藤田 英雄

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the cornerstone of treatment for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Previous studies suggest that direct transport by ambulance to a primary PCI facility is associated with better clinical outcomes in patients with STEMI. However, those studies included seriously ill patients for whom direct transport is the only option. We included 462 patients with STEMI who were supposed to select either direct transport by ambulance or indirect transport via primary care doctor, and compared the clinical outcomes between the direct transfer group (n = 172) and the indirect transfer group (n = 290). The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), which was defined as the composite of all-cause death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, re-admission for heart failure, and target vessel revascularization. The median follow-up duration was 540 days (86-1266 days). Age was significantly higher in the indirect transfer group [72.0 (64-80) years] than in the direct transfer group [69.5 (58.3-77) years] (p = 0.013). Onset to balloon time was significantly shorter in the direct transport group (p < 0.001). The Kaplan-Meier curves revealed that MACE were similarly observed between the two groups (31.4% vs. 27.2%; p = 0.330). After adjusting for potential confounders, indirect transfer was not associated with MACE (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.740, 95% confidence interval: 0.485-1.128, p = 0.161). In conclusion, indirect transfer was not associated with poor clinical outcomes in patients with STEMI who were supposed to select either direct transport or indirect transport.

The Japanese Society of Hypertension have established a blood pressure (BP) target of 130/80 mmHg for patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). We evaluated the data of 8793 CAD patients in the Clinical Deep Data Accumulation System database who underwent cardiac catheterization at six university hospitals and the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center (average age 70 ± 11 years, 78% male, 43% with acute coronary syndrome [ACS]). Patients were divided into two groups based on whether or not they achieved the guideline-recommended BP of <130/80 mmHg. We analyzed the relationship between BP classification and major adverse cardiac and cerebral event (MACCE) separately in two groups: those with ACS and those with chronic coronary syndrome (CCS). During an average follow-up period of 33 months, 710 MACCEs occurred. A BP below 130/80 mmHg was associated with fewer MACCEs in both the overall (hazard ratio [HR] 0.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.70-1.00, p = 0.048) and the ACS group (HR 0.67, 95%CI 0.51-0.88, p = 0.003). In particular, stroke events were also lower among those with a BP below 130/80 mmHg in both the overall (HR 0.69, 95%CI 0.53-0.90, p = 0.006) and ACS groups (HR 0.44, 95%CI 0.30-0.67, p < 0.001). In conclusion, the achievement of BP guidelines was associated with improved outcomes in CAD patients, particularly in reducing stroke risk among those with ACS.

Objective Triple-vessel disease (TVD) is a well-established prognostic factor for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, there is a paucity of literature regarding the risk factors for in-hospital death in patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and TVD. In this retrospective study, we examined the determinants of in-hospital death in patients with NSTEMI and TVD who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for culprit lesions. Methods The primary objective of this study was to identify the factors associated with in-hospital death using a multivariate analysis. We included 253 patients with NSTEMI and TVD and divided them into a survivor group (n=239) and an in-hospital death group (n=14). Results Systolic blood pressure (SBP) at admission was significantly higher in the survivor group than in the in-hospital death group. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was also higher in the survivor group than in the in-hospital death group. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, in-hospital death was inversely associated with the SBP at admission (odds ratio [OR] 0.984, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.970-0.999, p<0.035) and eGFR (OR 0.966, 95% CI 0.939-0.994, p=0.019) and was associated with cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA) before PCI (OR 8.448, 95%CI 1.863-38.309, p=0.006). Conclusion In-hospital death was associated with CPA before PCI and inversely associated with the SBP at admission and eGFR in patients with NSTEMI and TVD who underwent PCI for the culprit lesion. It may be important to recognize these high-risk features in order to improve the clinical outcomes of patients with NSTEMI and TVD.

The authors regret that the original version of the article incorrectly stated the study period as “April 2014 to March 2020" in both the Abstract and the Methods section. The correct study period should have been “April 2013 to March 2019". The authors would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.

