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Nonantithrombotic medical options in acute coronary syndromes: old agents and new lines on the horizon.
Soukoulis, V, Boden, WE, Smith, SC, O'Gara, PT
Circulation research. 2014;(12):1944-58
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Abstract
Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) constitute a spectrum of clinical presentations ranging from unstable angina and non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction to ST-segment myocardial infarction. Myocardial ischemia in this context occurs as a result of an abrupt decrease in coronary blood flow and resultant imbalance in the myocardial oxygen supply-demand relationship. Coronary blood flow is further compromised by other mechanisms that increase coronary vascular resistance or reduce coronary driving pressure. The goals of treatment are to decrease myocardial oxygen demand, increase coronary blood flow and oxygen supply, and limit myocardial injury. Treatments are generally divided into disease-modifying agents or interventions that improve hard clinical outcomes and other strategies that can reduce ischemia. In addition to traditional drugs such as β-blockers and inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, newer agents have expanded the number of molecular pathways targeted for treatment of ACS. Ranolazine, trimetazidine, nicorandil, and ivabradine are medications that have been shown to reduce myocardial ischemia through diverse mechanisms and have been tested in limited fashion in patients with ACS. Attenuating the no-reflow phenomenon and reducing the injury compounded by acute reperfusion after a period of coronary occlusion are active areas of research. Additionally, interventions aimed at ischemic pre- and postconditioning may be useful means by which to limit myocardial infarct size. Trials are also underway to examine altered metabolic and oxygen-related pathways in ACS. This review will discuss traditional and newer anti-ischemic therapies for patients with ACS, exclusive of revascularization, antithrombotic agents, and the use of high-intensity statins.
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[Acute coronary syndrome with ST segment depression on ECG: novel outlook of an old problem].
Latfullin, IA, Kim, ZF
Kardiologiia. 2010;(1):51-61
Abstract
The lecture is devoted to morphological manifestations, clinical and prognostic features of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) with ST segment depressions on ECG. We have studied peculiarities of clinical course of this variant of ACS and its outcomes in 501 patients and suggested a scheme for stratification of patients in groups of risk of complicated course of ischemic heart disease. We have also studied 85 patients with ACS with ST segment depressions on ECG during anginal attack. In therapy of these patients we included drugs with potential metabolic action: trimetazidine (n=29), infusions of polarizing mixture (n=16), enalapril maleate (n=28), potassium succinate (n=12). It has been established that the application of trimetazidine improves course and prognosis of the disease.
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New pharmacologic options in the treatment of acute coronary syndromes and myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury: potential role of levosimendan.
Garcia-Gonzalez, MJ, Dominguez-Rodriguez, A, Abreu-Gonzalez, P
Minerva cardioangiologica. 2007;(5):625-35
Abstract
Modern and effective therapeutic possibilities have improved the management and outcomes in acute coronary syndromes and acute myocardial infarction. However, substantial morbidity and mortality still remain. Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury may contribute to additional damage to myocardial necrosis and apoptosis. Therefore, it has been focused on attention and field of therapeutic actions in the last years. The main mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of ischemia-reperfusion injury are depressed energy metabolism, elevated oxidative damage, and altered calcium homeostasis. In experimental trials, a variety of drugs have proved effectiveness for the prevention and treatment of the ischemia-reperfusion injury. However, its efficacy, not always confirmed, has not yet been established in clinical practice. On the basis of the strong evidence linking potassium ATP dependent channels opening in the myocardium and its proved cardioprotective role during ischemia, these channels have been pointed out as possible and promising pharmacological targets in this setting. Some evidences suggest that the calcium sensitizing agent levosimendan may have of beneficial and exerts cardioprotective effects on myocardial ischemia and ischemia-reperfusion injury. Further investigation is warranted on this novel application of levosimendan.
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The vascular effects of doxazosin in hypertension complicated by metabolic syndrome.
Dell'Omo, G, Penno, G, Pucci, L, Pellegrini, G, Scotti, A, Del Prato, S, Pedrinelli, R
Coronary artery disease. 2005;(1):67-73
Abstract
AIMS: To evaluate the vascular effects of doxazosin, an alpha-1 antagonist, in hypertensive patients with metabolic syndrome in whom the drug has previously been shown to exert beneficial metabolic actions on lipids and insulin metabolism. EXPERIMENTAL PROTOCOL Twelve untreated non-diabetic hypertensive patients with National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) ATP-III defined metabolic syndrome were assigned to three-months of treatment with doxazosin (5.5 +/- 1.9 mg/die). Study variables were measured at baseline and after treatment. End-points: forearm blood flow (strain-gauge plethysmography) responses to graded intra-arterial acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside infusion to test endothelium-dependent and independent vasodilatation respectively. Minimum forearm vascular resistance, the ratio of mean blood pressure and post-ischaemic maximal blood flow, as an index of arteriolar structure; transcapillary albumin escape rate (the 1-h decay rate of I-albumin, 6-8 microC ev) as a measure of systemic capillary permeability. Lipids, fasting and post-glucose insulin were measured at baseline and after treatment. RESULTS Doxazosin reduced blood pressure, augmented acetylcholine-mediated vasodilatation, decreased minimum resistance and, although not to a statistically significant extent, transvascular albumin leakage increased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol while triglycerides and post-stimulative hyperinsulinemia decreased. CONCLUSIONS Doxazosin improved endothelial-mediated vasomotor function and reversed abnormal arteriolar structure in hypertensive patients with metabolic syndrome while improving lipid profile and blunting post-glucose hyperinsulinemia.
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[Trimetazidine and cardioprotection during ischemia-reperfusion].
Barsotti, A, Di Napoli, P
Italian heart journal : official journal of the Italian Federation of Cardiology. 2004;:29S-36S
Abstract
Although early reperfusion of ischemic myocardium is now considered to be the only intervention able to restore the various cellular functions altered by ischemia and to prevent progression toward cell death of myocardial cells due to necrosis or apoptosis, reperfusion is accompanied by various manifestations grouped under the heading of reperfusion damage or reperfusion syndrome. Functional recovery is therefore not immediate, but usually appears after a certain delay following a period of contractile dysfunction (myocardial stunning) lasting for several hours or even days after the start of reperfusion. The cellular mechanisms underlying the reperfusion damage may involve cellular calcium overload, over-production of oxygen-derived free radicals, cellular acidosis, inflammatory reaction, and microcirculatory dysfunction. Numerous pharmacological studies have been conducted to limit such reperfusion injury and, consequently, prevent stunning and/or reperfusion-induced arrhythmias. A number of experimental and clinical studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of trimetazidine, a drug that inhibits the long-chain mitochondrial 3-ketoacyl coenzyme A thiolase enzyme in the myocyte, resulting in a shift from fatty acid oxidation to glucose oxidation. This optimization of cardiac metabolism results in direct anti-ischemic effects, limiting calcium accumulation and acidosis, inflammation and oxygen free radical production, and improvement of coronary microcirculation following reperfusion. This agent appears to be particularly promising clinically in the treatment of reperfusion injury, for example in combination with reperfusion strategies during the acute phase of myocardial ischemia or infarction, or in the reduction of the pro-remodeling effects of ischemia in patients with chronic ischemic syndrome and left ventricular dysfunction.