Safety and Efficacy of an Innovative Everolimus-Coated Balloon in a Swine Coronary Artery Model

BACKGROUND

Drug-coated balloons have been used as a non-stenting treatment in coronary and peripheral artery disease. Until recently, only sirolimus- and paclitaxel-coated balloons have been investigated in clinical trials. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of an innovative everolimus-coated balloon (ECB) in a swine coronary artery model.

METHODS

thirty-two swine coronary arteries were prepared through dilatation with a non-coated angioplasty balloon in a closed-chest model. During a period of 90 days, the following four groups (four animals per group, two coronary arteries per animal) were compared for safety and efficacy: A, Rontis ECB with 2.5 μg/mm2 of drug per balloon surface; B, Rontis ECB with 7.5 μg/mm2; C, Rontis Europa Ultra bare balloon; and D, Magic Touch, Concept Medical, sirolimus-coated balloon with a drug load of 1.3 μg/mm2.

RESULTS

Differences in local biological effects (arterial reaction scores) and surface of intimal area (mm2) were not statistically significant between the treatment groups. Numerically, group A showed the lowest intimal area and intimal mean thickness, while group B showed the lowest stenosis among all groups.

CONCLUSIONS

ECB was safe and effective in a porcine coronary artery model. The dose of everolimus may play a role in the biocompatibility of the balloon.

Dual Antiplatelet Therapy and Cancer; Balancing between Ischemic and Bleeding Risk: A Narrative Review

Cardiovascular (CV) events in patients with cancer can be caused by concomitant CV risk factors, cancer itself, and anticancer therapy. Since malignancy can dysregulate the hemostatic system, predisposing cancer patients to both thrombosis and hemorrhage, the administration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) to patients with cancer who suffer from acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a clinical challenge to cardiologists. Apart from PCI and ACS, other structural interventions, such as TAVR, PFO-ASD closure, and LAA occlusion, and non-cardiac diseases, such as PAD and CVAs, may require DAPT. The aim of the present review is to review the current literature on the optimal antiplatelet therapy and duration of DAPT for oncologic patients, in order to reduce both the ischemic and bleeding risk in this high-risk population.

Thirty-Days versus Longer Duration of Dual Antiplatelet Treatment after Percutaneous Coronary Interventions with Newer Drug-Eluting Stents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abbreviation of the duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) (one or three months) has been recently proposed, especially for high bleeding risk patients, after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stent (DES). Three databases were screened for eligible randomized control trials. The primary endpoint was the incidence of net adverse clinical events (NACE). Secondary endpoints consisted of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, stent-thrombosis, repeat revascularization and major bleeding. We included four RCTs with a total of 26,576 patients; 13,282 patients were grouped in 30-days DAPT, while the remaining 13,294 were allocated in a longer period of DAPT. One month of DAPT did not significantly reduce NACE (odds ratio [OR]: 0.87, 95% confidence intervals [Cl]: 0.74-1.03); however, major bleedings were significantly reduced by 22% (OR: 0.78, 95% Cl: 0.65-0.94). Mortality or ischemic events (stroke, myocardial infarction, revascularization and stent thrombosis) were not affected. Thus, 30-days DAPT could be considered as safe and feasible after PCI with DES in selected patients, especially those with high bleeding risk. Forthcoming RCTs could shed light on the optimal duration of DAPT.

Safety and efficacy of shortened dual antiplatelet therapy after complex percutaneous coronary intervention: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Optimal duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) in patients undergoing complex percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains under investigation. Our aim is to compare shortened (≤3 months) DAPT with longer DAPT in patients undergoing complex PCIs.

METHODS

Three major databases (MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Scopus) were screened. The primary endpoint was major bleedings as they are defined by the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) 3-5. The secondary endpoints were major adverse cardiovascular events, all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, and stent thrombosis.

RESULTS

Five studies were included in our analysis, with a total of 9,115 patients. Our meta-analysis met its primary endpoint, as abbreviated DAPT significantly reduced major bleedings by 43% (95% confidence intervals: 0.35-0.93). Ischemic events and mortality were not affected by the shortening of DAPT.

