Permanent pacemaker implantation in unexplained syncope patients with electrophysiology study-proven atrioventricular node disease

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Background/Introduction: Syncope, whose cause is unknown after an initial assessment, has an uncertain prognosis. It is critical to identify patients at highest risk who may require a pacemaker and to identify the cause of recurrent syncope to prescribe proper therapy

Purpose

Aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of permanent pacing on the incidence of syncope in patients with unexplained syncope and electrophysiology study-proven atrioventricular node disease.

Methods

This was an observational study based on a prospective registry of 236 consecutive patients (60.20 ± 18.66 years, 63.1% male, 60.04 ± 9.50 bpm) presenting with recurrent unexplained syncope attacks admitted to our hospital for invasive electrophysiology study (EPS). Τhe implantation of a permanent antibradycardia pacemaker (ABP) was offered to all patients according to the results of the EPS. 135 patients received the ABP, while 101 denied.

Results

The mean of reported syncope episodes was 1.97 ± 1.10 (or presyncope 2.17 ± 1.50) before they were referred for a combined EP guided diagnostic and therapeutic approach. Over a mean follow-up of approximately 4 years (49.19 ±  29.58 months), the primary outcome event (syncope) occurred in 31 of 236 patients (13.1%), 6 of 135 (4.4%) in the ABP group as compared to 25 of 101 (24.8%) in the no pacemaker group (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Among patients with a history of unexplained syncope, a set of positivity criteria for the presence of EPS defined atrioventricular node disease, identifies a subset of patients who will benefit from permanent pacing.

Noninvasive risk factors for the prediction of inducibility on programmed ventricular stimulation in post-MI patients with ejection fraction over 40% at SCD risk, insights from the PRESERVE EF study

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Background

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in post myocardial infarction (post-MI) patients with a relatively preserved left ventricular systolic function (LVEF≥40%) has an annual incidence of 1%, in the absence of adequate risk stratification methods and guideline recommendations for primary prevention. In the PRESERVE-EF study we used a two-step SCA risk stratification approach to detect patients at risk for major arrhythmic events. Seven noninvasive risk factors (NIRFs) were extracted from ambulatory electrocardiography (AECG). Patients with at least one NIRF present were referred for invasive programmed ventricular stimulation (PVS). Inducible patients received an ICD.

Purpose

To assess the performance of NIRFs extracted from 24hr AECG, based on the PRESERVE EF criteria, in predicting inducibility.

Methods

The PRESERVE EF study enrolled 575 patients. Two hundred and four of them had at least one NIRF and an indication for PVS, but 52 of them declined. Finally, 41 out of 152 patients who underwent PVS were inducible. For the present analysis data from these 152 patients (mean age 60 ± 10years, LVEF 49 ± 6%, 89% males) were analyzed. Chi-square test, univariate logistic regression and areas under ROC curves were calculated for the PVS inducibility endpoint.

Results

Age, male gender and LVEF for the PVS inducible patients group (n = 41) and the noninducible patients group (n = 111) were, respectively: 61 ± 9years vs 59 ± 10years (p = 0.310), 98% vs 86% (p = 0.048), 45 ± 4% vs 51 ± 7% (p < 0.001). Among NIRFs examined, LVEF ≤ 50%, nsVT≥1/24hour and presence of LPs on SAECG presented high and significant Odds Ratios (ORs) for a positive PVS study end point. A simple risk score based on cutoff points of LVEF ≤ 50%, NSVTepisode≥1/24hour and presence of LPs missed only 1 out of the 41 inducible patients and yielded: OR 14.146 (p = 0.01) with a high sensitivity 98% but low specificity 26% for a positive PVS (AUC = 0.65).

Conclusion

Cut off points of LVEF ≤ 50%, nsVTepisode≥1/24hour and presence of LPs were important predictors of inducibility. A simple risk score based on these predictors achieves high sensitivity but low specificity.  The final decision for an ICD implantation should be based on a positive PVS, which is irreplaceable in risk stratification.

Leadless pacing: First experience and outcomes in an isolated area in the setting of the Greek financial crisis

BACKGROUND

Leadless pacing (LP) is a novel permanent pacing modality without transvenous leads that is increasingly applied in certain circumstances. We aimed to report our preliminary experience in LP implementation.

