Comparison of everolimus-eluting and sirolimus-eluting coronary stents: 1-year outcomes from the Randomized Evaluation of Sirolimus-eluting Versus Everolimus-eluting stent Trial (RESET)

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.

Paclitaxel-eluting stents versus paclitaxel-coated balloons in coronary artery disease: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

The efficacy of drug-coated balloons (DCB) versus drug-eluting stents (DES) for coronary artery disease (CAD) remains inconclusive. Despite paclitaxel's common use in both DES and DCB, there is a lack of meta-analyses comparing paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES) and paclitaxel-coated balloons (PCB). This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate and compare the outcomes of DES and DCB with paclitaxel. A systematic literature search of the Medline and Cochrane databases yielded six randomized controlled trials with 951 patients (1:1 ratio). Primary endpoints were mortality, target lesion vascularization (TLV), myocardial infarction (MI), target vessel revascularization (TVR), and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs). Secondary endpoints included in-device binary stenosis, in-segment binary stenosis, late luminal loss (LLL), post-minimal lumen diameter (MLD), and post-diameter stenosis. Within the study populations, the incidence of previous MI was significantly lower in the PES group than in the PCB group (26.70% vs. 39.22%, OR:0.56, 95% CI [0.41-0.76], p = 0.0002). The meta-analysis results showed that mortality (OR:1.57, 95% CI [0.67-3.66], p = 0.29), TLV (OR:0.74, 95% CI [0.37-1.48], p = 0.39), MI (OR:1.76, 95% CI [0.79-3.88], p = 0.16), TVR (OR:0.76, 95% CI [0.51-1.12], p = 0.16), and MACEs (OR, 1.11; 95% CI [0.48-2.58]; p = 0.81) did not exhibit significant differences between the PES and PCB groups in CAD. Furthermore, in stent or in balloon binary stenosis (OR:0.80, 95% CI [0.34-1.87], p = 0.60), in segment binary stenosis (OR:1.16, 95% CI [0.48-2.80], p = 0.74), LLL (MD:0.03, 95% CI [-0.11 to 0.17], p = 0.65), post MLD (MD:0.04, 95% CI [-0.23 to 0.30], p = 0.77), and post diameter stenosis (MD:-5.48, 95% CI [-13.88 to 2.92], p = 0.20) were similar in both groups. Our comprehensive analysis concludes that both PES and PCB manifest comparable effectiveness and safety in CAD management.

Clopidogrel vs Aspirin Monotherapy Beyond 1 Year After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

BACKGROUND

It remains unclear whether clopidogrel is better suited than aspirin as the long-term antiplatelet monotherapy following dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

OBJECTIVES

This study compared clopidogrel monotherapy following 1 month of DAPT (clopidogrel group) with aspirin monotherapy following 12 months of DAPT (aspirin group) after PCI for 5 years.

METHODS

STOPDAPT-2 (Short and Optimal Duration of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy 2) is a multicenter, open-label, adjudicator-blinded, randomized clinical trial conducted in Japan. Patients who underwent PCI with cobalt-chromium everolimus-eluting stents were randomized in a 1-to-1 fashion either to clopidogrel or aspirin groups. The primary endpoint was a composite of cardiovascular outcomes (cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, or definite stent thrombosis) or major bleeding (TIMI major or minor bleeding).

RESULTS

Among 3,005 study patients (age: 68.6 ± 10.7 years; women: 22.3%; acute coronary syndrome: 38.3%), 2,934 patients (97.6%) completed the 5-year follow-up (adherence to the study drugs at 395 days: 84.7% and 75.9%). The clopidogrel group compared with the aspirin group was noninferior but not superior for the primary endpoint (11.75% and 13.57%, respectively; HR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.70-1.05; Pnoninferiority < 0.001; Psuperiority = 0.13), whereas it was superior for the cardiovascular outcomes (8.61% and 11.05%, respectively; HR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.61-0.97; P = 0.03) and not superior for major bleeding (4.44% and 4.92%, respectively; HR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.64-1.25; P = 0.51). By the 1-year landmark analysis, clopidogrel was numerically, but not significantly, superior to aspirin for cardiovascular events (6.79% and 8.68%, respectively; HR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.59-1.01; P = 0.06) without difference in major bleeding (3.99% and 3.32%, respectively; HR: 1.23; 95% CI: 0.84-1.81; P = 0.31).

CONCLUSIONS

Clopidogrel might be an attractive alternative to aspirin with a borderline ischemic benefit beyond 1 year after PCI.

Ten-year clinical outcomes from a randomized trial comparing new-generation everolimus-eluting stent versus first-generation Sirolimus-eluting stent: Results from the RESET extended study

BACKGROUND

New-generation drug-eluting stents (DES) achieved technological innovations and reported clinical advantages as compared with first-generation DES in clinical trials with 3-5 years follow-up. However, detailed clinical outcome data in very long-term follow-up is still scarce.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate 10-year clinical outcomes after first- and new-generation DES implantation.

METHODS

In this extende follow-up study of the RESET, which is a largest randomized trial comparing everolimus-eluting stent (EES) with Sirolimus-eluting stent (SES), the study population consisted of 2892 patients from 84 centers. The primary efficacy and safety endpoints were target lesion revascularization (TLR) and a composite of death or myocardial infarction (MI), respectively. Complete 10-year follow-up was achieved in 87.9% of patients.

RESULTS

Cumulative 10-year incidences of TLR and non-TLR were not significantly different between EES and SES (13.9% vs. 15.7%, Log-rank p = 0.20, and 33.4% vs. 31.3%, Log-rank p = 0.30). The cumulative 10-year incidence of death/MI was also not significantly different between the groups (32.5% vs. 34.4%, Log-rank p = 0.18). Cumulative 10-year incidence of definite stent thrombosis was numerically lower in EES than in SES (1.0% vs. 1.7%, Log-rank p = 0.16). The lower risk of EES relative to SES was significant for a composite endpoint of target lesion failure (TLF: 19.6% vs. 24.9%, Log-rank p = 0.001) and target vessel failure (TVF: 26.7% vs. 31.4%, Log-rank p = 0.006).

CONCLUSION

During 10-year of follow-up, the risks for primary efficacy and safety endpoints were not significantly different between new-generation EES and first-generation SES, although EES compared with SES was associated with a lower risk for composite endpoints such as TLF and TVF.

The roles of METTL3 on autophagy and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells are mediated by mTOR rather than by CDK1

BACKGROUND

Aberrant proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is the cause of neointima formation followed by vascular injury. Autophagy is involved in this pathological process, but its function is controversial. Recently, we found that methyltransferase like 3 (METTL3) inhibited VSMC proliferation by activating autophagosome formation. Moreover, we also demonstrated that METTL3 reduced the levels of phosphorylated mammalian target of rapamycin (p-mTOR) and cyclin dependent kinase 1 (p-CDK1/CDC2), which were critical for autophagy and proliferation regulation. However, whether mTOR and CDK1 mediated the function of METTL3 on autophagy and proliferation in VSMCs remains unknown.

RESULTS

We showed that the activator of mTOR, MHY1485 largely reversed the effects of METTL3 overexpression on VSMC autophagy and proliferation. Rapamycin, the inhibitor of mTOR, obviously nullified the pro-proliferation effects of METTL3 knockdown by activating autophagy in VSMCs. Unexpectedly, mTOR did not contribute to the impacts of METTL3 on migration and phenotypic switching of VSMCs. On the other hand, by knockdown of CDK1 in VSMC with METTL3 deficiency, we demonstrated that CDK1 was involved in METTL3-regulated proliferation of VSMCs, but this effect was not mediated by autophagy.

CONCLUSIONS

We concluded that mTOR but not CDK1 mediated the role of METTL3 on VSMC proliferation and autophagy.

Modified percutaneous coronary intervention-derived risk models (PARIS and CREDO-Kyoto integer scoring systems) applied to Japanese transcatheter aortic valve replacement patients

OBJECTIVE

Postprocedural ischaemic and bleeding risks after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) remain a major concern. Nevertheless, no reliable risk models incorporating both possibilities are currently available. We aimed to assess the accuracy of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)-derived models and the performance of a recalibrated model that included variables more applicable to TAVR.

METHODS

This study included 26 869 patients who had been enrolled in a national registry. Ischaemic events were defined as myocardial infarction, stroke, transient ischaemic attack or peripheral embolism at 1 year. Bleeding events were defined as any bleeding based on the Valve Academic Research Consortium-2 consensus document at 1 year. Patterns of Non-adherence to Anti-Platelet Regimen in Stented Patients (PARIS) and Coronary Revascularisation Demonstrating Outcome Study in Kyoto (CREDO-Kyoto) integer scoring systems were tested. The models were recalibrated by applying new variables using the Fine and Gray method.

