2011;97(4) – ABC CARDIOL

Editorial

Evidence-based Brazilian cardiovascular medicine

Paulo Manuel Pêgo-Fernandes et al. Benoit Jacques Bibas

EDITORIAL

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Case Report

Coronary fistula to the left ventricle: assessed by computed tomography

Roberto Moreno Mendonça et al. Rodrigo Lima Bandeira Fredson J. S Fonseca Robson Macedo Filho

Coronary artery fistulas are rare and are most often diagnosed by echocardiography or by cine-angiocardiography. However, the computed tomography angiography (CTA) of coronary arteries has been gaining ground. The incidence of this disease is very low, with a more frequent occurrence of fistulas originating in the right coronary artery. There is a higher incidence of coronary artery fistulas to right heart chambers, with coronary artery fistulas to the left ventricle (LV) being rare. Treatment can be surgical or percutaneous. This report describes a case of coronary fistula to left ventricle diagnosed by CT angiography of coronary arteries in a hypertensive and asymptomatic 46-year-old male, who was tested positive for ischemia in an exercise test. The CT angiography ruled out coronary obstructive disease, but it revealed a coronary fistula to the left ventricular cavity.

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Atualização

Adjunctive thrombectomy in primary percutaneous intervention for acute myocardial infarction

François-Pierre Mongeon et al. Otávio Rizzi Coelho-Filho Otávio Rizzi Coelho Stéphane Rinfret

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has become the favored reperfusion strategy in acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. Lower post-PCI myocardial perfusion grade, no-reflow and even drug-eluting stent thrombosis have been related to the presence of intracoronary thrombus. Adjunctive thrombectomy refers to procedures and devices that remove thrombotic material from the infarctionrelated artery, in theory, before distal embolization can occur. There is substantial variability between randomized controlled trials of thrombectomy in primary PCI with regards to tested devices, procedural characteristics, adjuvant medical regimen and examined outcomes. As a general statement, improvements in myocardial perfusion endpoints do not translate into reductions in clinical outcomes. Yet, an increasing number of trials with a longer follow-up reported benefits arising late after the index myocardial infarction. Simple aspiration catheters may also produce better outcomes than devices that fragment the thrombus before aspirating debris. Clinical or angiographic variables which best predict benefits from the use of thrombectomy remain to be defined. The aim of this review is to provide perspective on the conclusions of available trials and meta-analysis of adjunctive thrombectomy in acute myocardial infarction. Targets for future studies are discussed.

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Review Article

Statins in acute coronary syndromes

Alexandre Russo Sposito et al. Gentil Barreira de Aguiar Filho Amanda Rezende Aarão Francisco Thiago Tomaz de Sousa Marcelo Chiara Bertolami

Statins are the main resource available to reduce LDL-cholesterol levels. Their continuous use decreases cardiovascular morbidity and mortality due to atherosclerosis. The administration of these medications demonstrated to be effective in primary and secondary prevention clinical trials in low and high risk patients. Specialists believe that a possible benefit of hypolipidemic therapy in preventing complications of atherosclerotic diseases is in the reduction of deposition of atherogenic lipoproteins in vulnerable areas of the vasculature. Experimental studies with statins have shown an enormous variety of other effects that could extend the clinical benefit beyond the lipid profile modification itself. Statinbased therapies benefit other important components of the atherothrombotic process: inflammation, oxidation, coagulation, fibrinolysis, endothelial function, vasoreactivity and platelet function. The demonstration of the effects that do not depend on cholesterol lowering or the pleiotropic effects of statins provides the theoretical basis for their potential role as adjunctive therapy in acute coronary syndromes. Retrospective analyses of a variety of studies indicate the potential benefit of statins during acute coronary events. Recent clinical studies have addressed this important issue in prospective controlled trials showing strong evidence for the administration of statins as adjunctive therapy in acute coronary syndromes.

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Letter to the Editor

Prognostic assessment of stable coronary artery disease with a new score

Eduardo Maffini da Rosa et al. Aline Fabiana Bulla Marcelo Nicola Branchi

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

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Point of view

Roadmap for resolution of valvular heart disease (Resolva)

Max Grinberg et al. Flavio Tarasoutchi Roney Orismar Sampaio

POINT OF VIEW

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Case Report

Aorta after stent grafting for mycotic aneurysm

Ufuk Alpagut et al. Murat Ugurlucan Emin Tireli Izzet Rozanes Enver Dayioglu

Endovascular stent grafting is applied for the treatment of different aortic pathologies in the current medical era. It may be lifesaving in patients with comorbidities and virtually inoperable when adopting conventional techniques. This manuscript reports on a 40-year-old patient, who was previously treated for a mycotic saccular aneurysm at the aortic arch and who presented with a descending aortic rupture at the mid-term follow-up. The descending aortic rupture was also managed successfully by endovascular measures.

