(Circulation. 2000;101:470.)
© 2000 American Heart Association, Inc.
Brief Rapid Communications |
Pulsatility of Ascending Aortic Pressure Waveform Is a Powerful Predictor of Restenosis After Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty
From the Department of Cardiology, Ishikiriseiki Hospital (Y.N., N.Y., K.Y.), and the Second Department of Internal Medicine (K.T.) and the Department of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health (T.H.), Osaka City University Medical School, Osaka, Japan.
Correspondence to Yasunori Nakayama, MD, Department of Cardiology, Ishikiriseiki Hospital, 18-28, Yayoi, Higashiosaka-City, Osaka, 579-8026, Japan.
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Abstract |
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Background—Because ascending aortic pressure has a greater effect on coronary perfusion during diastole than systole, we hypothesized that a high coronary diastolic-to-systolic pressure ratio prevents coronary lesions from restenosing after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) and that ascending aortic pulsatility relative to mean pressure is higher in patients with restenosis than in those without restenosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate prospectively whether the morphology of the ascending aortic pressure wave can be used to predict restenosis after PTCA.
Methods and Results—We measured the coronary artery diameter and the aortic pressure before PTCA. To quantify the relative magnitude of the pulsatile-to-mean aortic pressure, we normalized the pulse pressure to mean pressure and referred to this value as the fractional pulse pressure (PPf). We prospectively investigated the effect of PPf in relation to subsequent risk of restenosis after PTCA in patients with coronary artery disease. PPf was a powerful predictor of restenosis. Crude cumulative incidence rates of restenosis were 17.6% for the lowest, 33.3% for the middle, and 77.8% for the highest tertile of PPf levels. After adjustments for age, smoking habits, systolic blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, old myocardial infarction, vessel location, vessel size, and sex, the odds ratio of restenosis was 33.5 (95% confidence interval, 2.04 to 550.6) for the highest tertile of the PPf level compared with the lowest tertile level.
Conclusions—Pulsatility of the ascending aortic pressure is a predictive factor for restenosis after PTCA.
Key Words: mechanics • blood pressure • restenosis
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Introduction |
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The arterial pressure waveform is the result of an interaction between the heart and the arterial system. Therefore, the magnitude and shape of the pressure pulse are affected by changes in aortic input impedance or alterations in cardiac function.1 When characteristic impedance increases or systemic arteries stiffen under conditions of fixed cardiac function and peripheral resistance, the pulse pressure increases and diastolic aortic pressure decreases. Because coronary perfusion primarily occurs during diastole rather than systole, adequate coronary perfusion is most important during diastole.2 In the ascending aorta with increasing characteristic impedance and/or a stiffening arterial wall, the perfusion pressure and coronary flow during diastole decrease. In contrast, in a compliant ascending aorta, the perfusion pressure and coronary perfusion during diastole increase.
The use of an intra-aortic balloon pump may decrease restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA).3 The diastolic augmentation induced by the pump increases coronary perfusion flow and pressure and prevents narrowed coronary arteries from restenosing after PTCA. This finding suggests that the aorta with increasing characteristic impedance and/or a stiffening arterial wall may decrease coronary perfusion and increase the rate of restenosis, whereas a more compliant aorta increases coronary perfusion and decreases the rate of restenosis after PTCA.
On the basis of these vascular mechanics, we hypothesized that ascending aortic pulsatility would predict the occurrence of restenosis after PTCA in patients with similar cardiac function. Our results showed that although conventional measurements made using coronary angiography failed to predict the risk of restenosis, ascending aortic pulsatility was useful in predicting restenosis after PTCA.
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Methods |
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Study Subjects
We studied 53 consecutive patients, 47 to 74 years of age, who were admitted to the Ishikiriseiki Hospital between January 1993 and December 1998 for revascularization of coronary artery disease and who were subsequently diagnosed as having stable angina pectoris or silent myocardial ischemia. The enrollment criteria for the study included successful coronary balloon angioplasty, aortic pressure measurements made before angioplasty, and coronary angiography performed 3 months after angioplasty. To standardize (approximately) cardiac function, patients were enrolled in this study only if their ejection fraction by left ventriculography exceeded 50%. We excluded 39 patients because their ejection fractions were poor (<50%), 47 patients with acute coronary syndromes, and 21 patients with chronic renal failure. The protocol was performed in accordance with our Institutional Guidelines for Human Research, and each patient provided a written statement of informed consent for the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed that stated the results could be used for prospective studies.
Measurement of Hemodynamic Variables
Hemodynamic measurements were made with the
patient in the supine position before PTCA. Aortic pressure was
measured using a fluid-filled system (5F pig-tail catheter) at the
ascending aorta. A hard copy was made of the pressure tracing using a
chart recorder (Nihon Koden, Surgical Monitoring System) at
a paper speed of 100 mm/s. We compared tracings of
systolic, diastolic, mean, and pulse pressures in
patients with and without restenosis. Pulsatility was
characterized as the ratio of pulse pressure to mean pressure, ie, as
the fractional pulse pressure of the artery (PPf).1
Measurement of Angiographic Variables
Cardiac catheterization and PTCA were performed
using a standard technique.4 Only conventional
balloon angioplasty was allowed in this study. Coronary
angiography was performed before and after PTCA and at follow-up 3
months later. Optimal views of the target lesions from all technically
suitable angiograms were analyzed using a handheld electronic
digital caliper (Mitutoyo Corporation),5 and measurements
were made of the maximal narrowing of the target lesion and a
noninvolved segment. Angiographic measurements were calibrated using
the guiding catheter as the reference dimension. The absolute values
for the minimal lumen diameter (MLD) and the reference lumen diameter
were measured at end-diastole. PTCA success was defined as
achieving a MLD>50% of the reference diameter. PTCA
restenosis was defined as recurrent lumen diameter
stenosis >50% on the follow-up angiogram.
