Adverse Cardiac Events Risks of Non-Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease by Cardiac CT Angiography at One-Year Follow-Up: Results of the Coronary Risk Determination in Intermediate Stratum Coronary CT Angiography (CORDISC) Study

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of the adverse events at one year post-cardiac computed tomography (cardiac CT) using data gathered from the Marshfield Clinic Health System (MCHS) Cardiac CT registry to compare non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), revascularization, all-cause mortality, and composite major adverse cardiac events (MACE) one year following cardiac CT in patients with non-obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) and normal coronary arteries. From 2009 to 2017, the records of 2,649 patients who underwent cardiac CT were reviewed. CAD detected by cardiac CT was defined as normal (0% luminal stenosis) and non-obstructive (1-49% luminal stenosis). Clinical outcomes were nonfatal MI, revascularization, including percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), all-cause mortality, and MACE. Cohorts were compared using t-tests and Fisher exact tests, and a logistic regression was performed to assess risk of clinical outcomes at one year. Compared with patients with normal coronary arteries, patients with non-obstructive coronary disease on cardiac CT had higher event rates of MACE (3.7% vs. 1.2%; P =0.006), revascularization (1.1% vs. 0.2%; P=0.033), and all-cause mortality (1.7% vs. 0.4%; P=0.012). After adjusting for baseline difference in demographics, risk factors, and medication use, the odds ratio of revascularization was 3.77 (95% CI: 1.03,13.79) and MACEs was 2.06 (95% CI: 0.94,4.51). Symptomatic congenital heart diseases accounted for about 50% of the non-death MACEs. Cardiac CT-defined non-obstructive CAD was associated with higher rates of revascularization, all-cause mortality and MACE compared to those with normal coronary arteries.

Allergy Associated Myocardial Infarction: A Comprehensive Report of Clinical Presentation, Diagnosis and Management of Kounis Syndrome

Kounis syndrome (KS) has been defined as acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in the context of a hypersensitivity reaction. Patients may present with normal coronary arteries (Type I), established coronary artery disease (Type II) or in-stent thrombosis and restenosis (Type III). We searched PubMed until 1 January 2020 for KS case reports. Patients with age <18 years, non-coronary vascular manifestations or without an established diagnosis were excluded. Information regarding patient demographics, medical history, presentation, allergic reaction trigger, angiography, laboratory values and management were extracted from every report. The data were pulled in a combined dataset. From 288 patients with KS, 57.6% had Type I, 24.7% Type II and 6.6% Type III, while 11.1% could not be classified. The mean age was 54.1 years and 70.6% were male. Most presented with a combination of cardiac and allergic symptoms, with medication being the most common trigger. Electrocardiographically, 75.1% had ST segment elevation with only 3.3% demonstrating no abnormalities. Coronary imaging was available in 84.8% of the patients, showing occlusive lesions (32.5%), vascular spasm (16.2%) or normal coronary arteries (51.3%). Revascularization was pursued in 29.4% of the cases. In conclusion, allergic reactions may be complicated by ACS. KS should be considered in the differential diagnosis of myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries.

Reduced Sympathetic Reserve Detectable by Heart Rate Response after Dipyridamole in Anginal Patients with Normal Coronary Arteries

Background. Patients with ischemia and normal coronary arteries (INOCA) may show abnormal cardiac sympathetic function, which could be unmasked as a reduced heart rate reserve (HRR) during dipyridamole stress echocardiography (SE). Objectives. To assess whether HRR during dipyridamole SE predicts outcome. Methods. Dipyridamole SE was performed in 292 patients with INOCA. HRR was measured as peak/rest heart rate and considered abnormal when ≤1.22 (≤1.17 in presence of permanent atrial fibrillation). All-cause death was the only endpoint. Results. HRR during SE was normal in 183 (63%) and abnormal in 109 patients (37%). During a follow-up of 10.4 ± 5.5 years, 89 patients (30%) died. The 15-year mortality rate was 27% in patients with normal and 54% in those with abnormal HRR (p < 0.0001). In a multivariable analysis, a blunted HRR during SE was an independent predictor of outcome (hazard ratio 1.86, 95% confidence intervals 1.20–2.88; p = 0.006) outperforming inducible ischemia. Conclusions. A blunted HRR during dipyridamole SE predicts a worse survival in INOCA patients, independent of inducible ischemia.

