http://repub.eur.nl/res/aut/131/ List of Publications en http://repub.eur.nl/static-eur/img/logo.png http://repub.eur.nl http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/13747/ 2005-06-01T00:00:00Z AIMS: The purpose of the Euro Heart Survey Programme of the European Society of Cardiology is to evaluate to which extent clinical practice endorses existing guidelines as well as to identify differences in population profiles, patient management, and outcome across Europe. The current survey focuses on the invasive diagnosis and treatment of patients with established coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS AND RESULTS: Between November 2001 and March 2002, 7769 consecutive patients undergoing invasive evaluation at 130 hospitals (31 countries) were screened for the presence of one or more coronary stenosis >50% in diameter. Patient demographics and comorbidity, clinical presentation, invasive parameters, treatment options, and procedural techniques were prospectively entered in an electronic database (550 variables+29 per diseased coronary segment). Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were evaluated at 30 days and 1 year. Out of 5619 patients with angiographically proven coronary stenosis (72% of screened population), 53% presented with stable angina while ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) was the indication for coronary angiography in 16% and non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction or unstable angina in 30%. Only medical therapy was continued in 21%, whereas mechanical revascularization was performed in the remainder [percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in 58% and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in 21%]. Patients referred for PCI were younger, were more active, had a lower risk profile, and had less comorbid conditions. CABG was performed mostly in patients with left main lesions (21%), two- (25%), or three-vessel disease (67%) with 4.1 diseased segments, on average. Single-vessel PCI was performed in 82% of patients with either single- (45%), two- (33%), or three-vessel disease (21%). Stents were used in 75% of attempted lesions, with a large variation between sites. Direct PCI for STEMI was performed in 410 cases, representing 7% of the entire workload in the participating catheterization laboratories. Time delay was within 90 min in 76% of direct PCI cases. In keeping with the recommendations of practice guidelines, the survey identified under-use of adjunctive medication (GP IIb/IIIa receptor blockers, statins, and angiotensin-converting enzyme-inhibitors). Mortality rates at 30 days and 1 year were low in all subgroups. MACE primarily consisted of repeat PCI (12%). CONCLUSION: The current Euro Heart Survey on coronary revascularization was performed in the era of bare metal stenting and provides a global European picture of the invasive approach to patients with CAD. These data will serve as a benchmark for the future evaluation of the impact of drug-eluting stents on the practice of interventional cardiology and bypass surgery. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/4316/ 1989-01-01T00:00:00Z The response of myocardial lactate and hypoxanthine metabolism during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty was studied in a series of 15 patients undergoing this procedure. A minimum of 4 balloon inflations was performed per patient with an average duration per occlusion of 49 +/- 11 seconds (mean +/- standard deviation) for a total occlusion time of 192 +/- 40 seconds. Thermodilution coronary venous blood flow measured in the great cardiac vein decreased from control values of 72 +/- 4 ml/min (mean +/- standard error of the mean) to 47 +/- 10 ml/min with the fourth coronary occlusion (p less than 0.005). Arteriovenous lactate and hypoxanthine showed peak differences during the reactive hyperemia after the first 2 occlusions which did not increase after subsequent occlusions. Within minutes after the procedure, lactate and hypoxanthine efflux was no longer seen, demonstrating the reversibility of the metabolic disturbances after repeated ischemia. The results of this study indicate that there is no permanent alteration in lactate or hypoxanthine metabolism after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty with 4 coronary occlusions of 40 to 60 seconds' duration, with a total occlusion time of 192 +/- 40 seconds. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/4274/ 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z Systemic and coronary hemodynamics were measured before and every 10 min after oral milrinone (10 mg) administration for 50 min, together with the drug plasma level in 14 patients with congestive heart failure. Left ventricular pressure (tip manometry), volume (angiography), and derived indexes were simultaneously assessed before and 60 min after milrinone treatment. Peak positive dP/dt, Vmax, and peak velocity of contractile element significantly increased 30 min after milrinone administration by 15%, 37%, and 30%, respectively. An increase in cardiac output (25%) with a consistent decrease in systemic vascular resistance (20%) occurred after 40 min without major changes in heart rate and aortic pressure. Right atrial pressure and minimal and end-diastolic left ventricular pressures decreased significantly after 50 min, by 30%, 25%, and 20%, respectively. Peak -dP/dt increased despite a slight change in end-systolic pressure. The time constants of relaxation, tau 1 and tau 2, significantly decreased by 15% after 50 min and by 16%. A transient but significant increase of 40% in coronary sinus blood flow was observed after 30 min, while myocardial oxygen consumption was unchanged 50 min after milrinone treatment. No changes were observed in catecholamine balance with milrinone. Ejection fraction increased significantly (22%) after milrinone administration, as well as the net work of left ventricle (27%). The increase of inotropism in failing hearts with a parallel reduction in preload and afterload makes milrinone a drug potentially useful in the oral treatment of severe heart failure. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/4226/ 1987-01-01T00:00:00Z The effects of brief periods of major coronary artery occlusion on global and regional peak left ventricular (LV) filling rates were studied during angioplasty in 10 patients. No patient had had a previous myocardial infarction. High-fidelity LV pressure and volume were determined by angiography before and 20 and 50 seconds after the onset of transluminal coronary occlusion and soon after the last balloon inflation. Segmental wall motion was analyzed frame by frame along 20 hemiaxes. Global peak filling rate decreased significantly both after 20 (29%, p less than 0.05) and 50 seconds (27%, p less than 0.05) from the onset of the occlusion. The term sigma delta t1 was defined as the sum of the absolute values of the time differences from the occurrence of global peak filling rate and the segmental peak filling rate in 20 segments. This variable increased significantly during both periods of transluminal occlusion (by 73% and by 72% [both p less than 0.005], respectively), indicating asynchrony in the occurrence of regional peak filling rate. Simultaneously, the sum of intervals between aortic valve closure (end systole) and occurrence of peak segmental shortening, sigma delta t2, measured in the 20 segments, increased by 63% after 20 seconds and by 87% after 50 seconds (both p less than 0.005), showing major asynchrony in segmental contraction. A significant negative correlation was found between global peak filling rate and both sigma delta t1 and sigma delta t2 (r = 0.64, p less than 0.001 and r = 0.70, p less than 0.0001, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/4229/ 1987-01-01T00:00:00Z A new technique was used to dilate sequentially a bifurcation lesion involving the left anterior descending artery and the origin of a large septal branch. Two steerable long guide wires (300 cm) were advanced through a single guiding catheter and placed across each lesion. The balloon catheters were introduced into the target arteries for angioplasty one at a time over the pre-positioned guide wires. After the septal branch had been successfully dilated, the balloon catheter was completely withdrawn from the manifold and a second balloon catheter positioned in the left anterior descending artery over the guide wire already placed across the stenosis. Such a technique is feasible and safe, and overcomes the potential risks of the conventional kissing balloon technique. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/4235/ 1987-01-01T00:00:00Z Twelve patients with proximal stenosis of the left anterior descending artery, normal myocardial wall motion but without angiographically demonstrable collateral circulation, were studied during transluminal occlusion. Prior to the first transluminal occlusion before crossing the lesion with the balloon, patients were randomly given 0.2 mg nifedipine or its solvent in the left mainstem. The same dose was repeated via the balloon catheter, positioned across the lesion, immediately prior to the second transluminal occlusion. In all patients great cardiac venous flow and ST-elevation were monitored during and after each transluminal occlusion. The lactate extraction ratio A-GCV/A (A = arterial, GCV = great cardiac vein) was determined prior to the angioplasty procedure, 10-15 seconds after each transluminal occlusion and 10 minutes after the third transluminal occlusion. Great cardiac venous flow rose significantly to an average of 160% of basal flow when nifedipine was administered into the mainstem before the angioplasty procedure while its