RESULTS

The 1-year cumulative incidences for ischaemic and bleeding events were 2.7% and 3.1%. Patients with high PARIS and CREDO-Kyoto risk scores had higher incidences of both ischaemic (3.3% vs 2.4% vs 2.4%, p<0.001 and 2.8% vs 2.0% vs 0.8%, p<0.001) and bleeding events (3.3% vs 2.5% vs 0.8%, p<0.001 and 3.7% vs 3.0% vs 2.4%, p<0.001) when compared with intermediate and low-risk patients. The receiver operating characteristic area under the curves for these models were 0.53, 0.58, 0.56 and 0.55, respectively. After the models were recalibrated to incorporate variables more applicable to TAVR, the performance of ischaemic and bleeding models modestly improved (0.58 and 0.61, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

The PCI-derived models demonstrated modest accuracy but was inadequate for risk stratification of TAVR patients at 1-year follow-up.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

3395.

Risk Factors for Vulnerable Plaque Detected Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy in Patients Receiving Statin Therapy with No History of Coronary Artery Disease

Residual risk of atherosclerosis remains high despite the use of lipid-lowering therapy with statins. Near-infrared spectroscopy intravascular ultrasound imaging (NIRS-IVUS) can identify vulnerable plaque via the detection of lipid-rich plaque. This study aimed to reveal the clinical characteristics of patients with vulnerable plaque despite statin therapy.NIRS-IVUS was used to determine the maximum 4 mm Lipid Core Burden Index (MaxLCBI_{4 mm}) values of 38 de novo culprit lesions from 32 patients with acute coronary syndrome (53%) (mean age: 73.1 ± 13.1 years) who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention after a minimum 6 months of statin therapy for primary prevention. A patient with vulnerable plaque was defined as an individual presenting at least 1 target lesion with a vulnerable plaque (MaxLCBI_{4 mm} > 400). Overall, the average low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level was 95.5 ± 27.2 mg/dL. Patients in the vulnerable plaque group were younger and had higher LDL-C, triglycerides, and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels than those in the non-vulnerable plaque group. The MaxLCBI_{4 mm} was positively correlated with LDL-C (P = 0.0002), triglycerides (P = 0.0003), and non-HDL-C (P = 0.0001). In multivariate analysis, all 3 treatable lipid components failed to show an independent relationship with the patients with vulnerable plaque. Using receiver-operating characteristics curve analysis, the cutoff points for LDL-C, triglycerides, and non-HDL-C were determined to be 78 mg/dL, 108 mg/dL, and 111 mg/dL, respectively, at MaxLCBI_{4 mm} > 400. In conclusion, this study supports a more comprehensive and aggressive lipid-lowering therapy for the primary prevention of coronary artery disease.

Drug-Eluting Stents are Associated with Superior Mid-Term Outcomes for the Treatment of Infrainguinal Bypass Graft Stenoses

BACKGROUND

We previously demonstrated that everolimus drug-eluting stents (eDES) have reasonable short-term patency for the treatment of infrainguinal bypass stenoses. The aim of this study is to compare mid-term outcomes of eDES, plain balloon angioplasty (PTA), percutaneous cutting balloon (PCB), and drug-coated balloon (DCB) interventions for failing infrainguinal bypasses.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective review of patients with infrainguinal bypass stenoses treated by endovascular intervention (August 2010-August 2021). The primary outcome was primary patency (PP). Secondary outcomes were primary-assisted patency (PAP), secondary patency (SP), limb salvage (LS), and mortality. Outcomes were compared by treatment using Kaplan-Meier curves with log-rank tests and Cox proportional hazards models adjusting for baseline differences between groups.

RESULTS

Seventy-two consecutive patients with 152 discrete infrainguinal bypass graft stenoses were identified. Mean age was 65.1 ± 10.6 years, 55.6% were male, and 48.6% were Black. In total, 81.9% of patients were originally treated for chronic limb-threatening ischemia, and 57.2% of distal anastomoses were to tibial or pedal targets. Of 152 lesions, 44.1% (n = 67) were treated with PTA, 17.8% (n = 27) with PCB, 20.4% (n = 31) with DCB, and 17.8% (n = 27) with eDES. Median follow-up was 28.5 months (interquartile range 11.5-51.9). There was no difference in bypass configuration, conduit choice, or stenosis location (proximal anastomosis, mid-bypass, distal anastomosis) between groups. At 24 months postintervention, PP was significantly better for eDES (72.9%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 49.8-85.6), followed by PCB (55.9%, 95% CI 34.2-72.9), PTA (34.4%, 95% CI 21.7-47.4), and DCB (33.6%, 95% CI 14.5-53.9) (P = 0.03). PAP, LS, and mortality did not significantly differ between modalities (P > 0.05). After risk adjustment, eDES was associated with the lowest risk of PP loss (hazard ratio versus PTA 0.15, 95% CI 0.05-0.47).

CONCLUSIONS

eDES is associated with superior 24-month patency rates compared to other endovascular technologies, and should be considered a primary therapy modality for the treatment of infrainguinal bypass graft stenoses.

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.

Comparison of Clopidogrel Monotherapy After 1 to 2 Months of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy With 12 Months of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome: The STOPDAPT-2 ACS Randomized Clinical Trial

IMPORTANCE

Clopidogrel monotherapy after short dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has not yet been fully investigated in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

OBJECTIVE

To test the hypothesis of noninferiority of 1 to 2 months of DAPT compared with 12 months of DAPT for a composite end point of cardiovascular and bleeding events in patients with ACS.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This multicenter, open-label, randomized clinical trial enrolled 4169 patients with ACS who underwent successful PCI using cobalt-chromium everolimus-eluting stents at 96 centers in Japan from December 2015 through June 2020. These data were analyzed from June to July 2021.

INTERVENTIONS

Patients were randomized either to 1 to 2 months of DAPT followed by clopidogrel monotherapy (n = 2078) or to 12 months of DAPT with aspirin and clopidogrel (n = 2091).

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The primary end point was a composite of cardiovascular (cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction [MI], any stroke, or definite stent thrombosis) or bleeding (Thrombolysis in MI major or minor bleeding) events at 12 months, with a noninferiority margin of 50% on the hazard ratio (HR) scale. The major secondary end points were cardiovascular and bleeding components of the primary end point.

RESULTS

Among 4169 randomized patients, 33 withdrew consent. Of the 4136 included patients, the mean (SD) age was 66.8 (11.9) years, and 856 (21%) were women, 2324 (56%) had ST-segment elevation MI, and 826 (20%) had non-ST-segment elevation MI. A total of 4107 patients (99.3%) completed the 1-year follow-up in June 2021. One to 2 months of DAPT was not noninferior to 12 months of DAPT for the primary end point, which occurred in 65 of 2058 patients (3.2%) in the 1- to 2-month DAPT group and in 58 of 2057 patients (2.8%) in the 12-month DAPT group (absolute difference, 0.37% [95% CI, -0.68% to 1.42%]; HR, 1.14 [95% CI, 0.80-1.62]; P for noninferiority = .06). The major secondary cardiovascular end point occurred in 56 patients (2.8%) in the 1- to 2-month DAPT group and in 38 patients (1.9%) in the 12-month DAPT group (absolute difference, 0.90% [95% CI, -0.02% to 1.82%]; HR, 1.50 [95% CI, 0.99-2.26]). The major secondary bleeding end point occurred in 11 patients (0.5%) in the 1- to 2-month DAPT group and 24 patients (1.2%) in the 12-month DAPT group (absolute difference, -0.63% [95% CI, -1.20% to -0.06%]; HR, 0.46 [95% CI, 0.23-0.94]).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In patients with ACS with successful PCI, clopidogrel monotherapy after 1 to 2 months of DAPT failed to attest noninferiority to standard 12 months of DAPT for the net clinical benefit with a numerical increase in cardiovascular events despite reduction in bleeding events. The directionally different efficacy and safety outcomes indicate the need for further clinical trials.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifiers: NCT02619760 and NCT03462498.

Temporal trends in clinical outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention: a systematic review of 66,327 patients from 25 all-comers trials

BACKGROUND

With the improvements of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) technology and post-PCI patient management, several registry studies reported temporal trends in post-PCI clinical outcomes. However, their results are inconclusive, potentially reflecting region-specific trends, based on site-reported events without external validity.

AIMS

This study aimed to investigate temporal trends in post-PCI clinical outcomes in all-comers randomised controlled trials (RCTs) involving coronary stents.

METHODS

We performed a systematic review identifying RCTs comparing a clinical outcome as a primary endpoint among different coronary stents with an all-comers design and independent clinical event adjudication, extracting the study start year, patient baseline characteristics, and one- and five-year clinical outcomes. Temporal trends in clinical outcomes (cardiac death, myocardial infarction [MI], target lesion revascularisation [TLR], stent thrombosis [ST]) were assessed using random-effects meta-regression analyses, estimating the relationship between clinical outcomes and study start year.

