coronary artery

Introduction: Bland, White and Garland syndrome is a coronary anomaly with high mortality without treatment. Its clinical presentation is varied which makes epidemiological documentation difficult. Echocardiography is a useful non-invasive tool for diagnosis. Objective: To determine the echocardiographic variables that lead to the diagnosis of Bland, White and Garland syndrome and their clinical relevance. Material: Observational, prospective and cross-sectional study in 31 patients of the “William Soler” Pediatric Cardiocenter, from 2005 to 2018. To check the association of echocardiographic variables with the diagnosis of Bland, White and Garland syndrome, an effectiveness study was carried out that included the analysis of the incidence of echocardiographic variables that lead to the diagnosis of this entity. The clinical relevance was estimated according to the minimum importance limit. The statistical validation of the research results adopted a significance level of less than 5% (p < 0.05). Results: The variables that facilitate the echocardiographic diagnosis of Bland, White and Garland syndrome were the echocardiographic visualization of the anomalous connection and the reversed flow in the anomalous left coronary artery. These echocardiographic measures have clinical relevance according to the quantification of risk estimators (incidence) the echocardiographic visualization of the anomalous connection, RR 39.00 and the reversed flow in the anomalous coronary artery, RR 26.31. LIM´s calculation value amounted to 6.31 and coincided with the risk estimators (incidence). Conclusion: The echocardiographic visualization of the anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary arterial trunk and the detection of the local intracoronary reversed flow instituted as factors to be considered for the effective diagnosis of the disease. The documentation of the diagnostic aspects of the syndrome through echocardiography contains high statistical value and clinical relevance.

Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) combining aspirin and a P2Y12 receptor inhibitor has been consistently shown to reduce recurrent major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for stable coronary artery disease (CAD) compared with aspirin monotherapy but at the expense of an increased risk of significant bleeding. Among patients with stable CAD undergoing PCI with drug-eluting stents (DES), shorter duration of DAPT (3–6 months) were shown non-inferior to 12 or 24 months duration concerning MACE but reduced the rates of major bleeding? Contrariwise, prolonged DAPT durations (18–48 months) reduced the incidence of myocardial infarction and stent thrombosis, but at the cost of an increased risk of majör bleeding and all-cause mortality. Until more evidence becomes available, the choice of optimal DAPT regimen and duration for patients with CAD requires a tailored approach based on the patient clinical presentation, baseline risk profile and management strategy. Patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and a history of atrial fibrillation (AF) have indications for both dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) and oral anticoagulation (OAC). Triple therapy (TT), the combination of DAPT and OAC, is recommended in guidelines. This article provides a contemporary state-of-the-art review of the current evidence on DAPT for secondary prevention of patients with CAD and its future perspectives.

Background: Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of the infarct-related artery (IRA) is the most effective treatment modality in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Incidence of no flow is 8.8% - 10% in primary PCI of STEMI patients. Our aim was to study actual incidence and outcome of no flow patients. Methods: Five hundred and eighty primary PCI patients were enrolled and evaluated from 2016 January to 2017 December. We used drug eluting stents in all cases. Majority of our patients (> 90%) presented to emergency six hours after onset of symptoms. There were many patients where there was no flow even after mechanical thrombus aspiration and pharmacological vasodilator therapy. We have studied primary outcome (mortality) of no flow in those patients. Results: There were 44 cases of no flow in our series (7.75%). Involvement of Left anterior descending artery (LAD) was in eighteen patients. Right coronary artery (RCA) was culprit in twenty four cases. Only two cases were seen in LCX territory. One month mortality rate in no flow group was 50% and 6.25% in successful recanalization group. One year mortality was 12.5% in successful recanalization group and 66% in no flow group. Conclusion: Refractory no flow during STEMI intervention is associated with increased incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). There is no established strategy to solve this phenomenon.

