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- Calais, Fredrik, 1971-
(författare)
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Coronary artery disease and prognosis in relation to cardiovascular risk factors, interventional techniques and systemic atherosclerosis
- 2018
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Aim: To evaluate the prognosis associated with location and severity of coronary and systemic atherosclerosis in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) in relation to risk factors and interventional techniques.Methods: The thesis comprised six longitudinal studies based on three patient cohorts: The Swedish Coronary Angiography and Angioplasty Registry, the Västmanland Myocardial Infarction Survey, and the Thrombus Aspiration in ST-Elevation myocardial infarction in Scandinavia study, to evaluate clinical outcome relative to coronary lesion location and severity, extracoronary artery disease (ECAD), intervention techniques, and leisuretime physical inactivity (LTPI).Results: Stent placement in the proximal left anterior descending artery (LAD) was more often associated with restenosis than was stenting in the other coronary arteries. The use of drug-eluting stents in the LAD was associated with a lower risk of restenosis and death compared to baremetal stents. Thrombus aspiration in in the LAD during acute ST elevation myocardial infarction (MI) did not improve clinical outcome, irrespective of adjunct intervention technique. Clinical, but not subclinical, ECAD was associated with poor prognosis in patients with MI. Longitudinal extent of CAD at the time of MI was a predictor of ECAD, and coexistence of extensive CAD and ECAD was associated with particularly poor prognosis following MI. Self-reported LTPI was associated with MI and all-cause mortality independent of ECAD.Conclusions: Drug-eluting stents, but not thrombus aspiration, improved prognosis following percutaneous coronary intervention in the proximal LAD. Self- reported LTPI, clinical ECAD, and systemic atherosclerosis defined groups with poor prognosis after MI.
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| 2. |
- Grauman, Åsa, 1982-
(författare)
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The publics’ perspective on cardiovascular risk information : Implications for practice
- 2021
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Lay people struggle to understand the implications of cardiovascular risk information. With new advanced testing techniques and the digitalization of personal health information, the communication of cardiovascular risk becomes a challenge. The overall aim of the thesis was to investigate the publics’ perspective of cardiovascular risk information through a multi-method approach, including how individuals perceive risk, factors affecting an underestimation of risk, how cardiovascular risk communication affects individuals’ psychosocial health, and their preferences for risk communication. In study I, research participants’ perceptions about risk information were explored in five focus group interviews. The participants’ (n=31) perceptions about cardiovascular risk were complex, where multifactorial aspects were disregarded. The communication of cardiovascular risk information did not meet the participants’ need for understanding, support, and guidance regarding what to do with this information. Study II was a before-after investigation regarding the impact of cardiovascular risk information on research participants’ health-related quality of life and mental distress. Increased worry and anxiety were observed in individuals referred to hospital because of coronary artery stenosis. Study III was a cross-sectional study, which found that individuals with a very good or excellent self-perceived general health and individuals without a family history of CVD were more likely to underestimate their cardiovascular risk compared to participants with poor or fairly good general health and without a family history. Study IV was a cross-sectional study, investigating the preferences of the Swedish population for communication of cardiovascular risk information from a health checkup using a Discrete Choice Experiment. Besides cost, consultation time was the most important aspect when communicating cardiovascular risk. The findings suggest that cardiovascular risk communication does not reach its fullest potential when it comes to recipients’ perspective of the benefits of CV risk communication. Improvements should aim at increasing the recipients’ personal control and health literacy and furthermore, acknowledge the fact that self-perceived risk is influenced by how a person feels in general and experiences of family history.