RESULTS

Overall, 25 all-comers trials (51 device arms, 66,327 patients) conducted between 2003 and 2018 fulfilled the eligibility criteria. Random-effects meta-regression analysis revealed significant decreasing trends in one- and five-year cardiac death, one-year TLR, and five-year ST incidences (relative risk per 10-year increase: 0.69 [0.51-0.92], 0.66 [0.44-0.98], 0.60 [0.41-0.88], and 0.18 [0.07-0.44], respectively). There was no significant trend in myocardial infarction incidences.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first attempt to clarify and quantify the temporal trends of post-PCI outcome incidence. The 15-year improvements in PCI therapy and post-therapeutic patient management are associated with reduced incidences of cardiac death and PCI-related adverse events.

Effect of Crack Patterns in Calcified Plaque on Lumen Area after Stenting for a Severe Calcified Coronary Artery (from the Optical Frequency Domain Imaging-Guided Percutaneous Coronary Artery Intervention for Calcified Lesion Registry)

Background

Severely calcified coronary artery stenting remains a challenge due to stent thrombosis, target vessel failure, and higher mortality. Moreover, optimal vessel preparation for calcified plaque with a crack formation pattern has not been established yet. We aimed to identify the effect of crack formation in calcified plaque in the coronary artery on the lumen area after stenting.

Materials and Methods

We evaluated 50 consecutive patients undergoing drug-eluting stent implantation for severely calcified lesions by using optical frequency domain imaging (OFDI) (54 lesions); we analyzed OFDI image slices every 3 mm and evaluated the segments of 242 images in those who had the arc of calcium more than 180°. Crack formation in calcified plaque was classified into three types: type 0, no cracks; type 1, no dissection between calcified plaque and vessel wall; and type 2, any dissection between calcified plaque and vessel wall.

Results

Type 2 had a significantly higher area expansion ratio between preballooning and poststenting (type 0, 196% (interquartile range (IQR), 163–244); type 1, 210% (IQR, 174–244); type 2, 237% (IQR, 203–294)).

Conclusions

The dissection between calcified plaque and vessel wall was a significant factor affecting lumen area expansion after stenting.

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.

Ischemic/bleeding event after short dual-antiplatelet therapy in patients with high bleeding risk: Sub-analysis of the MODEL U-SES study

BACKGROUND

This analysis aimed to evaluate the clinical impact of high bleeding risk (HBR) on adverse events after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 1695 patients in the MODEL U-SES study, which was a multicenter, open-label, prospective observational study evaluating safety of 3-month dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after Ultimaster stent (Terumo Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) implantation at 65 sites in Japan. Patients were divided into 2 groups (HBR/Non-HBR) according to modified Academic Research Consortium-HBR criteria. Ischemic/thrombotic event (cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, and stent thrombosis) and bleeding event (Bleeding Academic Research Consortium 3 or 5) at 1 year were evaluated.

RESULTS

Of 1695 patients, 840 patients were categorized as HBR and 855 patients were Non-HBR. One-year follow-up was completed in 95.3%. During 1-year follow-up, ischemic/thrombotic events were observed in 31 cases (1.8%) and bleeding events occurred in 21 cases (1.2%). Presence of HBR was significantly associated with higher incidence of ischemic/thrombotic events as compared to Non-HBR (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.16; 95% confidence interval, 0.05 to 0.50), whereas the incidence of bleeding events did not reach statistical significance between HBR and Non-HBR. In comparison of monotherapy after DAPT, P2Y₁₂ inhibitor monotherapy after DAPT had comparable ischemic/thrombotic and bleeding events with aspirin monotherapy after DAPT in both HBR and Non-HBR.

CONCLUSION

In contemporary PCI practice, nearly half of patients had HBR and presence of HBR significantly increased risk of ischemic/thrombotic events. Both aspirin and P2Y₁₂ inhibitor monotherapy following short DAPT had low and comparable ischemic/bleeding events.

Second generation drug-eluting stents: a focus on safety and efficacy of current devices

Introduction: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) represents the most frequent procedure performed in medicine. Second generation drug eluting stents (DES) have been developed to reduce the rates of late and very late complications of first generation DES.Areas covered: To improve long-term efficacy and safety of patients undergoing PCI, second generation DES have been developed with novel stent platforms, biocompatible durable and biodegradable polymers and newer antiproliferative agents. In this review we provide an overview of second generation DES and their clinical trials, discussing safety and effectiveness of these devices, and outlining clinical indication for use.Expert commentary: Numerous clinical trials have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of second generation DES over the last decade. These devices represent the gold standard treatment in stable and acute coronary syndromes.

Risk prediction of in-stent restenosis among patients with coronary drug-eluting stents: current clinical approaches and challenges

Introduction: In-stent restenosis (ISR) has been one of the biggest limitations to the success of percutaneous coronary intervention for the treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD). The introduction of drug-eluting stent (DES) was a revolution in the treatment of CAD because these devices drastically reduced ISR to very low levels (<5%). Subsequently, newer generation DES treatments have overcome the drawbacks of first-generation DES, i.e. delayed endothelialization, and late stent thrombosis. However, the issue of late ISR, including neoatherosclerosis after DES implantation especially in high-risk patients and complex lesions, still exists as a challenge to be overcome.Areas covered: We discuss the mechanisms of ISR development including neoatherosclerosis, past and current clinical status of ISR, and methods to predict and overcome this issue from pathological and clinical points of view.Expert opinion: The initial drawbacks of first-generation DES, such as delayed endothelial healing and subsequent risk of late stent thrombosis, have been improved upon by the current generation DES. To achieve better long-term clinical outcomes, further titration of drug-release and polymer degradation profile, strut thickness as well as material innovation are needed.

Safety and performance of the EverProTM everolimus-eluting coronary stent system with biodegradable polymer in a real-world scenario

BACKGROUND

The EverPro^TM (Sahajanand Laser Technology Ltd., India) everolimus-eluting coronary stent system (EES) is a second-generation drug-eluting stent with a biodegradable polymer.

AIM

To determine the safety and performance of the EverPro^TM EES in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) during a 1-year clinical follow-up.

METHODS

This observational, retrospective, single-center study enrolled patients who had been implanted with the EverPro^TM stent between June 1, 2018 and January 31, 2019, and had completed a 1-year follow-up period after the index procedure. The primary clinical endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACE) at 6 mo defined as the composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI), and target lesion revascularization (TLR). Secondary endpoints were the incidence of TLR at 1, 6 and 12 mo follow-up, MACE at 1 and 12 mo follow-up, and stent thrombosis up to 1 year after the index procedure.

RESULTS

The study population comprised 77 patients (98 lesions). A total of 37 (48.1%) patients had comorbid hypertension. In total, 26 (33.8%) patients presented with ST segment elevation MI and 10.4% patients with non-ST segment elevation MI. Treated lesions were located mainly in the left anterior descending artery (49%) followed by the right coronary artery (29.6%), left circumflex (12.2%) and obtuse marginal (9.2%) arteries. The majority of patients were with single-vessel disease (79%), 22.2% of lesions had a mild to severe thrombus load, and 94.9% were American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association type B or C. De novo stenting was performed in 96.9% of patients and 3% were treated for in-stent restenosis. Procedural success was attained in all patients. In-hospital or follow-up MACE and stent thrombosis were not reported during the 1-year follow-up period.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that the EverPro^TM EES is a safe and effective treatment option with no MACE or stent thrombosis reported during the 1-year study period in patients with CAD.

Comparison of serial optical coherence tomography imaging following aggressive stent expansion technique: insight from the MECHANISM study

To compare early vascular healing following cobalt-chromium everolimus-eluting stent (CoCr-EES) implantation between groups with or without aggressive stent expansion in patients treated by CoCr-EES for stable coronary artery disease (CAD). Seventy-one stable CAD lesions underwent CoCr-EES implantation and analysis of serial optical coherence tomography (OCT) images obtained post-procedure and at early-term (1- or 3-month) follow-up. The endpoints of this study were neointimal thickness at the time of 1- or 3-month OCT and presence and healing of stent edge dissection. Aggressive stent expansion was defined as a lesion complying with ILUMIEN III sizing protocol; that is, external elastic lamina (EEL) diameter minus maximum balloon diameter ≤ 0.25 mm.  Comparing groups with and without aggressive stent expansion, median neointimal thickness at 1 and 3 months after CoCr-EES implantation was similar (1 month: 0.031 mm vs. 0.041 mm, respectively, p = 0.27; 3 months: 0.036 mm vs. 0.040 mm, respectively, p = 0.84). Regarding stent edge findings, the presence of any stent edge dissection immediately after percutaneous coronary intervention was also similar between the groups (25% vs. 15%, respectively; p = 0.30) and most stent edge dissections resolved completely within 3 months, regardless of location or dissection severity. After 1 year, no clinically driven target lesion revascularization or stent thrombosis was observed in either cohort. Even after aggressive stent expansion, early neointimal proliferation appeared modest with CoCr-EES implantation, and most stent edge dissections had resolved by 3 months. These findings may support the feasibility of EEL-based sizing by pre-stenting OCT.