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Letter to the Editor

Detection of arterial hypertension in the youngster by use of adiposity markers

Eduardo Maffini da Rosa et al. Catherine Gotardo Cláudio Pescador

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

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Anatomopathological Session

Case 5: 40 year-old man, hypertensive, presented abdominal pain and shock

Diego R. Barbosa Pereira et al. Fabio Augusto Pinton Luiz Alberto Benvenuti

ANATOMOPATHOLOGICAL SESSION

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Artigo Original

Psychological characteristics of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions

Márcia M. Schmidt et al. Alexandre S. Quadros Anibal P. Abelin Edson L. Minozzo … Shana H. Wottrich Henrique Z. Kunert Evelyn S. Vigueras Patrícia P. Ruschel Rogério Sarmento-Leite Carlos A. M. Gottschall

BACKGROUND: There is few data evaluating the prevalence and influence of adverse psychological characteristics on the prognosis of individuals submitted to percutaneous coronary interventions. No study has addressed this issue in Brazil. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of depression, anxiety, psychological stress, and Type D personality and its association with cardiovascular events in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions. METHODS: Psychological characteristics were evaluated by scales: Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Lipp Inventory for Stress Symptoms for Adults and Type D Personality Scale. The end-point of this study was the occurrence of major cardiovascular events in one-year follow-up. RESULTS: During March and May 2006, 137 patients were included. Type D personality was identified in 34% of the cases, 29% presented anxiety, 25% presented depression and 70% of the patients presented stress. In relation to the frequency of psychological characteristics according to the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events, there was no statistical difference between both groups of patients regarding depression (29% vs. 26% p = 0.8), anxiety (33% vs. 23% p = 0.3), stress (76% vs. 65% p = 0.3), and Type D personality (33% vs. 32% p = 0.9). However, the negative affectivity score was significantly higher in the group of patients presenting events (13.9 vs. 9.8 p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: In patients submitted to percutaneous coronary interventions, the prevalence of adverse psychological characteristics was high. One-year major cardiovascular adverse events were associated with baseline negative affectivity, but not with the other psychological characteristics studied

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Artigo Original

Haptoglobin genotypes and refractory hypertension in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients

Vânia Pereira Albuquerque Wobeto et al. Paula da Cunha Pinho José Roberto M. Souza Tânia Regina Zaccariotto Maria de Fátima Zonati

BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that haptoglobin polymorphism may influence the pathogenesis of microvascular and macrovascular complications in diabetic patients. OBJECTIVE: This cross sectional study was carried out to investigate the existence or not of an association between haptoglobin genotypes and prevalence of ischemic cardiovascular events (stable angina, unstable angina and acute myocardial infarction), systemic arterial hypertension, refractory hypertension, obesity and dyslipidemia in 120 type-2 diabetes mellitus patients followed up at Hospital de Clínicas da UNICAMP in Campinas, São Paulo state, southeastern Brazil. METHODS: Haptoglobin genotyping was performed by allele-specific polymerase chain reactions. The frequencies of the haptoglobin genotypes were compared with the presence/absence of cardiovascular disease, systemic arterial hypertension, refractory hypertension, obesity and dyslipidemia; systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements; plasma levels of glucose, cholesterol (total, high density lipoprotein-HDL and low density lipoprotein-LDL) and triglycerides; and serum creatinine levels. RESULTS: Although no association between haptoglobin genotype and the presence of cardiovascular disease could be identified, we found a significant excess of patients with Hp2-1 genotype among those with refractory hypertension, who also had higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and total and LDL cholesterol levels. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that type-2 diabetes mellitus patients with the Hp2-1 genotype may have higher chances of developing refractory hypertension. Further studies in other diabetic populations are required to confirm these findings.

