5-Year Clinical Outcomes of the ARTS II (Arterial Revascularization Therapies Study II) of the Sirolimus-Eluting Stent in the Treatment of Patients With Multivessel De Novo Coronary Artery Lesions

Impact of Bifurcation Involvement and Location in Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Insights From the EuroCTO Registry

Bifurcation involvement close to or within the occluded segment poses increasing difficulties for chronic total occlusion (CTO)-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, this variable is not considered in the angiography-based CTO scoring systems nor has been extensively investigated in large multicenter series. Accordingly, we analyzed a CTO-PCI registry involving 92 European centers to explore the incidence, angiographic and procedural characteristics, and outcomes specific to CTO-PCIs with bifurcation involvement. A total of 3,948 procedures performed between January and November 2023 were examined (33% with bifurcation involvement). Among bifurcation lesions, 38% and 37% were located within 5 mm of the proximal and distal cap, respectively, 16% within the CTO body, and in 9% of cases proximal and distal bifurcations coexisted. When compared with lesions without bifurcation involvement, CTO bifurcation lesions had higher complexity (J-CTO 2.33 ± 1.21 vs 2.11 ± 1.27, p <0.001) and were associated with higher use of additional devices (dual-lumen microcatheter in 27.6% vs 8.4%, p <0.001, and intravascular ultrasound in 32.2% vs 21.7%, p <0.001). Radiation dose (1,544 [836 to 2,819] vs 1,298.5 [699.1 to 2,386.6] mGy, p <0.001) and contrast volume (230 [160 to 300] vs 190 [130 to 250] ml, p <0.001) were also higher. Technical success was similar (91.5% with bifurcation involvement vs 90.4% without bifurcation involvement, p = 0.271). However, the bifurcation lesions within the CTO segment (intralesion) were associated with lower technical success than the other bifurcation-location subgroups (83.7% vs 93.3% proximal, 93.4% distal, and 89.0% proximal and distal, p <0.001). On multivariable analysis, the presence of an intralesion bifurcation was independently associated with technical failure (odds ratio 2.04, 95% confidence interval 1.24 to 3.35, p = 0.005). In conclusion, bifurcations are present in approximately one-third of CTOs who underwent PCI. PCI of CTOs with bifurcation can be achieved with high success rates except for bifurcations within the occluded segment, which were associated with higher technical failure.

Kissing Balloon-Stent Technique for Simple Bifurcation Lesions

Background: Coronary bifurcation lesions are commonly encountered during coronary angiography. The management of bifurcation lesions remains challenging, with various bifurcation techniques being available and outcomes varying depending on the Medina classification and operator experience. Methods: We present a short case series and the outcomes of a new bifurcation technique for the management of simple Medina '0,0,1' and '0,0,1' bifurcation lesions using the kissing balloon-stent technique (kissing BS). Results: We retrospectively identified 8 patients who underwent bifurcation stenting using the kissing Balloon-Stent technique, along with their clinical and angiographic follow-up outcomes. We also describe the benefits and limitations of the technique, delineate the potential mechanisms of target lesion failure, and outline appropriate patient selection. Conclusions: Kissing Balloon-Stent technique is a simple single stent technique that is safe and feasible in select patients with Medina '0,0,1' and '0,0,1' bifurcation lesions.

Clinical Outcomes Following Bifurcation Techniques for Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Bifurcation lesions account for 20% of all percutaneous coronary interventions and represent a complex subset which are associated with lower procedural success and higher rates of restenosis [...].

10 Years of SYNTAX: Closing an Era of Clinical Research After Identifying New Outcome Determinants

The SYNTAX trial randomized patients equally eligible for coronary artery bypass grafting or percutaneous coronary intervention using the Heart Team approach. The SYNTAXES study achieved a follow-up rate of 93.8% and reported the 10-year vital status. Factors associated with increased mortality at 10 years were pharmacologically treated diabetes mellitus, increased waist circumference, reduced left ventricular function, prior cerebrovascular and peripheral vascular disease, western Europe and North American descent, current smoking, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, elevated C-reactive protein, anemia, and an increase in HbA1c. Procedural factors associated with higher 10 years mortality include periprocedural myocardial infarction, extensive stenting, small stents, ≥1 heavily calcified lesion, ≥1 bifurcation lesion, residual SYNTAX score >8, and staged percutaneous coronary intervention. Optimal medical therapy at 5 years, use of statins, on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, multiple arterial grafts, and higher physical component score and mental component score were associated with lower mortality at 10 years. Numerous scores and prediction models were developed to help individualize risk assessment. Machine learning has emerged as a novel approach for developing risk models.

Predictors of 1- and 12-month mortality in bifurcation coronary intervention: a contemporary perspective

Aim: Bifurcation-PCI is performed frequently, although without extensive evidence to back up a definitive solution for its complexity. We set out to identify factors associated with 1- and 12-month mortality after bifurcation-PCI between 2017 and 2021 in our tertiary center in Wales, UK. Results: Of 732 bifurcation PCI cases (mean age 69; 25% female), 67% were in ACS, 42% were left main PCI and 25.3% involved two-stent strategy. 30-day and 12-month mortality were 1.9 and 8.2%, respectively. Age, diabetes, smoking and renal failure are associated with mortality after bifurcation-PCI, while the choice between provisional and 2-stent strategies did not impact mortality/TLR. Conclusion: Awareness of 'real-world' outcomes of bifurcation-PCI should be used for appropriate patient selection, technique planning and procedural consent.

Drug-Eluting Stents: Technical and Clinical Progress

Drug-eluting stents (DES) demonstrated superior efficacy when compared to bare metal stents and plain-old balloon angioplasty and are nowadays used in almost all percutaneous revascularization procedures. The design of the stent platforms is constantly improving to maximize its efficacy and safety. Constant development of DES includes adoption of new materials used for scaffold production, new design types, improved overexpansion abilities, new polymers coating and, finally, improved antiproliferative agents. Especially nowadays, with the immense number of available DES platforms, it is crucial to understand how different aspects of stents impact the effect of their implantation, as subtle differences between various stent platforms could impact the most important issue-clinical outcomes. This review discusses the current status of coronary stents and the impact of stent material, strut design and coating techniques on cardiovascular outcomes.

