Prognostic importance of mechanical dyssynchrony in predicting heart failure development after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

The aim of this study is to assess the prognostic value of mechanical dyssynchrony defined as the standard deviation of the time to peak longitudinal strain (SD T2P LS) in predicting the development of heart failure (HF) after an ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Three hundred and seventy-three patients were admitted with STEMI and treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Left ventricular (LV) mechanical dyssynchrony was examined through speckle tracking echocardiography and defined as SD T2P LS.

Regional Longitudinal Myocardial Deformation Provides Incremental Prognostic Information in Patients with ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

Background: Global longitudinal systolic strain (GLS) has recently been demonstrated to be a superior prognosticator to conventional echocardiographic measures in patients after myocardial infarction (MI). The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of regional longitudinal myocardial deformation in comparison to GLS, conventional echocardiography and clinical information.

Method: In total 391 patients were admitted with ST-Segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention and subsequently examined by echocardiography.

Plasma Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin Reflects Both Inflammation and Kidney Function in Patients with Myocardial Infarction.

Background/aims: Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) has emerged as a marker for acute kidney injury and cardiovascular outcome. However, the relative importance of inflammation versus kidney function on plasma NGAL levels is uncertain, making the interpretation of plasma NGAL unclear. Accordingly, we investigated the relationship between plasma NGAL, inflammation and kidney function in patients with myocardial infarction (MI).

Interplay Between Adiponectin and Pro-Atrial Natriuretic Peptide and Prognosis in Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

Natriuretic peptides (NPs) may regulate adipocyte metabolism including adiponectin. Infusion of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) increases plasma adiponectin in patients with heart failure. However, this relation has not been examined in a clinical setting or in myocardial infarction (MI).

Dynamic changes in sRAGE levels and relationship with cardiac function in STEMI patients.

Objectives: Soluble receptor of advanced glycation end-products (sRAGE) may be a predictive biomarker in coronary artery disease (CAD). Patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have higher sRAGE levels compared to healthy subjects. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to investigate the dynamic changes in sRAGE levels during AMI and relationship with cardiac dysfunction.

Osteoprotegerin levels change during STEMI and reflect cardiac function.

Background: High levels of circulating osteoprotegerin (OPG) predicts long-term outcome in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), possibly because of increased vascular inflammation resulting in myocardial damage. In the present study we aimed at elucidating the dynamic progress of OPG levels during STEMI treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and additionally, the effect of OPG levels on cardiac function.

Methods: We prospectively included 42 patients with STEMI treated with primary PCI.

Low adiponectin levels and increased risk of type 2 diabetes in patients with myocardial infarction.

Objective: Patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) have increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Adiponectin is an insulin-sensitizing hormone produced in adipose tissue, directly suppressing hepatic gluconeogenesis, stimulating fatty acid oxidation and glucose uptake in skeletal muscle and insulin secretion. In healthy humans, low plasma adiponectin levels associate with increased risk of T2DM; however, the relationship between adiponectin and T2DM in patients with MI has never been investigated.

Plasma neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalinin in the general population: association with inflammation and prognosis.

Objective: Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a glycoprotein stored in granules of neutrophil leukocytes participating in inflammatory and atherosclerotic processes and possibly plaque rupture. Despite the putative role of NGAL in atherosclerosis and acute myocardial infarction, human studies of plasma NGAL are still limited.

Approach And Results: We prospectively followed 5599 randomly selected men and women from the community in the fourth Copenhagen Heart Study.

MR-proANP improves prediction of mortality and cardiovascular events in patients with STEMI.

Background: Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is released from the atria (on cleavage of proANP) in response to elevated intra-atrial pressure and wall stretch. Clinical data on proANP are still limited, mainly due to limitations in assaying the protein, which recently have been solved. ProANP is elevated in cardiovascular disease and predicts outcome in heart failure.

Cardio-adipose tissue cross-talk: relationship between adiponectin, plasma pro brain natriuretic peptide and incident heart failure.

Aims: There is increasing evidence of cross-talk between the heart, body metabolism, and adipose tissue, but the precise mechanisms are poorly understood. Natriuretic peptides (NPs) have recently emerged as the prime candidate for a mediator. In patients with heart failure (HF), infusion of NPs increases adiponectin secretion, indicating that NPs may improve adipose tissue function and in this way function as a cardio-protective agent in HF.

Drug-eluting stents and bare metal stents in patients with NSTE-ACS: 2-year outcome from the randomised BASKET-PROVE trial.

Aims: The use of drug-eluting stents (DES) in patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) is controversial and not yet endorsed in clinical guidelines.

Methods And Results: This was an a priori planned post hoc analysis involving 754 NSTE-ACS patients from the randomised BASKET-PROVE trial (sirolimus-eluting stent vs. everolimus-eluting stent vs.

Adiponectin, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular risk.

Background: Adiponectin is viewed as an insulin-sensitizing hormone with anti-inflammatory effects. In accordance, plasma adiponectin is decreased in metabolic disorders including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, in spite of the apparently beneficially effects, recent data from large prospective studies have consistently linked high adiponectin levels with increased cardiovascular (CV) disease and mortality, thus questioning the positive view on adiponectin.