Objectives: The role of perioperative hemofiltration (HF) in adult patients with impaired renal function undergoing cardiac surgery is controversial. There are suggestions that it may be beneficial for high risk patients undergoing prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) surgery. However, long term outcomes in coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery patients have not been investigated. Methods: To address this we retrospectively followed 7620 patients who underwent CABG between April 2001 and March 2006. Logistic regression was used to risk adjust in-hospital outcomes. Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to risk adjust Kaplan-Meier freedom from death curves. Outcomes were adjusted for American Heart Association and American College of College of Cardiology recommended variables. Results: 113 patients had intraoperative HF, 38 had postoperative HF and control group of 7006 that had no HF. After adjusting for differences in case-mix, patients with preoperative kidney disease who received postoperative HF proportionately had significantly higher rates of hospital deaths as compared with intraoperative HF patients. In addition, 5-year follow-up risk-adjusted freedom from death indicated significant differences between intraoperative HF group and postoperative HF patients. Conclusions: These findings support the hypothesis that after adjusting for differences in case mixes, the use of intraoperative hemofiltration may offer superior short term clinical outcomes and longer-term survival benefits for patients with preoperative kidney disease.

Between 2003 and 2011, 17 patients with heart failure were treated with stem cells as part of our Foundation’s Regenerative Medicine program. In several centers and countries 4 with ischemic cardiomyopathy of which 3 were surgically implanted with autologous bone marrow stem cells (ABMSC) plus bypass surgery. One patient was treated with hyperbaric medicine plus bypass surgery. Patients with idiopathic cardiomyopathy were implanted surgically with 2 different types of stem cells. Ten patients were implanted with stem cells derived from human fetuses (HFDSCs) and three patients with autologous bone marrow stem cells (ABMSC). The ejection fractions of the coronary artery bypass graft off pump OPCAB (control group) versus coronary artery bypass group off pump OPCAB plus stem cell transplantation were as followsin the entire serie: preoperative, 30.7% +/- 2.5% compared to 29.4% +/- 3.6%; 1 month, 36.4% +/- 2.6% versus 42.1% +/- 3.5%; 3 months, 36.5% +/- 3.0% vs. 45.5% +/- 2.2%; And 6 months, 37.2% +/- 3.4% versus 46.1% +/- 1.9% (p <0.001). The first patient performed at our center in Argentina in this series is alive and asymptomatic 15 years after implantation, and the rest of this series we do not have current data. A patient without visible vessels in the anterior wall of the left ventricle was treated with 18 hyperbaric chamber sections from one hour at 1.4 AT. After creating angiogenesis, the patient was operated on receiving 2 grafts (mammary and venous) without extracorporeal circulation in the anterior descending artery and diagonal artery. The preoperative ejection fraction was 33% at 90 months of follow up the ejection fraction was 58%. The patient at 90 months was asymptomatic. Of the idiopathic heart disease group, nine patients underwent median sternotomy, and received human fetal stem cells (HFDSCs from ectopic pregnancy or spontaneous abortion, three patients received autologous bone marrow stem cells ABMSC) and 1HFDSCs for Minimally Invasive Surgery. Patients with HFDSC, compared to baseline, improved: The mean (±SD) NYHA class decreased from 3.4 ± 0.5 to 1.33 ± 0.5 (P = 0.001); Mean EF increased 31%, from 26.6% ± 4.0% to 34.8% ± 7.2% (p = 0.005); the yield in ETT increased 291.3%, from 4.25 minutes to 16.63 minutes (128.9% in metabolic equivalents, 2.45 to 5.63) (P <0.0001); the mean LVEDD decreased 15%, from 6.85 ± 0.6cm to 5.80 ± 0.58cm (P <0.001); the mean performance on the 6-minute walk test increased 43.2%, from 251 ± 113.1 seconds to 360 ± 0 seconds (P = 0.01); the mean distance increased 64.4%, from 284.4 ± 144.9m to 468.2 ± 89.8m (P = 0.004); and the mean score in the Minnesota congestive HF test decreased from 71 ± 27.3 to 6 ± 5.9 (p <0.001). Kaplan-Maier’s probability of survival at 40 months was 66%. No rejection or cancer was observed at follow-up, in this series follow-up was discontinued at 4 years. In idiopathic patients receiving autologous cells by Mininvasive technique preoperative NYHA was 3.6 (+/- 0.70) 6 months after receiving stem cell therapy. The mean value of the functional class was 1.9 (+/- 0.90) (p <0.005). ) showing marked clinical improvement. The preimplantation ejection fraction was 28% (+/- 3.6%) and at 6 months 44% (+/- 4.7%) (p <0.005). There was a similar change in ventricular diameters: After 6 months LVESV went from 50mm (+/- 3.3) to 42mm (+/- 4.5) (p <0.05). Two of the three patients in this group received re-synchronization therapy; one died at 10 years and 4 months, another at age 11 and another one alive at 12 years of the implant. More experience should be performed with different techniques and cells to find the appropriate treatment in this type of patients.

