ABSTRACT Introduction: The coexistence of peripheral artery disease in patients with acute coronary syndrome affects health-related quality of life. Cardiac rehabilitation is an effective tool for the treatment of both diseases. Objective: To assess health-related quality of life according to the EQ-5D questionnaire before and after rehabilitation. Methods: A total of 484 patients discharged from the coronary care unit with a diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome were studied. They were diagnosed with peripheral artery disease by ankle-brachial index test and started cardiac rehabilitation from March the 1st, 2011 to February the 30th, 2018. Their quality of life was assessed using the EQ-5D questionnaire before and after rehabilitation. The Pearson correlation coefficient was employed for quantitative variables and the Wilcoxon nonparametric test was utilized to contrast the hypothesis of equality between two population medians in ordinal and interval variables. Results: The dimensions assessed by the EQ-5D quality of life questionnaire show a positive correlation between pain-free walking distance and exercise time with the results of the EQ-5D score, thus demonstrating the benefits of rehabilitation. Conclusions: Cardiac rehabilitation improved the quality of life of patients with peripheral artery disease and acute coronary syndrome.

RESUMEN Introducción: La coexistencia de la enfermedad arterial periférica en pacientes con síndrome coronario agudo afecta la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud; la rehabilitación cardiovascular es una herramienta eficaz para el tratamiento de ambas enfermedades. Objetivo: Evaluar la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud según el cuestionario EQ-5D, antes y después de la rehabilitación. Método: Se estudiaron 484 pacientes egresados de la sala de cuidados coronarios con diagnóstico de síndrome coronario agudo, a los que se les realizó el diagnóstico de enfermedad arterial periférica mediante índice tobillo-brazo después del ejercicio y se incorporaron a la rehabilitación cardiovascular, en el período comprendido del 1 de marzo de 2011 al 30 de febrero de 2018. Se evaluó su calidad de vida mediante el cuestionario EQ-5D, antes y después de la rehabilitación. Se utilizó el coeficiente de correlación de Pearson para variables cuantitativas, y la prueba no paramétrica de Wilcoxon para contrastar la hipótesis de igualdad entre dos medianas poblacionales en variables ordinales y de intervalo. Resultados: Las dimensiones evaluadas mediante el cuestionario de calidad de vida EQ-5D reflejan una correlación positiva entre la distancia caminada sin dolor y el tiempo de ejercicio, con los resultados de la escala EQ-5D como expresión de los beneficios de la rehabilitación. Conclusiones: La rehabilitación cardiovascular mejoró la calidad de vida de los pacientes con enfermedad arterial periférica y síndrome coronario agudo.

ABSTRACT Background: the coexistence of peripheral arterial disease and acute coronary syndrome is associated with a worse prognosis. The ankle-brachial index has been shown to be a marker of multisite atherosclerosis. Objective: to determine the relationship between the ankle-brachial index and coronary artery disease. Method: an analytical observational study was carried out that included all the patients discharged from the coronary care unit of the Camilo Cienfuegos Gorriarán Provincial University Hospital, of the Sancti Spíritus province, in the period from March 1, 2011 to February 30 of 2018, with a diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome, with and without ST segment elevation. Clinical data, ankle-brachial index, echocardiography and coronary angiography were collected and the prognostic implication of the index in disease was determined through a classification tree with the variables included in the binary logistic regression model. Results: multivessel disease occurred in 85.2 % patients, 81.9 % of them were men, 85.9 % of them with multivessel disease, the mean age was 59.1 years, 52.3 % presented STEACS with multivessel disease 78.8 %. The most frequent risk factors were: smoking (86.8 %), dyslipidemia (85.8 %) and arterial hypertension (84.8 %) in the group with multivessel disease and ABI = 0.9 (SD = 0.3). They received treatment with clopidogrel (86.1 %), acetylsalicylic acid (86.3 %), ACEI or ARB (85.8 %), statins (73.2 %), beta-blockers (87.5 %) and nitrates (86, 3 %). On angiography, 85.2 % had severe coronary disease. The two-predictor variables were: NSTEACS and ABI≤0.9, which showed a high positive predictive value in the prognosis of multivessel coronary artery disease. Conclusions: ankle-brachial index <0.9 showed a predictive capacity for multivessel disease that increases if it is associated with diabetes mellitus and smoking.

