Everolimus-eluting versus paclitaxel-eluting stents in coronary artery disease

Aspirin Monotherapy vs No Antiplatelet Therapy in Stable Patients With Coronary Stents Undergoing Low-to-Intermediate Risk Noncardiac Surgery

BACKGROUND

Current guidelines recommend the perioperative continuation of aspirin in patients with coronary drug-eluting stents (DES) undergoing noncardiac surgery. However, supporting evidence is limited.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to compare continuing aspirin monotherapy vs temporarily holding all antiplatelet therapy before noncardiac surgery in patients with previous DES implantation.

METHODS

We randomly assigned patients who had received a DES >1 year previously and were undergoing elective noncardiac surgery either to continue aspirin or to discontinue all antiplatelet agents 5 days before noncardiac surgery. Antiplatelet therapy was recommended to be resumed no later than 48 hours after surgery, unless contraindicated. The primary outcome was a composite of death from any cause, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, or stroke between 5 days before and 30 days after noncardiac surgery.

RESULTS

A total of 1,010 patients underwent randomization. Among 926 patients in the modified intention-to-treat population (462 patients in aspirin monotherapy group and 464 patients in the no-antiplatelet therapy group), the primary composite outcome occurred in 3 patients (0.6%) in the aspirin monotherapy group and 4 patients (0.9%) in the no antiplatelet group (difference, -0.2 percentage points; 95% CI: -1.3 to 0.9; P > 0.99). There was no stent thrombosis in either group. The incidence of major bleeding did not differ significantly between groups (6.5% vs 5.2%; P = 0.39), whereas minor bleeding was significantly more frequent in the aspirin group (14.9% vs 10.1%; P = 0.027).

CONCLUSIONS

Among patients undergoing low-to-intermediate risk noncardiac surgery >1 year after stent implantation primarily with a DES, in the setting of lower-than-expected event rates, we failed to identify a significant difference between perioperative aspirin monotherapy and no antiplatelet therapy with respect to ischemic outcomes or major bleeding. (Perioperative Antiplatelet Therapy in Patients With Drug-eluting Stent Undergoing Noncardiac Surgery [ASSURE-DES]; NCT02797548).

First-in-Human Evaluation of a Polymer-Free Everolimus-Eluting Stent Using a Titanium Dioxide Film

BACKGROUND

In patients with coronary artery disease treated with permanent polymer-coated drug-eluting stents (DES), the persistent presence of a less biocompatible polymer might delay arterial healing. Thin strut polymer-free DES have the potential to improve clinical outcomes and reduce the duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT). The purpose of this first-in-human study was to assess the safety and effectiveness of a novel polymer-free DES in patients with de novo coronary lesions. The TIGERevolutioN® stent (CG Bio Co., Ltd., Seoul, Korea) consists of a cobalt chromium platform with a strut thickness of 70 μm and a surface treated with titanium dioxide onto which everolimus-eluting stent (EES) is applied abluminally (6 µg/mm of stent length) without utilization of a polymer.

METHODS

A total of 20 patients were enrolled, with de novo coronary lesions (stable or unstable angina) and > 50% diameter stenosis in a vessel 2.25 to 4.00 mm in diameter and ≤ 40 mm in length for angiographic, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and clinical assessment at 8 months. All patients received DAPT after stent implantation. The primary endpoint was angiographic in-stent late lumen loss (LLL) at 8 months.

RESULTS

Twenty patients with 20 lesions were treated with TIGERevolutioN®. At 8 months, in-stent LLL was 0.7 ± 0.4 mm. On OCT, percent area stenosis was 29.2 ± 9.4% and stent strut coverage was complete in all lesions. No adverse cardiovascular event occurred at 8 months.

CONCLUSION

The new polymer-free EES was safe and effective with low LLL and excellent strut coverage at 8 months of follow-up.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Trial Registration: Clinical Research Information Service Identifier: KCT0005699.

Clinical outcomes with biodegradable versus durable polymer drug-eluting stents in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND

Coronary drug-eluting stents (DES) built with either durable (DP) or biodegradable (BP) polymeric coatings have been largely tested and are extensively available for routine use. However, their comparative performance remains an open question, particularly in more complex subsets of patients.

AIMS

We evaluated the outcomes of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) using DP-DES versus BP-DES in a large multicenter real-world registry.

METHODS

The population comprised patients with STEMI treated with pPCI within 12 h of symptoms onset. Those treated with more than one DES who received different polymer types were excluded. The final cohort for analysis was selected after propensity score matching (PSM), computed to generate similar groups of DP DES versus BP DES. Primary endpoint was the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE), defined as the composite of total death, myocardial infarction and target lesion revascularization at 2 years.

RESULTS

From January 2017 to April 2022, a total of 1527 STEMI patients underwent pPCI with a single DES type (587 DP-DES; 940 BP-DES). After PSM, 836 patients (418 patients in the DP-DES and 418 patients in the BP-DES groups), comprised the final study population. Both study groups had a similar baseline profile. Patients treated with BP-DES group had similar rates of MACE (15.3 % vs. 19.4 %, HR 0.69, 95 % CI 0.50-0.94, p = 0.022). Rates of target lesion revascularization was lower in BP DES group (0.7 % vs. 3.8 %, HR 0.17, 95 % CI 0.05-0.51, p = 0.006).

CONCLUSION

In a cohort of STEMI patients submitted to pPCI, BP and DP DES had similar rates of the primary outcome. Patients treated with BP DES, however, had a decreased incidence of TLR at after 2-year follow-up.

Clinical impact of coronary revascularization over medical treatment in chronic coronary syndromes: A systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To provide a quantitative comparison between myocardial revascularization (REVASC) and optimal medical treatment (OMT) alone in patients with chronic coronary syndrome (CCS).

METHODS

Pertinent studies were searched for in PubMed/Medline until 12/03/2023. Randomized controlled trials that compare REVASC to OMT reporting clinical outcomes were selected according to PRISMA guidelines. The primary outcome was cardiovascular death. Two investigators independently assessed the study quality and extracted data.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight randomized controlled studies (RCTs) including 20692 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The rate of cardiovascular mortality was significantly lower among patients treated with myocardial revascularization [risk ratio (RR) 0.79, 95% CI 0.69-0.90]. Age (p = 0.03), multivessel disease (p < 0.001), and follow-up duration (p = 0.001) were significant moderators of CV mortality. Subgroup analyses showed a larger benefit in patients treated with drug-eluting stents and those without chronic total occlusion. Among secondary outcomes, myocardial infarction was less frequent in the REVASC group (RR = 0.74; p < 0.001), while no significant difference was found for all-cause mortality (p = 0.09) nor stroke (p = 0.26).

CONCLUSIONS

The present analysis showed lower rates of CV mortality and myocardial infarction in CCS patients treated with myocardial revascularization compared to OMT. This benefit was larger with increasing follow-up duration. Personalized treatment based on patient characteristics and lesion complexity may optimize clinical outcomes in patients with CCS.

Ticagrelor alone versus ticagrelor plus aspirin from month 1 to month 12 after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ULTIMATE-DAPT): a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Following percutaneous coronary intervention with stent placement to treat acute coronary syndromes, international clinical guidelines generally recommend dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin plus a P2Y12 receptor inhibitor for 12 months to prevent myocardial infarction and stent thrombosis. However, data on single antiplatelet therapy with a potent P2Y12 inhibitor earlier than 12 months after percutaneous coronary intervention for patients with an acute coronary syndrome are scarce. The aim of this trial was to assess whether the use of ticagrelor alone, compared with ticagrelor plus aspirin, could reduce the incidence of clinically relevant bleeding events without an accompanying increase in major adverse cardiovascular or cerebrovascular events (MACCE).

METHODS

In this randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial, patients aged 18 years or older with an acute coronary syndrome who completed the IVUS-ACS study and who had no major ischaemic or bleeding events after 1-month treatment with dual antiplatelet therapy were randomly assigned to receive oral ticagrelor (90 mg twice daily) plus oral aspirin (100 mg once daily) or oral ticagrelor (90 mg twice daily) plus a matching oral placebo, beginning 1 month and ending at 12 months after percutaneous coronary intervention (11 months in total). Recruitment took place at 58 centres in China, Italy, Pakistan, and the UK. Patients were required to remain event-free for 1 month on dual antiplatelet therapy following percutaneous coronary intervention with contemporary drug-eluting stents. Randomisation was done using a web-based system, stratified by acute coronary syndrome type, diabetes, IVUS-ACS randomisation, and site, using dynamic minimisation. The primary superiority endpoint was clinically relevant bleeding (Bleeding Academic Research Consortium [known as BARC] types 2, 3, or 5). The primary non-inferiority endpoint was MACCE (defined as the composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, ischaemic stroke, definite stent thrombosis, or clinically driven target vessel revascularisation), with an expected event rate of 6·2% in the ticagrelor plus aspirin group and an absolute non-inferiority margin of 2·5 percentage points between 1 month and 12 months after percutaneous coronary intervention. The two co-primary endpoints were tested sequentially; the primary superiority endpoint had to be met for hypothesis testing of the MACCE outcome to proceed. All principal analyses were assessed in the intention-to-treat population. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03971500, and is completed.