Predictive value of lipoprotein(a) for assessing the prevalence and severity of lower-extremity peripheral artery disease among patients with acute coronary syndrome

Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is a reliable lipid marker for atherosclerosis. However, the clinical relevance of Lp(a) to lower-extremity peripheral artery disease (LE-PAD) and coronary artery disease (CAD) in the same patient has not been investigated. Patients who received primary percutaneous coronary intervention for the acute coronary syndrome (ACS) were enrolled. Patients who received hemodialysis, required multidisciplinary treatments, or had incomplete medical history were excluded. A total of 175 patients were divided into two groups according to whether they had LE-PAD (n = 21) or did not (n = 154), and three multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess if Lp(a) level is associated with LE-PAD prevalence. In addition, serum Lp(a) levels were compared among three groups according to the severity of LE-PAD (none, unilateral, or bilateral) and CAD. Serum Lp(a) levels were significantly higher in patients with LE-PAD than in those without (31.0 mg/dL vs. 13.5 mg/dL, p = 0.002). After adjusting for confounding factors, higher Lp(a) levels were independently associated with the prevalence of LE-PAD in all three models (p < 0.001 for all). With respect to LE-PAD severity, serum Lp(a) levels were significantly higher in the bilateral LE-PAD groups than in the group with no LE-PAD (p = 0.005 for all), whereas Lp(a) was not associated with CAD severity. Though Lp(a) levels are associated with the prevalence and severity of LE-PAD, are not associated with the severity of CAD among patients with ACS.

A novel technique of proximal optimization with kissing balloon inflation in bifurcation lesions

BACKGROUND

Percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) of bifurcation lesions poses a technical challenge with a high complication rate. Kissing balloon inflation (KBI) and proximal optimization technique (POT) are used to correct bifurcation carina after stenting. However, both may still lead to uncomplete strut apposition to the side branch (SB) lateral wall. Proposed herein, is a new stent-optimization technique following bifurcation stenting consisting of a combination of POT and KBI called proximal optimization with kissing balloon inflation (POKI).

METHODS

Bench and in-vivo evaluations were performed. For the bench visualization bifurcated silicone mock vessel was used. The POKI technique was simulated using a 3.5 mm POT balloon. For the in-vivo evaluation patients with angiographic bifurcation lesions in a native coronary artery with diameter ≥ 2.5 mm and ≤ 4.5 mm, SB diameter ≥ 2.0 mm, and percentage diameter stenosis (%DS) more than 50% in the main vessel (MV) were included. Provisional stenting was the default strategy.

RESULTS

In total 41 vessels were evaluated. The target vessel was left main in 9 (22.0%) patients, left anterior descending artery - in 26 (63.4%), left circumflex artery - in 4 (9.8%) and right coronary artery - in 2 (4.9%). The predominant type of bifurcation was Medina 1-1-1 (61.8%). Baseline proximal MV DS% was 60.0 ± 23.7%, distal MV DS% - 58.8 ± 28.9% and SB DS% 53.0 ± 32.0%. The application of POKI was feasible in 41 (100%) of the vessels. Post-PCI residual DS at proximal MV was 11.5 ± 15.4%, distal MV - 6.6 ± 9.3%, and SB - 22.9 ± 28.5%. Both procedural and angiographic success was 100%.

CONCLUSIONS

POKI is a novel stent-optimization technique for bifurcation lesions. It showed excellent feasibility and success rate both in bench and in-vivo evaluation.

Beneficial effects of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) on stent biocompatibility and the potential value of HDL infusion therapy following percutaneous coronary intervention

Several epidemiological studies have shown a clear inverse relationship between serum levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), even at low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels below 70 mg/dL. There is much evidence from basic and clinical studies that higher HDL-C levels are beneficial, whereas lower HDL-C levels are detrimental. Thus, HDL is widely recognized as an essential anti-atherogenic factor that plays a protective role against the development of ASCVD. Percutaneous coronary intervention is an increasingly common treatment choice to improve myocardial perfusion in patients with ASCVD. Although drug-eluting stents have substantially overcome the limitations of conventional bare-metal stents, there are still problems with stent biocompatibility, including delayed re-endothelialization and neoatherosclerosis, which cause stent thrombosis and in-stent restenosis. According to numerous studies, HDL not only protects against the development of atherosclerosis, but also has many anti-inflammatory and vasoprotective properties. Therefore, the use of HDL as a therapeutic target has been met with great interest. Although oral medications have not shown promise, the developed HDL infusions have been tested in clinical trials and have demonstrated viability and reproducibility in increasing the cholesterol efflux capacity and decreasing plasma markers of inflammation. The aim of the present study was to review the effect of HDL on stent biocompatibility in ASCVD patients following implantation and discuss a novel therapeutic direction of HDL infusion therapy that may be a promising candidate as an adjunctive therapy to improve stent biocompatibility following percutaneous coronary intervention.

Coronary Bifurcation Lesions

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stent (DES) for the treatment of coronary bifurcation lesions (CBLs) is still technically demanding, mainly because of higher rates of both acute and chronic complication as compared with non-CBLs. Although provisional stenting (PS) is considered as the preferred strategy for most of the CBLs, a systematic two-stent technique (double kissing [DK] crush) should be considered in patients with complex left main (LM)-CBLs or non-LM-CBLs stratified by the DEFINITION criteria. Intracoronary imaging and/or physiologic evaluation should be used to optimize CBLs intervention. PCI with DES for the treatment of CBLs is technically demanding, mainly because of higher rates of both acute and chronic complication as compared with non-CBLs. PS is a default strategy for most of the CBLs. Double kissing (DK) crush is associated with better clinical outcomes compared with PS in patients with complex LM-CBLs or non-LM-CBLs stratified by the DEFINITION criteria. Intracoronary imaging and/or physiologic evaluation are useful tools to guide the treatment of CBLs. The use of drug-coated balloons in CBLs needs further data to support the clinical benefits.

Effect of Stenting Strategy on the Outcome in Patients with Non-Left Main Bifurcation Lesions

Previous studies have not compared outcomes between different percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) strategies and lesion locations in non-left main (LM) bifurcation lesions. We enrolled 2044 patients from a multicenter registry with an LAD bifurcation lesion (n = 1551) or non-LAD bifurcation lesion (n = 493). The primary outcome was target lesion failure (TLF), a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and target lesion revascularization (TLR). During a median follow-up period of 38 months, non-LAD bifurcation lesions treated with the two-stent strategy, compared with the one-stent strategy, were associated with more frequent TLF (20.7% vs. 6.3%, p < 0.01), TLR (16.7% vs. 4.7%, p < 0.01), and target vessel revascularization (TVR; 18.2% vs. 6.3%, p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in outcome among LAD bifurcation lesions treated with different PCI strategies. The two-stent strategy was associated with a higher risk of TLF (adjusted HR 4.34, CI 1.93−9.76, p < 0.01), TLR (adjusted HR 4.30, CI 1.64−11.27, p < 0.01), and TVR (adjusted HR 5.07, CI 1.69−9.74, p < 0.01) in the non-LAD bifurcation lesions. The planned one-stent strategy is preferable to the two-stent strategy for the treatment of non-LAD bifurcation lesions.

