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Heart failure (HF) is still a global burden which carries substantial risk of morbidity and mortality. Thus, appropriate approach of diagnosis and layering the prognosis of HF are of great importance. In this paper we discuss and review a novel biomarker, which is called galectin-3 and already approved by Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) as a prediction tool for HF.Galectin-3, which is secreted by macrophages under the influence of mediators like osteopontin, has been known for its significant role in mediating cardiac fibrosis and inflammation. Numerous studies have shown galectin-3 as a novel prognostic biomarker with high predictive value for cardiovascular mortality and re-hospitalization in HF patients. However, there are also other contradictive studies displayed galectin-3 inferiority against other existed HF prognostic biomarkers like NT-proBNP and ST2. Nevertheless, galectin-3 has some advantages such as more stability and resistance against hemodynamic loading and unloading state, and also it could act as an early indicator of cardiac fibrosis, ventricular remodeling, and renal impairment in HF patients.

Objective We studied the characteristics of patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) after expansion of a STEMI registry as part of the STEMI network programme in a metropolitan city and the surrounding area covering ∼26 million inhabitants. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Emergency department of 56 health centres. Participants 3015 patients with acute coronary syndrome, of which 1024 patients had STEMI. Main outcome measure Characteristics of reperfusion therapy. Results The majority of patients with STEMI (81%; N=826) were admitted to six academic percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) centres. PCI centres received patients predominantly (56%; N=514) from a transfer process. The proportion of patients receiving acute reperfusion therapy was higher than non-reperfused patients (54% vs 46%, p<0.001), and primary PCI was the most common method of reperfusion (86%). The mean door-to-device (DTD) time was 102±68 min. In-hospital mortality of non-reperfused patients was higher than patients receiving primary PCI or fibrinolytic therapy (9.1% vs 3.2% vs 3.8%, p<0.001). Compared with non-academic PCI centres, patients with STEMI admitted to academic PCI centres who underwent primary PCI had shorter mean DTD time (96±44 min vs 140±151 min, p<0.001), higher use of manual thrombectomy (60.2% vs13.8%, p<0.001) and drug-eluting stent implantation (87% vs 69%, p=0.001), but had similar use of radial approach and intra-aortic balloon pump (55.7% vs 67.2%, and 2.2% vs 3.4%, respectively). In patients transferred for primary PCI, TIMI risk score ≥4 on presentation was associated with a prolonged door-in to door-out (DI-DO) time (adjusted OR 2.08; 95% CI 1.09 to 3.95, p=0.02). Conclusions In the expanded JAC registry, a higher proportion of patients with STEMI received reperfusion therapy, but 46% still did not. In developing countries, focusing the prehospital care in the network should be a major focus of care to improve the DI-DO time along with improvement of DTD time at PCI centres. Trial registration number NCT02319473.

Background: Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) using either an aspirin–clopidogrel (A–C) combination or aspirin–ticagrelor (A–T) combination has become the standard therapy for acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Ticagrelor shows better pharmacokinetic profiles but is more expensive. This study aimed to compare cost-effectiveness and safety profiles of A–C versus A–T in patients with ACS.Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of ACS patient at the Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital between 2014 and 2016. ACS patients treated for the first time with A–T or A–C were included. Occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) within 3, 6, 9, and 12 months were used as effectiveness outcomes, while safety outcomes were measured based on the incidence of adverse drug reactions (major and minor bleeding, dyspnea, and hyperuricemia). Cost-effectiveness analysis was presented as incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER).Results: Data records obtained from 123 ACS patients treated with A–C and 57 ACS patients treated with A–T were evaluated. Within the first three months, the MACE rate was 15.8% in the A–T group and 31.7% in the A–C group (RR: 0.498, 95% CI: 0.259–0.957, p=0.039). There was no statistically significant difference observed in the number of MACE between groups after 6, 9, and 12 months. The A–T group had a higher incidence of major bleeding (melena) than the A–C group (5.3% vs 1.62%, p=0.681), especially in geriatric patients. Minor bleeding was observed in three patients of the A–C group, but in none of the patients in the A–T group. The cost of ICER was IDR 279,438, indicating the additional cost needed for avoiding MACE within 3 months, if A–T was used.Conclusion: The aspirin–ticagrelor combination is a clinically superior and cost-effective option for MACE prevention among ACS patients, especially during the first three months of DAPT, with a slight but not significantly higher major bleeding risk when compared to the aspirin–clopidogrel combination.