CASE SERIES

This observational study represents a simple registry of LP systems implanted in our tertiary center from April 2018 until November 2019 in the setting of the Greek financial crisis. Consecutive patients from the isolated area of Northwestern Greece referred to our center for LP were included. Patients' clinical and procedural data, as well as follow-up events, were carefully recorded. Nine patients (mean age: 75 years; six men) were included and were followed for a median period of 20 months. The commonest indication for LP implantation was increased patient infection risk (n: seven), while in the remaining patients (n: two), the indication was problematic vein access along with concomitant comorbidities that increase infection risk. Most of the patients (6/9) were in sinus rhythm, while the rest had slow atrial fibrillation. During the follow-up period, two patients with end-stage renal disease suffered sudden cardiac death, two patients died due to pneumonia, and one patient died due to metastatic cancer. However, no device-related death occurred during the follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data indicate that LP's long-term cost-effectiveness is limited in patients with several comorbidities due to increased mortality. Indeed, considering its increased financial cost, well-defined patients' selection criteria should be developed and applied, especially in medium/low-income countries. HIPPOKRATIA 2021, 25 (2):75-78.

The effect of permanent pacemaker implantation following transcatheter aortic valve implantation upon survival

Purpose

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is often followed by conduction abnormalities, leading to a permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI). Data regarding the clinical impact of PPI following TAVI is yet to be established.

Methods

Patients with severe and symptomatic aortic stenosis [effective orifice area (EOA) ≤1cm2] referred for TAVI at our institution were consecutively enrolled. Prospectively collected demographic, laboratory and echocardiographic data were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were stratified into two groups according to the need for PPI after TAVI and were followed up postoperatively with clinical and echocardiographic assessment. Primary clinical endpoint was all-cause mortality, as defined by the criteria proposed by the Valve Academic Research Consortium 2.

Results

In total, 292 patients were included (male: 50.2%, mean age: 80±7.6 years) in our study. Of these, 109 (37.5%) underwent PPI simultaneously or shortly after TAVI. The median follow-up period was 27.3 In this period, all-cause mortality showed no significant difference between patients with and those without PPI after TAVI (log-rank p=0.756), even after excluding patients with a pre-existing pacemaker from the analysis. Subgroup analysis also showed no difference in survival between patients with low ejection fraction (<50%) and those with preserved (≥50%) receiving a permanent pacemaker after TAVR (log-rank p=0.269). Taking into consideration factors that were found to associate to PPI in univariate analysis (pre TAVI - ejection fraction, pulmonary artery systolic pressure and New York Heart Association functional class) in a multivariate model, pre TAVI pulmonary artery systolic pressure was found to be an independent predictor of peri-procedural PPI [Exp(B): 0.977, 95% Confidence Interval: 0.957–0.998, B=−0.023, p=0.029]. Pre-TAVI conduction abnormalities and the degree of aortic annulus calcification, as assessed by computed-tomography, were not found to predict PPI after TAVI.

Conclusion

PPI following TAVI was not associated with survival at 27 months of follow-up, independently from the pre TAVI ejection fraction.

Figure 1

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: None

Arrhythmic risk stratification in heart failure mid-range ejection fraction patients with a non-invasive guiding to programmed ventricular stimulation two-step approach

Background

Although some post myocardial infarction (post-MI) and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients with mid-range ejection fraction heart failure (HFmrEF = 40–49%) face an increased risk for arrhythmic Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD), current guidelines do not recommend an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD).

Purpose

To assess the accuracy of a novel multifactorial two-step approach, with noninvasive risk factors (NIRFs) leading to programmed ventricular stimulation (PVS), for SCD risk stratification of hospitalized HFmrEF patients.

Methods

Forty-eight patients (male=83%, age = 64±14 years, LVEF = 45±5%, ischemic coronary disease = 69%) underwent a NIRF presence screening first step with ECG, SAECG, echocardiography and 24 hour ambulatory ECG (Holter). Thirty-two patients with presence of one out of three NIRFs (SAECG ≥2 positive criteria for late potentials, ventricular premature beats ≥240/24 hours, and ≥1 episode of non-sustained ventricular tachycardia on Holter) were further stratified with PVS. Patients were classified as either low (Group 1, n=16, NIRFs−), moderate (Group 2, n=18, NIRFs+ /PVS−) or high risk (Group 3, n=14, NIRFs+/PVS+). All Group 3 patients received an ICD.

