Computed Tomography Myocardial Perfusion Imaging with 320-Row Detector CT Accurately Dete…

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Comparison of Exercise Treadmill Testing With Cardiac CT Angiography Among Patients Prese…

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Provider-Directed Imaging Stress Testing Reduces Health-Care Expenditures in Lower-Risk C…

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Low-Flow, Low-Gradient Severe Aortic Stenosis Despite Normal Ejection Fraction Is Associa…

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Rapid Detection of Coronary Artery Stenoses with Real Time Perfusion Echocardiography During Regadenoson Stress.
Circ Cardiovasc Imaging. 2011 Sep 23;
Authors: Porter TR, Adolphson M, High RR, Smith LM, Olson J, Erdkamp M, Xie…

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Long-Term Improvement in Post-Infarct Left Ventricular Global and Regional Contractile Function Mediated by Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes.

Circ Cardiovasc Imaging. 2010 Nov 8;

Authors: Qiao H, Zhang H, Yamanaka S, Patel VV, Petrenko NB, Huang B, Muenz LR, Ferrari VA, Boheler KR, Zhou R

BACKGROUND: -Pluripotent stem cells represent one promising source for cellular cardiomyoplasty. In this study, we employed cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) to examine the ability of highly enriched cardiomyocytes (CMs) derived from murine embryonic stem cells (ESC) to form grafts and improve contractile function of infarcted rat hearts. METHODS AND RESULTS: -Highly enriched ESC-CMs were obtained by inducing cardiac differentiation of ESCs stably expressing a cardiac restricted puromycin resistance gene. At the time of transplantation, enriched ESC-CMs expressed cardiac specific markers and markers of developing CMs but only 6% of them were proliferating. A growth factor containing vehicle solution or ESC-CMs (5-10 million) suspended in the same solution was injected into athymic rat hearts one week after myocardial infarction (MI). Initial infarct size was measured by CMR one day post-MI. Compared to vehicle, treatment with ESC-CMs improved global systolic function at 1 and 2-months post injection, and significantly increased contractile function in initially infarcted and border zones. Immunohistochemistry confirmed successful engraftment and the persistence of ?-actinin positive ESC-CMs that also expressed ?-smooth muscle actin. Connexin-43 positive sites were observed between grafted ESC-CMs but only rarely between grafted and host CMs. No teratomas were observed in any of the animals. CONCLUSIONS: -Highly enriched and early staged ESC-CMs were safe, formed stable grafts and mediated a long-term recovery of global and regional myocardial contractile function following infarction.

PMID: 21059858 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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The Timing and Impact of Follow-Up Studies After Normal Stress SPECT Sestamibi Studies.

Circ Cardiovasc Imaging. 2010 Jul 14;

Authors: Carryer DJ, Askew JW, Hodge DO, Miller TD, Gibbons RJ

BACKGROUND: -The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and timing of routine follow-up single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) studies after a normal stress SPECT scan compared with the patient’s “warranty period” (time to 1% risk of death or [MI]). METHODS AND RESULTS: -We identified patients at Mayo Clinic Rochester who had normal stress SPECT scans in 2002. Of 2,354 patients without prior coronary artery disease (CAD), 309 patients (13% of the patients without prior CAD) had routine follow-up scans. The time to routine follow-up scan was a median of 2.1 years (25(th) percentile, 1.2 years; 75(th) percentile, 3.6 years). This interval was a median of 45% of the “warranty period”. Of the 309 patients, only 9 (3%) underwent subsequent coronary angiography, without any revascularization. Of 656 patients with prior CAD, 171 patients (26% of the patients with prior CAD) had routine follow-up scans. The time to routine follow-up scan was a median of 1.6 years (25(th) percentile, 1.0 years; 75(th) percentile, 2.7 years). The time to routine follow-up was a median of 164% of the “warranty period”. Of the 171 patients, only 7 (4%) underwent coronary angiography, without any revascularization. CONCLUSIONS: -In patients without prior CAD, routine follow-up scans are performed infrequently, but well before the end of the patient’s “warranty period.” Routine follow-up scans are performed more commonly in patients with prior CAD, but generally after the end of the patient’s “warranty period”. Routine follow-up scans have minimal impact on referral to catheterization or revascularization.

PMID: 20631033 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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