FINDINGS

Between Sept 21, 2019, and Oct 27, 2022, 3400 (97·0%) of the 3505 participants in the IVUS-ACS study were randomly assigned (1700 patients to ticagrelor plus aspirin and 1700 patients to ticagrelor plus placebo). 12-month follow-up was completed by 3399 (>99·9%) patients. Between month 1 and month 12 after percutaneous coronary intervention, clinically relevant bleeding occurred in 35 patients (2·1%) in the ticagrelor plus placebo group and in 78 patients (4·6%) in the ticagrelor plus aspirin group (hazard ratio [HR] 0·45 [95% CI 0·30 to 0·66]; p<0·0001). MACCE occurred in 61 patients (3·6%) in the ticagrelor plus placebo group and in 63 patients (3·7%) in the ticagrelor plus aspirin group (absolute difference -0·1% [95% CI -1·4% to 1·2%]; HR 0·98 [95% CI 0·69 to 1·39]; pnon-inferiority<0·0001, psuperiority=0·89).

INTERPRETATION

In patients with an acute coronary syndrome who had percutaneous coronary intervention with contemporary drug-eluting stents and remained event-free for 1 month on dual antiplatelet therapy, treatment with ticagrelor alone between month 1 and month 12 after the intervention resulted in a lower rate of clinically relevant bleeding and a similar rate of MACCE compared with ticagrelor plus aspirin. Along with the results from previous studies, these findings show that most patients in this population can benefit from superior clinical outcomes with aspirin discontinuation and maintenance on ticagrelor monotherapy after 1 month of dual antiplatelet therapy.

FUNDING

The Chinese Society of Cardiology, the National Natural Scientific Foundation of China, and the Jiangsu Provincial & Nanjing Municipal Clinical Trial Project.

TRANSLATION

For the Mandarin translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Revolutionizing Cardiovascular Frontiers: A Dive Into Cutting-Edge Innovations in Coronary Stent Technology

Plain balloon angioplasty was the initial method used to enlarge the intracoronary lumen size. However, it was linked to acute coronary closure due to early vessel recoil. This led to the invention of coronary stents, which offer mechanical support to open and maintain the vascular lumen. Nevertheless, the metallic scaffold introduced other issues, such as thrombosis and restenosis caused by neointimal proliferation. To address these concerns, polymers were employed to cover the scaffold, acting as drug reservoirs and regulators for controlled drug release. The use of polymers prevents direct contact between blood and metallic scaffolds. Drugs within the stent were incorporated to inhibit proliferation and expedite endothelialization in the healing process. Despite these advancements, adverse effects still arise due to the inflammatory reaction caused by the polymer material. Consequently, resorbable polymers and scaffolds were later discovered, but they have limitations and are not universally applicable. Various scaffold designs, thicknesses, materials, polymer components, and drugs have their own advantages and complications. Each stent generation has been designed to address the shortcomings of the preceding generation, yet new challenges continue to emerge. Conflicting data regarding the long-term safety and efficacy of coronary stents, especially in the extended follow-up, further complicates the assessment.

Three-Year Clinical Outcomes With the Cilotax Dual Drug-Eluting Stent vs Everolimus-Eluting Stents in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction

BACKGROUND

This study compared the safety and effectiveness of paclitaxel/cilostazol-eluting Cilotax stents with those of everolimus-eluting stents in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Real-world data from the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry were examined.

METHODS

A total of 5,472 patients with acute myocardial infarction underwent percutaneous coronary intervention with Cilotax stents (n = 212) or everolimus-eluting stents (n = 5,260). The primary end point was the 3-year rate of target lesion failure. The other end points were major adverse cardiovascular events (a composite of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction, and ischemia-driven target lesion revascularization), target vessel revascularization, and stent thrombosis. A propensity score matching analysis was performed to adjust for potential confounders by using a logistic regression model; propensity score matching generated 2 well-balanced groups (Cilotax group, n = 180; everolimus-eluting stents group, n = 170; N = 350). After propensity score matching, baseline clinical characteristics were similar between the groups.

RESULTS

After percutaneous coronary intervention, compared with the everolimus-eluting stents group, the Cilotax group more often had major adverse cardiovascular events (24.1% vs 18.5%; P = .042), myocardial infarction (8.0% vs 3.2%; P < .001), target lesion revascularization (8.0% vs 2.6%; P < .001), target vessel revascularization (11.3% vs 4.5%; P < .001), and stent thrombosis (4.7% vs 0.5%; P < .001) before matching. Even after matching, the Cilotax group had more frequent target lesion revascularization (9.4% vs 2.9%; P = .22) and stent thrombosis (5.6% vs 1.2%; P = .34).

CONCLUSION

In patients with acute myocardial infarction who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention, use of the Cilotax stent was associated with higher rates of target lesion revascularization, target vessel revascularization, and stent thrombosis than were everolimus-eluting stents. Use of the Cilotax dual drugeluting stent should be avoided in the treatment of myocardial infarction.

Endovascular Drug Delivery

Drug-eluting stents (DES) and balloons revolutionize atherosclerosis treatment by targeting hyperplastic tissue responses through effective local drug delivery strategies. This review examines approved and emerging endovascular devices, discussing drug release mechanisms and their impacts on arterial drug distribution. It emphasizes the crucial role of drug delivery in modern cardiovascular care and highlights how device technologies influence vascular behavior based on lesion morphology. The future holds promise for lesion-specific treatments, particularly in the superficial femoral artery, with recent CE-marked devices showing encouraging results. Exciting strategies and new patents focus on local drug delivery to prevent restenosis, shaping the future of interventional outcomes. In summary, as we navigate the ever-evolving landscape of cardiovascular intervention, it becomes increasingly evident that the future lies in tailoring treatments to the specific characteristics of each lesion. By leveraging cutting-edge technologies and harnessing the potential of localized drug delivery, we stand poised to usher in a new era of precision medicine in vascular intervention.

Efficacy and safety of durable versus biodegradable polymer drug-eluting stents in patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock

The clinical impact of different polymer technologies in newer-generation drug-eluting stents (DESs) for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complicated by cardiogenic shock (CS) remains poorly understood. We investigated the efficacy and safety of durable polymer DESs (DP-DESs) compared with biodegradable polymer DESs (BP-DESs). A total of 620 patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention with newer-generation DESs for AMI complicated by CS was divided into two groups based on polymer technology: the DP-DES group (n = 374) and the BP-DES group (n = 246). The primary outcome was target vessel failure (TVF) during a 12-month follow-up, defined as a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, or target vessel revascularization. Both the DP-DES and BP-DES groups exhibited low stent thrombosis rates (1.3% vs. 1.6%, p = 0.660). The risk of TVF did not significantly differ between the two groups (34.2% vs. 28.5%, hazard ratio [HR] 0.94, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.69-1.29, p = 0.721). This finding remained consistent after adjustment with inverse probability of treatment weighting (28.1% vs. 25.1%, HR 0.98, 95% CI 0.77-1.27, p = 0.899). In AMI patients complicated by CS, the risk of a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, or target vessel revascularization was not significantly different between those treated with DP-DESs and those treated with BP-DESs.Trial registration: RESCUE registry, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02985008 , NCT02985008.

Long term clinical outcome of sirolimus drug coated balloons in large coronary vessels

BACKGROUND

Studies evaluating the safety and efficacy of drug coating balloons (DCB) for the treatment of lesions in large coronary vessel are limited.

AIMS

Our study aimed to evaluate the performance of a sirolimus DCB in large coronary arteries.

METHODS

We analyzed all the procedures included in the EASTBOURNE Registry (NCT03085823) enrolling patients with a clinical indication to percutaneous coronary intervention performed by a sirolimus DCB according to investigator judgment. In the present analysis, a cut-off of 2.75 mm was used to define large coronary arteries. Primary endpoint of the study was clinically driven target lesion revascularization (TLR) at 24 months whereas secondary endpoint included procedural success, myocardial infarction (MI), cardiac death and total mortality.

