Dobutamine-atropine stress echocardiography and clinical data for predicting late cardiac events in patients with suspected coronary artery disease

purpose: To compare the relative value of clinical variables with dobutamine-atropine stress echocardiography to predict cardiac events during long-term follow-up. Dobutamine stress echocardiography is increasingly used for the detection of coronary artery disease, but little is known of its prognostic value. patients and methods: A total of 430 patients (310 men; mean age 61 years, range 22 to 90) were enrolled in the study. Patients were referred for chest pain complaints and were unable to perform an adequate exercise stress test. All patients underwent dobutamine-atropine stress test (incremental dobutamine infusion: 10 to 40 μ/kg/minute, continued with atropine 0.25 to 1 mg intravenously if necessary to achieve 85% of the age predicted maximal heart rate, without symptoms or signs of ischemia) and clinical cardiac evaluation. Follow-up was 17 ± 5 months, with a minimum of 6 months; 3 patients were lost to follow-up. Cardiac events were defined as cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarc

Colchicine and diabetes in patients with chronic coronary artery disease: insights from the LoDoCo2 randomized controlled trial

IntroductionDespite optimal treatment, patients with chronic coronary artery disease (CAD) and diabetes mellitus (DM) are at high risk of cardiovascular events, emphasizing the need for new treatment options. The Low-Dose Colchicine 2 (LoDoCo2) trial demonstrated that colchicine reduces cardiovascular risk in patients with chronic CAD. This analysis determines the efficacy of colchicine in patients with chronic CAD and DM as well as the effect of colchicine on the development of new-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).MethodsThe LoDoCo2 trial randomized 5,522 patients to placebo or colchicine 0.5 mg once daily, with a median follow-up of 28.6 months. The primary composite endpoint was cardiovascular death, spontaneous myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, or ischemia-driven revascularization. The effect of its treatment in patients with and without DM was evaluated by including an interaction term in the model.ResultsA total of 1,007 participants (18.2%) had T2DM at baseline. The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) [(95% confidence interval (CI)] for the primary endpoint in the T2DM group was 1.52 (1.15–2.01, p < 0.01) compared with the group without T2DM. The HR for the treatment effect on the primary endpoint was 0.87 (0.61–1.25) in participants with T2DM and 0.64 (0.51–0.80) in participants without diabetes (pinteraction = 0.14). The incidence of new-onset T2DM was 1.5% (34 out of 2,270) in the colchicine group and 2.2% (49 out of 2,245) in the placebo group (p = 0.10).DiscussionIn conclusion, based on the current evidence, the beneficial effects of colchicine on cardiovascular endpoints are consistent regardless of DM status. The potential benefits of colchicine in preventing new-onset DM need further investigation. These findings are only hypothesis-generating and require larger prospective trials to confirm the results

Hemodynamic changes, plasma catecholamine responses, and echocardiographically detected contractile reserve during two different dobutamine-infusion protocols

We studied hemodynamic changes, catecholamine responses, and the occurrence of improved wall thickening by echocardiography during two different dobutamine-infusion protocols. Forty-three patients were studied by using a stepwise incremental dobutamine dose-infusion protocol (10-40 μg/kg/min, 3-min intervals); a subgroup of 11 patients also underwent a continuous dobutamine-infusion protocol (10 μg/kg/min for 12 min) in random order. No patient used β-blockers. At 3-min intervals, blood pressure, heart rate, and plasma concentrations of dobutamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine were measured. The echocardiographic improvement of wall thickening was analyzed only in paired protocols by visual assessment in left ventricular regions with normal wall motion at rest. The mean heart rate increased in the continuous and stepwise protocols from 73 to 99 and 74 to 132 beats/min. There was no significant change in blood pressure response between the two protocols. The mean plasma dobutamine concentrations during the continuous and stepwise protocols at 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 min were 0/0; 31/38; 80/203; 106/448; and 120/692 ng/ml, respectively. In each patient, a response curve was constructed for the plasma dobutamine concentration versus heart rate. The heart rate increment and dobutamine concentration at which wall thickening was detected were similar with both protocols (14 ± 5 vs. 12 ± 7 beats/min) and (8) ± 40 vs. 92 ± 48 ng/ml; mean ± SD). Wall thickening was noted in two of 11 patients b

