• Vascular Specialist International
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.94-102
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• 2018

Purpose: Aim of this study is to report real-life experience on the treatment of peripheral artery disease (PAD) with a specific drug-coated balloon (DCB), and to evaluate potential prognostic factors for outcomes. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective study reporting outcomes in patients with PAD who were treated with the Lutonix DCB during a four-year period. Major outcomes included: all-cause mortality, amputation, clinical improvement, wound healing and target lesion revascularization (TLR). Mean follow-up was $24.2{\pm}2.3$ months. Results: Overall, 149 patients (mean age: $68.6{\pm}8.3$ years; 113 males) were treated, either for intermittent claudication (IC) (n=86) or critical limb ischemia (CLI) (n=63). More than half the target lesions (n=206 in total) were located in the superficial femoral artery and 18.0% were below-the-knee lesions. CLI patients presented more frequently with infrapopliteal (P=0.002) or multilevel disease (P=0.0004). Overall, all-cause mortality during follow-up was 10.7%, amputation-free survival was 81.2% and TLR-free survival was 96.6%. CLI patients showed higher all-cause mortality (P=0.007) and total amputation (P=0.0001) rates as well as lower clinical improvement (P=0.0002), compared to IC patients. Coronary artery disease (CAD), gangrene and infrapopliteal disease were found to be predictors for death whereas CLI and gangrene were found to be predictors for amputation, during follow-up. Conclusion: PAD treatment with Lutonix DCBs seems to be an efficient and safe endovascular strategy yielding promising results. However, CAD, gangrene, CLI and infrapopliteal lesions were found to be independent predictors for adverse outcomes. Larger series are needed to identify additional prognostic factors.

• The Korean journal of internal medicine
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.1111-1118
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• 2018

Background/Aims: Chest pain is an essential symptom in the diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). One-third of patients with ACS present atypically, which can influence their receiving timely lifesaving therapy. Methods: A total of 617 NSTEMI patients from the Korea Acute MI Registry (KAMIR) and the Korea Working Group on MI (KorMI) databases were analyzed. The study population was divided into two groups by symptoms at presentation (typical symptoms group, 128; atypical symptoms groups, 128). Results: In this study population, 23% of patients presented without chest pain. After propensity score matching, the contact-to-device time ($2,618{\pm}381minutes$ vs. $1,739{\pm}241minutes$, p = 0.050), the symptoms-to-balloon time ($3,426{\pm}389minutes$ vs. $2,366{\pm}255minutes$, p = 0.024), and the door-to-balloon time ($2,339{\pm}380minutes$ vs. $1,544{\pm}244minutes$, p = 0.002) were significantly higher in the patients with atypical symptoms than in those with typical symptoms, respectively. Atypical symptoms were an independent predictor for 1-year mortality (hazard ratio, 2.820; 95% confidence interval, 1.058 to 7.515; p = 0.038). The Kaplan-Meier estimates showed higher risk for 12-month mortality in patients with atypical symptoms (p = 0.048) and no significant difference for 12-month major adverse cardiac events (p = 0.487). Conclusions: Acute myocardial infarction patients with atypical symptoms were not rare in clinical practice and showed a high risk of delayed reperfusion therapy. After imbalance between the groups was minimized by use of propensity score matching, patients who presented atypically had a high mortality rate.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Emergency Medicine
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.493-499
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• 2018