RESULTS

Among the 2123 patients and 2440 lesions enrolled in the EASTBOURNE study between 2016 and 2020, 757 patients/810 lesions fulfilled the criteria for the present analysis. Mean reference vessel diameter was 3.2 ± 0.3 mm with mean lesion length of 22 ± 7 mm. Procedural success was high (96%) and at 2-year follow up the device showed a good efficacy with a TLR rate of 9%. There were 34 deaths (4.5%), 30 MIs (4%) and 8 BARC type 3-5 bleedings (1.1%). In-stent restenosis (629 lesions) and de novo lesions (181) were associated with 11% and 4% rates of TLR at 2 years, respectively (p = 0.003).

CONCLUSIONS

Clinical performance of a sirolimus DCB in large coronary artery vessels shows promising signals at 2-year follow up, both in de novo and in-stent restenosis lesions.

A New Frontier for Drug-Coated Balloons: Treatment of "De Novo" Stenosis in Large Vessel Coronary Artery Disease

Background: Drug-coated balloons (DCB) are a well-established option for treating in-stent restenosis endorsed by European Guidelines on myocardial revascularization. However, in recent years, a strategy of "leaving nothing behind" with DCB in de novo coronary stenosis has emerged as an appealing approach. Methods: We performed a systematic review to evaluate the current literature on the use of drug-coated balloons in the treatment of de novo stenosis in large vessel disease. Results: Observational studies, as well as randomized studies, demonstrated the safety of DCB percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in large vessel disease. The rate of major adverse cardiac events is even lower compared to drug-eluting stents in stable coronary artery disease. Conclusions: DCB PCI is feasible in large vessel disease, and future large, randomized studies are ongoing to confirm these results.

Five-year outcomes in patients with multivessel coronary artery disease undergoing surgery or percutaneous intervention

The outcomes from real-life clinical studies regarding the optimal revascularization strategy in patients with multivessel coronary artery disease (MVD) are still poorly investigated. In this retrospective study we assessed 5-year outcomes: primary, secondary endpoints and quality of life of 1035 individuals with severe coronary artery disease (CAD) treated either with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)-356 patients or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)-679 patients according to the recommendation of a local Heart Team (HT). At 5 years no significant difference in overall mortality and rates of myocardial infarctions (MI) were observed between CABG and PCI cohorts (11.0% vs. 13.4% for PCI, P = 0.27 and 9.6% vs. 12.8% for PCI, P = 0.12, respectively). The incidence of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), mainly driven by increased rates of repeat revascularization (RR) were higher in PCI-cohort than in CABG-group (56.1% vs. 40.4%, P < 0.01 and 26.8% vs. 12.6%, P < 0.01, respectively), while CABG-patients experienced stroke more often (7.3% vs. 3.1% for PCI, P < 0.01). In real-life practice with long-term follow-up, none of the two revascularization modalities implemented following HT decisions showed overwhelming superiority: occurrence of death and MI were similar, rates of RR favoured CABG, while incidence of strokes advocated PCI.

OPTImized coronary interventions eXplaIn the bEst cliNical outcomEs (OPTI-XIENCE) study. Rationale and study design

INTRODUCTION

Clinical events may occur after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), particularly in complex lesions and complex patients. The optimization of PCI result, using pressure guidewire and intracoronary imaging techniques, may reduce the risk of these events. The hypothesis of the present study is that the clinical outcome of patients with indication of PCI and coronary stent implantation that are at high risk of events can be improved with an unrestricted use of intracoronary tools that allow PCI optimization.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

Observational prospective multicenter international study, with a follow-up of 12 months, including 1064 patients treated with a cobalt‑chromium everolimus-eluting stent. Inclusion criteria include any of the following: Lesion length > 28 mm; Reference vessel diameter < 2.5 mm or > 4.25 mm; Chronic total occlusion; Bifurcation with side branch ≥2.0 mm;Ostial lesion; Left main lesion; In-stent restenosis; >2 lesions stented in the same vessel; Treatment of >2 vessels; Acute myocardial infarction; Renal insufficiency; Left ventricular ejection fraction <30 %; Staged procedure. The control group will be comprised by a similar number of matched patients included in the "extended risk" cohort of the XIENCE V USA study. The primary endpoint will be the 1-year rate of target lesion failure (TLF) (composite of ischemia-driven TLR, myocardial infarction (MI) related to the target vessel, or cardiac death related to the target vessel). Secondary endpoints will include overall mortality, cardiovascular mortality, acute myocardial infarction, TVR, TLR, target vessel failure, and definitive or probable stent thrombosis at 1 year.

IMPLICATIONS

The ongoing OPTI-XIENCE study will contribute to the growing evidence supporting the use of intra-coronary imaging techniques for stent optimization in patients with complex coronary lesions.

The resolute Onyx drug eluting stent for neurointervention: A technical series

INTRODUCTION

Current methods for angioplasty and stenting of the intracranial vasculature for neurointervention are limited. The Wingspan Stent System is Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved with human device exemption for a limited patient group and despite numerous prospective registries and trials demonstrating reasonable safety, still carries warnings from the FDA for its use. Given these limitations, we present the technical nuances and outcomes of the off-label use of the Resolute Onyx drug-eluting stent (DES) for neurointerventional purposes.

METHODS

Retrospective chart review of all patients undergoing a neurointerventional procedure with the Resolute Onyx DES was done from January 2017-2021. The Resolute Onyx is a coronary balloon-mounted drug-eluting (zotarolimus) single wire laser cut stent. Technical details and procedural outcomes were collected.

RESULTS

In total 40 patients had attempted placement of the Resolute Onyx DES with procedural success in 95% of patients. The most common vessel stented was the basilar artery, 30% (12/40). The most common indication was intracranial atherosclerotic disease in 62.5% (25/40) patients, followed by acute stroke in 17.5% (7/40) of patients. The technical and procedural outcomes were excellent with only one technical complication (2.5%).

CONCLUSIONS

This series describes the initial technical safety and utility of utilizing a new generation balloon-mounted drug-eluting stent for neurointerventional purposes. This stent offers the potential for improved navigability, delivery, and outcomes compared to current neurointerventional options and warrants further study.

Second-generation everolimus-eluting intracoronary stents: a comprehensive review of the clinical evidence

Percutaneous coronary intervention with implantation of second-generation drug-eluting stents (DES) has emerged as a mainstay for the treatment of obstructive coronary artery disease given its beneficial impact on clinical outcomes in these patients. Everolimus-eluting stents (EES) are one of the most frequently implanted second-generation DES; their use for the treatment of a wide range of patients including those with complex coronary lesions is supported by compelling evidence. Although newer stent platforms such as biodegradable polymer DES may lower local vessel inflammation, their efficacy and safety have not yet surpassed that of Xience stents. This article summarizes the properties of the Xience family of EES and the evidence supporting their use across diverse patient demographics and coronary lesion morphologies.

Clinical Outcome after Everolimus-Eluting Stent Implantation for Small Vessel Coronary Artery Disease: XIENCE Asia Small Vessel Study

There are limited data on outcomes after implantation of everolimus-eluting stents (EES) in East Asian patients with small vessel coronary lesions. A total of 1,600 patients treated with XIENCE EES (Abbott Vascular, CA, USA) were divided into the small vessel group treated with one ≤2.5 mm stent (n=119) and the non-small vessel group treated with one ≥2.75 mm stent (n=933). The primary end point was a patient-oriented composite outcome (POCO), a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), and any repeat revascularization at 12 months. The key secondary end point was a device-oriented composite outcome (DOCO), a composite of cardiovascular death, target-vessel MI, and target lesion revascularization at 12 months. The small vessel group was more often female, hypertensive, less likely to present with ST-elevation MI, and more often treated for the left circumflex artery, whereas the non-small vessel group more often had type B2/C lesions, underwent intravascular ultrasound, and received unfractionated heparin. In the propensity matched cohort, the mean stent diameter was 2.5±0.0 mm and 3.1±0.4 mm in the small and non-small vessel groups, respectively. Propensity-adjusted POCO at 12 months was 6.0% in the small vessel group and 4.3% in the non-small vessel group (p=0.558). There was no significant difference in DOCO at 12 months (small vessel group: 4.3% and non-small vessel group: 1.7%, p=0.270). Outcomes of XIENCE EES for small vessel disease were comparable to those for non-small vessel disease at 12-month clinical follow-up in real-world Korean patients.

Deteriorative Effect of a Combination of Hypertriglyceridemia and Low High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterolemia on Target Lesion Revascularization after Everolimus-Eluting Stent Implantation

AIM

This study aimed to investigate the association between a combination of elevated triglyceride (TG) and reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and target lesion revascularization (TLR) following everolimus-eluting stent (EES) implantation. The adverse impact of clinical, lesion, and procedural characteristics on TLR in patients with elevated TG and reduced HDL-C levels was also assessed.

