Background— Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with accelerated atherosclerosis and increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Striking similarities exist in the inflammatory and immunologic response in RA and atherosclerosis. Indeed, adhesion molecules and cytokines, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in particular, are key mediators of joint inflammation and of vascular dysfunction and progression of atherosclerotic vascular disease. Hence, the aim of the present study was to assess the effect of chronic antiinflammatory treatment with the anti-TNF-α antibody infliximab on disease activity and endothelial function in patients with active RA. Methods and Results— Eleven RA patients (mean age 46±5 years; disease duration 9±2 years) with high disease activity despite treatment with stable doses of methotrexate (≤25 mg/wk) and prednisone (≤10 mg/d) were investigated. Clinical status and endothelium-dependent and -independent vasodilation of the brachial artery as assessed by high-resolution ultrasound were measured before and after 12 weeks of infliximab therapy. Flow-mediated vasodilation improved from 3.2±0.4% to 4.1±0.5% ( P =0.018), whereas endothelium-independent vasodilation with nitroglycerin and baseline diameter remained unchanged (13.6±1.2% versus 12.8±1.4%, P =0.98, and 3.74±0.15 versus 3.66±0.11 mm, P =0.54, respectively). Disease activity score (DAS28) was significantly reduced, from 5.6±0.3 to 3.5±0.6 ( P =0.002). Erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein were lowered from 34±7 to 19±5 mm/h ( P =0.04) and from 38±11 to 15±10 mg/L ( P =0.08), respectively. Conclusions— This is the first study to show that anti-TNF-α treatment improves endothelial function in RA. The data suggest that in RA, endothelial dysfunction is part of the disease process and is mediated by TNF-α.

Background— There is an ongoing debate as to whether the gastrointestinal safety of COX-2 inhibition compared with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may come at the cost of increased cardiovascular events. In view of the large number of patients at cardiovascular risk requiring chronic analgesic therapy with COX-2 inhibitors for arthritic and other inflammatory conditions, the effects of selective COX-2 inhibition on clinically useful surrogates for cardiovascular disease, particularly endothelial function, need to be determined. Methods and Results— Fourteen male patients (mean age, 66±3 years) with severe coronary artery disease (average of 2.6 vessels with stenosis >75%) undergoing stable background therapy with aspirin and statins were included. The patients received celecoxib (200 mg BID) or placebo for a duration of 2 weeks in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover fashion. After each treatment period, flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, oxidized LDL, and prostaglandins were measured. Celecoxib significantly improved endothelium-dependent vasodilation compared with placebo (3.3±0.4% versus 2.0±0.5%, P =0.026), whereas endothelium-independent vasodilation, as assessed by nitroglycerin, remained unchanged (9.0±1.6% versus 9.5±1.3%, P =0.75). High-sensitivity C-reactive protein was significantly lower after celecoxib (1.3±0.4 mg/L) than after placebo (1.8±0.5 mg/L, P =0.019), as was oxidized LDL (43.6±2.4 versus 47.6±2.6 U/L, P =0.028), whereas prostaglandins did not change. Conclusions— This is the first study to demonstrate that selective COX-2 inhibition improves endothelium-dependent vasodilation and reduces low-grade chronic inflammation and oxidative stress in coronary artery disease. Thus, selective COX-2 inhibition holds the potential to beneficially impact outcome in patients with cardiovascular disease.

Background — Mental stress is a risk factor for atherosclerosis and may precipitate myocardial ischemia and infarction. Because endothelial dysfunction is an early manifestation of atherosclerosis, we investigated the impact of mental stress on endothelial function. Methods and Results — The effects of a 3-minute mental stress task on endothelium-dependent vasodilation were studied in healthy subjects without cardiovascular risk factors. Flow-mediated (FMD) and nitroglycerin (0.4 mg sublingual)-induced vasodilation were studied before and after mental stress by high-resolution ultrasound of the radial artery. Additionally, FMD was assessed before and 10 to 45 minutes after mental stress during intraarterial infusion of a selective endothelin A receptor antagonist (BQ-123, 1 nmol/min) or saline, respectively. Endothelium-dependent vasodilation was reduced by half for about 45 minutes (8.0±1.1% versus 4.1±1.0%; P <0.002), whereas endothelium-independent vasodilation to nitroglycerin remained unaffected (15.6±1.6 versus 14.3±1.3%; NS). Intraarterial infusion of BQ-123, a selective endothelin-A receptor antagonist, but not saline prevented the impairment of endothelium-dependent vasodilation (8.6±1.2 versus 9.4±1.3%; NS). In contrast, intraarterial infusion of norepinephrine of similar duration as mental stress did not inhibit FMD. Conclusions — Mental stress induces prolonged endothelial dysfunction, which is prevented by selective endothelin-A receptor antagonism. This represents a novel and important link between mental stress and atherosclerotic vascular disease.