Objective: This study aimed to identify the effects of serum potassium and lactate on neurologic outcomes in out-of-hospital post-cardiac arrest adult patients. Methods: This study was a single center, retrospective observational study. We recruited out-of-hospital post-cardiac arrest adult patients admitted to an intensive care unit from 2011 to 2017. Primary outcome was good neurologic outcome at discharge. To evaluate the prognostic impact of serum potassium and lactate, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. Results: A total of 57 patients were included in this study. The number of patients with good neurologic outcome was 19 (33.3%). In the univariate analysis, good neurologic outcome patients showed a higher smoking rate, shorter pre-hospital transportation time, higher rate of percutaneous coronary intervention, and lower severity score (all P<0.05). The good neurologic outcome patients also presented higher pH, lower partial pressure of carbon dioxide, and lower potassium regarding laboratory findings on the first hospital day (all P<0.05). In the multivariate analysis, the independent factors favoring good neurologic outcome were pre-hospital transportation time (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.82; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.69-0.97; P=0.019) and lower partial pressure of carbon dioxide on the first hospital day (aOR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.91-0.99; P=0.034). Conclusion: Serum potassium and lactate were not significantly associated with good neurologic outcome in out-of-hospital post-cardiac arrest adult patients. The prognostic factors for good neurologic outcome were pre-hospital transportation time and initial partial pressure of carbon dioxide.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.713-720
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to propose a new measurement method for accurate measurement of vessel diameter in computed tomography angiography(CTA). CTA test was performed after non-ionic iodine contrast agent was flowed at a constant rate to self-maded perfusion phantom. After obtaining raw data, images were reconstructed with multi-planar reconstruction(MPR) and maximal intensity projection(MIP). Diameters of vascular models were measured for each technique. Relative and conventional measurements were then compared. The mean diameter of the vascular model was closer to the actual measurement when relative measurement was used compared to that when conventional measurement was used both in MPR and MIP. Relative measurements of MPR and MIP were closer to actual measurement than those of conventional measurement (34% VS, 24%, p<0.05). The relative measurement method proposed in this study was closer to the actual measurement than the conventional measurement method. However, both test methods were still larger than actual results. Therefore, further study of relative measurement method is needed using this study as basic data.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.378-387
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• 2022

Background: Atrial fibrillation (Afib) is a marker of increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Owing to the increased prevalence of Afib in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, assessing the effect of Afib on postsurgical outcomes is important. We aimed to analyze the effect of preoperative Afib on clinical outcomes in patients undergoing cardiac surgery using a large surgical database. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was based on the national health claims database established by the National Health Insurance Service of the Republic of Korea from 2009 to 2015. Diagnosis and procedure codes were used to identify diseases according to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases, 10th revision. Results: We included 1,037 patients (0.1%) who had undergone cardiac surgery from a randomized 1,000,000-patient cohort, and 15 patients (1.5%) treated with isolated surgical Afib ablation were excluded. Of these 1,022 patients, 412 (39.7%), 303 (29.2%), and 92 (9.0%) underwent coronary artery bypass, heart valve surgery, and Cox-maze surgery, respectively. Preoperative Afib was associated with higher patient mortality (p=0.028), regardless of the surgical procedure. Patients with preoperative Afib (n=190, 18.6%) experienced a higher cumulative risk of overall mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 1.435; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.263-2.107; p=0.034). Subgroup analysis revealed a reduced risk of overall mortality with Cox-maze surgery in Afib patients (HR, 0.500; 95% CI, 0.266-0.938; p=0.031). Postoperative cerebral ischemia or hemorrhage events were not related to Afib. Conclusion: Preoperative Afib was independently associated with worse long-term postoperative outcomes after cardiac surgery. Concomitant Cox-maze surgery may improve the survival rate.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.157-169
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• 2023

Gracilaria Verrucosa (GV), a seaweed used in traditional Korean medicine, was studied for its effects on MI-induced heart failure in rats. MI is caused by a blocked coronary artery, leading to severe cardiac dysfunction. The study used a rat model to assess cardiac changes over time and evaluate the impact of GV on heart failure. Ischemia was induced through LAD ligation surgery, and the extent of ischemic area was measured as a prognostic factor. GV extract administration significantly improved cardiac morphology and reduced cardiac weight compared to the MI group. GV treatment also improved cardiac function, as evidenced by positive effects on chamber dilation during MI-induced heart failure. Parameters such as ejection fraction (EF) and fractional shortening (FS) were measured. The MI group showed decreased EF and FS compared to the sham group, while these parameters improved in the GV group. GV treatment also reduced levels of LDH, CPK, and CK-MB in the serum, indicating reduced myocardial damage. Histological analysis revealed that GV treatment attenuated cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis, with reduced collagen deposition in the myocardium. Immunohistochemistry analysis showed suppressed expression of TGF-β1 and collagen 1, involved in fibrosis. In conclusion, GV showed potential in improving cardiac function in a rat model of MI-induced heart failure. It alleviated myocardial damage, attenuated cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis, and suppressed fibrotic markers. Further studies are needed to explore its clinical efficacy and underlying mechanisms in cardiac diseases beyond animal models.

