Systemic immune inflammation index and its implication on in-stent restenosis among patients with acute coronary syndrome

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to assess the predictive value of the Systemic Immune Inflammation Index (SII) in determining in-stent restenosis (ISR) likelihood in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) who have undergone percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

METHODS

The study enrolled 903 ACS patients undergoing PCI, categorized into ISR (+) and ISR (-) groups based on control coronary angiography results. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and angiographic-procedural characteristics were systematically compared.

RESULTS

The ISR (+) group encompassed 264 individuals (29.2%), while the ISR (-) group comprised 639 individuals (70.8%). Patients had a mean age of 55.8 ± 10.2 years, with 69% being male. The ISR (+) group had higher diabetes and smoking prevalence and notably larger stent dimensions. Lab parameters showed significantly elevated creatinine, total cholesterol, red cell distribution width, white blood cell and neutrophil counts, SII index and C-reactive protein (CRP) in the ISR (+) group, while lymphocyte levels were lower. Binary logistic regression identified stent diameter (odds ratio [OR]: 0.598, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.383-0.935; P  = 0.024), stent length (OR: 1.166, 95% CI: 1.132-1.200; P  < 0.001), creatinine (OR: 0.366, 95% CI: 0.166-0.771; P  = 0.003), CRP (OR: 1.075, 95% CI: 1.042-1.110; P  = 0.031), and SII index (OR: 1.014, 95% CI: 1.001-1.023; P  < 0.001) as independent ISR predictors.

CONCLUSION

The SII index exhibits potential as a predictive marker for ISR in ACS patients post-PCI, indicating systemic inflammation and heightened restenosis risk. Integrating the SII index into risk models could identify high-risk patients for targeted interventions.

Impact of diabetes mellitus on clinical outcomes after first episode in-stent restenosis PCI: Results from a large registry

BACKGROUND

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with a high rate of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) after de novo coronary artery percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Whether patients with DM undergoing PCI for in-stent restenosis (ISR) experience a similar heightened risk of MACE is not known. Hence, we sought to compare the clinical outcomes of patients with and without DM undergoing PCI for ISR.

METHODS

Patients undergoing first episode ISR PCI between January 2015 and December 2021 were included. The primary outcome of interest was MACE (all-cause death, myocardial infarction [MI], and target lesion revascularization [TVR]) at 1-year.

RESULTS

A total of 3156 patients (56.7% with DM) underwent PCI for ISR during the study period. Patients with DM were younger, more likely to be female, and had a higher prevalence of comorbidities. At 1-year follow-up, DM was associated with a higher rate of MACE (22.4% vs. 18.7%, unadjusted HR 2.03, 95%CI(1.27-3.25), p = 0.003). All-cause mortality and MI were significantly more frequent among people with DM at 1-year follow-up. The rate of TVR was similar in both groups (17.9% vs. 16.0%, unadjusted HR 1.14, 95%CI (0.94-1.37), p = 0.180). On adjusted analysis, there was no significant difference in the rate of MACE (AHR 1.07, 95%CI(0.90 - -1.29), p = 0.444), all-cause death (AHR 1.54, 95%CI(0.93-2.54), p = 0.095) or MI (AHR 1.10, 95%CI(0.74-1.63), p = 0.652).

CONCLUSION

ISR PCI in patients with DM was associated with a higher rate of MACE at 1-year follow-up. However, this increased risk was no longer significant after adjusting for baseline characteristics.

Sirolimus-coated balloon in all-comer population of coronary artery disease patients: the EASTBOURNE DIABETES prospective registry

BACKGROUND

The outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in diabetic patients are still suboptimal, and it is unclear if diabetic patients might derive a benefit from the use of drug-coated balloons.

AIMS

To evaluate the impact of diabetes mellitus on the outcomes of patients undergoing PCI with sirolimus-coated balloon (SCB) MagicTouch (Concept Medical, India).

METHODS

We conducted a subgroup analysis of the prospective, multicenter, investigator-initiated EASTBOURNE registry, evaluating the performance of MagicTouch SCB in patients with and without diabetes. The study primary endpoint was target lesion revascularization (TLR) at 12-month follow-up. Secondary clinical endpoints were major adverse clinical events (MACE), death, myocardial infarction (MI), and BARC 2-5 bleedings.

RESULTS

Among 2,083 enrolled patients, a total of 864 suffered from diabetes (41.5%). Patients with diabetes had a numerically higher occurrence of TLR (6.5% vs. 4.7% HR 1.38, 95%CI 0.91-2.08), all-cause death (3.8% vs. 2.6%, HR 1.81, 95%CI 0.95-3.46), and MACE (12.2% vs. 8.9%; HR 1.26 95%CI 0.92-1.74). The incidence of spontaneous MI was significantly higher among diabetic patients (3.4% vs. 1.5%, HR 2.15 95%CI 1.09-4.25); bleeding events did not significantly differ. The overall incidence of TLR was higher among in-stent restenosis (ISR) as compared to de-novo coronary lesions, irrespectively from diabetes status.

