While atherosclerotic plaque disruption remains the hallmark of type 1 myocardial infarction (T1MI), multiple other mechanisms provoking myocardial supply/demand mismatch (eg, anemia and ...tachyarrhythmias) are recognized as the potential causes of type 2 myocardial infarction (T2MI). In clinical practice, angiography is underutilized in patients with MI that have typical T2MI triggers, although the presence of these triggers and various forms of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease is not mutually exclusive. We describe a 70-year-old man that developed MI during hospitalization for gastrointestinal bleeding. He was treated conservatively without angiography due to posthemorrhagic anemia, which is a recognized T2MI trigger, and subsequently developed refractory cardiogenic shock. Autopsy revealed atherothrombosis, which is characteristic of T1MI.
Aortic valve lesion is a common cardiopathy, which may have very diverse causes, from degenerative, congenital and infectious diseases to autoimmune conditions. We present a rare case of Takayasu ...arteritis and severe heart lesion due to the myxomatous degeneration of the aortic and mitral valve cusps associated with the development of infectious endocarditis (IE) complicated by abscess, fistula, valve perforation and recurrent acute decompensated heart failure in a young female patient. A combined use of histopathological and PCR analyses of valve tissues was critically important for differential diagnosis of the valve lesions, as it made it possible to identify the true cause of the structural cardiopathy associated with myxomatous degeneration and a prior IE. The presence of Takayasu arteritis has played an indirect though apparently decisive role by creating conditions for the development of immunosuppression and determining the disease severity and progression rate.
Published data suggest worse outcomes in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients and concurrent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Mechanisms remain unclear.
The purpose of this study was ...to report the demographics, angiographic findings, and in-hospital outcomes of COVID-19 ACS patients and compare these with pre–COVID-19 cohorts.
From March 1, 2020 to July 31, 2020, data from 55 international centers were entered into a prospective, COVID-ACS Registry. Patients were COVID-19 positive (or had a high index of clinical suspicion) and underwent invasive coronary angiography for suspected ACS. Outcomes were in-hospital major cardiovascular events (all-cause mortality, re–myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke, unplanned revascularization, or stent thrombosis). Results were compared with national pre–COVID-19 databases (MINAP Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project 2019 and BCIS British Cardiovascular Intervention Society 2018 to 2019).
In 144 ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and 121 non–ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) patients, symptom-to-admission times were significantly prolonged (COVID-STEMI vs. BCIS: median 339.0 min vs. 173.0 min; p < 0.001; COVID NSTE-ACS vs. MINAP: 417.0 min vs. 295.0 min; p = 0.012). Mortality in COVID-ACS patients was significantly higher than BCIS/MINAP control subjects in both subgroups (COVID-STEMI: 22.9% vs. 5.7%; p < 0.001; COVID NSTE-ACS: 6.6% vs. 1.2%; p < 0.001), which remained following multivariate propensity analysis adjusting for comorbidities (STEMI subgroup odds ratio: 3.33 95% confidence interval: 2.04 to 5.42). Cardiogenic shock occurred in 20.1% of COVID-STEMI patients versus 8.7% of BCIS patients (p < 0.001).
In this multicenter international registry, COVID-19–positive ACS patients presented later and had increased in-hospital mortality compared with a pre–COVID-19 ACS population. Excessive rates of and mortality from cardiogenic shock were major contributors to the worse outcomes in COVID-19 positive STEMI patients.
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Objectives
Flow cytometry with adenosine diphosphate (ADP) allows to characterize molecular changes of platelet function caused by this physiologically important activation, but the methodology has ...not been thoroughly investigated, standardized and characterized yet. We analyzed the influence of several major variables and chose optimal conditions for platelet function assessment.
Methods
For activation, 2.5 μM CaCl2, 5 μM ADP and antibodies were added to diluted blood and incubated for 15 min. We analyzed kinetics of antibody binding and effects of their addition sequence, agonist concentration, blood dilution, exogenous calcium addition and platelet fixation.
Results
We tested our protocol on 11 healthy children, 22 healthy adult volunteers, 9 patients after a month on dual antiplatelet therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), 7 adult patients and 14 children with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). We found that our protocol is highly sensitive to ADP stimulation with low percentage of aggregates formation. The assay is also sensitive to platelet function inhibition in post‐PCI patients. Finally, platelet preactivation with ITP plasma was stronger and caused increase in activation response to ADP stimulation compared to preactivation with low dose of ADP.
Conclusions
Our assay is sensitive to antiplatelet therapy and platelet preactivation in ITP patients under physiological conditions with minimal percentage of aggregates formation.
Myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) is diagnosed in the absence of anatomically significant stenoses (<50% of lumen diameter) on coronary angiography and ...characterized by heterogeneity of etiologic factors. Recently, the mechanisms of MINOCA as well as the performance of diagnostic algorithms and therapeutic strategies have been extensively studied. The purpose of this review is to reflect the current concepts regarding the etiology and pathogenesis of MINOCA, diagnostic work-up methods and individualized treatment approaches. The article covers contemporary epidemiologic data, demographic and clinical patients’ characteristics and principal causes of MINOCA. We discuss aspects of disease definition and classification of related conditions involving troponin increase in the presence of normal coronary arteries. The importance of management strategy personalization for individual patients is stressed alongside stratification of risks of recurrent cardiovascular events. This review reflects key points from international consensus statements published by leading experts and suggests promising directions for future research.
Aim. To study the effects of sacubitril/valsartan on left ventricular-arterial coupling (LVAC) and arterial stiffness in HFrEF patients.Material and methods. Arterial stiffness by applanation ...tonometry and LVAC – by two-dimensional echocardiography were evaluated in 18 patients with compensated HFrEF (age 69Ѓ}9 years, 89% male, arterial hypertension – 83%, diabetes – 39%, myocardial infarction – 89%, left ventricular ejection fraction 32Ѓ}4%) initially and after 6 and 12 months of therapy based on sacubitril/valsartan. LVAC was calculated as the Ea (arterial elastance)/ Ees (left ventricular elastance) ratio. Differences were considered statistically significant at p<0.05.Results. 72% of patients initially had elevated pulse wave velocity (PWV>10 m/s). The decrease in PWV (from 11.5Ѓ}2.9 to 10.2Ѓ}2.9 m/s, p<0.05), of the augmentation pressure (from 15.3Ѓ}8.9 to 10.5Ѓ}5.0 mm Hg, p=0.002), the increase in the reflected wave transit time (from 132Ѓ}9 to 143Ѓ}29 ms, p=0.02) and the subendocardial viability ratio (from 164Ѓ}25 to 177Ѓ}37%; p=0.009) were found after 12 months. Sacubitryl/valsartanbased therapy was associated with a decrease in central systolic blood pressure (from 116Ѓ}19 to 106Ѓ}10 mm Hg; p=0.001) and central pulse blood pressure (from 44Ѓ}15 to 38Ѓ}7 mm Hg; p<0.05). Decrease in Ea (from 2.20Ѓ}0.84 to 1.79Ѓ}0.63 mm Hg/ml/m2; p=0.005) and Ea/Ees ratio (from 2.26Ѓ}0.77 to 1.68Ѓ}0.32, p=0.05) was found after 12 months. Ees did not change statistically significantly (1.00Ѓ}0.34 vs 1.01Ѓ}0.44 mm Hg/ml/m2). The relationship between the decrease in PWV, Ea and the dynamics of blood pressure was not found.Conclusion. Sacubitryl/valsartan-based therapy in HFrEF patients results in a BP-independent improvement in LVAC due to a decrease in Ea, an improvement in the parameters of the central pulse wave.
Aim. To study the effect of sacubitril/valsartan compared with valsartan on natriuresis, diuresis, blood pressure (BP) and the level of biomarkers in hypertensive patients.Material and methods. ...Hypertensive patients (n=16) received sacubitril/valsartan 400 mg QD or valsartan 320 mg QD for 7 days in a double-blind,-randomized, cross-over study. The change in 24-hour diuresis and natriuresis, fractional urinary sodium excretion, and BP level have been studied, as-well as soluble biomarkers: cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), mid-regional precursor of the atrial natriuretic-peptide (MR-proANP) and the N-terminal precursor of the brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP).Results. The trend toward higher levels of 24-hour natriuresis on Day 1 (21%, p=0.068) was found in the sacubitril/valsartan group compared to-valsartan one. Fractional sodium excretion was significantly higher in the sacubitril/valsartan group on Day 1 after 6 hours (50%, p=0.004) and subsequent-samples up to 12 hours; the maximum effect was achieved 2-4 hours after taking the medication (mean value 2.08, p=0.005). Sacubitril/valsartan-therapy compared with valsartan therapy was associated with a significant increase in 24-hour diuresis on Day 1 (41%, p<0.05), but not on Day 7-(15%, p=0.134). Sacubitril/valsartan therapy, in contrast to valsartan therapy demonstrated a significant increase in 24 h cGMP urinary excretion-on Day 1 (95%, p<0.001) and Day 7 (83%, p=0.001). Sacubitril/valsartan lowered BP more effectively than valsartan on Day 7, 12 hours after-taking the drug, the differences were13.6 mm Hg (p=0.004) for systolic and6.7 mm Hg (p=0.03) for diastolic BP. The decrease in the level of-NT-proBNP and MR-proANP in plasma and the transient increase in the level of BNP were found in the sacubitril/valsartan group. Both sacubitril/valsartan and valsartan therapies were well tolerated and safe.Conclusion. Sacubitril/valsartan therapy in hypertensive patients compared with valsartan therapy was associated with transient increase in natriuresis and diuresis, more pronounced decrease in BP and changes in biomarker levels reflecting persistent inhibition of neprilysin and decrease in myocardial wall tension.
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