Effect of remote ischemia or nicorandil on myocardial injury following percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with stable coronary artery disease: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: The effect of remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) and nicorandil on periprocedural myocardial injury (pMI) in patients with planned percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains controversial. The aim of this randomized trial was to evaluate the effect of RIPC or nicorandil on pMI following PCI in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) compared with a control group.

Methods: Patients with stable CAD who planned to undergo PCI were assigned to a 1:1:1 ratio to control, RIPC, or intravenous nicorandil (6mg/h).

Intermittent arm ischemia induces vasodilatation of the contralateral upper limb.

Intermittent arm ischemia before percutaneous coronary intervention induces remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) and attenuates myocardial injury in patients with myocardial infarction. Several studies have shown that intermittent arm ischemia increases coronary flow and is related to autonomic nerve system. The aim of this study was to determine whether intermittent arm ischemia induces vasodilatation of other arteries and to assess changes in the autonomic nerve system during intermittent arm ischemia in humans.

Ezetimibe improves postprandial hyperlipemia and its induced endothelial dysfunction.

Objective: Postprandial hyperlipemia has been shown to impair endothelial function and contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. We investigated the association between postprandial lipid profiles and endothelial function, and we examined the effects of ezetimibe on postprandial hyperlipemia and lipemia-induced endothelial dysfunction.

Methods: A randomized prospective trial in which 10 mg/day of ezetimibe was administered to 10 subjects for 4 weeks and not administered to 10 subjects (control group) was performed.

Impact of hypertriglyceridemia on endothelial dysfunction during statin ± ezetimibe therapy in patients with coronary heart disease.

Despite the use of statin therapy and achieving the target for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, a substantial number of coronary events are not prevented, and residual risk factors remain unsettled. Recently, ezetimibe has been shown to reduce not only low-density lipoprotein cholesterol but also triglyceride (TG) levels. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations of residual risk factors, mainly hypertriglyceridemia, with endothelial function during statin therapy in patients with coronary heart disease and examine the effect of ezetimibe add-on therapy.

Beta-Blockers and Oxidative Stress in Patients with Heart Failure.

Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of heart failure. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced in the failing myocardium, and ROS cause hypertrophy, apoptosis/cell death and intracellular Ca(2+) overload in cardiac myocytes. ROS also cause damage to lipid cell membranes in the process of lipid peroxidation.

Fulminant eosinophilic myocarditis associated with visceral larva migrans caused by Toxocara canis infection.

A 19-year-old man was transferred to hospital because of myocarditis with cardiogenic shock. Echocardiography showed a left ventricular ejection fraction of 23.8% and an intermediate amount of pericardial effusion.