The augmentation index and inflection time were associated with an increased risk of CHD.

Ascending aortic pulsatility is related to an increased risk of CHD.

No abstract

Objectives: Diabetes mellitus is associated with the risk of restenosis and mortality after coronary stenting, but the relation between glycosylated hemoglobin (hemoglobin A1c) and prognosis has not yet been fully elucidated in patients with diabetes mellitus. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether hemoglobin A1c is associated with a risk of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) after successful drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation in patients with diabetes mellitus. Methods: In a retrospective study with a prospective follow-up, 206 patients with diabetes mellitus undergoing successful DES implantation were enrolled in this study. Hemoglobin A1c levels were measured within 1 month before coronary stenting. Results: During a period of 4,811 person-months, we confirmed 40 cases of MACE. Higher hemoglobin A1c levels increased the incidence of MACE. Based on multivariate analysis, hemoglobin A1c was a significant predictor of MACE. The multiple-adjusted hazard ratio for a 1% increase in hemoglobin A1c levels was 1.40 (95% CI: 1.13–1.74, p = 0.002) for MACE after adjustment for age, gender, ejection fraction, chronic renal failure on hemodialysis, and statins. Conclusions: Hemoglobin A1c is associated with an increased risk of MACE after successful DES implantation in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Although the fractional pulse pressure in the ascending aorta is related to the occurrence of coronary heart disease (CHD) and restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, the relative values of diastolic pressure in the ascending aorta at the onset of CHD have not been reported. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the relative values of diastolic pressure are associated with the risk of CHD. For this study, we enrolled 406 patients with chest pain, normal contractions, no local asynergy, and no history of myocardial infarction. We measured the ascending aortic pressure using a fluid-filled system. To quantify the relative diastolic pressure, we normalised the diastolic pressures to the mean pressure and referred to this value as the fractional diastolic pressure (FDP). We investigated the association between the FDP and the risk of CHD. Low FDP in the ascending aorta was associated with an increased risk of CHD. The multipleadjusted odds ratio of CHD was 1.68 (95% CI, in FDP for the middle tertile of the level. The multipleadjusted odds ratio of CHD was 2.20 (1.16-4.75) in FDP for the lowest tertile compared with the highest tertile. FDP was associated with the risk of CHD.

It has been reported that the reflection waveform in the ascending aortic pressure is associated with systemic arterial stiffness. Stiffening of the aortic walls leads to a decrease in coronary perfusion and an increase in restenosis rate. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the reflection waveform in the ascending aortic pressure could be used to predict restenosis after percutaneous coronary stenting. One hundred and three patients who underwent percutaneous coronary stenting were enrolled in this study. We

No abstract

Coronary artery calcium (CAC) is associated with the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD) and cardiovascular risk factors. However, the relation between cardiovascular risk factors and CAD has not yet been fully elucidated in patients with a zero or low coronary artery calcium score (CACS). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relation of cardiovascular risk factors and angina status to obstructive CAD according to categorical CACS. A total of 753 patients were enrolled in this study. CAC scoring and coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) were performed with dual-source 64-slice CT scanners. The number of patients with a CACS ≤10 and ≤100 were 358 and 528, respectively. Patients with a higher CACS were older and more frequently male, and had a greater frequency of hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia. The prevalence of obstructive CAD increased with the CACS. Among patients with a CACS ≤100, age, male gender, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, and typical angina pectoris were related to obstructive CAD. The presence of hypercholesterolemia was relatively strongly associated with obstructive CAD (OR 6.67, 95% CI 2.91-15.3, p < 0.001) on multivariate analysis. Among patients with a CACS ≤10, men, hypercholesterolemia, and typical angina pectoris were significantly more frequent in patients with than in those without obstructive CAD (p < 0.01). Our data suggest that neither the absence nor low of coronary calcium burden may reliably exclude obstructive CAD in typical symptomatic male patients with hypercholesterolemia. This result may be useful to interpret the relation of CACS to obstructive CAD.