Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the major reasons of morbidity and mortality in the world. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between using opium and coronary artery stenosis among patients who underwent coronary artery angiography. A total of 242 patients, attending Imam Ali Hospital in Kermanshah, Iran, who were referred for coronary angiography were studied. Patients were interviewed about using opium before angiography. They were divided to two groups of users and non-users of opium. Coronary vessels were evaluated after angiography based on stenosis severity. Using descriptive statistics and frequency tables, data was analyzed with t-test and Chi-squared statistical tests and multi variable analysis were used to determine the relation among variables and comparing the differences. The most common abused drug was opium and the most common route was via inhalation. Coronary vessel lesions were more prevalent among opium users (60%) in comparison with non-users (26%). LAD (left anterior descending) artery lesion was the most common case among the patients. Of 82 opium users, 65 cases had coronary artery lesions and 17 did not have such lesions. Opium usage, omitting the effects of other confounding factors such as BMI and smoking, was considered as an independent risk factor resulting in coronary lesions.

Measuring fractional flow reserve (FFR) in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has predictive value for PCI outcome. We decided to examine the utility of pre- and post-stenting FFR as a predictor of 6-month stent restenosis as well as MACE (major adverse cardiac events). Pre- and post-stenting FFR values were measured for 60 PCI patients. Within 6 months after stenting, all patients were followed for assessment of cardiac MACE including myocardial infarction, unstable angina, or positive exercise test. Stent restenosis was also assessed. Cut-off values for pre- and post-stenting FFR measurements were considered respectively as 0.65 and 0.92. Stent restenosis was detected in 4 patients (6.6%). All 4 patients (100%) with restenosis had pre-stenting FFR of < 0.65, while only 26 of 56 patients without restenosis (46.4%) had pre-stenting FFR value of < 0.65 (P = 0.039). Mean pre-stenting FFR in patients with restenosis was significantly lower than in those without restenosis (0.25 ± 0.01 vs. 0.53 ± 0.03, P = 0.022). Although stent restenosis was higher in patients with post-stenting FFR of < 0.92 (2 cases, 9.5%) than in those with FFR value of ≥ 0.92 (2 cases, 5.1%), the difference was not statistically (P = 0.510). Pre-stenting FFR, the use of longer stents, and history of diabetes mellitus can predict stent restenosis, but the value of post-stenting FFR for predicting restenosis was not explicit.

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