CONCLUSIONS

In the EASTBOURNE DIABETES registry, diabetic patients treated with the MagicTouch SCB did not have a significant increase in TLR when compared to non-diabetic patients; moreover, diabetic status did not affect the study device performance in terms of TLR, in both de-novo lesions and ISR.

Comparison of Recurrent With First-Time In-Stent Restenosis

Recurrent in-stent restenosis (Re-ISR) remains a therapeutic challenge. We aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics, treatment, and long-term outcomes in patients with Re-ISR compared with those with first-time ISR (First-ISR). This retrospective study consecutively enrolled patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ISR in Fuwai Hospital between January 2017 and December 2018. Re-ISR was defined as a second event of ISR after a previous successful treatment of the ISR lesion. The primary outcome was defined as a composite of all-cause death, spontaneous myocardial infarction, and repeat revascularization. A total of 2,006 patients (2,154 lesions) with ISR underwent successful PCI were enrolled and categorized into 2 groups: the Re-ISR group (246 patients/259 lesions) and the First-ISR group (1,760 patients/1,895 lesions). During a mean follow-up of 36 months, the primary outcomes occurred in 80 patients (32.5%) in the Re-ISR group and 349 patients (19.3%) in the First-ISR group (p <0.001 by log-rank test), major driven by spontaneous myocardial infarction (4.9% vs 2.7%, p = 0.049) and repeat revascularization (30.1% vs 16.5%, p <0.001). The multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed that Re-ISR was independently associated with a higher rate of major adverse cardiovascular events (adjusted hazard ratio 1.88, 95% confidence interval 1.39 to 2.53, p <0.001) and repeated revascularization (adjusted hazard ratio 2.09, 95% confidence interval 1.53 to 2.84, p <0.001). The relation remained consistent after the propensity score analysis. In conclusion, in the present cohort of patients who underwent PCI for ISR, Re-ISR was significantly associated with a higher risk of long-term outcomes than First-ISR.

Prevalence, Management and Outcomes of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Coronary In-Stent Restenosis: Insights From the France PCI Registry

BACKGROUND

Despite the evolution of stent technology, there is a non-negligible risk of in-stent restenosis (ISR) after Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Large-scale registry data on the prevalence and clinical management of ISR is lacking.

METHODS

The aim was to describe the epidemiology and management of patients with ≥1 ISR lesions treated with PCI (ISR PCI). Data on characteristics, management and clinical outcomes were analyzed for patients undergoing ISR PCI in the France-PCI all-comers registry.

RESULTS

Between January 2014 and December 2018, 31,892 lesions were treated in 22,592 patients, 7.3 % of whom underwent ISR PCI. Patients undergoing ISR PCI were older (68.5 vs 67.8; p < 0.001), and more likely to have diabetes (32.7 % vs 25.4 %, p < 0.001), chronic coronary syndrome or multivessel disease. ISR PCI concerned drug eluting stents (DES) ISR in 48.8 % of cases. Patients with ISR lesions were more frequently treated with DES than drug eluting balloon or balloon angioplasty (74.2 %, 11.6 % and 12.9 %, respectively). Intravascular imaging was rarely used. At 1 year, patients with ISR had higher target lesion revascularization rates (4.3 % vs. 1.6 %; HR 2.24 [1.64-3.06]; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

In a large all-comers registry, ISR PCI was not infrequent and associated with worse prognosis than non-ISR PCI. Further studies and technical improvements are warranted to improve the outcomes of ISR PCI.

Risk factors for in-stent restenosis after coronary stent implantation in patients with coronary artery disease: A retrospective observational study