solvent had no effect. During each transluminal occlusion, great cardiac venous flow diminished on average by 30% in those who received nifedipine and by 28% in those who received only its solvent. This difference was statistically not significant. After angioplasty great cardiac venous flow was slightly, but not significantly, increased in both groups with respect to basal flow (104% resp. 120% of control). Patients who received nifedipine in the post-stenotic area just before the second transluminal occlusion, had significantly lower lactate production, measured immediately after the transluminal occlusion compared with the patients who received only its solvent (P less than 0.01). The ST-elevation during the second transluminal occlusion was significantly lower in the nifedipine group (0.1 mm in nifedipine group versus 1.4 mm in solvent group; P less than 0.05, unpaired t-test). Nifedipine given intracoronary in the post-stenotic area just before coronary angioplasty reduces lactate release and electrocardiographic signs of myocardial ischemic injury. This regional cardioprotective effect seems not due to an enhanced collateral flow, but to a regional cardioplegic effect, which precedes the ischemic event. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/4244/ 1987-01-01T00:00:00Z In 14 patients with severe congestive heart failure, left ventricular pressure (measured by tip manometer) and derived variables were measured before and every 10 minutes after administration of oral milrinone (10 mg) for 50 minutes along with measurements of coronary sinus blood flow and drug plasma levels. Arterial and coronary sinus catecholamines were measured only before and 50 minutes after milrinone. Left ventricular pressure, volume (as determined by angiography) and derived indexes were simultaneously assessed at matched atrial paced heart rate before and 60 minutes after milrinone. Three patients who did not achieve a therapeutic plasma level (less than 150 ng/ml) were excluded. Peak negative first derivative of left ventricular pressure (-dP/dt) progressively and significantly increased (10%) together with a decrease in the two exponential time constants of relaxation, namely, Tau 1 (19%) and Tau 2 (22%), which represent the fit for and after the first 40 ms, respectively. Coronary flow significantly increased by 43% within 30 minutes, whereas the decrease (-13%) in coronary vascular resistance failed to be statistically significant. No change occurred in catecholamine concentrations after milrinone. Peak filling rate significantly increased by 15%. Pressure-volume curves showed a leftward and, in four patients, a downward shift; a significant decrease in minimal left ventricular diastolic and end-diastolic pressures (by 55 and 38%, respectively) and in end-diastolic volume (18%) occurred. The constant of elastic chamber stiffness measured by the simple elastic model tended to decrease, but failed to achieve a statistically significant level. Thus, oral milrinone improved left ventricular early relaxation and filling as well as chamber distensibility. This global improvement of diastolic function makes milrinone a potentially useful drug in the oral treatment of heart failure. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/4199/ 1986-01-01T00:00:00Z http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/4160/ 1985-01-01T00:00:00Z The pressure gradient across coronary stenoses is measured routinely during angioplasty. Due to the finite size of the angioplasty catheter within the stenotic cross section, the remaining luminal area is further reduced and the transstenotic gradient may be overestimating the "true" pressure drop. This "true" pressure gradient can be approximated from the mean coronary blood flow and the stenosis geometry from theoretical models. Goal of this study was to assess the values and limitations of the in vivo measurements of the pressure gradient versus the calculated values. Therefore, flow in the great cardiac vein was measured in 13 patients before and/or after angioplasty of a proximal left anterior descending stenosis, not filled by collaterals. The Poiseuille and turbulent contributions to flow resistance were determined from stenosis geometry assessed by quantitative coronary angiography. A fourfold increase in the luminal area (from 0.7 mm2 pre- to 2.8 mm2 post angioplasty) was associated with a fourfold decrease in the in vivo measured transstenotic gradient (from 59 mm Hg pre- to 13 mm Hg post angioplasty). The occlusion area and the measured gradient were linearly correlated: gradient = 69-17 X occlusion area (r = 0.76). However, as expected, the transstenotic gradient systematically overestimated the theoretical gradient calculated from the laws of fluid dynamics. A nonlinear relation was found between the calculated gradient P and the occlusion area As: P = 15 X As-2 (r = 0.87).