Analysis of the Nursing Effect of Continuity of Care on Elderly Patients with Coronary Heart Disease Unstable Angina and its Impact on Quality of Life

Objective:To analyze the effect of using continuity of care for elderly patients with coronary heart disease(CHD)with unstable angina pectoris(UAP)and its impact on their quality of life.Methods:100 cases of elderly patients with CHD with UAP admitted to our hospital from March 2022 to March 2023 were selected and grouped into an observation group and a control group of 50 cases each according to the randomized number table method.The nursing effect and quality of life of the observation group(continuity nursing)and the control group(routine nursing)were compared.Results:The total effective rate of nursing care was 96.00%observation group and 80.00%for the control group,and the differences were significant(χ2=6.061,P<0.05).Patients in the observation group had fewer episodes(1.42±0.21)times/week and a shorter duration(5.46±0.39)min,which were better than the control group(t=3.465,2.973;P<0.05).The depression self-rating depression scale(SDS)score(42.16±6.64)and anxiety self-rating scale(SAS)score(32.26±7.35)in the observation group were lower and the quality of life was higher as compared to that of the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion:Continuous nursing care improved the nursing effect of elderly CHD with UAP patients,promoted the alleviation of UAP symptoms,improved patient mentality,and improved their quality of life.Hence,continuous nursing care possesses significant clinical application value.

Effects of systematic cardiac rehabilitation training in elderly patients with unstable angina following cardiac stent implantation

BACKGROUND Coronary stent implantation is usually used to treat unstable angina to alleviate stenosis or occlusion,promoting blood flow restoration and alleviating symptoms such as myocardial ischemia.And postoperative cardiac rehabilitation is essential for enhancing recovery and prognosis.Nevertheless,conventional rehabilitation lacks specificity,particularly for elderly patients with multiple comorbidities and poor compliance,rendering it less effective.AIM To investigate the effects of systematic cardiac rehabilitation training in elderly patients with unstable angina following coronary stenting intervention.METHODS A retrospective enrollment was conducted comprising fifty-four elderly patients with unstable angina pectoris who underwent systematic cardiac rehabilitation training after receiving coronary intervention as the rehabilitation group,while fifty-three elderly patients who received basic nursing and rehabilitation guidance measures after coronary intervention were assigned to the control group.Differences in Seattle Angina Questionnaire scores,survival quality(SF-36)scores,cardiopulmonary exercise function assessment index,echocardiographic cardiac function index,and adverse cardiovascular events were compared between the two groups.RESULTS After intervention,the rehabilitation group observed greater VO2 Max,maximum metabolic equivalent,eft ventricular ejection fraction,left ventricular end-diastolic diameter and smaller left ventricular end-systolic diameter.And the rehabilitation group observed greater scores of physical activity limitation,stable angina pectoris,treatment satisfaction,and SF-36 score.The incidence of adverse cardiovascular events in the two groups,showed no significant difference.CONCLUSION Systematic cardiac rehabilitation following coronary stenting in elderly patients with unstable angina pectoris can enhance cardiac function recovery,consequently enhancing both quality of life and cardiopulmonary exercise tolerance.

Efficacy and prognostic impact of Pericarpium Trichosanthis injection combined with nicorandil for intractable angina pectoris in elderly patients: A retrospective study

BACKGROUND Coronary artery disease(CAD)is a leading cause of global cardiovascular morta-lity.Refractory angina pectoris,a manifestation of CAD,requires effective drug treatments.Pericarpium Trichosanthis injection,a traditional Chinese medicine,improves cardiovascular symptoms,while nicorandil alleviates spasms and angina.Both have potential in treating CAD.AIM To investigate the therapeutic effects of combining Pericarpium Trichosanthis injection and nicorandil in elderly patients suffering from refractory angina caused by coronary heart disease.METHODS A retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of 130 patients diagnosed with refractory coronary heart disease.Based on the different treatment regimens administered during hospitalization,the patients were divided into a control group(58 cases)and a study group(72 cases).The control group received conven-tional treatment,which included aspirin,statins,and nitrate vasodilators.In addition to the conventional medication,the study group received a combination treatment of Pericarpium Trichosanthis injection and nicorandil.RESULTS After treatment,the study group showed significantly higher left ventricular ejection fraction and cardiac output,and lower brain natriuretic peptide and C-reactive protein levels compared to the control group.The study group also exhibited improvements in angina,quality of life,exercise endurance,and lipid profiles.Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed a relationship of lipid levels and heart function with the combined treatment.Some patients in the study group experienced headaches during treatment,but no significant adverse reactions were observed.Follow-up showed that the treatment was well-tolerated,with no drug-related adverse reactions detected.CONCLUSION Combination of Pericarpium Trichosanthis injection and nicorandil is more effective than conventional treatment in improving symptoms and heart function in elderly patients with refractory angina pectoris.