Physiological Approach for Coronary Artery Bifurcation Disease: Position Statement by Korean, Japanese, and European Bifurcation Clubs

Coronary artery bifurcation lesions are frequently encountered in cardiac catheterization laboratories and are associated with more complex procedures and worse clinical outcomes than nonbifurcation lesions. Therefore, anatomical and physiological assessment of bifurcation lesions before, during, and after percutaneous coronary intervention is of paramount clinical importance. Physiological assessment can help interventionalists appreciate the hemodynamic significance of coronary artery disease and guide ischemia-directed revascularization. However, it is important to understand that the physiological approach for bifurcation disease is more important than simply using physiological indexes for its assessment. This joint consensus document by the Korean, Japanese, and European bifurcation clubs presents the concept of a physiological approach for coronary bifurcation lesions, as well as current knowledge, practical tips, pitfalls, and future directions of applying physiological indexes in bifurcation percutaneous coronary intervention. This document aims to guide interventionalists in performing appropriate physiology-based assessments and treatment decisions for coronary bifurcation lesions.

Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis Comparing Bifurcation Techniques for Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Background Bifurcation lesions account for 20% of all percutaneous coronary interventions and represent a complex subset which are associated with lower procedural success and higher rates of restenosis. The ideal bifurcation technique, however, remains elusive. Methods and Results Extensive search of the literature was performed to pull data from randomized clinical trials that met predetermined inclusion criteria. Conventional meta-analysis produced pooled relative risk (RR) and 95% CI of 2-stent technique versus provisional stent on prespecified outcomes. Both frequentist and Bayesian network meta-analyses were performed to compare bifurcation techniques. A total of 8318 patients were included from 29 randomized clinical trials. Conventional meta-analysis showed no significant differences in all-cause mortality, cardiac death, major adverse cardiac events, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, target lesion revascularization, and target vessel revascularization between 2-stent techniques and provisional stenting. Frequentist network meta-analysis revealed that double kissing crush was associated with lower cardiac death (RR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.38-0.84), major adverse cardiac events (RR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.39-0.64), myocardial infarction (RR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.39-0.90), stent thrombosis (RR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.28-0.88), target lesion revascularization, and target vessel revascularization when compared with provisional stenting. Double kissing crush was also superior to other 2-stent techniques, including T-stent or T and protrusion, dedicated bifurcation stent, and culotte. Conclusions Double kissing crush was associated with lower risk of cardiac death, major adverse cardiac events, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, target lesion revascularization, and target vessel revascularization compared with provisional stenting and was superior to other 2-stent techniques. Superiority of 2-stent strategy over provisional stenting was observed in subgroup meta-analysis stratified to side branch lesion length ≥10 mm.

A Review on Manufacturing and Post-Processing Technology of Vascular Stents

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stent implantation is one of the most effective treatments for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). However, there are still many complications after stent implantation. As a medical device with a complex structure and small size, the manufacture and post-processing technology greatly impact the mechanical and medical performances of stents. In this paper, the development history, material, manufacturing method, and post-processing technology of vascular stents are introduced. In particular, this paper focuses on the existing manufacturing technology and post-processing technology of vascular stents and the impact of these technologies on stent performance is described and discussed. Moreover, the future development of vascular stent manufacturing technology will be prospected and proposed.

Colchicine for symptomatic coronary artery disease after percutaneous coronary intervention

BACKGROUND

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), the preferred coronary reperfusion strategy, induces endothelial trauma which may mount an inflammatory response. This has been shown to increase the likelihood of further major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Colchicine, a cheap and widely used anti-inflammatory has shown promise in improving cardiovascular outcomes. We aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to study the effects of colchicine in patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease (CAD) who have undergone PCI.

METHOD

We systematically reviewed and meta-analysed 7 randomised controlled trials including a total of 6660 patients (colchicine group: 3347, control group: 3313; mean age=60.9±10). Six studies included participants who had a ≤13.5-day history of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). One study included patients with both ACS and chronic coronary syndrome. The follow-up of studies ranged from 3 days to 22.6 months.

RESULTS

The use of colchicine in patients who underwent PCI significantly reduced MACE outcomes (risk ratio 0.73 (95% CI 0.61 to 0.87); p=0.0003) with minimal heterogeneity across the analysis (I²=6%; P for Cochran Q=0.38). These results were driven mainly by the reduction in repeat vessel revascularisation, stroke and stent thrombosis. The number needed to treat to prevent one occurrence of MACE was 41.

CONCLUSION

Colchicine significantly reduced the risk of MACE in patients with CAD who underwent PCI, mostly in the reduction of repeat vessel revascularisation, stroke and stent thrombosis. The efficacy of colchicine should be further studied by distinguishing its use alongside different stent types and dosing regimens.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42021245699.

The Clinical Value of Syntax Scores in Predicting Coronary Artery Disease Outcomes

The Synergy Between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with Taxus and Cardiac Surgery (SYNTAX) score (SS) hassignificantly improved angiographic risk stratification. By analyzing angiographic variables, this score characterizescoronary artery disease qualitatively and quantitatively. To date, combining this score with other non-angiographic clinicalscores has broadened perspectives regarding risk estimation, and future research on this topic appears promising.

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with Stenting versus Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in Stable Coronary Artery Disease

The debate over coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stent placement for the treatment of stable multivessel coronary artery disease (CAD) continues in spite of numerous studies investigating the issue. This paper reviews the most recent randomized control trials (RCT) and meta-analyses of pooled RCT data to help address this issue. General trends demonstrated that CABG was superior in all-cause mortality and fulfilling the need for repeat revascularization. These advantages tended to be more pronounced in multivessel CAD and diabetes, and less so in left main CAD. PCI showed a consistently lower rate of cerebrovascular events. CABG continues to offer significant advantages over PCI, even as drug-eluting stent technology continues to evolve. The ideal endpoint for comparing PCI and CABG remains to be determined. Furthermore, additional research is required to further refine patient selection criteria for each intervention.

