Short-term administration of testosterone induces a beneficial effect on exercise-induced myocardial ischemia in men with coronary artery disease. This effect may be related to a direct coronary-relaxing effect.
This study supports that strut thickness is an independent predictor of restenosis in coronary arteries with a reference diameter of 2.75 to 2.99 mm.
Historically, high androgen levels have been linked with an increased risk for coronary artery disease (CAD). However, more recent data suggest that low androgen levels are associated with adverse cardiovascular risk factors, including an atherogenic lipid profile, obesity and insulin resistance. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between plasma sex hormone levels and presence and degree of CAD in patients undergoing coronary angiography and in matched controls. We evaluated 129 consecutive male patients (mean age 5874 years, range 43-72 years) referred for diagnostic coronary angiography because of symptoms suggestive of CAD, but without acute coronary syndromes or prior diagnosis of hypogonadism. Patients were matched with healthy volunteers. Out of 129 patients, 119 had proven CAD; in particular, 32 of them had one, 63 had two and 24 had three vessel disease, respectively. Patients had significantly lower levels of testosterone than controls (9.876.5 and 13.575.4 nmol/l, Po0.01) and higher levels of gonadotrophin (12.071.5 vs 6.671.9 IU/l and 7.972.1 vs 4.471.4, Po0.01 for follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone, respectively). Also, both bioavailable testosterone and plasma oestradiol levels were lower in patients as compared to controls (0.8470.45 vs 1.1970.74 nmol/l, Po0.01 and 10.771.4 vs 13.373.5 pg/ml, Po0.05). Hormone levels were compared in cases with one, two or three vessel disease showing significant differences associated with increasing severity of coronary disease. An inverse relationship between the degree of CAD and plasma testosterone levels was found (r ¼ À0.52, Po0.01). In conclusion, patients with CAD have lower testosterone and oestradiol levels than healthy controls. These changes are inversely correlated to the degree of CAD, suggesting that low plasma testosterone may be involved with the increased risk of CAD in men.
Background: There are few randomized trials comparing bioprostheses for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), and no trials compared TAVR bioprostheses with supra-annular design. The SCOPE 2 trial was designed to compare the clinical outcomes of the ACURATE neo and CoreValve Evolut valves. Methods: SCOPE 2 was a randomized trial performed at 23 centers in 6 countries between April 2017 and April 2019. Patients ≥75 years with an indication for transfemoral TAVR as agreed by the Heart Team were randomly assigned to receive treatment with either the ACURATE neo (n=398) or the CoreValve Evolut bioprostheses (n=398). The primary endpoint, powered for non-inferiority of the ACURATE neo valve, was all-cause death or stroke at 1 year. The key secondary endpoint, powered for superiority of the ACURATE neo valve, was new permanent pacemaker implantation at 30 days. Results: Among 796 randomized patients (mean age 83.2±4.3 years; mean STS-PROM score 4.6± 2.9%), clinical follow-up information was available for 778 (98%) patients. Within 1 year, the primary endpoint occurred in 15.8% of patients in the ACURATE neo group and in 13.9% of patients in the CoreValve Evolut group (absolute risk difference 1.8%, upper one-sided 95% confidence limit 6.1%, p=0.0549 for noninferiority). The 30-day rates of new permanent pacemaker implantation were 10.5% in the ACURATE neo group and 18.0% in the CoreValve Evolut group (absolute risk difference -7.5%, 95% confidence interval -12.4 to -2.60, p=0.0027). No significant differences were observed in the components of the primary endpoint. Cardiac death at 30 days (2.8% vs. 0.8%, p=0.03) and 1 year (8.4% vs. 3.9%, p=0.01), and moderate or severe aortic regurgitation at 30 days (10% vs. 3%, p=0.002) were significantly increased in the ACURATE neo group. Conclusions: Transfemoral TAVR with the self-expanding ACURATE neo did not meet non-inferiority compared to the self-expanding CoreValve Evolut in terms of all-cause death or stroke at 1 year, and was associated with a lower incidence of new permanent pacemaker implantation. In secondary analyses, the ACURATE neo was associated with more moderate or severe aortic regurgitation at 30 days and cardiac death at 30 days and 1 year. Clinical Trial Registration: URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ Unique Identifier: NCT03192813.
ObjectiveRisk stratification is crucial to optimise treatment strategies in patients with COVID-19. We aimed to evaluate the impact on mortality of an early assessment of cardiac biomarkers in patients with COVID-19.MethodsHumanitas Clinical and Research Hospital (Rozzano-Milan, Lombardy, Italy) is a tertiary centre that has been converted to the management of COVID-19. Patients with confirmed COVID-19 were entered in a dedicated database for cohort observational analyses. Outcomes were stratified according to elevated levels (ie, above the upper level of normal) of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-TnI), B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) or both measured within 24 hours after hospital admission. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality.ResultsA total of 397 consecutive patients with COVID-19 were included up to 1 April 2020. At the time of hospital admission, 208 patients (52.4%) had normal values for cardiac biomarkers, 90 (22.7%) had elevated both hs-TnI and BNP, 59 (14.9%) had elevated only BNP and 40 (10.1%) had elevated only hs-TnI. The rate of mortality was higher in patients with elevated hs-TnI (22.5%, OR 4.35, 95% CI 1.72 to 11.04), BNP (33.9%, OR 7.37, 95% CI 3.53 to 16.75) or both (55.6%, OR 18.75, 95% CI 9.32 to 37.71) as compared with those without elevated cardiac biomarkers (6.25%). A multivariate analysis identified concomitant elevation of both hs-TnI and BNP as a strong independent predictor of all-cause mortality (OR 3.24, 95% CI 1.06 to 9.93).ConclusionsAn early detection of elevated hs-TnI and BNP predicts mortality in patients with COVID-19. Cardiac biomarkers should be systematically assessed in patients with COVID-19 at the time of hospital admission in order to optimise risk stratification.
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