Background— The endothelin (ET-1) system is activated in chronic heart failure (CHF). Whether, what type, and what degree of selective ET blockade is clinically beneficial is unknown. We investigated hemodynamic and neurohumoral effects of 3 weeks of treatment with various dosages of the orally available ET A antagonist darusentan in addition to modern standard therapy in patients with CHF. Methods and Results— A total of 157 patients with CHF (present or recent NYHA class III of at least 3 months duration), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure ≥12 mm Hg, and a cardiac index ≤2.6 L · min −1 · m −2 were randomly assigned to double-blind treatment with placebo or darusentan (30, 100, or 300 mg/d) in addition to standard therapy. Short-term administration of darusentan increased the cardiac index, but this did not reach statistical significance compared with placebo. The increase in cardiac index was significantly more pronounced after 3 weeks of treatment ( P <0.0001 versus placebo). Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, pulmonary arterial pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance, and right atrial pressure remained unchanged. Heart rate, mean artery pressure, and plasma catecholamines remained unaltered, but systemic vascular resistance decreased significantly ( P =0.0001). Higher dosages were associated with a trend to more adverse events (including death), particularly early exacerbation of CHF without further benefit on hemodynamics compared with moderate dosages. Conclusions— This study demonstrates for the first time in a large patient population that 3 weeks of selective ET A receptor blockade improves cardiac index in patients with CHF. However, long-term studies are needed to determine whether ET A blockade is beneficial in CHF.

This study provides the first evidence that the antioxidant Pycnogenol improves endothelial function in patients with CAD by reducing oxidative stress.

Background-Because traditional nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs are associated with increased risk for acute cardiovascular events, current guidelines recommend acetaminophen as the first-line analgesic of choice on the assumption of its greater cardiovascular safety. Data from randomized clinical trials prospectively addressing cardiovascular safety of acetaminophen, however, are still lacking, particularly in patients at increased cardiovascular risk. Hence, the aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of acetaminophen in patients with coronary artery disease. Methods and Results-The 33 patients with coronary artery disease included in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study received acetaminophen (1 g TID) on top of standard cardiovascular therapy for 2 weeks. Ambulatory blood pressure, heart rate, endothelium-dependent and -independent vasodilatation, platelet function, endothelial progenitor cells, markers of the renin-angiotensin system, inflammation, and oxidative stress were determined at baseline and after each treatment period. Treatment with acetaminophen resulted in a significant increase in mean systolic (from 122.4Ϯ11.9 to 125.3Ϯ12.0 mm Hg Pϭ0.02 versus placebo) and diastolic (from 73.2Ϯ6.9 to 75.4Ϯ7.9 mm Hg Pϭ0.02 versus placebo) ambulatory blood pressures. On the other hand, heart rate, endothelial function, early endothelial progenitor cells, and platelet function did not change. Conclusions-This study demonstrates for the first time that acetaminophen induces a significant increase in ambulatory blood pressure in patients with coronary artery disease. Thus, the use of acetaminophen should be evaluated as rigorously as traditional nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs and cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors, particularly in patients at increased cardiovascular risk. Clinical Trial Registration-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00534651. (Circulation. 2010;122:1789-1796.) Key Words: acetaminophen Ⅲ blood pressure Ⅲ coronary disease Ⅲ endothelium T he Food and Drug Administration has mandated a "black-box warning" for cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) selective inhibitors and nonselective nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in view of the potential of these agents to increase adverse cardiovascular outcomes. 1 Whereas hundreds of millions of patients worldwide continue to require pain-relieving therapy to maintain an acceptable quality of life, the uncertainty around the cardiovascular safety of NSAIDs and COX-2 inhibitors leaves practitioners and patients with difficult management decisions. Current guidelines recommend acetaminophen as the first-line analgesic of choice for the management of chronic pain despite weaker analgesic potency on the assumption of its greater cardiovascular safety, particularly in patients at high cardiovascular risk or with established cardiovascular disease. 1 Editorial see p 1779 Clinical Perspective on p 1796One of the most commonly used drugs worldwide, a major ingredient in numerous cold and flu medications, and a...

BACKGROUND: Reduced availability of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH(4)), an essential cofactor of nitric oxide (NO) synthase (NOS), decreases NO production and increases reactive oxygen species. Both mechanisms contribute to atherosclerotic vascular disease. Although acute supplementation of BH(4) improves endothelial dysfunction, the effect of chronic BH(4) in humans is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of chronic BH(4) supplementation on endothelial function and oxidative stress in hypercholesterolaemia. DESIGN: Randomised double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. SETTING: University Hospital. PATIENTS: 22 hypercholesterolaemic patients (low-density lipoprotein (LDL) >4.5 mmol/l) were randomised to 4 weeks of oral BH(4) (400 mg twice daily) or placebo. Age-matched healthy volunteers served as controls. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Endothelium-dependent and -independent vasodilatation was assessed by venous occlusion plethysmography. To elucidate the mechanisms of BH(4) effect, NO release and superoxide anion (O(2)(-)) production were measured in human aortic endothelial cells exposed to native LDL (2.6 mmol cholesterol/l). RESULTS: BH(4) plasma levels were significantly increased by oral supplementation. NO-mediated vasodilatation to acetylcholine was reduced in patients compared with controls and restored by BH(4). No effect of BH(4) on endothelium-independent vasodilatation was seen. Furthermore, 8-F(2 )isoprostane plasma levels, a marker of vascular oxidative stress, were reduced by BH(4). In LDL-treated endothelial cells, BH(4) levels and NO release were reduced and O(2)(-) production increased compared with control cells. Exogenous BH(4) normalised NO and O(2)(-) production. CONCLUSIONS: In hypercholesterolaemia, endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress can be reversed by chronic oral treatment with BH(4). Thus, BH(4) availability is essential for maintaining NO synthesis and low O(2)(-) production by endothelial NOS in vivo, and may provide a rational therapeutic approach to prevent cardiovascular disease.

Retinal microvascular dilatation in response to flicker light is impaired in CHF. RVA may represent a new and useful method to non-invasively monitor microvascular abnormalities in heart failure in an easy and standardized way without the use of radiation.