Reassessing Revascularization Strategies in Coronary Artery Disease and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is still controversial in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Here, we aimed to evaluate the long-term follow-up events of PCI and CABG in these populations. Relevant randomized controlled trials were retrieved from PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane databases. The pooled results were represented as risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) with STATA software. A total of six trials with 1,766 patients who received CABG and 2,262 patients who received PCI were included in our study. Patients in the CABG group were significantly associated with a lower all-cause mortality compared with those in the PCI group (RR = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.56–0.98, P = 0.037). Cardiac mortality, recurrent myocardial infarction, and repeat revascularization were also significantly lower in the CABG group (RR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.40–1.53, P = 0.479; RR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.32–1.56, P = 0.387; and RR = 0.36, 95% CI = 0.28–0.46, P < 0.0001; respectively). However, compared with the PCI group, the cerebral vascular accident was higher in the CABG group (RR = 2.18, 95% CI = 1.43–3.33, P < 0.0001). There was no publication bias in our study. CABG revascularization was associated with significantly lower long-term adverse clinical outcomes, except cerebral vascular accident, compared with PCI in patients with CAD and T2DM.

Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO, identifier: CRD42020216014.

Evolution of the Crush Technique for Bifurcation Stenting

Bifurcation lesions are frequently encountered, associated with greater procedural complexity and consequently are at higher risk for restenosis and stent thrombosis. Early trials in bifurcation percutaneous coronary intervention favored a provisional stenting approach, but contemporary randomized trials have highlighted potentially superior outcomes using a double-kiss crush technique in unprotected distal left main stem bifurcation lesions. Although the evidence is greatest for double-kiss crush, many operators favor a mini-crush or nano-crush single-kiss approach. In this review, the authors describe the iterations of the crush technique and the evidence for each and review general principles for bifurcation percutaneous coronary intervention.

Risk Stratification of Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome

Defining the risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) has been a challenge. Many individual biomarkers and risk scores that predict outcomes during different periods following ACS have been proposed. This review evaluates known outcome predictors supported by clinical data in light of the development of new treatment strategies for ACS patients during the last three decades.

Percutaneous Coronary Revascularization: JACC Historical Breakthroughs in Perspective

Over the last 4 decades, percutaneous coronary intervention has evolved dramatically and is now an acceptable treatment option for patients with advanced coronary artery disease. However, trialists have struggled to establish the respective roles for percutaneous coronary intervention and coronary artery bypass graft surgery, especially in patients with multivessel disease and unprotected left-main stem coronary artery disease. Several pivotal trials and meta-analyses comparing these 2 revascularization strategies have enabled the relative merits of each technique to be established with regard to the type of ischemic syndrome, the coronary anatomy, and the patient's overall comorbidity. Precision medicine with individualized prognosis is emerging as an important method of selecting treatment. However, the never-ending advancement of technology, in conjunction with the emergence of novel pharmacological agents, will in the future continue to force us to reconsider the evolving question: "Which treatment strategy is better and for which patient?"

Cardiovascular outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention on bifurcation lesions with moderate to severe coronary calcium: A single-center registry study

BACKGROUND

Both target vessel calcification and target vessel bifurcation are associated with worse outcomes following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Whether these entities in combination interact to influence outcomes after PCI of complex coronary disease is not known.

OBJECTIVES

This study evaluated the association of target vessel bifurcation and target vessel calcification, alone and in combination, with adverse events following PCI.

METHODS

Registry data from 21,165 patients who underwent PCI with drug-eluting stents (DES) between January 2009 and December 2017 were analyzed. Patients were divided into four groups according to the presence or absence of target vessel bifurcation and presence of none/mild or moderate/severe target vessel calcification on angiography. Associations between lesion groups and 1 year major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were examined using Cox regression analysis.

RESULTS

At 1 year, unadjusted rates of MACE, death, myocardial infarction (MI), as well as stent thrombosis were highest in the group with both bifurcation lesion and moderate/severe calcification. After adjusting for confounders such as age, renal disease, and smoking, hazard ratios for MACE were 1.14 (95%CI 0.99-1.33) for bifurcation with none/mild calcification, 1.21 (95%CI 1.06-1.38) for no bifurcation and moderate/severe calcification, and 1.37 (95%CI 1.14-1.64) for bifurcation and moderate severe calcification, compared to patients with no bifurcation and none/mild calcification.

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of a bifurcating target vessel with moderate/severe calcification is associated with a higher risk of adverse outcomes than either attribute alone. New approaches are needed to improve outcomes in this subset of patients with complex coronary artery disease.

Structural Design of Vascular Stents: A Review

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) is currently the most conventional and effective method for clinically treating cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis. Stent implantation, as one of the ways of PCI in the treatment of coronary artery diseases, has become a hot spot in scientific research with more and more patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases. However, vascular stent implanted into vessels of patients often causes complications such as In-Stent Restenosis (ISR). The vascular stent is one of the sophisticated medical devices, a reasonable structure of stent can effectively reduce the complications. In this paper, we introduce the evolution, performance evaluation standards, delivery and deployment, and manufacturing methods of vascular stents. Based on a large number of literature pieces, this paper focuses on designing structures of vascular stents in terms of “bridge (or link)” type, representative volume unit (RVE)/representative unit cell (RUC), and patient-specific stent. Finally, this paper gives an outlook on the future development of designing vascular stents.

Contemporary approaches to bifurcation stenting

Bifurcation lesions are common and associated with higher risks of major cardiac events and restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Treatment requires understanding of lesion characteristics, stent design and therapeutic options. We review the evidence for provisional vs 2-stent techniques. We conclude that provisional stenting is suitable for most bifurcation lesions. We detail situations where a 2-stent technique should be considered and the steps for performing each of the 2-step techniques. We review the importance of lesion preparation, intracoronary imaging, proximal optimization (POT) and kissing balloon inflation.

Outcomes of bioresorbable vascular scaffolds versus everolimus-eluting stents by coronary complexity: a sub-analysis of the AIDA trial

AIMS

We aimed to evaluate the impact of the complexity of coronary disease as assessed by the SYNTAX score (SXscore) on the clinical outcomes in the AIDA trial.

