Ex-vivo Assessment of Coronary Artery Atherosclerosis by Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Correlation with Histopathology.

Introduction: In recent years, high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has emerged as a very promising technique for studying atherosclerotic disease in humans.

Aim: In the present study we sought to determine whether MRI allowed for the morphological characterization of the coronary vessel wall and atherosclerotic plaques using histopathological assessment as the reference standard.

Methods: The study population consisted of 13 patients who died of acute myocardial infarction and underwent autopsy.

Combination of amlodipine and enalapril in hypertensive patients with coronary disease.

Background: Patients (pts) with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) can benefit from a decrease in the blood pressure (BP), according to recent studies.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of the fixed combination: amlodipine + enalapril, when compared to amlodipine in the normalization of the diastolic arterial pressure (DAP) (<85 mmHg), in pts with CAD and systemic arterial hypertension (SAH).

Methods: Double-blind and randomized study, with two groups of pts with DAP > or =90 and <110 mmHg and CAD.

Trimetazidine to reverse ischemia in patients with class I or II angina: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled dobutamine-atropine stress echocardiography study.

Aims: We sought to evaluate the effects of trimetazidine on ischemia induced by dobutamine-atropine stress echocardiography in patients with class I or class II angina.

Methods: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 66 patients with proved coronary disease were subjected to dobutamine-atropine stress echocardiography. Ischemia was proved in 56 patients who were included in the study and who had been on standard maintenance medications (propranolol, aspirin and statin).