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Biosci Rep 2019 Feb 15. Epub 2019 Feb 15.

Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China

Unstable angina pectoris (UA) is one of the most dangerous clinical symptoms of acute coronary syndrome due to the risk of myocardial ischemia, which can lead to high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Though there are many advantages in understanding the pathophysiology of UA, the identification of biomarkers for the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of UA remains a challenge in the clinic. A global metabolomics research based on ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) combined with time of flight mass spectrometry (Q-TOF/MS) was performed to discover the metabolic profile of health controls, UA patients, and UA patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), and screen for potential biomarkers. Read More

Acta Clin Belg 2019 Feb 15:1-6. Epub 2019 Feb 15.

e Department of Gastroenteroly , AZ Maria Middelares , Ghent , Belgium.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection can present with a plethora of symptoms and result in a systemic vasculitis by activating a cascade of autoimmune reactions. In this case report, a young man without relevant past medical history was admitted to the hospital with diarrhea, abdominal pain and spiking fever. A CT-scan showed terminal ileitis. Read More

Int J Cardiol Heart Vasc 2019 Mar 1;22:148-149. Epub 2019 Feb 1.

Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States of America.

Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APLS) is well known to cause thrombotic events and premature atherosclerosis leading to coronary artery occlusion. The association of non-thrombotic acute myocardial infarctions (AMI) with APLS is not as clearly delineated. The objective of this study was to determine the relative prevalence of myocardial infarction with non obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) compared to MI from vaso-occlusive disease amongst patients with known APLS at our institution. Read More

Heart 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

University Hospital Hairmyres, East Kilbridge, UK.

CLINICAL INTRODUCTION: A 50-year-old woman presented with an inferoposterior ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and underwent emergency percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Angiography revealed acute occlusion of the circumflex and right coronary (RCA) arteries. PCI was uncomplicated. Read More

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich) 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, Japan.

Constipation is associated with cardiovascular events. Changes to the intestinal microbiota by constipation can induce atherosclerosis, blood pressure rise, and cardiovascular events. Constipation increases with age and often coexists with cardiovascular risk factors. Read More

Phytother Res 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Department of Pharmacy, University of Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy.

Cannabis (medical marijuana) is generally considered a low toxicity drug. The plant belongs to the family Cannabaceae (Urticales). Two main species may be recognized: Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica. Read More

Cardiol J 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

1st Department of Cardiology, University of Medical Sciences,Poznan, Poland, Dluga 1/2, 61-848 Poznan, Poland.

Background: The PSP (predilatation, sizing, post-dilatation)-technique was developed to improve the prognosis of patients after bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) implantation. In acute coronary syndrome (ACS) the use of BVS is particularly demanding and carries some potential risk regarding aggressive lesion preparation, proper vessel sizing due to spasm and thrombus inside the artery. The aim herein, was to determine the long-term results of BVS stenting in ACS patients depending on the scaffold implantation technique. Read More

Metabolomics 2018 Mar 31;14(3). Epub 2018 Jan 31.

Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Durham, NC, USA.

Introduction: Persons living with HIV (PLWH) are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) events than uninfected persons. Current risk-stratification methods to define PLWH at highest risk for CVD events are lacking.

Methods: Using tandem flow injection mass spectrometry, we quantified plasma levels of 60 metabolites in 24 matched pairs of PLWH [1:1 with and without known coronary artery disease (CAD)]. Read More

Scand Cardiovasc J 2019 Feb 14:1-21. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

b Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging , Norwegian University of Science and Technology , Trondheim , Norway.

Objectives: Chest pain is one of the most frequent chief complaints in patients admitted to the emergency department (ED). No study has evaluated this patient population in Norway. The aim of the present study was to describe the diagnoses and logistics of chest pain patients admitted to the ED at a Norwegian university hospital. Read More

Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2019 Feb 14:ATVBAHA118310955. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

From the Brigham and Women's Hospital Heart and Vascular Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.