Vasospastic angina in women: Clinical backgrounds and prognoses of patients younger than and older than 60 years

BACKGROUND We frequently encounter cases of women with vasospastic angina(VSA).Additionally,some women with VSA are younger than 60 years old.However,it is unknown whether the characteristics of VSA in women aged<60 years are different from those in women aged≥60 years.AIM To investigate and compare the clinical characteristics and prognosis of VSA in women aged<60 years from those in women aged≥60 years.METHODS We enrolled 94 women with VSA who were diagnosed using the spasm provocation test.According to the age at diagnosis,the patients were divided into two groups:Group Y(age<60 years,n=17)and Group O(age≥60 years,n=77).Flow-mediated dilation(FMD)and nitroglycerin(NTG)-induced dilation(NID)of the brachial artery were performed and assessed using brachial ultrasonography.Moreover,conventional coronary risk factors,such as atherosclerotic lesions(stenosis>20%)detected using coronary angiography and focal spasms(coronary spasm within one segment of one coronary artery),and major cardiovascular adverse events(MACE)were assessed in both groups.RESULTS Smoking was more prevalent in Group Y than in Group O(P=0.04).FMD was similar in both groups(Group O:4.3%±3.2%,Group Y:4.5%±3.3%;P=0.75),whereas NID was higher in Group Y(20.5%±8.6%)than in Group O(13.6%±5.3%,P<0.01).Atherosclerosis was not detected in Group Y but was detected in Group O(61%,P<0.01).Focal spasms were less frequent in Group Y(12%)than in Group O(38%,P=0.04).The incidence of major adverse cardiac events did not differ between the two groups(P=0.40).CONCLUSIONWomen aged < 60 years with VSA have less atherosclerotic lesions and focal spasms. These characteristicsmay be affected by smoking habits and vascular smooth muscle dysfunction.

Advances in Research of Treatment of Angina Pectoris in Coronary Heart Disease from the Method of Dredging Collaterals with Pungent

The angina pectoris in coronary heart disease belongs to the category of"chest impediment"in traditional Chinese medicine,and belongs to the syndrome of root deficiency with tip excess.Its main pathogenesis is obstruction of the heart collaterals,and treatment mainly adopts dredging collaterals and relieving pain.Based on the treatment principles of dredging collaterals with pungent,aiming at the etiology,pathogenesis and disease characteristics of angina pectoris in coronary heart disease,this article systematically analyzes the Method of Dredging Collaterals with Pungent including the methods of dredging collaterals with pungent moisture,dredging collaterals with pungent warm,dredging collaterals with pungent aroma,and dredging collaterals with insect type drugs,to provide ideas for the treatment of angina pectoris in coronary heart disease.

