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Background: The benefit of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) or stenting (CAS) for symptomatic stenosis depends on the timing in relation to the presenting event. As the risk of recurrent events is highest in the early phase, guidelines recommend a short delay. The purpose of this national audit was to study the effects of more expedient carotid intervention on the risk of recurrent ischaemic events.Methods: Data on all CEA and CAS for symptomatic stenosis, including both recurrent ischaemic events during the waiting time to carotid intervention and peri-operative 30 day complication rates, were obtained from the Swedish Vascular Registry between May 2008 and December 2015. The National Prescribed Drug Registry provided data on preventive medication prior to hospitalisation with the presenting event. The primary endpoint was a recurrent cerebral ischaemic event occurring after the presenting event up to 30 days of post-operative follow up.Results: A total of 6814 procedures for symptomatic carotid stenosis were studied. The proportion of recurrent ischaemic events, meaning all secondary events occurring after the presenting event up to 30 days follow up with inclusion of all pre-and post-intervention recurrences was recorded. These recurrent events decreased over time, from 31% in 2008e2009 to 21% in 2014e2015 (p < .01, chi-square test). In parallel, the median waiting time for carotid intervention decreased from 13 (IQR 6e27) to 7 days (IQR 4e12). Baseline demographic variables and comorbidities were similar during the study period. The proportion of pre-operative recurrences were reduced from 25% to 18% (p < .01, chisquare test) while the peri-operative stroke and/or death rate was 3.6%, and improved slightly during the study.Conclusions: A substantial reduction in the secondary ischaemic event rate was observed when the median waiting time for CEA/CAS was reduced, and this was not counterbalanced by any increase in the perioperative complication rate.

Patients with Friedreich ataxia typically die of cardiomyopathy, marked by myocardial fibrosis and abnormal left ventricular (LV) geometry. We measured procollagen I carboxyterminal propeptide (PICP), a serum biomarker of collagen production, and characterized genotypes, phenotypes, and outcomes in these patients. Twenty-nine patients with Friedreich ataxia (mean age, 34.2 ± 2.2 yr) and 29 healthy subjects (mean age, 32.5 ± 1.1 yr) underwent serum PICP measurements. Patients underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and outcome evaluations at baseline and 12 months. Baseline PICP values were significantly higher in the patients than in the control group (1,048 ± 77 vs 614 ± 23 ng/mL; P &lt;0.001); severity of genetic abnormality did not indicate severity of PICP elevation. Higher PICP levels corresponded to greater LV concentric remodeling only at baseline (r=0.37, P &lt;0.05). Higher baseline PICP strongly indicated subsequent increases in LV end-diastolic volume (r=0.52, P=0.02). The PICP levels did not distinguish between 14 patients with evident myocardial fibrosis identified through positive late gadolinium enhancement and 15 who had no enhancement (1,067 ± 125 vs 1,030 ± 98 ng/mL; P=0.82). At 12 months, cardiac events had occurred in 3 of 14 fibrosis-positive and none of 15 fibrosis-negative patients (P=0.1); their baseline PICP levels were similar. We conclude that PICP, a serum marker of collagen synthesis, is elevated in Friedreich ataxia and indicates baseline abnormal LV geometry and subsequent dilation. Cardiac magnetic resonance and PICP warrant consideration as complementary biomarkers in therapeutic trials of Friedreich ataxia cardiomyopathy.

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