• The Journal of the Society of Stroke on Korean Medicine
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.25-32
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• 2005

Background and purpose: Arterial stiffness is an important, independent determinant of cardiovascular risk. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) has been used as a valuable index of arterial stiffness and as a surrogate marker for atherosclerosis. The Framingham risk score was developed using categorized risk factors to predict the 10 year absolute risk of developing coronary heart disease (CHD). This algorithm is established using recommended guidelines for blood pressure, total cholesterol, and high density lipoprotein cholesterol in addition to age, smoking history and history of diabetes. Tongxinluo(TXL) has been shown to have anti hyperlipidemic activity and anti atherogenic effects. To determine its efficacy and safety, we examined whether TXL improves PWV, ABI, Framingham score, blood pressure, and lipid profile in high risk group of cardiovascular diseases. Subjects and methods: 49 subjects with the high risk of cardiovascular diseases were recruited. Subjects were administered TXL with the dose of 1110mg three times a day for 8 weeks. baPWV, ABI, Framingham risk score, Blood pressure and serum lipid profile were assessed at baseline and after 4 and 8weeks. Results: Total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglyceride, total lipid and phospolipid significantly decreased after 4 weeks of medication. Total cholesterol, total lipid and phospolipid significantly decreased after 8 weeks of medication. There were no significant changes in Framingham risk scores, ABI, PWV and blood pressure. On safety assessment, there were no adverse effects, hepatic or renal toxicity. Conclusion: We suggest that TXL is a safe and useful herbal medicine for hyperlipidemia and as for anti-atherognic effects, further research would be necessary.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.113-120
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• 2023

The hypertriglyceridemic-waist (HTGW) phenotype can predict the risk of coronary artery disease. This study evaluated the relationship between the HTGW phenotype and metabolic abnormalities in hypertensive adults. The test was conducted on adult hypertension patients aged 20 or older who underwent health checkups from January 2018 to December 2021 at general hospitals in Gyeonggi Province. The HTGW phenotype was triglyceride ≥150 mg/dL and waist circumference ≥90 cm for men and ≥85 cm for women. The prevalence of the HTGW phenotype in the study subjects was 17.9%. After adjusting for age, gender, and BMI, the odds ratio of the HTGW group was 5.09 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.545~7.309) for low HDL-cholesterol, 1.68 (95% CI: 1.176~2.411) for high LDL-cholesterol, was 2.92 (95% CI: 2.009~4.235) for high total cholesterol, 3.39 (95% CI: 2.124~5.412) for diabetes and 1.85 (95% CI: 1.286~2.674) for hyperuricemia compared to the normal triglyceride levels with the normal waist (NTNW) group. The area under curve values of the HTGW phenotype for diagnosing metabolic syndrome were 0.849 for all subjects, 0.858 for men, and 0.890 for women. In conclusion, the HTGW phenotype is closely related to metabolic abnormalities and is a useful indicator for monitoring adult hypertensive patients with metabolic syndrome.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.743-754
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• 2023

