Megumi Yamamuro

Myocardial fibrosis and microvascular dysfunction are key determinants of outcome in heart failure (HF); we examined their relationship in patients with HF. Our study included 61 consecutive patients with HF but without coronary stenosis. All underwent gadolinium-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance to evaluate late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) and an acetylcholine (ACh) provocation test to evaluate microvascular dysfunction. During the ACh provocation test, we sampled blood simultaneously from the coronary sinus and aortic root to compare lactate concentrations. We quantified coronary blood flow volume using an intracoronary Doppler-tipped guidewire. We detected LGE in 34 patients (LGE-positive); 27 were LGE-negative. Coronary blood flow volume increased significantly after the ACh provocation test only in LGE-negative patients (before vs. after ACh, 47.5 ± 36.8 vs. 69.2 ± 48.0 ml/min, respectively; p = 0.004). The myocardial lactate extraction ratio (LER) significantly decreased after the ACh test in both groups (LGE-negative, p = 0.001; LGE-positive, p < 0.001), significantly more so in the LGE-positive group (p = 0.017). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that a post-ACh LER < 0 (indicating myocardial lactate production) was a significant predictor of LGE-positivity (odds ratio 4.54; 95 % confidence interval 1.38–14.93; p = 0.013). In the LGE-positive group, an LGE volume greater than the median significantly predicted a post-ACh LER of p = 0.042; odds ratio 6.02; 95 % confidence interval 1.07–33.86). ACh-provoked coronary vasomotor abnormality is closely correlated with myocardial fibrosis in patients with HF but without organic coronary stenosis. Coronary vasomotor abnormalities in fibrotic myocardium may worsen HF.

To describe the distribution of ankle-brachial index (ABI) among Japanese cardiovascular inpatients and to explore risk factors of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) associated with ABI ≤0.9. This study was a retrospective analysis using clinical record databases of patients with cardiovascular disease admitted to the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Kumamoto University Hospital between 2007 and 2014. Of 3639 patients included in the analysis, male patients accounted for 62.1% and the mean age of patients was 66.1 years. Ischemic heart disease (IHD) was observed in 49.1%. ABI ≤0.9 was observed in 11.3% of all patients, 14.1% in the IHD group and 8.5% in the non-IHD group. Age of ≥65 years (odds ratio [OR]: 2.93, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.22-3.86), current smoking (OR: 2.28, 95%CI:1.71-3.04), diabetes (OR: 2.15, 95%CI:1.71-2.71), hypertension (OR: 1.42, 95%CI:1.12-1.81) and chronic kidney disease (OR: 2.52, 95%CI:1.82-3.48) were significantly associated factors with ABI ≤0.9. This study suggests that PAD is prevalent even in patients without IHD. Active management of risk factors, early detection of PAD based on ABI, and therapeutic intervention could be effective in preventing future cardiovascular events or death.

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Chronic kidney disease (CKD) status might modify the predictive effect of peripheral endothelial dysfunction on cardiovascular events after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The aim of this study was to examine the differential effect of peripheral endothelial dysfunction on clinical outcome after PCI between CKD and non-CKD patients. We conducted a cohort study of 435 patients following PCI. CKD was defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate 2. Peripheral endothelial dysfunction was examined using reactive hyperemia-peripheral arterial tonometry index (RHI), and we divided patients into low- and high-natural logarithmic RHI (Ln-RHI) group. The endpoint was a composite of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, hospitalization due to unstable angina pectoris, and coronary revascularization. A total of 56 patients had a cardiovascular event. Patients who suffered a cardiovascular event had significantly lower Ln-RHI than other patients in the non-CKD group (0.46 ± 0.18 versus 0.60 ± 0.25; P = 0.002). Kaplan–Meier analysis demonstrated a significantly higher probability of cardiovascular events in low Ln-RHI patients in the non-CKD group (log-rank test: P = 0.003). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis identified Ln-RHI as an independent and significant predictor of future cardiovascular events in the non-CKD group (HR: 0.096; 95 % CI 0.02–0.47; P = 0.004) but not in the CKD group. There was a differential effect of peripheral endothelial dysfunction on clinical outcome after PCI between CKD and non-CKD patients, and peripheral endothelial dysfunction significantly correlates with subsequent cardiovascular events after PCI in non-CKD patients.

The influence of newer-generation CT on the clinical indications and appropriateness of cardiac CT has not been adequately surveyed. We aimed to evaluate the distribution of appropriateness ratings and test the outcomes of cardiac CT using second-generation 320-row CT. The 2010 appropriate use criteria (AUC) were applied at the point of service to a consecutive series of patients (N = 309) who were referred for cardiac CT. The CT indication was determined based on interviews and medical records. The proportions of patients within the categories of appropriate (A), uncertain (U), inappropriate (I), and not covered were described. The prevalence of significant coronary artery disease (CAD) was also compared among the categories. The proportions were 49.2%, 25.9%, and 20.7% for appropriate, uncertain, and inappropriate indication, respectively. The indication that was not covered was only 4.2%. Significant CAD was more frequently observed for uncertain- than appropriate indication (42.5% vs 27.6%; P = 0.03), although the number of significant stenosed segments was not different (P = 0.13). The recent advancement of cardiac CT increased the proportion of uncertain scans, which were associated with a high prevalence of significant CAD.

The 79th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Japanese Circulation Society was held in Osaka on April 24-26, 2015. The main theme was "Late-breaking Cardiovascular Medicine from Japan". Recently, optimal medical treatment has been guided by evidence-based medicine. We aim to emphasize the research findings and advances in cardiology from Japan, in the hope that Japan will become one of the leaders in the field worldwide. Unlike previous meetings, this annual scientific meeting was held in late April. Approximately 18,000 people, including medical doctors, healthcare professionals, and management staff, attended. The meeting was successfully completed, and included discussions on state-of-the art medicine.