食道异物诱发Ludwig’s angina继发Ⅱ度喉梗阻1例

路德维希咽峡炎(Ludwig’s angina,LA)又称为坏死性颈筋膜炎,是口底、颌下和颈部的一种弥漫性坏死性感染,病情凶险、发展迅速,常并发脓毒症、肺炎、窒息、脓胸及心包炎,当LA累及颌下和舌下间隙时,由于靠近咽喉及气道,感染从舌下间隙扩散到会厌易引起气道阻塞,误诊和延误治疗常常导致患者死亡[1,2]。有研究发现,通过及时的气道管理、抗生素治疗、先进的成像技术以及外科手术治疗,LA目前的病死率降至8%,而入住ICU的LA患者,病死率仍为10.34%[3,4]。牙源性感染、扁桃体周围脓肿、腮腺炎、中耳炎或头颈部手术为LA发生的常见原因,其中牙源性感染是主要原因[5],食道异物后继发LA极为罕见,国内外文献均未见报导。糖尿病不仅是该病的主要危险因素之一,合并糖尿病还会增加患者死亡率。我院于2019年收治1例因食道异物后出现LA,后继发喉梗阻Ⅱ°合并糖尿病的患者,经过38d的治疗与观察,患者病情平稳后出院。

A systematic review and meta-analysis of Dengzhanxixin injection for coronary heart disease with angina pectoris patients

Background:Dengzhanxixin Injection(DZXXI)has been widely used to treat Coronary heart disease with angina pectoris patients.Therefore,the study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of DZXXI in treating Coronary heart disease with angina pectoris.Methods:The Cochrane Library,the China National Knowledge Infrastructure database,the Wanfang database,the VIP database,the PubMed database,the Medline database,the EMBASE database,and Clinical Trial were used to search literatures up to August 2022.Results:The results showed that DZXXI combined with conventional therapy were significant in clinical efficacy(relative risk(RR)=1.23,95%cerebral infarction(CI):1.18,1.29;P<0.01)and electrocardiogram curative effect(RR=1.35,95%CI:1.24-1.47;P<0.01),even the subgroup of the DZXXI≤20 ml showed the largest difference.In addition,DZXXI combined with conventional therapy could lower the level of triacylglycerol(mean difference(MD)=−0.63,95%CI:−0.72,−0.55;P<0.01),total cholesterol(MD=−1.18,95%CI:−1.28,−1.09;P<0.01)and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol(MD=−0.98,95%CI:−1.08,−0.88;P<0.01),improve the level of high density lipoprotein-cholesterol(MD=0.41,95%CI:0.33,0.49;P<0.01),blood viscosity(MD=−1.09,95%CI:−1.32,−1.86,P<0.01),plasma viscosity(MD=−0.11,95%CI:−0.11,−0.11,P<0.01)and fibrin(MD=−1.50,95%CI:−1.53,−1.47,P<0.01).Conclusion:These findings revealed that there was more efficacious in DZXXI combined with conventional therapy than that in conventional therapy for the Coronary heart disease with angina pectoris and low dose of DZXXI might be suggested.

Clinical significance of prolonged chest pain in vasospastic angina

BACKGROUND Patients with vasospastic angina(VSA)sometimes experience prolonged chest symptoms.The clinical characteristics of these patients have not been clarified.AIM To investigate the clinical characteristics of prolonged VSA patients.METHODS This study included 167 patients with VSA diagnosed by spasm provocation tests(SPTs)using acetylcholine,which recorded the frequencies of positive reactions to a low dose of acetylcholine(L-ACh),total occlusion due to spasm(TOC),focal spasm,and the unavoidable use of nitroglycerin(unavoidable-NTG)during SPTs.The patients underwent a medical interview that investigated the maximum duration and frequency of chest symptoms as well as the frequencies of variant angina and other serious symptoms.The patients were divided into two groups based on the maximal duration:The short-duration group(<15 min;n=114)and the long-duration group(≥15 min;n=53).They were also divided into two groups based on the frequency of chest symptoms:The low-frequency group(<4/mo;n=88)and the high-frequency group(≥4/mo;n=79).RESULTS The long-duration group showed higher frequencies of other serious symptoms(P<0.001)and variant angina(P<0.05)as well as higher frequencies of spasm induction by L-ACh(P<0.05),TOC(P<0.05),focal spasm(P<0.01),and unavoidable-NTG(P<0.01)than the short-duration group.These parameters did not differ significantly between the low-frequency and high-frequency groups.CONCLUSION These findings suggest that patients with VSA who experience prolonged chest symptoms may have more severe characteristics of VSA.