Differences in lesion characteristics and patient background associated with the medium-term clinical outcomes of bare-metal and first-, second- and third-generation drug-eluting stents

We investigated the lesion characteristics and patient background factors associated with the medium-term incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) for bare-metal stents (BMS) and 1st-, 2nd- and 3rd-generation drug-eluting stents (DES) using the PCI-Registry (FU-Registry). Between January 2003 and March 2016, 2967 cases/3508 lesions for which percutaneous coronary intervention was performed at Fukuoka University Hospital and related facilities were enrolled. Patients were divided into BMS and 1st-, 2nd- and 3rd-generation drug-eluting stent (DES) groups. The incidence of MACEs in the BMS group (26.2%) was significantly higher than those in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd DES groups (18.0%, 12.5%, and 11.0%, respectively). The incidence of MACEs in the BMS group was strongly associated with insulin use, hemodialysis, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, stent minimum lesion diameter, stent length, severe calcification and a small vessel diameter of less than 2.5 mm. Some of these factors showed no association with MACEs among the drug-elution groups, and only hemodialysis, arteriosclerosis obliterans and severe calcification showed a strong correlation in the 2nd DES group. In the 3rd DES group, none of the factors considered were associated with MACEs. In conclusion, in stent implantation, the number of factors associated with MACEs has gradually decreased as the stent generation increased.

Differences in Intravascular Ultrasound Measurement Values Between Treatment Modalities for Restenosis in Femoropopliteal Lesions

BACKGROUND

The risk of restenosis after intervention is higher in femoropopliteal than in aortoiliac lesions. However, the appropriate endovascular therapy (EVT) for preventing restenosis after intervention for femoropopliteal lesions remains unknown. This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between lesion characteristics and patency after EVT using intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) measurement and to determine the predictors of restenosis on IVUS.Methods and Results:This prospective observational study was performed at 18 Japanese centers. We evaluated the lesion characteristics before and after EVT for femoropopliteal lesion using IVUS. Angiographic or duplex ultrasound follow-up was performed at 1 year after EVT. A total of 263 lesions underwent EVT between December 2016 and December 2017. In total, 20 lesions (8 cases of isolated common femoral artery lesion and 12 cases of restenosis lesion) were excluded, and 243 lesions were enrolled in this study. A total of 181 lesions were treated with stent placement, and 62 lesions were treated only with balloon angioplasty. In the case of stent use, a larger distal plaque burden was associated with restenosis, while a lower calcification angle was associated with higher patency in the case of balloon angioplasty alone.

CONCLUSIONS

The factors related to patency differed depending on the treating modality. The findings suggest that IVUS is a useful tool for predicting patency because it can provide a more accurate evaluation after EVT for femoropopliteal lesions.

Relationship Between Platelet Reactivity and Ischemic and Bleeding Events After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in East Asian Patients: 1-Year Results of the PENDULUM Registry

Background The balance between ischemic and bleeding events and their association with platelet reactivity in patients receiving antiplatelet therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), which differs among regions, is not fully evaluated for East Asians. We examined ischemic/bleeding events and platelet reactivity in Japanese patients undergoing PCI and determined associations between high/low platelet reactivity and clinical outcomes. Methods and Results PENDULUM (Platelet Reactivity in Patients with Drug Eluting Stent and Balancing Risk of Bleeding and Ischemic Event) is a prospective, multicenter registry of Japanese patients with PCI. Primary end points were incidence of first major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) and first major bleeding events at 12 months post-PCI. Platelet reactivity (P2Y₁₂ reaction unit [PRU] value) was measured at 12 to 48 hours post-PCI; patients were grouped as having high PRU (>208), optimal PRU (>85 to ≤208), and low PRU (≤85). MACCE and major bleeding occurred in 4.4% and 2.8% of 6267 patients, respectively. The mean±SD PRU value was 182.1±77.1. MACCE was significantly higher in the high PRU (5.7%; n=2227) versus the optimal PRU group (3.6%; n=3002). The hazard ratio (HR) for high PRU versus optimal PRU level was significantly higher for MACCE (adjusted HR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.14-2.06 [P=0.004]); stent thrombosis followed the same trend. Incidence of major bleeding did not differ significantly between groups. A high PRU level was significantly associated with MACCE in both patients with and patients without acute coronary syndrome. Conclusions These real-world data suggest an association between high platelet reactivity and cardiovascular events in Japanese patients undergoing PCI. The trend was the same in both patients with and patients without acute coronary syndrome. REGISTRATION URL: https://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr. Unique identifier: UMIN 000020332.

One-year clinical outcomes of patients with versus without acute coronary syndrome with 3-month duration of dual antiplatelet therapy after everolimus-eluting stent implantation

There has been no previous prospective study evaluating 3-month dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after cobalt-chromium everolimus-eluting stent (CoCr-EES) implantation in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The STOPDAPT trial is a prospective multi-center single-arm study evaluating 3-month DAPT duration in all-comer population after CoCr-EES implantation. Among 1525 study patients enrolled from 58 Japanese centers, the present study compared the 1-year clinical outcomes between ACS patients (N = 487) and stable coronary artery disease (CAD) patients (N = 1038). In the ACS group, 228 patients (47%) had unstable angina and 259 patients (53%) had myocardial infarction. The primary endpoint was a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, definite stent thrombosis (ST) and TIMI major/minor bleeding. Thienopyridine was discontinued within 4-month in 455 patients (94.0%) in the ACS group and 977 patients (94.3%) in the stable CAD group. Cumulative 1-year incidence of and the adjusted risk for the primary endpoint were not significantly different between the ACS and stable CAD groups (2.3% vs. 3.0%, P = 0.42, and HR 0.94, 95%CI 0.44-1.87, P = 0.87). In the 3-month landmark analysis, cumulative incidence of the primary endpoint was also not significantly different between the ACS and stable CAD groups (1.3% vs. 2.4%, P = 0.16). There was no definite/probable ST through 1-year in both groups. In the propensity matched analysis, the cumulative 1-year incidence of the primary endpoint were similar between the ACS and stable CAD groups (2.3% versus 2.1%, P = 0.82). In conclusion, stopping DAPT at 3 months after CoCr-EES implantation in patients with ACS including 47% of unstable angina was as safe as that in patients with stable CAD.

Clinical expert consensus document on quantitative coronary angiography from the Japanese Association of Cardiovascular Intervention and Therapeutics

Quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) remains to play an important role in clinical trials and post-marketing surveillance related to the safety and efficacy of new PCI devices. In this document, the current standard methodology of QCA is summarized. In addition, its history, recent development and future perspectives are also reviewed.

Effect of Renal Dysfunction on the Risks for Ischemic and Bleeding Events in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Receiving Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

There is a paucity of studies exploring whether the ischemia-bleeding trade-off could be different according to the stages of renal dysfunction in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Among 19,598 patients in a pooled database from 3 Japanese PCI studies (CREDO-Kyoto Cohort-2, RESET, and NEXT), 1,547 patients had concomitant AF. Patients were divided into 4 groups according to their renal function (Creatinine clearance [CCr] >60 ml/min: n = 703, 60≥ CCr >30 ml/min: n = 627, CCr ≤30 ml/min: n = 126, Dialysis: n = 91). The cumulative 3-year incidences of both the primary ischemic (ischemic stroke/myocardial infarction) and bleeding (GUSTO moderate/severe) outcome increased incrementally with worsening renal function (11.4%, 12.6%, 16.8%, and 31.7%, p <0.001, and 7.5%, 14.9%, 26.3%, and 29.5%, p <0.001, respectively). Compared with CCr >60 ml/min group, the excess adjusted risk for the primary ischemic outcome was significant only in dialysis group (hazards ratio [HR] 2.15, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.22 to 3.69, p = 0.009), but not in 60≥ CCr >30 ml/min and CCr ≤30 ml/min groups (HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.62 to 1.29, p = 0.54, and HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.49 to 1.69, p = 0.83, respectively), whereas the excess adjusted risk for the primary bleeding outcome was significant in all 3 groups of renal dysfunction (HR 1.66, 95% CI 1.13 to 2.45, p = 0.01, HR 2.70, 95% CI 1.58 to 4.61, p <0.001, and HR 3.26, 95% CI 1.85 to 5.75, p <0.001, respectively). In conclusion, in AF patients receiving PCI, the worsening renal function was strongly associated with the increasingly higher risk for bleeding events, whereas the excess risk for ischemic events was significant only in patients on dialysis.

Prognostic Impact of Baseline Hemoglobin Levels on Long-Term Thrombotic and Bleeding Events After Percutaneous Coronary Interventions

Background

Association of baseline hemoglobin levels with long‐term adverse events after percutaneous coronary interventions has not been yet thoroughly defined. We aimed to assess the clinical impact of baseline hemoglobin on long‐term ischemic and bleeding risk after percutaneous coronary intervention.

