.7%) compared to the 20-45-year-old group. After cardiologist consultations, a higher prevalence of newly diagnosed coronary artery disease (6.8% vs. 1.7%) and congestive heart failure (11.4% vs. 1.7%) was noted. Both groups disclosed similar percentages of patent foramen ovale (PFO) (27.3% vs. 22.0%) and valvular disease. These results led to subsequent changes in treatment in both groups. The 20-45-year-old group had higher percentages of receiving PFO occluders (11.9%) compared to the 46-55-year-old group (6.8%). CONCLUSION: Cardiologist consultations with thorough cardiac workups for AIS patients can reveal many cardiac findings in both young and middle-aged patients. This leads to a subsequent change in treatment, including medical and surgical aspects, which are important as secondary prevention for AIS.

Major acute cardiovascular events after dengue infection-A population-based observational study.

BACKGROUND: Dengue virus (DENV) infection may be associated with increased risks of major adverse cardiovascular effect (MACE), but a large-scale study evaluating the association between DENV infection and MACEs is still lacking. METHODS AND FINDINGS: All laboratory confirmed dengue cases in Taiwan during 2009 and 2015 were included by CDC notifiable database. The self-controlled case-series design was used to evaluate the association between DENV infection and MACE (including acute myocardial infarction [AMI], heart failure and stroke). The "risk interval" was defined as the first 7 days after the diagnosis of DENV infection and the "control interval" as 1 year before and 1 year after the risk interval. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for MACE were estimated by conditional Poisson regression. Finally, the primary outcome of the incidence of MACEs within one year of dengue was observed in 1,247 patients. The IRR of MACEs was 17.9 (95% CI 15.80-20.37) during the first week after the onset of DENV infection observed from 1,244 eligible patients. IRR were significantly higher for hemorrhagic stroke (10.9, 95% CI 6.80-17.49), ischemic stroke (15.56, 95% CI 12.44-19.47), AMI (13.53, 95% CI 10.13-18.06), and heart failure (27.24, 95% CI 22.67-32.73). No increased IRR was observed after day 14. CONCLUSIONS: The risks for MACEs are significantly higher in the immediate time period after dengue infection. Since dengue infection is potentially preventable by early recognition and vaccination, the dengue-associated MACE should be taken into consideration when making public health management policies.

Atrial Fibrillation Risk and Urate-Lowering Therapy in Patients with Gout: A Cohort Study Using a Clinical Database.

Individuals of Asian descent are at higher risk for developing hyperuricemia and gout as compared to Western populations. Urate-lowering therapy (ULT) is an effective treatment for hyperuricemia and gout. It was reported that febuxostat, one of the ULTs, raises the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) in elderly populations. Nevertheless, this association has not been properly investigated in Asian populations. We aimed to investigate the development of AF after ULT with different drugs in an Asian population. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the clinical database at Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital. Patients newly diagnosed with gout between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2020 and with a documented baseline serum uric acid (sUA) level but no prior diagnosis of AF were identified. Patients were divided into three groups-allopurinol, benzbromarone, and febuxostat users. During the follow-up period, the risks of incident AF following the initiation of ULT with different drugs were assessed. Development of incident AF was noted in 43 (6%) of the 713 eligible patients during the follow-up period (mean, 49.4 ± 26.6 months). Febuxostat-treated patients had a higher prevalence of certain comorbidities (diabetes mellitus, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease) and higher CHA2DS2-VASc scores. Compared with allopurinol, neither febuxostat nor benzbromarone was associated with increased adjusted hazard ratios (HR) for incident AF (HR: 1.20, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.43-3.34; HR: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.22-2.08). There was no difference in the risk of incident AF among Asian patients with gout who received febuxostat, allopurinol, or benzbromarone. Further studies are needed to evaluate long-term cardiovascular outcomes in patients receiving different ULT drugs.

Risk Factors and Outcomes of Heart Failure Following First-Episode of Acute Myocardial Infarction-A Case Series Study of 161,384 Cases.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) is one of the important complications of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), but the epidemiology, associated risks and outcomes have not been well investigated in the era of broad use of fluoroscopy-guided angiographic intervention. METHODS: We analysed 161,384 subjects who had experienced the first episode of AMI during 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2012 using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. RESULTS: During the index AMI hospitalization, 23.6% of cases developed HF. Female, ≥65 years-old, non-ST-segment elevation type of MI, diabetes mellitus (DM), peripheral vascular occlusion disease (PAOD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), atrial fibrillation, and ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation (VT/VF) were associated with higher risks of developing HF. HF cases had inferior survival outcomes compared to non-HF cases in both the short and long term. Among those HF patients, ≥65 years, DM, PAOD, and VT/VF were associated with worse outcomes. On the contrary, coronary reperfusion intervention and treat-to-target pharmacologic treatment were associated with favourable survival outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: HF remains common in the modern age and poses negative impacts in survival of AMI patients. It highlights that prudent prevention and early treatment of HF during AMI hospitalization is an important medical issue.