RESUMEN Fundamento: la coexistencia de la enfermedad arterial periférica y el síndrome coronario agudo se asocia con peor pronóstico. El índice tobillo-brazo ha demostrado ser un marcador de ateroesclerosis multisitios. Objetivo: determinar la relación entre el índice tobillo-brazo y la enfermedad arterial coronaria multivasos. Método: se realizó un estudio observacional analítico que incluyó a todos los pacientes egresados de la unidad de cuidados coronarios del Hospital Provincial Universitario Camilo Cienfuegos Gorriarán, de la provincia Sancti Spíritus, en el período comprendido entre el primero de marzo de 2011 al 30 de febrero de 2018, con diagnóstico de síndrome coronario agudo, con y sin elevación del segmento ST. Se recogieron datos clínicos, de índice tobillo-brazo, ecocardiográficos y de angiografía coronaria y se determinó la implicación pronóstica del índice en la enfermedad multivaso a través de un árbol de clasificación con las variables incluidas en el modelo de regresión logística binaria. Resultados: la enfermedad multivaso se presentó en 85,2 % pacientes, de ellos eran hombres el 81,9 %, el 85,9 % de ellos con enfermedad multivaso, la edad media fue de 59,1 años, el 52,3 % presentó SCACEST con enfermedad multivaso el 78,8 %. Los factores de riesgo más frecuentes fueron: el hábito de fumar (86,8 %), la dislipidemia (85,8 %) y la hipertensión arterial (84,8 %) en el grupo con enfermedad multivaso e ITB=0,9 (DE=0,3). Recibieron tratamiento con clopidogrel (86,1 %), ácido acetilsalicílico (86,3 %), IECA o ARA II (85,8 %), estatinas (73,2 %), betabloqueantes (87,5 %) y nitratos (86,3 %). En la angiografía, el 85,2 % presentó una enfermedad coronaria severa. Las dos variables predictoras fueron: el SCASEST y el ITB≤0,9 que mostraron un elevado valor predictivo positivo en el pronóstico de enfermedad arterial coronaria multivaso. Conclusiones: el índice tobillo-brazo<0,9 mostró una capacidad predictiva para la enfermedad multivaso que se incrementa si se asocia a la diabetes mellitus y el hábito de fumar.

Abstract INTRODUCTION The scales available to predict death and complications after acute coronary syndrome include angiographic studies and serum biomarkers that are not within reach of services with limited resources. Such services need specific and sensitive instruments to evaluate risk using accessible resources and information. OBJECTIVE Develop a scale to estimate and stratify the risk of intrahospital death in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. METHODS An analytical observational study was conducted in a universe of 769 patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction who were admitted consecutively to the Camilo Cienfuegos Provincial Hospital in Sancti Spíritus Province, Cuba, from January 2013 to March 2018. The final study cohort included 667 patients, excluding 102 due to branch blocks, atrial fibrillation, drugs that prolong the QT interval, low life expectancy or history of myocardial infarction. The demographic variables of age, sex, skin color, classic cardiovascular risk factors, blood pressure, heart rate, blood glucose level, in addition to duration and dispersion of the QT interval with and without correction, left ventricular ejection fraction, and glomerular filtration rate were included in the analysis. Patients were categorized according to the Killip-Kimball Classification for degree of heart failure. A risk scale was constructed, the predictive ability of which was evaluated using the detectability index associated with an receiver-operator curve. RESULTS Seventy-seven patients died (11.5%). Mean blood glucose levels were higher among the deceased, while their systolic and diastolic blood pressure, left ventricular ejection fraction, and glomerular filtration rate were lower than those participants discharged alive. Relevant variables included in the scale were systolic blood pressure, Killip-Kimball class, cardiorespiratory arrest, glomerular filtration rate, corrected QT interval dispersion, left ventricular ejection fraction, and blood glucose levels. The variable with the best predictive ability was cardiorespiratory arrest, followed by a blood glucose level higher than 11.1 mmol/L. The scale demonstrated a great predictive ability with a detectability index of 0.92. CONCLUSIONS The numeric scale we designed estimates and stratifies risk of death during hospitalization for patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and has good metric properties for predictive ability and calibration.

