Yuan-hui Liu

Safe Limits of Contrast Vary With Hydration Volume for Prevention of Contrast-Induced Nephropathy After Coronary Angiography Among Patients With a Relatively Low Risk of Contrast-Induced Nephropathy

Background—Few studies have investigated the safe limits of contrast to prevent contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) based on hydration data. We aimed to investigate the relative safe maximum contrast volume adjusted for hydration volume in a population with a relatively low risk of CIN. Methods and Results—The ratios of contrast volume-to-creatinine clearance (V/CrCl) and hydration volume to body weight (HV/W) were determined in patients undergoing cardiac catheterization. Receiver–operator characteristic curve analysis based on the maximum Youden index was used to identify the optimal cutoff for V/CrCl in all patients and in HV/W subgroups. Eighty-six of 3273 (2.6%) patients with mean CrCl 71.89±27.02 mL/min developed CIN. Receiver–operator characteristic curve analysis indicated that a V/CrCl ratio of 2.44 was a fair discriminator for CIN in all patients (sensitivity, 73.3%; specificity, 70.4%). After adjustment for other confounders, V/CrCl >2.44 continued to be significantly associated with CIN (adjusted odds ratio, 4.12; P<0.001) and the risk of death (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.62; P<0.001). The mean HV/W was 12.18±7.40. We divided the patients into 2 groups (HV/W ⩽12 and >12 mL/kg). The best cutoff value for V/CrCl was 1.87 (sensitivity, 67.9%; specificity, 64.4%; adjusted odds ratio, 3.24; P=0.011) in the insufficient hydration subgroup (HV/W, ⩽12 mL/kg; CIN, 1.32%) and 2.93 (sensitivity, 69.0%; specificity, 65.0%; adjusted odds ratio, 3.04; P=0.004) in the sufficient hydration subgroup (HV/W, >12 mL/kg; CIN, 5.00%). Conclusions—The V/CrCl ratio adjusted for HV/W may be a more reliable predictor of CIN and even long-term outcomes after cardiac catheterization. We also found a higher best cutoff value for V/CrCl to predict CIN in patients with a relatively sufficient hydration status, which may be beneficial during decision-making about contrast dose limits in relatively low-risk patients with different hydration statuses.

Remote Ischemic Conditioning for Preventing Contrast-Induced Acute Kidney Injury in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Interventions/Coronary Angiography A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Background: It is uncertain whether remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) has a protective effect on contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)/coronary artery angiography (CAG). We performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to assess the effect of RIC on CI-AKI in such patients. Methods: PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, ClinicalTrials.gov, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases were searched for RCTs that assessed the effect of RIC on CI-AKI in patients undergoing PCI/CAG. Results: Ten RCTs with 1389 patients (RIC group, 757 and control, 632) were included. The RIC group significantly exerted a lower risk of CI-AKI compared to the controls (odds ratio [OR] = 0.52, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.34-0.77, P = .001), and they had the similar effect on major adverse cardiovascular events within 1 year (OR = 0.36, 95% CI = 0.20-0.66, P < .001). The RIC reduced the rates of death within 30 days, but this was not significant (OR = 0.16, 95% CI = 0.02-1.34, P = .091). The RIC was associated with a significantly lower incidence of CI-AKI in patients following elective PCI/CAG (OR = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.33-0.87, P = .011). The RIC before not after the intervention was effective in reducing the occurrence of CI-AKI (OR: 0.37 vs 1.05, P = .022). The RIC of the upper arm has statistically significant effect on protecting CI-AKI but not that of the lower limb (OR: 0.41 vs 1.41, P = .004). The effect of RIC on CI-AKI was similar between patients with a mean estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 and those with mean rates ≥60 (OR: 0.23 vs 0.41, P = .333). Conclusion: The RIC reduced the incidence of CI-AKI in those receiving PCI/CAG. And RIC of the upper arm significantly reduced the risk of CI-AKI but not RIC of the lower limb in patients undergoing PCI/CAG.

Hyperuricemia Is an Independent Predictor of Contrast-Induced Acute Kidney Injury and Mortality in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

We investigated whether hyperuricemia is an independent predictor of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) and mortality in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). In a single-center study of 1772 patients undergoing PCI, the development of CI-AKI and mortality during a 2.8-year median follow-up period was assessed. The incidence of CI-AKI was significantly higher in the hyperuricemic group than in the normouricemic group (5.78% vs 1.76%, P < .001). According to multivariate analysis (after adjusting for potential confounding factors), hyperuricemia predicted CI-AKI (odds ratio: 1.962; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.014-3.798; P = .045). The other risk factors for CI-AKI were >75 years, emergent PCI, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and anemia. Hyperuricemia with a tendency toward significantly independently predicted long-term mortality, after adjusting for CI-AKI, CKD, and emergent PCI (hazard ratio: 1.571; 95% CI: 1.006-2.452; P = .047). In patients undergoing PCI, hyperuricemia is associated with a risk of CI-AKI. Furthermore, after adjusting for other variables, including CI-AKI and CKD, long-term mortality after PCI was higher in those with hyperuricemia than with normouricemia.

