Epidemiological, Clinical and Angiographic Profile of Chronic Coronary Syndromes in the Catheterization Room. Single-Centre Study Carried Out in the Cardiology Department of the Chu Aristide Le Dantec in Dakar (Senegal)

Background: Ischaemic heart disease is the cause of 7.4 million deaths per year. Their prevention is based on the management of cardiovascular risk factors, but also on the early detection and management of chronic coronary syndromes (CCS), for which few data are available in Africa. The main objective of our study was to determine the factors related to significative coronary artery disease in patients undergoing coronarography for suspected chronic coronary syndrome (CCS). Methodology: We conducted a retrospective descriptive and analytical study over 2 years (from January, 1st, 2018 to December 31st, 2019) in the Cardiology Department of the University Hospital Aristide Le DANTEC in Dakar. All patients admitted for coronary angiography for suspected chronic coronary syndrome were included. Results: One hundred and fifty-two patients were included with a mean age of 60.79 ± 9.73 years, the most represented age group was 60 - 69 years. Advanced age was the most frequent risk factor (77.63%) followed by sedentary lifestyle (56.58%) and hypertension (41.45%). Diabetes was present in 17.1% of cases. A history of angioplasty was found in 1.97% of patients. Typical pain was found in 71.05% of cases, atypical pain in 19.74% and exertional dyspnoea in 2.63%. The pre-test probability was intermediate in 67.1% of cases, low in 25% and high in 7.9%. Significative coronary lesion was found in 52.63% of the patients, while coronary angiography was normal in the remaining cases. Tritroncular status was observed in 37.50%, it was bitroncular in 26.25% and monotroncular in 36.25% of cases. Factors associated with significative coronary artery disease were age (p = 0.0001), diabetes (p = 0.006), previous angioplasty (p = 0.023), previous myocardial infarction (p = 0.018), typical angina (p = 0.001), intermediate pretest probability (p = 0.001). Low pretest probability was significantly correlated with the absence of a coronary lesion with a p = 0.001. Conclusion: Our study shows that screening for chronic coronary disease should be done especially in diabetics, elderly subjects and those with previous angioplasty taking into account symptoms and pretest probability to avoid unnecessary invasive procedures.

Effects of Tirofiban and Nicorandil on Effective Reperfusion and the Levels of IL-4 and sICAM-1 After PCI for Chronic Coronary Total Occlusion

Aim:The effects of tirofiban combined with nicorandil on effective reperfusion,and the levels of interleukin-4(IL-4)and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1(sICAM-1)after percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)for chronic coronary total occlusion(CTO)were investigated.Method:From January 1,2017,to June 31,2019,a total of 40 patients with CTO receiving PCI in Shandong Qian-foshan Hospital were randomly divided into a control group(treated with single tirofiban)and a cocktail group(treated with nicorandil combined with tirofiban).Effective reperfusion was compared between groups.In addition,differences in coronary serum IL-4 and sICAM-1 levels before and 10 min after the operation were compared between groups,and the incidence rates of adverse reactions were observed.Finally,patient follow-up occurred at 1 month and 6 months,and the total incidence rates of adverse cardiac events in both groups were assessed.Results:The levels of IL-4 and sICAM-1 in the cocktail group significantly decreased after the operation(P<0.05).In addition,after the operation,significantly greater decreases in the IL-4 and sICAM-1 levels were observed in the cocktail group than the control group(P<0.05).The Seattle Angina Scale(SAQ)score of the cocktail group,compared with the control group,showed a significant improvement after vessel opening in the patients with CTO.At the 1-month follow-up,the SAQ score of the cocktail group,compared with the control group,indicated further improvements in terms of angina attack frequency.No significant differences were observed in the incidence rates of adverse reactions between groups(P>0.05).Conclusion:The treatment of patients with CTO undergoing PCI with nicorandil and tirofiban alleviated the inflam-matory response,improved the SAQ scores,and decreased the occurrence of angina pectoris in patients.Moreover,this treatment is safe and reliable,and has important clinical significance.

PCI compared with medical therapy in elderly patients with chronic symptomatic coronary artery disease

Objective The aim of this study was to assess quality of results of elderly patients with coronary disease after medical or revascularisation therapy. Methods In this study, we enrolled 103 patients aged 75 years or older with chronic angina in which 47 patients were assigned coronary angiography and revascularisation and 56 patients with optimised medical therapy. The primary endpoint was quality of life after 6 months, as assessed by questionnaire and the presence of major adverse cardiac events (death, non fatal myocardial infarction, or hospital admission for acute coronary syndrome with or without the need for revascularisation). Results After 6 months follow up, angina severity decreased and measures of quality of life increased in both treatment groups( P <0.05 ); however, these improvements were significantly greater after revascularisation( P <0.01 ). Major adverse cardiac events occurred in 30 ( 53.6% ) of patients in the medical group and 9 ( 19.1% ) in the invasive group ( P <0.01 ).Conclusions Patients aged 75 years or older with angina benefit more from revascularisation than from optimised medical therapy in terms of symptom relief and quality of life. Therefore, these patients should be offered invasive assessment despite their high risk profile followed by revascularisation if feasible.