Methods and Results

Using the pooled individual patient‐level data from the 3 percutaneous coronary intervention studies, we categorized 19 288 patients into 4 groups: high‐normal hemoglobin (≥14.0 g/dL; n=7555), low‐normal hemoglobin (13.0–13.9 g/dL in men and 12.0–13.9 g/dL in women; n=5303), mild anemia (11.0–12.9 g/dL in men and 11.0–11.9 g/dL in women; n=4117), and moderate/severe anemia (<11.0 g/dL; n=2313). Median follow‐up duration was 3 years. Low‐normal hemoglobin, mild anemia, and moderate/severe anemia correlated with significant excess risk relative to high‐normal hemoglobin for GUSTO (Global Utilization of Streptokinase and Tissue Plasminogen Activator for Occluded Arteries Trial) moderate/severe bleeding, with adjusted hazard ratios of 1.22 (95% CI, 1.04–1.44), 1.73 (95% CI, 1.47–2.04), and 2.31 (95% CI, 1.92–2.78), respectively. Moderate/severe anemia also correlated with significant excess risk relative to high‐normal hemoglobin for the ischemic composite end point of myocardial infarction/ischemic stroke (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.11–1.60), whereas low‐normal hemoglobin and mild anemia did not. However, the excess risk of low‐normal hemoglobin, mild anemia, and moderate/severe anemia relative to high‐normal hemoglobin remained significant for ischemic stroke and for mortality.

Conclusions

Decreasing baseline hemoglobin correlated with incrementally higher long‐term risk for major bleeding, ischemic stroke, and mortality after percutaneous coronary intervention. Even within normal range, lower baseline hemoglobin level correlated with higher ischemic and bleeding risk.

Ischemic and Bleeding Risk After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Patients With Prior Ischemic and Hemorrhagic Stroke

Background Prior stroke is regarded as risk factor for bleeding after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, there is a paucity of data on detailed bleeding risk of patients with prior hemorrhagic and ischemic strokes after PCI. Methods and Results In a pooled cohort of 19 475 patients from 3 Japanese PCI studies, we assessed the influence of prior hemorrhagic (n=285) or ischemic stroke (n=1773) relative to no-prior stroke (n=17 417) on ischemic and bleeding outcomes after PCI. Cumulative 3-year incidences of the co-primary bleeding end points of intracranial hemorrhage, non-intracranial global utilization of streptokinase and tissue plasminogen activator for occluded coronary arteries (GUSTO) moderate/severe bleeding, and the primary ischemic end point of ischemic stroke/myocardial infarction were higher in the prior hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke groups than in the no-prior stroke group (6.8%, 2.5%, and 1.3%, P<0.0001, 8.8%, 8.0%, and 6.0%, P=0.001, and 12.7%, 13.4%, and 7.5%, P<0.0001). After adjusting confounders, the excess risks of both prior hemorrhagic and ischemic strokes relative to no-prior stroke remained significant for intracranial hemorrhage (hazard ratio (HR) 4.44, 95% CI 2.64-7.01, P<0.0001, and HR 1.52, 95% CI 1.06-2.12, P=0.02), but not for non-intracranial bleeding (HR 1.18, 95% CI 0.76-1.73, P=0.44, and HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.78-1.13, P=0.53). The excess risks of both prior hemorrhagic and ischemic strokes relative to no-prior stroke remained significant for ischemic events mainly driven by the higher risk for ischemic stroke (HR 1.46, 95% CI 1.02-2.01, P=0.04, and HR 1.49, 95% CI 1.29-1.72, P<0.0001). Conclusions Patients with prior hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke as compared with those with no-prior stroke had higher risk for intracranial hemorrhage and ischemic events, but not for non-intracranial bleeding after PCI.

Application of the Academic Research Consortium High Bleeding Risk Criteria in an All-Comers Registry of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Background:

Recently, the Academic Research Consortium for High Bleeding Risk (ARC-HBR) has been proposed to standardize the definition of HBR, which was arbitrarily defined as a Bleeding Academic Research Consortium 3 or 5 bleeding ≥4% at 1-year. However, the prevalence and the expected bleeding event rate of HBR patients defined by ARC-HBR criteria are currently unknown in the real-world percutaneous coronary intervention practice.

Methods:

We applied the ARC-HBR criteria in the CREDO-Kyoto (Coronary Revascularization Demonstrating Outcome Study in Kyoto) registry cohort-2, a multicenter registry that enrolled 13 058 consecutive patients who underwent their first percutaneous coronary intervention. The primary bleeding end point was defined as the Global Utilization of Streptokinase and Tissue plasminogen activator for Occluded coronary arteries moderate/severe bleeding. There were 5570 patients (43%) in the HBR group and 7488 patients in the no-HBR group.

Results:

Cumulative incidence of the primary bleeding end point was much higher in the HBR group than in the no-HBR group (10.4% versus 3.4% at 1-year, and 18.9% versus 6.6% at 5-year, P <0.0001). Presence of each ARC-HBR major or even minor criterion, in isolation, with the exception of liver cirrhosis and prior ischemic stroke, was also associated with major bleeding risk higher than 4% at 1-year. Cumulative 5-year incidence of the primary bleeding end point got incrementally higher as the number of the ARC-HBR major criteria increased (≥3 majors: 49.9%, 2 majors: 30.6%, 1 major: 18.5%, ≥2 minors: 14.7%, and no-HBR: 6.6%, P <0.0001).

Conclusions:

ARC-HBR criteria successfully identified those patients with very HBR after percutaneous coronary intervention, who represented 43% of patients in this all-comers registry.

Neoatherosclerosis 5 Years After Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold Implantation

BACKGROUND

Data regarding neoatherosclerosis after everolimus-eluting bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) (ABSORB BVS Rev. 1.1, Abbott Vascular, Santa Clara, California) implantation are limited.

OBJECTIVES

This study investigated the findings of neoatherosclerosis at 5 years after BVS 1.1 implantation by using multi-imaging modalities, including optical coherence tomography (OCT).

METHODS

Patients included in the ABSORB EXTEND (ABSORB EXTEND Clinical Investigation) trial at Shonan Kamakura General Hospital underwent OCT at baseline after the index procedure and at 1 and 5 years. Intimal plaque distributions in the in-scaffold and out-scaffold segments were analyzed.

RESULTS

Twenty patients (22 lesions) with stable angina pectoris were enrolled. The median follow-up duration was 67 months (interquartile range: 65 to 69 months), and the mean age was 69 ± 8 years. Patients with diabetes mellitus (25%) were included. Based on the baseline angiogram, 10 (46%) lesions were type B2/C lesions. At 1 and 5 years of follow-up, significant differences in the prevalence of in-scaffold lipid-laden neointima (17% vs. 61%; p = 0.04), calcification (28% vs. 94%; p < 0.01), neovascularization (6% vs. 78%; p < 0.01), and thin-cap fibroatheroma (0% vs. 22%; p = 0.02) were found. In the out-scaffold segments, no significant difference in the plaque prevalence between 1 and 5 years was noted.

CONCLUSIONS

The occurrence and progression of in-scaffold neoatherosclerosis with luminal narrowing was observed at 5 years after BVS 1.1 implantation. The small size of the current study warrants confirmation in larger study. (ABSORB EXTEND Clinical Investigation [ABSORB EXTEND]; NCT01023789).

Effect of 1-Month Dual Antiplatelet Therapy Followed by Clopidogrel vs 12-Month Dual Antiplatelet Therapy on Cardiovascular and Bleeding Events in Patients Receiving PCI: The STOPDAPT-2 Randomized Clinical Trial

IMPORTANCE

Very short mandatory dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with a drug-eluting stent may be an attractive option.

OBJECTIVE

To test the hypothesis of noninferiority of 1 month of DAPT compared with standard 12 months of DAPT for a composite end point of cardiovascular and bleeding events.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

Multicenter, open-label, randomized clinical trial enrolling 3045 patients who underwent PCI at 90 hospitals in Japan from December 2015 through December 2017. Final 1-year clinical follow-up was completed in January 2019.

INTERVENTIONS

Patients were randomized either to 1 month of DAPT followed by clopidogrel monotherapy (n=1523) or to 12 months of DAPT with aspirin and clopidogrel (n=1522).

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The primary end point was a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction (MI), ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke, definite stent thrombosis, or major or minor bleeding at 12 months, with a relative noninferiority margin of 50%. The major secondary cardiovascular end point was a composite of cardiovascular death, MI, ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke, or definite stent thrombosis and the major secondary bleeding end point was major or minor bleeding.