Predictive Value of Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin for Contrast-Induced Acute Kidney Injury After Cardiac Catheterization: A Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) accumulates in cortical tubules in acute kidney injury (AKI) patients, with its levels associated with serum creatinine. However, the predictive value of NGAL level for contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) remains unclear. METHODS A total of 1520 patients from 14 relevant studies retrieved from PUBMED, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.gov, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar from the inception to November 2014 and 15 data sets were included. RESULTS The pooled area under the curve of receiver operating characteristic analysis of NGAL for predicting CI-AKI was 0.93, and the diagnostic odds ratio, sensitivity, specificity, and median cutoff value were 42.54, 83.98%, 89.03%, and 52.4 ng/mL, respectively. Urine and serum/plasma NGAL levels performed similarly well in predicting CI-AKI, with somewhat better results obtained when the NGAL level was determined within 4 hours after exposure to contrast medium. CONCLUSIONS Patient nationality and definition of CI-AKI were important factors that affected the efficiency of NGAL level in predicting CI-AKI. Urine and serum/plasma NGAL levels appear to be promising biomarkers for early detection of CI-AKI after percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary angiography.

Preprocedural N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is similar to the Mehran contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) score in predicting CIN following elective coronary angiography.

Background N‐terminal pro‐brain natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) has been associated with important risk factors for contrast‐induced nephropathy (CIN). However, few studies have investigated the predictive value of NT‐proBNP itself. This study investigated whether levels of preprocedural NT‐proBNP could predict CIN after elective coronary angiography as effectively as the Mehran CIN score. Methods and Results We retrospectively observed 2248 patients who underwent elective coronary angiography. The predictive value of preprocedural NT‐proBNP for CIN was assessed by receiver operating characteristic and multivariable logistic regression analysis. The 50 patients (2.2%) who developed CIN had higher Mehran risk scores (9.5±5.1 versus 4.8±3.8), and higher preprocedural levels of NT‐proBNP (5320±7423 versus 1078±2548 pg/mL, P<0.001). Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that NT‐proBNP was not significantly different from the Mehran CIN score in predicting CIN (C=0.7657 versus C=0.7729, P=0.8431). An NT‐proBNP cutoff value of 682 pg/mL predicted CIN with 78% sensitivity and 70% specificity. Multivariable analysis suggested that, after adjustment for other risk factors, NT‐proBNP >682 pg/mL was significantly associated with CIN (odds ratio: 4.007, 95% CI: 1.950 to 8.234; P<0.001) and risk of death (hazard ratio: 2.53; 95% CI: 1.49 to 4.30; P=0.0006). Conclusions Preprocedural NT‐proBNP >682 pg/mL was significantly associated with the risk of CIN and death. NT‐proBNP, like the Mehran CIN score, may be another useful and rapid screening tool for CIN and death risk assessment, identifying subjects who need therapeutic measures to prevent CIN.

Percutaneous coronary intervention for chronic total occlusion improved prognosis in patients with renal insufficiency at high risk of contrast-induced nephropathy

We investigated whether attempted percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for chronic total occlusion (CTO) would improve the prognosis in patients with renal insufficiency at high risk of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN). We analyzed 2,330 consecutive patients with renal insufficiency with or without CTOs who underwent coronary angiography or PCI from prospectively collected data. The long-term death and risk of CIN were evaluated among three groups: patients without CTOs (group A, n = 1,829), patients with un-attempted PCI for CTOs (group B, n = 142), and patients who underwent attempted PCI for CTOs (group C, n = 359). Overall, group B and group C (successful rate, 89%) patients had similar renal function and were not significantly associated with an increased risk of CIN (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.88, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.41–1.93, P = 0.758). During a 2.33-year period (median), multivariate analysis demonstrated that attempted PCI for CTOs was independently associated with lower mortality (adjusted hazard ratio for death: 0.38, 95% CI: 0.18–0.83; P = 0.015). Attempted PCI for CTOs improved the long-term prognosis in patients with high-risk renal insufficiency and did not increase the risk of CIN.