METHODS

We retrospectively collected data on 3,014 lesions from 2,022 consecutive patients, who underwent EES implantation at Koto Memorial Hospital. Atherogenic dyslipidemia (AD) is defined as a combination of non-fasting serum TG ≥ 175 mg/dL and HDL-C ＜40 mg/dL.

RESULTS

AD was observed in 212 lesions in 139 (6.9%) patients. The cumulative incidence of clinically driven TLR was significantly higher in patients with AD than in those without AD (hazard ratio [HR] 2.31, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.43-3.73, P=0.0006). Subgroup analysis showed that AD increased the risk of TLR with the implantation of small stents (≤ 2.75 mm). Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that AD was an independent predictor of TLR in the small EES stratum (adjusted HR 3.00, 95% CI 1.53-5.93, P=0.004), whereas the incidence of TLR was similar in the non-small-EES stratum, irrespective of the presence or absence of AD.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with AD had a higher risk of TLR after EES implantation, and this risk was greater for lesions treated with small stents.

Systematic Review of the Efficacy of Orbital Atherectomy in Improving the Outcome of Percutaneous Corornary Intervention in People With Diabetes

The optimal approach to deal with severe coronary artery calcification (CAC) in people with diabetes remains ill-defined. People with diabetes have a significant risk of developing severe vessel calcification and coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD is the leading cause of death in people with diabetes. Individuals with diabetes mainly present with severe multivessel stenosis, diffuse coronary calcification, and severe atherosclerosis, which are poor prognostic factors of revascularization procedures. Studies have shown that the revascularization of arteries in people with diabetes often results in worse outcomes than in people without diabetes. Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) has been recommended as the standard of care for people with DM and complex anatomic diseases, including left main CAD. However, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is more acceptable to patients in clinical practice because of decreased trauma and rapid recovery. Severe CAC has traditionally been challenging for PCI and a frequent indication for surgical revascularization. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of orbital atherectomy (OA) in improving PCI outcomes in patients with diabetes and identify possible adverse effects that preclude its use.  The study is reported according to PRISMA and analyzed according to Cochrane guidelines on synthesis without meta-analysis. A comprehensive literature search of EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and MEDLINE was conducted for studies that utilized OA before PCI in people with diabetes. A reference list of the eligible articles was also screened. A narrative synthesis was done by representing the data on the effect direction plot, followed by vote counting. Eighteen studies were included in the analysis. Success rate/successful stent delivery was >90%, while freedom from angiographic complication and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) were both >80% on the effect direction plot for people with diabetes and those without diabetes. People with diabetes had low event rates similar to those without diabetes. OA appears to be a viable treatment approach for people with diabetes. However, RCTs with a longer duration of follow-up are required to establish the appropriate treatment strategy for severe CAC in people with diabetes.

Impact of Stent Expansion Index on Stent Failure After Left Main Stenting

Impact of the stent expansion index (EXPI) in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for unprotected left main distal bifurcation lesions (ULMD) has been not completely understood especially in current-generation drug-eluting stent (cDES) era. We evaluated the impact of EXPI on clinical outcomes after PCI with cDES for ULMD. We identified 342 patients treated with cDES for ULMD and postintervention intravascular ultrasound between January 2010 and December 2019. In this study, the ratio of minimum stent area (MSA) to reference vessel area at the MSA site was adopted to assess the stent expansion. We defined the patients with the first and second tertile as low-intermediate EXPI group and those with the third tertile as high EXPI group and compared the clinical outcomes between both groups. The primary end point was target lesion failure (TLF). TLF was defined as a composite of cardiac death, target lesion revascularization (TLR) ,and myocardial infarction. The MSA was located in the ostium of left anterior descending coronary artery in most cases (318 of 342 patients; 93.0%). There were no significant differences between both groups in the baseline clinical, lesion, and procedural characteristics. The high EXPI group had lower TLF rate than the low-intermediate EXPI group (10.2% vs 19.9%, log-rank p = 0.033). In conclusion, this is the first report that the higher ratio of MSA to reference vessel area at the MSA site, which was defined as stent EXPI, was associated with more favorable clinical outcomes after PCI for ULMD.

Safety of routine protamine in the reversal of heparin in percutaneous coronary intervention: A systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

To determine the safety and efficacy of protamine in the reversal of heparin in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

BACKGROUND

Heparin is routinely used for anticoagulation in PCI. Protamine is not used routinely to reverse heparin's effects in PCI, partly due to the perceived risk of stent thrombosis.

METHODS

Relevant studies published in English were searched for in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases from inception to April 26th, 2023. Our primary outcome of interest was stent thrombosis in patients receiving PCI for all indications. Secondary outcomes included mortality, major bleeding complications, and hospitalization length. Dichotomous outcomes were analyzed using a Mantel-Haenszel random-effects model and expressed as odds ratios (OR) with their 95% confidence intervals (CI), while continuous outcomes were analyzed using an inverse variance random-effects model expressed as mean differences (MD) with their 95% CI.

RESULTS

11 studies were included in our analysis. Protamine use was not associated with stent thrombosis: OR 0.58, 95% CI: 0.33, 1.01 (p = 0.05) nor with mortality (p = 0.89). Protamine administration was associated with a decreased incidence of major bleeding complications: OR 0.48; 95% CI: 0.25, 0.95 (p = 0.03) and decreased length of hospitalization (p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients pre-treated with dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), protamine may be a safe and efficacious option to facilitate earlier sheath removal, reduce major bleeding complications, and reduce length of hospitalization without increased risk of stent thrombosis.

Biodegradable or durable polymer drug-eluting stents in patients with coronary artery disease: ten-year outcomes of the randomised NEXT Trial

BACKGROUND

There are no randomised trials reporting clinical outcomes of biodegradable polymer biolimus-eluting stents (BP-BES) and durable polymer everolimus-eluting stents (DP-EES) at 10 years.

AIMS

We aimed to compare the 10-year clinical outcomes between BP-BES and DP-EES.

METHODS

The randomised NOBORI Biolimus-Eluting Versus XIENCE/PROMUS Everolimus-eluting Stent Trial (NEXT) was originally designed to evaluate the non-inferiority of BP-BES relative to DP-EES with the primary efficacy endpoint of target lesion revascularisation (TLR) at 1 year and the primary safety endpoint of death or myocardial infarction (MI) at 3 years. In this extended follow-up study, clinical outcomes were compared from 1 year after stent implantation up to 10 years between patients with BP-BES and DP-EES.

RESULTS

From May to October 2011, NEXT enrolled a total of 3,241 patients from 98 centres in Japan. The current study population consisted of 2,417 patients (1,204 patients with BP-BES and 1,213 with DP-EES) from 66 centres that agreed to participate in the extended study. Complete 10-year follow-up was achieved in 87.5% of patients. The cumulative 10-year incidence of death or MI was 34.0% in the BP-BES group and 33.1% in the DP-EES group (hazard ratio [HR] 1.04, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.90-1.20; p=0.58). TLR occurred in 15.9% of patients in the BP-BES group and in 14.1% of the DP-EES group (HR 1.12, 95% CI: 0.90-1.40; p=0.32). In a landmark analysis at 1 year, the cumulative incidences of death or MI and TLR were not significantly different between the 2 groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The safety and efficacy outcomes for BP-BES were not significantly different from those for DP-EES at 1 year and up to 10 years after stent implantation.

Complementary evidence on the performance of coronary stents generated by a randomized controlled trial and a worldwide registry

BACKGROUND

Large-scale registries can provide valuable complementary data to randomized controlled trials (RCT) for the postmarketing evaluation of coronary stents, but their scientific relevance remains debated.

METHODS

We sought to compare the evidence on the performance of a single coronary stent platform generated by the RCT for its regulatory approval and a well-conducted international registry. Patients treated with the Ultimaster coronary stent in the CENTURY II (CII-UM) trial (n = 551) were compared to patients in the real-world e-ULTIMASTER (e-UM) registry (n = 35,389). All major events were adjudicated by an independent clinical event committee in both studies. Propensity weighted analysis was used to balance baseline and procedural differences between the 2 populations.

RESULTS

Coronary artery disease was more complex in e-UM compared to CII-UM, including more acute coronary syndromes, multivessel disease, left main, arterial, or venous grafts, and chronic total occlusions (P < .005 for all). At one-year follow-up and after excluding periprocedural myocardial infarction (MI) there was no statistically significant difference between CII-UM and e-UM regarding all-cause death (hazard ratio [HR] 0.55, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.26-1.20, P = .14), cardiac death (HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.29-1.72, P = .45), target lesion failure (HR 1.18, 95% CI 0.78-1.78, P = .44), and target vessel MI (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.24-2.38, P = .63). However, target vessel revascularization rate was significantly higher in CII-UM than in e-UM, HR 1.78, 95% CI 1.23-2.56, P = .002.

