Cardiovascular Medicine

7 pages, 502 KB

Open AccessCommunication

ALMANAC 2013: Stable Coronary Heart Disease

by Shahed Islam and Adam Timmis

Cardiovasc. Med. 2013, 16(12), 338; https://doi.org/10.4414/cvm.2013.00195 - 18 Dec 2013

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Epidemiological data from Europe, the USA and elsewhere in the developed world show a steep decline in coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality during the last 40 years [...] Full article

6 pages, 1307 KB

Open AccessCommunication

11th International Symposium on Mechanisms of Vasodilation October 4–6, 2013, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland

by Ruth Amstein, Thomas F. Lüscher and Paul M. Vanhoutte

Cardiovasc. Med. 2013, 16(12), 332; https://doi.org/10.4414/cvm.2013.00199 - 18 Dec 2013

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Abstract

Changes in diameter of large arteries and veins, together with the peripheral resistance offered by the small arteries/arterioles of the microcirculation, a re essential for the regulation of the function of the cardiovascular system [...] Full article

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3 pages, 679 KB

Open AccessCase Report

Arterial Hypertension Refractory to Renal Denervation, Abdominal Pain and Claudication—Any Coral'ation?

by Diego Arroyo, Florian Dick, Matthias Cavassini, Gabriel Guglielmi, Daniel Hayoz, Dai-Do Do and Stéphane Cook

Cardiovasc. Med. 2013, 16(12), 329; https://doi.org/10.4414/cvm.2013.00198 - 18 Dec 2013

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Abstract

Coral reef aorta is a rare form of calcifying atherosclerosis typically involving the supraand juxtarenal aorta. Patients classically present with refractory hypertension, intermittent claudication and abdominal angina. The treatment is either surgical via transaortic endarterectomy or through transfemoral endovascular stentgraft placement. Here we describe the case of a 45-year-old female patient infected with human immuno deficiency virus, with resistant hypertension, lower limb and abdominal claudication, who was successfully treated with endovascular stent placement. We further provide a brief overview of the disease characteristics and treatment options. Full article

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8 pages, 547 KB

Open AccessArticle

Procalcitonin As A Prognostic Marker in Non-Infected Critically Ill Cardiovascular Patients

by Judith Koning, Simon Ritter and Marco Maggiorini

Cardiovasc. Med. 2013, 16(12), 321; https://doi.org/10.4414/cvm.2013.00197 - 18 Dec 2013

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Abstract

Background: Procalcitonin (PCT) is a marker of inflammation in systemic bacterial infections. The aim of this study was to determine the role of PCT as a prognostic marker in cardiovascular intensive care unit (ICU) patients with non-infectious conditions.
Methods: 253 critically ill medical patients were consecutively included during a 4-month period. The highest PCT plasma level during the first 72 hours of ICU stay was taken for analysis, and a level ≥0.5 ng/ml was defined as elevated. Hospital mortality rates stratified by PCT level were compared among the patients without an infection at ICU admission (n = 223) and among a subgroup of non-infected patients with a cardio vascular diagnosis (n = 164).
Results: The non-infected patients with an elevated PCT level had a 38% mortality rate (15/40), whereas a 9% mortality rate was observed among the non-infected patients with a normal PCT (16/183) (p <0.001). The mortality rate was 42% among the subgroup of cardio vascular patients with an elevated PCT level (11/26), whereas it was 4% among the cardiovascular patients with a normal PCT (6/138) (p <0.001). For PCT, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the prediction of mortality was 0.81 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.74−0.89) in all non-infected patients and 0.90 (95% CI 0.84−0.96) in the cardiovascular subgroup.
Conclusions: In apparently non-infected critically ill medical patients, particularly in cardiovascular patients, elevated PCT plasma levels are associated with an increased hospital mortality. Nevertheless, PCT values should be interpreted carefully in the clinical context. Full article

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Cardiovasc. Med., Volume 16, Issue 12 (12 2013) – 4 articles

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