Verapamil and vasospastic angina： underuse in the elderly population

The first case of Prinzmetal angina was described in 1959 by Prinzmetal, et al. Since this description, several triggering factors have been associated with vasospastic angina （VA） and included： illicit drugs such as cocaine, amphetamine or marijuana, but also bitter-orange, alcohol, butane, chemotherapy drugs, over-the-counter medication and different antibiotics. Smoking is also a major risk factor for developing VA.t21 Thus, except for smoking, many of conventional atherosclerosis risk factors do not appear to be applicable to VA.t21 However, vasospastic angina can also occur without any triggering factor.

Effects of preinfarction angina on no-reflow phenomenon after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Objective To evaluate effects of preinfarction angina(PA) on no reflow phenomenon after percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI) in patients with acute myocardial infarction(AMI).Methods one hundred patients with first AMI were divided into no reflow group( n =15)and reflow group( n =85). All patients undervent PCI within 12h after onset of AMI.No reflow phenomenon,defined as TIMI grade 2 flow or less without apparent residual stenosis .Myocardial enzyme was continuously measured;Left ventricular function was assessed by radionuclideimaging; The incidence of ventricular aneurysm and in hospital mortality was observed. Results (1)Patients with no reflow had a significantly lower incidence of PA( 20% vs 61% , P <0.01 ), a higher incidence of anterior infarction (67%vs35%, P <0.05 ), and had significantly higher peak creatine MB fraction than those with reflow(403±132vs277±151, P <0.01 ).(2) Patients with no reflow had significantly larger myocardial infarction area (MIA) ( 27.6 ±9.1% vs 20.9 ±9.4% , P <0.01 ), significantly higer left ventricular ejection fraction (46±8% vs 53±9%, P <0.01 ),and had a higher incidence of ventricular aneurysm and mortality than those with reflow (20%vs4%,p<0.05;20% vs 2%, P <0.05 ). (3)Multivariate Logistic analysis showed that the absence of preinfarction angina was a major independent determinant of no reflow( OR = 6.12 , P =0.01 ).Conclusions The absence of preinfarction angina is a high dangerous factor of no reflow phenomenon; No reflow phenomenon is associated with a high incidence of heart failure and mortality.

New Developments in Anti-Anginal Therapy: Roles of Ivabradine, Allopurinol and of Agents Modifying Myocardial Metabolism

Over the last 20 years, it has emerged that, while surgical revascularisation of extensive ischaemic heart disease may have prognostic advantages, the main issues considered regarding individual management are usually those of symptomatic improvement only. The major impetus towards invasive intervention is therefore failure of prophylactic anti-anginal therapy. On the other hand, many patients, especially the elderly, now present the clinical problem of ongoing angina without residual invasive options. There is an ongoing need for more effective anti-anginal therapies. Of the currently available major classes of prophylactic anti-anginal agents, neither nitrates, β-blockers nor calcium antagonists generally produce marked improvements in exercise duration. Three areas of new therapeutic development in anti-anginal therapy are worthy of note. These involve the sinus node inhibitor ivabradine, high dose allopurinol (xanthine oxidase inhibitor) and a new class of “metabolic modulators” represented by perhexiline, trimetazidine and probably ranolazine. The current review addresses the therapeutic potential of these agents. Notably, all of these “new” drugs are potentially suitable for management of angina in the setting of impaired left ventricular systolic function, and they may also be utilized in patients with angina independent of the presence of coronary disease (for example in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy). The current evidence for efficacy and potential future development in this area are reviewed.

Assessment of Acute Episodes in Chronic Stable Angina: A Clinical-Laboratory Approach to the Use of the Coronary Vasodilator Propatyl Nitrate