Double Product as a Predictor of Coronary Artery Disease in Males with Normal Blood Pressure

Aim: This study investigates whether in males with normal blood pressure that underwent exercise stress test Double Product (DB) or Double Product Ratios to workload (DPR) are self-sufficient in predicting the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD). Method: 78 male patients with normal blood pressure went through bicycle exercise stress test (EST) and within four weeks they underwent coronary angiography. 34 of them resulted with normal coronary arteries and 44 of them were diagnosed with one or multiple vessel CAD. Pressure rate double product was calculated in rest, in the first stage of the exercise test, in the peak of exercise, and also in the second, fourth, and sixth minutes of recovery of the stress test. Also, the ratios of pressure rate double product with the workload, which reflects the relative growth of double product to the workload, were calculated. The results were compared between the two groups, the one with normal coronary arteries, and those with abnormal coronary angiography. Results: DP in rest and in the first stage of the exercise are not significantly different for normotensive males with or without CAD, while the peak DB value of the exercise, as well as the econd and sixth minutes of the recovery are significantly lower for the group of patients with CAD. The starting peak workloads were significantly lower in the patients' group with CAD (p=0.0002 and p 0.0001). On the other hand, the double product to workload ratio at the first stage was significantly lower in males with normal blood pressure and CAD. Significant lower DPR are detected also in the fourth and sixth minutes of recovery. Conclusion: The values of DP in the peak exercise and at the second and sixth minutes of the recovery phase are significantly lower in normotensive males with abnormal coronary angiography compared to those with normal coronary arteries, and these findings can be used to detect the presence of CAD despite the ECG changes and they are not affected by the baseline characteristics of the patients. The ratios between DP and workload at the first stage, and in the fourth and sixth minutes of recovery are significantly lower in normotensive male patients with coronary artery disease compared to those without CAD and can be independent predictive parameters for the disease.

Sex-based inequalities in contemporary UK hospital management of stable chest pain

ObjectiveWe surveyed UK practice of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) “Recent onset chest pain” guidance (CG95, 2016), stratified by sex. We looked for sex-related differences in referral to computed tomographic coronary angiography (CTCA) and subsequent functional imaging (FI), invasive coronary angiography (ICA) and revascularisation.MethodsThis was a prospective analysis of CTCA practice in 8 UK centres between 2018 and 2020. Coronary artery disease (CAD) was recorded with the CAD-reporting and data system. Local electronic records/archiving/communication systems were used to collect data regarding subsequent FI, ICA and revascularisation.Results2301 women, 2326 men underwent CTCA; women were older (58±11 vs 55±12 years, p<0.001) but more likely to have normal coronary arteries (46% (1047) vs 29% (685); p<0.001) and less likely to have severe stenosis (7% (169) vs 13% (307); p<0.001). FI was used less for 4% (93) women, 5% (108) men; ICA was also used less for women (8% (182) vs 14% (321)), as was revascularisation (4% (83) vs 8% (177), p<0.001 for all), including those with ≥moderate CTCA stenosis undergoing ICA (53% (79) vs 61% (166); p<0.001).ConclusionsWomen referred for a NICE CG95 (2016) CTCA are more likely to have normal coronary arteries and men more likely to have CAD. More men than women will then undergo ICA and revascularisation even after adjustments for CTCA disease severity. Raised awareness of these inequalities may improve contemporary chest pain care.

Acute myocardial infarction and allergy, causal or casual relationship?

A 53-year-old man with a known allergy to metamizole presented for acute gonalgia, receiving metamizole by mistake. He suffers a severe allergy reaction accompanied by chest pain and signs of acute lower myocardial infarction, which subsides with treatment of anaphylactic shock and fibrinolysis, without observing intracoronary thrombus or signs of complication of atherosclerotic plaque. Keywords: Kounis syndrome; Allergic myocardial infarction; Myocardial infarction with normal coronary arteries.