Rosuvastatin Reduces Blood Viscosity in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome.

Background And Objectives: Wall shear stress contributes to atherosclerosis progression and plaque rupture. There are limited studies for statin as a major contributing factor on whole blood viscosity (WBV) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). This study investigates the effect of statin on WBV in ACS patients.

Nicotinic Acid Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate (NAADP) and Cyclic ADP-Ribose (cADPR) Mediate Ca2+ Signaling in Cardiac Hypertrophy Induced by β-Adrenergic Stimulation.

Ca2+ signaling plays a fundamental role in cardiac hypertrophic remodeling, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. We investigated the role of Ca2+-mobilizing second messengers, NAADP and cADPR, in the cardiac hypertrophy induced by β-adrenergic stimulation by isoproterenol. Isoproterenol induced an initial Ca2+ transients followed by sustained Ca2+ rises.

Beneficial effects of Korean traditional diets in hypertensive and type 2 diabetic patients.

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome, hypertension, and diabetes has been increasing rapidly in Korea. The rate of increase has paralleled the replacement of Korean traditional diets (KTD), which emphasize vegetables and fermented foods, with western style dietary patterns that are rich in animal foods and saturated fat. We aimed to investigate the efficacy of the KTD in controlling fasting plasma glucose, blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease risk factors in hypertensive and type 2 diabetic (T2D) patients.

Different Characteristics between Patients with Apical and Non-Apical Subtypes of Stress-Induced Cardiomyopathy.

Background: Stress-induced cardiomyopathy (SCM) is characterized by apical ballooning on echocardiography, but some of SCM patients show non-apical involvement and their characteristics are not well defined.

Methods: We investigated 56 patients that were diagnosed as SCM and divided them into 2 groups: apical ballooning syndrome (ABS, n = 49, 87.5%) and non-apical ballooning syndrome (N-ABS, n = 7, 12.

Elevated coronary whole blood viscosity in acute coronary syndrome patients.

Objectives: As most clinical studies measure whole blood viscosity (WBV) from peripheral samples, potential differences in WBV obtained from the coronary arteries are often ignored. This study investigated differences in WBV measured from coronary artery specimens in patients with and without acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Methods And Results: Consecutive patients with chest pain who underwent diagnostic coronary angiography were divided into two groups [non-ACS (n = 16), ACS (n = 22)].

Infective Endocarditis due to Streptococcus Agalactiae in Young and Immunocompetent Woman: A Case of Structurally Normal Valve Endocarditis Presented with Major Stroke.

We describe here a 26-year-old woman who presented confusion and right hemiparesis due to embolic obstruction of left internal carotid artery and middle cerebral artery. Transthoracic echocardiography showed structurally normal mitral valve with hypermobile echogenic material suggesting vegetation. The vegetation was disappeared after antimicrobial treatment without surgery.

A randomized comparison of sirolimus- versus paclitaxel-eluting stent implantation in patients with diabetes mellitus: 4-year clinical outcomes of DES-DIABETES (drug-eluting stent in patients with DIABETES mellitus) trial.

Objectives: We compared 4-year efficacy and safety of sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) and paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES) in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM).

Background: Four-year comparison of SES with PES in diabetic patients has not been evaluated in a randomized manner.

Methods: This prospective, multicenter, randomized study compared SES (n = 200) and PES (n = 200) implantation in diabetic patients.

Cardiovascular Behçet's Disease Presenting as a Subepicardial Hematoma: An Uneventful 2-Year Clinical Course.

Cardiovascular involvement in Behçet's disease is not uncommon and could be life-threatening. We describe here a 28-year-old man, who developed sudden onset chest pain during warfarinization due to deep vein thrombosis. Echocardiography and computed tomography showed a 60×60 mm-sized hematoma in the pericardial space compressing the right heart.

Periprocedural hemoglobin drop and contrast-induced nephropathy in percutaneous coronary intervention patients.

Background And Objectives: The development of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is associated with an increased risk of death and late cardiovascular events after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The relationship between CIN and hemoglobin drop has been controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical usefulness of periprocedural hemoglobin drop as a nontraditional risk factor for CIN.

Comparison of Triple antiplatelet therapy and dual antiplatelet therapy in patients at high risk of restenosis after drug-eluting stent implantation (from the DECLARE-DIABETES and -LONG Trials).

Although cilostazol has decreased restenosis and target lesion revascularization (TLR) after drug-eluting stent implantation, it is not known if this effect is durable at 2 years. We analyzed 2 randomized studies (Drug-Eluting stenting followed by Cilostazol treatment reduces LAte REstenosis in patients with DIABETES mellitus and Drug-Eluting Stenting Followed by Cilostazol treatment reduces LAte REstenosis in patients with LONG native coronary lesions trials) in which 900 patients were randomly assigned to triple antiplatelet therapy (aspirin, clopidogrel, and cilostazol; triple group, n = 450) and dual antiplatelet therapy (aspirin and clopidogrel; standard group, n = 450) for 6 months in patients with diabetes or long lesions receiving drug-eluting stents. We evaluated 2-year major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) including death, myocardial infarction (MI), and TLR.

Simple method of counterclockwise isthmus conduction block by comparing double potentials and flutter cycle length.

Background And Objectives: Local wide split double potentials are used as a parameter to determine complete conduction block during cavotricuspid isthmus ablation in patients with isthmus dependent atrial flutter. However, delayed slow conduction in that region can sometimes be very difficult to differentiate from complete block. Flutter cycle length (FCL) can be used to confirm isthmus conduction block, because FCL is a measure of conduction time around the tricuspid annulus (TA).