Antiplatelet therapies are an essential tool to reduce the risk of developing clinically apparent atherothrombotic disease and are a mainstay in the therapy of patients who have established cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and peripheral artery disease. Strategies to intensify antiplatelet regimens are limited by concomitant increases in clinically significant bleeding. The development of novel antiplatelet therapies targeting additional receptor and signaling pathways, with a focus on maintaining antiplatelet efficacy while preserving hemostasis, hold tremendous potential to improve outcomes among patients with atherothrombotic diseases. Read More

Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2019 Feb 14:ATVBAHA118311963. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

From the Division of Cardiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (M.D.K., G.A.S.).

Current guidelines recommend dual antiplatelet therapy-a P2Y inhibitor (clopidogrel, prasugrel, or ticagrelor) and aspirin-for patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. Although clopidogrel is the most commonly prescribed P2Y inhibitor, it is associated with an increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in patients carrying loss-of-function CYP2C19 alleles. In contrast, CYP2C19 genotype does not impact clinical response to prasugrel or ticagrelor. Read More

Cardiology 2019 Feb 13;141(4):190-198. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan.

Objectives: We aimed to examine the relations of very high levels of serum uric acid (sUA) with features of culprit lesion plaque morphology determined by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and adverse clinical outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Methods: We retrospectively compared ACS patients according to sUA levels of > 8.0 mg/dL (n = 169), 7. Read More

Cardiology 2019 Feb 13;141(4):199-201. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Department of Cardiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung, and Blood Vessel Diseases, Beijing Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine of Coronary Atherosclerotic Diseases, Clinical Center for Coronary Heart Diseases, Beijing,

Platelets 2019 Feb 13:1-10. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

a Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease , University of Sheffield , Sheffield , United Kingdom.

Higher aspirin doses may be inferior in ticagrelor-treated acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients and reducing bleeding risk whilst maintaining antithrombotic benefits could improve outcomes. We characterized the pharmacodynamics of a novel dual-antiplatelet-therapy regimen consisting of very-low-dose twice-daily (BD) aspirin with standard-dose ticagrelor. A total of 20 ticagrelor-treated ACS patients entered a randomized crossover to take aspirin 20 mg BD (12-hourly) during one 14-day period and 75 mg once-daily (OD) in the other. Read More

Platelets 2019 Feb 13:1-11. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

b Department of Cardiology , The First Hospital of Lanzhou University , Lanzhou , Gansu , China.

Switching from a potent P2Y blocker to clopidogrel is not uncommon for antiplatelet therapy in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of this de-escalation strategy. Medical literature databases were searched for analysis comparing continued potent antiplatelet therapy and switching to clopidogrel with no language restrictions from inception to 07/May/2018. Read More

Eur J Cardiovasc Nurs 2019 Feb 13:1474515119831511. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

5 Bellvitge University Hospital and Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Barcelona, Spain.

Background And Aims:: Lack of achievement of secondary prevention objectives in patients with ischaemic heart disease remains an unmet need in this patient population. We aimed at evaluating the six-month efficacy of an intensive lipid-lowering intervention, coordinated by nurses and implemented after hospital discharge, in patients hospitalized for an ischaemic heart disease event.

Methods:: Randomized controlled trial, in which a nurse-led intervention including periodic follow-up, serial lipid level controls, and subsequent optimization of lipid-lowering therapy, if appropriate, was compared with standard of care alone in terms of serum lipid-level control at six months after discharge. Read More

Heart Lung Circ 2018 Dec 5. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic, Australia; Department of Cardiology, Austin Hospital, Melbourne, Vic, Australia.

Background: Past studies have found that depression is an independent predictor of death in patients after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Our aim was to investigate whether the adverse effect upon mortality of depression, including mild levels, persisted up to 25 years.

Methods: We used an historical design to study patients who had been consecutively admitted to hospital after transmural AMI during the 1980s and enrolled in an exercise training trial. Read More

Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 2019 Feb;12(2):e004980

Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL (M.D.H., A.S.B., L.Z., D.M.L.-J.).

Background: Despite a high cardiovascular disease burden, data on patient-reported health status outcomes among individuals with cardiovascular disease in India are limited.