High osteopontin levels predict long-term outcome after STEMI and primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: Osteopontin (OPN), a multifunctional glycoprotein, has recently been found to be an important player in cardiovascular diseases and to be implicated in a variety of acute as well as chronic inflammatory processes, including atherosclerosis. This study investigates the association between plasma OPN at admission and the long-term outcome in patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI).

Methods: We included a total of 730 consecutive STEMI patients admitted to a single high-volume invasive heart centre between September 2006 and December 2008.

Prognostic value of cardiac time intervals by tissue Doppler imaging M-mode in patients with acute ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: Color tissue Doppler imaging M-mode through the mitral leaflet is an easy and precise method to estimate all cardiac time intervals from 1 cardiac cycle and thereby obtain the myocardial performance index (MPI). However, the prognostic value of the cardiac time intervals and the MPI assessed by color tissue Doppler imaging M-mode through the mitral leaflet in patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (MI) is unknown.

Methods And Results: In total, 391 patients were admitted with an ST-segment-elevation MI, treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention, and examined by echocardiography a median of 2 days after the ST-segment-elevation MI.

Acute myocardial infarction is associated with endothelial glycocalyx and cell damage and a parallel increase in circulating catecholamines.

Introduction: Excessive sympathoadrenal activation in critical illness contributes directly to organ damage, and high concentrations of catecholamines damage the vascular endothelium. This study investigated associations between potential drivers of sympathoadrenal activation, circulating catecholamines and biomarkers of endothelial damage and outcome in ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)-patients, hypothesizing that the catecholamine surge would reflect shock degree and correlate with biomarkers of endothelial damage.

Methods: This was a prospective study of 678 consecutive STEMI-patients admitted to a single high-volume invasive heart centre for primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) from September 2006 to July 2008.

Relation of serum adiponectin levels to number of traditional atherosclerotic risk factors and all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (from the Copenhagen City Heart Study).

Adiponectin exerts anti-inflammatory and antiatherogenic effects and appears to protect against arteriosclerosis. Accordingly, an association between low concentrations of plasma adiponectin and cardiovascular (CV) disease has been demonstrated in several studies. In contrast, elevated plasma adiponectin has been associated with increased mortality and an increasing number of major adverse CV events (MACE).

Soluble form of membrane attack complex independently predicts mortality and cardiovascular events in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: The complement system is an important mediator of inflammation, which plays a pivotal role in atherosclerosis and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Animal studies suggest that activation of the complement cascade resulting in the formation of soluble membrane attack complex (sMAC), contributes to both atherosclerosis and plaque rupture and may be the direct cause of tissue damage related to ischemia/reperfusion injury. However clinical data of sMAC during an AMI is sparse.

Prognostic utility of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin in predicting mortality and cardiovascular events in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic role of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) in a large population of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Background: NGAL is a glycoprotein released by damaged renal tubular cells and is a sensitive maker of both clinical and subclinical acute kidney injury. New data have demonstrated that NGAL is also stored in granules of mature neutrophils, and recent data suggest that NGAL may also be involved in the development of atherosclerosis.

Usefulness of adiponectin as a predictor of all cause mortality in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Substantial evidence points to a protective role of adiponectin against atherosclerosis and cardiovascular (CV) disease. However, in the setting of an acute myocardial infarction (AMI), the role of adiponectin has not previously been studied. Consequently, the aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic role of adiponectin after AMI in a large population of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Comparison of osteoprotegerin to traditional atherosclerotic risk factors and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein for diagnosis of atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis is the main cause of cardiovascular disease, but the extent of atherosclerosis in individual patients is difficult to estimate. A biomarker of the atherosclerotic burden would be very valuable. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association of plasma osteoprotegerin (OPG) to clinical and subclinical atherosclerotic disease in a large community-based, cross-sectional population study.

Impact of abciximab in diabetic patients with acute coronary syndrome who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention: results from a high-volume, single-center registry.

Background: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and ischemic heart disease is increasing. Moreover, patients with DM experiencing an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) have an increased risk of adverse outcomes after revascularization compared to non-diabetics. Data have suggested that the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor abciximab might be more efficient in diabetics than in those without DM.

Field triage reduces treatment delay and improves long-term clinical outcome in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Objectives: We evaluated the independent impact of field triage on treatment delay and long-term clinical outcome in a large contemporary, consecutive population of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI).

Background: Reduction of treatment delay is crucial for patients with STEMI.

Methods: From January 2005 to July 2008, 1,437 STEMI patients were treated with pPCI at a single high-volume invasive center.

The prognostic value of the Tpeak-Tend interval in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Introduction: The Tpeak-Tend interval (TpTe) has been linked to increased arrhythmic risk. TpTe was investigated before and after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Method: Patients with first-time STEMI treated with pPCI were included (n = 101; mean age 62 years; range 39-89 years; 74% men).