Obesity is a chronic and metabolic disease with a high increasing prevalence worldwide. It has multifactorial pathogenesis including genetic and behavioral factors [1-5]. Overweight and obesity have been defined and classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) [2,3]. A person with a normal weight has Body Mass Index (BMI) of 18.5-24.9. A person with a BMI under 18.5 is called underweight. An adult having a BMI of 25-29.9 is overweight and pre-obese. Class 1 obesity is defined as a BMI between 30.00-34.99. Class 2 (Severe) Obesity is to have a BMI between 35.00-39.99. Morbid (Extreme, Class 3) obesity is to have a BMI over 40 [1-5]. Obesity is significantly associated with enhanced morbidity and mortality rates. It has also various economic, medical and psychological effects and causes health problems including many systemic diseases, economic costs and burdens, social and occupational stigmatization and discrimination and productivity loss [4-6]. Obesity carries the increased risk of development of many systemic and chronic diseases, including sleep apnea, depression, insulin resistance, Type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes, Gout and related arthritis, degenerative arthritis, hypertension, dyslipidemia, heart disease such as myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, or coronary artery disease, polycystic ovary syndrome and reproductive disorders, Pickwickian syndrome (obesity, red face and hypoventilation), metabolic syndrome, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, cholecystitis, cerebrovascular accident, colonic and renal cancer, rectal and prostatic cancer in males, and gallbladder, uterus and breast cancer in females [6-12]. In recent years, some publications reported that obesity has been strongly associated with some ocular diseases including age-related cataract and maculopathy, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy [13-16]. The recent reports demonstrated that the central corneal thickness and intraocular pressure were increased while as mean thickness of RNFL and retinal ganglion cell and choroidal thickness (CT) were decreased in the morbidly obese subjects [17-19]. However, another study has reported that CT increased in obese children [20]. On the other hand, a recent study reported that all values of the specific tests used to evaluate the ocular surface were within the normal range [21]. In some experimental studies, it has been demonstrated that obesity may cause retinal degeneration [22,23]. Additionally, in a past meeting presentation, it has been speculated that keratoconus is associated with severe obesity [24]. Teorically, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, and papilledema may also be associated with obesity [25]. Obesity may be also a cause of mechanical eyelid abnormalities such as entropion [26]. However, further investigations are needed to detect the significant relationship between these diseases and obesity. On the other hand, the ocular surgeries of obese patients are difficult compared to normal weight-subjects. The posterior capsule rupture and vitreous loss may easily develop during cataract surgery of these patients because obese patients have an elevated vitreous pressure and operating table cannot often be lowered or surgeon’s chair cannot be elevated sufficiently to provide the clear viewing of the operating area and tissues. So, some different surgical manipulations such as standing phacoemulsification technique and reverse Trendelenburg position have been developed. Additionally, the standing vitrectomy technique has been used for vitreoretinal interventions in morbidly obese patients [27,28]. In conclusion, all obese subjects should be subjected to a completed ophthalmological examination and to relevant clinics for the detection of possible comorbidities and diseases