RESULTS

Among 3045 patients randomized, 36 withdrew consent; of 3009 remaining, 2974 (99%) completed the trial. One-month DAPT was both noninferior and superior to 12-month DAPT for the primary end point, occurring in 2.36% with 1-month DAPT and 3.70% with 12-month DAPT (absolute difference, -1.34% [95% CI, -2.57% to -0.11%]; hazard ratio [HR], 0.64 [95% CI, 0.42-0.98]), meeting criteria for noninferiority (P < .001) and for superiority (P = .04). The major secondary cardiovascular end point occurred in 1.96% with 1-month DAPT and 2.51% with 12-month DAPT (absolute difference, -0.55% [95% CI, -1.62% to 0.52%]; HR, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.49-1.29]), meeting criteria for noninferiority (P = .005) but not for superiority (P = .34). The major secondary bleeding end point occurred in 0.41% with 1-month DAPT and 1.54% with 12-month DAPT (absolute difference, -1.13% [95% CI, -1.84% to -0.42%]; HR, 0.26 [95% CI, 0.11-0.64]; P = .004 for superiority).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Among patients undergoing PCI, 1 month of DAPT followed by clopidogrel monotherapy, compared with 12 months of DAPT with aspirin and clopidogrel, resulted in a significantly lower rate of a composite of cardiovascular and bleeding events, meeting criteria for both noninferiority and superiority. These findings suggest that a shorter duration of DAPT may provide benefit, although given study limitations, additional research is needed in other populations.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02619760.

Long-Term Clinical and Angiographic Outcomes After Implantation of New-Generation Drug-Eluting Stents for Patients on Maintenance Hemodialysis

Prior research has revealed poorer clinical outcomes after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation for hemodialysis patients. This study aims to investigate the long-term clinical and angiographic outcomes after new-generation DES implantation for hemodialysis patients.We retrospectively enrolled 91 consecutive patients (118 lesions) who underwent successful new-generation DES (everolimus-, zotarolimus-, and biolimus-eluting stents) implantation for the first time. We measured the serum calcium and phosphorus levels in the blood samples obtained just before hemodialysis. The follow-up period of clinical events was, at least, 1.5 years. In this study, major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) and clinically driven target lesion revascularization were reported in 36 (39.6%) and 11 (12.1%) patients, respectively. The prevalence of peripheral artery disease was significantly higher in the MACCE group (41.7% versus 14.5%, P = 0.006). The serum calcium level was significantly higher in the MACCE group (9.34 ± 0.92 mg/dL versus 8.77 ± 0.88 mg/dL; P = 0.004). The multivariate Cox proportional hazards model revealed that the serum calcium level (hazard ratio, 1.86; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.26-2.77; P = 0.002), suboptimal (over 55 mg²/dL²) calcium-phosphorus product (hazard ratio, 3.27; 95% CI: 1.41-7.61; P = 0.006) and the coexistence of peripheral artery disease (hazard ratio, 3.15; 95% CI: 1.49-6.65; P = 0.003) were independent predictors of MACCE.For hemodialysis patients, MACCE remains a frequent occurrence after new-generation DES implantation and is associated with calcium-phosphate metabolism and peripheral artery disease.

Long-term safety of bioresorbable scaffolds: insights from a network meta-analysis including 91 trials

AIMS

The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term safety and efficacy of biodegradable scaffolds and metallic stents.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We analysed a total of 91 randomised controlled trials with a mean follow-up of 3.7 years in 105,842 patients which compared two or more coronary metallic stents or biodegradable scaffolds and reported the long-term clinical outcomes (≥2 years). Network meta-analysis showed that patients treated with the Absorb bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) had a significantly higher risk of definite or probable scaffold thrombosis (ScT) compared to those treated with metallic DES. The risk of very late ScT was highest with the Absorb BVS among comparators. Pairwise conventional meta-analysis demonstrated that the elevated risk of ScT with Absorb BVS compared to cobalt-chromium everolimus-eluting stents was consistent across the time points of ≤30 days (early), 31 days - 1 year (late) and >1 year (very late) ScT. In addition, target lesion failure rates were significantly higher in the Absorb BVS cohort, driven by both increased risk of target vessel myocardial infarction and ischaemia-driven target lesion revascularisation.

CONCLUSIONS

Absorb BVS implantation was associated with increased risk of long-term and very late ScT compared to current-generation metallic DES. The risk of ScT occurred with a rising trend beyond one year.

Comparison of the vessel healing process after everolimus-eluting stent and bare metal stent implantations in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction

Cobalt-chromium everolimus-eluting stent (CoCr EES) is associated with a lower rate of stent thrombosis even in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). However, the time-serial changes of endothelial coverage of the stent struts in the extremely early period have never been reported, especially in patients with STEMI. The aim of this study was to compare the vessel healing process between CoCr EES and cobalt-chromium bare metal stent (CoCr BMS) implantations using optical coherence tomography (OCT) in patients with STEMI. Sixty-three patients who had primary emergent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with CoCr EES (42 patients) or CoCr BMS (21 patients) were enrolled in this study for 3 years. OCT was performed just after, 2 and 12 weeks after EES or BMS implantations. Time-serial changes in the neointimal coverage (NIC), the neointimal thickness, and malapposition of stent struts were evaluated. NIC of stent struts did not differ between CoCr EES (23.2%, 99.4%) and CoCr BMS (24.0%, 97.8%) at 2 weeks and 12 weeks after PCI, respectively. Thicknesses of the neointima on the stent strut was significantly thinner in CoCr EES (34.0 ± 13.8, 107.0 ± 32.4 µm) than in CoCr BMS (40.0 ± 14.6, 115.7 ± 33.8 µm) at 2 weeks and 12 weeks after PCI (p = 0.011, p = 0.008), respectively. The malapposition did not differ just after PCI, and was completely resolved at 12 weeks after PCI in both groups. Thrombus was significantly less in CoCr EES than in CoCr BMS at 2 weeks (19.0% vs 42.9%, p < 0.01), and decreased over time in both groups, but at 12 weeks, disappeared only in CoCr EES (CoCr EES: 0% vs. CoCr BMS: 4.8%, p = 0.56). This study demonstrated that NIC and apposition of the stent struts almost completed at 12 weeks after EES and BMS implantations, while the neointimal thickness on the stent struts were thinner in EES than in BMS. Moreover, thrombus was significantly less in EES than in BMS implantations 2 weeks after PCI, which may explain the lower rate of acute and subacute stent thrombosis of EES compared with BMS.

Interim Results of the Basket of Real-World Randomised Clinical PRISM Trials for M’Sure-S, a Next-Generation Sirolimus-Eluting Stent, Versus Eliminator, an Everolimus-Eluting Stent

Objective: This study compared sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) with everolimus-eluting stents (EES) in coronary artery disease patients. Methods: A total of 1,174 patients were enrolled in the study; 290 patients (25.28%) were treated with EES and 884 patients (74.72%) were treated with SES. The trial (PRISM) was a randomised (in a 3:1 ratio), multicentre, single-blind, all-comers, single-arm, non-inferiority trial comparing SES and EES-implanted patients with coronary artery disease. The primary endpoint was a composite of safety parameters (including major adverse cardiac events [MACE], cardiac death, and myocardial infarction) and efficacy (parameters concerned to quantitative coronary angiogram). An intention-to-treat analysis was performed at 9 and 18-month follow-ups. Results: The baseline characteristics were similar for both EES and SES groups. At the 9-month follow-up, MACE occurred in 5.86% and 2.43% of patients in the EES and SES groups, respectively. At the 18-month follow-up, this differential remained almost the same (i.e., 5.17 % of patients treated with the EES versus 2.14% treated with the SES). The rate of definite stent thrombosis at 9-month follow-up was lower in the SES group (11 patients [1.24%]) compared to the EES group (9 patients [3.10%]). At 18-month follow-up, the rate was 2.14% (19 patients) in the SES group and 4.13% (12 patients) in the EES group. When censoring the patients at the time of stent thrombosis, no significant differences between the two stent groups were found. Conclusion: In this real-world trial, at 9 and 18-month follow-ups, SES (M’Sure-S) exhibited a better safety and efficacy profile when compared to EES in terms of MACE rates and definite stent thrombosis. However, the difference was not statistically significant and SES was found to be non-inferior to EES.

EROSION Study (Effective Anti-Thrombotic Therapy Without Stenting: Intravascular Optical Coherence Tomography-Based Management in Plaque Erosion): A 1-Year Follow-Up Report

BACKGROUND

The initial EROSION study (Effective Anti-Thrombotic Therapy Without Stenting: Intravascular Optical Coherence Tomography-Based Management in Plaque Erosion) demonstrated that patients with acute coronary syndrome caused by plaque erosion might be stabilized with aspirin and ticagrelor without stenting for ≤1 month. However, a long-term evaluation of outcomes is lacking. The aim of this study was to assess whether the initial benefit of noninterventional therapy for patients with acute coronary syndrome caused by plaque erosion is maintained for ≤1 year.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Among 53 patients who completed clinical follow-up, 49 underwent repeat optical coherence tomography imaging at 1 year. Median residual thrombus volume decreased significantly from 1 month to 1 year (0.3 mm³ (0.0-2.0 mm³] versus 0.1 mm³ [0.0-2.0 mm³]; P=0.001). Almost half of the patients (46.9%) had no residual thrombus at 1 year. Minimal effective flow area remained unchanged (2.1 mm² [1.5-3.8 mm²] versus 2.1 mm² [1.6-4.0 mm²]; P=0.152). Among 53 patients, 49 (92.5%) remained free from major adverse cardiovascular event for ≤1 year: 3 (5.7%) patients required revascularization because of exertional angina and 1 (1.9%) patient had gastrointestinal bleeding.

