Valsartan versus ACE inhibition after bare metal stent implantation--results of the VALVACE trial.

The use of ACE inhibitors (ACE-i) represents an Ia recommendation in the treatment of patients with STEMI and NSTEMI. However, results of smaller studies suggest an increase of in-stent-restenosis under ACE-i administration. The effects of ACE-i and valsartan after bare metal stent implantation of the culprit type B2/C lesion should be compared. Seven hundred patients were treated either by ACE-i in cases of LVEF<50% or 80 mg valsartan in cases of LVEF> or =50%. Restenosis rates after 6 months were analysed in 399 patients under valsartan and 224 patients under ACE-i with control angiography and major adverse cardiac events (death, infarction, reintervention) in a follow-up of up to 4 (mean 2.6) years in all patients. In-stent-restenosis was found in 19.5% under valsartan and in 34% under ACE-i (p<0.005). In diabetic patients, restenosis occurred in 24% under valsartan and in 43% under ACE-i (p<0.01). In initial acute coronary syndrome (ACS), restenosis rate was 14% under valsartan and 43% under ACE-i (p<0.0001). In stable angina, restenosis rates were 26.5% and 27.5%, respectively. Total MACE rates revealed significant differences in ACS due to reintervention rates of 22% and 7% under ACE-i and valsartan (p<0.0001). The administration of 80 mg valsartan after bare metal stent implantation leads to a reduction of in-stent-restenosis compared to ACE-i. This effect is mainly due to beneficial effects of valsartan in cases with initial ACS. Major differences between ACE-i and valsartan are discussed including inflammation, activation of neutrophils, mode of bradykinin activation, AT2 receptor stimulation and apoptosis of smooth muscle cells.

Successful recanalization of an occluded coronary artery by percutaneous coronary intervention, systemic administration of tirofiban, a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor, and intracoronary thrombolysis with alteplase.

A 51 year-old male was admitted to our institution with subacute inferior myocardial infarction. Coronary angiography showed thrombotic occlusion of the right coronary artery. Percutaneous coronary intervention including the delivery of 3 stents was unsuccessful (TIMI grade 0 flow). In addition to an ongoing systemic administration of tirofiban, a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor, the patient received intracoronary thrombolysis (ICT) with alteplase (recombinant tissue type plasminogen activator, rt-PA). There was complete reperfusion on control angiography the following day (TIMI grade 3 flow); 7 months later, there was still TIMI grade 3 flow. To our knowledge, this is the first report on systemic administration of tirofiban combined with ICT.

A coconut left atrium 23 years after mitral valve replacement for chronic mitral stenosis.

We present the case of a 65 year-old female who was admitted to the hospital because of deterioration of chronic dyspnea. Twenty-three years prior to this admission, mitral valve replacement for chronic mitral stenosis was performed using a Starr-Edwards caged-ball prosthesis. There was severe pulmonary hypertension. On transthoracic echocardiography and on cineradiography, the function of the mitral valve prosthesis was unimpaired. However, cineradiography showed extensive mural calcification of the left atrium; we report this remarkable finding.

[Pilot study of the effectiveness of combination therapy with reduced dose alteplase and the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa antagonist tirofiban in acute myocardial infarct]. / Pilotstudie zur Wirksamkeit einer Kombinationstherapie einer reduzierten Dosis von Alteplase und dem Glykoprotein IIb/IIIa Antagonisten Tirofiban beim akuten Myokardinfarkt.

In a pilot study with a total of 43 patients (31 males, 12 females) at a mean age of 64.2 +/- 12.1 years, the efficacy of a combination of a reduced dosage of alteplase (50 mg) and tirofiban with a start infusion of 0.4 microgram/kg/min over half an hour and an infusion rate of 0.10 microgram/kg/min over 12 h (PRISM-PLUS, modified) in four patients and a bolus of 10 micrograms/kg over 3 minutes and an infusion rate of 0.15 microgram/kg/min over 24 h (RESTORE, modified) in 39 patients were tested in acute myocardial infarction with regard to patency of infarct vessel and TIMI flow according to coronary angiography after 60 minutes, 30-day mortality and bleeding complications. The use of tirofiban in the PRISM-PLUS dosage led to an infarct vessel patency of 25% with TIMI III flow in one case. There were no complications in the next 30 days in this group. The use of tirofiban in the RESTORE dosage led to an infarct-vessel patency of 87%, a TIMI III flow in 79%, a 30-day mortality of 2.6% and a slight PCI-associated bleeding complication in one case. The combination of alteplase in a reduced dosage and tirofiban with a single bolus and an infusion rate according to the RESTORE study with satisfactory efficacy and low complication rate seems to be useful in the management of acute myocardial infarction.

Simultaneous percutaneous treatment in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and coronary artery disease: a case report.

Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is an established therapy for coronary artery disease (CAD), whereas percutaneous transluminal septal myocardial ablation (PTSMA) is becoming increasingly significant in the therapy of symptomatic patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). We report the first ever simultaneous treatment, in a 62-yr-old patient, of significant HOCM and a 75% LAD stenosis from which the septal branch to be occluded stemmed. Using a double wire technique, first the septal branch was occluded through a fractional injection of 4 ml absolute alcohol, thus ablating the hypertrophied septal myocardium with reduction of the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) gradient at rest from 80 to 9 mmHg. Following this, the LAD stenosis was dilated and stented. Complications, in particular a trifascicular block or ventricular dysrhythmia, did not occur during the hospital stay. To conclude, combined PTSMA and PTCA may be considered as a therapeutic alternative to a combined surgical intervention in individual cases of symptomatic HOCM and CAD, provided that the potential complications are taken into account.