To explore the risk factors for in-stent restenosis (ISR) after stent implantation in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) using logistic regression analysis. From February 2020 to February 2022, 350 patients with CHD after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were divided into a stent stenosis group and a stent nonstenosis group based on coronary angiography results performed 2 years after PCI. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to analyze the factors related to ISR after coronary stent implantation in patients with CHD. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Patient signed informed consent. Of the 350 patients with CHD, 138 (39.43%) had stent restenosis while 212 did not. Univariate analysis showed that a family history of CHD, history of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, smoking, and drinking, discontinuation of aspirin, use of conventional dose statins, calcified lesions, ≥ 3 implanted stents, stent length ≥ 30 mm, stent diameter < 3 mm, and tandem stent increased the risk of restenosis. The incidence of restenosis was higher in the stent group than that in the nonstent group (P < .05). There were no significant differences in the blood lipid level, left ventricular ejection fraction, clopidogrel/ticagrelor or beta-blocker withdrawal, location of culprit vessels, and thrombotic lesions between the 2 groups (P > .05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that family history of CHD, history of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, smoking, and drinking, aspirin withdrawal, use of conventional doses of statins, calcified lesions, ≥ 3 implanted stents, stent length ≥ 30 mm, stent diameter < 3 mm, and tandem stenting were risk factors for ISR within 2 years after PCI. A family history of CHD, history of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, smoking, and drinking, discontinuation of aspirin, use of conventional dose statins, calcified lesions, ≥ 3 stent implantations, stent length ≥ 30 mm, stent diameter < 3 mm, and tandem stenting are risk factors for ISR within 2 years after PCI in patients with CHD.

Efficacy and Prediction Model Construction of Drug-Coated Balloon Combined with Cutting Balloon Angioplasty in the Treatment of Drug-Eluting Stent In-Stent Restenosis

Objective

To investigate the efficacy of drug-coated balloon (DCB) combined with cutting balloon angioplasty (CBA) in the treatment of drug-eluting stent in-stent restenosis (DES-ISR) and to construct a predictive model for the occurrence of DES-ISR.

Methods

According to the criteria of diagnosis, inclusion, and exclusion, DES-ISR patients who were treated in the outpatient and inpatient departments of cardiovascular medicine of Second People's Hospital of Guangdong Province from July 2021 to December 2021 were included. A total of 72 cases were planned to be enrolled, including 36 cases in the control group and 36 cases in the experimental group. The control group was treated with DCB, and the experimental group was combined with CBA. The treatment success rate, coronary angiography results before and after surgery, and the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events during the follow-up period were compared between the two groups. Seventy-two DES-ISR patients were divided into ISR group and 59 non-ISR patients were divided into non-ISR group. The clinical data of the two groups were compared to analyze the risk factors affecting the occurrence of DES-ISR, and the prediction model was established.

Results

The surgical success rate of the experimental group was 94.44% (34/36), which was higher than the 77.78% (28/36) of the control group (P < 0.05). The minimum lumen diameter (MLD) of the experimental group 6 months after operation was greater than that of the control group, the late lumen loss (LL) and lumen stenosis rate were higher than those in the control group, and the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events was lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). In the ISR group, the proportion of patients with abnormal BMI, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, and family history of coronary heart disease and multivessel coronary artery disease was higher than that in the non-ISR group, the degree of stenosis target lesion was higher than that in the non-ISR group, the diameter of target lesion and stent diameter were smaller than those in the non-ISR group, and the length of target lesion and stent length were longer than those in the non-ISR group; the number of stents was more than that in the non-ISR group (P < 0.05). Combined hypertension, multiple coronary artery lesions, stenosis target lesion degree ≥85.05%, and target lesion length ≥36.88 mm were risk factors for DES-ISR, and target lesion diameter ≥3.15 mm and stent diameter ≥3.15 mm were protective factors (P < 0.05). The prediction model of DES-ISR was obtained by multiple logistic regression analysis, P = 1[1 + e (2.281 + 3.321Xhypertension + 3.427Xumber of arterial lesions + 3.359Xstenosis target lesion degree - 3.143Xtarget lesion diameter + 0.650Xtarget lesion length - 10.159Xstent diameter)]. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed that Hosmer-Lemeshow χ 2 = 0.925, P =0.413; the ROC curve analysis showed that the AUC of the prediction model for the occurrence of DES-ISR was 0.924, the SE value was 0.022, and the 95% CI was 0.880-0.967.

Conclusion

DCB combined with CBA has good clinical efficacy in the treatment of DES-ISR, which can reduce the rate of lumen stenosis and the incidence of adverse cardiovascular events. The prediction model established according to risk factors has high predictive value for the occurrence of DES-ISR.

Mid-term outcome of de novo lesions vs. in stent restenosis treated by intravascular lithotripsy procedures: Insights from the French Shock Initiative

BACKGROUND

Intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) is a promising new technology for disrupting de-novo calcified coronary lesions (DNL) before percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We assessed 12-month outcomes of IVL in patients undergoing PCI for DNL or intra stent restenosis (ISR) lesions related to device underexpansion.

METHODS

Prospective analysis of patients in the multicentre all-comers French Shock Initiative IVL registry. The primary safety endpoints in this analysis were in-hospital and 12-month major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE: cardiac death, myocardial infarction or target vessel revascularization). The primary effectiveness endpoint was procedural success, defined as <30% residual stenosis without severe angiographic complications. Event rates were analysed for the cohort and for DNL and ISR procedures separately.