Allopurinol to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Aims To compare the effectiveness of allopurinol with no treatment or placebo for the prevention of cardiovascular events in hyperuricemic patients. Methods and results Pubmed, Web of Science and Cochrane library were searched from inception until July 2020. Randomized controlled trials (RCT) and observational studies in hyperuricemic patients without significant renal disease and treated with allopurinol, versus placebo or no treatment were included. Outcome measures were cardiovascular mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, or a combined endpoint (CM/MI/S). For RCT’s a random effects meta-analysis was performed. For observational studies a narrative synthesis was performed. Of the original 1995 references we ultimately included 26 RCT’s and 21 observational studies. We found a significantly reduced risk of combined endpoint (Risk Ratio 0.65 [95% CI] [0.46 to 0.91]; p = 0.012) and myocardial infarction (RR 0.47 [0.27 to 0.80]; p = 0.01) in the allopurinol group compared to controls. We found no significant effect of allopurinol on stroke or cardiovascular mortality. Of the 15 observational studies with sufficient quality, allopurinol was associated with reduced cardiovascular mortality in 1 out of 3 studies that reported this outcome, myocardial infarction in 6 out of 8, stroke in 4 out of 7, and combined end-point in 2 out of 2. Cardiovascular benefit was only observed when allopurinol therapy was prolonged for more than 6 months and when an appropriate allopurinol dose was administered (300 mg or more/day) or sufficient reduction of serum urate concentration was achieved (<0.36 mmol/l). Conclusions Data from RCT’s and observational studies indicate that allopurinol treatment reduces cardiovascular risk in patients with hyperuricemia. However, the quality of evidence from RCTs is low to moderate. To establish whether allopurinol lowers the risk of cardiovascular events a well-designed and adequately powered randomized, placebo-controlled trial is needed in high-risk patients with hyperuricemia. Systematic review registration PROSPERO registration CRD4201808974

Low-dose dobutamine echocardiography and rest-redistribution thallium-201 tomography in the assessment of spontaneous recovery of left ventricular function after recent myocardial infarction

Spontaneous improvement of contraction and perfusion occurs after acute myocardial infarction. The relative merit of low-dose dobutamine stress echocardiography (LDDE) and rest-redistribution thallium scintigraphy (RR Tl) in this setting has not been evaluated. We studied 30 patients at

Ticagrelor versus clopidogrel in patients with acute coronary syndromes intended for non-invasive management: substudy from prospective randomised PLATelet inhibition and patient Outcomes (PLATO) trial

Objective To evaluate efficacy and safety outcomes in patients in the PLATelet inhibition and patient Outcomes (PLATO) trial who at randomisation were planned for a non-invasive treatment strategy

In search of an efficient strategy to monitor disease status of chronic heart failure outpatients

_Introduction_ Blood biomarkers have the potential to monitor the severity of chronic heart failure (CHF). Studies correlating repeated measurements of blood biomarkers with repeatedly assessed New York Heart Association (NYHA) class over a prolonged follow-up period, and concomitantly investigating their associations with clinical endpoints, have not yet been performed. _Methods_ Between 2011–2013, 263 CHF patients were included. At inclusion and subsequently every 3 months, we measured N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic (NT-proBNP), high-sensitivity troponin T (Hs-TnT) and C-reactive protein (CRP), and assessed NYHA class. The primary endpoint comprised heart failure hospitalisation, cardiovascular mortality, cardiac transplantation or left ventricular assist device implantation. Time-dependent Cox models were used. _Results_ Mean age was 67 ± 13 years, 72% were men and 27% were in NYHA class III–IV. We obtained 886 repeated measures (median 3 [IQR 2–5] per patient). The primary endpoint was reached in 41 patients during a median follow-up of 1.0 [0.6–1.4] year. Repeatedly measured NT-proBNP and Hs-TnT were significantly associated with repeatedly assessed NYHA class, whereas CRP was not (NT-proBNP: β [95% CI]: 1.56 [1.17–2.06]ln(ng/l) increase per point increase in NYHA class, p = 0.002; HsTNT: β [95% CI]: 1.58 [1.21–2.07]). Serially measured NT-proBNP (HR [95% CI]:2.86 [1.73–4.73]), CRP (1.69 [1.21–2.34]) and NYHA class (2.33 [1.51–3.62]) were positively and independently associated with the primary endpoint, whereas Hs-TnT lost statistical significance after multivariable adjustment. A model containing serially measured NYHA class and NT-proBNP displayed a C-index of 0.84, while serially measured NYHA class and CRP showed a C-index of 0.82. _Conclusion_ Temporal NT-proBNP, CRP and NYHA class patterns are independently associated with adverse clinical outcome. Serially measured NT-proBNP and NYHA class are best suited for monitoring CHF outpatients