METHODS AND RESULTS

In the AIDA trial, we compared Absorb versus XIENCE in routine clinical practice. Clinical outcomes were stratified by SXscore tertiles: SXlow (SXscore ≤8), SXmid (SXscore >8 and ≤15) and SXhigh (>15). The SXscore was available in 1,661 of the 1,845 (90%) patients. The event rate of TVF was numerically lower in Absorb compared to XIENCE (3.7% versus 5.6%; p=0.257) in the SXlow tertile, numerically higher in Absorb in the SXmid tertile (11.4% versus 9.3%, p=0.421) and similar in the SXhigh tertile (15.5% versus 15.6%; p=0.960). The rates of definite/probable device thrombosis in Absorb versus XIENCE were significantly higher in the SXmid tertile (3.3% versus 0.8%, p=0.043) and in the SXhigh tertile (3.7% versus 0.8%, p=0.006).

CONCLUSIONS

We found no significantly different rates of TVF between Absorb and XIENCE patients. Absorb-treated patients in the SXmid and SXhigh tertiles had an increased risk of device thrombosis when compared to XIENCE-treated patients. The rates of device thrombosis in the SXlow tertile, while still higher for Absorb, are more acceptable than in the SXmid and SXhigh score tertiles.

In vivo biological safety evaluation of an iron-based bioresorbable drug-eluting stent

Bioresorbable stents (BRS) are investigated and designed to revascularize occluded arteries. The iron-based bioresorbable stent is a promising device in interventional therapies, although it's corrosion and bioresorption rate remain challenging. In this work, we introduced a novel nitrided iron coronary stent (IBS) with enhanced degradation rate compared with pure iron stent. To evaluate the biosafety of this device, a sub-chronic systemic toxicity study was conducted and a stainless steel stent (Supporter™) served as a control. Here, the bioresorbable stent was first evaluated in rat abdominal aortic implantation model. When subjected to exaggerated exposure dose, no clinical signs of toxicity or mortality were observed in either, the IBS group or the control group. Histopathological examinations showed the corrosion particles of iron were encapsulated by fibrocytes and engulfed by macrophages, indicating that the degradation of iron was in the early stage. Our results demonstrated that the nitrided iron stent did not induce systemic toxicity under the experimental conditions.

The Role of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in the Treatment of Chronic Total Occlusions: Rationale and Review of the Literature

BACKGROUND

Chronic total occlusion (CTO) of a coronary artery is defined as an occluded segment with no antegrade flow and a known or estimated duration of at least 12 weeks.

OBJECTIVE

We considered the current literature describing the indications and clinical outcomes for denovo CTO- percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and discuss the role of CTO-PCI and future directions for this procedure.

METHODS

Databases (PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, EBSCO, Web of Science, and CINAHL were searched and relevant studies of CTO-PCI were selected for review.

RESULTS

The prevalence of coronary artery CTO's has been reported to be ~ 20% among patients undergoing diagnostic coronary angiography for suspected coronary artery disease. Revascularization of any CTO can be technically challenging and a time-consuming procedure with relatively low success rates and may be associated with a higher incidence of complications, particularly at non-specialized centers. However, with an increase in experience and technological advances, several centers are now reporting success rates above 80% for these lesions. There is marked variability among studies in reporting outcomes for CTO-PCI with some reporting potential mortality benefit, better quality of life and improved cardiac function parameters. Anecdotally, properly selected patients who undergo a successful CTO-PCI most often have profound relief of ischemic symptoms. Intuitively, it makes sense to revascularize an occluded coronary artery with the goal of improving cardiovascular function and patient quality of life.

CONCLUSION

CTO-PCI is a rapidly expanding specialized procedure in interventional cardiology and is reasonable or indicated if the occluded vessel is responsible for symptoms or in selected patients with silent ischemia in whom there is a large amount of myocardium at risk and PCI is likely to be successful.

Ear Crease Features Are Associated with Complexity of Coronary Lesions

BACKGROUND The presence of a Frank's sign ear crease is closely correlated with coronary artery disease (CAD). The SYNTAX score indicates the complexity of coronary lesions. This present investigation sought to identify the correlation between SYNTAX score and several specific ear creases. MATERIAL AND METHODS Four specific types of ear creases - crossing crease not originated from ear hole (CC-NEH), crossing crease originated from ear hole (CC-EH), vertical creases on the face side (VC-F), and vertical creases dividing earlobe and face (VC-EF) - were investigated in patients undergoing coronary angiography. A Frank's sign score system was introduced based on the 4 creases. Demographic data, clinical data, and SYNTAX score were also documented. The association between ear creases and SYNTAX score, as well as the correlation between Frank's score and SYNTAX score, were statistically analyzed. RESULTS CC-NEH had the highest positive predictive value (positive predictive value=0.439), and VC-F had the highest negative predictive value for the detection of intermediate and high SYNTAX score (negative predictive value=1.000). VC-EF and CC-NEH were associated with intermediate and high SYNTAX scores (OR=2.913-7.694, all P<0.05). Only 2.9% of patients with Frank's score=0 had intermediate or high SYNTAX scores, and 52.2% and 50.0% of patients with Frank's sign score=3 and 4 had intermediate or high SYNTAX scores, respectively. The Frank's sign score was significantly and positively correlated with SYNTAX score (r=0.457, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Features of specific ear creases and Frank's sign scores were associated with intermediate and high complexity of coronary lesions.

Arrhythmias in Patients after Surgical Myocardial Revascularization

This work represents literature review data regarding the study of the effect of surgical myocardial revascularization on the processes of electrical myocardial instability underlying the onset of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias, as well as the possibilities for its non-invasive assessment by studying the heart rhythm variability and turbulence. Analyzed data demonstrated that, relying only on the presence of a viable myocardium, it is often impossible to predict the positive effect of revascularization on the prognosis in patients, especially those with reduced myocardial contractility. Considering the well-studied relationship between myocardial remodeling and neurohormonal activation, such non-invasive methods for assessing vegetative regulation of cardiac activity, as heart rate variability and turbulence may provide additional diagnostic information. The literature data indicate that heart failure, ventricular arrhythmias and recurrences of angina and myocardial infarction are the main problems that determine an unfavorable outcome in the postoperative period. There is important evidence that violations of the vegetative regulation of the heart, the heterogeneity of repolarization processes in the myocardium are integral indicators of the morphofunctional changes occurring in the process of coronary heart disease (CHD) progression. The role of indicators of heart rate variability and turbulence as predictors of sudden cardiac death was proved, mainly due to fatal ventricular heart rhythm disorders and cardiovascular mortality. Along with this, changes in these indicators, and their prognostic role in patients with CHD in revascularization are the subject of discussion, which determines the relevance of further studies on the effect of various methods of revascularization on the electrical instability of the myocardium, as one of the most important factors in the development of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias that are predictors of sudden cardiac death, especially in patients who previously had acute myocardial infarction. Besides it is important to study the effect of myocardial revascularization on the indicators of cardiac autonomic regulation and the possibility of their use as prognostic criteria before and after surgery.