Outcomes after percutaneous coronary interventions in patients with chronic kidney disease

Introduction Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant contributor to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.Patients with CKD are known to have a greater prevalence of cardiovascular disease than the general population,1 and patients with concurrent CKD and coronary artery disease (CAD) have greater mortality than patients without CKD.2-4 The rate of cardiovascular mortality is approximately 50%,five to 10 times higher than the general population.

Association of level of leisure-time physical activity with risks of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease in an elderly Chinese population: a prospective cohort study

Background Implementing the current guidelines for leisure-time physical activity(LTPA)provides significant health benefits,especially for middle-aged adults,but it is unclear whether LTPA also translates into cardiovascular health benefits among elderly people.Therefore,we aimed to assess the association of LTPA with the risks of cardiovascular disease(CVD),including coronary heart disease(CHD)and stroke,and all-cause mortality in an elderly population.Methods In this prospective cohort study,32,942 participants aged 60 years or older who participated in a health check-up programme in China between 2010 and 2018 were included.We evaluated the morbidity and mortality risks through the Cox regression model,competing risk model and restricted cubic spline model.Results During a median of 6.84 years of follow-up,there were 6,857 elderly people with incident CVD;a total of 6,324 deaths occurred due to all causes and 2,060 deaths occurred due to CVD.Compared with the inactive group,reductions in CVD morbidity and mortality were observed,with hazard ratios(HRs)of 0.89(95%CI:0.83–0.96)and 0.81(95%CI:0.71–0.92)in the insufficiently active group,0.86(95%CI:0.80–0.92)and 0.79(95%CI:0.69–0.90)in the sufficiently active group,and 0.79(95%CI:0.70–0.89)and 0.58(95%CI:0.45–0.76)in the highly active group,respectively;but no significant reductions were observed in the very highly active group,with HRs of 0.87(95%CI:0.71–1.06)and 0.99(95%CI:0.70–1.40),respectively.Compared with the inactive group,reductions in all-cause mortality were also observed,with a HR of 0.90(95%CI:0.84–0.97)in the insufficiently active group,0.82(95%CI:0.77–0.89)in the sufficiently active group,0.77(95%CI:0.67–0.87)in the highly active group,and 0.80(95%CI:0.64–0.98)in the very highly active group.A restricted cubic spline diagram showed that there was an L-shaped association between LTPA and the risk of all-cause mortality but a U-shaped or reverse J-shaped relationship between LTPA and the risk of CVD morbidity and mortality,especially stroke.In addition,a subgroup analysis showed that elderly population who consistently performed LTPA for ten years or more had a lower risk of morbidity and mortality.Conclusions In an elderly population,even insufficient activity is associated with a decreased risk of all-cause mortality and CVD,and moderate levels of LTPA may be optimal for CVD prevention.In addition,elderly people who consistently perform LTPA over several years may experience greater health benefits.

ISCHEMIA trial:How to apply the results to clinical practice

During the last years two questions have been continuously asked in chronic coronary syndromes:(1)Do revascularization procedures(coronary artery bypass grafting or percutaneous coronary intervention)really improve symptoms of angina?and(2)Do these techniques improve outcomes,i.e.do they prevent new myocardial infarction events and cardiovascular death?Therefore,there was a need for a large definitive trial.This study was the ISCHEMIA trial,a large,multicentric trial sponsored by the National Heart,Lung,and Blood Institute.The main trial compared coronary revascularization and optimal medical treatment(OMT)vs OMT alone in 5179 patients enrolled after a stress test.During a median 3.2-year follow-up,318 primary outcome events occurred;the adjusted hazard ratio for the invasive strategy as compared with the conservative strategy was 0.93(95%confidence interval 0.80-1.08,P=0.34).The ISCHEMIA trial deeply disrupted many of our prior attitudes regarding management strategies for patients with stable coronary artery disease.The findings underscore the benefits of disease-modifying OMT for stable coronary artery disease patients.The main purposes of ischemia assessment before this trial were:Diagnostic purposes,assessment of outcome,and adding to decision-making processes.Obviously,this changed after the trial results.The results of ISCHEMIA might challenge the current diagnostic approach for stable angina patients recommended in the last European Society of Cardiology guidelines on chronic coronary disease that were based on studies published before the ISCHEMIA trial.In this editorial we propose our approach based on the ISCHEMIA study and the pretest probability for a positive test in patients with chronic coronary syndromes.

