Stent Thrombosis, Myocardial Infarction, and Death After Drug-Eluting and Bare-Metal Stent Coronary Interventions

Effect of Intravascular Ultrasonography (IVUS) Imaging on Stent Optimization in Patients Achieving Optimal Results After Angiographic-Guided Stent Implantation: A Non-randomized Interventional Study

BACKGROUND

Angiography possesses limitations in assessing plaque composition, vessel width, diffuse reference vessel disease, lesion severity, and the success or failure of stent placement. Intravascular ultrasonography (IVUS) helps address several of these issues by offering enhanced visualization of the coronary architecture and stent placement.

METHODS

This study was conducted at the Department of Cardiology of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh. It spanned 12 months with a six-month follow-up and involved post-angiography-guided angioplasty and stenting. All patients underwent IVUS pullback. Due to the non-working of the unspecified surgical package under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, the study included 16 patients, with an intended target of 30 patients.

RESULTS

Half of the patients (eight, 50%) presented with acute coronary syndrome, while the other half presented with chronic stable angina. Left main coronary artery disease was present in 50% of patients, and 13 (81.25%) had complex coronary artery lesions. After angiography-guided angioplasty, IVUS pullback on all patients revealed that only three patients (18.75%) required post-IVUS optimization of the stent.

CONCLUSION

The majority of patients did not require post-IVUS optimization following angiography-guided angioplasty and stenting. No major adverse cardiovascular events were recorded, and no target vessel myocardial infarction (MI), target vessel revascularization, target lesion revascularization, or stent thrombosis (ST) were reported over the six-month follow-up period.

Conditions for late gadolinium enhancement MRI in myocardial infarction model rats that better reflect microscopic tissue staining

Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) is a widely used magnetic resonance imaging method for assessing cardiac disease. However, the relationship between different LGE signal thresholds and microscopic tissue staining images is unclear. In this study, we performed cardiovascular MRI on myocardial infarction (MI) model rats and evaluated the relationship between LGE with different signal thresholding methods and tissue staining images. We prepared 16 rats that underwent MRI 14-18 days following a surgery to create an MI model. We captured cine and LGE images of the cardiac short-axis and longitudinal two- and four-chamber views. The mean ± 2SD, ± 3SD, and ± 5SD of the pixel values in the non-infarcted area were defined as the LGE area. We compared areas of Sirius red staining, determined by the color tone, with their respective LGE areas at end-diastole and end-systole. We observed that the LGE area calculated as the mean ± 2SD of the non-infarcted area at end-diastole demonstrated a significant positive correlation with the area of Sirius red staining (Pearson's correlation coefficient in both: 0.81 [p < 0.01]). Therefore, the LGE area calculated as the mean ± 2SD of the non-infarcted area at end-diastole best reflected the MI area in tissue staining.

Comparison of long-term clinical outcomes of bioabsorbable polymer versus durable polymer drug-eluting stents: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

One million individuals in the USA die from acute myocardial infarction (MI), which currently affects 3 million people globally. The available data about the early and late outcomes of both biodegradable polymer drug-eluting stents (BP-DES) and durable polymer drug-eluting stents exhibit inconsistency. We performed a meta-analysis comparing the safety and efficacy of BP-DES with DP-DES.

METHODS

PubMed, Google Scholar, EMBASE, Cochrane, Ovid Medline, and Clinical Trials.gov databases were used to find out studies comparing BP-DES to DP-DES. All the analyses used the random-effects model.

RESULTS

A total of 18 studies were incorporated in this meta-analysis that involved 28,874 patients, out of which 11,997 received the BP Stent, and the rest of 16,578 received the DP stent. Thorough analyses revealed that the risk of all-cause death was significantly higher in the BP-DES group (5.4% vs 2.7%) (RR 1.22, p 0.02) for two years or less than two-year follow-up. For studies with more than two years of follow-up, all-cause death was 9.07% (599/6603) in BP-DES and 9.47% (531/5602) in the DP-DES group but failed to achieve statistically significant levels (RR 0.97, p 0.58).

CONCLUSIONS

The study revealed no clinically significant (P value was > 0.05) differences in all-cause death, cardiac death, target lesion revascularization (TLR), late stent thrombosis, device-oriented composite endpoint/target lesion failure (DOCE/TLF), myocardial infarction (MI), target vessel MI, target vessel revascularization (TVR), target vessel infarction (TVI) between BP-DES and DP-DES for more than two years of follow-up. Additionally, all-cause death was only outcomes which found to have a statistically significant difference for less than two years of follow-up, while remaining were statistically non-significant.

A comparison of endothelial cell growth on commercial coronary stents with and without laser surface texturing

Complete endothelialisation of coronary stents is an important determinant of future thrombotic complications following coronary stenting. Stent surface texture is an important factor that influences endothelial cell growth. With the emergence of second and third generation coronary stents, is limited comparative data describing endothelial cell growth in contemporary stent platforms, and limited data available on approaches used to rapidly modify the surfaces of commercial coronary stents to improve endothelialisation. In this study we have determined the in vitro proliferation of the primary human coronary artery endothelial cells on the commonly used 4 types of commercial coronary stents and found that the inner surface of BioMatrix drug-eluting stents (DES), after eliminating of the polymer and drug coating, had significantly higher endothelial cell proliferation compared to that of other bare metal stents (BMS): Multi-Link8, Integrity and Omega. The surfaces of the 3 types of BMS which are smooth, displayed similar endothelial cell proliferation, suggesting the importance of surface features in manipulating endothelial cell growth. Laser surface texturing was used to create micro/nano patterns on the stents. The laser treatment has significantly increased endothelial proliferation on the inner surfaces of all 4 types of stents, and Multi-Link8 stents displayed the highest (>100%) improvement. The laser textured BioMatrix stents had the highest absolute number of endothelial cells growth. Our results provided useful information in the endothelialisation potential for the commonly used commercial coronary stents and suggested a potential future application of laser surface bioengineering to coronary stents for better biocompatibility of the device.

Impact of body mass index on long-term outcomes in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention stratified by diabetes mellitus: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) caused by obesity have increased in recent years. The impact of obesity on long-term outcomes in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with or without DM remains unclear.

METHODS

We retrospectively analysed data from 1918 patients who underwent PCI. Patients were categorized into four groups based on body mass index (BMI, normal weight: BMI < 25 kg/m2; overweight and obese: BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) and DM status (presence or absence). The primary endpoint was the occurrence of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE; defined as all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and unplanned repeat revascularization).

RESULTS

During a median follow-up of 7.0 years, no significant differences in MACCE, myocardial infarction, or stroke were observed among the four groups. Overweight and obese individuals exhibited lower all-cause mortality rates compared with normal-weight patients (without DM: hazard ratio [HR]: 0.54, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.37 to 0.78; with DM: HR: 0.57, 95% CI: 0.38 to 0.86). In non-diabetic patients, the overweight and obese group demonstrated a higher risk of unplanned repeat revascularization than the normal-weight group (HR:1.23, 95% CI:1.03 to 1.46). After multivariable adjustment, overweight and obesity were not significantly associated with MACCE, all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stroke, or unplanned repeat revascularization in patients with and without diabetes undergoing PCI.