Introduction: Theoretically, first-degree relatives (FDRs) of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are predisposed to have earlier and more severe atherosclerosis than non-FDR due to hereditary insulin resistance. A previous study reported that atherosclerotic plaques were found in 45.2% of young adults FDR of T2DM, but the study did not include non-FDR as control group. The aim of this study was to compare subclinical atherosclerosis (carotid intima-media thickness, CIMT) between FDR of T2DM and non-FDR. Method: This was a cross-sectional study involving 16 FDR subjects and 16 age-sex matched non-FDR subjects, aged 19–40 years, with normal glucose tolerance and no hypertension. Collected data included demographic characteristic, anthropometric measurement (BMI and waist circumference), laboratory analysis (fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, lipid profile), and CIMT examination (using B-mode ultrasound). Results: The mean of CIMT in the FDR group was higher than that in the non-FDR group (0.44 mm vs 0.38 mm, p =0.005). After adjusting for waist circumference, BMI, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride, CIMT maintained significant difference between FDR and non-FDR subjects. BMI and waist circumference showed moderate correlation with CIMT. Conclusion: CIMT in young adult FDR of T2DM is thicker than that in age-and sex-matched non-FDR population.

Objectives: Atherosclerosis has been linked with periodontitis in the general population and with persistent immune activation and a high burden of cytomegalovirus (CMV) in HIV patients responding to antiretroviral therapy (ART). Here, we assess risk factors for cardiovascular changes in younger HIV patients representative of patient populations in Asia. Study Design: HIV-infected adults (n = 82) with <200 CD4 T-cells/μl were examined as they began ART at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Jakarta, and after 3 months. 32 patients were re-assessed after 5 years, alongside 32 age-matched healthy controls. Methods: We assessed the community periodontal index of treatment needs, carotid -thickness (cIMT), plasma markers of immune activation (using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and CMV antibodies by in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Periodontitis persisted in 16/32 patients after 5 years and was potentiated by greater age (P = 0.03) and poor oral hygiene (P = 0.05), with no effect of smoking, pulmonary tuberculosis, oral candidiasis, or low CD4+ T-cell counts (P > 0.05). After 5 years on ART, right and left cIMT were greater in HIV patients with periodontitis (P = 0.02, 0.006, respectively). Moreover, cIMT values were higher in patients with periodontitis (P = 0.05–0.01) than in equivalent controls. Simple linear regressions showed that patients with periodontitis had greater right (P = 0.01) and left (P = 0.004) cIMT than those without periodontitis. Multiple linear regressions showed that periodontitis and CMV antibody levels optimally predicted poor right and left cIMT (Adjusted R2 = 0.36, P = 0.0013; Adjusted R2 = 0.40, P = 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Our data identify periodontitis and CMV as independent predictors of atherosclerosis in young adult HIV patients.

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Diabetes mellitus (DM) remains one of the most important risk factors for peripheral artery disease (PAD), with approximately 20% of DM patients older than 40 years old are affected with PAD. The current standard management for severe PAD is endovascular intervention with or without surgical bypass. Unfortunately, up to 40% of patients are unable to undergo these revascularization therapies due to excessive surgical risk or adverse vascular side effects. Stem cell therapy has emerged as a novel therapeutic strategy for these ‘no-option’ patients. Several types of stem cells are utilized for PAD therapy, including bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNC) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC). Many studies have reported the safety of BMMNC and PBMNC, as well as its efficacy in reducing ischemic pain, ulcer size, pain-free walking distance, ankle-brachial index (ABI), and transcutaneous oxygen pressure (TcPO2). However, the capacity to establish the efficacy of reducing major amputation rates, amputation free survival, and all-cause mortality is limited, as shown by several randomized placebo-controlled trials. The present literature review will focus on comparing safety and efficacy between BMMNC and PBMNC as cell-based management in diabetic patients with PAD who are not suitable for revascularization therapy.