ABSTRACT Atherosclerosis is a systemic disease that affects a number of vascular beds. Clinical manifestations whether acute or chronic (acute myocardial infarction, stable angina, intermittent claudication, cerebrovascular disease, among others) start after long periods of progression; so it may present subclinically in patients with coronary artery disease. What is particularly interesting about this form of presentation is that within a series of cases with multivessel disease, associated with an ankle-brachial index (ABI)<0.9, after an acute coronary syndrome, we have identified, as an angiographic finding, the presence of a coronary artery fistula to the right ventricle in a patient with very low ABI and clinical intermittent claudication. This fistula led to the symptoms that hampered cardiovascular rehabilitation. It is an infrequent disease characterized by chest pain; with low reporting (0.3 to 0.8%), as an incidental finding in coronary angiographies.

RESUMEN La ateroesclerosis es una enfermedad sistémica que afecta múltiples lechos vasculares. Después de períodos prolongados de progresión comienzan las manifestaciones clínicas, de forma aguda o crónica (infarto agudo de miocardio, angina estable, claudicación intermitente, enfermedad cerebrovascular, entre otras); por lo que puede cursar de manera subclínica en pacientes con enfermedad arterial coronaria. Lo interesante de esta forma de presentación es que dentro de una serie de casos con enfermedad multivaso, asociado a un índice tobillo-brazo (ITB) < 0,9, después de un síndrome coronario agudo, hemos encontrado, como hallazgo angiográfico, la presencia de una fístula coronaria a ventrículo derecho en un paciente con ITB muy bajo y clínica de claudicación intermitente. Esta fístula es la causa de los síntomas que interrumpieron la rehabilitación cardiovascular; es una enfermedad poco frecuente y causa de dolor torácico, que se informa solo de 0,3 a 0,8%, como hallazgo incidental en angiografías coronarias.

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION Many clinical settings lack the necessary resources to complete angiographic studies, which are commonly used to predict complications and death following acute coronary syndrome. Corrected QT-interval dispersion can be useful for assessing risk of myocardial infarction recurrence. OBJECTIVE Evaluate the relationship between corrected QT-interval dispersion and recurrence of myocardial infarction in patients with ST- segment elevation. METHODS We conducted a prospective observational study of 522 patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction admitted consecutively to the Camilo Cienfuegos General Provincial Hospital in Sancti Spiritus, Cuba, from January 2014 through June 2017. Of these, 476 were studied and 46 were excluded because they had other disorders. Demographic variables and classic cardiovascular risk factors were included. Blood pressure, heart rate, blood glucose, and corrected and un- corrected QT-interval duration and dispersion were measured. Patients were categorized according to the Killip-Kimball classification. Association between dispersion of the corrected QT-interval and recurrence of infarction was analyzed using a binary logistic regression model, a regression tree and receiver operator characteristic curves. RESULTS Patients with recurrent infarction (56; 11.8%) had higher average initial blood glucose values than those who did not have recurrence; the opposite occurred for systolic and diastolic blood pressure and for left ventricular ejection fraction. Dispersion of the corrected QT-interval was a good predictor of infarction recurrence according to a multivariate analysis (OR = 3.09; 95% CI = 1.105–8.641; p = 0.032). Cardiac arrest is the variable that best predicts recurrence. No recurrence of infarction occurred in 97% of patients without cardiac arrest, left ventricular ejection fraction >45% and corrected QT- interval dispersion <80 ms. CONCLUSIONS Risk of infarction recurrence is low in patients without cardiac arrest, with left ventricular ejection fraction >45% and with dispersion of corrected QT-interval <80 ms. Patients with corrected QT-interval dispersion ≥80 ms have greater risk of recurrence of infarction, which suggests that this variable could be used for stratification of risk following ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.