Is it possible to predict which patients need distal protection during primary angioplasty?

Background: Although the benefit of distal protection (DP) during primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains questionable, there appears to be efficacy in some clinical situations. We sought to identify in patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) which clinical and angiographic characteristics might indicate the patient who will benefit from the use of a DP device.

Methods: A series of 103 consecutive patients with STEMI undergoing primary PCI using DP were compared with 98 consecutive patients treated by primary PCI alone.

[Promising efficacy of the sirolimus-eluting stent in patients with acute myocardial infarction].

Objectives: This study investigated the safety and efficacy of sirolimus-eluting stents (SESs) on early and late outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Methods: A series of 100 consecutive patients (September 2004 to November 2005)with acute myocardial infarction undergoing primary stenting using SES ptember 24 hr) was compared with 100 consecutive patients (September 2003 to August 2004) treated with bare metal stent (BMS). The frequency of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and stent thrombosis, and status of ticlopidine administration were assessed at 270 days.

The distal protection during primary percutaneous coronary intervention alleviates the adverse effects of large thrombus burden on myocardial reperfusion.

Background: The presence of intracoronary large thrombus burden (LTB) in the infarct-related artery increases the risk of distal embolization and no-reflow during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Evaluation of whether the distal protection (DP) during primary PCI reduces adverse effects of LTB on myocardial reperfusion and infarct size was investigated.

Methods And Results: A consecutive series of 88 patients with acute myocardial infarction undergoing primary PCI using DP were compared with 81 consecutive patients treated by primary PCI alone.

Noninvasive detection of coronary artery bypass graft patency by intravenous electron beam computed tomographic angiography.

This study evaluates the usefullness of intravenous electron beam computed tomographic angiography (EBA) for the detection of coronary artery bypass graft patency in 43 patients (33 men and 10 women, mean age, 65 years) who had coronary artery bypass graft surgery. EBA was performed a few days before selective bypass graft angiography (SGA). Forty axial cross-sections of angiographic images of the heart were acquired consecutively by an electrocardiographic trigger signal at 40% of the RR interval, which corresponds to the end-systolic phase.

Plasma concentrations of LPL and LCAT are in putative association with females and alcohol use which are independent negative risk factors for coronary atherosclerosis among Japanese.

Background: Coronary heart disease (CHD) prevalence appears low among Japanese. Analysis of their negative risk factors is therefore important for public health strategy.

Methods: We analyzed the impact on coronary atherosclerosis of sex, alcohol intake, plasma lipoproteins and enzymes to regulate cholesterol transport, lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) for the 110 patients who underwent coronary angiography, consecutively enrolled by excluding those >70 years or under hypolipidemic-drug treatment.

Usefulness of electron beam tomography in the prone position for detecting atrial thrombi in chronic atrial fibrillation.

Objective: We compared the usefulness of electron beam tomography (EBT) in the prone position relative to that in the supine position for detecting atrial thrombi.

Methods: We studied 96 patients with chronic atrial fibrillation, of whom 71 were scanned in the supine position and 25 were scanned in the prone position. Electron beam tomography was performed twice after contrast medium injection to obtain early- and late-phase images.

Mechanisms of acute lumen gain following cutting balloon angioplasty in calcified and noncalcified lesions: an intravascular ultrasound study.

Several studies have shown that mechanisms for lumen enlargement following conventional balloon angioplasty (BA) consist of plaque reduction and vessel expansion. To assess the mechanisms of lumen enlargement after Cutting Balloon (CB) angioplasty, intravascular ultrasound images were analyzed in 180 lesions (89 CB and 91 BA). External elastic membrane (EEM) cross-sectional area (CSA), lumen CSA, and plaque plus media (P+M) CSA were measured before and after angioplasty.