CONCLUSIONS

One-year follow-up optical coherence tomography demonstrated a further decrease in thrombus volume between 1-month and 1-year follow-up. A majority (92.5%) of patients with acute coronary syndrome caused by plaque erosion managed with aspirin and ticagrelor without stenting remained free of major adverse cardiovascular event for ≤1 year.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02041650.

Impact of Angiographic Residual Stenosis on Clinical Outcomes After New-Generation Drug-Eluting Stents Implantation: Insights From a Pooled Analysis of the RESET and NEXT Trials

BACKGROUND

Previous intravascular ultrasound studies suggested the association of stent underexpansion with increased risk of stent thrombosis and restenosis. However, no previous study has addressed the association of the suboptimal angiographic result with target-lesion revascularization (TLR) in patients receiving new-generation drug-eluting stents (DES).

METHODS AND RESULTS

RESET (Randomized evaluation of sirolimus-eluting versus everolimus-eluting stent trial) and NEXT (NOBORI biolimus-eluting versus XIENCE/PROMUS everolimus-eluting stent trial) are prospective, multicenter, randomized "DES versus DES" trials; 3196 patients and 3235 patients were enrolled in the RESET and NEXT, respectively. Using the pooled individual patient-level data, the current study population consisted of 3679 patients who received single-lesion treatment using new-generation DES such as everolimus-eluting stent and biolimus-eluting stent. The study population was divided into 3 groups according to the residual in-stent % diameter stenosis (%DS) after stent implantation by offline quantitative coronary angiography assessed in a core angiographic laboratory (optimal group: %DS <10%, intermediate group: %DS=10% to 20%, suboptimal group: %DS ≧20%). The cumulative 3-year incidence of TLR was significantly higher in the suboptimal group than in the intermediate and optimal groups (9.8% versus 5.8% versus 5.7%, log-rank P=0.004). Even after adjusting for the clinical, angiographic, and procedural characteristics, the excess TLR risk of the suboptimal group relative to the optimal group remained significant (hazard ratio: 1.65, 95% confidence interval, 1.14-2.41, P=0.009). The excess TLR risk of the suboptimal group relative to the optimal group was consistently seen across all the subgroups including heavy calcification.

CONCLUSIONS

The residual angiographic in-stent %DS ≥20% was associated with increased risk for TLR in patients treated with the new-generation DES.

Sex Differences in Long-Term Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Undergoing Coronary Stent Implantation

BACKGROUND

Patients with concomitant atrial fibrillation (AF) and coronary stenting are at high risk for both cardiovascular and bleeding events. We aimed to evaluate the influence of sex on long-term clinical outcomes in this patient subset.Methods and Results:We identified 1,450 patients with AF and coronary stenting in a patient-level pooled database from 3 Japanese studies, and compared 3-year clinical outcomes between men and women (n=1,075, and n=375, respectively). The cumulative 3-year incidence of all-cause death was significantly higher in women than in men (26.5% vs. 17.2%, log-rank P<0.001), although after adjusting for confounders, the excess mortality risk of women relative to men was no longer significant (hazard ratio (HR): 1.12, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.85-1.46, P=0.42). There were no significant differences in the adjusted 3-year risks for myocardial infarction or stroke between men and women (HR: 1.25, 95% CI: 0.62-2.40, P=0.52, and HR: 1.15, 95% CI: 0.75-1.74, P=0.52, respectively). However, both the cumulative 3-year incidence of and adjusted risk for major bleeding were significantly higher in women than in men (17.0% vs. 11.3%, log-rank P=0.002, and HR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.03-2.07, P=0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

Among patients with concomitant AF and coronary stenting, there were no significant differences in the adjusted 3-year risks for all-cause death, myocardial infarction, and stroke between men and women. However, women as compared with men were associated with excess adjusted risk for major bleeding.

Impact of Baseline Thrombocytopenia on Bleeding and Mortality After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

It is still controversial whether baseline thrombocytopenia is independently associated with adverse events after percutaneous coronary intervention. We evaluated the influence of baseline thrombocytopenia against ischemic, bleeding and mortality among the 19,353 patients whose baseline platelet counts were available in the pooled database from the 3 studies in Japan. Baseline thrombocytopenia was classified as follows: mild, ≥100 and <150 × 10⁹/L; moderate, ≥50 and <100 × 10⁹/L; and severe, <50 × 10⁹/L. Primary ischemic outcome measure was defined as composite of myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke, and primary bleeding outcome measure was defined by the Global Utilization of Streptokinase and Tissue Plasminogen Activator for Occluded arteries trial as moderate or severe bleeding. There were 2,590 patients (13.4%) with baseline thrombocytopenia comprising 292 patients (1.5%) with moderate/severe (moderate: 277 and severe: 15) thrombocytopenia and 2,298 patients (11.9%) with mild thrombocytopenia, whereas 16,763 patients (86.6%) had no thrombocytopenia. During 3-year follow-up, the adjusted risks of moderate/severe and mild thrombocytopenia relative to none were neutral for primary ischemic outcome (hazard ratio [HR] 1.07 [95% confidence interval [CI] 0.72 to 1.60], p = 0.74, and HR 0.93 [0.79 to 1.09], p = 0.37, respectively) but were significantly higher for primary bleeding outcome (HR 2.35 [1.80 to 3.08], p <0.001, and HR 1.20 [1.03 to 1.40], p = 0.02), and for mortality (HR 2.34 [1.87 to 2.93], p <0.001, and HR 1.26 [1.11 to 1.43], p <0.001). In conclusion, patients with baseline thrombocytopenia, even a mild one, had a higher risk of bleeding events and all-cause death, but not for ischemic events after percutaneous coronary intervention.

Prediction of Thrombotic and Bleeding Events After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: CREDO-Kyoto Thrombotic and Bleeding Risk Scores

Background

Prediction of thrombotic and bleeding risk is important to optimize antithrombotic therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention.

Methods and Results

We developed the prediction rules for thrombotic and bleeding events separately in Japanese patients. Derivation and validation cohorts consisted of 4778 patients from CREDO‐Kyoto (Coronary Revascularization Demonstrating Outcome Study in Kyoto) registry cohort 2 and 4669 patients from RESET (Randomized Evaluation of Sirolimus‐Eluting Versus Everolimus‐Eluting Stent Trial) and NEXT (Nobori Biolimus‐Eluting Versus Xience/Promus Everolimus‐Eluting Stent Trial). Primary thrombotic and bleeding events were a composite of myocardial infarction, definite or probable stent thrombosis or ischemic stroke, and GUSTO (Global Utilization of Streptokinase and Tissue Plasminogen Activator for Occluded Coronary Arteries) moderate or severe bleeding. The prediction rule for thrombosis assigned 2 points for severe chronic kidney disease, atrial fibrillation, peripheral vascular disease, and anemia and 1 point for age ≥75 years, heart failure, diabetes mellitus, and chronic total occlusion. The prediction rule for bleeding assigned 2 points for thrombocytopenia, severe chronic kidney disease, peripheral vascular disease, and heart failure and 1 point for prior myocardial infarction, malignancy, and atrial fibrillation. In derivation and validation cohorts, area under the curve was 0.68 and 0.64, respectively, for thrombosis and 0.66 and 0.66, respectively, for bleeding. In the validation cohort, a high thrombosis risk score (≥4, n=682) was associated with higher 3‐year incidence of thrombotic events than a score that was intermediate (2–3, n=1178) or low (0–1, n=2809) (7.6%, 3.7%, versus 2.4%, respectively; P<0.0001). A high bleeding risk score (≥3, n=666) was associated with higher incidence of bleeding than scores that were intermediate (1–2, n=1802) or low (0, n=2201) (8.8%, 4.1%, versus 2.3%, respectively; P<0.0001). Among 682 patients at high thrombotic risk, only 39 (5.7%) had low bleeding risk, whereas 401 (58.8%) had high bleeding risk with very high incidence of bleeding (11.6%).

Conclusions

CREDO‐Kyoto thrombotic and bleeding risk scores demonstrated modest accuracy in stratifying thrombotic and bleeding risks; however, a large proportion of patients at high thrombotic risk also had high bleeding risk.