Methods And Results: Between November 2014 and November 2016, we collected health-related quality of life data among 1261 participants in the ACS QUIK trial (Acute Coronary Syndrome Quality Improvement in Kerala). We used a translated, validated version of the Seattle Angina Questionnaire administered 30 days after discharge for acute myocardial infarction, wherein higher scores represent better health status. Read More

Crit Pathw Cardiol 2019 Mar;18(1):40-46

Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel.

Background: Adherence to guidelines for the initial treatment of ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction has been thoroughly studied, whereas the study of emergency department (ED) adherence to guidelines for Non-ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction-Acute Coronary Syndrome (NSTEMI-ACS) has been much scarcer. The recommended guidelines for the initial prompt workup and treatment of NSTEMI-ACS remains a challenge.

Aim: We studied adherence to guidelines for NSTEMI in the ED. Read More

Crit Pathw Cardiol 2019 Mar;18(1):5-9

Department of Biostatistical Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC.

Background: Patients from racial and ethnic minority groups presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) with chest pain experience lower odds of receiving stress testing compared with nonminorities. Studies have demonstrated that care pathways administered within the ED can reduce health disparities, but this has yet to be studied as a strategy to increase stress testing equity.

Methods: A secondary analysis from 3 randomized clinical trials involving ED patients with acute chest pain was performed to determine whether a care pathway, ACES (Accelerated Chest pain Evaluation with Stress imaging), reduces the racial disparity in index visit cardiac testing between African American (AA) and White patients. Read More

Curr Vasc Pharmacol 2019 Feb 11. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Division of Angiology, Heart and Vessel Department, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne. Switzerland.

Bleeding represents the most important complication of antithrombotic treatment, including anticoagulant and antiplatelet therapies. A number of scores were proposed to evaluate the risk of bleeding both for anticoagulant and antiplatelet treatment. In the last decade, 5 bleeding risk scores were published for use in atrial fibrillation patients, and 3 scores for patients receiving anticoagulants for venous thromboembolism therapy or prophylaxis. Read More

J Tehran Heart Cent 2018 Jul;13(3):136-139

Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, UK.

Intraventricular conduction abnormalities following cardiac surgery have been thoroughly described, especially after valvular surgery. It is also widely known that several anesthetic factors can cause autonomic disturbances resulting in the unmasking of sinus node dysfunction, significant bradycardia, and cardiovascular collapse during the intraoperative period. However, little is known about asymptomatic episodes, especially those occurring prior to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Read More

J Tehran Heart Cent 2018 Jul;13(3):115-125

Cardiology Department, Civil Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.

The diagnosis and management of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) have improved significantly over the past few decades; however, the recognition of myocardial ischemia still proves to be a dilemma for cardiologists. The aim of this study was to determine the role of hematological and coagulation parameters in the diagnosis and prognosis of patients with ACS. This prospective study recruited 250 patients with ACS and 250 healthy controls. Read More

Int J Med Sci 2019 1;16(2):264-275. Epub 2019 Jan 1.

Second Department of Cardiology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Cracow, Poland.

: Platelet-derived microvesicles (PMVs), shed from platelet surface membranes, constitute the majority of circulating microvesicles and have been implicated in procoagulant, pro-inflammatory and pro-atherosclerotic effects. Our aim was to compare plasma PMVs numbers in relation to platelet reactivity during dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with various P2Y adenosine diphosphate (ADP) receptor antagonists. In pre-discharge men treated with DAPT for an acute coronary syndrome, plasma PMVs were quantified by flow cytometry on the basis of CD62P (P-selectin) and CD42 (glycoprotein Ib) positivity, putative indices of PMVs release from activated and all platelets, respectively. Read More

Int Heart J 2019 Feb 8. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Department of Medical Science and Cardiorenal Medicine, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine.

The late consequences of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) have been underestimated. We hypothesized that the temporal distribution of the clinically silent coronary artery disease progression (CP) is associated with the subsequent consequences of ACS.We studied 243 patients (202 men, 64 ± 10 years) with ACS undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) during initial hospitalization. Read More

Int Heart J 2019 Feb 8. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Center of Cardiology, Beijing An Zhen Hospital, Capital Medical University.