Statistical Analysis
Values were expressed as mean±1SD. Categoric variables were
compared using the 
2 test. Differences in the
mean values between the 2 groups were compared using an unpaired
t test. P<0.05 was considered statistically
significant. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to
evaluate the simultaneous effects of PPf, age, smoking
habits (current smokers or nonsmokers), systolic blood
pressure, type 2 diabetes (yes or no),
hypercholesterolemia (yes or no), old
myocardial infarction (yes or no), vessel location, final MLD, and sex.
The linear trends in risks were evaluated by entering indicators for
each categorical level of exposure using the median value for each
category. We calculated the 95% confidence interval (CI) for each odds
ratio (OR), and all P values were 2-tailed. Statistical
analyses were performed using the SPSS 8.0 software
package.
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Results |
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Baseline Clinical and Angiographic Characteristics
The baseline clinical characteristics of the study group are summarized in Table 1
. Although
the distribution of sex and target lesion; the presence of
hypertension, diabetes mellitus, previous myocardial infarction, or
hypercholesterolemia; and smoking status were
similar in the 2 groups, the mean age was higher in patients with
restenosis than in those without restenosis. No
significant differences existed between patients with and without
restenosis in reference lumen diameters, MLDs, mean
stenosis severity before PTCA, and final MLDs. No significant
differences existed in heart rate and ejection fraction between the 2
groups. Although aortic systolic, diastolic, and
mean pressures were not different, the pulse pressure was slightly
higher in patients with restenosis than in those without
restenosis (76±15 and 64±20 mm Hg, respectively;
P=0.02), and PPf was significantly higher in patients with
restenosis than in those without restenosis (0.76±0.17
and 0.62±0.16, respectively; P=0.003). The relationship
between PPf and late loss index could be expressed with the following
equation (R=0.46, P<0.01): PPf=[0.14x(late
loss index)]+0.63.
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Multivariate Analysis of the Risk for
Restenosis
To examine whether PPf was associated with the risk of
restenosis after PTCA in this study population, all patients
were classified into tertiles of PPf level. PPf was significantly and
positively associated with restenosis after PTCA (Table 2). Crude cumulative incidence rates of
restenosis were 17.6% for the lowest, 33.3% for the middle,
and 77.8% for the highest tertile of PPf levels (P<0.001
for trend). The crude OR of restenosis was 2.33 (95% CI, 0.48
to 11.4) among the population of tertile 2 and 16.33 (95% CI, 3.07 to
86.8) among those of tertile 3 compared with those of tertile 1. After
adjustment for age, sex, smoking status, systolic blood
pressure, vessel location, final MLD,
hypercholesterolemia, diabetes mellitus, and
previous myocardial infarction, PPf was strongly associated with an
increased risk of restenosis after PTCA. The multiple-adjusted
OR of restenosis after PTCA was 1.83 (95% CI, 0.18 to 18.7)
for the middle tertile of the PPf level and 33.5 (95% CI, 2.04 to
550.6) for the highest tertile of the PPf level compared with the
lowest tertile.
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To further quantify the effect of PPf on restenosis after PTCA, we modeled PPf as a continuous variable. The results suggested that the multiple-adjusted OR of restenosis after PTCA was increased by 88% when PPf was increased by 0.1 (OR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.01 to 3.64).
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Discussion |
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TopAbstractIntroductionMethodsResultsDiscussionReferences |
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We showed that the ascending aortic pressure waveform analysis focusing on pulsatility may predict restenosis after PTCA.
Mechanism of Pulsatility in the Ascending Aorta
The proximal aortic waveform reflects the aortic input impedance.
Arteriosclerosis results in a decrease in
compliance of the aortic artery and an increase in characteristic
impedance under conditions of similar cardiac function and
peripheral resistance. Although characteristic impedance
reflects the dynamic mechanical properties of the arteries, it behaves
as if it were a viscous resistance.6 This causes the
systolic pressure to be high relative to the mean pressure. In
contrast, diastolic pressure relative to mean pressure is
reduced because stiffened arteries shorten the time constant of
diastolic pressure decay. Thus, a large pulse pressure
relative to mean pressure is the characteristic waveform of stiffened
arteries. Some investigators have attributed this widened pulse
pressure to decreased arterial compliance and increased
characteristic impedance in systemic arteries.7
Clinical Implications of Predicting Restenosis on the Basis
of Morphology of the Aortic Pressure Waveform
Although unfavorable lipid profile, elevated plasma fibrinogen,
and diabetes mellitus were identified as predictors of
restenosis after balloon PTCA,8 the effects of
aortic pressure waveform on the occurrence of restenosis have
not been previously reported. Because the measurement of aortic artery
pressure by a flow-directed catheter is a routine procedure on
diagnostic coronary angiography, the use of
morphological analysis of the aortic pressure waveform for
detecting patients at an increased risk for restenosis is an
extremely attractive clinical tool.
Limitations
We analyzed a limited number of patients. Therefore, other
variables commonly associated with restenosis were not
useful for predicting restenosis in this study. To generalize
the results of this study, a multivariate
analysis should be performed in a large number of patients.
Nevertheless, we expect that the accentuated pulsatility relative to
mean pressure observed in patients with restenosis will remain
a useful and valid observation because it is based on a fundamental
mechanical characteristic of aortic arterial pressure.
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Acknowledgments |
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We thank Dr Masaru Sugimachi for his comments.
Received September 13, 1999; revision received November 8, 1999; accepted November 30, 1999.
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