Accuracy of Physicians in Differentiating Type 1 and Type 2 Myocardial Infarction Based on Clinical Information.

Background: Physicians commonly judge whether a myocardial infarction (MI) is type 1 (thrombotic) vs type 2 (supply/demand mismatch) based on clinical information. Little is known about the accuracy of physicians' clinical judgement in this regard. We aimed to determine the accuracy of physicians' judgement in the classification of type 1 vs type 2 MI in perioperative and nonoperative settings.

Paclitaxel coated balloons for coronary artery interventions: a comprehensive review of preclinical and clinical data.

After the "mechanical era" in interventional cardiology (represented by balloon angioplasty and bare metal stent implantation), arrived the "local dispensing" era, began with the intracoronary delivery of antithrombotic or antirestenotic drugs. However, even drug eluting stents have some pitfalls and cannot be used in all clinical subsets. In this article we will review the significant data on the paclitaxel-coated balloons for the treatment of coronary artery disease.

Drug-eluting stents perform better than bare metal stents in small coronary vessels: a meta-analysis of randomised and observational clinical studies with mid-term follow up.

Background: We tested drug-eluting stent (DES) and bare metal stent (BMS) performance in small coronary vessels by means of meta-analysis of all available clinical studies.

Methods: The analysis included randomised controlled trials (RCT), subgroups of RCT and observational studies with a follow-up of at least six months comparing the use of DES and BMS during percutaneous interventions involving small coronary arteries (diameter<3mm). The primary endpoint was target vessel failure (TVF); the others were pooled and isolated major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), stent thrombosis (ST), binary restenosis and late lumen loss at the longest available follow-up.

High-dose erythropoietin in patients with acute myocardial infarction: a pilot, randomised, placebo-controlled study.

Background: Mortality and morbidity after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remain high even when myocardial reperfusion is successful. Erythropoietin (EPO) protects against experimental MI.

Methods: The aim of this single-centre study was to investigate the effects of short-term high-dose erythropoietin on peripheral blood cells (PBCs) and infarct size in 30 patients with a first uncomplicated AMI undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) who were randomly assigned to treatment with EPO (33 × 10(3)IU before PCI, and 24 and 48 h after admission), or placebo.

Favourable effects of heart rate reduction with intravenous administration of ivabradine in patients with advanced heart failure.

Background: Heart rate (HR) reduction may be useful in treatment of patients with heart failure (HF). There are no data on the haemodynamic effects of ivabradine (a selective I(f) current inhibitor) in advanced HF patients.

Aims: To assess the haemodynamic effects of ivabradine in patients with advanced HF and markedly depressed left ventricular (LV) function.

Baroreflex sensitivity predicts long-term cardiovascular mortality after myocardial infarction even in patients with preserved left ventricular function.

Objectives: This study sought to assess the long-term predictive power of depressed baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) among post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients with preserved left ventricular function.

Background: Risk stratification after MI is primarily performed by identifying patients with depressed left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) because of their greater mortality. Autonomic markers can help refining risk stratification.

Increased circulating hematopoietic and endothelial progenitor cells in the early phase of acute myocardial infarction.

Endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) mobilization has been reported following tissue damage, whereas no data are available regarding the mobilization of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs). We performed the phenotypic and functional analysis of circulating CD34+ progenitor cells in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), assessed from admission up to 60 days, in patients with stable angina pectoris (SA), and in healthy controls (CTRLs). In patients with AMI at admission (T0), the number of circulating CD34+ cells was higher (P < .