Apolipoprotein A1 is associated with SYNTAX score in patients with a non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND

The study was designed to investigate lipid profile and SYNTAX score in patients with non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI).

METHODS

311 patients with NSTEMI were enrolled. The demographic, clinical data, blood samples and SYNTAX score were documented. The Pearson linear correlation was used to detect confounding factors linearly correlated with SYNTAX score. The significantly correlated confounding factors were put into the multiple linear regressions.

RESULTS

The Pearson linear correlation showed that high-density lipoprotein- cholesterol (HDL-C) and apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) were significantly correlated with Syntax Score (r = - 0.119, P = 0.044 and r = - 0.182, P = 0.002, respectively). The multiple linear regressions for Syntax Score were built using HDL-C and ApoA1, respectively. After the adjustment of other significantly correlated confounding factors such as white blood cell count (WBC), myohemoglobin (MB), glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase (AST) and creatinine, the ApoA1 still showed significant association with Syntax Score (β = - 0.151, P = 0.028). The area under curve was (AUC) 0.624 and the optimal cutoff value is 1.07 g/L when using ApoA1 to predict moderate and severe coronary artery lesions. The patients with ApoA1 ≥ 1.07 g/L and < 1.07 g/L have the Syntax Scores of 12.21 ± 11.58 and 16.33 ± 11.53, respectively (P = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The ApoA1 is the only lipid factor significantly associated with complexity of coronary artery lesion in patients with NSTEMI, the patients with ApoA1 < 1.07 g/L may have more complex coronary artery lesions.

A prospective, multicenter, randomized OCT study of early neointimal condition at first and second months after BuMA Supreme stent versus XIENCE stent implantation in high-bleeding-risk coronary artery disease patients: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background

Earlier vascular healing after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation may reduce the incidence of late stent thrombosis and provide theoretical evidence to shorten dual antiplatelet therapy duration in patients with high bleeding risks. The BuMA supreme stent is a newly developed DES-coated with the sirolimus by using the international patent electronic grafted eG™ technology. Previous randomized trials showed that BuMA stents had better stent-strut coverage at 3-month follow-ups, which were evaluated by optical coherence tomography (OCT). However, there have been a limited number of studies that are directly evaluating the extent of neointima formation at the first and second months after stent implantation in high-bleeding-risk patients with coronary artery disease. This clinical trial is designed to demonstrate the non-inferiority of the BuMA supreme stent compared to the XIENCE stent in early neointimal formation.

Methods/design

This is a prospective, multicenter, randomized trial. Forty patients will be assigned into the first-month OCT group, and another 40 patients into the second-month OCT group. The patients in each cohort will be randomized again into two groups in a 1:1 ratio, either being implanted with the BuMA Supreme stent or the Xience V/Prime/Xpedition stent. The primary endpoint is stent-strut neointimal coverage rate (%) at the first and second months, respectively. Secondary endpoints include neointimal hyperplasia area/volume, neointimal hyperplasia thickness, stent-strut malapposition rate, late lumen loss (LLL), restenosis rate, device/lesion/clinical success rate, device-oriented composite endpoints at the first and second months, stent thrombosis and other serious adverse events and bleeding events at follow-up.

Discussion

The results will provide the first accurate imaging evidence on neointimal formation of the BuMA Supreme stent and the Xience stent at 1–2 months post PCI. The result should inspire further exploration and adjustment of DAPT treatments.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT02747329. Registered on 21 April 2016. Last updated 17 May 2018.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13063-019-3361-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Association of early menopause with angiographically-derived SYNTAX score: Observational study

Association of early menopause with increased risk of cardiovascular events has been confirmed in previous studies. SYNTAX score (SX-score) can comprehensively quantify severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) and predict the outcomes of patients with CAD. However, the association of early menopause with SX-score has never been reported.We prospectively included 1875 consecutive postmenopausal patients who underwent coronary angiography (CAG) and were angiographically diagnosed with CAD from January 2011 to December 2013. SX-score was calculated using the SX-score algorithm based on diagnostic angiogram. Ordinal logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the association between early menopause and SX-score.Patients with early menopause were more likely to have a history of hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and less likely to smoking. Besides, they have higher fasting glucose, hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglyceride (TG), and body mass index (BMI) compared with the patients without early menopause. Moreover, patients with early menopause have higher SX-score and multi-vessel diseases. Ordinal logistic regression analysis showed that age, hypertension, diabetes, and early menopause exerted independent influences on SX-score. The patients undergone oophorectomy, early menopause was highly associated with SX-score.Early menopause was an independent predictor of SX-score in postmenopausal patients with CAD.

Revascularization Strategies and Survival in Patients With Multivessel Coronary Artery Disease

BACKGROUND

We sought to assess real-world implementation of the guidelines in patients with multivessel coronary artery disease (CAD) using a prospective national registry in Israel.

METHODS

All consecutive patients with left main or 2- to 3-vessel CAD involving the proximal or mid left anterior descending artery were enrolled in a dedicated multicenter registry. Patients were managed at the discretion of the treating team at each hospital and were followed for 30 months.

RESULTS

This registry included 1,064 patients, 55% treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and 45% with coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that chronic renal failure (odds ratio [OR], 2.43; p = 0.001) and prior myocardial infarction (OR, 1.7; p = 0.024) were associated with referral to PCI versus CABG, whereas male gender (OR, 2.27; p < 0.001), prior aspirin treatment (OR, 1.72; p = 0.005), diabetes mellitus (OR, 1.51; p = 0.007), 3-vessel CAD (OR, 3.45; p < 0.001) and SYNTAX score (SS) greater than 32 (OR, 10.0; p < 0.001) were associated with referral to CABG versus PCI. Each point increment in the SS was independently associated with a 9% greater likelihood of referral to CABG (p < 0.001). Survival analysis showed that mortality risk was lower among PCI patients less than 8 months after the procedure, and CABG was associated with a significant survival benefit thereafter.