CONCLUSION

Overweight and obesity did not demonstrate a significant protective effect on long-term outcomes in patients with and without diabetes undergoing PCI.

Overcoming Technical Complexities in Late Coronary Stent Thrombosis: A Clinical Report

Complex bifurcation lesions often requiring a two-stent revascularization approach mean more metal, a higher risk of major adverse cardiovascular events, and added difficulties in the case of late complications, such as in-stent restenosis and stent thrombosis. In this article, we report a case of late stent thrombosis in a 56-year-old patient who had left main (LM) and left anterior descending (LAD) left circumflex arteries with T and small protrusion technique percutaneous intervention (PCI) one year before her admission with hemodynamic compromise and no access to urgent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We discuss challenging and high-risk PCI with limited resources, and the result was satisfactory with a favorable outcome. Stent thrombosis, a critical and life-threatening complication of PCI, frequently manifests with ST-elevation myocardial infarction, carrying a high mortality risk. Known risk factors for stent thrombosis include stent underexpansion, inadequate lesion preparation, complex percutaneous procedures, and early discontinuation of dual antiplatelet therapy. The choice of revascularization strategy is crucial, particularly for patients with extensive coronary artery disease, where surgery allows for a more complete revascularization. Coronary angioplasty is a pleasing and less invasive technique, but it requires proper lesion preparation, optimization of stent deployment through intracoronary imaging, post-dilation, and, most importantly, adherence and proper use of antithrombotic treatment following guidelines and medical therapy, which remains the cornerstone of managing ischemic heart disease.

A randomized control trial to assess optical coherence tomography parameters of the Xlimus drug-eluting stent: the XLIMIT trial

Background

Third generation drug-eluting stents (DES) potentially offer better technical performance and reduced neointimal proliferation than previous generation DES. The XLIMIT non-inferiority trial evaluated the performance of the Xlimus (a novel sirolimus-eluting coronary stent system) in terms of endothelialization and tissue healing compared to the bioresorbable polymer Synergy DES.

Methods

A total of 177 patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were randomized in a 2:1 ratio (2 Xlimus: 1 Synergy). The primary endpoints, defined as the in-stent neointimal volume weighted by the sum of the lengths of the implanted stent (ISNV) and the in-stent neointimal percent volume obstruction (%VO) were evaluated at 6-9 months by means of optical coherence tomography (OCT). Additional OCT parameters as well as clinical endpoints were also collected.

Results

Most of the patients were males (77.4%), and the mean age was 64 years. One third of the population had stable angina/silent ischemia. A total of 300 stents (237 lesions) were analyzed: 198 (152 lesions) were in the Xlimus group, and 102 (85 lesions) in the Synergy group. The ISNV in the Xlimus group was 30.7 ± 24.5 mm3 while in the Synergy group it was 26.5 ± 26.7 mm3: the difference between the two means was 0.08 (-0, 04-0, 45), p = 0.018, thus meeting the non-inferiority hypothesis. The %VO was 16.3% ± 10.4% and 13.3% ± 10.8% in the Xlimus and Synergy groups, respectively: the difference between the two means was 3.0 (-0, 06-4, 2), (p = 0.01), thus meeting the non-inferiority hypothesis. No difference was found with respect to the secondary OCT endpoints as well as for clinical endpoints.

Conclusions

The study results confirm that the biological interaction of the Xlimus and Synergy DES with the coronary artery is comparable, and that translates in very reassuring OCT parameters at follow-up: as such, the Xlimus is non-inferior to the Synergy.

Clinical Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier (NCT03745053).

Impact of diabetes on long-term all-cause re-hospitalization after revascularization with percutaneous coronary intervention

PURPOSE

The purpose of the study was to investigate the incidence, cause and probability of re-hospitalization within 30 and 365 days after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with diabetes.

METHOD

Between January 2010 and September 2014, 2763 patients with diabetes were treated with PCI at two Hospitals in Western Denmark. Reasons for readmission within 30 and 365 days were identified.

RESULTS

Readmission risks for patients with diabetes were 58% within 365 days and 18% within 30 days. Reason for readmission was ischemic heart disease (IHD) in 725 patients (27%), and non-IHD-related reasons in 826 patients (31%). IHD-related readmission within 365 days was associated with female gender (OR 1.3, 95% CI: 1.1-1.5), and non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, compared to stable angina at the index hospitalization (OR 1.3, 95% CI: 1.1-1.6). Among patients with diabetes, increased risk of readmission due to other reasons were age (OR 1.3, 95% CI: 1.2-1.5) and higher scores of modified Charlson Comorbidity index (CCI): CCI ≥3 (OR 3.6, 95% CI: 2.8-4.6).

CONCLUSION

More than half of the patients with diabetes mellitus undergoing PCI were readmitted within 1 year. Comorbidities were the strongest predictor for non-IHD-related readmission, but did not increase the risk for IHD-related readmissions.

Efficacy of Drug-Coated Balloon Approaches for de novo Coronary Artery Diseases: A Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis

Background and Objective

The de novo coronary lesions are the most common form of coronary artery disease, and stent implantation still is the main therapeutic strategy. This network meta-analysis aims to evaluate the efficacy of drug-coated balloons only (DCB only) and DCB combined with bare-metal stents (DCB+BMS) strategies vs. drug-eluting stents (DES) and BMS approaches in coronary artery de novo lesion.

Method

PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases were retrieved to include the relevant randomized controlled trials that compared DCB approaches and stents implantation in patients with de novo coronary artery diseases. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiac events (MACE). The clinical outcomes included target lesion revascularization (TLR), all-cause death, and myocardial infarction. The angiographic outcomes consisted of in-segment late lumen loss (LLL) and binary restenosis. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for dichotomous data, and weighted mean differences for continuous data were calculated in the Bayesian network frame.

Result

A total of 26 randomized controlled trials and 4,664 patients were included in this study. The DCB-only strategy was comparable with the efficacy of MACE, clinical outcomes, and binary restenosis compared with DES. In addition, this strategy can significantly reduce the in-segment LLL compared with the first-generation (MD −0.29, −0.49 to −0.12) and the second-generation DES (MD −0.15, −0.27 to −0.026). However, subgroup analysis suggested that DCB only was associated with higher in-segment LLL than DES (MD 0.33, 0.14 to 0.51) in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Compared with DES, the DCB+BMS strategy had a similar incidence of myocardial infarction and all-cause death, but a higher incidence of MACE, TLR, and angiographic outcomes. In addition, DCB+BMS was associated with a similar incidence of myocardial infarction and all-cause death than BMS, with a lower incidence of MACE, TLR, and angiographic outcomes.

Conclusion

The DCB only is associated with similar efficacy and lower risk of LLL compared with DES. In addition, the DCB+BMS strategy is superior to BMS alone but inferior to DES (PROSPERO, CRD 42021257567).

Systematic Review Registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/#recordDetails.

Polymer-free biolimus-coated stents versus ultrathin-strut biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stents: two-year outcomes of the randomised SORT OUT IX trial

BACKGROUND

For patients with high bleeding risk, the BioFreedom stent is safer and more effective than a bare metal stent. However, at the one-year follow-up of the SORT OUT IX trial, the BioFreedom stent did not meet the criteria for non-inferiority for target lesion failure (TLF) when compared with the Orsiro stent and had a higher incidence of target lesion revascularisation (TLR).