Background/Objectives: Propatyl nitrate is a coronary vasodilator with immediate and prolonged action, indicated in the treatment and prevention of acute angina pectoris episodes. Methods: This was an open, self-paired comparative study performed at UNIFESO Medical School evaluating the clinical and laboratory results of treatment with propatyl nitrate in patients with chronic stable angina pectoris. Subjects received 10 mg of propatyl nitrate, at the dose of three sublingual tablets per day, to be taken at 8:00 A.M., 2:00 P.M., and 8:00 P.M. Subjects returned to the study center after 15 days of treatment for Visit 2 assessments, and at the end of the 30-day treatment period (Visit 3). Results: A total of 200 subjects were included in the study. There was a statistically significant reduction in blood pressure (p < 0.0001) and heart rate (p = 0.0001), but no change in respiratory rate (p = 0.23). Laboratory results did not vary throughout the treatment period. There was no significant change from pretreatment in the SAQ Physical Limitation scale (p = 0.7415). The Angina Stability, Angina Frequency, and Treatment Satisfaction, and Quality of Life scales showed a significant improvement from pretreatment (p < 0.0001). Adverse events were observed among 41 subjects at Visit 2 and 35 subjects at Visit 3. Conclusions: Propatyl nitrate was safe and effective in treating chronic stable angina pectoris over the course of the 30-day treatment period. Treatment with propatyl nitrate increased angina stability and reduced angina frequency while increasing treatment satisfaction and quality of life in the patient population evaluated.

Identifying Metabolite and Protein Biomarkers in Unstable Angina In-patients by Feature Selection Based Data Mining Method

Unstable angina（UA） is the most dangerous type of Coronary Heart Disease（CHD） to cause more and more mortal and morbid world wide. Identification of biomarkers for UA at the level of proteomics and metabolomics is a better avenue to understand the inner mechanism of it. Feature selection based data mining method is better suited to identify biomarkers of UA. In this study, we carried out clinical epidemiology to collect plasmas of UA in-patients and controls. Proteomics and metabolomics data were obtained via two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis and gas chromatography techniques. We presented a novel computational strategy to select biomarkers as few as possible for UA in the two groups of data. Firstly, decision tree was used to select biomarkers for UA and 3-fold cross validation was used to evaluate computational performanees for the three methods. Alternatively, we combined inde- pendent t test and classification based data mining method as well as backward elimination technique to select, as few as possible, protein and metabolite biomarkers with best classification performances. By the method, we selected 6 proteins and 5 metabolites for UA. The novel method presented here provides a better insight into the pathology of a disease.

Plasma Levels of the Anti-inflammatory Cytokine IL-10 and Inflammatory Cytokine IL-6 in Patients with Unstable Angina

The plasma levels of inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 （IL-6） and anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 （IL-10） in the patients with unstable angina or stable angina were determined and compared. In 30 patients with unstable angina and 22 patients with stable angina, plasma levels of IL-10 and IL-6 were detected by ELISA and plasma lipid parameters by lipid research clinical methods respectively. The results showed plasma levels of IL-10 were significantly lower in unstable angina group than in stable angina group （P=0. 005）, while those of IL-6 were significantly increased in unstable angina group as compared with those in stable angina group （P= 0. 039）. There was a significantly negative correlation between IL-10 and IL-6 in patients with unstable angina （r=-0.41, P=0. 003）. In the unstable angina group, IL-6 levels were obviously positively correlated with TC （r=0. 314, P=0. 023）, but not with TG and HDL. There were no significant correlations between IL-10 and plasma lipid parameters. It was suggested that the decreased IL-10 and increased IL-6 might be associated with the atheromatous plaque stability and progression of coronary heart diseases. IL-10 may play an important role in preventing coronary vascular lesions.

A Clinical Study of Safflower Yellow Injection in Treating Coronary Heart Disease Angina Pectoris with Xin-Blood Stagnation Syndrome

Objective： To evaluate the clinical effect and safety of Safflower Yellow injection （SYI） in treating coronary heart disease angina pectoris （OHD-AP） with Xin-blood stagnation syndrome （XBSS）. Methods： Adopted was the multi-centered, randomized, positive parallel controlled method, 448 patients with CHD-AP-XBSS were enrolled and divided into two groups, 336 in the tested group treated with SYI and 112 in the control group treated with Salvia injection by intravenous dripping once a day for 14 days, so as to observe the conditions of angina, electrocardiogram, and therapeutic effect on traditinal Chinese medicine （TCM） symptoms as well as the safety of the treatment. Results： The significantly effective rate and total effective rate in the tested group were 60.06% （194/323） and 91.02 % （294/323） respectively; those in improvement of TOM symptoms were 40. 18% （129/321） and 75.23% （243/323） respectively, which were better than those in the control group （P〈0.01）. Conclusion： SYI Injection is effective and safe in treating OHD-AP-XBSS.