Background: Herbal essential oil contains pharmacological benefits for intervention treatment of various diseases. Studies have demonstrated its antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effect involving in vitro cell culture and preclinical animal models. It has been also traditionally used to reduce anxiety and hypertension in human. However, scientific studies elucidating its mechanism of action and pharmacological targets, as well as its effectiveness and safety as phytotherapeutic compounds are still progressing. Recent studies showed its promising effect in depression-cardiovascular disease intervention. However, comprehensive evaluations to enlighten latest advancement and potential of herbal essential oil are still lacking. Objective: In this systematic review, the depression-cardiovascular effects of herbal essential oil on lipid profile, biochemical and physiological parameters (e.g haemodynamic) are presented. The route of delivery and mechanism of action as well as main bioactive compounds present in respective essential oil are discussed. Methods: Article searches are made using NCBI PubMed, PubMed Health, SCOPUS, Wiley Online, tandfonline, ScienceDirect and Espacenet for relevant studies and intellectual properties related to essential oil, depression and cardiovascular disease. Results: In experimentation involving in vitro, in vivo and clinical trials, herbal essential oil showed its effectiveness in reducing coronary artery disease (narrowing of the arteries), heart attack, abnormal heart rhythms, or arrhythmias, heart failure, heart valve disease, congenital heart disease, heart muscle disease (cardiomyopathy), pericardial disease, aorta disease, Marfan syndrome and vascular (blood vessel) disease. Conclusion: This review gives a valuable insight on the potential of essential oil in the intervention of depression associated with cardiovascular diseases. Studies showed that herbal essential oil could act as vasodepressor, calcium channel blocker, antihyperlipidemia, anticoagulant, antiatherogenesis and antithrombotic. It can be proposed as an interventional therapy for depression-cardiovascular disease to reduce doses and long-term side-effect of current pharmacological approach.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common disorder whose prevalence increases with age. Over time a strong correlation between erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular disease has been established as the result of the same pathophysiological process: endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis. Because small vessels of the penis can be affected by atherosclerotic plaque earlier than coronary arteries, carotids or femoral arteries, men often have symptoms of ED long before the signs of cardiovascular disease appear. For this reason, ED can act as a marker of early atherosclerosis that predicts the onset of cardiovascular disease at a later time.

Introduction: Lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] is a marker for cardiovascular disease, involved in pathogenesis and progression of atherosclerosis. In selected high-risk patients, lipoprotein-apheresis could optimize secondary prevention and improve prognosis. Aim: We presented the case of a 49-year-old man with high lipoprotein (a) levels and recurrent cardiac adverse events, despite maximal pharmacological therapy. Case report: Four years before the admission at our Centre, he presented an anterior STEMI, treated with angioplasty and implantation of a drug eluting stent on left anterior descending artery, at the age of 47 years, in September 2012; one month later, the patients presented a new episode of angina, and exams showed a critical stenosis in the right coronary artery, treated by angioplasty and implantation of drug eluting stent. Because of high Lp(a) plasma levels, patient was subsequently on regularly 7-10 day lipoprotein apheresis. Results and discussion: A thrombophilic screening was performed, showing the simultaneous presence of heterozygous V Leiden mutation and prothrombin G20210A mutation. He referred to our Centre in order to optimize therapy; we performed an endothelial function assessment showing a severe dysfunctional pattern. Because of these findings, we prescribed dual antiplatelet therapy, and we added omega-3 fatty acids and association with nicotinic acid/laropiprant. According with current guidelines, considering the high risk of bleeding, we preferred not to administer anticoagulant therapy. At 6-month and 1-year follow up the patient continued lipoprotein apheresis and was asymptomatic for other cardiovascular events. Conclusions: The assessment for the eventual presence of thrombophilia might become a useful tool in clinical practice for high-risk selected patients.