Radiation Reduction and Protection for Radiosensitive Organs (Lens, Thyroid, and Genital Organs) of Patients Receiving Percutaneous Coronary Intervention-Real-World Measurement of Radiation Dose in a Single Center.

BACKGROUNDS: Reducing radiation exposure is the basic principle for performing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Many studies have confirmed the effect of radiation protection for medical staff, but studies about the effectiveness of protection for patients and real measurement of radiation dose in patients' specific organs are lacking. AIM: To measure the radiation doses absorbed by patients' radiosensitive organs during PCI and the effectiveness of radiation protection. METHODS: A total of 120 patients were included and allocated into three groups as the ratio of 1:1:2. A total of 30 patients received PCI at 15 frames rate per second (fps), 30 patients at 7.5 fps, and 60 patients wore radiation protective hat and glasses during PCI at 7.5 fps. The radiation doses were measured at right eyebrow (lens), neck (thyroid), back (skin), and inguinal area (genital organs) by using thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs). RESULTS: Dose-area product (DAP) reduced by 58.8% (from 534,454 ± 344,660 to 220,352 ± 164,101 mGy·cm2, p < 0.001) after reducing the frame rate, without affecting successful rate of PCI. Radiation doses measured on skin, lens, genital organs, and thyroid decreased by 73.3%, 40.0%, 40.0%, and 35.3%, respectively (from 192.58 ± 349.45 to 51.10 ± 59.21; 5.29 ± 4.27 to 3.16 ± 2.73; 0.25 ± 0.15 to 0.15 ± 0.15; and 17.42 ± 12.11 to 11.27 ± 8.52 µSv, p < 0.05). By providing radiation protective equipment, radiation doses at lens and thyroid decreased further by 71.8% and 65.9% (from 3.16 ± 2.73 to 0.89 ± 0.79; 11.27 ± 8.52 to 3.84 ± 3.49 µSv, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: By lowering the frame rate and providing protective equipment, radiation exposure in radiosensitive organs can be effectively reduced in patients.

The Evaluation of Left Ventricle Ischemic Extent in Patients with Significantly Suspicious Cardiovascular Disease by 99mTc-Sestamibi Dynamic SPECT/CT and Myocardial Perfusion Imaging: A Head-to-Head Comparison.

Heart disease is the second most common cause of mortality in Taiwan, mainly coronary artery disease (CAD).Quantitative coronary blood flow has been collected by dynamic single-photon emission computed tomography (Dynamic SPECT/CT) for CAD diagnosis in previous studies. However, few studies defined the extent of left ventricle (LV) ischemia on Dynamic SPECT/CT for predicting significant coronary artery stenosis. This study evaluates the extent of LV ischemic blockage in patients suspected of CAD who were referred by cardiologists. A total of 181 patients with suspected CAD were enrolled. They underwent 99mTc-Sestamibi (MIBI) Dynamic SPECT/CT survey before cardiac intervention. Dynamic SPECT/CT has better sensitivity (88%), specificity (96%), and accuracy (94%) compared with those of semi-quantitative MIBI MPI (more than 10%). Results indicated that5% of the LV ischemic extent can yield positive PCI results (>70% stenosis in coronary arteries) compared with the moderate abnormal extent of at least 15% of LV. When the percentage of combined moderate abnormal extent and ischemia extent of LV reaches 27.3%, positive PCI results may be indicated. This study revealed Dynamic SPECT/CT has greater sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy as compared with MPI. Thus, the severity of abnormal perfusion extent of LV on Dynamic SPECT/CT might be beneficial to predict positive PCI results in patients with significant suspicion CAD.

Role of Fatty Liver Index and Metabolic Factors in the Prediction of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in a Lean Population Receiving Health Checkup.

OBJECTIVES: Some metabolic factors and noninvasive markers, including fatty liver index (FLI), are used to predict nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in obese patients. Despite the increasing prevalence of NAFLD in lean patients (lean-NAFLD), the risk factors and predictors are not well determined in this population. We investigated factors associated with lean-NAFLD and validated their predictive ability. METHODS: From 9,293 examinees who underwent routine health checkups, we enrolled 4,000, aged ≥20 years, with a body mass index <24 kg/m in our lean-NAFLD study population. NAFLD diagnoses were made according to the patients' histories, laboratory values, and sonographic criteria. Clinical variables, serum sugar, lipid, and liver profiles were evaluated using multiple logistic regression analysis. The predictive ability and optimal cutoff values for NAFLD were determined according to the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. RESULTS: Overall, 18.5% (n = 740) of the lean population had NAFLD. Male sex, body mass index, body fat mass, fasting plasma glucose, uric acid, alanine aminotransferase, triglyceride, and FLI values were associated with NAFLD. FLI had the best discriminative ability to predict lean-NAFLD compared to the other biochemical markers. We further used the Youden index test and found an optimum cut-off value for FLI of 15 with the highest discriminant ability than other values. DISCUSSION: The prevalence of lean-NAFLD was not low. FLI was superior to other predictors including sex, liver function, and other metabolic factors, in the prediction of lean-NAFLD. FLI may be considered an easy to use, noninvasive marker to screen for lean-NAFLD.