AIMS

The aim of the study was to compare the two-year outcomes following coronary implantation of the BioFreedom or the Orsiro stents in all-comer patients.

METHODS

The Scandinavian Organization for Randomized Trials with Clinical Outcome (SORT OUT) IX trial is a prospective, multicentre, randomised clinical trial comparing the BioFreedom and the Orsiro stents. The primary endpoint, TLF, was a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI; not related to other lesions) and TLR.

RESULTS

A total of 1,572 patients were randomised to treatment with the BioFreedom stent and 1,579 patients with the Orsiro stent. At two-year follow-up, TLF was 7.8% in the BioFreedom and 6.3% in the Orsiro stent groups (rate ratio [RR] 1.23, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.94-1.61). Risks of cardiac death, MI and definite stent thrombosis did not differ significantly between the groups, whereas more patients in the BioFreedom group had TLR (5.1% vs 2.6%; RR 1.98, 95% CI: 1.26-2.89) attributable to a higher risk of TLR within the first year (3.5% vs 1.3%; RR 2.77, 95% CI: 1.66-4.62).

CONCLUSIONS

At two years, there were no significant differences between the BioFreedom and Orsiro stents for TLF. TLR was significantly higher with the BioFreedom stent due to higher risk of TLR within the first year.

Early vascular healing after implantation of the polymer-free biolimus-eluting stent or the ultrathin strut biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stent in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the difference in early vascular healing between the ultrathin-strut biodegradable-polymer sirolimus-eluting Orsiro stent (O-SES) and the polymer-free biolimus-A9-eluting BioFreedom stent (BF-BES), assessed with optical coherence tomography (OCT) after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarctions (STEMIs).

METHODS

Eighty patients with STEMI who underwent primary PCI were randomly allocated 1:1 to treatment with BF-BES or O-SES. OCT was acquired after PCI and at 1-month follow-up. The primary endpoint was 1-month OCT-assessed vascular healing index based on the presence of uncovered and malapposed stent struts and intraluminal filling defects where low vascular healing index indicated favorable vascular healing.

RESULTS

At 1-month, the vascular healing index was similar in O-SES 11.5 [interquartile range (IQR) 9.5-17.5], compared to BF-BES 11.5 (IQR 7.1-12.5; P = 0.14). Percentage of uncovered struts [O-SES 31.5% (IQR 20.7-41.9), P = 0.43] vs. BF-BES 27.8% (IQR 19.4-41.9; P = 0.44), and median volume of neointimal hyperplasia [O-SES 4.9 mm3 (IQR 1.4-13.1) vs. BF-BES 7.1 mm3 (IQR 2.8-17.0), P = 0.18] did not differ significantly between the two stent groups. Complete coverage was not observed in any of the stents. The percentages of stents with malapposition did not differ significantly (O-SES 87.1% vs. BF-BES 71.4%, P = 0.14) whereas percentage of malapposed struts [O-SES 3.5% (IQR 0.8-5.5) vs. BF-BES 0.8% (IQR 0.0-1.8), P = 0.003] was lower in the BF-BES group.

CONCLUSION

In patients with STEMI, the drug-coated BF-BES and the thin strut O-SES had similar vascular healing index at 1-month. However, the thin O-SES struts were more often malapposed.

Some Perspectives on Hypersensitivity to Coronary Stents

The development of coronary stents has represented a revolution in the treatment of coronary heart disease. Beyond their many advantages, stents also have their limitations and complications. Allergic reactions to coronary stents are more common than acknowledged. These stented patients are exposed to foreign substances inserted in direct contact with the coronary intima. Hypersensitivity to stent components and drugs prescribed after stent insertion together with any environmental exposure seem to contribute to these adverse reactions. Patients can present to the hospital with a wide range of symptoms and multiple complications, the most important ones being instent restenosis and stent thrombosis. Although not very common (and not always easy to identify), allergic reactions after coronary or peripheral stents should be taken into account. Careful selection of patients (for elective stent implantation) depending on the propensity to allergies, although hard to achieve, represents a key factor in reducing the number of these complications.

Clinical outcomes three-year after revascularization with biodegradable polymer stents: ultrathin-strut sirolimus-eluting stent versus biolimus-eluting stent: from the Scandinavian organization for randomized trials with clinical outcome VII trial

BACKGROUND

Drug-eluting stents with biodegradable polymers have been designed to improve safety and efficacy. However, drug-eluting stents with biodegradable polymers may not be a class effect, as stent strut thickness, polymer coating, and drug resorption differ between these groups of stents. Twelve months results of Scandinavian Organization for Randomized Trials With Clinical Outcome VII showed that ultrathin-strut sirolimus-eluting Orsiro stent was noninferior to the biolimus-eluting Nobori stent. The sirolimus-eluting Orsiro stent was associated with a reduced risk of definite stent thrombosis.

METHODS

The Scandinavian Organization for Randomized Trials With Clinical Outcome VII trial is a prospective multicenter randomized clinical trial comparing sirolimus-eluting Orsiro stent and biolimus-eluting Nobori stent in all-comers patients. The endpoint target lesion failure was a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction (not related to other than index lesion) and target lesion revascularization.

RESULTS

A total of 1261 patients were randomized to treatment with sirolimus-eluting Orsiro stent and 1264 patients to biolimus-eluting Nobori stent and followed for 3 years. At 3-year the target lesion failure was comparable for sirolimus-eluting Orsiro stent (9.0%) and the biolimus-eluting Nobori stent (9.1%), (rate ratio, 0.99; 95% confidence interval, 0.77-1.29). Cardiac death (sirolimus-eluting Orsiro stent 3.0% vs. biolimus-eluting Nobori stent 2.6% [rate ratio, 1.16; 95% confidence interval, 0.73-1.86]), target lesion revascularization (sirolimus-eluting Orsiro stent 5.2% vs. biolimus-eluting Nobori stent 5.9% [rate ratio, 0.90; 95% confidence interval, 0.64-1.25]), myocardial infarction (sirolimus-eluting Orsiro stent 4.7% vs. biolimus-eluting Nobori stent 4.5% [rate ratio, 1.04; 95% confidence interval, 0.72-1.50]), and definite stent thrombosis (sirolimus-eluting Orsiro stent 1.0% vs. biolimus-eluting Nobori stent 1.7% [rate ratio, 0.59; 95% confidence interval, 0.30-1.18]) did not differ significantly between the two groups.

CONCLUSION

At 3-year follow-up, target lesion failure did not differ among ultrathin-strut sirolimus-eluting Orsiro stent and biolimus-eluting Nobori stent with biodegradable polymers.

Randomized Comparison of the Polymer-Free Biolimus-Coated BioFreedom Stent With the Ultrathin Strut Biodegradable Polymer Sirolimus-Eluting Orsiro Stent in an All-Comers Population Treated With Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Background:

In patients with increased bleeding risk, the biolimus A9-coated BioFreedom stent, a stainless steel drug-coated stent free from polymer, has shown superiority compared with a bare-metal stent. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the BioFreedom stent is noninferior to a modern ultrathin strut biodegradable polymer cobalt-chromium sirolimus-eluting Orsiro stent in an all-comers patient population treated with percutaneous coronary intervention.