Results

After 41±18 months, 9 out of 48 patients experienced the major arrhythmic event (MAE) endpoint (clinical ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation = 3, appropriate ICD activation = 6). The endpoint occurred more frequently in Group 3 (7/14, 50%) than in Groups 1 & 2 (2/34, 5.8%). A logistic regression model adjusted for PVS, age and LVEF revealed that PVS was an independent MAE predictor (OR: 21.152, 95% CI: 2.618–170.887, p=0.004). Kaplan Meier curves diverged significantly (p logrank <0.001) while PVS negative predictive value was 94%.

Conclusion

In hospitalized HFmrEF post-MI and DCM patients, a NIRFs leading to PVS two-step approach efficiently detected the subgroup at increased risk for MAEs.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: None

Prevalence, pattern and associated cardiovascular risk of t-wave inversion in hypertensive patients: a 5-year follow-up study

Background

Data on prevalence and associated prognosis of repolarization abnormalities among hypertensive patients are limited.

Purpose

We investigated the presence and extent of ST-segment and T-wave changes in a hypertensive population and their predictive ability for cardiovascular disease.

Methods

We studied 1851 white Caucasian hypertensive patients (age 58±12 years, 51%females) without a history of cardiovascular disease for a mean period of 5.3±3.4 years. At the baseline examination, all patients underwent standard 12-lead electrocardiography. T-wave inversion (TWI) was defined as T-wave deflection ≥−0.1 mV in ≥2 contiguous leads,unless associated with bundle branch block. Anterior, lateral or inferior TWI was defined as TWIin leads V2-V4 or V5,V6, I, AVL or II, aVF respectively. Thedepth in millimeters of TWI in each lead was recorded and the maximum depth per location was calculated. ST depression was defined as ≥1mm in depth in two or more contiguous leads.During follow-up, patients underwent clinic visits at least yearly for management of hypertension and risk factors. The outcome studied was theincidence of cardiovascular morbidity set as the composite of non-fatal coronary artery disease and stroke.

Results

In the entire population, prevalence of TWI was 3.8%, of which 39% presented withanterior TWI, 73% withlateral TWI and 11% with inferior TWI. ST depression was observed in 3.6% of patients (anterior in 0.8%, inferior in 0.9% and lateral in 2.6%). Incidence of the composite endpoint during follow-up was 4%. Cox regression analysis revealed that presence of TWI was associated with a significantly greater risk for cardiovascular events (HR: 2.6, 95% CI: 1.1–5.9, p=0.025). The association was stronger for lateral TWI (HR: 3.3, 95%: CI: 1.34–8.30, p=0.01) compared to other locations. In multivariate models controlling for standard confounders these associations were overall sustained. Depth of TWI and presence of ST depression were not associated with cardiovascular risk.

Conclusions

Among hypertensive patients without cardiovascular disease, TWI is infrequent but significantly associated with future cardiovascular events.Lateral TWI carries the worse prognosis

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: None

Prognostic implication of electrocardiographic left ventricular strain in patients undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation

Background

Electrocardiographic (ECG) strain has been linked to excess cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in asymptomatic patients with aortic stenosis.

Purpose

We aim to determine the differential impact of baseline ECG-strain on long-term mortality after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

Methods

Patients with severe and symptomatic aortic stenosis (effective orifice area [EOA]≤1cm2), who were scheduled for TAVI with a self-expanding valve between May 2015 and May 2018 were consecutively enrolled. Left ventricular strain was defined as the presence of ≥1mm convex ST-segment depression with asymmetrical T-wave inversion in leads V5 to V6 on baseline ECG. Patients were excluded, if they had bundle branch block or a permanent pacemaker at baseline. Baseline parameters were compared, and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models were generated to assess outcome difference. The primary clinical endpoint was cumulative mortality defined according to the criteria proposed by the Valve Academic Research Consortium-2.

