Elevated cardiac troponin T is associated with higher mortality and amputation rates in patients with peripheral arterial disease.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether elevated cardiac troponin T (cTnT) was independently associated with an increased all-cause mortality or risk of cardiovascular events and amputation among patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

Background: PAD patients often have impaired renal function, and the blood concentration of cardiac troponin often increases with declining glomerular filtration rate.

Methods: The cohort consisted of 1,041 consecutive PAD patients (653 males, 388 females, age 70.

Elevated cardiac troponin T contributes to prediction of worse in-hospital outcomes after endovascular therapy for acute limb ischemia.

Introduction: The present study evaluated whether elevated cardiac troponin T (cTnT) was predictive of an increased risk for death or amputation in patients with acute lower limb ischemia (ALI). ALI is one of the most frequent causes of amputation, with mortality rates for ALI ranging from 15% to 20%.

Methods: This study included 254 consecutive ALI patients (155 men, 99 women; mean age, 71.

Retrieval of lost coronary guidewires during challenging percutaneous coronary interventions.

Introduction: The presence of symptomatic or asymptomatic intravascular/intracardiac foreign body (FB) is underreported in the literature, but it is more commonly encountered in clinical practice. Nowadays, losing a coronary stent or a guidewire has become a rare event. However, due to the constant increase in the total number of worldwide performed coronary interventions (PCI) and especially due to an increase also in the technical difficulties of these procedures (i.

Recanalization of chronic occlusions of the superficial femoral artery using the Outback re-entry catheter: a single centre experience.

Purpose: To report our experience with a catheter system (The Outback catheter) designed to allow fluoroscopically controlled re-entry after subintimal guide wire passage during recanalization of chronically occluded femoro-popliteal arteries.

Methods: Between March 2007 and August 2008, 65 legs in 61 patients (60% male, mean age 73 (49-98 years) with chronic occlusion of the SFA and proximal popliteal artery were treated. Clinical presentation was severe intermittent claudication (Rutherford category 3, 59%), rest pain (Rutherford category 4, 16%), and minor ulcerations (Rutherford category 5, 25%).

Nitinol stent implantation in TASC A and B superficial femoral artery lesions: the Femoral Artery Conformexx Trial (FACT).

Purpose: To investigate the impact of nitinol stenting of superficial femoral artery (SFA) lesions with a maximum length of 10 cm (TASC-II A or B) on 1-year outcomes compared to a historical study cohort from the Femoral Artery Stent Trial (FAST).

Methods: Between January 2004 and August 2005, 6 study sites enrolled 110 symptomatic patients (75 men; mean age 68+/-9 years) with a single de novo >70% SFA lesion <10 cm long treated with the self-expanding nitinol Conformexx stent. The primary study endpoint was binary restenosis determined by duplex ultrasound at 12 months.