Methods:

The SORT OUT IX trial (Scandinavian Organization for Randomized Trials With Clinical Outcome IX), was a large-scale, registry-based, randomized, multicenter, single-blind, 2-arm, noninferiority trial. The primary end point, major adverse cardiovascular events, was defined as the composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction not related to any segment other than the target lesion, or target lesion revascularization within 1 year, analyzed by intention-to-treat. The trial was powered to assess noninferiority for major adverse cardiovascular events of the BioFreedom stent compared with the Orsiro stent with a predetermined noninferiority margin of 0.021.

Results:

Between December 14, 2015 and April 21, 2017, 3151 patients were assigned to treatment with the BioFreedom stent (1572 patients, 1966 lesions) or to the Orsiro stent (1579 patients, 1985 lesions). Five patients were lost to follow-up because of emigration (99.9% follow-up rate). Mean age was 66.3±10.9, diabetes mellitus was seen in 19.3% of patients, and 53% of the patients had acute coronary syndromes. At 1 year, intention-to-treat analysis showed that 79 (5.0%) patients, who were assigned the BioFreedom stent, and 59 (3.7%), who were assigned the Orsiro stent, met the primary end point (absolute risk difference 1.29% [upper limit of one-sided 95% CI 2.50%]; P noni nferiority =0.14). Significantly more patients in the BioFreedom stent group had target lesion revascularization than those in the Orsiro stent group (55 [3.5%] vs 20 [1.3%], rate ratio 2.77 [95% CI, 1.66–4.62]; P <0.0001).

Conclusions:

The biolimus A9-coated BioFreedom polymer-free stent did not meet criteria for noninferiority for major adverse cardiovascular events at 12 months when compared with the ultrathin strut biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting Orsiro stent in an all-comers population

Registration:

URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier: NCT02623140.

Long-term clinical outcomes of direct absorb bioresorbable vascular scaffold implantation in acute coronary syndrome

BACKGROUND

Preferred technique for bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) implantation included high pressure predilation. Data about direct BVS implantation in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients are scarce.

METHODS

Analysis of 90 consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) treated with primary PCI with Absorb deployment between 2013-2016 in a single center. In 45 patients, scaffolds were implanted in the direct technique, other 45 patients underwent Absorb deployment after balloon predilation.

RESULTS

Follow-up was available in 100% of patients with mean duration of 32±11 months. No cardiac death or scaffold thrombosis were observed in both groups. In the direct group, no target lesion revascularization (TLR) was reported. In the predilation arm, TLR occurred in 4 (9%) patients (P=0.12). Target vessel revascularization (TVR) was observed in 1 (2%) case in the direct group and in 6 (13%) patients from the predilation group (P=0.11). Target vessel MI was reported in one patient from each group. In an intention to treat analysis, we observed significantly higher rates of TVR (15% vs. 2%; P<0.043) and TLR (10% vs. 0%; P=0.038) in the predilation arm. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis did not show significant differences in TLR, TVR and device oriented composite endpoint (a combination of cardiac death, target vessel MI and ischemia driven TLR) between patients treated with both methods.

CONCLUSIONS

Direct Absorb implantation in patients with ACS may be feasible and safe.

Comparison of the polymer-free biolimus-coated BioFreedom stent with the thin-strut biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting Orsiro stent in an all-comers population treated with percutaneous coronary intervention: Rationale and design of the randomized SORT OUT IX trial

BACKGROUND

In patients with increased bleeding risk during dual antiplatelet therapy, the biolimus A9-coated BioFreedom, a stainless steel drug-coated stent devoid of polymer, has shown superiority compared to a bare-metal stent. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the polymer-free biolimus A9-coated BioFreedom is noninferior to a modern thin-strut biodegradable polymer cobalt-chromium sirolimus-eluting Orsiro stent in an all-comers patient population treated with percutaneous coronary intervention.

METHODS

The multicenter SORT OUT IX trial (NCT02623140) randomly assigned all-comers patients to treatment with the BioFreedom drug-coated stent or the biodegradable polymer Orsiro stent in 4 Danish University Hospitals. The primary end point target lesion failure is a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction (not related to other than index lesion), or target lesion revascularization within 12 months. Clinically driven event detection based on Danish registries will be used and continue through 5 years. Assuming an event rate of 4.2% in each stent group, 1,563 patients in each treatment arm will provide 90% power to detect noninferiority of the drug-coated BioFreedom stent with a noninferiority margin of 2.1%.

RESULTS

A total of 3,150 patients have been randomized and enrolled in the study.

CONCLUSIONS

The SORT OUT IX trial will determine whether the drug-coated BioFreedom stent is noninferior to a modern biodegradable polymer Orsiro stent.

Angiographic and Midterm Outcomes of Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold for Coronary Bifurcation Lesions

Data on the angiographic and clinical performance of bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS) for bifurcation lesions treatment are still limited. Data were examined of 107 patients with at least 1 coronary bifurcation lesion involving a side branch ≥2mm. Angiographic and clinical outcomes were collected. Optical coherence tomography analysis was performed in a subgroup of patients. Between July 2009 and December 2015, 423 patients underwent PCI with Absorb BVS. A total of 110 lesions were identified as bifurcations, of which 24.5% were classified as true bifurcation lesions. Lesion complexity B2/C was 68.1%. Ninety-five out of 110 lesions were treated by provisional stenting technique while 2 stenting strategy was the final approach in 15 lesions. Procedural success of main branch was 100% whereas side-branch impairment at the end of the procedure was 4.5%. The mean follow-up was 21 months with one-third of the patients followed up for at least 2 years. The overall target lesion failure and scaffold/stent thrombosis rate at 1 year was 7.8% and 3.9%, respectively. In conclusion the results of the present analysis suggest the BVS implanted in bifurcations lesions are associated with procedural safety and angiographic success as well as acceptable target lesion failure rate at 1 year.

Early-Phase Vascular Healing of Bioabsorbable vs. Durable Polymer-Coated Everolimus-Eluting Stents in Patients With ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction - 2-Week and 4-Month Analyses With Optical Coherence Tomography

BACKGROUND

Despite the revolution of coronary stents, there remain concerns about the risk of stent thrombosis, especially in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The present study compared early vascular healing as a contributing factor to reducing stent thrombosis between Xience everolimus-eluting stents (X-EES) and Synergy everolimus-eluting stents (S-EES) in patients with STEMI.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The present study included 47 patients with STEMI requiring primary percutaneous coronary intervention with X-EES (n=25) or S-EES (n=22). Optical coherence tomography (OCT) assessments of the stented lesions were performed 2 weeks and 4 months after stent implantation. Neointimal strut coverage, malapposition and the frequency of thrombus formation were evaluated. In the 2-week OCT analysis, the proportion of covered struts in S-EES (42.4±15.4%) was significantly higher than in X-EES (26.3±10.1%, P<0.001). In the 4-month OCT analysis, the proportion of covered struts in S-EES (72.2±17.9%) was still significantly higher than in X-EES (62.0±14.9%, P=0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with X-EES, S-EES showed a higher proportion of covered struts in the early phase after stent implantation for STEMI patients.