CONCLUSIONS

We found good agreement with current guidelines regarding revascularization strategies in real-world patients with multivessel CAD. The SS was the main independent predictor associated with the choice of revascularization strategy. The time-dependent association between revascularization strategy and long-term survival should be incorporated in the risk assessment of this population.

Benefit of Prolonged Dual Antiplatelet Therapy After Implantation of Drug-Eluting Stent for Coronary Bifurcation Lesions

Background:

Whether prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) improves clinical outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention for coronary bifurcation lesion is uncertain.

Methods and Results:

We evaluated 2082 patients who were treated with drug-eluting stent for bifurcation lesions and were event free (no death, myocardial infarction [MI], cerebrovascular accident, stent thrombosis, or any revascularization) at 12 months after the index procedure. Patients were divided into 2 groups: DAPT ≥12-month group (n=1776) and DAPT <12-month group (n=306). Primary outcome was all-cause death or MI. At 4 years after the index procedure, death or MI occurred less frequently in the DAPT ≥12-month group than the DAPT <12-month group (2.8% versus 12.3%; adjusted hazard ratio, 0.21; 95% confidence interval, 0.13–0.35; P <0.001). After propensity score matching, incidence of death or MI was still lower in the DAPT ≥12-month group than the DAPT <12-month group (2.6% versus 12.3%; adjusted hazard ratio, 0.22; 95% confidence interval, 0.12–0.38; P <0.001). In subgroup analysis, the treatment effect of prolonged DAPT was consistent across subgroups regardless of lesion location, stenting technique, or type of used drug-eluting stent.

Conclusions:

The risk of all-cause death or MI was significantly lower in the ≥12-month DAPT group than the <12-month DAPT group after percutaneous coronary intervention for bifurcation lesion using drug-eluting stent. Our results suggest that prolonged DAPT may improve long-term clinical outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention for bifurcation lesions.

Clinical Trial Registration:

URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT01642992

Pivotal contemporary trials of percutaneous coronary intervention vs. coronary artery bypass grafting: a surgical perspective

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are the two revascularization strategies for patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). While CABG continues to be the gold standard for revascularization, advancements in PCI technology have triggered numerous, often industry-funded investigations to challenge this role. This perspective will provide a summary of previous RCTs comparing CABG vs. PCI. The recently published NOBLE and EXCEL trials will be discussed in depth. Future directions of research pertaining to CABG vs. PCI will be briefly discussed in this document.

Comparison of Long-term Outcomes in Patients with Premature Triple-vessel Coronary Disease Undergoing Three Different Treatment Strategies: A Prospective Cohort Study

Background:

Patients with premature triple-vessel disease (PTVD) have a higher risk of recurrent coronary events and repeat revascularization; however, the long-term outcome of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and medical therapy (MT) alone for PTVD patients is controversial. The aim of this study is to evaluate the long-term outcome of PTVD patients among these three treatment strategies, to find out the most appropriate treatment methods for these patients.

Methods:

One thousand seven hundred and ninety-two patients with PTVD (age: men ≤50 years and women ≤60 years) were enrolled between 2004 and 2011. The primary end point was all-cause death. The secondary end points were cardiac death, myocardial infarction, stroke, or repeat revascularization.

Results:

PCI, CABG, and MT alone were performed in 933 (52.1%), 459 (25.6%), and 400 (22.3%) patients. Both PCI and CABG were associated with lower all-cause death (4.6% vs. 4.1% vs. 15.5%, respectively, P < 0.01) and cardiac death (2.8% vs. 2.0% vs. 9.8%, respectively, P < 0.01) versus MT alone. The rate of repeat revascularization in the CABG group was significantly lower than those in the PCI and MT groups. After adjusting for baseline factors, PCI and CABG were still associated with similar lower risk of all-cause death and cardiac death versus MT alone (all-cause death: hazard ratio [HR]: 0.35, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.23–0.53, P < 0.01 and HR: 0.35, 95% CI: 0.18–0.70, P = 0.003, respectively, and cardiac death: HR: 0.32, 95% CI: 0.19–0.54, P < 0.01 and HR: 0.36, 95% CI: 0.14–0.93, P = 0.03, respectively).

Conclusions:

PCI and CABG provided equal long-term benefits for all-cause death and cardiac death for PTVD patients. Patients undergoing MT alone had the worst long-term clinical outcomes.

Trial Registration:

ClinicalTrials.gov; Identifier: NCT02634086. https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT02634086?term=NCT02634086&rank=1

Understanding the Coronary Bifurcation Stenting

Coronary bifurcation stenting is still complex and associated with a high risk of stent thrombosis and restenosis even with contemporary techniques. Although provisional approach has been proved to be the standard strategy of treatment, There is still lack of evidences for multiple steps of the procedure. For so many years we have been focused on the optimization of side branch (SB), but the clinical outcome is mostly dependent on the main vessel (MV) stenting. The optimal expansion of MV stent without the compromise of SB is the ultimate goal to achieve in the coronary bifurcation stenting. Understanding the anatomy and physiology of coronary bifurcation lesion should be the most important step to this goal. The relationship of vessel diameter between branches and the anatomical and functional significance of plaque shift and carina shift are two most important concepts to understand. They are the science behind the predictors of SB occlusion, and the rationale of proximal optimization technique and final kissing ballooning. This specific review will be devoted to review those concepts as well as clinical evidences to support them.

Outcomes of Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery Versus Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Patients Aged 18-45 Years with Diabetes Mellitus

BACKGROUND

Debate on treatment for young patients with coronary artery disease still exists. This study aimed to investigate the intermediate- and long-term outcomes between coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients aged 18-45 years with diabetes mellitus (DM).

METHODS

Between January 2006 and March 2016, a total of 2018 DM patients aged 18-45 years including 517 cases of CABG and 1501 cases of PCI were enrolled in the study. Using propensity score matching (PSM), 406 patients were matched from each group. The intermediate- and long-term data were collected. The primary end point of this study was long-term death. The secondary end points included long-term major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs), stroke, angina, myocardial infarction (MI), and repeat revascularization.