Conservative Approach Might Be the Strategy by Default in Stable Angina Patients: A Case Report

Management of stable angina is still a matter of debate. Whether a conservative or invasive approach is better remains unclear. Even though recent large-scale randomized trials depict the conservative strategy as safe and efficient. In this report, we present a case of a 53-year-old male patient with cardiovascular risk factors of hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. He complained about typical chest pain at exertion. The coronary angiogram (CA) revealed severe stenosis of the proximal left anterior descending artery (LAD) ostium. After heart team discussion, coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) was advocated. However, due to a lack of means, the CABG was postponed. Meanwhile, he was managed with guideline-based medical therapy. In addition, he exercised regularly and adopted a healthy diet. Evolution was favorable with excellent symptoms control. A regular follow-up was organized with his cardiologist. A new CA before an eventual CABG six years later showed a significant plaque volume regression of the proximal LAD. We decided to continue conservative management. The stress echocardiogram to assess symptoms and exercise tolerance was normal. Our patient was sent to surgery on top of optimal medical therapy even though angioplasty was a good indication and was feasible. However, while he was struggling to afford the CABG procedure, he adopted a very healthy lifestyle along with medical therapy. Six years later, the result of that approach was without appeal, suggesting and reinforcing the conservative management of stable heart disease over invasive strategy. The recent ISCHEMIA trial is a major argument supporting that approach.

Impact of Coronary Chronic Total Occlusion on Long-term Clinical Outcome in Patients with Unprotected Left Main Disease Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Objectives:Reported data regarding the prevalence,prognostic impact,and safety and efficacy of revascularization of coronary chronic total occlusion(CTO)in patients with left main coronary artery(LMCA)disease who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)are scarce.The aim of the present study was to compare clinical outcomes among patients with LMCA disease undergoing PCI.Outcomes were compared between those with and without coronary CTO and between those with CTO who had successful and unsuccessful CTO recanalization procedures.Methods:All consecutive patients with significant LMCA disease(>50%stenosis at coronary angiography)who underwent PCI between July 2014 and December 2018 were retrospectively included in our study.The primary endpoint of the study was long-term mortality.Secondary endpoints included the incidence of myocardial infarction,repeat percutaneous or surgical revascularization,stroke,and stent thrombosis.Results:Between July 2014 and December 2018,578 patients underwent PCI for LMCA disease at Pederzoli Hospital and University of Turin were enrolled.They were divided into 3 groups:group A:374(65%)patients without CTO,group B:108(19%)patients with untreated or unsuccessfully treated CTO,and group C:96(17%)patients with successfully treated CTO.At a median follow-up of(1090±279)days,there were no statistically significant differences between the groups in terms of the primary and secondary endpoints.However,there was a trend towards higher mortality in patients with untreated or unsuccessfully treated CTO(13%vs.19%vs.14%in groups A,B,and C,respectively;P=0.12).The primary and secondary endpoints were further analyzed based on the presence or absence of myocardial viability:subgroup C1:54(56%)patients with successful percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty(PTCA)having viability,and subgroup C2:42(44%)patients with successful PTCA not having viability.There was a trend toward a statistically significant higher rate of death among patients in group B,who underwent unsuccessful recanalization with viable myocardium(19%vs.9%vs.19%in groups B,C1,and C2,respectively,P=0.05).On multivariable analysis,the propensity for successful revascularization of CTO was associated with a reduced risk of death(P=0.01;odds ratio,0.75;95%confidence interval:0.62-0.87).Conclusions:Among patients with LMCA disease undergoing PCI,CTO represents a common finding associated with worse prognosis.Successful revascularization of CTO in patients with viable myocardium appears to significantly improve prognosis.

Comparison of long-term clinical outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention between in-stent restenosis and de novo chronic total occlusion

Background The occurrence of in-stent restenosis(ISR)coronary chronic total occlusion(CTO)is presently increasing. However,there were few data related to the long-term clinical outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)between ISR CTO and de novo CTO. Methods A total of 435 CTO patients who had attempted PCI between Jan 2013 and November 2017 were screened for inclusion in this study. The Kaplan-Meier method was applied to estimate event-free survival and the log-rank test to compare long-term outcome. Cox regression analysis was used to identify associations between adverse events and risk factors. Results There were84 ISR CTO cases and 351 de novo CTO cases in this study. Successful revascularization was achieved similar between ISR CTO group and de novo CTO group(84.5% vs. 87.2%,P=0.592). The prevalence of MACE[17.9% vs. 9.1%;hazard ratio(HR):2.323;95% confidence interval(CI)1.233-4.37;P=0.004]and TLR(8.3% vs. 3.4%;HR:2.627;95% CI 1.05-6.53;P<0.016)were higher in the ISR CTO group,during the 2-year follow-up. Conclusions The procedural success rate of ISR CTO achieved was comparable to that of de novo CTO in the contemporary practice. But the long-term clinical outcome was significantly worse in term of major adverse cardiac events and target lesion revascularization.