Structural valve deterioration in the Mitroflow biological heart valve prosthesis

OBJECTIVES

Concern has been raised regarding the long-term durability of the Mitroflow biological heart valve prosthesis. Our aim was to assess the incidence of structural valve degeneration (SVD) for the Mitroflow bioprosthesis in a nationwide study in Denmark including all patients alive in Denmark who had received a Mitroflow aortic bioprosthesis since 2000.

METHODS

Patients alive in Denmark with a Mitroflow bioprosthesis implanted since January 2000 were invited to participate in a nationwide cross-sectional study with a predefined definition of SVD. Of 1552 patients, 861 patients had died and 47 patients had been reoperated with 40 reoperations due to SVD. The remaining 644 patients were invited for evaluation; 574 patients accepted and were evaluated for SVD. The incidence of SVD was calculated using competing risk regression analysis with death as the competing event.

RESULTS

A total of 173 patients were diagnosed with SVD by echocardiography. Of these, 64 (11%) patients had severe SVD and 109 (19%) patients moderate SVD. Severe SVD was associated with the age of the prosthesis and small prosthesis size [Size 21: hazard ratio (95% confidence interval, CI) 2.72 (0.97-8.56), P = 0.06; Size 19: 6.26 (1.63-24.06), P = 0.008]. The cumulative incidences of reoperation or severe SVD at Year 9 were 12.5% for Size 19, 7.6% for Size 21 and 3.1 (1.2-6.4)% for Size 23. Median survival in patients with prosthesis Sizes 23-29 was 6.4 (95% CI 5.7-7.0) years, with Size 21 it was 6.5 (95% CI 5.9-7.1) years and with Size 19 it was 6.9 (95% CI 5.7-8.2) years (P = 0.78).

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of undetected severe SVD was as high as the incidence of operated SVD. The overall risk for SVD is high for the Mitroflow bioprosthesis, especially if the prosthesis is small and older than 5 years.

Randomized Comparison of a Biodegradable Polymer Ultrathin Strut Sirolimus-Eluting Stent With a Biodegradable Polymer Biolimus-Eluting Stent in Patients Treated With Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: The SORT OUT VII Trial

BACKGROUND

Coronary drug-eluting stents with biodegradable polymers have been designed to improve safety and efficacy.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The Scandinavian Organization for Randomized Trials With Clinical Outcome (SORT OUT) VII trial-a large-scale registry-based randomized, multicenter, single-blind, 2-arm, noninferiority trial-compared 2 biodegradable polymer drug-eluting stents: the thin-strut cobalt-chromium sirolimus-eluting Orsiro stent and the stainless steel biolimus-eluting Nobori stent in an all-comer patient population. The primary end point target lesion failure was a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction (not related to other than index lesion), or target lesion revascularization within 1 year, analyzed by intention to treat (noninferiority margin of 3.0%). Clinically driven event detection based on Danish registries was used. A total of 1261 patients were assigned to receive the sirolimus-eluting stent (1590 lesions) and 1264 patients to the biolimus-eluting stent (1588 lesions). At 1 year, the composite end point target lesion failure occurred in 48 patients (3.8%) in the sirolimus-eluting group and in 58 patients (4.6%) in the biolimus-eluting group (absolute risk difference, -0.78% [upper limit of 1-sided 95% confidence interval, 0.61%]; P<0.0001). Rates of definite stent thrombosis occurred in 5 (0.4%) of the sirolimus-eluting group compared with 15 (1.2%) biolimus-eluting stent-treated patients (rate ratio, 0.33; 95% confidence interval, 0.12-0.92; P=0.034), which largely was attributable to a lower risk of subacute definite stent thrombosis: 0.1% versus 0.6% (rate ratio, 0.12; 95% confidence interval, 0.02-1.00; P=0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The thin-strut sirolimus-eluting Orsiro stent was noninferior to the biolimus-eluting Nobori stent in unselected patients for target lesion failure at 1 year.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01879358.

Randomized clinical trial: the impact of gastrointestinal risk factor screening and prophylactic proton pump inhibitor therapy in patients receiving dual antiplatelet therapy

OBJECTIVE

Dual antiplatelet therapy reduces the risk of ischemic complications after acute coronary syndrome, but increases the risk of bleeding including upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB).The aim of this study was to examine the effect of screening for risk of UGIB and prophylactic proton pump inhibitor (PPI) treatment in dual-antiplatelet-treated patients at risk of UGIB and to assess the significance of dual antiplatelet therapy compliance for cardiovascular events.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In a register-based randomized-controlled trial, 2009 patients were included at the time of first percutaneous coronary intervention and randomized to either screening or control. Screened high-risk patients were prescribed pantoprazole 40 mg during the 1-year after percutaneous coronary intervention.

RESULTS

The incidence of UGIB was 0.8 versus 1.3% in screened patients and controls, respectively (P=0.381).Significantly fewer screened patients (5.4%) than controls (8.0%) underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (P=0.026). Screened patients (2.9%) had significantly fewer events of unstable angina pectoris than controls (4.7%) (P=0.036) and a higher compliance to dual antiplatelet therapy (88.3 vs. 85.0%) (P=0.035), but no statistically difference was observed in the incidences of myocardial infarction and all-cause mortality (1.0 vs. 1.5%) (P=0.422).

CONCLUSION

Screening for risk factors for UGIB and subsequent prophylactic PPI treatment did not significantly reduce the incidence of UGIB. Prescription of PPI was associated with a higher compliance with dual antiplatelet therapy and decreases the risk of recurrent cardiovascular events.

Outcome of revascularisation in stable coronary artery disease without ischaemia: a Danish registry-based follow-up study

OBJECTIVES

In stable coronary artery disease (CAD), coronary revascularisation may reduce mortality of patients with a certain amount of left ventricular myocardial ischaemia. However, revascularisation does not always follow the guidance suggested by ischaemia testing. We compared outcomes in patients without ischaemia who had either revascularisation or medical treatment.

DESIGN AND POPULATION

Based on registries, 1327 consecutive patients with normal myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) and 278 with fixed perfusion defects were followed for a median of 6.1 years. Most patients received medical therapy alone (Med), but 26 (2%) with a normal MPS and 15 (5%) with fixed perfusion defects underwent revascularisation (Revasc).

OUTCOME MEASURES

Incidence rates of all-cause death (ACD) and rates of cardiac death/myocardial infarction (CD/MI).

RESULTS

With a normal MPS, the ACD rate was 6.2%/year in the Revasc group versus 1.9%/year in the Med group (p=0.01); the CD/MI rates were 6.9%/year and 0.6%/year, respectively (p<0.00001). Results persisted after adjustment for predictors of revascularisation, in particular angina score, and in comparisons of matched Revasc and Med patients. With fixed defects, the ACD rate was 9.1%/year in the Revasc group and 6.7%/year in the Med group (p=0.44); the CD/MI rate was 5.0%/year versus 4.2%/year, respectively (p=0.69). If adjusted for angiographic variables or analysed in matched subsets, differences remained insignificant.

CONCLUSIONS

With normal MPS, revascularisation conferred a higher risk, even after adjustment for predictors of revascularisation. With fixed defects, the Revascversus Med difference was close to equipoise. Hence, in patients with stable CAD without ischaemia, we could not find evidence to justify exceptional revascularisation.