CONCLUSIONS

A well-conducted large-scale registry can provide valuable complementary evidence to RCTs on the postmarket performance of new coronary stents, across a wider range of uses and various geographic areas.

Novel usage of everolimus-eluting coronary stent for intracranial atherosclerotic disease: a technical report and case series

Objectives

This report describes the use of an Everolimus-eluting stent (Xience Skypoint stent) for the treatment of medically-refractory ICAD.

Design

Retrospective, case-series.

Setting

In-hospital patients.

Participants

All patients in this report had a history of stroke secondary to ICAD. All patients failed aggressive medical treatments and had recurrence of symptoms despite anticoagulation or dual-antiplatelet therapy plus a statin. Diagnostic angiogram in each case showed severe vessel stenosis, therefore patients were recommended for intracranial artery stenting.

Main outcome measures

Technical feasibility of deploying Xience Skypoint stent for treatmet of ICAD.

Results

The Xience Skypoint stent was safely and effectively deployed in the vertebral artery (x1) and the internal carotid artery (x2) using trans-ulnar (x1), trans-radial (x1), and trans-femoral (x1) approaches without the use of an intermediate catheter.

Conclusion

Second-generation EES such as Xience Skypoint may be utilized for treatment of medically-refractory ICAD. This technical report serves as a proof of concept for further studies analysing long-term safety and efficacy of such stents for treatment of ICAD.

Real-World Assessment of an Ultrathin Strut, Sirolimus-Eluting Stent in Patients with ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Submitted to Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (INSTEMI Registry)

BACKGROUND

The current gold standard of coronary drug-eluting stents (DES) consists of metal alloys with thinner struts and bioresorbable polymers.

OBJECTIVES

Our aim was to compare an ultrathin strut, sirolimus-eluting stent (Inspiron®) with other third-generation DES platforms in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) submitted to primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

METHODS

We analyzed data from a STEMI multicenter registry from reference centers in the South Region of Brazil. All patients were submitted to primary PCI, either with Inspiron® or other second- or third-generation DES. Propensity score matching (PSM) was computed to generate similar groups (Inspiron® versus other stents) in relation to clinical and procedural characteristics. All hypothesis tests had a two-sided significance level of 0.05.

RESULTS

From January 2017 to January 2021, 1711 patients underwent primary PCI, and 1417 patients met our entry criteria (709 patients in the Inspiron® group and 708 patients in the other second- or third-generation DES group). After PSM, the study sample was comprised of 706 patients (353 patients in the Inspiron® group and 353 patients in the other the other second- or third-generation DES group). The rates of target vessel revascularization (OR 0.52, CI 0.21 - 1.34, p = 0.173), stent thrombosis (OR 1.00, CI 0.29 - 3.48, p = 1.000), mortality (HR 0.724, CI 0.41 - 1.27, p = 0.257), and major cardiovascular outcomes (OR 1.170, CI 0.77 - 1.77, p = 0.526) were similar between groups after a median follow-up of 17 months.

CONCLUSION

Our findings show that Inspiron® was effective and safe when compared to other second- or third-generation DES in a contemporary cohort of real-world STEMI patients submitted to primary PCI.

A technology evaluation of the Onyx Frontier drug-eluting stent

INTRODUCTION

Onyx FrontierTM represents the latest iteration within the family of zotarolimus-eluting stents (ZES), designed for the treatment of coronary artery disease. Approval by the Food and Drug Administration was granted in May 2022, and Conformité Européenne marking followed in August 2022.

AREAS COVERED

We hereby review the principal design features of Onyx Frontier, highlighting differences and similarities with other currently available drug-eluting stents. In addition, we focus on the refinements of this newest platform as compared with previous ZES versions, including the attributes yielding its exceptional crossing profile and deliverability. The clinical implications related to both its newest and inherited characteristics will be discussed.

EXPERT OPINION

The nuances of the latest Onyx Frontier, together with the continuous refinement previously witnessed throughout the development of ZES, lead to a latest generation device ideal for a diverse spectrum of clinical and anatomical scenarios. In particular, its peculiarities will be of benefit in the settings often offered by a progressively aging population, such as high bleeding risk patients and complex coronary lesions.

Clinical expert consensus document on drug-coated balloon for coronary artery disease from the Japanese Association of Cardiovascular Intervention and Therapeutics

Drug-coated balloon (DCB) technology was developed to deliver the antiproliferative drugs to the vessel wall without leaving any permanent prosthesis or durable polymers. The absence of foreign material can reduce the risk of very late stent failure, improve the ability to perform bypass-graft surgery, and reduce the need for long-term dual antiplatelet therapy, potentially reducing associated bleeding complications. The DCB technology, like the bioresorbable scaffolds, is expected to be a therapeutic approach that facilitates the "leave nothing behind" strategy. Although newer generation drug-eluting stents are the most common therapeutic strategy in modern percutaneous coronary interventions, the use of DCB is steadily increasing in Japan. Currently, the DCB is only indicated for treatment of in-stent restenosis or small vessel lesions (< 3.0 mm), but potential expansion for larger vessels (≥ 3.0 mm) may hasten its use in a wider range of lesions or patients with obstructive coronary artery disease. The task force of the Japanese Association of Cardiovascular Intervention and Therapeutics (CVIT) was convened to describe the expert consensus on DCBs. This document aims to summarize its concept, current clinical evidence, possible indications, technical considerations, and future perspectives.

Stent Thrombosis and Restenosis with Contemporary Drug-Eluting Stents: Predictors and Current Evidence

Iterations in stent technologies, advances in pharmacotherapy, and awareness of the implications of implantation techniques have markedly reduced the risk of stent failure, both in the form of stent thrombosis (ST) and in-stent restenosis (ISR). However, given the number of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) performed worldwide every year, ST and ISR, albeit occurring at a fairly low rate, represent a public health problem even with contemporary DES platforms. The understanding of mechanisms and risk factors for these two PCI complications has been of fundamental importance for the parallel evolution of stent technologies. Risk factors associated with ST and ISR are usually divided into patient-, lesion-, device- and procedure-related. A number of studies have shown how certain risk factors are related to early (1 month) versus late/very late ST (between 1 month and 1 year and >1 year, respectively). However, more research is required to conclusively show the role of time-dependence of risk factors also in the incidence of ISR (early [1 year] or late [>1 year]). A thorough risk assessment is required due to the complex etiology of ST and ISR. The most effective strategy to treat ST and ISR is still to prevent them; hence, it is crucial to identify patient-, lesion-, device- and procedure-related predictors.

Indobufen or Aspirin on Top of Clopidogrel After Coronary Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation (OPTION): A Randomized, Open-Label, End Point-Blinded, Noninferiority Trial

BACKGROUND

Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with aspirin as a background therapy has become the standard care after percutaneous coronary intervention. However, some adverse noncardiac effects limited the use of aspirin in clinical practice. Thus, evaluation of pharmacological alternatives to aspirin is attractive. Previous data indicated that indobufen could lessen the unwanted side effects of aspirin while retaining the antithrombotic efficacy, but its combination with a P2Y₁₂ inhibitor still lacks randomized clinical trial evidence.

METHODS

In this randomized, open-label, noninferiority trial, patients with negative cardiac troponin undergoing coronary drug-eluting stent implantation were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either indobufen-based DAPT (indobufen 100 mg twice a day plus clopidogrel 75 mg/d for 12 months) or conventional DAPT (aspirin 100 mg/d plus clopidogrel 75 mg/d for 12 months). The primary end point was a 1-year composite of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, definite or probable stent thrombosis, or Bleeding Academic Research Consortium criteria type 2, 3, or 5 bleeding. The end points were adjudicated by an independent Clinical Event Committee.

