Hemostatic risk factors in patients with coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes - a two year follow-up of 243 patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Backgound</p> <p>Thrombosis is regarded to be a key factor in the development of acute coronary syndromes in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). We hypothesize, that hemostatic and rheological risk factors may be of major relevance for the incidence and the risk stratification of these patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In 243 patients with coronary artery disease and stable angina pectoris parameters of metabolism, hemostasis, blood rheology and endogenous fibrinolysis were assessed. Patients were prospectively followed for 2 years in respect to elective revascularizations and acute coronary syndromes.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>During follow-up 88 patients presented with cardiac events, 22 of those were admitted to the hospital because of acute events, 5 Patients were excluded due to non- cardiac death. Patients with clinical events were found to be more frequently diabetic and presented with a more progressed coronary atherosclerosis. Even though patients with diabetes mellitus demonstrated a comparable level of multivessel disease (71% vs. 70%) the rate of elective revascularization was higher (41% vs. 28%, p < 0.05). The results were also unfavorable for the incidence of acute cardiovascular events (18% vs. 8%, p < 0.01). In comparison to non-diabetic patients diabetics demonstrated significantly elevated levels of fibrinogen (352 ± 76 vs. 312 ± 64 mg/dl, p < 0.01), plasma viscosity (1.38 ± 0.23 vs. 1.31 ± 0.16 mPas, p < 0.01), red blood cell aggregation (13.2 ± 2.5 vs. 12.1 ± 3.1 E, p < 0.05) and plasmin-activator-inhibitor (6.11 ± 3.4 vs. 4.7 ± 2.7 U/l, p < 0.05).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Pathological alterations of fibrinogen, blood rheology and plasminogen-activator-inhibtor as indicators of a procoagulant state are of major relevance for the short-term incidence of cardiac events, especially in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2, and may be used to stratify patients to specific therapies.</p

Relevance of hemostatic risk factors on coronary morphology in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Objective</p> <p>The influence hemostatitc parameters on the morphological extent and severity of coronary artery disease were studied in patients with and without DM type 2.</p> <p>Background</p> <p>It is known that patients with diabetes (DM) have abnormal metabolic and hemostatic parameters</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Of 150 consecutive patients with angiographically proven coronary artery disease 29 presented with DM. Additionally to parameters of lipid-metabolism fibrinogen, tissue-plasminogenactivator (t-PA), plasminogen-activator-inhibitor (PAI), plasmin-a-antiplasmin (PAP), prothrombin-fragment 1+2 (F1+2), thrombin-antithrombin (TAT), von-willebrand-factor (vWF), platelet factor 4 (PF4), glykomembranproteine 140 (GMP140) and the rheologic parameters plasma viscosity and red blood cell aggregation were evaluated. The extent and severity of CAD was evaluated according to the criteria of the American Heart Association.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Patients with DM presented with a higher number of conventional risk factors as compared to non-diabetic patients. Additionally there were significant differences for F1+2, red blood cell aggregation and PAI. Diabetic patients showed a more severe extent of coronary arteriosclerosis, which also could be found more distally. A significant relationship between blood-glucose, thrombocyte-activation (vWF), endogenous fibrinolysis (PAI) and the severity of CAD and a more distal location of stenoses could be found (r = 0.6, p < 0.001).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Patients with coronary artery disease and DM type 2 showed marked alterations of metabolic, hemostatic, fibrinolytic and rheologic parameters, which can produce a prothrombogenic state. A direct association of thrombogenic factors on coronary morphology could be shown. This can be the pathophysiologic mechanism of more severe and distal pronounced coronary atherosclerosis in these patients.</p

Clinical and Subclinical Femoral Vascular Complications after Deployment of two Different Vascular Closure Devices or Manual Compression in the Setting of Coronary Intervention

Abstract Background: In the past two decades vascular closure devices (VCD) have been increasingly utilized as an alternative to manual compression after percutaneous femoral artery access. However, there is a lack of data confirming a significant reduction of vascular complication in a routine interventional setting. Systematic assessment of puncture sites with ultrasound was hardly performed. Methods: 620 consecutive patients undergoing elective or urgent percutaneous coronary intervention were randomly allocated to either Angioseal (AS; n = 210), or Starclose (SC; n = 196) or manual compression (MC; n = 214). As an adjunct to clinical evaluation vascular ultrasonography was used to assess the safety of each hemostatic method in terms of major and minor vascular complications. The efficacy of VCDs was assessed by achievement of puncture site hemostasis. Results: No major complications needing transfusion or vascular surgery were observed. Furthermore, the overall incidence of clinical and subclinical minor complications was similar among the three groups. There was no differences in the occurrence of pseudoaneurysmata (AS = 10; SC = 6; MC = 10), arteriovenous fistula (AS = 1; SC = 4; MC = 2) and large hematoma (AS = 11; SC = 10; MC = 14). The choice of access site treatment had no impact in the duration of hospital stay (AS = 6.7; SC = 7.4; MS = 6.4 days). Conclusions: In the setting of routine coronary intervention AS and SC provide a similar efficacy and safety as manual compression. Subclinical vascular injuries are rare and not related to VCD use