BACKGROUND: The clinical outcomes of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) due to the occlusion of left coronary artery are worse in patients with proximal occlusion than in those with non-proximal occlusion. However, there are few reports that focus on the comparison of clinical outcomes in patients with STEMI between proximal and non-proximal right coronary artery (RCA) occlusions. METHODS: We included 356 patients with STEMI whose infarct-related artery is RCA and divided them into the proximal group (n = 129) and the non-proximal group (n = 227). We defined segment 1 of RCA as proximal, and segments 2, 3, and 4 as non-proximal according to the reporting system of the American Heart Association. The primary endpoint was major cardiovascular events (MACE), which was defined as the composite of all-cause death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, readmission for heart failure, and ischemia-driven target vessel revascularization. RESULTS: Incidence of shock at admission, requirement for catecholamine during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), or mechanical support during PCI tended to be higher in the proximal group (42.6 %) than in the non-proximal group (33.5 %) (p = 0.088). Although the incidence of right ventricular infarction tended to be higher in the proximal group (17.8 %) than in the non-proximal group (10.6 %) without reaching statistical significance (p = 0.072), the incidence of in-hospital death was similar between the 2 groups (1.6 % versus 1.8 %, p = 1.000). The MACE-free survival curves were not different between the 2 groups (p = 0.400). Multivariate Cox hazard analysis revealed that proximal RCA occlusion was not associated with MACE (HR 1.095, 95%CI 0.691-1.737, p = 0.699). CONCLUSIONS: Although the acute phase conditions such as shock or right ventricular infarction tended to be more severe in patients with proximal occlusion, overall clinical outcomes including long-term outcomes were comparable between the proximal and distal RCA occlusions. Furthermore, multivariate analysis showed that the proximal RCA occlusion was not associated with MACE after hospital discharge.

Killip classification has been used to stratify the risk of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). There were many reports that Killip class 3 or 4 is closely associated with poor clinical outcomes. In other words, Killip class 1 or 2 is associated with favorable clinical outcomes in patients with AMI, especially when patients received primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, some patients with Killip class 1/2 suffer from serious in-hospital complications. This study aimed to identify factors associated with serious in-hospital complications of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in patients with Killip class 1/2. The primary endpoint was serious in-hospital complications defined as the composite of in-hospital death and mechanical complications. We included 809 patients with STEMI, and divided them into the non-complication group (n = 791) and the complication group (n = 18). In-hospital death was observed in 14 patients (1.7%), and mechanical complications were observed in 4 patients (0.5%). Final TIMI flow ≤ 2 was more frequently observed in the complication group (33.3%) than in the non-complication group (5.4%) (p < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that serious in-hospital complication was associated with final TIMI flow grade ≤ 2 (Odds ratio 6.040, 95% confidence interval 2.042-17.870, p = 0.001). In conclusion, serious in-hospital complication of STEMI was associated with insufficient final TIMI flow grade in patients with Killip class 1/2. If final TIMI flow grade is suboptimal after primary PCI, we may recognize the potential risk of serious complications even when patients presented as Killip class 1/2.

Although serum troponin level is the gold standard under the universal definition of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), serum creatinine kinase (CK) and creatine kinase-myocardial band (CK-MB) is still measured in clinical practice as the compliment of troponin level. The purpose of this retrospective study is to illustrate the dramatic change of CK-MB/CK ratio by comparing CK-MB/CK ratio in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) among ≤ 24 h before reaching peak CK, peak CK, ≤ 24 h after reaching peak CK, and 24-48 h after reaching peak CK. We included 502 patients with STEMI. We calculated each average CK-MB/CK ratio at ≤ 24 h before reaching peak CK, peak CK, ≤ 24 h after reaching peak CK, and 24-48 h after reaching peak CK. The average values were compared using Friedman test. The average CK-MB/CK ratio at ≤ 24 h before reaching peak CK, peak CK, ≤ 24 h after reaching peak CK, and 24-48 h after reaching peak CK was 0.096 (9.6% of CK), 0.098 (9.8% of peak CK), 0.076 (7.6% of CK), and 0.028 (2.8% of CK), respectively. The Friedman test suggested that the CK-MB/CK ratio significantly declined after reaching peak CK (p < 0.001). In conclusion, the CK-MB/CK ratio was around 0.1 (10% of CK) until CK-MB and CK reached the peak, but dropped sharply after reaching peak CK. The CK-MB/CK ratio less than 0.1 (10% of CK) cannot be used to rule out the possibility of AMI, when the onset of symptom is unclear or late presentation.

Drug-coated balloons (DCBs) have been widely used in endovascular therapy for femoropopliteal arteries with atherosclerotic lesions. Vascular response after DCBs remains unclear. This mini-review proposes a possible mechanism of restenosis after the DCB strategy. Balloon dilatation including DCBs expands the vascular lumen by producing dissections, which is composed of the original vascular lumen and the cavity surrounded by dissected flaps. The cavity surrounded by dissected flaps is eventually replaced with the thrombus in the healing process after balloon dilatation. However, the thrombus may propagate to the expanded vascular lumen through the entry point of the dissection. Subsequently, the thrombus both in the cavity and the expanded lumen would be organized over time. The vascular lumen in the chronic-phase after DCBs may be influenced by the propagated thrombus from the cavity surrounded by dissected flaps.