Results

Of the 171 patients screened, 56 patients were excluded due to left bundle branch block or paced rhythm. In the 115 included patients (mean age: 81.4±7), 36 patients (31.3%) had strain pattern on pre-TAVI ECG. There were no differences in baseline characteristics between the two groups. During a median follow-up of 2.32 years (IQR 1.62 to 3), 11 patients (9.6%) reached the primary clinical endpoint. Patients in the strain group had higher incidence of all-cause mortality compared to patients without left ventricular strain (25% vs 2.5%, χ2=14.4, p<0.001). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed a significantly decreased cumulative probability of survival at 3 years in patients with LV-strain compared with patients without LV-strain (log-rank p=0.002, Figure 1). In the multivariate analysis, left ventricular strain [Exp(B): 8.952, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.215–65.938, B=2.192, p=0.031] and QRS duration [Exp(B): 1.058, 95% CI: 1.022–1.095, B=0.056, p<0.001] were found to be independent predictors of all-cause mortality after TAVI.

Conclusion

Baseline ECG left ventricular strain was an independent predictor of long-term mortality post TAVI. Systematic strain measurements might aid in risk-stratifying patients scheduled for TAVI.

Figure 1

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: None

Role of corticosteroids in prostate cancer progression: implications for treatment strategy in metastatic castration-resistant patients

Corticosteroid agents (CA) are widely used in the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) either as concomitant treatment with active agents such as docetaxel, cabazitaxel and abiraterone or in a palliative setting, predominantly due to their anti-inflammatory activity. However, the chronic use of CA has numerous side effects, especially in case of steroid-induced adrenal insufficiency. Furthermore, the latest clinical and preclinical data demonstrate that CA themselves are likely to promote tumour progression in certain populations of patients with mCRPC. Therefore, the role of CA in advanced disease should be carefully weighed for each patient and their withdrawal should be considered in some patients. This is necessary, especially in clinical trials that need good performance status patients to evaluate the activity and the safety of emerging drugs in mCRPC that do not require the concurrent use of CA. In oncology, there is no consensus on an algorithm of gradual steroid tapering and frequently the approach to this procedure is empirical. An algorithm is presented in this article based on clinical observations. Prospective studies are necessary to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the above-proposed algorithm in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

[Oncological intensive care: 2013 and 2014 years'review]

The objective of this paper is to review the literature published in 2013 and 2014 in the field of intensive care and emergency related to oncology. Are discussed because of new original publications: prognosis, life-supporting techniques, septic shock and infectious complications, anticancer treatment in intensive care, tumoral lysis syndrome, respiratory, thromboembolic and vascular, digestive and hepatic, and neurologic complications, oncologic emergencies, therapeutic limitations.

Androgen receptor expression in circulating tumour cells from castration-resistant prostate cancer patients treated with novel endocrine agents

BACKGROUND

Abiraterone and enzalutamide are novel endocrine treatments that abrogate androgen receptor (AR) signalling in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Here, we developed a circulating tumour cells (CTCs)-based assay to evaluate AR expression in real-time in CRPC and investigated nuclear AR expression in CTCs in patients treated with enzalutamide and abiraterone.

METHODS

CTCs were captured and characterised using the CellSearch system. An automated algorithm to identify CTCs and quantify AR expression was employed. The primary aim was to evaluate the association between CTC AR expression and prior treatment with abiraterone or enzalutamide.

RESULTS

AR expression in CTCs was evaluated in 94 samples from 48 metastatic CRPC patients. We observed large intra-patient heterogeneity of AR expression in CTCs. Prior exposure to abiraterone or enzalutamide was not associated with a change in CTCs AR expression (median intensity and distribution of AR-positive classes). In support of this, we also confirmed maintained nuclear AR expression in tissue samples collected after progression on abiraterone. AR staining also identified additional AR-positive CD45-negative circulating cells that were CK-negative/weak and therefore missed using standard protocols. The number of these events correlated with traditional CTCs and was associated with worse outcome on univariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

We developed a non-invasive method to monitor AR nuclear expression in CTCs. Our studies confirm nuclear AR expression in CRPC patients progressing on novel endocrine treatments. Owing to the significant heterogeneity of AR expression in CTCs, studies in larger cohorts of patients are required to identify associations with outcome.

Autoimmune haemolytic anaemia in a patient treated with capecitabine

A 61-year-old female, followed-up for a metastatic breast cancer, was admitted in our institution with conjunctival icterus, asthenia and abdominal crampoid pain. The patient was included in a clinical trial comparing the efficiency of capecitabine monotherapy versus capecitabine conjugated with a new biological agent in a randomised and double blind trial. The patient was in the capecitabine alone arm. Biological tests performed upon admission suggested the diagnosis of haemolytic anaemia. Moreover, the direct Coombs test result was twice positive indicating autoimmune haemolytic anaemia. Capecitabine has been reported to cause haemolysis either alone or combined with lapatinib, each time with a mechanism other than immunological. In this clinical case, capecitabine is the most likely factor causing an autoimmune haemolytic anaemia.

