Valentina Milazzo

Vitamin D and acute myocardial infarction

Vitamin D deficiency is a prevalent condition, cutting across all ethnicities and among all age groups, and occurring in about 30%-50% of the population. Besides vitamin D established role in calcium homeostasis, its deficiency is emerging as a new risk factor for coronary artery disease. Notably, clinical investigations have suggested that there is an association between hypovitaminosis D and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Not only has it been linked to incident AMI, but also to increased morbidity and mortality in this clinical setting. Moreover, vitamin D deficiency seems to predispose to recurrent adverse cardiovascular events, as it is associated with post-infarction complications and cardiac remodeling in patients with AMI. Several mechanisms underlying the association between vitamin D and AMI risk can be involved. Despite these observational and mechanistic data, interventional trials with supplementation of vitamin D are controversial. In this review, we will discuss the evidence on the association between vitamin D deficiency and AMI, in terms of prevalence and prognostic impact, and the possible mechanisms mediating it. Further research in this direction is warranted and it is likely to open up new avenues for reducing the risk of AMI.

Prosthetic valve endocarditis: Predictors of early outcome of surgical therapy. A multicentric study

OBJECTIVES Prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) is an uncommon yet dreadful complication in patients with prosthetic valves that requires a distinct analysis from native valve endocarditis. The present study aims to investigate independent risk factors for early surgical outcomes in patients with PVE. METHODS A retrospective cohort study was conducted in 8 Italian Cardiac Surgery Units from January 2000 to December 2013 by enrolling all PVE patients undergoing surgical treatment. RESULTS A total of 209 consecutive patients were included in the study. During the study period, the global rate of surgical procedures for PVE among all operations for isolated or associated valvular disease was 0.45%. Despite its rarity this percentage increased significantly during the second time frame (2007‐2013) in comparison with the previous one (2000‐2006): 0.58% vs 0.31% (P < 0.001). Intraoperative and in‐hospital mortality rates were 4.3% and 21.5%, respectively. Logistic regression analysis identified the following factors associated with in‐hospital mortality: female gender [odds ratio (OR) = 4.62; P < 0.001], shock status (OR = 3.29; P = 0.02), previous surgical procedures within 3 months from the treatment (OR = 3.57; P = 0.009), multivalvular involvement (OR = 8.04; P = 0.003), abscess (OR = 2.48; P = 0.03) and urgent surgery (OR = 6.63; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Despite its rarity, PVE showed a significant increase over time. Up to now, in‐hospital mortality after surgical treatment still remains high (>20%). Critical clinical presentation and extension of anatomical lesions are strong preoperative predictors for poor early outcome.

B-type natriuretic peptide levels in patients with pericardial effusion undergoing pericardiocentesis

OBJECTIVES Pericardial effusion is characterized by progressive accumulation of fluid within the pericardial space, resulting in increased intra-pericardial pressure and compression of the heart. As B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is secreted by the ventricles in response to increased myocardial stretch, we hypothesized that pericardial effusion, as well as its resolution, might influence BNP plasma levels. METHODS We prospectively measured, in 146 consecutive patients with pericardial effusion, BNP plasma levels at baseline, soon after, and 24h after pericardiocentesis. A scoring system based on 7 clinical and echocardiographic parameters was developed, and patients were classified according to the number of variables as having low (0-2), intermediate (3-4), or high (5-7) severity score. RESULTS Out of the 146 patients, 42 (29%) had normal values (<100pg/ml), whereas 104 (71%) had high BNP values at baseline. In the whole population, baseline BNP levels significantly decreased as the severity score increased (r=-0.21; P=0.01). 24h after pericardiocentesis, a significant increase in BNP was observed in patients with intermediate (P=0.004) score and with high (P<0.001) severity score; no increase occurred in low score patients (P=0.56). The higher was the severity score, the steeper was the increase in BNP through the three time-points considered (P=0.04). CONCLUSIONS The results of the present study show that BNP plasma levels are suppressed in the presence of severe pericardial effusion, and that they rise after pericardiocentesis. Future studies should investigate the role of BNP in assisting clinicians in the decision-making process of pericardial fluid drainage.