Long-term safety and efficacy of sirolimus- vs. paclitaxel-eluting stent implantation for acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction: 3-year follow-up of the PROSIT trial.

Background: Meta-analysis of randomized trials showed superior efficacy and similar safety of drug-eluting stent over bare-metal stent in acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. However, long-term relative outcomes of sirolimus- (SES) vs. paclitaxel-eluting stent (PES) have not been fully evaluated in randomized studies.

Double coronary artery stent fracture with coronary artery microaneurysms.

Even though drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation is an effective treatment for coronary artery stenosis, there are growing concerns related to the real usefulness of DESs due to their increased incidence of thrombosis, stent fracture, and late stent malapposition in comparison to bare metal stents. We have previously reported a case of stent fractures and multiple microaneurysms in both the left anterior descending and left circumflex coronary arteries. In the present case, we demonstrate the ability of dual-source spiral computed tomography to evaluate the various complications of DESs.

Myocardial bridge in congenitally corrected transposition of great arteries.

A 58-year-old woman with a known congenitally corrected L-transposition of great arteries (TGA) presented with non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction. Dual-source computed tomography showed characteristic features of congenitally corrected L-TGA and myocardial bridge at the proximal segment of the left anterior descending coronary artery. This case showed how multidetector computed tomography images could aid visualization of L-TGA and myocardial bridge.

Huge primary pleomorphic leiomyosarcoma in the right ventricle with impending obstruction of both inflow and outflow tracts.

Primary cardiac leiomyosarcoma is an extremely rare disease entity that is associated with very poor prognosis. We describe here a 45-year-old man who had a huge pleomorphic leiomyosarcoma in the right ventricle (RV) that presented with signs of acute pressure and volume overload and impending obstruction of both outflow and inflow tracts of the RV. The tumor was attached to the RV apex and the interventricular septum, and extended into the main pulmonary trunk just above the pulmonary valve as well as into the right atrium through the tricuspid valve.

Disseminated multiple ostial stenoses in a young woman presenting as unstable angina.

A previously healthy 40-year-old woman presented as unstable angina. She had a family history of stroke as the only cardiovascular risk factor. Her blood pressure on admission was 150/90 mmHg.

Inhibition of ADP-ribosyl cyclase attenuates angiotensin II-induced cardiac hypertrophy.

Aims: Here, we report the discovery of a small molecule inhibitor, 2,2'-dihydroxyazobenzene (DAB), of ADP ribosyl cyclase (ADPR-cyclase) and showed that this inhibitor attenuated angiotensin (Ang) II-induced hypertrophic responses.

Methods: and results The intracellular concentration of free Ca(2+) [Ca(2+)](i) in adult rat cardiomyocytes was measured by using a confocal microscope. Cardiac hypertrophy was induced by the two-kidney one-clip (2K1C) method.

A randomized comparison of sirolimus- versus Paclitaxel-eluting stent implantation in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) and paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES) in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM).

Background: Drug-eluting stent implantation significantly improved the angiographic and clinical outcomes compared with bare-metal stent implantation in diabetic patients. However, comparison of SES with PES in diabetic patients has not been sufficiently evaluated.

Incidence and predictors of drug-eluting stent fractures in long coronary disease.

Background: Stent fractures after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation have not been evaluated sufficiently in patients with long coronary artery disease.

Methods: This study comprised of 415 patients, who were enrolled in the Long-DES-II study and had a complete serial angiography both before and after procedure and also at follow-up. The lesions were > or =25 mm in length and were randomly treated with sirolimus-eluting stents (SES, 210 lesions) or paclitaxel-eluting stent (205 lesions).

Consecutively developed late stent malappositions following the implantation of two different kinds of drug-eluting stents associated with spontaneous healing.

We describe here a 63-year-old woman, who consecutively developed a stent-related coronary aneurysm of left circumflex artery, which was associated with spontaneous healing, and sequential late stent malapposition of left anterior descending artery following the implantation of two different kinds of drug-eluting stents, respectively. She did not experience any cardiac events for thirty eight months.

Prospective randomized comparison of sirolimus- versus paclitaxel-eluting stents for the treatment of acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction: pROSIT trial.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare effectiveness of the Sirolimus- (SES) and Paclitaxel-eluting stent (PES) in primary angioplasty for acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Background: It has been reported that SES and PES have been more effective than bare-metal stents in reducing restenosis and cardiac events in a broad range of patients with coronary artery disease. However, it is unknown whether there may be differences between these two drug-eluting stents in terms of efficacy in the setting of acute STEMI.

Drug-eluting stenting followed by cilostazol treatment reduces late restenosis in patients with diabetes mellitus the DECLARE-DIABETES Trial (A Randomized Comparison of Triple Antiplatelet Therapy with Dual Antiplatelet Therapy After Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation in Diabetic Patients).

Objectives: We sought to evaluate the impact of cilostazol on neointimal hyperplasia after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM).

Background: Although cilostazol has reduced the extent of neointimal hyperplasia and restenosis in patients after bare-metal stent implantation, it is not known whether this effect occurs after DES implantation in diabetic patients.

Methods: This randomized, multicenter, prospective study compared triple antiplatelet therapy (aspirin, clopidogrel, and cilostazol, triple group, n = 200) and dual antiplatelet therapy (aspirin and clopidogrel, standard group, n = 200) for 6 months in patients with DM receiving DES.