Association of CYP2C19*2 polymorphism with clopidogrel response and 1-year major adverse cardiovascular events in a multiethnic population with drug-eluting stents

BACKGROUND

Patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents (DES) who have impaired clopidogrel response, have a higher risk of subsequent major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).

AIM OF THE STUDY

To establish the relationship between CYP2C19 genotype, clopidogrel responsiveness and 1-year MACE.

MATERIALS & METHODS

Aspirin/clopidogrel responses were assessed with Multiplate Analyzer and CYP2C19*2 allele by SpartanRx.

RESULTS

A total of 42.0% carried ≥1 CYP2C19*2 allele. Prevalences of aspirin and clopidogrel high on-treatment platelet reactivity (HPR; local cutoffs: 300 AU*min for aspirin and 600 AU*min for clopidogrel) were 11.5% and 19.8% respectively. In multivariate ana-lysis, clopidogrel HPR was found to be an independent predictor for 1-year MACE (adj HR: 3.48, p = 0.022 ).

CONCLUSION

Having clopidogrel HPR could be a potentially modifiable risk factor guided by phenotyping.

Perioperative management of patient with intracoronary stent presenting for noncardiac surgery

As the number of percutaneous coronary interventions increase annually, patients with intracoronary stents (ICS) who present for noncardiac surgery (NCS) are also on the rise. ICS is associated with stent thrombosis (STH) and requires mandatory antiplatelet therapy to prevent major adverse cardiac events. The risks of bleeding and ischemia remain significant and the management of these patients, especially in the initial year of ICS is challenging. The American College of Cardiologists guidelines on the management of patients with ICS recommend dual antiplatelet therapy (DAT) for minimal 14 days after balloon angioplasty, 30 days for bare metal stents, and 365 days for drug-eluting stents. Postponement of elective surgery is advocated during this period, but guidelines concerning emergency NCS are ambiguous. The risk of STH and surgical bleeding needs to be assessed carefully and many factors which are implicated in STH, apart from the type of stent and the duration of DAT, need to be considered when decision to discontinue DAT is made. DAT management should be a multidisciplinary exercise and bridging therapy with shorter acting intravenous antiplatelet drugs should be contemplated whenever possible. Well conducted clinical trials are needed to establish guidelines as regards to the appropriate tests for platelet function monitoring in patients undergoing NCS while on DAT.

[Neurosurgery in a patient on dual antiplatelet therapy. Case report and the review of the literature]

INTRODUCTION

A neurosurgical intervention in a patient on dual antiplatelet therapy is a serious challenge for both the neurosurgeon and anesthesiologist..

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The article describes a clinical case of a successful urgent neurosurgical intervention (ventriculoperitoneostomy for obstructive hydrocephalus caused by a large meningioma of the posterior surface of the petrous pyramid) in a patient on dual antiplatelet therapy (DAT) due to a recently placed coronary stent..

CONCLUSION

Given a high risk of coronary stent thrombosis, the surgery was performed in the presence of ongoing DAT. There were no intracranial hemorrhagic complications, but subcutaneous hemorrhagic complications developed. The article discusses the features of managing similar patients whose number is growing.

Preprocedural statin therapy, inflammation, and myocardial injury in low-risk stable coronary artery disease patients submitted to coronary stent implantation

OBJECTIVE

Evaluate if statin therapy prior to elective coronary stent implantation (CSI) reduces the plasma levels of markers of inflammation and of myocardial necrosis in low-risk stable coronary artery disease patients (CAD).

BACKGROUND

The elevation of markers of inflammation and of myocardial necrosis after percutaneous coronary intervention may interfere with clinical outcome. Among acute coronary syndrome patients, statins improve clinical outcomes when used before CSI-mostly due to reduction of CSI-related myocardial infarction. However, little is known concerning preprocedural statin therapy on the reduction of these markers in stable patients at low-risk.

METHODS

In this prospective, observational study, 100 patients (n = 50 on statin therapy vs. n = 50 not on statin) with stable coronary artery disease underwent elective CSI. Inflammatory (C-reactive protein [CRP], interleukin [IL]-6, tumor necrosis factor-α and matrix metalloproteinase-9) and myocardial necrosis markers (troponin I and CK-MB) were determined before and 24 hr after CSI.

RESULTS

All patients presented a significant increase of CRP and IL-6 after CSI. However, this increase was attenuated in patients on statin therapy prior to CSI than those without statin therapy: 75% vs. 150% (P < 0.001) and 192% vs. 300% (P < 0.01). The other pro-inflammatory markers were similar for both sets of patients. Troponin I and CK-MB did not change after CSI regardless of previous statin therapy or not.

CONCLUSIONS

Pretreatment with statin attenuates procedural inflammation, denoted by markedly lower increases of CRP and IL-6 levels, in elective CSI within low-risk stable CAD patients. Periprocedural myocardial injury was irrelevant and was not affected by preprocedural statin therapy in this population.

Randomized comparison of a sirolimus-eluting Orsiro stent with a biolimus-eluting Nobori stent in patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention: Rationale and study design of the Scandinavian Organization for Randomized Trials with Clinical Outcome VII trial

BACKGROUND

Third-generation coronary drug-eluting stents (DES) with biodegradable polymers have been designed to improve safety and efficacy. We designed a large scale registry-based randomized clinical trial to compare 2 third-generation DES: a thin strut, cobalt-chromium DES with silicon carbide-coating releasing sirolimus from a biodegradable polymer (O-SES, Orsiro; Biotronik, Bülach, Switzerland) with the stainless steel biodegradable polymer biolimus-eluting Nobori stents (N-BES, Nobori; Terumo, Tokyo, Japan) in an all-comer patient population.

DESIGN

The multicenter SORT OUT VII trial (NCT01879358) randomly assigned 2,530 patients to treatment with biodegradable polymer O-SES or biodegradable polymer N-BES at 3 sites in Western Denmark. Patients were eligible, if they were ≥18 years old; had chronic stable coronary artery disease or acute coronary syndromes; and ≥1 coronary lesion with >50% diameter stenosis, requiring treatment with a DES. The primary end point target lesion failure is a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction (not related to other than index lesion), or target lesion revascularization within 12 months. Clinically, driven event detection based on Danish registries will be used. An event rate of 6.5% is assumed in each stent group. With a sample size of 1,157 patients in each treatment arm, a 2-group large-sample normal approximation test of proportions with a 1-sided 5% significance level will have 90% power to detect noninferiority of the O-SES compared with the N-BES with a predetermined noninferiority margin of 3.0%.

CONCLUSION

The SORT OUT VII trial will determine whether the biodegradable polymers O-SES is noninferior to the N-BES with respect to driven event.

Stent thrombosis caused by metal allergy complicated by protein S deficiency and heparin-induced thrombocytopenia: a case report and review of the literature

A 43-year-old woman recipient of a bare metal coronary stent during an acute anterior myocardial infarction was repeatedly hospitalized with recurrent stent thrombosis (ST) over the following 3 years. Emergent coronary angiography showed a thrombus in the in-stent segment of the proximal left anterior descending artery. We repeatedly aspirated the thrombus, which immediately reformed multiple times. The discontinuation of heparin and administration of thrombolytics and argatroban, followed by repeated balloon dilatations, ended the formation of new thrombi. The patient was found to be allergic to nickel, protein S deficient and carrier of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia antibody. We discuss this case in the context of a) literature pertaining to acute coronary syndromes in the young, and b) the detailed investigations needed to identify thrombotic risk factors. Steroids may be effective to prevent recurrent ST caused by stent allergy.