Impact of an Early Decrease in Systolic Blood Pressure on The Risk of Contrast-Induced Nephropathy after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

BACKGROUND The early postprocedural period was thought to be the rush hour of contrast media excretion, causing rapid and prolonged renal hypoperfusion, which was the critical time window for contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN). METHODS 349 consecutive patients were enrolled into the study. The relation between an early postprocedural decrease in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and the risk of CIN was assessed using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS A postprocedural decrease in SBP was observed in 63% of patients and CIN developed in 28 (8.0%) patients. The CIN group had a lower postprocedural SBP (114.5±13.5 vs. 123.7±15.6mmHg, P=0.003) and a greater postprocedural decrease in SBP (16.2±19.1 vs. 5.9±18.7mmHg, P=0.005) than the no-CIN group. ROC analysis revealed that the optimum cutoff value for the SBP decrease in detecting CIN was >10mmHg (sensitivity 60.7%, specificity 59.5%, AUC=0.66). Multivariate logistic regression analysis found that a postprocedural decrease in SBP >10mmHg was a significant independent predictor of CIN (OR 2.368, 95%CI: 1.043-5.379, P=0.039), after adjustment for other risk factors. CONCLUSION An early moderate postprocedural decrease in SBP may increase the risk of CIN in patients undergoing PCI.

The 100 most-cited articles on cardiovascular diseases from Mainland China

BackgroundChina, as a rapidly developing country with the largest population of cardiologist in the world, has an increasing importance in the field of cardiology. However, the quantity and quality of research production in the field of cardiology is unclear.AimsTo analyze the characteristics of the high-level articles published on cardiovascular diseases in Mainland China, and to provide information about achievements and development in cardiovascular research.MethodsWe searched the Science Citation Index Expanded for citations of cardiovascular articles originating in mainland China from 2004 to 2015. For the 100 most frequently cited articles (T100), we evaluated the number of citations, publication time, province of origin, journal, impact factor, topic or subspecialty of the research, and publication type.ResultsThe most frequently cited article received 703 citations at the most, while 50 at the least (mean 91.6 citations per article). T100 originated from 16 provinces, the plurality (n = 34) being from the Beijing. Sixty-seven percent were published during 2006–2009. The publications were in 29 different journals of which Circulation published the most (n = 14). Leading general medical journals Journal of the American Medical Association (n = 1), Lancet (n = 0) and New England Journal of Medicine (n = 0) featured only 1 published article, despite their extremely high impact factors. Of the T100 articles, there were 50 basic researches, 44 clinical researches, 5 meta-analyses and 1 review article. Clinical researches had the highest mean citations (mean 102.6 citations per article).ConclusionsThis study provides a historical perspective on the scientific progress, and the trends in cardiovascular medicine in Mainland China.

Prognostic value of hypoalbuminemia for adverse outcomes in patients with rheumatic heart disease undergoing valve replacement surgery

High-risk patients with rheumatic heart disease (RHD) who were undergoing valve replacement surgery (VRS) were not identified entirely. This study included 1782 consecutive patients with RHD who were undergoing VRS to explore the relationship between hypoalbuminemia and adverse outcomes and to confirm whether hypoalbuminemia plays a role in risk evaluation. A total of 27.3% of the RHD patients had hypoalbuminemia. In-hospital deaths were significantly higher in the hypoalbuminemic group than in the non-hypoalbuminemic group (6.6% vs 3.1%, P = 0.001). Hypoalbuminemia was an independent predictor of in-hospital death (OR = 1.89, P = 0.014), even after adjusting for the Euro score. The addition of hypoalbuminemia to Euro score enhanced net reclassification improvement (0.346 for in-hospital death, P = 0.004; 0.306 for 1-year death, p = 0.005). A Kaplan-Meier curve analysis revealed that the cumulative rate of 1-year mortality after the operation was higher in patients with a new Euro score ≥6. These findings indicated that hypoalbuminemia was an independent risk factor for in-hospital and 1-year mortality after VRS in patients with RHD, which might have additive prognostic value to Euro score.

Canada Acute Coronary Syndrome Score: A Preprocedural Risk Score for Contrast-Induced Nephropathy After Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention:

In patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention, contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is a serious complication associated with poor outcomes. We assessed the predictive value of the Canada Acute Coronary Syndrome (C-ACS) score for CIN in these patients. A total of 394 consecutive patients with STEMI were enrolled and divided into 3 groups according to their C-ACS scores—group 1, score 0; group 2, score 1; and group 3, score ≥2. The clinical outcomes were CIN and major adverse clinical events (MACEs) during hospital and follow-up; 8.4% of patients developed CIN. Patients with high C-ACS scores were more likely to develop CIN, in-hospital death, and MACEs (P < .001). The C-ACS score was an independent predictor of CIN (odds ratio = 2.87; 95% confidence interval = 1.78-4.63; P < .001) and risk factor for long-term MACEs. The C-ACS score had good predictive values for CIN, in-hospital morality, MACEs, and long-term mortality. Patients with high C-ACS risk scores exhibited a worse survival rate than those with low scores (death, P = .02; MACEs, P = .006). In conclusion, in patients with STEMI, the C-ACS could predict CIN and clinical outcomes.