The impact of left circumflex coronary artery ostium stenosis on outcomes of patients after percutaneous coronary intervention for unprotected left main disease

Background: The impact of left circumflex coronary artery (LCX) ostium atherosclerosis in left main coronary artery (LM) bifurcation disease is not well-known. Aim: The aim of the study was to assess whether the involvement of LCX ostium carries prognostic implications in patients undergoing unprotected LM percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: Consecutive 564 patients with unprotected LM (ULMCA) disease who underwent LM PCI between January 2015 and February 2021, with at least 1-year available follow-up were included in the study. First group composed of 145 patients with ULMCA disease with LCX ostium stenosis and the second group consisted of 419 patients with ULMCA disease without LCX ostium stenosis. Results: Patients in group with ULMCA disease with LCX ostium stenosis were significantly older and comorbidities were found more often in this group. Two stents technique was used more often in group with LCX ostium stenosis (62.8% vs 14.6%; P<0.001). During 7 years follow-up, all-cause mortality between groups with and without LCX ostium stenosis did not differ significantly (P=0.50). The use of one-stent or two-stent technique also did not impact the mortality in patients with LCX ostial lesions group (P=0.75). Long-term mortality subanalysis for three groups of patients (1) patients with LM + LCX ostium stenosis, (2) LM + left anterior descending artery (LAD) ostium stenosis, (3) LM + LCX ostium + LAD ostium stenosis also did not differ significantly (P=0.63). Conclusions: LCX ostium involvement in LM disease PCI is not associated with adverse long-term outcomes, which is highly beneficial for the Heart Team decision making process

The impact of right coronary artery support on outcomes of patients with unprotected left main disease undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention

Background: Many operators are discouraged from performing left main (LM) percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in the absence of right coronary artery (RCA) support due to the increased procedure risk. Aims: We aimed at assessing the impact of absent functional RCA on prognostic implications in patients undergoing unprotected LM PCI. Methods: 613 patients underwent LM PCI in our department between 2015 and 2019. Consecutive 385 patients with unprotected LM and at least 1-year follow-up were included in the study. The study population comprised 272 patients with unprotected left main coronary artery disease (ULMCAD) with dominant RCA, without any significant lesions (Group 1), and 113 ULMCAD patients and without RCA support (Group 2). Results: In Group 2, 32.7% patients had a significant RCA stenosis, 48.7% had chronic total occlusion (CTO) of RCA, and 18.6% had recessive RCA. Patients in Group 2 were older and had higher prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). SYNTAX Score (median [IQR] 26.0 [20.0–33.0] vs 19.0 [13.0–25.5]; P < 0.001) was higher and left ventricular ejection fraction was lower (median [IQR] 50.0 [40.0–60.0]% vs 55.0 [45.0–60.0]%; P = 0.01) in this group. All periprocedural complications did not differ among the groups. Long-term all-cause mortality at a median follow-up of 1149 days did not differ significantly (23% vs 20%; P = 0.37). The long-term mortality in CTO-RCA group was also not significantly different. Conclusions: Patients with ULMCAD who have undergone LM PCI in the absence of RCA support, compared with those with ULMCAD and RCA support, differed neither in the prevalence of periprocedural complications nor in long-term all-cause mortality

Relationship between nutritional status and length of hospital stay among patients with atrial fibrillation – a result of the nutritional status heart study

BackgroundNutritional status is related to the prognosis and length of hospital stay (LOHS) of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). This study aimed to assess how nutritional status affects LOHS for patients with AF.MethodsWe performed retrospective analysis of the medical records of 1,813 patients admitted urgently with a diagnosis of AF to the Institute of Heart Diseases of the University Clinical Hospital in Wroclaw, Poland.ResultsIn total, 1,813 patients were included in the analysis. The average LOHS in the entire group was 3.53 ± 3.41 days. The mean BMI was 28.7 kg/m2 (SD: 5.02). Patients who were hospitalized longer were statistically more likely to have a Nutritional Risk Score (NRS) ≥3 (p = 0.028). A higher percentage of longer hospitalized patients with LDL levels below 70 mg/dl (p < 0.001) and those with HDL ≥40 mg/dl (p < 0.001) were observed. Study participants with NRS ≥3 were an older group (M = 76.3 years), with longer mean LOHS (M = 4.44 days). The predictors of LOHS in the univariate model were age (OR = 1.04), LDL (OR = 0.99), HDL (OR = 0.98), TC (OR = 0.996), CRP (OR = 1, 02, p < 0.001), lymphocytes (OR = 0.97, p = 0.008) and in the multivariate model were age, LDL (mg/dl), HDL (mg/dl), Na, and K.ConclusionFor nutritional status, factors indicating the risk of prolonged hospitalization in patients with AF are malnutrition, lower serum LDL, HDL, potassium, and sodium levels identified at the time of admission to the cardiology department. Assessment of nutritional status in patients with AF is important both in the context of evaluating obesity and malnutrition status, as both conditions can alter the prognosis of patients. Further studies are needed to determine the exact impact of the above on the risk of prolonged hospitalization

Role of catheter-directed therapies in the treatment of acute pulmonary embolism. Expert opinion of the Polish PERT Initiative, Working Group on Pulmonary Circulation, Association of Cardiovascular Interventions, and Association of Intensive Cardiac Care