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Artigo Original

Coronary artery bypass graft surgery performance and costs by the Brazilian Public Health System (SUS) in the State of Rio de Janeiro, from 1999 to 2008

Gláucia Maria Moraes de Oliveira et al. Carlos Henrique Klein Nelson Albuquerque de Souza e Silva

BACKGROUND: Expenses with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery and coronary angioplasty (CA) represented a significant cost to SUS. OBJECTIVE: To analyze SUS expenses with CABG and CA and their performance in hospitals in the state of Rio de Janeiro (SRJ), from 1999 to 2008. METHODS: The information came from paid HAA in hospitals with more than 100 revascularization procedures. Mortality rates were adjusted by Poisson (with covariates age, length of hospital stay and ICU expenses). Mean relative cost indices were calculated by dividing the mean value of the cost fraction spent in each hospital by the mean expense in the SRJ in U.S. dollars. Stata software was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: A total of 10,983 CABG and 19,661 CA were paid by SUS in 20 hospitals during the 10 years, with mean values of US$ 3,088.12 and 2,183.93, respectively. The mortality rate in CABG varied from 9.2%-1999 to 7.7%-2008, with ranges of 5.0%-9.2% and in CA, from 1.6%-1999 to 1.5%-2008, with ranges of 0.9%-2.3%. The hospitals decreased the number of CABG procedures and doubled CA procedures. Age, time of hospital stay and ICU costs significantly correlated with lethality in CABG and CA paid by SUS in the SRJ. On average, hospital service costs represented 41% of the total cost of CABG and 18% of CA, and with ortheses and prostheses, 55% in CA and 28% in CABG. CONCLUSION: It is clear the need to improve the quality of healthcare service in institutions that perform CABG and CA paid by SUS.

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Artigo Original

Comparison of echocardiography request appropriateness between public and private hospitals

Flávia Candolo Pupo Barbosa et al. Evandro Tinoco Mesquita Laiz Baniziolli Barachi Angelo Salgado … Rafael Kazuo Maria Luiza Garcia Rosa Claudio Tinoco Mesquita

BACKGROUND: Aiming at improving the use of echocardiography tests, the Appropriateness Criteria (AC) were created by the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE)/American College of Cardiology (ACC). OBJECTIVE: To compare the appropriateness profile of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) requests in accordance with the AC, between a public University Hospital (UH) and a Private Hospital (PH), and verify which characteristics are associated with a better TTE request profile. METHODS: We prospectively assessed 779 consecutive TTE requests in a PH (49.8%) and a UH (50.2%), with 55.6% of requests for women and 44.4% for men, aged 59.1 ± 15.7 years. The indications were classified as appropriate, inappropriate or non-classified, and adequacy to AC was correlated with age, patient gender, and the time since graduation of the requesting physician. The statistical analysis used Kappa coefficient and chi-square test. RESULTS: There was no significant difference regarding the adequacy profile of appropriate TTE requests in the two institutions (71% vs. 75%, p = 0.3). At PH, the factors associated with higher rates of appropriate tests were: female gender (p = 0.001) and age younger than 60 years (p <0.001). In the UH, physicians who had graduated between 5 and 10 years before had a higher rate of inappropriate requests (p = 0.02). The variables that were independent predictors of appropriate tests in the PH were: female sex (p = 0.001) and age <60 years (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: In this evaluation, the PH and the UH profiles showed similar request appropriateness profiles. Female gender, time since graduation of the requesting physician and the patient's age influenced the appropriateness of requests.

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Artigo Original

Severe forms of retinopathy predict the presence of subclinical atherosclerosis in type 1 diabetes subjects

Fernando K. Almeida et al. Jorge F. Esteves Jorge L. Gross Karina Biavatti Ticiana C. Rodrigues

BACKGROUND: In patients with type 2 diabetes, the presence of retinopathy is associated with increased cardiovascular disease, regardless of known risk factors for vascular disease. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and its grades with the presence of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis in patients with type 1 diabetes. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 150 type 1 diabetes individuals asymptomatic for coronary artery disease. They underwent clinical evaluation for microvascular complications and for the presence of coronary artery calcification (CAC). RESULTS: Severe forms of DR (severe non-proliferative DR and proliferative DR) were associated with CAC (OR: 3.98 95% CI 1.13-13.9, p = 0.03), regardless of known risk factors for cardiovascular disease (age, A1C, hypertension, dyslipidemia and male gender). CONCLUSION: Patients with severe forms of DR are at risk for the presence of coronary artery disease regardless of traditional cardiovascular risk factors.

