The causes and outcomes of inadequate implementation of existing guidelines for antiplatelet treatment in patients with acute coronary syndrome: the experience from Taiwan Acute Coronary Syndrome Descriptive Registry (T-ACCORD Registry).

BACKGROUND: Benefits of antiplatelet agents in preventing future cardiovascular events have been well established. However, the prescription pattern of antiplatelet usage in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is rarely investigated. Hence, Taiwan ACute CORonary Syndrome Descriptive Registry (T-ACCORD Registry) aimed to evaluate medical practices in Taiwan in managing ACS patients. HYPOTHESIS: The guidelines of antiplatelet treatment is not properly implanted in the management of ACS patients. METHODS: This prospective observational study was performed between April 2004 and December 2006 in 27 hospitals in Taiwan. A total of 1331 patients with unstable angina or non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) discharged from hospitals was analyzed. RESULTS: The patients with older age, lower hemoglobin levels, or previous cardiovascular ischemic diseases were less likely to receive aspirin at discharge, whereas patients with NSTEMI were less likely to receive clopidogrel at discharge. The prescription of dual antiplatelet agents declined rapidly from 61.8% at discharge to 12.6% at 12 months. The most common reason for clopidogrel discontinuation was recorded as physician's judgment. Dual antiplatelet treatment for 9 months or longer was associated with lower 1-year mortality. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was the only factor leading to dual antiplatelet therapy for at least 9 months. CONCLUSIONS: Our registry showed that underlying medical conditions may affect antiplatelet prescriptions at discharge. During the first year following an ACS episode, the prescription rate of dual antiplatelet therapy declined over time, mainly due to physician's judgment leading to the discontinuation of clopidogrel. Adherence to dual antiplatelet treatment was associated with lower total mortality at 1 year.

Pericardial fluid and serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor and endostatin in patients with or without coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and endostatin are related to ischemic heart disease. This study investigated pericardial fluid and serum levels of VEGF and endostatin in patients with or without ischemic heart disease. METHODS: A total of 39 patients (24 patients in the CAD group with significant coronary artery disease; 15 patients in the non-CAD group without coronary artery disease) undergoing open heart surgery were enrolled. In the CAD group, patients were classified according to good coronary collateralization (Group A; n = 11) or poor coronary collateralization (Group B; n = 13). Pericardial fluid and serum samples were obtained at the time of surgery. VEGF and endostatin were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: The levels of endostatin in both serum and pericardial fluid were significantly lower in the CAD group than in the non-CAD group (130.5 +/- 37.3 ng/mL vs. 172.4 +/- 37.8 ng/mL and 119.0 +/- 25.0 ng/mL vs. 143.0 +/- 23.5 ng/mL). The concentration of serum VEGF in the CAD group (92.6 +/- 18.2 pg/mL) was significantly higher than that in the non-CAD group (75.2 +/- 22.3 pg/mL). The concentration of serum VEGF in Group A (100.1 +/- 20.7 pg/mL) was significantly higher than that in Group B (84.3 +/- 12.4 pg/mL). The levels of pericardial fluid VEGF, serum and pericardial fluid endostatin were not significantly different between Groups A and B. CONCLUSION: Patients with coronary artery disease have lower serum and pericardial fluid levels of endostatin and higher serum levels of VEGF. Serum level VEGF, but not endostatin, is associated with good or poor collateralization in patients with coronary artery disease.

Poor functional recovery may indicate restenosis in patients after coronary angioplasty.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether poor response to exercise training can detect restenosis in asymptomatic patients after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: A hospital-based outpatient cardiac rehabilitation program in Taiwan. PARTICIPANTS: Sixteen patients aged 49.7+/-7.8 years who had undergone PTCA and completed a 3-month exercise program. Patients were separated into a restenosis group (n=7; age, 46.4+/-9.8y) and a nonrestenosis group (n=9; age, 52.3+/-12.9y), according to their angiography follow-up results. The interval between PTCA and angiography ranged from 6 months to 2 years. INTERVENTION: Bicycle exercise workouts were conducted 3 times a week during rehabilitation, with exercise intensity adjusted to each patient's ventilatory threshold. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: A graded exercise test with gas analysis was conducted before training, at 6 weeks and at 3 months after training, to evaluate the sequential changes of cardiorespiratory function. RESULTS: After 3 months of training, the nonrestenosis group showed an increase of 30.4% in peak oxygen uptake (Vo(2)peak, P<.05), 13.7% in peak oxygen pulse (P<.05), 22.2% in peak rate-pressure product (P<.05), and 13.6% in peak work rate (P<.05). Most of the improvement occurred within the first 6 weeks of training. The restenosis group did not show significant increase in these variables. At the ventilatory threshold, the nonrestenosis group also displayed a significant increase of Vdot;o(2), oxygen pulse, and work rate. However, the restenosis group showed no improvement after training. CONCLUSION: Functional recovery appears to be a good indicator of restenosis for patients after PTCA. A poor response to exercise can be noted within 6 weeks of training in PTCA patients with restenosis.