Urinary excretion of 8-iso-prostaglandin F (8-iso-PGF), a reliable biomarker for enhanced oxidant stress in vivo, has been described in association with diabetes and coronary heart disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between urinary 8-iso-PGF levels and the characteristics of coronary culprit lesion in diabetic patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). A total of 79 diabetic patients with ACS were included. Read More

J Cardiol 2019 Feb 7. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Department of Cardiovascular and Internal Medicine, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanazawa, Japan.

Background: Although concomitant peripheral artery disease in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) has been considered as a high-risk subgroup with a greater incidence of bleeding after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), few data exist regarding the clinical utility of the ankle-brachial index (ABI) for predicting bleeding complications, which affects the subsequent outcome.

Methods: Eight hundred and twenty-four consecutive patients with ACS who underwent PCI and ABI examination were analyzed retrospectively. Decreased-ABI was defined as ABI <0. Read More

BMC Cardiovasc Disord 2019 Feb 11;19(1):36. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Southern Medical University , Guangzhou, 510515, China.

Background: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been associated with contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) at a rate that varies depending on the patient's risk factors. This study was conducted to evaluate the predictive value of the renal resistive index (RRI) for CIN in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) undergoing PCI.

Methods: This prospective study enrolled 146 consecutive patients with ACS. Read More

Platelets 2019 Feb 11:1-12. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

a Department of Pharmacy , Peking University First Hospital , Beijing , China.

Cigarette smoking is an important cardiovascular risk factor, causing morbidity and mortality. There are many original studies on the impact of smoking, but its influence on platelet ADP-P2Y12 receptor inhibitors lack consistency. Thus, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of already existing data/studies to further explore this issue. Read More

Coron Artery Dis 2019 Feb 7. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Departments of Cardiology.

Aim: Current guidelines recommend administration of high-dose statins in acute coronary syndrome (ACS). It has been reported that statins upregulate proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin 9 (PCSK9) mRNA expression and increase circulating PCSK9 levels. We aimed to compare the effects of high-dose atorvastatin and rosuvastatin on serum oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxidized-LDL) and PCSK9 levels in statin-naive patients with ACS. Read More

Cardiovasc Diagn Ther 2018 Dec;8(6):805-810

Institute for Anesthesiology, Deutsches Herzzentrum Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

Inadvertent emergency anticoagulation in patients with acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) has been sparsely reported. There are case reports bringing this potential critical incident to attention, however, little is known about the number of undetected and unreported cases. We approach this issue based on a case report of inadvertent emergency anticoagulation in ATAAD and attempt to shed light on aspects that may have contributed to the critical incident: The challenge of distinguishing an ATAAD from an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and the potential underestimation of incidents of ATAAD. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2019 Jan 25. Epub 2019 Jan 25.

Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina.

Risk prediction following acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remains challenging. Data-driven machine-learning algorithms can potentially identify patients at high risk of clinical events. The Improved Reduction of Outcomes: Vytorin Efficacy International Trial randomized 18,144 post-ACS patients to ezetimibe + simvastatin or placebo + simvastatin. Read More

Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol 2019 Feb 9. Epub 2019 Feb 9.

Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Kingdom.

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide and negatively impacts health care costs, productivity and quality of life. Poly-morbidity and poly-pharmacy predispose ACS patients to medication discrepancies between cardiologist-prescribed medication and drug use by the patient, drug-related problems (DRPs) and inadequate drug adherence. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of clinical pharmacist-provided services on the outcome of ACS patients. Read More

J Thromb Thrombolysis 2019 Feb 9. Epub 2019 Feb 9.

Department of Cardiology, LMU München, Munich, Germany.