In-stent restenosis with neoatherosclerosis has been known as the predictor of target lesion revascularization (TLR) after percutaneous coronary intervention. However, the impact of in-stent calcification (ISC) alone on clinical outcomes remains unknown since neoatherosclerosis by optical coherence tomography includes in-stent lipid and calcification. We aimed to assess the effect of ISC on clinical outcomes and clinical differences among different types of ISC. We included 126 lesions that underwent optical coherence tomography-guided percutaneous coronary intervention and divided those into the ISC group (n = 38) and the non-ISC group (n = 88) according to the presence of ISC. The cumulative incidence of clinically driven TLR (CD-TLR) was compared between the ISC and non-ISC groups. The impact of in-stent calcified nodule and nodular calcification on CD-TLR was evaluated using the Cox hazard model. The incidence of CD-TLR was significantly higher in the ISC group than in the non-ISC group (p = 0.004). In the multivariate Cox hazard model, ISC was significantly associated with CD-TLR (hazard ratio [HR] 3.58, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.33 to 9.65, p = 0.01). In-stent calcified nodule/nodular calcification and in-stent nodular calcification alone were also the factors significantly associated with CD-TLR (HR 3.34, 95%CI 1.15 to 9.65, p = 0.03 and HR 5.21, 95%CI 1.82 to 14.91, p = 0.002, respectively). ISC without in-stent calcified nodule/nodular calcification, which was defined as in-stent smooth calcification, was not associated with CD-TLR. In conclusion, ISC was associated with a higher rate of CD-TLR. The types of calcifications that led to a high rate of CD-TLR were in-stent calcified nodule/nodular calcification and in-stent nodular calcification alone but not in-stent smooth calcification. In-stent calcified nodule and nodular calcification should be paid more attention.

Rotational atherectomy (RA) is technically more difficult in a diffuse calcified lesion than in a focal calcified lesion. We hypothesized that taking a halftime can be another option for RA to the diffuse calcified lesions. Halftime was defined as at least one long break during RA, in which an operator pulled out the Rotablator system from the guide catheter before crossing the lesion. This study aimed to compare the complications between RA with and without halftime. We included 177 diffuse long severely calcified lesions (lesion lengths ≥ 30 mm) that required RA, and divided those lesions into a halftime group (n = 29) and a no-halftime group (n = 148). The primary outcome was periprocedural myocardial infarction (MI). The reference diameter was smaller in the halftime group than in the no-halftime group [1.82 (1.70-2.06) mm versus 2.17 (1.89-2.59) mm, p = 0.002]. The total run time was longer in the halftime group than in the non-halftime group [133.0 (102.0-223.0) seconds versus 71.5 (42.0-108.0) seconds, p < 0.001]. Although creatinine kinase (CK) and CK-myocardial band (MB) was significantly higher in the halftime group than in the no-halftime group [CK: 156 (97-308) U/L versus 99 (59-216) U/L, p = 0.021; CK-MB: 15 (8-24) U/L versus 5 (3-15) U/L, p < 0.001], periprocedural MI was not observed in the halftime group. In conclusion, periprocedural MI was not observed in RA with halftime. This preliminary study suggests that halftime RA may be a safe option for diffuse severely calcified lesions.

OBJECTIVE: Making the diagnosis of sarcopenia is not always easy and this is especially true for those with cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether it is possible to diagnose sarcopenia by using ultrasound-guided measurements of anterior femoral muscle thickness. METHODS: We investigated the utility of ultrasound-guided measurements of anterior femoral muscle thickness in 1075 hospitalized patients with cardiovascular disease (675 men). As a comparison, sarcopenia was assessed by skeletal muscle mass index using bioelectrical impedance analysis and the Asia Working Group for Sarcopenia criteria. RESULTS: When the receiver operating characteristic curve using muscle thickness was examined, we found this could be used to make the diagnosis of sarcopenia (men: cutoff value 2.425 cm, area under the curve 0.796; women: cutoff value 1.995 cm, area under the curve 0.746). The prevalence of sarcopenia according to the criteria with skeletal muscle mass index was 34.2% in men and 51.8% in women, while its prevalence according to the cutoff value of muscle thickness was 29.2% in men and 36.7% in women. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound-guided measurement of the anterior femoral muscle thickness is a simple and useful method to help make the diagnosis of sarcopenia in patients with cardiovascular disease.