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| 3. |
- Grimfjärd, Per, 1975-
(författare)
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Invasive treatment of coronary artery disease : Aspects on antithrombotic and percutaneous treatment options
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The outcome after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has improved considerably thanks to more effective antithrombotic treatment strategies and improved coronary stents. Stent thrombosis (ST) is a rare complication to PCI associated with considerable mortality and morbidity.The general aim of this thesis was to add real-world evidence for antithrombotic and technical strategies in invasive treatment of coronary artery disease. Five observational studies were performed on a large, unselected, real-world population undergoing PCI. All studies were based on data from the national registry SWEDEHEART.In 31,258 patients undergoing PCI for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the rate of definite early ST was low (0.84%, n=265) but ST was associated with very high mortality (21%, n=51) at one year.Among 20,600 patients with STEMI, we compared the outcomes for those treated with heparin and those treated with bivalirudin during PCI. Rates of ST were low and similar with heparin and bivalirudin but all-cause mortality at 30 days and one year was significantly higher with heparin. We found no differences in rates of major bleeding, re-infarction and stroke.A novel bioresorbable scaffold (Absorb), used in patients undergoing PCI for all indications, was associated with a four- to eightfold higher adjusted rate of definite ST over two years, compared with conventional modern drug-eluting stents (DES). One in four ST events occurred later than one year after PCI. Rates of in-stent restenosis were comparable with Absorb and DES. Suboptimal implantation technique and non-adherence to antiplatelet therapy guidelines was common among patients with bioresorbable scaffold thrombosis.The novel parenteral and potent platelet inhibitor cangrelor was used nearly exclusively in STEMI (n=899), in early presenters with high-risk, often with cardiac arrest (18%) but was associated with low ST rates and no major bleeding events.In an unselected population of 65,000 patients undergoing PCI for all indications, the Xience permanent polymer everolimus eluting stent (n=36,600) appears to be safe and effective with low event rates of ST and in-stent restenosis. Compared with a control group of other modern DES (n=167,000) including a high proportion of thinner struts and absorbable polymers, Xience exhibits similar results in all important endpoints.All studies of this thesis provided important real-world evidence on antithrombotic and technical treatment strategies in invasive management of coronary artery disease.
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| 4. |
- Lagedal, Rickard, 1981-
(författare)
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Coronary angiography after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a common cause of death with a survival rate of 10% in Sweden. The chance of survival depends on rapid recognition, high quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation and post-resuscitation care including searching and treating the cause of the arrest. Ischaemic cardiac disease including acute coronary artery occlusions is the most common cause of OHCA. Acute coronary artery lesions can be diagnosed and treated with coronary angiography and subsequent PCI. This thesis analyses various aspects of coronary angiography after OHCA. Paper I+II describes the rational, protocol and the results from the pilot phase (n=117) of a randomized multicentre clinical trial. We compared a strategy of immediate coronary angiography in patients successfully resuscitated after OHCA with a strategy without immediate coronary angiography. We did not reach the stipulated time of 120 minutes from first medical contact to angiography, but our study strategy was feasible. No major unexpected safety issues were reported. The main phase of the study could therefore be started with only minor changes from the pilot phase protocol. In a registry study of 1133 patients (Paper III) coronary angiographic findings were compared with ECG and comorbidities in unconscious patients after OHCA. In patients without ST-elevation, the rate of PCI attempts was higher in patients with ST-depression (47%) and in patients with ECG classified as “other findings” (45%) compared to patients with normal ECG (33%), OR 1.78 (CI 1.13-2.82) and OR 1.65 (CI 1.04-2.61), respectively. When analysing patients without ST-elevation, no difference in PCI rates were found between the comorbidity groups and neither between patients with shockable compared to non-shockable initial ECG rhythm. Paper IV is a registry study (n=3906) analysing the impact of patient income on the probability to receive early coronary angiography after OHCA. When dividing patients into income quarters and adjusting for confounders, increasing income was associated with higher rates of early coronary angiography. Thirty-six percent of patients in the highest income quarter received early angiography compared to fifteen percent in the lowest income quarter, OR 1.64 (1.27-2.11). Adding potential mediators to explain this finding gradually decreased the difference, and the main explanatory factor for this difference was that higher income is associated with higher rates of shockable ECG rhythm. 30-day survival was also higher in the highest income quarter compared to the lowest income group in the fully adjusted analysis, OR 1.51 (CI 1.22-1.89).
