Vasospastic heart failure: multiple spasm may cause transient heart failure?

Background: There have been no reports concerning the correlation between heart failure and coronary artery spasm.

Methods And Results: From January 2000 to December 2007, 201 patients with heart failure were hospitalized at our institution. We could perform coronary arteriography and spasm provocation tests in 37 (22 men, 67±11 years) out of 201 patients with heart failure before discharge.

Recommendations for performing acetylcholine tests safely: STOP dangerous complications induced by acetylcholine tests (STOP DCIAT).

Objectives: We examined some recommendations for performing acetylcholine (ACh) tests safely.

Methods And Results: We performed 1000 ACh tests from 1991 to December 2004. ACh was injected in incremental doses of 20/50/80 microg into the RCA and of 20/50/100 microg into the LCA.

A long-acting calcium antagonist over one year did not improve BMIPP myocardial scintigraphic imagings in patients with pure coronary spastic angina.

Background: Calcium antagonists (Ca) have been effective in reducing angina attacks in patients with variant angina. However, there are no reports regarding the effectiveness of Ca on myocardial fatty acid metabolic images in patients with pure coronary spastic angina (CSA).

Objectives: This study sought to examine the correlation between myocardial fatty acid metabolic images and the medical treatment of Ca in patients with pure CSA.

[Potential risk caused by the lack of recognition of coronary spasm: analysis of the coronary spasm questionnaire in Japan].

Background: The spasm provocation test (SPT)is no longer widely used in patients with undiagnosed chest pain syndromes in the USA and Europe. Objectives. The clinical significance of the SPT was examined in Japan and compared with the frequency of coronary spastic angina (CSA) in institutions with and without SPT screening.

[Shock during spasm provocation tests with acetylcholine: four case reports].

Four patients suffered shock during the spasm provocation test with acetylcholine. An 84-year-old man with acute coronary syndrome was treated with stent implantation in the mid left anterior descending artery. Before discharge, acetylcholine test demonstrated coronary spasm in both the proximal left anterior descending artery and proximal left circumflex artery.

Need for documentation of guidelines for coronary artery spasm: an investigation by questionnaire in Japan.

Background: Because there are no guidelines concerning coronary spasm in Japan, the present study examined the current status of the spasm provocation test.

Methods And Results: Questionnaires concerning the number of cases of coronary angiography, percutaneous coronary intervention, and invasive/non-invasive spasm provocation tests over 3 years (2001-2003) and the status of spasm provocation tests were sent to members of the Japanese Circulation Society in 120 cardiology hospitals in the Chugoku and Shikoku areas. Completed surveys were returned from 45 hospitals, giving a collection rate of 38%.