AIMS: Bleeding complications are often observed in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Although the Japanese version of the high bleeding risk criteria (J-HBR) were established, it has not been sufficiently validated in patients with STEMI. This retrospective study aims to examine whether J-HBR is associated with cardiovascular and bleeding events in patients with STEMI. METHODS: We included 897 patients with STEMI and divided them into the J-HBR group (n=567) and the non-J-HBR group (n=330). The primary endpoint was the major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as the composite of all-cause death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, and systemic embolism. Another primary endpoint was total bleeding events defined as type 3 or 5 bleeding events as defined by the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium . RESULTS: During the median follow-up duration of 573 days, 187 MACE and 141 total bleeding events were observed. The Kaplan-Meier curves showed that MACE and total bleeding events were more frequently observed in the J-HBR group than in the non-J-HBR group (p＜0.001). Multivariate Cox hazard analysis revealed that after controlling for multiple confounding factors, the J-HBR group was significantly associated with MACE (hazard ratio [HR] 4.676, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.936-7.448, p＜0.001) and total bleeding events (HR 6.325,95% CI 3.376-11.851, p＜0.001). CONCLUSIONS: J-HBR is significantly associated with MACE and total bleeding events in patients with STEMI. This study validated J-HBR as a risk marker for bleeding events and suggests J-HBR as a potential risk marker for MACE in patients with STEMI.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the association between heart failure (HF) severity measured based on brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels and future bleeding events after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). BACKGROUND: The Academic Research Consortium for High Bleeding Risk presents a bleeding risk assessment for antithrombotic therapy in patients after PCI. HF is a risk factor for bleeding in Japanese patients. METHODS: Using an electronic medical record-based database with seven tertiary hospitals in Japan, this retrospective study included 7160 patients who underwent PCI between April 2014 and March 2020 and who completed a 3-year follow-up and were divided into three groups: no HF, HF with high BNP level and HF with low BNP level. The primary outcome was bleeding events according to the Global Use of Streptokinase and t-PA for Occluded Coronary Arteries classification of moderate and severe bleeding. The secondary outcome was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Furthermore, thrombogenicity was measured using the Total Thrombus-Formation Analysis System (T-TAS) in 536 consecutive patients undergoing PCI between August 2013 and March 2017 at Kumamoto University Hospital. RESULTS: Multivariate Cox regression showed that HF with high BNP level was significantly associated with bleeding events, MACE and all-cause death. In the T-TAS measurement, the thrombogenicity was lower in patients with HF with high BNP levels than in those without HF and with HF with low BNP levels. CONCLUSIONS: HF with high BNP level is associated with future bleeding events, suggesting that bleeding risk might differ depending on HF severity.

Mechanical complication (MC) is a rare but serious complication in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Although several risk factors for MC have been reported, a prediction model for MC has not been established. This study aimed to develop a simple prediction model for MC after STEMI. We included 1717 patients with STEMI who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Of 1717 patients, 45 MCs occurred after primary PCI. Prespecified predictors were determined to develop a tentative prediction model for MC using multivariable regression analysis. Then, a simple prediction model for MC was generated. Age ≥ 70, Killip class ≥ 2, white blood cell ≥ 10,000/µl, and onset-to-visit time ≥ 8 h were included in a simple prediction model as "point 1" risk score, whereas initial thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow grade ≤ 1 and final TIMI flow grade ≤ 2 were included as "point 2" risk score. The simple prediction model for MC showed good discrimination with the optimism-corrected area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve of 0.850 (95% CI: 0.798-0.902). The predicted probability for MC was 0-2% in patients with 0-4 points of risk score, whereas that was 6-50% in patients with 5-8 points. In conclusion, we developed a simple prediction model for MC. We may be able to predict the probability for MC by this simple prediction model.

BACKGROUND: Left heart abnormalities are risk factors for heart failure. However, echocardiography is not always available. Electrocardiograms (ECGs), which are now available from wearable devices, have the potential to detect these abnormalities. Nevertheless, whether a model can detect left heart abnormalities from single Lead I ECG data remains unclear.Methods and Results: We developed Lead I ECG models to detect low ejection fraction (EF), wall motion abnormality, left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), left ventricular dilatation, and left atrial dilatation. We used a dataset comprising 229,439 paired sets of ECG and echocardiography data from 8 facilities, and validated the model using external verification with data from 2 facilities. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves of our model was 0.913 for low EF, 0.832 for wall motion abnormality, 0.797 for LVH, 0.838 for left ventricular dilatation, and 0.802 for left atrial dilatation. In interpretation tests with 12 cardiologists, the accuracy of the model was 78.3% for low EF and 68.3% for LVH. Compared with cardiologists who read the 12-lead ECGs, the model's performance was superior for LVH and similar for low EF. CONCLUSIONS: From a multicenter study dataset, we developed models to predict left heart abnormalities using Lead I on the ECG. The Lead I ECG models show superior or equivalent performance to cardiologists using 12-lead ECGs.