RESULTS

Between January 11, 2018, and October 12, 2020, 4551 patients were randomized in 103 cardiovascular centers: 2258 patients to the indobufen-based DAPT group and 2293 to the conventional DAPT group. The primary end point occurred in 101 patients (4.47%) in the indobufen-based DAPT group and 140 patients (6.11%) in the conventional DAPT group (absolute difference, -1.63%; P_{noninferiority}<0.001; hazard ratio, 0.73 [95% CI, 0.56-0.94]; P=0.015). Cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, and stent thrombosis were observed in 0.13%, 0.40%, 0.80%, and 0.22% of patients in the indobufen-based DAPT group and 0.17%, 0.44%, 0.83%, and 0.17% of patients in the conventional DAPT group (all P>0.05). The occurrence of Bleeding Academic Research Consortium criteria type 2, 3, or 5 bleeding events was lower in the indobufen-based DAPT group compared with the conventional DAPT group (2.97% versus 4.71%; hazard ratio, 0.63 [95% CI, 0.46-0.85]; P=0.002), with the main decrease in type 2 bleeding (1.68% versus 3.49%; hazard ratio, 0.48 [95% CI, 0.33-0.70]; P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

In Chinese patients with negative cardiac troponin undergoing drug-eluting stent implantation, indobufen plus clopidogrel DAPT compared with aspirin plus clopidogrel DAPT significantly reduced the risk of 1-year net clinical outcomes, which was driven mainly by a reduction in bleeding events without an increase in ischemic events.

REGISTRATION

URL: https://www.chictr.org.cn; Unique identifier: ChiCTR-IIR-17013505.

Utility of the ACC/AHA Lesion Classification to Predict Outcomes After Contemporary DES Treatment: Individual Patient Data Pooled Analysis From 7 Randomized Trials

Background Use of the modified American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA) lesion classification as a prognostic tool to predict short- and long-term clinical outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention in the modern drug-eluting stent era is uncertain. Methods and Results Patient-level data from 7 prospective, randomized trials were pooled. Clinical outcomes of patients undergoing single lesion percutaneous coronary intervention with second-generation drug-eluting stent were analyzed according to modified ACC/AHA lesion class. The primary end point was target lesion failure (TLF: composite of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction, or ischemia-driven target lesion revascularization). Clinical outcomes to 5 years were compared between patients treated for noncomplex (class A/B1) versus complex (class B2/C) lesions. Eight thousand five hundred sixteen patients (age 63.1±10.8 years, 70.5% male) were analyzed. Lesions were classified as A, B1, B2, and C in 7.9%, 28.5%, 33.7%, and 30.0% of cases, respectively. Target lesion failure was higher in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention of complex versus noncomplex lesions at 30 days (2.0% versus 1.1%, P=0.004), at 1 year (4.6% versus 3.0%, P=0.0005), and at 5 years (12.4% versus 9.2%, P=0.0001). By multivariable analysis, treatment of ACC/AHA class B2/C lesions was significantly associated with higher rate of 5-year target lesion failure (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.39 [95% CI, 1.17-1.64], P=0.0001) driven by significantly higher rates of target vessel myocardial infarction and ischemia-driven target lesion revascularization. Conclusions In this pooled large-scale analysis, treating complex compared with noncomplex lesions according to the modified ACC/AHA classification with second-generation drug-eluting stent was associated with worse 5-year clinical outcomes. This historical classification system may be useful in the contemporary era for predicting early and late outcomes following percutaneous coronary intervention.

Three versus 12-month dual antiplatelet therapy duration in patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

INTRODUCTION

The American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology guidelines on dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) recommend at least 12 months of a P2Y12 inhibitor and low dose aspirin in patients with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) treated with a stent. Since that recommendation, several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have studied an abbreviated duration of DAPT in ACS. Therefore, we sought to perform a meta-analysis of RCTs comparing 3- versus 12-month DAPT in patients presenting with ACS undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

METHODS

PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central databases were searched until July 31, 2022, for RCTs comparing 3- versus 12-month DAPT in patients with ACS undergoing PCI. Outcomes assessed were major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), cardiovascular mortality, all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), stent thrombosis (ST) and bleeding. A random-effects model was used to calculate pooled relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).

RESULTS

We included 5 trials comprising 16,781 patients with an ACS that underwent PCI. There was no significant difference in MACE (RR: 0.92; 95% CI: 0.76-1.11), cardiovascular mortality (RR: 1.26; 95% CI: 0.38-4.17), or all-cause mortality (RR: 0.92; 95% CI: 0.48-1.77) between the 2 groups. In addition, there was no difference in rates of MI (RR: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.74-1.30), or ST (RR: 1.30; 95% CI: 0.55-3.05) between 3- and 12-month DAPT. However, compared with 12-month DAPT, 3-month DAPT significantly reduced risk of major bleeding (RR: 0.53; 95% CI: 0.43-0.64).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with ACS undergoing PCI, 3-month DAPT reduced risk of bleeding without evidence of harm.

Trends and Real-World Safety of Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Symptomatic Stable Ischaemic Heart Disease in Australia

BACKGROUND

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in stable ischaemic heart disease (SIHD) has not been shown to improve prognosis but can alleviate symptoms and improve quality of life. Appropriately selected patients with symptoms refractory to medical therapy therefore stand to benefit, provided safety is proven.

METHODS

Consecutive patients undergoing PCI for SIHD between 2005-2018 in a prospective registry were included. Yearly comparisons evaluated trends, and a sub-analysis was performed comparing proximal left anterior descending artery (prox-LAD) to other-than-proximal LAD (non-pLAD) PCI. Outcomes included peri-procedural characteristics, in-hospital and 30-day event rates including MACE, and 5-year National Death Index (NDI) linked mortality.

RESULTS

There were 9,421 procedures included. Over time, patients were increasingly co-morbid and had higher rates of AHA/ACC class B2/C lesions, ostial stenoses, bifurcation lesions, and chronic total occlusions (all p-for-trend ≤0.001). Over 14 years, major bleeding reduced (1.05% in 2005/06 vs 0.29% in 2017/18, p-for-trend <0.001), while other in-hospital and 30-day event rates were stably low. There were only seven (0.07%) in hospital deaths and 5-year mortality was 10.3%. No differences were found in outcomes between patients who underwent prox-LAD compared to non-pLAD PCI. Major independent predictors of NDI linked all-cause mortality included an eGFR <30 mL/min/1.73 m² (HR 4.06, 95% CI 3.26-5.06), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (HR 2.25, 95% CI 1.89-2.67) and LVEF <30% (HR 2.13, 95% CI 1.57-2.89).

CONCLUSIONS

Although patient and procedural complexity increased over time, a high degree of procedural success and safety was maintained, including in those undergoing prox-LAD PCI. These real-world data can enhance shared decision making discussions regarding whether PCI should be pursued in patients with symptomatic SIHD refractory to medical therapy.

The impact of chronic kidney disease severity on clinical outcomes after current generation drug-eluting stent implantation for left main distal bifurcation lesions: the Milan and New-Tokyo registry

Objectives. The impact of chronic kidney disease (CKD) on clinical outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for unprotected left main distal bifurcation lesions (ULMD) is not fully understood in current generation drug eluting stent (cDES) era. We assessed clinical outcomes after PCI using cDES for ULMD according to CKD severity based on estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Design. We identified 720 consecutive patients who underwent PCI using cDES for ULMD at three high volume centers between January 2005 and December 2015. We divided those patients to the following five groups according to eGFR. Each group was defined as follows: no CKD (60 mL/min/1.73 m² ≤ eGFR), mild CKD (45 ≤ eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m²), moderate CKD (30 ≤ eGFR < 45 mL/min/1.73 m²), severe CKD (15 ≤ eGFR < 30 mL/min/1.73 m²) and hemodialysis (HD). The primary endpoint was target lesion failure (TLF) at 3 years. TLF was defined as a composite of cardiac death, target lesion revascularization (TLR) and myocardial infarction (MI). Results. TLF occurred more frequently in severe CKD and HD group compared with other three groups. Conclusions. The patients who have severe CKD or are on HD, were extremely associated with worse clinical outcomes after PCI for ULMD even with cDES.

Clinical Outcomes of Biodegradable versus Durable Polymer Drug Eluting Stents in Rotational Atherectomy: Results from ROCK Registry

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of biodegradable polymer (BP) versus durable polymer (DP) drug eluting stents (DES) in patients with calcified coronary lesions who underwent rotational atherectomy (RA) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: This study was based on a multicenter registry which enrolled patients with calcified coronary artery disease who received PCI using RA during between January 2010 and October 2019 from 9 tertiary centers in Korea. The primary outcome was 3-year all-cause mortality, and the secondary outcomes were cardiovascular death and target-lesion failure. Results: A total of 540 patients who underwent PCI using RA were enrolled with a follow-up period of median 16.1 months. From this registry, 272 patients with PCI using DP-DES and 238 patients with BP-SGDES were selected for analysis. PCI with BP-DES was associated with decreased all-cause mortality after propensity score matching (HR 0.414, CI 0.174–0.988) and multivariate Cox regression analysis (HR 0.458, HR 0.224–0.940). BP-DES was also associated with decreased cardiovascular mortality, but there was no difference in TLF between the two groups. Conclusions: BP-DES were associated with favorable outcomes compared to DP-DES in patients undergoing PCI using RA for calcified coronary lesions.

