Recommendations on the use of innovative medical technologies in cardiology and cardiac surgery and solutions leading to increased availability for Polish patients.

There is a great need for innovative technologies that will improve the health and quality of life (QoL) of Polish patients with cardiac problems. It is important that the safety and effectiveness of the technology are confirmed by scientific evidence on which guidelines and clinical recommendations are based. Scientific evidence for medical devices is also increasingly important for decision-making in finance approval from public funds. New technologies in cardiology and cardiac surgery contribute to improved patient QoL, increased treatment effectiveness and facilitated diagnosis. Hence, it is necessary to increase accessibility to such technologies, primarily through the development of clinical recommendations, and education of medical personnel in conjunction with public funding. The aim of this publication is to present the recommendations of leading experts in the field of cardiology and cardiosurgery, supported by clinical research results, regarding the use of the cited innovative medical technologies and solutions leading to their increased availability for Polish patients.

Practice setting and secondary prevention of coronary artery disease.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with established coronary artery disease (CAD) are at high risk of recurrent cardiovascular events. The aim of the analysis was to compare time trends in the extent to which cardiovascular prevention guidelines have been implemented by primary care physicians and specialists. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Five hospitals with cardiology departments serving the city and surrounding districts in the southern part of Poland participated in the study. Consecutive patients hospitalized due to an acute coronary syndrome or for a myocardial revascularization procedure were recruited and interviewed 6-18 months after hospitalization. The surveys were carried out in 1997-1998, 1999-2000, 2006-2007 and 2011-2013. RESULTS: The proportion of smokers increased from 16.0% in 1997-1998 to 16.4% in 2011-2013 among those who declared that a cardiologist in a hospital outpatient clinic decided about the treatment, from 17.5% to 34.0% (p < 0.01) among those treated by a primary care physician, and from 7.0% to 19.7% (p = 0.06) among patients treated in private cardiology practices. The corresponding proportions were 44.6% and 42.4% (p < 0.01), 47.7% and 52.8% (p = 0.53), 44.2% and 42.2% (p = 0.75) for high blood pressure, and 42.5% and 71.2% (p < 0.001), 51.4% and 79.6% (p < 0.001), 52.4% and 72.4% (p < 0.01) for LDL cholesterol level not at recommended goal. The proportion of patients prescribed cardioprotective medications increased in every analyzed group. CONCLUSIONS: The control of cardiovascular risk in CAD patients has only slightly improved since 1997/98 in all health care settings. The greatest potential for further improvement was found among patients whose post-hospital care is provided by primary care physicians. It is associated with promotion of a no-smoking policy and enhanced prescription of guideline-recommended drugs.

Chronic heart failure management in primary healthcare in Poland: Results of a nationwide cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Organizational and educational activities in primary care in Poland have been introduced to improve the chronic heart failure (CHF) management. OBJECTIVES: To assess the use of diagnostic procedures, pharmacotherapy and referrals of CHF in primary care in Poland. METHODS: The cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2013, involving 390 primary care centres randomly selected from a national database. Trained nurses contacted primary care physicians who retrospectively filled out the study questionnaires on the previous year's CHF management in the last five patients who had recently visited their office. The data on diagnostic and treatment procedures were collected. RESULTS: The mean age ± SD of the 2006 patients was 72 ± 11 years, 45% were female, and 56% had left ventricular ejection fraction <50%. The percentage of the CHF patients diagnosed based on echocardiography was 67% and significantly increased during the last decade. Echocardiography was still less frequently performed in older patients (≥80 years) than in the younger ones (respectively 50% versus 72%, Ρ <0.001) and in women than in men (62% versus 71%, P <0.001). The percentage of the patients treated with ß-blocker alone was 88%, but those with a combination of angiotensin inhibition 71%. The decade before, these percentages were 68% and 57%, respectively. Moreover, an age-related gap observed in the use of the above-mentioned therapy has disappeared. CONCLUSION: The use of echocardiography in CHF diagnostics has significantly improved in primary care in Poland but a noticeable inequality in the geriatric patients and women remains. Most CHF patients received drug classes in accordance with guidelines.

Quality of care of hospitalised patients with heart failure in Poland in 2013: results of the second nationwide survey.