Study on Effect of Zhixinkang Capsule(脂欣康胶囊)in TreatingUnstable Effort Angina and Hyperlipidemia and Its Function in Vascular Endothelium Protection

Objective:To observe the clinical effect and protection of vascular endothelium of Zhixin-kang Capsule (ZXKC) in middle-aged and old people with unstable effort angina and hyperlipidemia. Methods: Sixty-five patients with unstable effort angina were randomly divided into ZXKC group (34 cases) and control group (31 cases). Conventional western medical therapy was given to both groups, with ZXKC group receiving additional ZXKC treatment. Data of 20 healthy persons were taken as normal group. Forty-eight patients with hyperlipidemia were divided into ZXKC group treated with ZXKC (31 cases) and control group treated with Yixintong (17 cases). The changes of clinical symptoms and laboratory indexes in all the patients were observed before and after treatment. Results: In patients with unstable effort angina, the efficacy of treatment of ZXKC, the withdrawal rate of nitroglycerin, the relieving of symptoms, the improvement of the electrocardiogram, the counts of circulating endothelial cells, the content of platelet P-selectin, the content of plasma endothelin (ET), the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the activity of malonyldialdehyde (MDA) were all better than those in the control group. In patients with hyperlipidemia, there was no significant difference in lipids reduction between ZXKC group and the control group. In both groups, the total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipo-protein-cholesterol (LDL-C), lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] , ET, oxidized low density lipoprotein, MDA, arte-riosclerotic index (AI) all lowered obviously, while the SOD, HDL-C and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) were all elevated markedly. In the ZXKC group, the nitric oxide(NO) increased significantly whereas the ET/CGRP and ET/NO decreased markedly. The total effective rate in symptom relieving, the markedly effective rate, the reduction of TC, ET and ET/CGRP, and the elevation of SOD in ZXKC group were all superior to those in the control group. Conclusion: ZXKC could effectively resist myocardial ischemia, relieve angina, reduce blood lipids, protect vascular endothelial cells, inhibit the activation of platelets, and resist lipid peroxidation.

Development of cryptotanshinone-loaded pellets for angina chronotherapy:In vitro/in vivo prediction and evaluation

The clinical manifestations of variant angina is unevenly distributed during the 24 h, thusthe in vivo performance of drugs should be tailored according to the angina circadianrhythm. Cryptotanshinone(CTN) is one of the representative bioactive lipid-soluble com-ponents of Danshen which has been commonly used for cardiovascular diseases such asangina pectoris. The aim of this study was to develop a novel CTN sustained-released pel-lets(CTN-SRPs) to precisely synchronize the CTN plasma concentrations with predictedoccurrence of angina pectoris for angina chronotherapy. A deconvolution-based methodwas applied to develop and optimize the CTN-SRPs. The plasma concentration-time curveof CTN immediate-released formulation after oral administration in rats was used as theweight function. The predicted plasma concentration-time curve of CTN-SRPs simulatedaccording to the incidence of variant angina during 24 h was used as the response func-tion. Then the desired drug release profile of CTN-SRPs was calculated based on deconvo-lution using weight function and response function, and subsequently used for guiding theformulation optimization. CTN-SRPs were prepared with the combinations of PVP, polox-amer 127 and EC as matrix using fluidized bed technology. An orthogonal design was em-ployed to obtain the optimal formulation with its release profile similar with the desiredone. Pharmacokinetic studies validated that the actual plasma concentration-time curve ofthese optimized CTN-SRPs was similar with the predicted one. In addition, the percent er-rors(%PE) of CTN plasma concentrations in 8–12 h were less than 10%. In conclusion, thisdeconvolution-based method could be applied to adjust the in vivo performance of drugs forangina chronotherapy.