Optimal Antithrombotic Therapy in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Focused Review on High Bleeding Risk

Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is a therapeutic cornerstone to prevent stent thrombosis following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the longer the DAPT duration, the higher the incidence of bleeding and mortality. Since the advent of second-generation drug-eluting stents (DES), the continuous evolution of DES has reduced the thrombotic risk and allowed for a shorter DAPT duration. On the other hand, concerns on the elevated risk of bleeding during antithrombotic therapy have been further raised due to the growing number of elderly CAD patients with multiple comorbidities. The consequent debate topic over post-PCI antithrombotic therapy has shifted from simply reducing thrombotic risk to safely minimizing bleeding risk. Due to the significant impact of bleeding on clinical outcomes, including prognosis, current guidelines on antithrombotic therapy for CAD prioritize stratification of patients at a high bleeding risk (HBR) as the top consideration in determining post-PCI antithrombotic therapy. Achieving optimal antithrombotic therapy for each patient undergoing PCI requires a better understanding of the clinical variables constituting the balance of bleeding and thrombotic risk. This review highlights relevant evidence required to optimize antithrombotic therapy for HBR patients undergoing PCI.

A multi-center, randomized, double-blinded, parallel, placebo-controlled study to assess the efficacy and safety of Shenqisuxin granule in complex coronary artery disease after PCI: Study protocol

Introduction

The Shenqisuxin granule (SQSX), a novel Chinese herbal formula, has the effect of preventing in-stent restenosis and improving angiogenesis. We intend to evaluate the efficacy and safety of SQSX to provide a possible therapeutic strategy for complex coronary artery disease (CCAD) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods/design

The study is a multi-center, randomized, double-blinded, parallel, placebo-controlled trial. A total of 120 participants will be randomized 1:1 into the intervention group and the control group. Based on standardized treatment, the intervention group and control group will receive SQSX and placebo for 2 months, respectively. The primary outcomes, metabolic equivalents (METS) and peak oxygen uptake (Peak VO2), and the secondary outcomes, including other indicators of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), the European Quality of Life Questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L), the Seattle Angina Scale (SAQ), etc., will be assessed at baseline and 2 months ± 3 days. In addition, the survey scales will also be tested at 1 month ± 3 days. Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and gut microbiota features will be assessed at baseline and 2 months ± 3 days to probe possible mechanism. The major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) and bleeding events will be monitored until the 12-month follow-up.

Discussion

This study is launched to assess the efficacy and safety of SQSX in CCAD after PCI and probe the possible mechanism.

Clinical trial registration

China Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2200060979, Registered on June 14, 2022.

3D Printing of Triamcinolone Acetonide in Triblock Copolymers of Styrene–Isobutylene–Styrene as a Slow-Release System

Additive manufacturing has a wide range of applications and has opened up new methods of drug formulation, in turn achieving attention in medicine. We prepared styrene–isobutylene–styrene triblock copolymers (SIBS; Mn = 10 kDa–25 kDa, PDI 1,3–1,6) as a drug carrier for triamcinolone acetonide (TA), further processed by fused deposition modeling to create a solid drug release system displaying improved bioavailability and applicability. Living carbocationic polymerization was used to exert control over block length and polymeric architecture. Thermorheological properties of the SIBS polymer (22.3 kDa, 38 wt % S) were adjusted to the printability of SIBS/TA mixtures (1–5% of TA), generating an effective release system effective for more than 60 days. Continuous drug release and morphological investigations were conducted to probe the influence of the 3D printing process on the drug release, enabling 3D printing as a formulation method for a slow-release system of Triamcinolone.

An intricate interplay between stent drug dose and release rate dictates arterial restenosis

Since the introduction of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for the treatment of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD), patient outcomes have progressively improved. Drug eluting stents (DES) that employ anti-proliferative drugs to limit excess tissue growth following stent deployment have proved revolutionary. However, restenosis and a need for repeat revascularisation still occurs after DES use. Over the last few years, computational models have emerged that detail restenosis following the deployment of a bare metal stent (BMS), focusing primarily on contributions from mechanics and fluid dynamics. However, none of the existing models adequately account for spatiotemporal delivery of drug and the influence of this on the cellular processes that drive restenosis. In an attempt to fill this void, a novel continuum restenosis model coupled with spatiotemporal drug delivery is presented. Our results indicate that the severity and time-course of restenosis is critically dependent on the drug delivery strategy. Specifically, we uncover an intricate interplay between initial drug loading, drug release rate and restenosis, indicating that it is not sufficient to simply ramp-up the drug dose or prolong the time course of drug release to improve stent efficacy. Our model also shows that the level of stent over-expansion and stent design features, such as inter-strut spacing and strut thickness, influence restenosis development, in agreement with trends observed in experimental and clinical studies. Moreover, other critical aspects of the model which dictate restenosis, including the drug binding site density are investigated, where comparisons are made between approaches which assume this to be either constant or proportional to the number of smooth muscle cells (SMCs). Taken together, our results highlight the necessity of incorporating these aspects of drug delivery in the pursuit of optimal DES design.

Modulation of mTOR Signaling in Cardiovascular Disease to Target Acute and Chronic Inflammation

Inflammation is a key component in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases causing a significant burden of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Recent research shows that mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling plays an important role in the general and inflammation-driven mechanisms that underpin cardiovascular disease. mTOR kinase acts prominently in signaling pathways that govern essential cellular activities including growth, proliferation, motility, energy consumption, and survival. Since the development of drugs targeting mTOR, there is proven efficacy in terms of survival benefit in cancer and allograft rejection. This review presents current information and concepts of mTOR activity in myocardial infarction and atherosclerosis, two important instances of cardiovascular illness involving acute and chronic inflammation. In experimental models, inhibition of mTOR signaling reduces myocardial infarct size, enhances functional remodeling, and lowers the overall burden of atheroma. Aside from the well-known effects of mTOR inhibition, which are suppression of growth and general metabolic activity, mTOR also impacts on specific leukocyte subpopulations and inflammatory processes. Inflammatory cell abundance is decreased due to lower migratory capacity, decreased production of chemoattractants and cytokines, and attenuated proliferation. In contrast to the generally suppressed growth signals, anti-inflammatory cell types such as regulatory T cells and reparative macrophages are enriched and activated, promoting resolution of inflammation and tissue regeneration. Nonetheless, given its involvement in the control of major cellular pathways and the maintenance of a functional immune response, modification of this system necessitates a balanced and time-limited approach. Overall, this review will focus on the advancements, prospects, and limits of regulating mTOR signaling in cardiovascular disease.

Evolution of drug-eluting coronary stents: a back-and-forth journey from the bench-to-bedside

Coronary stents have revolutionized the treatment of coronary artery disease. Compared with balloon angioplasty, bare-metal stents effectively prevented abrupt vessel closure but were limited by in-stent restenosis due to smooth muscle cell proliferation and neointimal hyperplasia. The first-generation drug-eluting stent (DES), with its antiproliferative drug coating, offered substantial advantages over bare-metal stents as it mitigated the risk of in-stent restenosis. Nonetheless, they had several design limitations that increased the risk of late stent thrombosis. Significant advances in stent design, including thinner struts, enhanced polymers' formulation, and more potent antiproliferative agents, have led to the introduction of new-generation DES with a superior safety profile. Cardiologists have over 20 different DES types to choose from, each with its unique features and characteristics. This review highlights the evolution of stent design and summarizes the clinical data on the different stent types. We conclude by discussing the clinical implications of stent design in high-risk subsets of patients.

A Senolytic-Eluting Coronary Stent for the Prevention of In-Stent Restenosis

The vast majority of drug-eluting stents (DES) elute either sirolimus or one of its analogues. While limus drugs stymie vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation to prevent in-stent restenosis, their antiproliferative nature is indiscriminate and limits healing of the endothelium in stented vessels, increasing the risk of late-stent thrombosis. Oxidative stress, which is associated with vascular injury from stent implantation, can induce VSMCs to undergo senescence, and senescent VSMCs can produce pro-inflammatory cytokines capable of inducing proliferation of neighboring nonsenescent VSMCs. We explored the potential of senolytic therapy, which involves the selective elimination of senescent cells, in the form of a senolytic-eluting stent (SES) for interventional cardiology. Oxidative stress was modeled in vitro by exposing VSMCs to H₂O₂, and H₂O₂-mediated senescence was evaluated by cytochemical staining of senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity and qRT-PCR. Quiescent VSMCs were then treated with the conditioned medium (CM) of H₂O₂-treated VSMCs. Proliferative effects of CM were analyzed by staining for proliferating cell nuclear antigen. Senolytic effects of the first-generation senolytic ABT263 were observed in vitro, and the effects of ABT263 on endothelial cells were also investigated through an in vitro re-endothelialization assay. SESs were prepared by dip coating. Iliofemoral arteries of hypercholesteremic rabbits were implanted with SES, everolimus-eluting stents (EESs), or bare-metal stents (BMSs), and the area of stenosis was measured 4 weeks post-implantation using optical coherence tomography. We found that a portion of H₂O₂-treated VSMCs underwent senescence, and that CM of H₂O₂-treated senescent VSMCs triggered the proliferation of quiescent VSMCs. ABT263 reverted H₂O₂-mediated senescence and the proliferative capacity of senescent VSMC CM. Unlike everolimus, ABT263 did not affect endothelial cell migration and/or proliferation. SES, but not EES, significantly reduced stenosis area in vivo compared with bare-metal stents (BMSs). This study shows the potential of SES as an alternative to current forms of DES.