OBJECTIVE: Although the clinical outcomes for patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) have improved significantly, some patients still experience poor clinical outcomes. The available risk classifications focus on the short-term outcomes, and it remains important to find high-risk features among patients with STEMI. In Japan, the 200 m walk electrocardiogram (ECG) test is widely performed before discharge. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between the excessive increase in systolic blood pressure (SBP) following a 200 m walk and the long-term clinical outcomes in patients with STEMI. METHODS: We included 680 patients with STEMI and divided those into an excessive increase in SBP group (n = 144) and a non-excessive increase in SBP group (n = 536) according to the SBP increase after a 200 m walk ECG test. We defined an excessive increase in SBP as SBP ≥ 20 mmHg either just after or 3 min after a 200 m walk ECG test. The primary endpoint consisted of major cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as the composite of all-cause death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, readmission for heart failure, and ischemia-driven target vessel revascularization. RESULTS: The median follow-up duration was 831 days. MACE was more frequently observed in the excessive increase in SBP group (24.3%) than in the non-excessive increase in SBP group (15.1%). Multivariate Cox hazard analysis revealed that the excessive increase in SBP was significantly associated with MACE (HR 1.509, 95% CI: 1.005-2.267, p = 0.047) after controlling for multiple confounding factors. CONCLUSION: An excessive increase in SBP after the 200 m walk ECG test was significantly associated with MACE in patients with STEMI. The 200 m walk ECG test is simple and low-cost, but may help to identify high-risk patients with STEMI.

BACKGROUND: Although major guidelines recommend the routine introduction of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) and beta-blockers for patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), evidence regarding the target blood pressure (BP) or pulse rate (PR) at hospital discharge is sparse. This retrospective study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes in patients with STEMI between those with good BP and PR control and those with poor BP or PR control. METHODS: We included 748 patients with STEMI who received both ACE inhibitors/ARBs and beta-blockers at hospital discharge, and divided them into a good control group (systolic BP ≤140 mmHg and PR ≤80 bpm, n = 564) and a poor control group (systolic BP >140 mmHg or PR >80 bpm, n = 184). The primary endpoint was major cardiovascular events (MACE) defined as the composite of all-cause death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and re-admission for heart failure. RESULTS: During the median follow-up duration of 568 days, a total of 119 MACE were observed. The Kaplan-Meier curves showed that MACE were more frequently observed in the poor control group (p = 0.009). In the multivariate Cox hazard analysis, the good control group was inversely associated with MACE (HR 0.656, 95 % CI: 0.444-0.968, p = 0.034) after controlling for multiple confounding factors. CONCLUSIONS: The good control of systolic BP and PR at discharge was inversely associated with long-term adverse events in STEMI patients treated with both ACE inhibitors/ARBs and beta blockers. This study suggests the importance of titration of ACE inhibitors/ARBs and beta-blockers for better clinical outcomes in patients with STEMI.

The concept of lifetime management has not been discussed in the field of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), because the durability of drug-eluting stent (DES) is considered to be long enough for most patients. Furthermore, even if in-stent restenosis occurs, the treatment for in-stent restenosis is simple in most cases. On the other hand, the long-term clinical outcomes after DES implantation are worse in severely calcified coronary lesions than in non-calcified lesions. Moreover, the treatment for in-stent calcified restenosis or restenosis due to stent underexpansion is not simple. The concept of lifetime management of severely calcified lesions may be necessary like that of aortic stenosis. Recently, several algorithms have been published in PCI to severely calcified lesions, partly because of the emergence of IVL. These algorithms focus on the selection of cracking and debulking devices for the preparation of stenting. However, the optimal stent expansion does not guarantee the long-term patency, when the target lesion includes calcified nodules. Stent restenosis due to calcified nodules is difficult to manage. In this review article, we propose the algorithm for severely calcified lesions focused on the shape of calcification. We do not need to hesitate stenting when multiple cracks on circumferential calcification are observed by intravascular imaging devices. However, DCB may be an option as final device in some situations, when lifetime management of severely calcified lesions is considered.

BACKGROUND: Recently, the nutritional status of patients has drawn attention in an aging society. Early studies have reported that nutritional status is related to long-term outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, it is not necessarily simple to evaluate the nutritional status of patients with AMI. We hypothesized that appetite before discharge can be a predictor for long-term adverse cardiovascular events in patients with AMI. This retrospective study aimed to investigate whether appetite is related to long-term adverse outcomes in patients with AMI. METHODS: This study included 1006 patients with AMI, and divided them into the good appetite group (n = 860) and the poor appetite group (n = 146) according to the percentage of the dietary intake on the day before discharge. Major adverse cardiac events (MACE), which were defined as a composite of all-cause death, non-fatal MI, and re-admission for heart failure, were set as the primary outcome. RESULTS: The median follow-up duration was 996 days, and a total of 243 MACE was observed during the study period. MACE was more frequently observed in the poor appetite group than in the good appetite group (42.5% versus 21.0%, p < 0.001). In the multivariate COX hazard model, poor appetite was significantly associated with MACE (Hazard ratio 1.698, 95% confidence interval 1.243-2.319, p < 0.001) after controlling for multiple confounding factors. CONCLUSION: Appetite at the time of discharge was significantly associated with long-term clinical outcomes in patients with AMI. Patients with poor appetite should be carefully followed up after discharge from AMI.

