Background: Investigations demonstrated a decrease of admissions for myocardial infarction (MI) during the Co-ronaVirus outbreak. No study has evaluated the time required to reverse this downward curve of MI admissions. Methods: This is a retrospective analysis on patients (N = 2415) admitted to the Emergency Departments for acute MI in nine Italian centers. Primary endpoint was the incidence rates (IRs) of MI admissions in the postlockdown COVID-19 period (case-period: from May 4 to July 12, 2020) vs. the following control periods: January 1-February 19, 2020 (pre-lockdown period); February 20-May 3, 2020 (intra-lockdown period); May 4-July 12, 2019 (inter-year non-COVID-19 period). Results: IR of admissions for MI in the post-lockdown period was higher than the intra-lockdown period (IR ratio, IRR: 1.60, 95% CI 1.42-1.81; p = 0.0001), was lower than the pre-lockdown period (IRR: 0.86, 0.77-0.96; p = 0.009) and similar to the inter-year non-COVID-19 period (IRR: 0.96, 0.87-1.07; p = 0.47). Within the case period, the increase in MI admissions was more pronounced in earlier vs later weeks (IRR 1.19, 95% CI 1.02-1.38, p = 0.024) and, compared to the inter-year control period, was significant for non ST-segment elevation MI (IRR: 1.25, 95% CI 1.08-1.46, p = 0.004), but was not observed for ST-segment elevation MI (STEMI), where hospitalizations were reduced (IRR 0.76, 95% CI 0.65-0.88, p = 0.0001). Conclusions: Our study first indicates an increase in the number of admissions for MI after the removal of the national lockdown for COVID-19 in Italy. This increase was prevalent in the first weeks following the lockdown removal, but was under-represented in STEMI patients.

Background Vitamin D [25(OH)D] deficiency and degenerative aortic stenosis represent emerging conditions, linked to a progressive ageing of the population and increased frailty. Previous studies have associated lower levels of 25 (OH)D to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and vascular calcifications. However, few studies have evaluated, so far, the impact of vitamin D deficiency in patients with aortic stenosis, which was therefore the aim of present study. Methods Consecutive patients with severe degenerative aortic stenosis undergoing nonurgent coronary angiography were included. Aortic stenosis was defined as aortic valve area (AVA) less than 1 cm2 and/or mean gradient more than 40 mmHg. Indexed area and stroke volume or dobutamine stress evaluation were performed when indicated. Fasting samples were collected at admission for 25 (OH)D levels assessment. Results We included 137 patients with severe degenerative aortic stenosis (48.9% men, mean age 78.4 ± 6.4 years) who were divided according to vitamin D median values (≥12.4 ng/ml). Patients with lower vitamin D had a more frequent history of coronary artery bypass graft (P = 0.02) and received more often angiotensin-converting enzyme-inhibitors (P = 0.03). Among them, 38.7% had vitamin D levels less than 10 ng/ml and only five patients were in therapy with vitamin D supplementation. We observed no significant relationship between vitamin D levels and echocardiographic parameters for the severity of aortic stenosis (AVA, peak and mean gradients, volumes, ejection fraction) except for a greater wall thickness in patients with lower vitamin D levels (r = −0.34, P = 0.03). Results did not change when excluding patients with renal failure or treated with vitamin D supplementation. Conclusion Among patients with severe degenerative aortic stenosis, vitamin D deficiency is common. We found a significant association between left ventricular wall thickness and vitamin D levels, suggesting a potential role of this hormone in modulating hypertrophic remodelling in these patients. However, future larger studies are certainly needed to confirm our findings and to define their prognostic implications.

As identification of left main (LM) stenoses has prognostic and therapeutic relevance, a precise anatomic and/or functional characterization of angiographically intermediate LM stenoses, by using intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and fractional flow reserve (FFR) respectively, is crucial (1). However, increased left ventricular (LV) pressures might affect FFR measurements (2). Here we describe the case of a patient with chronic coronary syndrome and severe LV dysfunction in whom coronary angiography revealed an intermediate LM stenosis and catheterization identified an increased LV end‐diastolic pressure. FFR measurement showed disproportionally higher FFR values compared with the minimal luminal area assessed by IVUS. When cardiac output was artificially augmented by using Impella for assisting percutaneous coronary intervention, the value of FFR measurement turned out proportional to what expected for the degree of anatomical stenosis. This discrepancy between anatomic and functional measurement may be a sign of coronary autoregulation dysfunction and therefore could help to identify high‐risk patients in whom the use of a mechanical support device is more beneficial during percutaneous revascularization.

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Aims The diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome with persistent ST segment elevation, although apparently simple to detect by electrocardiographic abnormalities, can sometimes be insidious due to a difficult differential diagnosis with aortic dissection. Performing a coronary angiography in case of aortic dissection can be potentially life-threatening so, when suspected, this diagnosis needs to be rule out. Furthermore, coronary vasculitis is a rare but devastating complication of giant cell arteritis. Methods and results We describe a case of 62-year-old man hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome with persistent ST segment elevation involving the inferior wall. Ha was a heavy smoker with familiar history of cardiovascular disease and recent suspicion of Horton arteritis with aortic involvement under investigation, no previous cardiological events. Presenting symptoms are chest pain, sweating, bradycardia, and hypotension. In the emergency department, due to the history of suspected arteritis, chest CT scan was performed in order to rule out the hypothesis of aortic dissection before proceeding to coronarography. No signs of aortic rupture but the presence of thickening of the aorta from the arch to the carrefour was found. The coronary angiography showed critical stenosis in the medial tract of the circumflex artery and thrombotic subocclusion in the middle segment of the right coronary (culprit lesion—Figure 1) that was treated with PCI using drug-eluting stent. The echocardiogram showed mild left ventricular disfunction (EF 53%) due to posterolateral hypokinesia, no other pathological findings. Blood tests revealed anaemia, elevated platelets, and an increase of inflammation markers. Peak Hs-troponin was 18 000 ng/L (n.v. < 0.02 ng/ml). After 2 days we performed elective revascularization of the circumflex artery using a drug-eluting stent. Considering the medical history, we performed temporal artery biopsy and a total body PET scan that showed accumulation of radioactive tracer from the aortic arch to the sub-renal abdominal aorta, with a thickened wall. After that empirical corticosteroid therapy was started and some days later the result of the temporal artery biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of Horton arteritis. The patient was discharged to a rehabilitation structure in good general condition with cardioactive and corticosteroid therapy after 9 days of hospitalization. Conclusions Horton arteritis usually involves the external carotid artery and its branches, but sometimes inflammation of the aorta occurs in a subgroup of patients and rarely can involve the coronary arteries. An acute coronary syndrome in patients with Horton arteritis can be very insidious because aortic dissection can be the hidden cause, so chest CT scan must be performed before coronary angiography to avoid acute complication associated with an elevated mortality. Furthermore, being the vasculitic inflammation the trigger of the coronary involvement immunosuppressive therapy could be helpful to prevent subsequent acute coronary events.