The Mechanisms of Restenosis and Relevance to Next Generation Stent Design

Stents are lifesaving mechanical devices that re-establish essential blood flow to the coronary circulation after significant vessel occlusion due to coronary vessel disease or thrombolytic blockade. Improvements in stent surface engineering over the last 20 years have seen significant reductions in complications arising due to restenosis and thrombosis. However, under certain conditions such as diabetes mellitus (DM), the incidence of stent-mediated complications remains 2–4-fold higher than seen in non-diabetic patients. The stents with the largest market share are designed to target the mechanisms behind neointimal hyperplasia (NIH) through anti-proliferative drugs that prevent the formation of a neointima by halting the cell cycle of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Thrombosis is treated through dual anti-platelet therapy (DAPT), which is the continual use of aspirin and a P2Y₁₂ inhibitor for 6–12 months. While the most common stents currently in use are reasonably effective at treating these complications, there is still significant room for improvement. Recently, inflammation and redox stress have been identified as major contributing factors that increase the risk of stent-related complications following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The aim of this review is to examine the mechanisms behind inflammation and redox stress through the lens of PCI and its complications and to establish whether tailored targeting of these key mechanistic pathways offers improved outcomes for patients, particularly those where stent placement remains vulnerable to complications. In summary, our review highlights the most recent and promising research being undertaken in understanding the mechanisms of redox biology and inflammation in the context of stent design. We emphasize the benefits of a targeted mechanistic approach to decrease all-cause mortality, even in patients with diabetes.

Drug-eluting stents for the treatment of coronary artery disease: A review of recent advances

INTRODUCTION

Percutaneous coronary intervention is a widely used procedure for the treatment of coronary artery disease to relieve narrowing or occlusion and improve blood supply. Although only balloon angioplasty was performed in the early period, coronary stents were developed later and coronary drug-eluting stents were introduced to decrease in-stent restenosis, which is related to the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells.

AREAS COVERED

The drug-eluting stents are composed of a metallic or polymeric platform, specific drug, and polymers or coating for drug release. In this article, the recent advances in drug-eluting stent technologies for the treatment of coronary artery disease and adjunctive antiplatelet therapy after drug-eluting stent implantation will be reviewed.

EXPERT OPINION

The need for further advances in drug-eluting stents or fully bioresorbable coronary scaffolds still exists to improve patient survival or clinical outcomes. The use for different actions or of combinations of drugs with several actions can be potential. Technological refinement and progress in manufacturing to improve mechanical integrity are needed, particularly for fully bioresorbable scaffolds. For antiplatelet therapy after stenting, clinical bleeding reduction strategies, such as a shortened duration of dual-antiplatelet therapy, are in progress.

Overcoming challenges in refining the current generation of coronary stents

INTRODUCTION

Late stent thrombosis caused by delayed vascular healing and prolonged local inflammation were major drawbacks of 1^st generation drug-eluting stents (DES). Strut design, biocompatibility of polymer, and drug-release profiles were improved in 2^nd and 3rdgeneration DES. Accordingly, the indications for percutaneous coronary intervention with DES have been expanded to more complex patients and lesions. Despite these improvements, significant barriers such as greater flexibility in the duration of dual-antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) as well as reducing long-term stent-related events remain. To achieve ideal short- and long-term results, these existing limitations need to be overcome.

AREAS COVERED

We will discuss the current limitations of coronary DES and how they might be overcome from pathological and clinical viewpoints.

EXPERT OPINION

Optimizing DAPT duration after stent implantation and prevention of in-stent neoatherosclerosis are two major issues in current DES. Overcoming these drawbacks is a prerequisite toward achieving better short- and long-term clinical outcomes. New technologies including platform design, polymer types, and anti-proliferative agent itself might lead to further improvements. Although the initial experience with bioresorbable scaffold/stents (BRS) was disappointing, positive results of clinical studies regarding novel BRS are raising expectations. Overall, further device innovation is desired for overcoming the limitations of current DES.

Hybrid coronary revascularization versus percutaneous coronary intervention: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Hybrid coronary revascularization (HCR) is an emerging approach for multivessel coronary artery disease (MVD) which combines the excellent long-term outcomes of surgery with the early recovery and reduced short-term complications of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Here, we evaluated the effectiveness of HCR compared to PCI in patients with MVD.

METHODS

A systematic database search in PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and CENTRAL/CCTR was conducted by June 2021. Random-effects meta-analysis was performed, comparing major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) at 30 days and at latest follow-up between patients undergoing HCR versus PCI.

RESULTS

A total of 27,041 patients (HCR: 939 patients, PCI: 26,102 patients) were included from seven studies published between 2013 and 2021. At latest follow-up, HCR was associated with lower rates of myocardial infarction (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.20-0.80, p = 0.010) and target vessel revascularization (OR 0.49, 95% CI 0.37-0.64, p < 0.001), while the difference for MACCE did not reach statistical significance (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.20-1.05, p = 0.061). No differences were observed in terms of 30-day outcomes, nor rates of mortality or stroke at latest follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

HCR might be a valid alternative to multivessel PCI, demonstrating a lower incidence of MI and TVR. Center experience, well-coordinated heart team discussions, and good patient selection likely remain essential to ensure optimal outcomes. Future comparative studies are required to define the optimal target population.

Comparison between biodegradable- and durable-polymer everolimus-eluting stents in hemodialysis patients with coronary artery disease

To investigate the clinical outcomes after biodegradable-polymer (BP) and durable-polymer (DP) everolimus-eluting stent (EES) implantation in hemodialysis (HD) patients with coronary artery disease. We enrolled 221 consecutive HD patients successfully treated with EES implantation for coronary lesions. Over the following 2 years, we assessed the incidence of target lesion revascularization (TLR) and major adverse cardiac event (MACE), defined as the composite endpoint of TLR, all-cause mortality, or myocardial infarction. We performed a propensity-score matching analysis and collected follow-up coronary angiography data. There were 91 patients in the BP-EES group and 130 in the DP-EES group. Male sex and diabetes rates were significantly lower in the BP-EES group than in the DP-EES group. A debulking device was less frequently used in the BP-EES group than in the DP-EES group (7.6% vs. 21.5%, p = 0.006). TLR occurred in 38 patients, while stent thrombosis was observed in 3 patients; 19 patients died. TLR and MACE rates at 2 years were comparable between the two groups (19.2% in the BP-EES group vs. 20.4% in the DP-EES group, p = 0.73 and 26.9% vs. 34.2%, p = 0.93, respectively). In the propensity-score-matched cohort, TLR and MACE rates were similar between the two groups (19.2% in the BP-EES group vs. 18.1% in the DP-EES group, p = 0.69, and 26.9% vs. 30.2%, p = 0.66, respectively). Restenosis rates at follow-up angiography were similar between the two groups (p = 0.79). In hemodialysis patients, BP-EES and DP-EES showed similar 2-year clinical outcomes.

3D printing advances in the development of stents

3D printing technologies have found several applications within the biomedical sector including in the fabrication of medical devices, advanced visualization, diagnosis planning and simulation of surgical procedures. One of the areas in which of 3D printing is anticipated to revolutionised is the manufacturing of implantable bioresorbable drug-eluting scaffolds (stents). The ability to customize and create personalised tailor-made bioresorbable scaffolds has the potential to help solve many of the challenges associated with stenting, such as inappropriate stent sizing and design, abolish late stent thrombosis and help artery growth; 3D printing offers a rapid prototyping and effective method of producing stents making customization of designs feasible. This review provides an overview of the subjects and summarizes the latest research in the 3D printing technologies employed for the design and fabrication of bioresorbable stents including materials with the required printable and mechanical properties. Finally, we present a regulatory perspective on the development and engineering of 3D printed implantable stents.