Thanks to advances in interventional cardiology technologies the catheter-directed treatment has become recently a viable therapeutic option in the treatment of patients with acute pulmonary embolism at high risk of early mortality. Current transcatheter techniques allow local fibrinolysis or embolectomy with minimal risk of complications. Therefore they can be considered in high risk patients as an alternative to surgical pulmonary embolectomy when systemic thrombolysis is contraindicated or ineffective. They are also considered in patients with intermediate — high risk with a lack of improvement or clinical deterioration despite anticoagulation. The purpose of this article is to present the role of transcatheter techniques in the treatment of patients with acute pulmonary embolism. We describe current knowledge and experts’ opinion in this field. Interventional treatment is described in the broader context of patient care organization and therapeutic modalities. We present the organization and responsibilities of pulmonary embolism response teams, the role of pre-procedural imaging, peri-procedural anticoagulation, patients selection, timing of intervention and intensive care support. Currently available catheter directed therapies are discussed in detail including standardized protocols, definitions of procedure success and failure. This expert opinion has been developed in collaboration with experts from various Polish scientific societies signifying the role of teamwork in the care for patients with acute pulmonary embolism

Rola terapii przezcewnikowych w leczeniu ostrej zatorowości płucnej — opinia Polskiej Inicjatywy PERT, Sekcji Krążenia Płucnego, Asocjacji Interwencji Sercowo-Naczyniowych i Asocjacji Intensywnej Terapii Kardiologicznej Polskiego Towarzystwa Kardiologicznego

Dzięki postępom w zakresie technologii kardiologii interwencyjnej leczenie przezcewnikowe stało się w ostatnich latach realną opcją terapeutyczną w leczeniu pacjentów z ostrą zatorowością płucną z wysokim ryzykiem wczesnej śmiertelności. Obecnie stosowane techniki przezcewnikowe umożliwiają miejscową fibrynolizę lub embolektomię przy minimalnym ryzyku powikłań. Stąd mogą być rozważane u pacjentów z grupy wysokiego ryzyka jako alternatywa dla chirurgicznej embolektomii płucnej, gdy systemowa tromboliza jest przeciwwskazana lub nieskuteczna. Rozważane są również u pacjentów z grupy średniego–wysokiego ryzyka, u których pomimo leczenia przeciwzakrzepowego nie uzyskano poprawy lub nastąpiło pogorszenie stanu klinicznego. Celem artykułu było przedstawienie roli technik przezcewnikowych w leczeniu chorych z ostrą zatorowością płucną zgodnie z aktualną wiedzą i opinią ekspertów. Leczenie interwencyjne opisano w szerszym kontekście organizacji opieki nad pacjentem. Przedstawiono organizację i zadania zespołu szybkiego reagowania w zatorowości płucnej, rolę obrazowania przedzabiegowego, zasady antykoagulacji okołozabiegowej, kryteria kwalifikacji pacjentów, wyboru odpowiedniego czasu interwencji oraz rolę intensywnej terapii. Szczegółowo omówiono dostępne terapie przezcewnikowe, w tym wystandaryzowane protokoły, definicje sukcesu i niepowodzenia procedury. Niniejszy dokument został opracowany we współpracy z ekspertami z różnych polskich towarzystw naukowych, co podkreśla rolę pracy zespołowej w opiece nad chorym z ostrą zatorowością płucną

A Simple Risk Score Based on Routine Clinical Parameters Can Predict Frailty in Hospitalized Heart Failure Patients

Frailty syndrome (FS) has recently attracted attention as one of the major predictors of heart failure (HF) course severity. We aimed to develop a simple tool for predicting frailty in hospitalized HF patients using routine clinical parameters. A total of 153 hospitalized patients diagnosed with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) were included in the study. Presence of FS was assessed with the SHARE-FI questionnaire. Clinical and biochemical parameters were collected. Using ROC curves and logistic regression analysis, a model predicting FS presence was developed and tested. Proposed model includes five variables with following cut-off values (1 point for each variable): age > 50 years, systolic pressure on admission < 110 mmHg, total cholesterol < 4.85 mmol/L, bilirubin ≥ 15.5 mmol/L, and alanine aminotransferase ≤ 34 U/L. Receiving 5 points was considered a high risk of FS with positive and negative predictive values (NPV), 83% and 72%, respectively, and specificity of 97%. Awarding 2 points or less ruled out FS in the studied group with negative predictive value 94%. The presented novel, simple score predicts FS in HFrEF patients with routine clinical parameters and has good positive and negative predictive values

The Impact of Clinical, Biochemical, and Echocardiographic Parameters on the Quality of Life in Patients with Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction

Despite significant advances in HF diagnosis and treatment over the recent decades, patients still characterize poor long-term prognosis with many recurrent hospitalizations and reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We aimed to check the potential relationship between clinical, biochemical, or echocardiographic parameters and HRQoL in patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). We included 152 adult patients hospitalized due to chronic HFrEF. We used the WHOQoL-BREF questionnaire to assess HRQoL and GNRI to evaluate nutritional status. We also analyzed several biochemical parameters and left ventricle ejection fraction. Forty (26.3%) patients were hospitalized due to HF exacerbation and 112 (73.7%) due to planned HF evaluation. The median age was 57 (48–62) years. Patients with low somatic HRQoL score had lower transferrin saturation (23.7 ± 11.1 vs. 29.7 ± 12.5%; p = 0.01), LDL (2.40 (1.80–2.92) vs. 2.99 (2.38–3.60) mmol/L; p = 0.001), triglycerides (1.18 (0.91–1.57) vs. 1.48 (1.27–2.13) mmol/L; p = 0.006) and LVEF (20 (15–25) vs. 25 (20–30)%; p = 0.003). TIBC (64.9 (58.5–68.2) vs. 57.7 (52.7–68.6); p = 0.02) was significantly higher in this group. We observed no associations between HRQoL and age or gender. The somatic domain of WHOQoL-BREF in patients with HFrEF correlated with the clinical status as well as biochemical and echocardiographic parameters. Assessment of HRQoL in HFrEF seems important in everyday practice and can identify patients requiring a special interventio