Prevalence of linked angina and gastroesophageal reflux disease in general practice

AIM： To evaluate the association between gastroesophageal reflux diseases （GERD） and coronary heart diseases. METHODS： One thousand nine hundred and seventy consecutive patients who attended our hospital were enrolled. All of the patients who first attend our hospital were asked to respond to the F-scale questionnaire regardless of their chief complaints. All patients had a careful history taken, and resting echocardiography （ECG） was performed by physicians if the diagnostic necessity arose. Patients with ECG signs of coronary artery ischemia were defined as ST- segment depression based on the Minnesota code. RESULTS： Among 712 patients （36%） with GERD, ECG was performed in 171 （24%）, and ischemic changes were detected in eight （5%）. Four （50%） of these patients with abnormal findings upon ECG had no chest symptoms such as chest pain, chest oppression, or palpitations. These patients （0.6%; 4/712） were thought to have non-GERD heartburn, which may be related to ischemic heart disease. Of 281 patients who underwent ECG and did not have GERD symptoms, 20 （7%） had abnormal findings upon ECG. In patients with GERD symptoms and ECG signs of coronary artery ischemia, the prevalence of linked angina was considered to be 0.4% （8/1970 patients）.CONCLUSION： The present study suggested that ischemic heart disease might be found although a patient was referred to the hospital with a complaint of GERD symptoms. Physicians have to be concerned about missing clinically important coronary artery disease while evaluating patients for GERD symptoms.

Coronary revascularization in the elderly with stable angina

A proportion of elderly with coronary artery disease is rapidly growing. They have more severe coronary artery disease, therefore, derive more benefit fi＇om revascularization and have a greater need for it. The elderly is a heterogeneous group, but compared to the younger cohort, the choice of the optimal revascularization method is much more complicated among them. In recent decades, results has improved dramatically both in surgery and percutaneous coronary intervention （PCI）, even in very old persons. Despite the lack of evidence in elderly, it is obvious, that coronary artery bypass surgery （CABG） has a more pronounced effect on long-term survival in price of more strokes, while PCI is certainly less invasive. Age itself is not a criterion for the selection of treatment strategy, but the elderly are often more interested in quality of life and personal independence instead of longevity. This article discusses the factors that influence the choice of the revascularization method in the elderly with stable angina and presents a complex algorithm for making an individual risk-benefit profile. As a consequence the features of CABG and PCI in elderly patients are exposed. Emphasis is centered on the frailty and non-medical factors, including psychosocial, as essential components in making the decision of what strategy to choose. Good communication with the patients and giving them unbiased information is encouraged.

Relationship between resistin level in serum and acute coronary syndrome or stable angina pectoris

Objective： To investigate the relationship between serum resistin level and acute coronary syndrome （ACS） or stable angina pectoris （SAP）. Methods： Sixty-five patients, with coronary artery disease, were enrolled and divided into three subgroups： acute myocardial infarction （AMI）, unstable angina pectoris （UAP） and SAP, and 26 healthy people were recruited as controls in the cross-sectional study. Serum resistin levels were determined by ELISA （enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay）, and WBC （white blood cell count）, hsCRP （high sensitive C-reaction protein）, CKmax （maximum of creatinkinase）, CK-MBmax （maximum of isozyme of creatinkinase） and cTnImax （maximum of troponin） were measured by standard laboratory methods. Results： The serum resistin levels were 4 folds higher in AMI patients, 2.43 folds in UAP patients and I. 12 folds in SAP patients than in the healthy controls （P〈0.05）. The resistin levels were also significantly different between AMI [（8.16±0.79） ng/ml], UAP [（5.59±0.75） ng/ml] and SAP [（3.45±0.56） ng/ml] groups （P〈0.01）; WBC, hsCRP, CK CK-MBmax and cTnlmax were significantly increased in AMI patients over UAP and SAP patients. Spearman analysis showed that serum resistin levels were positively correlated with WBC （r=0.412, P=0.046）, hsCRP （r=0.427,p=0.037）, CK CK-MBmax and cTnImax （r=0.731, 0.678, 0.656; P〈0.01）. Conclusion： Serum resistin levels increased with inflammatory factors and myocardial impairment. The results suggest that human resistin might play an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and AMI as an inflammatory factor.