Dissecting aortic aneurysm with ST segment elevation, and pulmonary embolism with ST segment elevation are two of a number of clinical entities which can simulate ST segment elevation myocardial infarction. Objective: The purpose of this review is to analyse clinical features in anecdotal reports of 138 dissecting aortic aneurysm patients with STEMI-like presentation, and 102 pulmonary embolism patients with STEMI-like presentation in order to generate insights which might help to optimise triage of patients with STEMI-like clinical presentation. Methods: Reports were culled from a literature search covering the period January 2000 to March 2020 using Googlescholar, Pubmed, EMBASE and MEDLINE. Reports were included only if there was a specification of the location of ST segment elevation and an account of the clinical signs and symptoms. Search terms were “ST segment elevation”,”aortic dissection”, “pulmonary embolism”, “myocardial infarction”, and “paradoxical embolism”. Fisher’s exact test was utilised for two-sided comparison of proportions. Proportion was calculated for each group as the number of patients with that parameter relative to the total number of patients assessed for that parameter. Findings: There were 138 patients with aortic dissection, 91 of whom were either fast-tracked to coronary angiography (81 patients) or fast-tracked to thrombolytic treatment (10 patients). There were 47 patients managed with neither of those strategies. There were 102 patients with pulmonary embolism, 71 of whom were fast tracked to coronary angiography, and 31 who did not receive that evaluation. Compared with their dissecting aortic aneurysm counterparts, those dissecting aortic aneurysm patients initially managed by percutaneous coronary intervention or by thrombolysis were significantly (p = 0.0003) more likely to have presented with chest pain, and significantly (p = 0.018) less likely to have presented with breathlessness. The preferential fast-tracking to coronary angiography prevailed in spite of comparable prevalence of back pain in fast tracked and in non-fast tracked subjects. Use of transthoracic echocardiography was also comparable in the two subgroups of dissecting aortic aneurysm patients. Pulmonary embolism patients fast tracked to percutaneous coronary intervention were significantly (p = 0.0008) more likely to have presented with chest pain than their pulmonary embolism counterparts who were not fast-tracked. The prevalence of paradoxical embolism was also significantly (p = 0.0016) higher in fast-tracked patients than in counterparts not fast-tracked. Cardiac arrest was significantly (p = 0.0177) less prevalent in fast-tracked pulmonary embolism patients than in pulmonary embolism patients who were not fast-tracked. Preferential fast-tracking to coronary angiography prevailed in spite of the fact that prevalence of documented deep vein thrombosis was comparable in fast-tracked subjects and in subjects not fast-tracked. The prevalence of use of transthoracic echocardiography was also similar in fast-tracked pulmonary embolism patients vs counterparts not fast tracked. Overall, however, transthoracic echocardiography had been utilised significantly (p = 0.007) less frequently in dissecting aneurysm patients than in pulmonary embolism patients. Conclusion: Given the high prevalence of STEMI-like presentation in aortic dissection there is a need for greater use of point-of-care transthoracic echocardiography to mitigate risk of inappropriate percutaneous coronary intervention(which might delay implementation of aortic repair surgery) and inappropriate thrombolysis(which might precipitate hemorrhagic cardiac tamponade) (75) during triage of patients presenting with ST segment elevation simulating ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Furthermore, during triage of patients with STEMI-like clinical presentation, the combined use of point-of -care echocardiography and evaluation for deep vein thrombosis will facilitate the differentiation between acute myocardial infarction, STEMI-like aortic dissection, and STEMI-like pulmonary embolism. Among STEMI-like patients in whom DAA has been ruled out by point of care TTE, fast tracking to PCI might generate an opportunity to identify and treat paradoxical coronary artery embolism by thrombectomy. Thereby mitigating the mortality risk associated with coronary occlusion. Concurrent awareness of PE as the underlying cause of paradoxical embolism also generates an opportunity to relieve the clot burden in the pulmonary circulation, either by pulmonary embolectomy or by thrombolysis. Above all, frontline clinicians should have a greater awareness of the syndrome of STEMI-like presentation of aortic dissection and STEMI-like pulmonary embolism so as to mitigate the risk of inappropriate thrombolysis and inappropriate percutaneous coronary angiography which seems to prevail even in the presence of red flags such as back pain (for aortic dissection) and deep vein thrombosis(for pulmonary embolism). 

CAD is the most common type of CVD which is characterized by deposits of lipids within the intima of the coronary artery. CAD is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in many countries worldwide. The investigators adopted a quantitative approach to assess the knowledge on risk factors of CAD among patients in selected OPDs of M.O.S.C Medical College Hospital, Kolenchery. A descriptive design with non-probability convenience sampling technique was used. 120 clients who have given consent and shown willingness to participate were enrolled in the study. Data was collected by using demographic proforma, and structured knowledge questionnaireThe data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The collected data was organized tabulated and analyzed by descriptive [mean, median, mode and standard deviation] and inferential statistics [chi-square test].The data revealed that the level of knowledge on risk factors of cad among subjects attending selected OPDs, out of 120 samples 30 (25%) have good knowledge, 85 (71%) have average knowledge and only 5 (4%) have poor knowledge. There was significant association between knowledge level and education whereas there was no significant association between age, sex, religion, income, marital status, occupation and food habit.