The role of amiodarone in recent-onset atrial fibrillation after ibutilide has failed to restore sinus rhythm

BACKGROUND

Ibutilide is a class III antiarrhythmic drug that is used for the cardioversion of atrial arrhythmias, but it can cause torsades de pointes. Amiodarone is also used for the cardioversion of atrial fibrillation and prolongs the QT interval but rarely causes torsades de pointes.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The study included 51 consecutive patients with recent onset atrial fibrillation in whom the administration of ibutilide failed to restore sinus rhythm. In those patients we decided to proceed to intravenous administration of amiodarone. The QT intervals were measured on 12-lead ECG. After 11 +/- 5 h of the administration of the amiodarone, 42 patients (82%) were on sinus rhythm. There was no episode of non-sustained torsades de pointes or hypotension that followed the administration of the two antiarrhythmic agents.

CONCLUSIONS

The administration of amiodarone in the case of ibutilide failure may be a useful adjunct to current cardioversion protocols for recent onset atrial fibrillation.

Biochemical changes involved in the mechanism of vasovagal syncope

Vasovagal syncope elicits one of the most powerful transient vasodilatory responses in humans. Many studies have shown an altered neurohumoral response to tilting in patients with vasovagal syncope. Vasopressin (VP) has been of particular interest, but its exact role remains unclarified, whereas the possible role of the potent vasoactive end products of arachidonic acid metabolism has not yet been addressed. We determined the changes in plasma levels of VP, thromboxane (TXA2), and prostacyclin (PGI2) in 34 syncopal patients undergoing a standardized head-up tilt-table testing protocol and compared these changes between patients with positive and negative test results. Blood samples were collected at baseline, 15 minutes in the head-up position, and at the termination of the tilt test (the induction of syncope or the completion of a negative test). Sixteen patients had a positive test result, whereas 18 completed the test without developing any syncopal symptoms. In the tilt-positive group, VP levels presented a 20-fold increase at the time of syncope when compared with baseline levels (p = 0.0000), without any increase at earlier stages. No change was detected at any stage in the tilt-negative patients. We did not find any difference in the levels of PGI2 at any stage in any group of patients or between the 2 groups. TXA2 levels increased significantly at 15 minutes in the upright position in both tilt-positive and tilt-negative patients. No further increase was noticed at the time of syncope in the tilt-positive group, whereas in patients with a negative test result, there was a tendency to decline at the time of the test's completion. It is concluded that although VP is markedly increased during tilt-induced vasovagal syncope, vasoactive amines such as TXA2 and PGI2 play a minor role in the vasodilatory component of the response.

A novel serine protease inhibition motif involving a multi-centered short hydrogen bonding network at the active site

We describe a new serine protease inhibition motif in which binding is mediated by a cluster of very short hydrogen bonds (<2.3 A) at the active site. This protease-inhibitor binding paradigm is observed at high resolution in a large set of crystal structures of trypsin, thrombin, and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) bound with a series of small molecule inhibitors (2-(2-phenol)indoles and 2-(2-phenol)benzimidazoles). In each complex there are eight enzyme-inhibitor or enzyme-water-inhibitor hydrogen bonds at the active site, three of which are very short. These short hydrogen bonds connect a triangle of oxygen atoms comprising O(gamma)(Ser195), a water molecule co-bound in the oxyanion hole (H(2)O(oxy)), and the phenolate oxygen atom of the inhibitor (O6'). Two of the other hydrogen bonds between the inhibitor and active site of the trypsin and uPA complexes become short in the thrombin counterparts, extending the three-centered short hydrogen-bonding array into a tetrahedral array of atoms (three oxygen and one nitrogen) involved in short hydrogen bonds. In the uPA complexes, the extensive hydrogen-bonding interactions at the active site prevent the inhibitor S1 amidine from forming direct hydrogen bonds with Asp189 because the S1 site is deeper in uPA than in trypsin or thrombin. Ionization equilibria at the active site associated with inhibitor binding are probed through determination and comparison of structures over a wide range of pH (3.5 to 11.4) of thrombin complexes and of trypsin complexes in three different crystal forms. The high-pH trypsin-inhibitor structures suggest that His57 is protonated at pH values as high as 9.5. The pH-dependent inhibition of trypsin, thrombin, uPA and factor Xa by 2-(2-phenol)benzimidazole analogs in which the pK(a) of the phenol group is modulated is shown to be consistent with a binding process involving ionization of both the inhibitor and the enzyme. These data further suggest that the pK(a) of His57 of each protease in the unbound state in solution is about the same, approximately 6.8. By comparing inhibition constants (K(i) values), inhibitor solubilities, inhibitor conformational energies and corresponding structures of short and normal hydrogen bond-mediated complexes, we have estimated the contribution of the short hydrogen bond networks to inhibitor affinity ( approximately 1.7 kcal/mol). The structures and K(i) values associated with the short hydrogen-bonding motif are compared with those corresponding to an alternate, Zn(2+)-mediated inhibition motif at the active site. Structural differences among apo-enzymes, enzyme-inhibitor and enzyme-inhibitor-Zn(2+) complexes are discussed in the context of affinity determinants, selectivity development, and structure-based inhibitor design.