To investigate the safety and efficacy of an early platelet function testing (PFT)-guided de-escalation of dual antiplatelet treatment (DAPT) in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS). Early DAPT de-escalation is a new non-inferior alternative to 12-months DAPT in patients with biomarker positive ACS treated with stent implantation. In this post-hoc analysis of the TROPICAL-ACS trial, which randomized 2610 ACS patients to a PFT-guided DAPT de-escalation (switch from prasugrel to clopidogrel) or to control group (uniform prasugrel), we compared clinical outcomes of patients (n = 151) who received a BVS during the index PCI. Read More

J Thromb Thrombolysis 2019 Feb 9. Epub 2019 Feb 9.

Postgraduate Medical School, University of Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire, UK.

Impaired endogenous fibrinolysis is an adverse prognostic biomarker in acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Abnormally dense in vitro fibrin thrombi have been demonstrated in ACS patients and related to hypofibrinolysis using cumbersome, laboratory-based methods. We aimed to assess endogenous fibrinolysis using a point-of-care technique and relate this to clot architecture. Read More

Med Princ Pract 2019 Feb 10. Epub 2019 Feb 10.

Objective: To evaluate the association between peripheral artery disease (PAD) and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in the Arabian Gulf.

Methods: Data was analyzed from 4044 consecutive patients diagnosed with ACS admitted to 29 hospitals in four Arabian Gulf countries from January 2012 to January 2013. PAD was defined as any of the following: claudication, amputation for arterial vascular insufficiency, vascular reconstruction, bypass surgery, or percutaneous intervention in the extremities, documented aortic aneurysm or ankle brachial index of < 0. Read More

J Emerg Nurs 2019 Feb 7. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Introduction: More than 5.5 million patients present to emergency departments in the United States annually for potential acute coronary syndrome (ACS); however, diagnosing ACS remains a challenge in emergency departments. Our aim was to describe the quality of symptoms (chest discomfort/description of pain, location/radiation, and overall symptom distress) reported by women and men ruled-in and ruled-out for ACS in emergency departments. Read More

Thromb Res 2019 Jan 31;175:95-101. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Department of Cardiology, Hospital Universitario La Paz, IDIPAZ, CIBER-CV, Madrid, Spain.

Introduction: There is compelling evidence supporting the association between high on-treatment platelet reactivity (HPR) and low on-treatment platelet reactivity (LPR) to clopidogrel with atherothrombotic and bleeding events, respectively. However, it is uncertain if current cutoff values should be used in prasugrel- or ticagrelor-treated subjects. The objective of this analysis was to evaluate the pharmacodynamic (PD) efficacy of P2Y antagonists in a contemporary real-world population. Read More

Clin Biochem 2019 Feb 6. Epub 2019 Feb 6.

UOC Chimica, Biochimica e Biologia Molecolare Clinica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Roma, Italy; Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy.

We report a case of a heterophile antibodies interference in a new high-sensitivity troponin commercial immunoassay (cTNIH Siemens), observed in a patient with possible acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The analytical interference was investigated with standard laboratories procedures. The false positive result was found with different troponin methods and kits. Read More

J Cardiol 2019 Feb 5. Epub 2019 Feb 5.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.

Background: The use of serial intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) for coronary atherosclerosis has offered valuable insight into plaque regression (PR) or progression. However, the beneficial effects of PR on the long-term clinical outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remain unclear. We aimed to evaluate the impact of coronary plaque change in patients following primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Read More

Wilderness Environ Med 2019 Feb 5. Epub 2019 Feb 5.

Emergency Service of Aragón, Spain.

Introduction: Cardiac events are one of the leading causes of death in the Spanish population. Given the increase in the nontraumatic medical conditions found in mountain rescues, the objective of this study was to report on the heart conditions of patients rescued in the mountains of Aragón in the Spanish Pyrenees.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study based on data collected from patients' medical histories for rescues undertaken in from 2010 to 2016 (at altitudes between 500 m [1640 ft] and 3404 m [11,168 ft]). Read More

J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2018 Dec 21. Epub 2018 Dec 21.

Department of Cardiac Surgery, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Objective: The study objective was to evaluate the perioperative and long-term outcomes of aortic root repair and aortic root replacement and provide evidence for root management in acute type A aortic dissection.