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| 5. |
- Tödt, Tim, 1964-
(författare)
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Strategies to improve outcome in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction treated with primary PCI
- 2012
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) caused by a ruptured atherosclerotic plaque with overlying thrombosis leads to ischemia and progressively to the death of the myocardial cells supplied by the affected coronary artery. Rapid reperfusion with primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) in an experienced centre is the preferred therapy for these patients. The aim of the research program on which this thesis is based was to study the effect of antiplatelet therapy with abciximab on coronary patency when administered early to an unselected cohort of patients with STEMI intended for primary PCI, to study the impact of health care delay time on infarct size measured with contrast enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (ceMRI), and to evaluate if time delays could be reduced through reorganisation of logistics and personal feedback to staff involved in the care of STEMI patients. Finally measures of wall motion on cine MRI were evaluated to elucidate if functional measurements of the left ventricular wall could detect scar tissue visualised on ceMRI in a post-acute phase of primary PCI.Material and results: In paper I we report on a study of all consecutive patients who sustained a STEMI in 2005 in the county of Östergötland and who were to be treated with primary PCI. Abciximab given as pretreatment before (n=133) or at the cath-lab after a diagnostic angiography (n=109) was associated with a patent Infarct Related Artery (IRA), i.e. Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow 2-3, in 45.9% of patients in the early group versus 20.2% in the cath-lab group, p=0.0001. There were no statistically significant differences in bleeding or mortality rate during the initial hospital stay, nor were there any significant differences between the groups during one-year follow up regarding a Major Adverse Cardiac Event (MACE).Paper II is based on an examination of 30 patients in a stable clinical condition with ceMRI 4-8 weeks after they had been treated with primary PCI because of STEMI. Patients were selected on the presence of extensive myocardial scar in the anteroseptal segments (n=17) or no scar visible at all in this area or in any other part of the myocardium (n=13). The purpose of the study was to evaluate the ability of a new feature tracking software to measure functional parameters of the heart. The left ventricular wall was divided into 18 segments and myocardial contraction was measured with velocity, displacement and strain in the longitudinal and radial direction. The software calculated a mean value for the 18 segments for each parameter. Receiver-operatorcharacteristics curves (ROC) were constructed. The best area-under-curve (AUC) was for radial strain where a cut-off value of 38.8% had 80% sensitivity and 86% specificity to detect segments with scar>50%.The impact of health care delay was examined in paper III based on a study in which 89 STEMI patients treated with primary PCI had their infarct size measured with ceMRI in the post-acute phase. Time from First Medical Contact (FMC) to a patent artery correlated weakly with infarct size, r=0.27, p=0.01. However, multivariable analysis showed the LAD as the Infarct Related Artery (IRA), active smoking and occlusion of the IRA at the time of the diagnostic angiogram were correlated with infarct size and that time from FMC to patent artery was not so correlated.Finally, in the study leading to paper IV, extensive measurements on time delays were performed on 67 consecutive patients with STEMI treated with primary PCI. Through collaboration with different stakeholders in the treatment of STEMI in the catchment area the following types of targeted refining of logistics were done; 1. Ambulance staff prioritise ECG recording, 2. Central evaluation of ECG in all patients with suspected STEMI, and 3. PCI team is ready to accept the patient when two out of three members are on site. Moreover, personal feedback on time delays for each STEMI patient was given to all staff involved in the treatment of the patient. Thereafter, all the time delays for a similar group of consecutive STEMI patients (n=89) were analysed and compared with the delays for the former group. Improvements seen in the post-intervention group were a reduction in time from ECG to cath-lab arrival by 11 minutes, p=0.02 and a non-significant decrease of FMC to a patent artery by six minutes. The main part of this improvement could probably be ascribed to the decision to see to it that an attending cardiologist was present 24/7 and to central evaluation of ECG.Conclusion: Abciximab given as pre-treatment to patients with STEMI intended for primary PCI was associated with a patent artery in 46% of patients. Moreover, we demonstrated a relationship between health care delay time and infarct size. This delay time could be reduced by a reorganisation of logistics and personal feedback on time delays. Finally, feature tracking analysis of cine MR images could detect segments with extensive myocardial scar in anterior infarction with 80% sensitivity and 86% specificity.
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