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Artigo Original

Vascular endothelial function in patients with coronary slow flow and the effects of nebivolol

Yilmaz Gunes et al. Hasan Ali Gumrukcuoglu Serkan Akdag Hakki Simsek … Musa Sahin Mustafa Tuncer

BACKGROUND: Brachial endothelial function has been associated with coronary slow flow (CSF). Increasing blood flow to brachial artery provokes endothelium to release nitric oxide (NO) with subsequent vasodilatation. Besides its β1-blocker activity, nebivolol causes vasodilatation by increasing endothelial NO release. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of nebivolol on vascular endothelial function in patients with CSF. METHODS: Forty-six patients with CSF and 23 individuals with normal epicardial coronary arteries were examined with transthoracic echocardiography and brachial artery ultrasonography. The patients were reevaluated two months after treatment with aspirin or aspirin plus nebivolol. RESULTS: Patients with CSF had higher body mass index (26.5 ± 3.3 vs. 23.8 ± 2.8, p < 0.001), mitral inflow isovolumetric relaxation time (IVRT) (114.9 ± 18.0 vs. 95.0 ± 22.0 msec, p < 0.001) and lower left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (63.5 ± 3.1% vs. 65.4 ± 2.2, p = 0.009), HDL-cholesterol (39.4 ± 8.5 vs. 45.8 ± 7.7 mg/dL, p = 0.003) and brachial flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) (6.1 ± 3.9% vs. 17.6 ± 4.5%, p < 0.001). There were significant correlations between FMD and the presence of CSF (r = 0.800, p < 0.001) and HDL-cholesterol (r = 0.349, p = 0.003). Among Patients with CSF, although pretreatment mean FMD values were similar (6.1 ± 4.3% vs. 6.0 ± ,6%, p = 0.917) compared to aspirin alone group, posttreatment FMD was significantly higher in patients treated with aspirin plus nebivolol (6.0 ± 3.5% vs. 8.0 ± 2.9%, p = 0.047). Treatment with nebivolol was associated with a significant increase in FMD (6.0 ± 3.6 to 8.0 ± 2.9 %, p = 0.030) whereas treatment with aspirin alone was not. CONCLUSION: Endothelial function may be impaired in both coronary and brachial arteries in patients with CSF and nebivolol may be effective in the improvement of endothelial function in patients with CSF.

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Artigo Original

Inhibition of L-type calcium current by tramadol and enantiomers in cardiac myocytes from rats

Emiliano Medei et al. Juliana M. Raimundo José Hamilton M. Nascimento Margarete M. Trachez … Roberto T. Sudo Gisele Zapata-Sudo

BACKGROUND: Tramadol is a centrally acting analgesic, whose mechanism of action involves opioid-receptor activation. Previously, we have shown that tramadol and its enantiomers had a negative inotropic effect on the papillary muscle in which the (+)-enantiomer is more potent than (-)- and (±)-tramadol. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we investigated the effects of tramadol and its enantiomers on L-type calcium current (I Ca-L). RESULTS: Tramadol (200 µM) reduced the peak amplitude of I Ca-L at potentials from 0 to +50 mV. At 0 mV, I Ca-L was reduced by 33.7 ± 7.2%. (+)- and (-)-tramadol (200 µM) produced a similar inhibition of I Ca-L, in which the peak amplitude was reduced by 64.4 ± 2.8% and 68.9 ± 5.8%, respectively at 0 mV (p > 0.05). Tramadol, (+)- and (-)-tramadol shifted the steady-state inactivation of I Ca-L to more negative membrane potentials. Also, tramadol and (+)-tramadol markedly shifted the time-dependent recovery curve of I Ca-L to the right and slowed down the recovery of I Ca-L from inactivation. The time constant was increased from 175.6 ± 18.6 to 305.0 ± 32.9 ms (p < 0.01) for tramadol and from 248.1 ± 28.1 ms to 359.0 ± 23.8 ms (p < 0.05) for (+)-tramadol. The agonist of µ-opioid receptor DAMGO had no effect on the I Ca-L. CONCLUSION: The inhibition of I Ca-L induced by tramadol and its enantiomers was unrelated to the activation of opioid receptors and could explain, at least in part, their negative cardiac inotropic effect.

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Artigo Original

Safety of ablation for atrial fibrillation with therapeutic INR: comparison with transition to low-molecular-weight heparin

Eduardo B. Saad et al. Ieda P. Costa Rodrigo E. da Costa Luiz Antônio O. Inácio Jr … Charles Slater Angelina Camiletti Dario G. de Moura Neto Paulo Maldonado Luiz Eduardo Camanho Carisi A. Polanczyk

