Faculty Bibliography

Acute mesenteric ischemia is associated with a high mortality rate and requires emergent evaluation and surgical management. However, patients with chronic mesenteric ischemia can undergo either surgical or endovascular revascularization. Review of recent medical literature suggests lower rates of mortality and complications after endovascular revascularization, but higher rates of primary patency after surgical revascularization. The decision regarding method of revascularization in patients with chronic mesenteric ischemia should be based on the patient's vascular anatomy, comorbidities, and life expectancy.

BACKGROUND: Studies have demonstrated the success of augmentation of antidepressant therapy with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) in decreasing depressive symptoms; however, little is known about the benefit of NSAID therapy on depressive symptoms. METHODS: This study pooled data from 5 postapproval trials, each trial a 6-week, multicenter, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, active-comparator, parallel-group study in subjects with active osteoarthritis. Subjects were randomized to placebo group, ibuprofen 800 mg 3 times daily or naproxen 500 mg twice daily group, or Celebrex 200 mg daily group. Apart from different ethnicities enrolled, these trials had identical study designs. Depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Outcomes measured were change in PHQ-9 score after 6 weeks of NSAID therapy and change in classification of depression with a PHQ-9 score >/=10 as a marker of depression. RESULTS: There were 1497 patients included. Median PHQ-9 score was similar in all 3 groups at baseline and after 6 weeks of treatment. Multivariable regression analysis demonstrated a detectable effect in lowering PHQ-9 score in the ibuprofen or naproxen group (-0.31) and Celebrex group (-0.61) (P = .0390). With respect to the change in classification of depression, logistic regression analysis demonstrated a trend towards significant treatment effect of all NSAIDs compared with placebo. CONCLUSION: Our analysis of pooled data from 5 postapproval trials shows that NSAID usage demonstrates a trend towards reduction of depression symptoms in patients with osteoarthritis based upon PHQ-9 scores. Future clinical trials should investigate this association with maximum dosage of drugs, increased treatment duration, and monitoring of social and environmental changes.

Anomalies of the membranous portion of the interventricular septum include perimembranous ventricular septal defect and/or membranous septal aneurysm (MSA). In congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (L-TGA in sinus solitus), the combination of ventricular inversion and arterial transposition creates a unique anatomic substrate that fosters subpulmonic left ventricular outflow tract obstruction by an MSA. The combination of an L-TGA with subpulmonic obstruction by an MSA is referred to as the windsock syndrome. We report a case of windsock syndrome in a 25-year-old man which is to our knowledge the first three-dimensional echocardiographic description of this congenital entity.

Clinical trials continue to produce conflicting results on the effectiveness of fish oils for the primary and secondary prevention of coronary heart disease. Despite many large, well-performed studies, questions still remain, made even more complex by the addition of early revascularization and statins in our coronary heart disease armamentarium. This is complicated by the reality that fish oil production has a measureable impact on reducing fish populations, which in turn has a negative impact on creating a sustainable product. We review the current data for fish oil usage in the primary and secondary prevention of coronary heart disease with an eye toward future studies, and the effects fish oil production has on the environment and efforts that are currently under way to mitigate these effects.

As the number of endovascular peripheral arterial interventions is increasing nationwide, so is the rate of observed in-stent restenosis, specifically in the superficial femoral artery. A paucity of literature is available regarding the pathophysiology, risk factors, and therapies associated with in-stent restenosis of the superficial femoral artery. This article summarizes the accumulated knowledge on these topics and sheds some light on the prospects for future therapies.

Current models incompletely risk-stratify patients with acute chest pain. In this study, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide and cystatin C were incorporated into a contemporary chest pain triage algorithm in a clinically stratified population to improve acute coronary syndrome discrimination. Adult patients with chest pain presenting without myocardial infarction (n = 382) were prospectively enrolled from 2008 to 2009. After clinical risk stratification, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide and cystatin C were measured and standard care was performed. The primary end point was the result of a clinical stress test. The secondary end point was any major adverse cardiac event at 6 months. Associations were determined through multivariate stratified analyses. In the low-risk group, 76 of 78 patients with normal levels of the 2 biomarkers had normal stress test results (negative predictive value 97%). Normal biomarkers predicted normal stress test results with an odds ratio of 10.56 (p = 0.006). In contrast, 26 of 33 intermediate-risk patients with normal levels of the 2 biomarkers had normal stress test results (negative predictive value 79%). Biomarkers and stress test results were not associated in the intermediate-risk group (odds ratio 2.48, p = 0.09). There were 42 major adverse cardiac events in the overall cohort. No major adverse cardiac events occurred at 6 months in the low-risk subgroup that underwent stress testing. In conclusion, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide and cystatin C levels predict the results of stress tests in low-risk patients with chest pain but should not be substituted for stress testing in intermediate-risk patients. There is potential for their use in the early discharge of low-risk patients after clinical risk stratification.

Although electrocardiographic criteria for diagnosing left ventricular hypertrophy have a low sensitivity in the general population, their test characteristics have not been evaluated in the high-prevalence group of American Americans with chronic kidney disease. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate these test characteristics among African Americans (n = 645) with hypertensive kidney disease as part of the African-American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension cohort. Electrocardiograms were read by 2 cardiologists at an independent core laboratory using the 2 Sokolow-Lyon criteria and the Cornell criteria. Left ventricular hypertrophy on echocardiography was defined as left ventricular mass index greater than 49.2 and greater than 46.7 g/m(2.7) in men and women, respectively. Sixty-nine percent of the population had left ventricular hypertrophy on echo, whereas 34% had left ventricular hypertrophy by any of the electrocardiographic criteria. Sensitivity by individual electrocardiographic criteria was 16.5% by Sokolow-Lyon-1, 19.3% by Sokolow-Lyon-2, and 24.7% by Cornell criteria, with specificity ranging from 89% to 92%. When using any of the 3 criteria, sensitivity increased to 40.4% with a decrease in specificity to 78.0%. Consistent with findings in a general population, left ventricular hypertrophy by electrocardiography had low sensitivity and high specificity in this cohort of African Americans with hypertensive kidney disease.

Chest pain and other symptoms that may represent acute coronary syndromes (ACS) are common reasons for emergency department (ED) presentations, accounting for over six million visits annually in the United States [1]. Chest pain is the second most common ED presentation in the United States. Delays in diagnosis and inaccurate risk stratification of chest pain can result in serious morbidity and mortality from ACS, pulmonary embolism (PE), aortic dissection and other serious pathology. Because of the high morbidity, mortality, and liability issues associated with both recognized and unrecognized cardiovascular pathology, an aggressive approach to the evaluation of this patient group has become the standard of care. Clinical history, physical examination and electrocardiography have a limited diagnostic and prognostic role in the evaluation of possible ACS, PE, and aortic dissection, so clinicians continue to seek more accurate means of risk stratification. Recent advances in diagnostic imaging techniques particularly computed-tomography of the coronary arteries and aorta, have significantly improved our ability to diagnose life-threatening cardiovascular disease. In an era where health care utilization and cost are major considerations in how disease is managed, it is crucial to risk-stratify patients quickly and efficiently. Historically, biomarkers have played a significant role in the diagnosis and risk stratification of several cardiovascular disease states including myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, and pulmonary embolus. Multiple biomarkers have shown early promise in answering questions of risk stratification and early diagnosis of cardiovascular pathology however many do not yet have wide clinical availability. The goal of this review will be to discuss these novel biomarkers and describe their potential role in direct patient care.