Flammer, Andreas J.

Analgetika sind die am häufigsten verschriebenen Medikamente. Neben ihrer analgetischen Wirksamkeit sind diese Arzneimittel mit einem erhöhten kardiovaskulären Risiko assoziiert, das nicht zuletzt auch auf eine durch die Wirksubstanzen selbst bedingte Erhöhung des Blutdrucks zurückzuführen ist. Epidemiologische und klinische Studien zeigten bereits, dass viele nicht-selektive nicht-steroidale-Antirheumatika und selektive Cyclooxygenase-2-Hemmer mit einer Erhöhung des Blutdrucks und einem erhöhten kardiovaskulären Ereignis einhergehen. Leider fehlten bislang Ergebnisse von prospektiven, randomisierten klinischen Studien mit klinisch relevanten Endpunkten, insbesondere bezüglich des möglichen Zusammenhangs zwischen kardiovaskulären Ereignissen und Analgetika zu eruieren. Dieses Review soll einen kurzen Überblick über klinische Daten bezüglich der Wirkung des Analgetikums Paracetamol auf den Blutdruck und die klinische Bedeutung verschaffen.

Humanin is a small endogenous antiapoptotic peptide, originally identified as protective against Alzheimer's disease, but subsequently also found on human endothelium as well as carotid artery plaques. Endothelial dysfunction is a precursor to the development of atherosclerotic plaques, which are characterized by a highly proinflammatory, reactive oxygen species, and apoptotic milieu. Previous animal studies demonstrated that humanin administration may improve endothelial function. Thus the aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that patients with coronary endothelial dysfunction have reduced systemic levels of humanin. Forty patients undergoing coronary angiography and endothelial function testing were included and subsequently divided into two groups based on coronary blood flow (CBF) response to intracoronary acetylcholine (normal ≥ 50% increase from baseline, n = 20 each). Aortic plasma samples were obtained at the time of catheterization for the analysis of humanin levels and traditional biomarkers of atherosclerosis including C-reactive protein, Lp-Pla2, and homocysteine. Baseline characteristics were similar in both groups. Patients with coronary endothelial dysfunction (change in CBF = −33 ± 25%) had significantly lower humanin levels (1.3 ± 1.1 vs. 2.2 ± 1.5 ng/ml, P = 0.03) compared with those with normal coronary endothelial function (change in CBF = 194 ± 157%). There was a significant and positive correlation between improved CBF and humanin levels ( P = 0.0091) not seen with changes in coronary flow reserve ( P = 0.76). C-reactive protein, Lp-Pla2, and homocysteine were not associated with humanin levels. Thus we observed that preserved human coronary endothelial function is uniquely associated with higher systemic humanin levels, introducing a potential diagnostic and/or therapeutic target for patients with coronary endothelial function.

Background— Coronary stents, drug-eluting stents in particular, have been linked to coronary epicardial endothelial dysfunction after implantation. However, less is known about their impact on coronary microvascular function and their long-term effects on the vasculature. Methods and Results— We evaluated 71 patients (mean age, 53.0±10.1 years) with chest pain and angiographically nonsignificant coronary artery disease 17.1±17.1 months after left anterior descending coronary artery stenting. Seventy-one age- and sex-matched patients (mean age, 53.0±10.3 years) with chest pain but no prior coronary intervention served as controls. Coronary blood flow in response to the endothelium-dependent vasodilator acetylcholine as well as the microvascular (endothelium-independent) coronary flow reserve in response to intracoronary adenosine were evaluated. Quantitative coronary angiography was used to study epicardial diameter changes to acetylcholine. Microcirculatory function was not significantly different between the stenting and control groups (median [interquartile range] coronary flow reserve, 2.9 [2.5–3.4] versus 3.0 [2.4–3.4] mL/min, P =0.24; change of coronary blood flow, 34.9% [−34.4% to 90.0%] versus 54.7% [−5.6% to 104.6%], P =0.18). Both groups exhibited epicardial endothelial dysfunction (−23.0% [−47.4% to −7.6%] versus −20.0% [−40.0% to 0.0%], P =0.4). Results did not differ between patients with drug-eluting stents (n=46) and patients with bare-metal stents (n=24). Conclusions— This study demonstrates that in patients with coronary arteries in which a stent has been placed, coronary microcirculatory and epicardial vascular function are not significantly different from that of an age- and sex-matched population with similar symptoms but nonsignificant coronary artery disease.