Influence of multivessel disease with or without additional revascularization on mortality in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND

In patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), timely reperfusion with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the preferred treatment. In primary PCI patients with multivessel disease, it is unclear whether culprit vessel PCI only is the preferred treatment. We compared mortality among (1) STEMI patients with single-vessel disease and those with multivessel disease and (2) multivessel disease patients with and without additional revascularization of nonculprit lesions within 2 months after the index PCI.

METHODS

From January 2002 to June 2009, all patients presenting with STEMI and treated with primary PCI were identified from the Western Denmark Heart Registry, which covers a population of 3.0 million. The hazard ratio (HR) for death was estimated using a Cox regression model, controlling for potential confounding.

RESULTS

The study cohort consisted of 8,822 patients: 4,770 (54.1%) had single-vessel disease and 4,052 (45.9%) had multivessel disease. Overall, 1-year cumulative mortality was 7.6%, and 7-year cumulative mortality was 24.0%. Multivessel disease was associated with higher 7-year mortality (adjusted HR 1.45 [95% CI 1.30-1.62], P < .001). Among patients with multivessel disease, lack of additional revascularization beyond the culprit lesion was associated with higher 7-year mortality (adjusted HR 1.50 [95% CI 1.25-1.80], P < .001). In patients with multivessel disease who underwent additional revascularization, 7-year mortality (adjusted HR 1.01 [95% CI 0.84-1.22], P = .89) was similar compared to patients with single-vessel disease.

CONCLUSION

In STEMI patients, multivessel disease was associated with a higher mortality compared to single-vessel disease. In multivessel disease patients, additional revascularization was associated with a higher survival compared with culprit vessel PCI only.

Impact of Strut Width in Periprocedural Myocardial Infarction: A Propensity-Matched Comparison Between Bioresorbable Scaffolds and the First-Generation Sirolimus-Eluting Stent

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to assess the clinical impact of strut width (evaluated by abluminal strut surface area [ASSA]) on periprocedural myocardial infarction (PMI) and clinical outcomes in patients treated with bioresorbable scaffolds (BRS) versus first-generation sirolimus-eluting stents (SES).

BACKGROUND

To date, there are no reports on the impact of ASSA on PMI and clinical outcomes.

METHODS

We compared the impact of ASSA on outcomes and PMI in propensity-matched patients treated with BRS and SES. The primary outcome was the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE), defined as the combination of all-cause mortality, follow-up myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization, at 30-days and 1-year follow-ups. The secondary endpoint was the incidence of PMI.

RESULTS

After propensity-matched analysis, 499 patients (147 BRS patients vs. 352 SES patients) were evaluated. Mean ASSA was higher in patients treated with BRS versus SES (BRS: 132.3 ± 76.7 mm(2) vs. SES: 67.6 ± 48.4 mm(2), p < 0.001). MACE was not significantly different between groups (30-days MACE: BRS: 0% vs. SES: 1.4%, p = 0.16, and 1-year MACE: BRS: 15.7% vs. SES: 11.4%, p = 0.67). The incidence of PMI was significantly higher in the BRS group (BRS: 13.1% vs. SES: 7.5%, p = 0.05). Multivariable analyses indicated that treatment of left anterior descending artery and ASSA were independent predictors of PMI.

CONCLUSIONS

BRS implantation, compared with SES implantation, was associated with a higher incidence of PMI. MACE at 30 days and 1 year were not significantly different. Left anterior descending artery percutaneous coronary intervention and ASSA were independent predictors of PMI.

Influence of cardiogenic shock with or without the use of intra-aortic balloon pump on mortality in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

Background

Cardiogenic shock is a serious complication of a ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We compared short- and long-term mortality among (1) STEMI patients with and without cardiogenic shock and (2) STEMI patients with cardiogenic shock with and without the use of an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP).

Methods

From January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2010, all patients presenting with STEMI and treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were identified. The hazard ratio (HR) for death was estimated using a Cox regression model, controlling for potential confounding.

Results

The study cohort consisted of 4293 STEMI patients: 286 (6.7%) with and 4007 (93.3%) without cardiogenic shock. Compared with patients without cardiogenic shock, patients with cardiogenic shock were older, and more likely to have diabetes mellitus, multi-vessel disease, anterior myocardial infarction (MI) or bundle-branch block MI and a reduced creatinine clearance.

Among patients with cardiogenic shock vs. without shock, 30-day cumulative mortality was 57.3% vs. 4.5% (p < 0.001), one-year cumulative mortality was 60.7% vs. 8.2% (p < 0.001) and five-year mortality was 65.0% vs. 18.9% (p < 0.001). STEMI with cardiogenic shock was associated with higher 30-day mortality (adjusted HR = 12.89 [95% CI: 9.72–16.66]), 1-year mortality (adjusted HR = 8.83 [95% CI: 7.06–11.05]) and five-year mortality (adjusted HR = 6.39 [95% CI: 5.22–7.80]). IABP was used in 71 (25%) patients with cardiogenic shock and was associated with improved 30-day outcome (adjusted HR = 0.48 [95% CI: 0.28–0.83]).

Conclusion

Patients with STEMI and cardiogenic shock had substantial short- and long-term mortality that may be improved with IABP implantation. More studies on use of IABP in such patients are warranted.

Thrombosis in the uremic milieu--emerging role of "thrombolome"

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is characterized by retention of a number of toxins, which unleash cellular damage. CKD environment with these toxins and a host of metabolic abnormalities (collectively termed as uremic milieu) is highly thrombogenic. CKD represents a strong and independent risk factor for both spontaneous venous and arterial (postvascular injury) thrombosis. Emerging evidence points to a previously unrecognized role of some of the prothrombotic uremic toxins. Here, we provide an overview of thrombosis in CKD and an update on indolic uremic toxins, which robustly increase tissue factor, a potent procoagulant, in several vascular cell types enhancing thrombosis. This panel of uremic toxins, which we term "thrombolome" (thrombosis and metabolome), represents a novel risk factor for thrombosis and can be further explored as biomarker for postvascular interventional thrombosis in patients with CKD.

Optimizing selection of antithrombotic therapy in patients requiring PCI and long term anticoagulation

There remains clinical equipoise in the appropriate selection of antiplatelet therapy for the patient on long-term anticoagulation requiring percutaneous coronary intervention. Since most of these patients represent an increasingly aging population, the significant risk of thromboembolism and stent thrombosis must be weighed against the risk of major bleeding. This article reviews the current state of evidence to provide a framework for the practicing clinician.

Clopidogrel discontinuation within the first year after coronary drug-eluting stent implantation: an observational study

BACKGROUND

The impact of adherence to the recommended duration of dual antiplatelet therapy after first generation drug-eluting stent implantation is difficult to assess in real-world settings and limited data are available.

METHODS

We followed 4,154 patients treated with coronary drug-eluting stents in Western Denmark for 1 year and obtained data on redeemed clopidogrel prescriptions and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE, i.e., cardiac death, myocardial infarction, or stent thrombosis) from medical databases.

