Outcomes of coronary artery obstructions after the arterial switch operation for transposition of the great arteries

OBJECTIVE

Coronary obstruction is a rare but common complication of the arterial switch operation for transposition of the great arteries. The majority of patients remain asymptomatic and no risk factors allow targeting for reinforced surveillance. We aim to review the natural history of patients diagnosed with coronary obstruction after arterial switch operation for transposition of the great arteries and occurrence of coronary-related outcomes.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed medical records of the 102 patients diagnosed with coronary obstruction after arterial switch operation for transposition of the great arteries in our institution from 1981 to 2022. Outcomes were anti-ischemic treatment introduction, revascularization (surgical or percutaneous angioplasty), and death; investigations that motivated revascularization were also reviewed.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight out of 102 patients presented with myocardial ischemia during the immediate postoperative phase, 31 were diagnosed when symptomatic, and 43 were identified at the presymptomatic stage, according to our screening policy in preschool-aged children. Stenosis-related event occurrence was, respectively, 29 out of 31 and 32 out of 43 in the latter 2 subgroups. Coronary-related mortality reached 10% in patients diagnosed when symptomatic; no patients died in the presymptomatic subgroup. Of the 28 low-risk patients with no signs of ischemia at diagnosis, 10 developed obstruction warranting reintervention during follow-up. Revascularization was motivated by appearance of symptoms in patients with severe stenosis in normal coronary dispositions, and by clinical symptoms or documented silent ischemia in abnormal coronary patterns.

CONCLUSIONS

Occurrence of stenosis-related events remains significant in patients after arterial switch operation, underlining the importance of early diagnosis for timely intervention. Initial anatomical evaluation identifies stenotic and at-risk patients; this will require periodical function testing. Follow-up modalities can be tailored to a patient's individual anatomic characteristics.

Lifestyle and Treatment Adherence Intervention after a Coronary Event Based on an Interactive Web Application (EVITE): Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial Protocol

Coronary heart disease is one of the main causes of morbimortality around the world. Patients that survive a coronary event suffer a high risk of readmission, relapse and mortality, attributed to the sub-optimal control of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF), which highlights the need to improve secondary prevention strategies aimed at improving their lifestyle and adherence to treatment. Through a randomized controlled clinical trial, this study aims to evaluate the effect of an intervention involving an online health application supported by a mobile telephone or tablet (mHealth) on lifestyle (diet, physical activity, and tobacco consumption) and treatment adherence among people with coronary heart disease after percutaneous coronary intervention. The sample will comprise 240 subjects (120 in each arm: intervention and usual care). They are assessed immediately and nine months after their hospital discharge about sociodemographic, clinical, CVRF, lifestyle, and treatment adherence characteristics. The educative intervention, involving a follow-up and self-monitoring, will be performed using an online mHealth tool consisting of an application for mobile phones and tablets. The quantitative primary outcomes from the two groups will be compared using an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) adjusted for age and gender. A multivariate analysis will be performed to examine the association of the intervention with lifestyle habits, the control of CVRFs, and outcomes after discharge in terms of the use of health services, emergency visits, cardiovascular events and readmissions.

Chronic bronchial infection and incident cardiovascular events in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients: A long-term observational study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Cardiovascular (CV) diseases are frequent in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Likewise, chronic bronchial infection (CBI) is also frequent in COPD and it is associated with systemic inflammation, a well-known CV risk factor. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between CBI, systemic inflammation and incident CV events.

METHODS

A post hoc analysis of prospectively collected cohort of 201 COPD patients [Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) II-IV] followed up every 3-6 months for 84 months was conducted. CBI was defined as ≥3 positive pathogenic microorganisms sputum cultures over 1 year, separated by ≥3 months. Systemic inflammation was assessed by circulating levels of C-reactive protein and fibrinogen. Fatal and non-fatal CV events, including coronary and cerebrovascular events as well as arrhythmia episodes, were prospectively recorded. For analysis, they were analysed separately and combined in a composite variable.

RESULTS

As hypothesized, CBI was associated with persistent systemic inflammation and a significantly higher incidence of CV events (HR: 3.88; 95% CI: 1.83-8.22), mainly of coronary origin independent of age, number and severity of exacerbations, comorbidities, other CV risk factors, lung function, BMI, smoking status and treatments. These associations were particularly significant in patients with CBI by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA).

CONCLUSION

CBI, particularly by PA, is associated with sustained and enhanced systemic inflammation and a higher incidence of CV events (especially coronary events). The possibility that treating CBI may decrease systemic inflammation and CV events in COPD deserves prospective, interventional studies.

Predictive Value of 18F-Sodium Fluoride Positron Emission Tomography in Detecting High-Risk Coronary Artery Disease in Combination With Computed Tomography

Background

Application of ¹⁸F‐sodium fluoride (¹⁸F‐NaF) positron emission tomography (PET) to coronary artery disease has attracted interest. We investigated the utility of ¹⁸F‐NaF uptake for predicting coronary events and evaluated the combined use of coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography (CCTA) and ¹⁸F‐NaF PET/CT in coronary artery disease risk assessment.

Methods and Results

This study included patients with ≥1 coronary atherosclerotic lesion detected on CCTA who underwent ¹⁸F‐NaF PET/CT. High‐risk plaque on CCTA was defined as plaque with low density (<30 Hounsfield units) and high remodeling index (>1.1). Focal ¹⁸F‐NaF uptake in each lesion was quantified using the maximum tissue:background ratio (TBR_max), and maximum TBR_max per patient (M‐TBR_max) was determined. Thirty‐two patients having a total of 112 analyzed lesions were followed for 2 years after ¹⁸F‐NaF PET/CT scan, and 11 experienced coronary events (acute coronary syndrome and/or late coronary revascularization [after 3 months]). Patients with coronary events had higher M‐TBR_max than those without (1.39±0.18 versus 1.19±0.17, respectively; P=0.0034). The optimal M‐TBR_max cutoff to predict coronary events was 1.28 (area under curve: 0.79). Patients with M‐TBR_max ≥1.28 had a higher risk of earlier coronary events than those with lower M‐TBR_max (P=0.0062 by log‐rank test). In patient‐based (n=41) and lesion‐based (n=143) analyses of CCTA findings that predicted higher coronary ¹⁸F‐NaF uptake, the presence of high‐risk plaque was a significant predictor of both M‐TBR_max ≥1.28 and TBR_max ≥1.28.

Conclusions

¹⁸F‐NaF PET/CT has the potential to detect high‐risk coronary artery disease and individual coronary lesions and to predict future coronary events when combined with CCTA.

Clinical Trial Registration

URL: http://www.umin.ac.jp. Unique identifier: UMIN000013735.

An asymptomatic case of a single coronary artery in a 7-year-old girl

We describe the case of a 7-year-old girl with a single coronary artery. The coronary artery passed between the ascending aorta and pulmonary artery, and an aberrant vessel ran anterior to the latter.