Pulmonary Vein Isolation in 2012: Is It Necessary to Perform a Time Consuming Electrophysical Mapping or Should We Focus on Rapid and Safe Therapies? A Retrospective Analysis of Different Ablation Tools

<p>Background: Pulmonary Vein Isolation (PVI) is evolving as an established treatment option in atrial fibrillation (AF). Different fluoroscopy-guided ablation devices exist either on the basis of expandable circumferential and mesh designs with mapping and ablation of pulmonary vein potentials, or of a balloon technology, a &#8220;single shot&#8221; device with a purely anatomical approach. Systematic comparisons between procedure duration (PD), fluoroscopy time (FT) and clinical outcome in using different ablation tools are lacking in the literature.</p><p>Methods: In a single center retrospective analysis, 119 PVI procedures were performed between August 2008 and March 2011 in paroxysmal AF (PAF, 59.7%) and persistent AF (persAF, 40.3%) patients with mean age of 59.4&#177;10.3 years and history of AF since 8.1&#177;9.7 months. The PVI procedures were evaluated by comparing PD and FT using I) the High Density Mesh Mapper (HDMM), II) the High Density Mesh Ablator (HDMA), and III) the Arctic Front&#174; Cryoballoon. The primary endpoints were FT and PD, the secondary endpoint was procedural safety and efficacy in short- and longterm follow-up.</p><p>Results: The procedures performed for 119 patients (63.0 % male) included 42 PVIs with the HDMM (35.3 %), 47 with the HDMA (39.5 %) and 30 with the cryoballoon (25.2 %). Comparing the 30 first procedures in groups of 10 in the HDMM and HDMA group, PD and FT fell in the HDMM group (PD from 257.5 to 220.9 min and FT from 80.5 to 67.3 min, both p &#60; 0.05) as well as in the HDMA group (PD from 182.9 to 147.2 min and FT from 41.02 to 29.1 min, both p &#60; 0.05). In the cryoballoon group, there was a steep learning curve with a steady state after the first 10 procedures (PD and FT decreased significantly from 189.5 to 138.1 min and 36.9 to 27.3 min, p values 0.005 and 0.05 respectively). With respect to recurrence of AF in a 24 months follow up, the HDMM and cryoballoon group showed comparable results with &#126;72% of patients free of arrhythmias. None of the patients died due to severe complications, or suffered a hemodynamic relevant pericardial effusion and/or stroke. Impairment of the phrenic nerve was observed in three patients.</p><p>Conclusion: Use of the cryoballoon technology was associated with a steep learning curve and a reduced PD and FT; the long-term outcome was similar compared with the HDMM group. The efficacy and safety of the devices but also PD and FT should be respected as the strongest indicators of the quality of ablation. Further studies with long time follow-ups will show if the time for correct mapping of the PV potentials is a price we should be willing to pay or if we should adopt a &#8220;wait-and-see&#8221; attitude referring the AF recurrence.</p

MOESM1 of Is it time to rebalance the case mix? A portfolio analysis of direct catheterization laboratory costs over a 5-year period

Additional file 1. Excel sheet of the original data base

Different effect of exercise on left ventricular diastolic time and interventricular dyssynchrony in heart failure patients with and without left bundle branch block

Background: In patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDCM) a prolongation of left ventricular (LV) systole at the expense of diastolic time was demonstrated. Our study was aimed to evaluate the effect of exercise on heart rate corrected diastolic time in controls, IDCM with and without LBBB, and patients with LBBB and normal LV function. Methods: 47 patients with IDCM, 30 without LBBB, and 17 with LBBB as well as 11 with isolated LBBB were studied during exercise using a combined hemodynamic-radionuclide angiographic approach. The phases of the cardiac cycle were derived with high temporal resolution from the ventricular time-activity curve. The loss of diastolic time per beat (LDT) was quantified using a regression equation obtained from a control group (n=24). Results: A significant LDT was demonstrated at rest and during peak exercise in IDCM patients with LBBB (39.1&#177;32 and 37.3&#177;30 ms; p &#60; 0.001). In IDCM patients with normal activation LDT was unaffected at baseline, but elevated during peak exercise. This response was paralleled by an increase in interventricular mechanical dyssynchrony. Conclusion: During exercise an abnormal shortening of LV diastolic time is a common characteristic of heart failure patients which can be explained by the high prevalence of mechanical dyssynchrony.</p