RESULTS

Discontinuation of clopidogrel within the first 3 months after stent implantation was associated with a significantly increased rate of MACE at 1-year follow-up (hazard ratio (HR) 2.06; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08-3.93). Discontinuation 3-6 months (HR 1.29; 95% CI: 0.70-2.41) and 6-12 months (HR 1.29; 95% CI: 0.54-3.07) after stent implantation were associated with smaller, not statistically significant, increases in MACE rates. Among patients who discontinued clopidogrel, MACE rates were highest within the first 2 months after discontinuation.

CONCLUSIONS

Discontinuation of clopidogrel was associated with an increased rate of MACE among patients treated with drug-eluting stents. The increase was statistically significant within the first 3 months after drug-eluting stent implantation but not after 3 to 12 months.

Efficacy and safety of drug-eluting stents in the real world: 8-year follow-up

Background:

Drug-eluting stents have been used in daily practice since 2002, with the clear advantages of reducing the risk of target vessel revascularization and an impressive reduction in restenosis rate by 50%-70%. However, the occurrence of a late thrombosis can compromise long-term results, particularly if the risks of this event were sustained. In this context, a registry of clinical cases gains special value.

Objective:

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of drug-eluting stents in the real world.

Methods:

We report on the clinical findings and 8-year follow-up parameters of all patients that underwent percutaneous coronary intervention with a drug-eluting stent from January 2002 to April 2007. Drug-eluting stents were used in accordance with the clinical and interventional cardiologist decision and availability of the stent.

Results:

A total of 611 patients were included, and clinical follow-up of up to 8 years was obtained for 96.2% of the patients. Total mortality was 8.7% and nonfatal infarctions occurred in 4.3% of the cases. Target vessel revascularization occurred in 12.4% of the cases, and target lesion revascularization occurred in 8% of the cases. The rate of stent thrombosis was 2.1%. There were no new episodes of stent thrombosis after the fifth year of follow-up. Comparative subanalysis showed no outcome differences between the different types of stents used, including Cypher®, Taxus®, and Endeavor®.

Conclusion:

These findings indicate that drug-eluting stents remain safe and effective at very long-term follow-up. Patients in the "real world" may benefit from drug-eluting stenting with excellent, long-term results.

Comparison of 3 biodegradable polymer and durable polymer-based drug-eluting stents in all-comers (BIO-RESORT): rationale and study design of the randomized TWENTE III multicenter trial

AIM

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of 2 novel drug-eluting stents (DES) with biodegradable polymer-based coatings versus a durable coating DES.

METHODS AND RESULTS

BIO-RESORT is an investigator-initiated, prospective, patient-blinded, randomized multicenter trial in 3540 Dutch all-comers with various clinical syndromes, requiring percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) with DES implantation. Randomization (stratified for diabetes mellitus) is being performed in a 1:1:1 ratio between ORSIRO sirolimus-eluting stent with circumferential biodegradable coating, SYNERGY everolimus-eluting stent with abluminal biodegradable coating, and RESOLUTE INTEGRITY zotarolimus-eluting stent with durable coating. The primary endpoint is the incidence of the composite endpoint target vessel failure at 1 year, consisting of cardiac death, target vessel-related myocardial infarction, or clinically driven target vessel revascularization. Power calculation assumes a target vessel failure rate of 8.5% with a 3.5% non-inferiority margin, giving the study a power of 85% (α level .025 adjusted for multiple testing). The impact of diabetes mellitus on post-PCI outcome will be evaluated. The first patient was enrolled on December 21, 2012.

CONCLUSIONS

BIO-RESORT is a large, prospective, randomized, multicenter trial with three arms, comparing two DES with biodegradable coatings versus a reference DES with a durable coating in 3540 all-comers. The trial will provide novel insights into the clinical outcome of modern DES and will address the impact of known and so far undetected diabetes mellitus on post-PCI outcome.

Impact of renal insufficiency on mortality in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention

BACKGROUND

Chronic kidney disease is associated with increased risk of mortality. We examined the impact of moderate and severe renal insufficiency (RI) on short- and long-term mortality among unselected patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

METHODS

From January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2010 all patients with STEMI treated with primary PCI were identified. The hazard ratio (HR) for death was estimated using a Cox regression model, controlling for potential confounders. RI was defined as creatinine clearance (CrCl) < 60 mL/min (moderate RI: CrCl ≤30 < 60 mL/min and severe RI: CrCl < 30 mL/min).

RESULTS

The study cohort consisted of 4,116 patients of whom 898 (21.8%) had RI and 3,218 (78.2%) had a CrCl ≥ 60 mL/min. Compared to patients without RI, patients with RI were older, more often female and more likely to have diabetes mellitus, hypertension and to present with a higher Killip class.Among patients with a preserved kidney function and patients with RI, 30-day all-cause mortality was 3.5% vs. 20.9% (log-rank p < 0.001); 1-year all-cause mortality was 5.7% vs. 29.4% (log-rank p < 0.001); 5-year all-cause mortality was 13.4% vs. 47.4% (log-rank p < 0.001). Moderate and severe RI were associated with higher 1-year mortality compared to patients with a preserved renal function (CrCl ≤30 < 60 mL/min: adjusted HR 2.71 [95% CI 2.09-3.51], p < 0.001), and (CrCl < 30 mL/min: adjusted HR 7.09 [4.82-10.44], p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

In unselected STEMI patients treated with primary PCI, moderate and severe RI were associated with increased risk of mortality.

Domestic versus imported drug-eluting stents for the treatment of patients with acute coronary syndrome

BACKGROUND

The application of coronary stents, especially drug-eluting stents (DESs), has made percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) one of important therapeutic methods for CHD. DES has reduced the in-stent restenosis to 5%-9% and significantly improved the long-term prognosis of patients with CHD. The study aimed to investigate the long-term efficacy and safety of domestic drug-eluting stents (DESs) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

METHODS

All patients with ACS who had undergone successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from July 2009 to December 2010 were included in this study. Patients were excluded from the study if they were implanted with bare metal stents or different stents (domestic and imported DESs) simultaneously. The included patients were divided into two groups according to different stents implanted: domestic DESs and imported DESs.

RESULTS

In the 1 683 patients of this study, 1 558 (92.6%) patients were followed up successfully for an average of (29.1±5.9) months. 130 (8.3%) patients had major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), including cardiac death in 32 (2.1%) patients, recurrent myocardial infarction in 16 (1%), and revascularization in 94 (6%). The rates of cardiac death, recurrent myocardial infarction, revascularization, in-stent restenosis, stent thrombosis and other MACEs were not significantly different between the two groups (all P>0.05). Multivarite logistic regression revealed that diabetes mellitus (OR=1.75, 95%CI: 1.09-2.82, P=0.021), vascular numbers of PCI (OR=2.16, 95%CI: 1.22-3.83, P=0.09) and PCI with left main lesion (OR=9.47, 95%CI: 2.96-30.26, P=0.01) were independent prognostic factors of MACEs. The Kaplan-Meier method revealed that there was no significant difference in cumulative survival rates and survival rates free from clinical events between the two groups (all P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The incidences of clinical events and cumulative survival rates are not statistically different between domestic DESs and imported DESs. Domestic DES is effective and safe in the treatment of patients with ACS.