Background: Myocardial fibrosis post-myocardial infarction (MI) can induce maladaptive cardiac remodeling as well as heart failure. Although 20(S)-ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3) has been applied to cardiovascular diseases, its efficacy and specific molecular mechanism in myocardial fibrosis are largely unknown. Herein, we aimed to explore whether TGFBR1 signaling was involved in Rg3's anti-fibrotic effect post-MI. Methods: Left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery ligation-induced MI mice and TGF-β1-stimulated primary cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) were adopted. Echocardiography, hematoxlin-eosin and Masson staining, Western-blot and immunohistochemistry, CCK8 and Edu were used to study the effects of Rg3 on myocardial fibrosis and TGFBR1 signaling. The combination mechanism of Rg3 and TGFBR1 was explored by surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRi). Moreover, myocardial Tgfbr1-deficient mice and TGFBR1 adenovirus were adopted to confirm the pharmacological mechanism of Rg3. Results: In vivo experiments, Rg3 ameliorated myocardial fibrosis and hypertrophy and enhanced cardiac function. Rg3-TGFBR1 had the 1.78×10^-7 M equilibrium dissociation constant based on SPRi analysis, and Rg3 inhibited the activation of TGFBR1/Smads signaling dose-dependently. Cardiac-specific Tgfbr1 knockdown abolished Rg3's protection against myocardial fibrosis post-MI. In addition, Rg3 downregulated the TGF-β1-mediated CFs growth together with collagen production in vitro through TGFBR1 signaling. Moreover, TGFBR1 adenovirus partially blocked the inhibitory effect of Rg3. Conclusion: Rg3 improves myocardial fibrosis and cardiac function through suppressing CFs proliferation along with collagen deposition by inactivation of TGFBR1 pathway.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.12
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• pp.1964-1973
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• 2021

Objective: To investigate the diagnostic performance of CT fractional flow reserve (CT-FFR) for myocardial bridging-related ischemia using dynamic CT myocardial perfusion imaging (CT-MPI) as a reference standard. Materials and Methods: Dynamic CT-MPI and coronary CT angiography (CCTA) data obtained from 498 symptomatic patients were retrospectively reviewed. Seventy-five patients (mean age ± standard deviation, 62.7 ± 13.2 years; 48 males) who showed myocardial bridging in the left anterior descending artery without concomitant obstructive stenosis on the imaging were included. The change in CT-FFR across myocardial bridging (ΔCT-FFR, defined as the difference in CT-FFR values between the proximal and distal ends of the myocardial bridging) in different cardiac phases, as well as other anatomical parameters, were measured to evaluate their performance for diagnosing myocardial bridging-related myocardial ischemia using dynamic CT-MPI as the reference standard (myocardial blood flow < 100 mL/100 mL/min or myocardial blood flow ratio ≤ 0.8). Results: ΔCT-FFR_systolic (ΔCT-FFR calculated in the best systolic phase) was higher in patients with vs. without myocardial bridging-related myocardial ischemia (median [interquartile range], 0.12 [0.08-0.17] vs. 0.04 [0.01-0.07], p < 0.001), while CT-FFR_systolic (CT-FFR distal to the myocardial bridging calculated in the best systolic phase) was lower (0.85 [0.81-0.89] vs. 0.91 [0.88-0.96], p = 0.043). In contrast, ΔCT-FFR_diastolic (ΔCT-FFR calculated in the best diastolic phase) and CT-FFR_diastolic (CT-FFR distal to the myocardial bridging calculated in the best diastolic phase) did not differ significantly. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that ΔCT-FFR_systolic had largest area under the curve (0.822; 95% confidence interval, 0.717-0.901) for identifying myocardial bridging-related ischemia. ΔCT-FFR_systolic had the highest sensitivity (91.7%) and negative predictive value (NPV) (97.8%). ΔCT-FFR_diastolic had the highest specificity (85.7%) for diagnosing myocardial bridging-related ischemia. The positive predictive values of all CT-related parameters were low. Conclusion: ΔCT-FFR_systolic reliably excluded myocardial bridging-related ischemia with high sensitivity and NPV. Myocardial bridging showing positive CT-FFR results requires further evaluation.