BACKGROUND: Optimal management of heart failure (HF) patients is crucial to reduce both mortality and the number of hospital admissions, at the same time improving patients' quality of life. AIM: The aim of the study was to assess the quality of care of hospitalised patients with HF in Poland in 2013 and compare it with the results of a similar survey performed in 2005. METHODS: The presented study was conducted from April to November 2013 in a sample of 260 hospital wards in Poland, recruited by stratified proportional sampling. Similarly to the first study edition in 2005, a trained nurse contacted physicians, who filled out the study questionnaires on the last five patients with HF, who had been discharged from an internal or cardiological ward. HF did not have to be a major cause of hospital admission. RESULTS: The mean age of the 1300 hospitalised patients was 72.1 years, an increase of 2.3 years since the 2005 survey. The proportion of patients classified as New York Heart Association IV decreased from 28.5% in 2005 to 22.1% in 2013. In comparison with 2005, more patients had concomitant disorders such as hypertension (79.5% vs. 71.0%), diabetes (46.2% vs. 33.2%), and chronic renal failure (33.4% vs. 19.4%). Access to echocardiography has improved in recent years: it was available for 98.9% of the surveyed hospital wards (93% in 2005) and it was performed during the hospitalisation in 60.2% of the patients (58.8% in 2005). In 2013 N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide was accessible for 80.8% of hospital wards (12.8% in 2005) and the test was performed in 31.3% of the hospitalised patients (3.3% in 2005). Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) were administered in 68.9% of HF discharged patients, beta-blockers in 84.8%, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA) in 57.9%, diuretics in 85.9%, and digoxin in 23%. The respective numbers in 2005 were 85.9%, 76.0%, 65.4%, 88.9%, and 38.4%. The decrease in prescription of ACEI or ARB resulted from lesser usage of these drugs in internal medicine wards (from 84.3% in 2005 to 55.6% in 2013). CONCLUSIONS: In comparison to the analogous project run in 2005, an improvement in some areas of HF treatment was observed in Polish hospitals, such as accessibility to echocardiography and natriuretic peptide measurement as well as beta-blocker and MRA use. At the same time, a meaningful decrease in ACEIs or ARBs usage in internal wards was observed, which might be the result of the ageing of the HF population and an increased number of comorbidities.

Impact of coronary artery disease presence on the long-term follow-up of carotid artery stenting.

BACKGROUND: Carotid artery stenting (CAS) has become an alternative for carotid endarterectomy in the treatment of carotid artery atherosclerosis, due to limited injury and comparable periprocedural risk. The impact of coronary artery disease (CAD) on long-term follow-up after CAS needs to be reconsidered due to the intensification of aggressive pharmacotherapy in CAD in recent years. AIM: To assess the impact of CAD presence on the long-term follow-up of patients after CAS. METHODS: Data of 130 symptomatic and asymptomatic patients undergoing CAS with cerebral protection systems from December 2002 to December 2010 were divided into two groups: those with and those without CAD. Major adverse cardio- and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) during follow-up were defined as the combination of death (cardiac and non-cardiac), myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA). Long-term outcomes of patients were stratified based on the history of CAD. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 66 ± 9 years, and the majority of patients were male (80.2%). Long-term follow-up data were available in 86.2% of patients. During mean follow-up of 71.9 ± 31.7 months the all-cause mortality rate was 19.3%. The rates of MI, stroke/TIA, and MACCE were 16.7%, 12.3%, and 36.3%, respectively. The frequency of MACCE during long-term follow-up was higher in patients with CAD vs. without CAD (40.8% vs. 6.7%, p = 0.01), and the mortality rate in the two groups was 22.2% vs. 0%, (p = 0.07), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with symptomatic or asymptomatic carotid stenosis are high-risk individuals. The presence of CAD increases the risk of MACCE in such patients during long-term follow-up.

Comparison of radiation dose exposure in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention vs. peripheral intervention.

INTRODUCTION: Most endovascular techniques are associated with patient and personal exposure to radiation during the procedure. Ionising radiation can cause deterministic effects, such as skin injury, as well as stochastic effects, which increase the long-term risk of malignancy. Endovascular operators need to be aware of radiation danger and take all necessary steps to minimise the risk to patients and staff. Some procedures, especially percutaneous peripheral artery revascularisation, are associated with increased radiation dose due to time-consuming operations. There is limited data comparing radiation dose during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) of peripheral arteries. AIM: To compare the radiation dose in percutaneous coronary vs. peripheral interventions in one centre with a uniform system of protection methods. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 352 patients were included in the study. This included 217 patients undergoing PCI (single and multiple stenting) and 135 patients undergoing PTA (in lower extremities, carotid artery, renal artery, and subclavian artery). Radiation dose, fluoroscopy time, and total procedural time were reviewed. Cumulative radiation dose was measured in gray (Gy) units. RESULTS: The total procedural time was significantly higher in PTA (PCI vs. PTA: 60 (45-85) min vs. 75 (50-100) min), p < 0.001. The radiation dose for PCI procedures was significantly higher in comparison to PTA (PCI vs. PTA: 1.36 (0.83-2.23) Gy vs. 0.27 (0.13-0.46) Gy), p < 0.001. There was no significant difference in the fluoroscopy time (PCI vs. PTA: 12.9 (8.2-21.5) min vs. 14.4 (8.0-22.6) min), p = 0.6. The analysis of correlation between radiation dose and fluoroscopy time in PCI and PTA interventions separately shows a strong correlation in PCI group (r = 0.785). However, a weak correlation was found in PTA group (r = 0.317). CONCLUSIONS: The radiation dose was significantly higher during PCI in comparison to PTA procedures despite comparable fluoroscopy time and longer total procedure time in PTA. Fluoroscopy time is a reliable parameter to control the radiation dose exposure in coronary procedures. The increasing complexity of endovascular interventions has resulted in the increase of radiation dose exposure during PCI procedures.