Mortality impact of post-discharge myocardial infarction size after percutaneous coronary intervention: a patient-level pooled analysis from the 4 large-scale Japanese studies

It is unknown whether there is a threshold of creatine kinase (CK) or CK-MB affecting the subsequent mortality for post-discharge myocardial infarction (PDMI) after percutaneous coronary intervention. Current study sought to evaluate the impact of PDMI. The study population included 30,051 patients with successful coronary stenting and discharged alive in the pooled patient-level database of 4 Japanese studies (j-Cypher registry, CREDO-Kyoto PCI/CABG registry cohort-2, RESET, and NEXT). During 4.4 ± 1.4 year follow-up, 915 patients experienced PDMI (cumulative 5-year incidence of 3.6%). Among 466 patients with available peak CK ratio (peak CK/upper limit of normal), peak CK ratio (< 3) was present in 21% of patients, while peak CK ratios (≥ 3 and < 5), (≥ 5 and < 10), (≥ 10 and < 30), and (≥ 30) were present in 17, 25, 30, and 7.3% of patients, respectively. The excess mortality risk of patients with relative to those without PDMI for subsequent mortality was significant (adjusted HR 5.12, 95% CI 4.52-5.80, P < 0.001) by the Cox model with PDMI incorporated as the time-updated covariate. However, the mortality risk of patients in the smallest peak CK ratio category (< 3) was insignificant (HR 0.85, 95% CI 0.43-1.71, P = 0.65). In conclusion, despite significant overall mortality risk of PDMI, the mortality risk of small PDMI was similar to that of no PDMI, suggesting the presence of some threshold about infarct size influencing mortality.Trial registrations The Randomized Evaluation of Sirolimus-Eluting Versus Everolimus-Eluting Stent Trial (RESET); NCT01035450 and NOBORI Biolimus-Eluting Versus XIENCE/PROMUS Everolimus-Eluting Stent Trial (NEXT); NCT01303640. J-Cypher and CREDO-Kyoto PCI/CABG registry cohort 2 were not registered into clinical trial database.

Validating Utility of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy Score in a Large Pooled Cohort From 3 Japanese Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Studies

Background:

The dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) score was developed to estimate ischemic and bleeding risks from the DAPT study. However, few studies validated its utility externally. We sought to validate the utility of the DAPT score in the Japanese population.

Methods:

In a pooled cohort of 3 studies conducted in Japan (the CREDO-Kyoto [Coronary Revascularization Demonstrating Outcome Study in Kyoto] Registry Cohort-2, RESET [Randomized Evaluation of Sirolimus-Eluting Versus Everolimus-Eluting Stent Trial], and NEXT [NOBORI Biolimus-Eluting Versus XIENCE/PROMUS Everolimus-Eluting Stent Trial]), we compared risks for ischemic and bleeding events from 13 to 36 months after percutaneous coronary intervention among patients with a DAPT score ≥2 (high DS) and a DAPT score <2 (low DS).

Results:

Among 12 223 patients receiving drug-eluting stents who were free from ischemic or bleeding events at 13 months after percutaneous coronary intervention, 3944 patients had high DS and 8279 had low DS. The cumulative incidence of primary ischemic end point (myocardial infarction/stent thrombosis) was significantly higher in high DS than in low DS (1.5% versus 0.9%, P =0.002), whereas the cumulative incidence of primary bleeding end point (GUSTO moderate/severe) tended to be lower in high DS than in low DS (2.1% versus 2.7%, P =0.07). The cumulative incidences of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and stent thrombosis were also significantly higher in high DS than in low DS (2.0% versus 1.4%, P =0.03; 1.5% versus 0.8%, P =0.002; 0.7% versus 0.3%, P <0.001, respectively), whereas the cumulative incidences of noncardiac death and GUSTO severe bleeding were significantly lower in high DS than in low DS (2.4% versus 3.9%, P <0.001; 1.0% versus 1.6%, P =0.03, respectively).

Conclusions:

In the current population, the DAPT score successfully stratified ischemic and bleeding risks, although the ischemic event rate was remarkably low even in high DS. Further studies would be warranted to evaluate the utility of prolonged DAPT guided by the DAPT score.

Mitoxantrone suppresses vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation and balloon injury-induced neointima formation: An in vitro and in vivo study

Neointima formation, which occurs after vascular injury due to vascular disease or interventions such as angioplasty and stent placement, is a complex process that involves multiple molecular and cellular mechanisms. The inhibition of neointima formation is vital to prevent restenosis of blood vessels. In the present study, we investigated whether the systemic administration of mitoxantrone can inhibit neointima formation, and evaluated the underlying mechanisms under in vitro and in vivo experimental conditions. In vitro, rat and human vascular smooth muscle cells (RVSMCs and HVSMCs) were stimulated with platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) and treated with mitoxantrone or DMSO as a control. In vivo, 54 male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to carotid artery balloon injury and then intravenously administered with mitoxantrone. Cell proliferation was determined using the CCK-8 assay. Cell cycle analysis was performed using flow cytometry, and protein expression was analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. We used monoclonal mouse anti-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) antibody for the detection of BrdU and anti-Topoisomerase II antibody for staining Type II topoisomerase (Topo II), one week after the ballon injury. In both RVSMCs and HVSMCs, mitoxantrone treatment induced Topo II degradation, as well as suppressed DNA replication, cell cycle progression, and VSMC proliferation. A reduction in intimal hyperplasia, intimal-to-medial area ratio, and Topo II level was observed in mitoxantrone-treated rats, as compared to the control (saline) group. Overall, our results indicate that systemic administration of mitoxantrone can reduce neointimal hyperplasia and, thus, represents a suitable option for restenosis treatment.

Impact of Serum Phosphorus Levels on Outcomes After Implantation of Drug-Eluting Stents in Patients on Hemodialysis

BACKGROUND

Elevated serum phosphorus level is an important risk factor for cardiovascular death in general patients on hemodialysis (HD). However, the effect of serum phosphorus levels on outcomes after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation in HD patients is unknown.Methods and Results:This was a post-hoc study of the OUCH study series, a series of prospective multicenter registries of HD patients who underwent DES implantation comprising 359 patients from 31 centers in Japan. Patients were categorized into 3 groups according to their preprocedural serum phosphorus levels. The 1-year clinical outcomes of the 336 patients treated for de novo lesions were evaluated. Compared with patients with high (>5.5 mg/dL; n=65) or normal (3.5-5.5 mg/dL; n=219) serum phosphorus levels, those with low serum phosphorus levels (<3.5 mg/dL; n=52) had significantly fewer target lesion revascularization events (13.9% vs. 16.9% vs. 1.9%; P=0.0090) and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (29.2% vs. 31.1% vs. 13.5%; P=0.032). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that low serum phosphorus level was an independent negative predictor for major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (adjusted odds ratio, 0.31; 95% confidence interval, 0.12-0.70; P=0.0036).

CONCLUSIONS

Lowering of serum phosphorus levels beyond the current recommended range may be considered in HD patients who undergo DES implantation.

A randomized multicenter trial comparing the XIENCE everolimus eluting stent with the CYPHER sirolimus eluting stent in the treatment of female patients with de novo coronary artery lesions: The SPIRIT WOMEN study

Background

The comparative performance of different drug-eluting stents (DES) among female patients has not been assessed in a randomized manner.

Objectives

The SPIRIT Women Clinical Evaluation trial compared the durable polymer everolimus-eluting XIENCE stent (DP-EES) with the durable polymer sirolimus-eluting Cypher stent (DP-SES) in women undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods

A total of 455 female patients with stable CAD were randomly assigned to receive DP-EES (n = 304) or DP-SES (n = 151). The powered angiographic outcome of the trial was in-stent late lumen loss (LLL) at 9 months after the index procedure. Secondary angiographic end points included in-segment LLL, in-stent and in-segment binary restenosis and percent diameter stenosis. The primary clinical outcome was a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI) or target vessel revascularization (TVR).

Results

At 9-month follow-up, in-stent LLL was 0.19±0.38 mm and 0.11±0.37 mm in patients assigned to DP-EES and DP-SES, respectively. The one-sided upper 95% CI of the difference in in-stent LLL between the groups of 0.08 mm was 0.15 and therefore within the pre-specified non-inferiority margin of 0.17 mm (p for non-inferiority = 0.013). However, the test for superiority showed a borderline significant difference in terms of LLL between DP-EES and DP-SES (p for superiority = 0.044). There were no significant differences in binary restenosis (2.0% vs. 0.72%, p = 0.44) and percent diameter stenosis (14.97±12.17 vs. 13.36±10.82, p = 0.19). The rate of definite stent thrombosis at 12 months was lower in patients treated with DP-EES (0% vs. 2.0%, p = 0.036).

Conclusions

Among women undergoing PCI, DP-EES was associated with a small but probably clinically relevant increase in in-stent LLL at 9 months as compared to DP-SES and with a lower risk of definite stent thrombosis at 12 months.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01182428.

https://clinicaltrials.gov/