Left ventricular dysfunction secondary to ischemia in women with angina and normal coronary angiograms.

Background: Microvascular disease is proposed as a cause of segmental myocardial blood flow abnormalities and heterogeneous myocardial perfusion in cardiac syndrome X.

Objective: To assess if myocardial ischemia can be evidenced through both perfusion abnormalities and poststress left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) reduction by gated single photon emission tomography (SPECT) myocardial scintigraphy in women with syndrome X in a similar way to those with epicardial coronary lesions.

Methods: Three groups of postmenopausal women were studied: group I, 20 women with angina, perfusion defects, and normal coronary angiography; group II, 20 women with epicardial coronary lesions (> or =50% of coronary lumen reduction); group III, 15 volunteers without signs or symptoms of ischemia (control group).

Influence of Hispanic ethnicity on blood pressure control and cardiovascular outcomes in women with CAD and hypertension: findings from INVEST.

Background: Prospective data regarding blood pressure (BP) control and cardiovascular (CV) outcomes in Hispanic women are lacking.

Methods: We analyzed 5017 Hispanic and 4710 non-Hispanic white hypertensive women with coronary artery disease (CAD) in the INternational VErapamil SR/Trandolapril STudy (INVEST) to determine the impact of baseline characteristics and BP control on CV outcomes.

Results: At baseline, Hispanic women were younger and a had lower prevalence of most established CV risk factors than non-Hispanic white women.

Ischemia in women with angina and normal coronary angiograms.

Background: Coronary artery disease is frequent in postmenopausal women. Myocardial ischemia has been induced with stress testing, and a relationship between endothelial dysfunction and perfusion defects has been reported.

Objective: To evaluate whether myocardial ischemia can be evidenced both by perfusion and function abnormalities using gated single-photon emission computed-tomography myocardial scintigraphy with technetium-labeled compounds in women with typical angina, normal coronary angiography, and endothelial dysfunction.

Mental stress-induced myocardial ischemia in women with angina and normal coronary angiograms.

Background: Coronary artery disease is frequent in postmenopausal women. Silent myocardial ischemia has been induced with mental stress testing.

Methods And Results: To evaluate whether mental stress can induce ischemia in women with typical angina and normal coronary angiography, postmenopausal patients (n = 16) were studied.

Blood pressure control and cardiovascular outcomes in high-risk Hispanic patients--findings from the International Verapamil SR/Trandolapril Study (INVEST).

Background: People of Hispanic origin are the fastest growing ethnic minority in the United States and often have hypertension and other comorbidities which increase the risk associated with coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods And Results: An analysis of the 8045 Hispanic patients enrolled in INVEST was conducted, and comparisons were made to the 14,531 non-Hispanic patients. INVEST was a prospective, randomized, open, blinded end point study in CAD patients with hypertension.