Creatine kinase-MB assessed in patients with acute myocardial infarction correlates with cardiac magnetic resonance infarct size at 6-month follow up.

INTRODUCTION: There are still only limited data concerning the use of creatine kinase-MB (CKMB) values for predicting infarct size in long-term follow up in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who have undergone primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The aim of this study was to analyze the correlation between CKMB and both infarct size and left ventricular function during a 6-month follow up. METHODS: In a cohort of 68 patients with STEMI treated with PCI, serial CKMB assessment was performed at baseline and at 6, 12, 18, 24 and 48 hours after PCI. The area under the curve (AUC) of CKMB was calculated. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) parameters were assessed at 6 months. RESULTS: All CKMB single time-point values, AUC CKMB, and CKMB maximal value after primary PCI were correlated with CMR infarct size and left ventricular function, but a high correlation (r>0.7) was found only for CKMB at 6 hours, CKMB at 12 hours, CKMB AUC, CKMB maximal value, and CMR infarct size (r=0.71, r=0.73, r=0.72, r=0.75, respectively, p<0.001 for all). CONCLUSIONS: CKMB assessment is a good predictor of infarct size at 6 months in patients with STEMI treated with PCI. The CKMB value at a single time point 12 hours after PCI is a good predictor of infarct size at 6 months, comparable to serial assessment parameters such as AUC CKMB and CKMB maximal value.

Impact of direct stenting on outcome of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction transferred for primary percutaneous coronary intervention (from the EUROTRANSFER registry).

OBJECTIVES: We sought to evaluate the impact of direct stenting technique on angiographic and clinical outcomes of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary angioplasty (PCI). METHODS: Data on 1,419 patients who underwent immediate PCI for STEMI with implantation of ≥1 stent within native coronary artery were retrieved from the EUROTRANSFER Registry database. Patients were stratified based on the stent implantation technique: direct (without predilatation) vs. conventional stenting. Propensity score adjustment was used to control possible selection bias. RESULTS: Direct stenting technique was used in 276 (19.5%) patients. Remaining 1,143 patients were treated with stent implantation after balloon predilatation. Direct compared with conventional stenting resulted in significantly greater rates of postprocedural TIMI grade 3 flow (conventional vs. direct stenting: 91.5% vs. 94.9%, adjusted OR 2.09 (1.13-3.89), P = 0.020), and lower risk of no-reflow (3.4% vs. 1.4%, adjusted OR 0.31 (0.10-0.92), P = 0.035). The rates for ST-segment resolution >50% after PCI were higher in patients treated with direct stenting technique (76.3% vs. 86.2%, adjusted OR 1.64 (1.10-2.46), P = 0.016). A significant reduction in 1-year mortality in patients from the direct stenting group compared with the conventional stenting group, even after adjustment for propensity score was observed (6.5% vs. 2.9%, adjusted OR 0.45 (0.21-0.99), P = 0.047). CONCLUSIONS: When anatomically and technically feasible, the use of direct stenting technique may result in improved long-term survival in patients with STEMI undergoing primary PCI.

Predictors of coronary and carotid atherosclerosis in patients with severe degenerative aortic stenosis.

BACKGROUND: Patients with degenerative aortic stenosis (AS) exhibit elevated prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) and internal carotid artery stenosis (ICAS). Our aim was to investigate prevalence of significant CAD and ICAS in relation to demographic and cardiovascular risk profile among patients with severe degenerative AS. METHODS: We studied 145 consecutive patients (77 men and 68 women) aged 49-91 years (median, 76) with severe degenerative AS who underwent coronary angiography and carotid ultrasonography in our tertiary care center. The patients were divided into two groups according to the presence of either significant CAD (n=86) or ICAS (n=22). RESULTS: The prevalence of significant CAD or ICAS was higher with increasing number of traditional risk factors (hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, smoking habit) and decreasing renal function. We found interactions between age and gender in terms of CAD (p=0.01) and ICAS (p=0.06), which was confirmed by multivariate approach. With the reference to men with a below-median age, the prevalence of CAD or ICAS increased in men aged >76 years (89% vs. 55% and 28% vs. 14%, respectively), whereas the respective percentages were lower in older vs. younger women (48% vs. 54% and 7% vs. 17%). CONCLUSIONS: In severe degenerative AS gender modulates the association of age with coronary and carotid atherosclerosis with its lower prevalence in women aged >76 years compared to their younger counterparts. This may result from a hypothetical "survival bias", i.e., an excessive risk of death in very elderly women with severe AS and coexisting relevant coronary or carotid atherosclerosis.