Serum Bilirubin Level Predicts Frontal QRS-T Angle Change in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome

Introduction: The predictive role of serum bilirubin levels on the alteration of total ischemic burden expressed via frontal QRS-T angle change has never been studied in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between serum bilirubin levels and frontal QRS-T angle change after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in ACS patients.Methods: Frontal QRS-T angle change was accepted as positive or negative according to whether the value of the baseline frontal QRS-T angle minus the post PCI frontal QRS-T angle is positive or negative. A total of 314 consecutive patients with ACS who underwent PCI were divided into two groups based on their negative frontal QRS-T angle change (n = 152 patients) and positive frontal QRS-T angle change (n = 162 patients).Results: Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the C-reactive protein (CRP) to albumin ratio (CAR) (Odds ratio [OR]: 0.519, 95% CI: 0.373–0.724, p <0.001), total bilirubin (OR: 3.687, 95% CI: 1.151–8.095, p = 0.03), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (OR: 0.985, 95% CI: 0.970–1.000, p = 0.04) were independent predictors of positive QRS-T angle change. In receiver operating characteristics curve analysis, a cut-off value of 0.59 total bilirubin had a 69% sensitivity and a 65% specificity (area under curve: 0.739, p <0.001) for the prediction of positive QRS-T angle change.Conclusion: In ACS patients, serum total bilirubin has been found to be a useful decision-making tool to predict positive frontal QRS-T angle change as a sign of reduced total ischemic burden, to assess early invasive strategy independently from other study parameters.

The degree of retinopathy correlates with the presence of silent myocardial ischemia in diabetic patients

Background Silent myocardial is a major component of the total ischemic burden for patients with ischemic heart disease. The disease is more prevalent in diabetic patients than their peers, and early detection of the high-risk group would play an integral role in the prevention of sudden cardiovascular accidents that are common in these patients. Methods A prospective cohort study including asymptomatic 53 diabetic patients with diabetic retinopathy who suffer no ischemic cardiac symptoms was conducted. The presence and degree of diabetic retinopathy were evidenced using fundus examination and optical coherence tomography. All the enrolled patients underwent stress-resting 99mTc SestaMIBI myocardial perfusion scintigraphy to detect the ischemic burden. The relation between diabetic retinopathy and silent myocardial ischemia was stratified using statistical analysis. Results A total of 13 diabetic patients (24.5%) have silent myocardial ischemia in the form of regional myocardial perfusion abnormalities. The strongest predictors of abnormal tests were the presence of moderate to severe retinopathy, comorbid hypertension and diabetic duration for more than 10 years. Conclusion Silent myocardial ischemia affects one in four asymptomatic diabetic patients suffering from diabetic retinopathy. The presence of comorbid risk factors such as high-grade retinopathy, hypertension and/or long diabetic duration surge the incidence and considered additional predictors of the disease. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None