Percutaneous coronary intervention increases microvascular resistance in patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome.

Aims: In the acute coronary syndrome setting, the interaction between epicardial coronary artery stenosis and microcirculation subtended by the culprit vessel is poorly understood. The purpose of the present study was to assess the immediate impact of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on microvascular resistance (MR) in patients with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI).

Methods And Results: Thirty-eight patients undergoing PCI for NSTEMI were recruited consecutively.

Effect of cigarette smoking on platelet aggregation.

Background: Cigarette smoking may increase platelet aggregation and cause atherothrombotic cardiovascular events. We aimed to investigate the impact of cigarette smoking on platelet function in patients with ischemic coronary heart disease (CHD).

Methods: Twenty patients with ischemic stable CHD under aspirin therapy (300 mg/d), who continue to smoking despite all warnings, and 20 nonsmokers with CHD are enrolled in the study.

Cholesteryl ester transfer protein Taq1B polymorphism in an angiographically assessed Turkish population: no effects on coronary artery disease risk.

Background: Taq1B polymorphism of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) is believed to associate with high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and may alter the susceptibility to atherosclerosis.

Aim Of The Study: This study investigated the effects of Taq1B polymorphism on HDL-C and coronary artery disease (CAD) risk in angiographically defined CAD patients.

Methods: One hundred thirty-five CAD patients and 112 healthy controls were screened for the CETP Taq1B genotype and plasma lipids.

The accuracy of deceleration time of diastolic coronary flow measured by transthoracic echocardiography in predicting long-term left ventricular infarct size and function after reperfused myocardial infarction.

Aims: Assessment of microvascular function after reperfused acute myocardial infarction (AMI) provides important insights for myocardial reperfusion and facilitates prediction of long-term left ventricular (LV) function and clinical outcome. In this study, we examined microvascular integrity 48 h after successful primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and compared predictive accuracy of the intracoronary pressure-wire- and transthoracic Doppler echocardiography-based parameters in the estimation of long-term LV infarct size and function.

Methods And Results: The study group consisted of 30 anterior AMI patients who were treated successfully with primary PCI.