Methods: From 1996 to 2017, 491 patients underwent aortic root repair (n = 307) or aortic root replacement (n = 184) (62% bioprosthesis) for acute type A aortic dissection. Indications for aortic root replacement were intimal tear at the aortic root, root measuring 4. Read More

JAMA Neurol 2019 Feb 7. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Department of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.

Importance: In the Insulin Resistance Intervention After Stroke (IRIS) randomized clinical trial, pioglitazone, an insulin-sensitizing agent, reduced the risk for recurrent stroke or myocardial infarction (MI) among patients with insulin resistance. However, insulin resistance is not commonly measured in clinical practice.

Objective: To analyze the effects of pioglitazone in patients with good adherence as well as intention-to-treat effects of pioglitazone in patients with prediabetes in the IRIS trial. Read More

Heart 2019 Feb 7. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.

J Cardiol 2019 Feb 4. Epub 2019 Feb 4.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Tsuchiura Kyodo General Hospital, Tsuchiura, Ibaraki, Japan. Electronic address:

Background: Neoatherosclerosis (NA) is recognized as an important contributing factor to very late stent failure. The aim of this study was to investigate whether preprocedural underlying plaque morphology is associated with the development of NA using optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Methods: One-hundred thirteen stents [25 bare metal stents, 22 first-generation drug-eluting stents (DES), 66 second-generation DES] from 98 patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention with pre-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) OCT and very late OCT examination >3 years after stenting were retrospectively studied. Read More

Aten Primaria 2019 Feb 4. Epub 2019 Feb 4.

Departamento de Fisioterapia, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, España; Departamentos de Salud Valencia, Instituto Valenciano del Corazón, Játiva, Onteniente, Valencia, España. Electronic address:

We present a non-randomised trial to evaluate a continuous physiotherapy program versus a periodic one in overweight patients suffering from acute coronary syndrome.

Aim: To detect differences between a continuous (CONT) physiotherapy program (PF) and a periodic (INT) physiotherapy program in overweight patients with acute coronary syndrome on anthropometric parameters, analytical parameters, heart rate, adherence, drop-outs, safety and tolerance.

Design: A multicentre, non-randomised two-armed quasi-experimental study with pre-post design. Read More

J Trace Elem Med Biol 2019 Mar 12;52:247-253. Epub 2019 Jan 12.

Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institut für Experimentelle Endokrinologie, Berlin, Germany. Electronic address:

Objective: Selenium-binding protein 1 (SELENBP1) is an intracellular protein with variable expression in response to cellular stress. As the selenium (Se) status is affected by inflammation and hypoxia, we hypothesized that SELENBP1 contributes to disease-specific Se metabolism. To test this hypothesis, a quantitative assay was developed and used to monitor SELENBP1 in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Read More

Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther 2019 Feb 7. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

c Department of Cardiology , Leiden University Medical Center , Leiden , The Netherlands.

Introduction: Cardiac rehabilitation is aimed at risk factor modification and improving quality of life. eHealth has a couple of potential benefits to improve this aim. The primary purpose of this review is to summarize available literature for eHealth strategies that have been investigated in randomized controlled trials in post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients. Read More

Atherosclerosis 2019 Jan 29;282:132-136. Epub 2019 Jan 29.

Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias (HUCA), Oviedo, Spain. Electronic address:

Background And Aims: Symptomatic intracranial atherosclerosis (ICAS) is associated with a high risk of stroke recurrence and occurrence of other vascular events. However, ICAS has been poorly studied from its asymptomatic stage. The objective of our study was to determine if subclinical intracranial atherosclerosis is associated with long-term incident vascular events in Caucasians. Read More

Case Rep Cardiol 2019 9;2019:6706935. Epub 2019 Jan 9.

Department of Medicine, Halmstad Hospital, Halmstad, Sweden.

Cardiovascular disease is common among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is a transient cardiac disorder that, in its typical form, involves left ventricular dysfunction with apical ballooning and mimics acute coronary syndrome (ACS). "Bronchogenic TTS" has been proposed as a specific form of TTS (during severe acute dyspnea in asthma or COPD) with atypical presentation. Read More