High-throughput screening of enzyme inhibitors: simultaneous determination of tight-binding inhibition constants and enzyme concentration

Active site titration by a reversible tight-binding inhibitor normally depends on prior knowledge of the inhibition constant. Conversely, the determination of tight-binding inhibition constants normally requires prior knowledge of the active enzyme concentration. Often, neither of these quantities is known with sufficient accuracy. This paper describes experimental conditions under which both the enzyme active site concentration and the tight-binding inhibition constant can be determined simultaneously from a single dose-response curve. Representative experimental data are shown for the inhibition of human kallikrein.

High-throughput screening of enzyme inhibitors: automatic determination of tight-binding inhibition constants

Determination of tight-binding inhibition constants by nonlinear least-squares regression requires sufficiently good initial estimates of the best-fit values. Normally an initial estimate of the inhibition constant must be provided by the investigator. This paper describes an automatic procedure for the estimation of tight-binding inhibition constants directly from dose-response data. Because the procedure does not require human intervention, it was incorporated into an algorithm for high-throughput screening of enzyme inhibitors. A suitable computer program is available electronically (http://www.biokin.com). Representative experimental data are shown for the inhibition of human mast-cell tryptase.

Carotid artery disease as a marker for the presence of severe coronary artery disease in patients evaluated for chest pain

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

We sought in this study to elucidate whether carotid artery disease detected by ultrasonography can be a clinically useful marker for the presence of severe coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients evaluated for chest pain.

METHODS

Duplex ultrasonography and quantitative coronary angiography were used to assess carotid and coronary artery atherosclerosis in 225 consecutive patients (mean age, 58+/-9 years) with chest pain referred for cardiac catheterization.

RESULTS

CAD was present in 197 patients (88%). Fifty-seven patients (25%) had 1-vessel disease, 52 (23%) had 2-vessel disease, 53 (24%) had 3-vessel disease, and 35 (16%) had left main stem CAD (LMS-CAD). The incidence of severe CAD (3-vessel disease or LMS-CAD) was 24% and 63% in the normal and impaired ejection fraction (EF) subgroups, respectively (P<0.005). Carotid disease (lumen diameter stenosis of >/=50%) was present in 5.3%, 13.5%, 24.5%, and 40% of patients with 1-, 2-, and 3-vessel disease and LMS-CAD, respectively. Moreover, the incidence of carotid disease in patients with severe CAD was 31% in the entire study population and 46% and 5% in the subgroups with impaired and normal EF, respectively (P<0.005). In the entire study population, the presence of severe CAD was determined by age, male sex, and carotid disease; in the impaired EF group by age and carotid disease; and in the normal EF group only by age. Carotid disease has a high negative (92%) and a high positive (91%) predictive value for the presence of severe CAD in the subgroup with normal and impaired EF, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients evaluated for chest pain, carotid disease is significantly correlated with severe CAD. Furthermore, in patients with impaired left ventricular systolic performance the presence of carotid disease reflects the presence of severe CAD, while in patients with normal EF the absence of carotid disease reflects the absence of severe CAD.