Renal replacement therapy in patients with acute myocardial infarction: Rate of use, clinical predictors and relationship with in-hospital mortality

OBJECTIVES We evaluated the rate of use, clinical predictors, and in-hospital outcome of renal replacement therapy (RRT) in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients. METHODS All consecutive AMI patients admitted to the Coronary Care Unit between January 1st, 2005 and December 31st, 2015 were identified through a search of our prospectively collected clinical database. Patients were grouped according to whether they required RRT or not. RESULTS Two-thousand-eight-hundred-thirty-nine AMI patients were included. Eighty-three (3%) AMI patients underwent RRT. Variables confirmed at cross validation analysis to be associated with RRT were: admission creatinine >1.5mg/dl (OR 16.9, 95% CI 10.4-27.3), cardiogenic shock (OR 23.0, 95% CI 14.4-36.8), atrial fibrillation (OR 8.6, 95% CI 5.5-13.4), mechanical ventilation (OR 22.6, 95% CI 14.2-36.0), diabetes mellitus (OR 4.8, 95% CI 3.1-7.4), and left ventricular ejection fraction <40% (OR 9.1, 95% CI 5.6-14.7). The AUC for RRT with the combination of these predictors was 0.96 (95% CI 0.94-0.97; P<0.001). In-hospital mortality was significantly higher in RRT patients (41% vs. 2.1%, P<0.001). Oligoanuria as indication for RRT (OR 5.1, 95% CI 1.7-15.4), atrial fibrillation (OR 4.3, 95% CI 1.6-11.5), mechanical ventilation (OR 20.8, 95% CI 6.1-70.4), and cardiogenic shock (OR 12.9, 95% CI 4.4-38.3) independently predicted mortality in RRT-treated patients. The AUC for in-hospital mortality prediction with the combination of these variables was 0.92 (95% CI 0.87-0.98; P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Patients with AMI undergoing RRT had strikingly high in-hospital mortality. Use of RRT and its associated mortality were accurately predicted by easily obtainable clinical variables.

Acute Kidney Injury in Diabetic Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction: Role of Acute and Chronic Glycemia

Background In acute myocardial infarction, acute hyperglycemia is a predictor of acute kidney injury (AKI), particularly in patients without diabetes mellitus. This emphasizes the importance of an acute glycemic rise rather than glycemia level at admission. We investigated whether, in diabetic patients with acute myocardial infarction, the combined evaluation of acute and chronic glycemic levels may have better prognostic value for AKI than admission glycemia. Methods and Results At admission, we prospectively measured glycemia and estimated average chronic glucose levels (mg/dL) using glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), according to the following formula: 28.7×HbA1c (%)−46.7. We evaluated the association with AKI of the acute/chronic glycemic ratio and of the difference between acute and chronic glycemia (ΔA−C). We enrolled 474 diabetic patients with acute myocardial infarction. Of them, 77 (16%) experienced AKI. The incidence of AKI increased in parallel with the acute/chronic glycemic ratio (12%, 14%, 22%; P=0.02 for trend) and ΔA−C (13%, 13%, 23%; P=0.01) but not with admission glycemic tertiles (P=0.22). At receiver operating characteristic analysis, the acute/chronic glycemic ratio (area under the curve: 0.62 [95% confidence interval, 0.55–0.69]; P=0.001) and ΔA−C (area under the curve: 0.62 [95% confidence interval, 0.54–0.69]; P=0.002) accurately predicted AKI, without difference in the area under the curve between them (P=0.53). At reclassification analysis, the addition of the acute/chronic glycemic ratio and ΔA−C to acute glycemia allowed proper AKI risk prediction in 16% of patients. Conclusions In diabetic patients with acute myocardial infarction, AKI is better predicted by the combined evaluation of acute and chronic glycemic values than by assessment of admission glycemia alone.

Impact of Chronic Antiplatelet Therapy on Infarct Size and Bleeding in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction

Background: Patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are often on prior single antiplatelet therapy (SAPT) or a dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT). Whether chronic SAPT or DAPT is beneficial or associated with an increased risk in AMI is still controversial. Methods and Results: We prospectively enrolled 1718 consecutive patients with AMI (798 ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and 920 non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction) who were divided according to their chronic APT (no APT, SAPT, or DAPT). The study primary end point was the infarct size, as estimated by troponin I peak. Incidence of major bleeding was also evaluated. Five hundred thirty-six (31%) patients were on chronic SAPT and 215 (13%) on DAPT. A graded increase in Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) and Can Rapid risk stratification of Unstable angina patients Suppress ADverse outcomes with Early implementation of the ACC/AHA guidelines (CRUSADE) risk scores was found going from patients without APT to those with DAPT, while a progressive smaller troponin I peak was observed with the increasing number of chronic antiplatelet agents (11.2 [interquartile range: 2-45] ng/mL, 6.6 [1-33] ng/mL, and 4.1 [1-24] ng/mL; P < .001 for trend). This result was maintained after adjustment for baseline ischemic risk profile (GRACE score) and other major confounders (P < .001). The incidence of bleeding was higher in patients on chronic APT than in those without APT (5.2% vs 2.4%; P = .002). However, when the bleeding risk was adjusted for the CRUSADE risk score, chronic SAPT (odds ratio [OR]: 1.40, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.77-2.53) and DAPT (OR: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.29-1.70) were not associated with an increased bleeding risk. Conclusion: In patients with AMI, chronic APT is associated with higher baseline ischemic and bleeding risks. Despite this and unexpectedly, they have a smaller infarct size and similar adjusted bleeding risk.

Prognostic Value of the Acute-to-Chronic Glycemic Ratio at Admission in Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Prospective Study

OBJECTIVE Acute hyperglycemia is a powerful predictor of poor prognosis in acute myocardial infarction (AMI), particularly in patients without diabetes. This emphasizes the importance of an acute glycemic rise rather than glycemia level at admission alone. We investigated in AMI whether the combined evaluation of acute and chronic glycemic levels, as compared with admission glycemia alone, may have a better prognostic value. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We prospectively measured admission glycemia and estimated average chronic glucose levels (mg/dL) by the following formula: [(28.7 × glycosylated hemoglobin %) − 46.7], and calculated the acute-to-chronic (A/C) glycemic ratio in 1,553 consecutive AMI patients (mean ± SD age 67 ± 13 years). The primary end point was the combination of in-hospital mortality, acute pulmonary edema, and cardiogenic shock. RESULTS The primary end point rate increased in parallel with A/C glycemic ratio tertiles (5%, 8%, and 20%, respectively; P for trend <0.0001). A parallel increase was observed in troponin I peak value (15 ± 34 ng/mL, 34 ± 66 ng/mL, and 68 ± 131 ng/mL; P < 0.0001). At multivariable analysis, A/C glycemic ratio remained an independent predictor of the primary end point and of troponin I peak value, even after adjustment for major confounders. At reclassification analyses, A/C glycemic ratio showed the best prognostic power in predicting the primary end point as compared with glycemia at admission in the entire population (net reclassification improvement 12% [95% CI 4–20]; P = 0.003) and, particularly, in patients with diabetes (27% [95% CI 14–40]; P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS In AMI patients with diabetes, A/C glycemic ratio is a better predictor of in-hospital morbidity and mortality than glycemia at admission.

Extracorporeal ultrafiltration for acute heart failure: patient selection and perspectives

Most patients presenting with acute heart failure (AHF) show signs and symptoms of fluid overload, which are closely associated with short-term and long-term outcomes. Ultrafiltration is an extremely appealing strategy for patients with AHF and concomitant overt fluid overload not fully responsive to diuretic therapy. However, although there are several theoretical beneficial effects associated with ultrafiltration, published reports have shown controversial findings. Differences in selection of the study population and in ultrafiltration indications and protocols, and high variability in the pharmacologic therapy used for the control group could explain some of these conflicting results. Here, we aimed to provide an overview on the current medical evidence supporting the use of ultrafiltration in AHF, with a special focus on the identification of potential candidates who may benefit the most from this therapeutic option.

A NEW SCORE FOR RISK STRATIFICATION OF PATIENTS WITH ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION BASED ON THE PEGASUS-TIMI 54 CRITERIA

Background: Patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are at high risk for death and recurrent ischemic events after hospital discharge. The PEGASUS-TIMI 54 trial showed that the addition of ticagrelor to low-dose aspirin reduces long-term ischemic risk in patients with a history of AMI, with

B-TYPE NATRIURETIC PEPTIDE LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH PERICARDIAL EFFUSION UNDERGOING PERICARDIOCENTESIS

Pericardial effusion (PE) is characterized by accumulation of fluid within the pericardium, resulting in heart compression. As B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is secreted by the ventricles in response to increased myocardial stretch, we hypothesized that PE and its resolution might influence BNP