Aim: To examine the relationship between the levels of HbA1c and hospital admission rates.Methods: We recorded HbA1c levels of all diabetic patients in Tripoli University Hospital over one year.Results: The mean HbA1c was 8.03%, with no difference between males and females. Over half of patients (56.5%) were admitted through their diabetes was well-controlled. Over half of the patients with type 1 diabetes (57/102, 55.9%) had a high HbA1c at admission compared to 42.1% of patients with type 2, who were mainly admitted with HbA1c level within the acceptable range set for this study. The HbA1c level was positively and significantly correlated with the length of hospital stay (R = 0.93, p = 0.000), and was significantly associated with hyperglycemia, diabetic ketoacidosis, coronary artery disease, limb ischemia, cataract, osteomyelitis, and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.Conclusion: HbA1c is correlated significantly with hospitalization in type 1 diabetes but not in type 2.

Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of death worldwide.Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is one of the most widely performed medical procedures used to save lives, currently over 3 million annually worldwide.The femoral artery has been the preferred vascular access site. However, radial access is gaining extensive popularity due to the benefits of earlier ambulation, fewer access site complications, and decreased rates of bleeding. Improvements in technology and understanding of the anatomic features of the vascular system have led to new insights into coronary angiography procedures.Distal radial access, which was first used in 2017, shows a higher success rate and fewer complications than previous sites; therefore, it might be the future for cardiovascular intervention.For this purpose, we conducted this prospective study at Beirut Cardiac Institute (BCI) comparing the two arms: radial vs. distal radial artery techniques through the anatomical snuffbox, in terms of patient’s length of stay, complication rate, and success rate of each procedure.

Background: Doubts about the safety of sexual activity are common among cardiac patients and physicians alike, and are often neglected during routine checkups or on discharge from the hospital following a cardiac event or invasive procedure. Although it varies from society to society, it is considered taboo by most patients, so it is reluctant to ask the doctor about sexual activity. Doctors, on the other hand, remain silent due to the lack of clear information about the effect of sexual activity on coronary artery diseases or the presence of doubts. It is ultimately set aside by professionals and their patients. The patient does not ask and the doctor does not answer. This study, it was aimed to investigate the effect of the frequency of sexual intercourse on coronary artery disease. Methods: After applying the exclusion criteria, the remaining 180 patients were included in the study. A self-administered survey was applied to the patients before coronary angiography and patients were assessed according to the presence of additional diseases, their demographic characteristics, and the frequency of sexual intercourse. Two experienced physicians evaluated the angiographic results. Firstly Patients were grouped as 90 patients with normal coronary anatomy and 90 patients with coronary artery disease. After this, Coronary artery disease severity was evaluated according to syntax score. Results: The mean age of the patients was 58 ± 12.5 years. The distribution of age is not reasonable. According to gender, the female/male ratio the proportion of men was higher in patients with coronary artery disease. İncidence of normal coronary anatomy increased as the frequency of sexual intercourse increased. P - value was 0.037 and the result was statistically significant. The frequency of sexual intercourse was found to be 4.2/per month. The relationship between the Syntax score and frequency of sexual intercourse was not statistically significant (p > 0.05).Conclusion: As a result of the study, it was seen that patients with more frequent sexual intercourse had more normal coronary artery anatomy, and those with coronary artery disease had single coronary artery disease than multiple vascular disorders. it was concluded that the incidence of coronary artery disease and coronary artery disease severity decreased as the frequency of sexual intercourse increased. Sexual intercourse might be a preventive factor in the development of coronary artery disease.

Atherosclerosis is the most important factor that leads to the high risk of atherothrombotic cases in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). High morbidity and mortality in these patients are firstly caused by cardiovascular disease, mostly coronary artery disease (CAD) along with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) [1].

Background: Persistent contrast staining is highly associated with stent thrombosis. Case summary: A 75-year-old woman presented with new-onset effort angina. A coronary angiogram revealed a 90% blockage of the distal left main trunk (LMT) and a 99% blockage of the ostial left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD). A 3.0 × 18-mm CYPHER™ the stent had previously been implanted into the dominant proximal circumflex artery (LCx) in 2009 because of unstable angina. The patient developed pulseless ST elevation myocardial infarction after the withdrawal of antiplatelet therapy before a scheduled CABG. The patient recovered with VA-ECMO and PCI using aspiration thrombectomy and urgent CABG.Discussion: This case highlighted that a preoperative patient may develop thrombosis at a previous stent site with peri-stent contrast staining and withdrawal of an antiplatelet regimen in certain settings poses an imminent risk for preoperative deterioration. A bridging strategy using intravenous PY12 inhibitor before CABG should be considered in this setting. The revascularization strategy should be selected based on coronary anatomy, hemodynamic status and baseline risk for CABG. A hybrid revascularization approach should be considered in this patient population.