RESULTS

Before PSM, the in-hospital mortality was 1.2% in the CABG group and 0.1% in the PCI group, with statistically significant difference (P < 0.0001). The 10-year follow-up outcomes including long-term survival rate and freedom from MACCEs were better in the CABG group than those in the PCI group (97.3% vs. 94.5%, P = 0.0072; 93.2% vs. 86.3%, P < 0.0001), but CABG group was associated with lower freedom from stoke compared to PCI group (94.2% vs. 97.5%, P = 0.0059). After propensity score-matched analysis, these findings at 10-year follow-up were also confirmed. Freedom from MACCEs was higher in CABG group compared to PCI group, but no significant difference was observed (93.1% vs. 89.2%, P = 0.0720). The freedom from recurrent MI was significantly higher in CABG patients compared with PCI patients (95.6% vs. 92.5%, P = 0.0260). Furthermore, CABG was associated with a higher rate of long-term survival rate than PCI (97.5% vs. 94.6%, P = 0.0403). There was no significant difference in the freedom from stroke between CABG and PCI groups (95.3% vs. 97.3%, P = 0.9385). The hospital cost was greater for CABG (13,936 ± 4480 US dollars vs. 10,926 ± 7376 US dollars, P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

In DM patients aged 18-45 years, the cumulative survival rate, and freedom from MI and repeat revascularization for CABG were superior to those of PCI. However, a better trend to avoid stroke was observed with PCI.

Worse clinical outcomes following percutaneous coronary intervention with a high SYNTAX score: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The synergy between percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with TAXUS and Cardiac Surgery (SYNTAX) score is an angiographic tool which is used to determine the complexity of coronary artery disease (CAD). We aimed to compare PCI versus coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) in patients with a high SYNTAX score in order to confirm with evidence whether the former is really association with worse clinical outcomes.

METHODS

The National database of medical research articles (MEDLINE/PubMed), EMBASE database, and the Cochrane library were searched for publications comparing PCI versus CABG in patients with a high SYNTAX score, respectively. Death, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, repeated revascularization, and a combined outcome death/stroke/MI were considered as the clinical endpoints. RevMan software was used to analyze the data, whereby odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used as the statistical parameters.

RESULTS

A total number of 1074 patients were included (455 patients with a high SYNTAX score were classified in the PCI group and 619 other patients with a high SYNTAX score were classified in the CABG group). A SYNTAX score cut-off value of ≥33 was considered relevant. Compared with CABG, mortality was significantly higher with a high SYNTAX score following PCI with OR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.18 to 2.70; P = .006, I = 0%. The combined outcome death/stroke/MI was also significantly higher following PCI with a high SYNTAX score, with OR: 1.69, 95% CI: 1.24 to 2.30; P = .0009, I = 0%. In addition, PCI was also associated with significantly higher MI and repeated revascularization when compared with CABG, with OR: 3.72, 95% CI: 1.75 to 7.89; P = .0006, I = 0% and OR: 4.33, 95% CI: 1.71 to 10.94; P = .002, I = 77%, respectively. However, stroke was not significantly different.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with CABG, worse clinical outcomes were observed following PCI in patients with a high SYNTAX score, confirming with evidence, published clinical literatures. Therefore, CABG should be recommended to CAD patients who have been allotted a high SYNTAX score.

Impact of Chronic Kidney Disease on Long-Term Outcome in Coronary Bypass Candidates Treated with Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Background and Objectives

The aim of this study was to identify clinical, lesional, and procedural predictors for adverse outcomes of coronary angioplasty and stenting in coronary bypass candidates.

Subjects and Methods

This cohort study included 107 consecutive candidates for coronary artery bypass surgery who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention with multiple coronary stents between Jan 2004 and Dec 2011. The study endpoint was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) including all-cause mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction, repeat revascularization, and stent thrombosis. Follow up was from the date of index percutaneous coronary intervention to the date of the first MACE, date of death, or December 31, 2015, whichever came first.

Results

In this study (age 62.3±11.2 years, 86% male), 38 patients (36%) had MACE. Among baseline, angiographic, and procedural parameters, there were significant differences in lower left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and worse renal function. In a Cox regression model, LVEF and chronic kidney disease (CKD) were significant predictors for MACE. After a multivariate adjustment, CKD remained a significant predictor of MACEs (hazard ratio: 2.97, 95% confidence interval: 1.50-5.90).

Conclusions

For coronary bypass candidates who were treated with coronary angioplasty and stenting, CKD seems to be the strongest predictor for adverse outcomes compared with other traditional factors.

Percutaneous coronary angioplasty versus coronary artery bypass grafting in treatment of unprotected left main stenosis (NOBLE): a prospective, randomised, open-label, non-inferiority trial

BACKGROUND

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is the standard treatment for revascularisation in patients with left main coronary artery disease, but use of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for this indication is increasing. We aimed to compare PCI and CABG for treatment of left main coronary artery disease.

METHODS

In this prospective, randomised, open-label, non-inferiority trial, patients with left main coronary artery disease were enrolled in 36 centres in northern Europe and randomised 1:1 to treatment with PCI or CABG. Eligible patients had stable angina pectoris, unstable angina pectoris, or non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Exclusion criteria were ST-elevation myocardial infarction within 24 h, being considered too high risk for CABG or PCI, or expected survival of less than 1 year. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events (MACCE), a composite of all-cause mortality, non-procedural myocardial infarction, any repeat coronary revascularisation, and stroke. Non-inferiority of PCI to CABG required the lower end of the 95% CI not to exceed a hazard ratio (HR) of 1·35 after up to 5 years of follow-up. The intention-to-treat principle was used in the analysis if not specified otherwise. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, number NCT01496651.

FINDINGS

Between Dec 9, 2008, and Jan 21, 2015, 1201 patients were randomly assigned, 598 to PCI and 603 to CABG, and 592 in each group entered analysis by intention to treat. Kaplan-Meier 5 year estimates of MACCE were 29% for PCI (121 events) and 19% for CABG (81 events), HR 1·48 (95% CI 1·11-1·96), exceeding the limit for non-inferiority, and CABG was significantly better than PCI (p=0·0066). As-treated estimates were 28% versus 19% (1·55, 1·18-2·04, p=0·0015). Comparing PCI with CABG, 5 year estimates were 12% versus 9% (1·07, 0·67-1·72, p=0·77) for all-cause mortality, 7% versus 2% (2·88, 1·40-5·90, p=0·0040) for non-procedural myocardial infarction, 16% versus 10% (1·50, 1·04-2·17, p=0·032) for any revascularisation, and 5% versus 2% (2·25, 0·93-5·48, p=0·073) for stroke.

INTERPRETATION

The findings of this study suggest that CABG might be better than PCI for treatment of left main stem coronary artery disease.

FUNDING

Biosensors, Aarhus University Hospital, and participating sites.