Could Heart Rate Variability Serve as a Prognostic Factor in Patients with Pulmonary Hypertension? A Single-center Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVE: Heart rate variability (HRV), which is defined as cyclic changes in sinus rate with time, is used as a measure of cardiac autonomic tone. Our aim was to determine the impact of HRV on short-term prognosis in pulmonary hypertension (PH). METHODS: We enrolled 64 PH patients and 69 healthy subjects (control group). Patients were evaluated by Holter-ECG, echocardiography, and laboratory tests. 24-h Holter-ECG monitoring was used for HRV. The development of adverse events (right heart failure, hospitalization, syncope, and death) during the 6-month follow-up was evaluated in PH group. RESULTS: PH group (39 ± 16 years, 37.5% males) comprised of 16 patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) (25%), 36 patients with PAH associated with congenital heart disease (56.3%), 3 PAH associated with connective tissue disease (4.7%), 1 with portopulmonary (1.6%), and 8 chronic thromboembolic PH (12.5%). The time-dependent (standard deviation of all NN intervals for a selected time period [SDNN], standard deviation of the 5-min mean R-R intervals tabulated over an entire day [SDANN], SDNN Index, and Triangular Index) and frequency-dependent HRV indices (low frequency, high-frequency power, and total power,) were significantly reduced in those with PH. Functional class was negatively associated with SDNN, SDANN, SDNN Index, and Triangular Index. Adverse events developed in 25% of the patients during the 6-month follow-up period (200 ± 92 days) (7 patients had right-heart failure, 5 syncope, 12 patients were hospitalized, and 9 had died). All the time and frequency-dependent indices significantly associated with adverse events. Mortality correlated with SDNN (rS = -0.354, P = 0.005), SDANN (rS = -0.368, P = 0.004), SDNN Index (rS = -0.257, P = 0.045), Triangular Index (rS = -0.310, P = 0.014), and VLF (rS = -0.265, P = 0.039). CONCLUSION: HRV is significantly depressed in patients with PH and is associated with the clinical status. HRV indices might predict clinical deterioration, adverse events, and mortality for 6 months. Non-invasive assessment of HRV through Holter-ECG may be a valuable and practical tool in risk stratification of patients with PH for short-term outcomes.

Comparing 5-year Outcomes of Aorta-Coronary Bypass Surgery and Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Performed with New-Generation Drug-Eluting Stents in Non-Diabetic Patients with Multivessel Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients and Intermediate Syntax Score.

OBJECTIVE: Our main objective is to determine the difference between patients undergoing CABG and PCI with new-generation drug-eluting stents who were non-diabetic during the course of a multivessel acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and intermediate SYNTAX score. METHODS: Between 2012 and 2014, we retrospectively evaluated 1011 non-diabetic patients with ACS in a single center. The patients were followed up up to 5-years. All- cause mortality, cardiac death, myocardial infarction, stroke, revascularization and stent thrombosis were recorded accordingly. RESULTS: A total of 516 (51%) patients were included in the PCI group and 495 patients (49%) in the CABG group. Stroke occurrence (PCI group: 0.8%, and CABG group: 2.6%, p=0.022), requirement for recurrent revascularizations (PCI group: 13.6%, and CABG group: 8.1%, p=0.005) and the MACE percentage (PCI group: 20.3%, and CABG group: 14.5%, p=0.015) were statistically significant between two groups. However, there was no statistical significance difference between two groups in terms of primary endpoints including death, MI, and stroke (PCI group: 10.9%, and CABG group: 8.3%, p=0.165) and all-cause mortality PCI group 6.2%, and CABG group: 4.7%, p=0.298). CONCLUSION: There was no difference in all-cause mortality and myocardial infarction between the PCI and the CABG groups during 5-year follow-up. The frequency of repeated revascularizations was lower in the CABG group than the PCI group. In contrast, the stroke rates were higher in the CABG group.