Percutaneous coronary angioplasty is a minimally invasive procedure aimed at unclogging a coronary artery with a low complication rate (with a serious complication rate of 3% to 7% and a mortality rate of 1.2%). Device entrapment during PCI is a rare but life-threatening complication that occurs in < 1% of PCIs and balloon entrapment comes second after coronary guidewires. We present the case of 68-years-old man, smoker, hypertensive and type2 diabetic that presents angina with evidence of ischemia on myocardial tomoscintigraphy and in whom the radial coronary angiography reveals a tight calcified mid LAD stenosis. During his PCI and after dilatation with an NC balloon 2.5 × 12 the latter refuses to deflate and remains trapped in the lesion with the appearance of pain and ST-elevation despite several attempts to dilute the product in the inflator and to burst it by overexpansion. Traction on the balloon resulted in the deep intubation of the guiding-catheter, which comes in contact with the trapped balloon, and the rupture of the latter’s hypotube, which remains inflated at the site of the lesion and mounted on the 0.014 guidewire. We put a second 0.014 guidewire distally in the LAD and twisted with the distal part of the first guidewire, then we introduced a second balloon 2.0 × 20 over the second guidewire until the distal part of the guiding-catheter and inflated to trap the stucked balloon. We gradually removed this emergency assembly that allowed us to retrieve the trapped balloon. The control injection revealed a thrombotic occlusion of the LAD treated by thrombectomy and anti-GPIIbIIIa followed by a DES 2.75 × 28 placement. The patient was discharged 48 hours later with a good LVEF. The possible balloon entrapment mechanisms are an acute recoil of a highly calcified lesion with compression of the incompletely deflated balloon, which seems to be the case in our patient, strangulation of the proximal balloon end by the guiding-catheter if the balloon is removed before complete deflation and break or bend of the hypotube. The solutions in case of undeflatable balloon entrapment are to dilute the product in the inflator, to burst it by overexpansion, to pierce it through a stiff guidewire (or through its other end on a Microcatheter or OTW balloon), to cut its outer part and let it empty passively, to introduce a second guide-wire and perform a Buddy-Balloon or to transfer the patient to Surgery. Material entrapment remains a rare but life-threatening complication, its eviction requires the choice of material size and gentle manipulations (small balloons in the event of a calcified lesion) and its management uses different techniques, the choice of which depends on the clinical and anatomical situation. 

Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the world, headed by coronary artery disease, which is secondary to atherosclerosis. The latter recognizes classic risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure, tobacco, and dyslipidemia and other less classic factors such as chronic inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis. Many studies have highlighted the correlation between this chronic inflammation and clinical coronary disease but very few have focused on the anatomical correlation. Objective: To describe the correlation between the chronic biological inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis and anatomical coronary lesions on angiography. Method: This observational, retrospective, single-center study, including over 10 years, of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, confirmed the EULAR 2010 criteria and presented with coronary artery disease requiring coronary angiography. Patients with missing data or in whom coronary angiography was not done were excluded (n = 14). We divided then the patients according to the existence or not of chronic inflammation to study the impact of the latter on the existence (Stenosis < 50% vs. stenosis ≥ 50%), the extent (single vs. multivessel disease), and the severity of the coronary lesions (syntax score < 32 vs. ≥ 32). Results: 202 patients (49♂/153♀) aged between 30-75 years with a history of rheumatoid arthritis have had a coronary event requiring coronary angiography, were included; The mean ejection fraction at baseline was 57.3% +/- 5.8 (37 vs.-65%). 75% of them were ≥ 65 years old. 55% were diabetics, 61% with hypertension, 38% with dyslipidemia, and 19% were smokers. Chronic inflammation was diagnosed in 70% of them on non-specific parameters (ESR, CRP, fibrinogen, anemia, and rheumatoid factor). All patients had coronary angiography, which made it possible to identify the coronary lesions according to their existence (Stenosis < 50%: 51 patients vs. stenosis ≥ 50%: 151 patients), the extent (single: 86 patients vs. multivessel disease: 116 patients) and the severity of the coronary lesions (syntax score < 32: 142 patients vs. ≥ 32: 60 patients). Chronic inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis was correlated in bivariate and multivariate analysis (after excluding the impact of other risk factors) with the existence and extent of coronary lesions (p < 0.05) but not with their severity (p > 0.05). Discussion: The two limitations of this work are the monocentric nature of the study and the absence of specific inflammatory parameters such as anti-CCP antibodies. Strengths are anatomical correlations and multivariate analysis. Chronic inflammation apart from any influence of the various risk factors predisposes to the existence and extent of coronary lesions (p < 0.05). The severity of coronary lesions assessed by Syntax Score was not correlated with chronic inflammation, although other studies suggest that this inflammation is the cause of complex lesions.Interpretation: Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with an increase in cardiac morbidity and mortality. Atheromatous lesions are more frequent in those patients than the existence of classic cardiovascular risk factors would suggest. Several explanations could account for this risk: the inflammatory syndrome and its impact on the cardiovascular risk factors and the vessel and the deleterious effect of the treatments. This requires stricter screening and management of risk factors in rheumatoid arthritis.

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is the most common type of heart disease and a major cause of mortality worldwide. This study highlights the significance of hypertension as a risk factor in patients with CAD and compares its prevalence to those of EUROASPIRE IV (EUS-IV), ESC Atlas of Cardiology (Atlas) and Cyprus Survey of Coronary Heart Disease of 2006 (CY-2006). A retrospective, observational study was conducted, by the Registry of Cyprus Heart Survey, where 375 individuals with chronic CAD were examined in Nicosia General Hospital Cardiology Clinics, between the years 2011 and 2014. Their medical history regarding hypertension was noted and the data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel software. The total prevalence of hypertension, based on the past medical history of the patients was 59%.Out of these, 52% were found to have elevated blood pressure on their visit to the Cardiology Clinic. The total mean systolic blood pressure amongst the study group was 136 mmHg, with no significant differences between males and females (136 mmHg and 134 mmHg respectively).The findings of the present study are the same compared to those of the CY-2006 (52% both), but slightly higher than the findings of EUS-IV (52% vs. 42.7%) and significantly higher than those recorded in the Atlas (52% vs. 24.8%). The results show that there is still much potential to improve hypertension management in patients with established CAD.

Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD) have become the leading cause of death worldwide: for no other reason as many people die every year from CVD. This problem affects low and middle-income countries to varying degrees. More than 80% of deaths from CVD occur in these countries, almost equally among men and women, however, patients who survived after Myocardial Infarction (MI) are at high risk of death. According to the main facts of the WHO, 17.9 million people died from CVD in 2016, which accounted for 31% of all deaths in the world. In this connection, it is necessary to improve medical rehabilitation and physical rehabilitation, in particular for CVD, especially on an outpatient basis. Competent physical rehabilitation and cardiac rehabilitation in patients with myocardial infarction are associated with improved survival and effectiveness of quality of life, as well as prevention of recurrent MI. There is a legislative framework FZ-No. 323 of 21.11.2011 “On the basics of health protection of citizens in the Russian Federation” concerning medical rehabilitation and “Procedure for organizing medical rehabilitation” No. 1705n of 29.12.2012.This study shows physical rehabilitation methods of health path and Nordic walking. Terrenkur is a method of sanatorium-and-spa treatment, which provides for dosed physical activity in the form of walking tours (5 km - 6 km daily at 12.00 - 13.00). Nordic walking - walking with sticks, a type of physical activity that uses a certain training methodology and walking technique with the help of specially designed sticks (5 km - 6 km daily at 12.00 - 13.00).Multiple meta-analyses showed that Cardiovascular Rehabilitation (CVR) reduces mortality in patients with coronary artery disease. Despite the recommendations and recommendations for the use of programs for patients with previous MI, patient participation in these programs remains low, which has led to the development of alternative models of medical rehabilitation.