Improving outcomes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by taking beta-blockers after acute myocardial infarction: a nationwide observational study.

ß-Blockers are a standard therapy for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) due to their better short-term and long-term outcomes. However, ß-blockers are often under-prescribed in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with AMI, since they are thought be related to bronchospasm. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the usage of ß-blockers and the risk of mortality in COPD patients after first AMI via a nationwide, population-based cohort study. In this retrospective study, we identified 186,326 patients with AMI diagnosed between January 2000 and December 2012, 23,116 of whom had COPD, from the National Health Insurance Research Database. A total of 7609 patients (32.92%) were prescribed ß-blockers, while 15,507 were not. The ß-blocker patients were stratified into selective and non-selective ß-blocker groups. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Selective ß-blocker use showed a reduced risk of mortality, as compared with patients without ß-blockers (HR 0.93; 95% CI 0.89-0.98; p < 0.01) while non-selective ß-blocker groups did not increase the risk of mortality compared to the patients without ß-blockers (HR 0.98; 95% CI 0.94-1.02; p = 0.38). In addition, the use of ß-blockers was found to be associated with a reduced risk of mortality in most stratified analyses which was seen particularly in males, patients aged 65 years and above, and in individuals with an array of comorbidities. These findings suggest that ß-blockers improve overall survival among COPD patients after first AMI.

Risk Factors For Radiation-Induced Skin Ulceration in Percutaneous Coronary Interventions of Chronic Total Occluded Lesions: A 2-Year Observational Study.

Relationship between radiation-induced skin ulceration (RSU) and variables in percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) was rarely reported. RSU is a severe complication in PCIs, especially for chronic total occlusion (CTO) lesions. We investigated the RSUs and their risk factors in patients receiving CTO PCIs over a 2-year period. Data were analyzed using chi-square tests, t-tests and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Of 238 patients, 11 patients (4.6%) had RSUs all at right upper back. RSUs were significantly associated with use of left anterior oblique (LAO) views (100% vs. 47.1%, p < 0.001), retrograde techniques (36.3% vs. 7.9%, p = 0.012), or a procedure time (PT) defined as a time duration between the first and last angiograms of > 120, 180, or 240 minutes (p < 0.05). ROC analysis showed a long PT was an accurate predictor of RSUs (AUC = 0.88; p < 0.001) at a cut-off of 130 minutes (sensitivity = 0.91, specificity = 0.81). The results showed risk factors for RSUs containing use of large LAO views, retrograde techniques, and prolonged PTs. This study suggests that, to minimize RSU, interventionalists should limit PT to roughly 2 hours in fixed LAO views.

Left atrial expansion index for predicting atrial fibrillation and in-hospital mortality after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF), a common complication after coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG), is associated with prolonged hospital stay. This prospective study assessed the accuracy of left atrial parameters and additional preoperative characteristics for predicting post-CABG AF and in-hospital mortality. METHODS: A total of 197 patients without hemodynamic-significant valvular problems, who received isolated CABG, were enrolled. Echocardiography was performed before CABG. RESULTS: Compared with patients without post-CABG AF, those with post-CABG AF were older (71 vs 64 years, p<0.0001), had a higher incidence of CABG during index hospitalization of acute myocardial infarction and preoperative respiratory failure requiring ventilator support, lower left ventricular ejection fraction (0.41 vs 0.48, p<0.0001), lower left atrial expansion index (52.2% vs 93.3%, p<0.0001), and higher left ventricular filling pressure (24.2 vs 19.1 mm Hg, p<0.0001). Multivariate analysis of preoperative variables showed that independent predictors of AF included age (odds ratio [OR], 1.064; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.022 to 1.107 per 1-year increase; p 0.002), maximal indexed left atrial volume (OR, 1.026; 95% CI, 1.002 to 1.051 per 1 mL/m2 increase; p 0.037) and left atrial expansion index (OR, 0.981; 95% CI, 0.962 to 0.998 per 1% increase; p 0.029). The left atrial expansion index was also significantly associated with in-hospital mortality (OR, 0.982; 95% CI, 0.951 to 0.996 per 1% increase; p 0.042). Incidence of post-CABG AF in patients with left atrial expansion index less than 120% progressively increased as left atrial expansion index decreased. CONCLUSIONS: Left atrial expansion index independently predicts post-CABG AF and in-hospital mortality.