CONCLUSION

Shortened DAPT significantly reduced the odds of major bleedings in patients undergoing complex PCI without increasing the ischemic events or mortality. Thus, it could be considered a safe and feasible option in such patients.

Thirty-days versus standard duration of dual antiplatelet treatment after percutaneous coronary interventions: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background/Introduction

Abbreviation of duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) (one or three months) has been recently proposed, especially for high-bleeding risk patients, after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stent (DES).

Purpose

The purpose of the specific systematic review and meta-analysis was to compare 30-days versus longer duration (≥3 months) of DAPT in patients undergoing PCI with DES, focusing on ischemic and bleeding events.

Methods

Three databases were screened for eligible randomized-control trials. The primary endpoint was the incidence of net adverse clinical events (NACE), as they were defined in each trial. Secondary endpoints consisted of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, myocardial infraction, stroke, stent-thrombosis, repeat revascularization and major bleeding.

Results

We included 4 RCTs with a total of 26,576 patients; 13,282 patients were grouped in 30-days DAPT, while the remaining 13,294 were allocated in longer period of DAPT. One-month of DAPT did not significantly reduce NACE (odds ratio [OR]: 0.87, 95% confidence intervals [Cl]: 0.74–1.03); however major bleedings were significantly reduced by 22% (OR: 0.78, 95% Cl: 0.65–0.94). Mortality or ischemic events (stroke, myocardial infraction, revascularization and stent thrombosis) were not affected.

Conclusions

Thirty-days DAPT did not significantly affect NACEs. However, odds of major bleedings were reduced significantly by 22%. Mortality and ischemic events did not differ between the two arms. Thus, 30-days DAPT could be considered as a safe and feasible after PCI with DES in selected patients, especially those in high-bleeding risk. Forthcoming RCTs could shed light on the optimal duration of DAPT.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

A Giant Left Circumflex Coronary Artery Aneurysm

A patient was referred for aortic valve replacement and aneurysm resection; however, the aneurysm was deemed to be non-resectable due to severe calcification, thus posing a high operative risk. The patient eventually underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation. Eleven years later, coronary angiography depicted a giant coronary artery aneurysm measuring 63 mm in diameter and containing intraluminal thrombus. To our knowledge, this is the largest giant coronary artery aneurysm reported in the literature.

Heart failure and atrial fibrillation: new concepts in pathophysiology, management, and future directions

A bidirectional pathophysiological link connects heart failure and atrial fibrillation, creating a frequent and challenging comorbidity, which includes neurohormonal hyperactivation, fibrosis development, and electrophysiologic remodeling, while they share mutual risk factors. Management for these devastating comorbidities includes most of the established treatment measures for heart failure as well as rhythm or rate control and anticoagulation mostly for atrial fibrillation, which can be achieved with either pharmaceutical or non-pharmaceutical approaches. The current manuscript aims to review the existing literature regarding the underlying pathophysiology, to present the novel trends of treatment, and to predict the future perspective of these two linked diseases with the numerous unanswered questions.

Internal carotid artery origin of the anterior cerebral artery: A rare anatomic intracranial arterial variation in a child with morning glory disc anomaly and moyamoya vascular pattern; case report and review of literature

Morning glory disc anomaly (MGDA) characterizes a congenital dysgenetic disorder of the optic disc, coexisting with arterial intracranial abnormalities, including Moyamoya vascular disease, a significantly rare disease in the European populations. We report a 2.5-year-old female child from Greece previously diagnosed with MGDA, who presented with right-hand paresis, accompanied by focal epileptic spasms, followed by an episode of brief absence seizure, as well as some arm clonic spasms. Magnetic resonance angiography scan revealed the presence of an anomalous origin of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) from the internal carotid artery (ICA) along with vascular abnormalities, compatible with Moyamoya pattern. To the very best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of anomalous origin of ACA from the supraclinoid ICA accompanied by severe occlusive intracranial disease (moyamoya-like pattern) in a patient with known MGDA, highlighting the embryonic character of the vascular manifestations in MGDA. It also verifies the association of Moyamoya pattern with MGDA, thus linking vascular dysgenesis as a possible cause of MGDA.