Objective Patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) often have peripheral artery disease (PAD). It is well known that the long-term clinical outcomes of AMI are worse in patients with a low ankle-brachial index (ABI) than in patients with a preserved ABI. Unlike ABI, the association between the inter-arm blood pressure difference (IABPD) and clinical outcomes in patients with AMI has not yet been established. This retrospective study examined whether or not the IABPD is associated with long-term clinical outcomes in patients with AMI. Methods We included 979 patients with AMI and divided them into a high-IABPD group (IABPD ≥10 mmHg, n=31) and a low-IABPD group (IABPD <10 mmHg, n=948) according to the IABPD measured during hospitalization for AMI. The primary endpoint was the all-cause mortality rate. Results During a median follow-up duration of 694 days (Q1, 296 days; Q3, 1,281 days), 82 all-cause deaths were observed. Kaplan-Meier curves showed that all-cause death was more frequently observed in the high-IABPD group than in the low-IABPD group (p<0.001). A multivariate Cox hazard analysis revealed that a high IABPD was significantly associated with all-cause death (hazard ratio 2.061, 95% confidence interval 1.012-4.197, p=0.046) after controlling for multiple confounding factors. Conclusion A high IABPD was significantly associated with long-term all-cause mortality in patients with AMI. Our results suggest the usefulness of the IABPD as a prognostic marker for patients with AMI.

Background and Objectives: Extracellular water is increased in patients with edema, such as those with chronic heart failure, and it is difficult to assess skeletal muscle mass with the skeletal muscle mass index when extracellular water is high. We investigated the relationship between phase angle and physical function, nutritional indices, and sarcopenia in patients with cardiovascular diseases, including chronic heart failure. Methods and Study Design: In 590 patients with cardiovascular diseases (372 men), handgrip strength, gait speed, and anterior mid-thigh muscle thickness by ultrasound were measured, and the skeletal muscle mass index, phase angle, and the extracellular water: total body water ratio were measured with a bioelectrical impedance analyzer, and presence of sarcopenia was evaluated. Results: Phase angle, but not the skeletal muscle mass index, was correlated with serum albumin (r = 0.377, p < 0.001) and hemoglobin values in women. Multivariate regression analysis showed that at the extracellular water: total body water ratio below 0.4, both phase angle and skeletal muscle mass index were independent determinants of handgrip strength and log mid-thigh muscle thickness in men, after adjustment for age and presence of chronic heart failure. In contrast, for the ratio of 0.4 or greater, after adjustment for age and presence of chronic heart failure, phase angle was a stronger independent determinant of handgrip strength and log mid-thigh muscle thickness than the skeletal muscle mass index in men. Conclusions: Phase angle is a good marker of muscle wasting and malnutrition in patients with cardiovascular disease, including chronic heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Many techniques and concepts have been developed in the field of percutaneous coronary intervention to chronic total occlusion (CTO). Parallel wire technique (PWT) is still an important technique in antegrade approach. The purpose of this study was to identify the determinants of successful PWT in coronary CTO. METHODS: We reviewed consecutive 451 CTO lesions that were treated with PCI in our medical center. The overall success rate of PCI to CTO during the study period was 92.2 % (416/451). Of 451 CTO lesions, we excluded 333 CTO lesions in which PTW was not performed. We included 118 CTO lesions in which PWT was performed, and divided them into the successful PWT group (n = 65) and the unsuccessful PWT group (n = 53) according to the procedure success of PWT. Multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to find the determinants of successful PWT. RESULTS: The prevalence of the sufficient clarity of CTO exit site was significantly higher in the successful PWT group (46.2 %) than in the unsuccessful PWT group (11.3 %) (p < 0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the J-CTO score was inversely associated with successful PWT (OR 0.66, 95 % CI 0.44-0.99, P = 0.04), whereas the sufficient clarity of CTO exit site was associated with successful PWT (OR 5.16, 95 % CI 1.75-15.20, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The J-CTO score was inversely associated with successful PWT, whereas the sufficient clarity of CTO exit site was associated with successful PWT. The low J-CTO score and the sufficient clarity of CTO exit site may be the determinants of successful PWT.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the contribution of 18F-fluorodepxyglucose (FDG) positron (PET)/ computed tomography (CT) acquisition of early and delayed scans in patients with cardiac sarcoidosis (CS). METHODS: Twenty-three patients with CS (median age: 69 years; 11 women) were retrospectively evaluated using dual-phase FDG PET/CT. All patients were instructed to consume a low-carbohydrate diet followed by fasting for 18 h before FDG injection to reduce physiological myocardial uptake. PET/CT was acquired at 60 min (early) and 100 min (delayed) after FDG administration. Focal and focal on diffuse uptake on visual analysis was considered positive for CS. A semi-quantitative analysis was performed using the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of the cardiac lesion and the mean SUV (SUVmean) of the blood pool. RESULTS: Significant myocardial FDG uptake was observed in 21 patients (91.3%) in the early acquisition group and in 23 patients in the delayed scan group (100%). Compared to the early scan, the delayed scan showed a significantly higher SUVmax of the cardiac lesion [median, 4.0; IQR (interquartile range, 2.9 to 7.0) vs. 5.8 (IQR 3.7 to 10.1); P = 0.0030] and a significantly lower SUVmean of blood pool [median, 1.3 (IQR, 1.2 to 1.4) vs. 1.1 (IQR, 0.9 to 1.2); P < 0.0001]. CONCLUSION: Delayed FDG PET/CT acquisition improves detection accuracy in patients with CS compared to early scans with washout of the blood pool activity. Therefore, it can contribute to a more accurate assessment of CS.

