Mutational analysis of Kir6.1 in Japanese patients with coronary spastic angina.

Guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of patients with vasospastic angina (coronary spastic angina) (JCS 2008): digest version.

Alcohol flushing and positive ethanol patch test in patients with coronary spastic angina: possible role of aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 polymorphisms.

OBJECTIVE Coronary spasm plays an important role in the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease (CHD) and angina pectoris caused by coronary spasm or coronary spastic angina (CSA) is prevalent in Japan. However, the precise mechanisms underlying coronary spasm are unclear. Alcohol intolerance is prevalent among East Asians, and we previously reported that coronary spasm could be induced by alcoh...

High incidence of repeat anginal attacks despite treatment with calcium-channel blockers in patients with coronary spastic angina.

BACKGROUND Calcium-channel blockers (CCBs) are highly effective in suppressing coronary spasm and are widely used as the standard therapy for coronary spastic angina, but it is unclear if CCB treatment completely suppresses the symptoms. METHODS AND RESULTS The clinical course of the symptoms caused by coronary spasm was investigated in patients taking CCBs: 90 patients were evaluated and 80 ...

Intermediate fixed coronary artery stenosis at the site of ergonovine-provoked spasm as a predictor of long-term major adverse cardiac events of patients with coronary spastic angina.

BACKGROUND Organic coronary artery stenosis is a significant prognostic factor in patients with coronary spastic angina (CSA), so the present study was focused on assessing the impact of intermediate fixed stenosis at sites of provoked spasm on the long-term outcomes of CSA patients. METHODS AND RESULTS CSA patients diagnosed on the basis of ergonovine-provoked spasm were enrolled and the cli...

East asian variant of aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 is associated with coronary spastic angina: possible roles of reactive aldehydes and implications of alcohol flushing syndrome.

BACKGROUND Coronary spastic angina (CSA) is a common disease among East Asians, including Japanese. The prevalence of alcohol flushing syndrome associated with deficient activity of the variant aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2*2) genotype is prevalent among East Asians. We examined whether CSA is associated with the ALDH2*2 genotype in Japanese. METHODS AND RESULTS The study subjects consisted...