BACKGROUND: The ideal management of oral anticoagulation (OAC) before and after catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) is still controversial. OBJECTIVE: To compare two anticoagulation strategies for catheter ablation for AF: warfarin withholding and use of low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH); and maintenance of warfarin and therapeutic INR (between 2.0 and 3.0). METHODS: 140 patients (pt) with persistent/permanent AF undergoing catheter ablation for AF were divided into two groups: Group I (70 pt), in which warfarin was withheld five days prior to the procedure and transition to LMWH was used (enoxaparin: 1 mg/kg 2x/day before ablation, and 0.5 mg/kg 2x/day after ablation); Group II (70 pt), in which warfarin was not withheld and the procedure was performed with therapeutic INR. Both groups received intravenous heparin (ACT > 350 seconds) during ablation. RESULTS: In Group I, one pt (1.4%) had a major hemorrhagic complication and four pts (5.7%) had minor hemorrhagic complications. In Group II, two pts (2.8%) had minor hemorrhagic complications and one pt had a major bleeding, which occurred after using LMWH due to INR < 2.0. None of the groups had thromboembolic complications or cardiovascular death over a period of 16 ± 8 months. CONCLUSION: Catheter ablation for AF without withholding OAC and with therapeutic INR is a strategy that has similar safety and efficacy when compared with the traditional transition to LMWH, avoiding the potentially inadequate anticoagulation of the initial post-ablation period.

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Artigo Original

Prevalence of dyslipidemia in individuals physically active during childhood, adolescence and adult age

Rômulo Araújo Fernandes et al. Diego Giulliano Destro Christofaro Juliano Casonatto Jamile Sanches Codogno … Eduardo Quieroti Rodrigues Mauro Leandro Cardoso Sandra Satie Kawaguti Angelina Zanesco

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of dyslipidemia is increasing in many parts of Brazil, but it is yet unclear how much exercise is needed to attain beneficial effects on plasma lipoprotein levels. OBJECTIVE: The study analyzed eight cities of the state of São Paulo, the association between the continued practice of physical exercise throughout life and the occurrence of dyslipidemia in adulthood. METHODS: Cross-sectional study involving 2,720 adults, of both sexes, living in eight cities of the state of São Paulo. Through household interviews, the presence of dyslipidemia was self-reported and physical exercise practice was assessed in childhood (7-10 years), adolescence (11-17 years) and adulthood (leisure activities). In the statistical analysis, multivariate models were created using binary logistic regression. RESULTS: The prevalence of dyslipidemia was 12.2% (95%CI: 11.1% -13.5%) and there was no difference between cities (p = 0.443). Women (p = 0.001) and obese individuals (p = 0.001) had a higher rate of dyslipidemia. Current practice of physical exercise was not associated with the presence of dyslipidemia ([> 180 minutes per week] p = 0.165); however, physical exercise, both in childhood (p = 0.001) and adolescence (p = 0.001) was associated with a lower incidence of the disease. Physically active adults in all three stages of life were 65% less likely to report dyslipidemia (OR = 0.35 [0.15 to 0.78]). CONCLUSION: The continued practice of physical exercise throughout life was associated with a lower incidence of dyslipidemia in adults in the State of São Paulo.

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Artigo Original

Cost-benefit of the telecardiology service in the state of Minas Gerais: Minas Telecardio Project

Mônica Viegas Andrade et al. Ana Carolina Maia Clareci Silva Cardoso Maria Beatriz Alkmim Antônio Luiz Pinho Ribeiro

BACKGROUND: Telecardiology is a tool that can aid in cardiovascular care, mainly in towns located in remote areas. However, economic assessments on this subject are scarce and have yielded controversial results. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the cost-benefit of implementing a Telecardiology service in remote, small towns in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. METHODS: The study used the database from the Minas Telecardio (MTC) Project, developed from June 2006 to November 2008, in 82 towns in the countryside of the state. Each municipality received a microcomputer with a digital electrocardiograph, with the possibility of transmitting ECG tracings and communicating with the on-duty cardiologist at the University hospital. The cost-benefit analysis was carried out by comparing the cost of performing an ECG in the project versus the cost of performing it by patient referral to another city. RESULTS: The average cost of an ECG in the MTC project was R$ 28.92, decomposed into R$ 8.08 for the cost of implementation and R$ 20.84 for maintenance. The cost simulation of the ECG with referral ranged from R$ 30.91 to R$ 54.58, with the cost-benefit ratio being always favorable to the MTC program, regardless of the type of calculation used for referral distance. The simulations considered the financial sponsor’s and society’s points-of-view. The sensitivity analysis with variation of calibration parameters confirmed these results. CONCLUSION: The implementation of a Telecardiology system as support to primary care in small Brazilian towns is feasible and economically beneficial, and can be used as a regular program within the Brazilian public health system.

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