BACKGROUND The aim was to investigate prognostic relevance of history of allergy in subjects with unstable angina treated with coronary angioplasty. METHODS Fifty-seven consecutive patients with unstable angina who underwent coronary angioplasty were enrolled in the study and were divided into two groups: those with a history of allergy (Group A, N = 15); and controls (Group C, N =42). Major ...

Objective: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and diabetes mellitus can influence coronary artery disease (CAD) independently. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and CAD in type 2 diabetic patients (T2DM). Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study evaluated 3624 T2DM patients with clinical presentation of CAD whose documents were registe...

Coronary Angioplasty Practice in the United States We wish to express some concern about the article by Dr Eric J. Topol and colleagues1 analyzing coronary angioplasty practice in the United States based on insurance-claims data. The key conclusion of this study was that the majority of coronary angioplasty procedures performed in this country are not preceded by objective evidence of myocardia...

Periodontitis is a chronic, bacterially-induced inflammatory disease of the tooth-supporting tissues, which may result in transient bacteremia and a systemic inflammatory response. Periodontitis is associated with coronary artery disease independently of established cardiovascular risk factors, and translocation of bacteria from the oral cavity to the coronary arteries may play a role in the de...

Coronary angioplasty and coronary bypass surgery are mechanical approaches to atherosclerotic obstructions that impede coronary blood flow. In bypass surgery, arterial and venous conduits are placed beyond the proximal obstructions. By contrast, in angioplasty, the area of narrowing is expanded and now usually buttressed with a stent. Neither mechanical approach addresses the fundamental diseas...

Although it is commonly believed that ischemia does not develop during coronary intervention in patients with rich collateral circulation to the target vessel, ST changes are often observed, the study group comprised 40 consecutive patients who underwent elective percutaneous coronary angioplasty and who had rich collateral vessels to the target lesions. None had side branches in the target ves...

A 48-year-old man with essential thrombocythemia suffered an extensive anterior acute myocardial infarction; this is a rare association. A pharmacological thrombolysis was performed, without success. He subsequently underwent successful rescue coronary angioplasty. To our knowledge, there is no other report in the literature relating the triad of essential thrombocythemia, acute myocardial infa...

We describe a case in which the guide wire penetrated through the left anterior descending artery into the left ventricular cavity during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. This complication of coronary angioplasty which had not been previously reported was suspected because of the characteristic motion of the guide wire on the X-ray image and was confirmed by echocardiography.

Intimal tear or dissection is an important descriptor of ischemic complications after coronary angioplasty, but only the minority of patients will develop an acute ischemic event. To identify additional factors that may predict the development of an ischemic event when arterial disruption occurs during otherwise uncomplicated angioplasty, the records of 1,346 patients prospectively identified a...