Assessment of the Relationship of Ankle-Brachial Index With Coronary Artery Disease Severity

<div><p>Abstract Background: Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) is associated with cardiovascular events and can be diagnosed and estimated by use of the Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI). ABI is a worsening factor in the stratification of cardiovascular risk, but its contribution to define the severity of coronary artery disease has not been well established. Objectives: To compare the ABI value with the coronary atherosclerotic disease severity by use of the Syntax Score (SS) in patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS). Methods: This prospective study measured the ABI of all patients with ACS consecutively admitted to the São Lucas Hospital of PUCRS from May to September 2016, and compared the ABI values with the SS and ACS types of those patients. The analyzes were performed considering the 95%confidence interval (a = 5%). Results: This study assessed 101 patients [mean age, 62.6 ± 12.0 years; 58 men (57.4%)], 74 (82.2%) were hypertensive, 33 (45.8%) had diabetes and 46 (45,5%) had ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI). The PAD severity was not related to the anatomical severity of the coronary artery disease (CAD). We found a significant association of intermediate SS with non-ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), and of low SS with unstable angina (UA) [OR (95% CI): 1.11 (1.03-1.20) (p = 0.004)], which remained after multivariate analysis adjusted to age, smoking, family history of CAD and previous CAD [(OR 95%): 1.13 (1.02-1.25) (p = 0.019)]. Conclusions: Patients with ABI < 0.9 showed no association with higher disease complexity determined by the SS in patients with ACS. Patients with NSTEMI were more associated with an intermediate risk on the SS.</p></div

Statin-associated muscle symptoms: position paper from the Luso-Latin American Consortium

<p>In the last two decades, statin therapy has proved to be the most potent isolated therapy for attenuation of cardiovascular risk. Its frequent use has been seen as one of the most important elements for the reduction of cardiovascular mortality in developed countries. However, the recurrent incidence of muscle symptoms in statin users raised the possibility of causal association, leading to a disease entity known as statin associated muscle symptoms (SAMS). Mechanistic studies and clinical trials, specifically designed for the study of SAMS have allowed a deeper understanding of the natural history and accurate incidence. This set of information becomes essential to avoid an unnecessary risk of severe forms of SAMS. At the same time, this concrete understanding of SAMS prevents overdiagnosis and an inadequate suspension of one of the most powerful prevention strategies of our times. In this context, the Luso-Latin American Consortium gathered all available information on the subject and presents them in detail in this document as the basis for the identification and management of SAMS.</p