Recently, there has been a growing interest in the concept of complex and high-risk intervention in indicated patients (CHIP). In our previous studies, we defined the three CHIP components (complex PCI, patient factors, and complicated heart disease), and introduced a novel stratification based on patient factors and/or complicated heart disease. We divided patients undergoing complex PCI into the definite CHIP, the possible CHIP, and the non-CHIP groups. Definite CHIP was defined as complex PCI for patients with both patient factors and complicated heart disease, and possible CHIP was defined as complex PCI for patients with either patient factors or complicated heart disease. Of note, even if a patient has both patients' factors and complicated heart disease, non-complex PCI is not a CHIP-PCI. In this review article, we discussed the determinants of complications in CHIP-PCI, long-term outcomes after CHIP-PCI, mechanical circulatory support devices for CHIP-PCI, and the goal of CHIP-PCI. Although CHIP-PCI attracts rising attention in contemporary PCI, clinical studies that investigate the clinical implications of CHIP-PCI are still sparse. Further studies are warranted to optimize CHIP-PCI.

Serious complications including vessel perforation may occur during rotational atherectomy (RA) to left circumflex (LCX) ostial lesions. In fact, if perforation occurs around LCX ostium, bailout procedures including deployment of covered stents may cause fatal ischemia in the territory of left anterior descending artery, which results in broad anterior acute myocardial infarction and subsequent death. In this review article, we described tips and tricks for RA to LCX ostial lesions. First, we should cautiously decide the indication for RA to LCX ostial lesions, because there are several reasons to avoid RA to LCX ostial lesions. Before procedures, we should estimate the difficulty of RA to LCX ostial lesions, which is mainly determined by the combination of the bifurcation angle and the severity of stenosis. Thus, the combination of the large bifurcation angle and the tight stenosis makes RA to LCX ostial lesions most difficult. Appropriate position of guide catheter and RotaWire is a key to successful RA to LCX ostial lesions. Differential cutting is an essential concept for RA to LCX ostial lesions. However, since there is no guarantee that differential cutting always works, small burr (≤ 1.5 mm) would be a safe choice as initial burr for RA to LCX ostial lesions.

51歳女性。Preexcited tachycardia(PT)に対し,アブレーションを行った。心房刺激で房室伝導の延長とともにQRS幅が増大し,広義のMahaim束の存在が示唆された。ATP投与により(AH)ブロックに遅れてMahaim束がブロックされたため,nodoventricular/nodofascicular pathwayは否定的であった。心房刺激で誘発されたPTのQRS幅は連続的に変化し,AA間隔と逆相関した。心室刺激で心房捕捉することなく頻拍は停止し,心房頻拍を除外した。Mahaim束を介したantidromic reciprocating tachycardia(ART)とbystanderのMahaim束を伴うAVNRTとの鑑別に苦慮したが,頻拍中と洞調律中のHis束の極性が反転しており,前者の可能性が高いと判断した。洞調律中にHis束に先行する右脚電位を認め,本Mahaim束はatriofascicular pathwayであり,QRS幅と左軸偏位の程度が正相関することから,QRS幅と頻拍周期の変化は,心室内伝導のターンアラウンドとなる刺激伝導路末端でのブロック位置の変化に伴うものと推察した。Mahaim束離断後,頻拍の再発を認めていない。Mahaim束を介し頻拍周期とQRS波形の経時的変化を認めた稀有なART症例を経験した。(著者抄録)