Rate control efficacy in permanent atrial fibrillation:a comparison between lenient versus strict rate control in patients with and without heart failure. Background, aims, and design of RACE II

BACKGROUND: Recent studies demonstrated that rate control is an acceptable alternative for rhythm control in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). However, optimal heart rate during AF is still unknown. OBJECTIVE: To show that in patients with permanent AF, lenient rate control is not inferior to strict rate control in terms of cardiovascular mortality, morbidity, neurohormonal activation, New York Heart Association class for heart failure, left ventricular function, left atrial size, quality of life, and costs. METHODS: The RACE II study is a prospective multicenter trial in The Netherlands that will randomize 500 patients with permanent AF (< or = 12 months) to strict or lenient rate control. Strict rate control is defined as a mean resting heart rate < 80 beats per minute (bpm) and heart rate during minor exercise < 110 bpm. After reaching the target, a 24-hour Holter monitoring will be performed. If necessary, drug dose reduction and/or pacemaker implantation will be performed. Lenient rate control is defined as a resting heart rate < 110 bpm. Patients will be seen after 1, 2, and 3 months (for titration of rate control drugs) and yearly thereafter. We anticipate a 25% 2.5-year cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in both groups. RESULTS: Enrollment started in January 2005 in 29 centers in The Netherlands and is expected to be concluded in June 2006. Follow-up will be at least 2 years with a maximum of 3 years. CONCLUSION: This study should provide data how to treat patients with permanent AF

European Physician Survey Characterizing the Clinical Pathway and Treatment Patterns of Patients Post-Myocardial Infarction

Introduction: The 2019 European Society of Cardiology and European Atherosclerosis Society (2019 ESC/EAS) guidelines stress the importance of managing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) after myocardial infarction (MI) to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events. Information on guideline implementation is limited. The aim of this survey was to describe current clinical practice regarding LDL-C management in the first year post-MI across Europe, improving understanding of the role of ESC/EAS guidelines on clinical practice. Methods: A qualitative web-based cross-sectional physician survey about the patient pathway and LDL-C management post-MI was conducted in 360 physicians from France, Italy, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, and the UK (n = 60/country) between December 2019 and June 2020. Secondary and primary care physicians (SCPs/PCPs) described their experiences treating patients post-MI over the preceding 2months. Results: Physicians reported that on average 90.7% of patients not prescribed lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) before an MI initiated LLT as inpatients; for patients already taking LLT, treatment was intensified for 64.7% of inpatients post-MI. SCPs reported prescribing higher-intensity statins and/or ezetimibe for between 72.3% (Italy) and 88.6% (UK) of patients post-MI. More than 80.0% of SCPs and 51.2% of PCPs stated that they would initiate a change in LLT immediately if patients did not achieve their LDL-C treatment goal by 12weeks post-MI; 82.0% of SCPs and 55.1% of PCPs reported referring to 2019 ESC/EAS guidelines for management of patients post-MI. Barriers to initiating PCSK9 inhibitors (PCSK9is) included prior prescription of a maximally tolerated dose of statin (49.4%) and/or ezetimibe (38.9%), requirement to reach threshold LDL-C levels (44.9%), and pre-authorization requirements (30.4%). Conclusion: Differences in clinical practice post-MI were reported across the countries surveyed, including divergence between 2019 ESC/EAS and local guidelines. Increased use of innovative medicines to achieve LDL-C goals should reduce risk of subsequent cardiovascular events in very high-risk patients post-MI