Recently, there has been a growing interest in complex and high-risk intervention in indicated patients (CHIP) in the contemporary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). CHIP is composed of the following 3 factors: (1) patient factors, (2) complicated heart disease, and (3) complex PCI. However, there are few studies that investigated the long-term outcomes of CHIP-PCI. The purpose of this study was to compare the incidence of long-term major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) among the definite CHIP, possible CHIP, and non-CHIP groups in complex PCI. We included 961 patients and divided them into the definite CHIP (n = 129), the possible CHIP (n = 369), and the non-CHIP groups (n = 463). During the median follow-up duration of 573 days (quartile 1:226 days to quartile 3:1,165 days), a total of 189 MACE were observed. The incidence of MACE was highest in the definite CHIP group, followed by the possible CHIP group, and lowest in the non-CHIP group (p = 0.001). Definite CHIP (vs non-CHIP: odds ratio 3.558, 95% confidence interval 2.249 to 5.629, p <0.001) and possible CHIP (vs non-CHIP: odds ratio 2.260, 95% confidence interval 1.563 to 3.266, p <0.001) were significantly associated with MACE after controlling for confounding factors. Among CHIP factors, active malignancy, pulmonary disease, hemodialysis, unstable hemodynamics, left ventricular ejection fraction, and valvular disease were significantly associated with MACE. In conclusion, the incidence of MACE in complex PCI was highest in the definite CHIP group, followed by the possible CHIP group, and lowest in the non-CHIP group. The concept of CHIP should be recognized to predict the long-term MACE in patients who undergo complex PCI.

Peak C-reactive protein (CRP) levels following ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) are associated with left ventricular thrombus formation or cardiac rupture. However, the impact of peak CRP on long-term outcomes in patients with STEMI is not completely understood. The purpose of this retrospective study was to compare the long-term all-cause death after STEMI between patients with and without high peak CRP levels. We included 594 patients with STEMI, and divided them into the high CRP group (n = 119) and the low-moderate CRP group (n = 475) according to the quintile of peak CRP levels. The primary endpoint was all-cause death after the discharge of the index admission. The mean peak CRP level was 19.66 ± 5.14 mg/dL in the high CRP group, whereas that was 6.43 ± 3.86 mg/dL in the low-moderate CRP group (p < 0.001). During the median follow-up duration of 1045 days (Q1 284 days, Q3 1603 days), a total of 45 all-cause deaths were observed. The Kaplan-Meier curves showed that all-cause death was more frequently observed in the high CRP group than in the low-moderate CRP group (p = 0.002). The multivariate Cox hazard analysis revealed that high CRP was significantly associated with all-cause death (hazard ratio 2.325, 95% confidence interval 1.246-4.341, p = 0.008) after controlling for confounding factors. In conclusion, high peak CRP was significantly associated with all-cause death in patients with STEMI. Our results suggest that peak CRP may be useful to stratify patients with STEMI for the risk of future death.

BACKGROUND: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is a rare but critical complication following ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The risk of AIS or transient ischemic attack (TIA) may be amplified by invasive procedures, including primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This study aimed to investigate the factors associated with in-hospital AIS/TIA in patients with STEMI who required primary PCI. METHODS: We included 941 STEMI patients who underwent primary PCI and divided them into an AIS/TIA group (n = 39) and a non-AIS/TIA group (n = 902), according to new-onset AIS/TIA. The primary interest was to find the factors associated with AIS/TIA by multivariate logistic regression analysis. We also compared clinical outcomes between the AIS/TIA and non-AIS/TIA groups. RESULTS: The incidence of in-hospital deaths was significantly higher in the AIS/TIA group (46.2%) than in the non-AIS/TIA group (6.3%) (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that cardiogenic shock (OR 3.228, 95% CI 1.492-6.986, p = 0.003), new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) (OR 2.280, 95% CI 1.033-5.031, p = 0.041), trans-femoral approach (OR 2.336, 95% CI 1.093-4.992, p = 0.029), use of ≥4 catheters (OR 3.715, 95% CI 1.831-7.537, p < 0.001), and bleeding academic research consortium (BARC) type 3 or 5 bleeding (OR 2.932, 95% CI 1.256-6.846, p = 0.013) were significantly associated with AIS/TIA. CONCLUSION: In STEMI patients with primary PCI, new-onset AIS/TIA was significantly associated with cardiogenic shock, new-onset AF, trans-femoral approach, the use of ≥4 catheters, and BARC type 3 or 5 bleeding. We should recognize these modifiable and unmodifiable risk factors for AIS/TIA in the treatment of STEMI.

Although there are several books or manuscripts regarding how to prepare scientific manuscripts, the literatures focusing on the preparation of the revised manuscript are sparse. The process of revisions may be different between experimental medicine and clinical medicine. In this review, we summarize the tips for the revised manuscript in clinical medicine. When the authors receive the invitation of revisions from the editors, the authors should try to resubmit the revised manuscript at the earliest convenience. In the preparation of the rebuttal letter, the authors must respect the reviewers' effort for their manuscript. It is important for the authors to make the reviewers feel that the authors take a best effort to verify the reviewer's request.