RESULTS

A total of 220 lesions were treated (76.7% DNL and 23.3% ISR) in 202 patients. Procedural success was achieved in 95.5% of patients (DNL group: 96.5%; ISR group: 92.0%). In-hospital MACE occurred in 6.4% of cases, mainly driven by periprocedural infarctions. The rate of MACE-free survival at 1 year was 86.6% in the overall cohort. Rates of target vessel (TVR) and lesion (TLR) revascularisation were 6.4% and 2.5%, respectively. The 1-year MACE rate was 91.5% in DNL group and 83.8% in ISR group.

CONCLUSIONS

In this large all-comers IVL cohort, rates of in-hospital and 1-year MACE were moderate. The safety and efficiency of IVL was comparable in DNL and ISR lesions. A comparative study of the impact of IVL on outcomes appears warranted.

In-hospital and 1-Year Outcomes of Repeated Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for In-stent Restenosis With Acute Coronary Syndrome Presentation

BACKGROUND

In-stent restenosis (ISR) is the Achilles' heel of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). There have been controversial data about outcomes of repeated PCI (redo-PCI) for ISR. This study aims to determine the predictors of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in patients underwent redo-PCI for ISR.

METHODS

In this retrospective study, all patients with acute coronary syndrome who were underwent successful PCI for ISR at Tehran Herat Center (between 2004 and 2019) were eligible for inclusion. Patients with moderate to severe valvular heart disease and/or hematological disorders were excluded. Participants were divided into 2 groups based on the occurrence of the MACE [composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction (MI), coronary artery bypass grafting, target vessel revascularization, and target lesion revascularization]; then, the study variables were compared between the 2 groups. Finally, the predictors of MACE were identified using Cox regression analysis.

RESULTS

Of 748 redo-PCI patients (mean age: 65.2 ± 10.1; 71.0% males), 631 patients had met the inclusion criteria. Fifty-four patients (9.8%) developed MACE within a 1-year follow-up period. Multivessel disease, primary PCI, Ad-hoc PCI, history of non-ST-segment elevation MI, and diabetes mellitus were independent predictors for MACE. In a subgroup analysis, 30 patients who experienced third PCI (target lesion revascularization/target vessel revascularization) were followed more as 1-year MACE. Among these patients, 14 MACEs were observed during the last follow-up (till June 2020).

CONCLUSIONS

Multivessel disease, primary PCI, and history of non-ST-segment elevation MI were the predictors of higher 1-year MACE, whereas Ad-hoc PCI and diabetes mellitus had a protective effect on MACE.

Restenosis rates in patients with ipsilateral carotid endarterectomy and contralateral carotid artery stenting

Purpose

We aimed to evaluate the long-term outcome of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and carotid artery stenting (CAS) in patients who underwent both procedures on different sides.

Methods

In this single-center retrospective study (2001–2019), 117 patients (men, N = 78; median age at CEA, 64.4 [interquartile range {IQR}, 57.8–72.2] years; median age at CAS, 68.8 [IQR, 61.0–76.0] years) with ≥50% internal carotid artery stenosis who had CEA on one side and CAS on the other side were included. The risk of restenosis was estimated by treatment adjusted for patient and lesion characteristics.

Results

Neurological symptoms were significantly more common (41.9% vs 16.2%, P<0.001) and patients had a significantly shorter mean duration of smoking (30.2 [standard deviation {SD}, 22.2] years vs 31.8 [SD, 23.4] years, P<0.001), hypertension (10.1 [SD, 9.8] years vs 13.4 [SD, 9.1] years, P<0.001), hyperlipidemia (3.6 [SD, 6.6] years vs 5.0 [SD, 7.3] years, P = 0.001), and diabetes mellitus (3.9 [SD, 6.9] years vs 5.7 [SD, 8.9] years, P<0.001) before CEA compared to those before CAS. While the prevalence of heavily calcified stenoses on the operated side (25.6% vs 6.8%, P<0.001), the incidence of predominantly echogenic/echogenic plaques (53.0% vs 70.1%, P = 0.011) and suprabulbar lesions (1.7% vs 22.2%, P<0.001) on the stented side was significantly higher. Restenosis rates were 10.4% at 1 year, 22.3% at 5 years, and 33.7% at the end of the follow-up (at 11 years) for CEA, while these were 11.4%, 14.7%, and 17.2%, respectively, for CAS. Cox regression analysis revealed a significantly higher risk of restenosis (hazard ratio [HR], 1.80; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05–3.10; P = 0.030) for CEA compared to that for CAS. After adjusting for relevant confounding factors (smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, calcification severity, plaque echogenicity, and lesion location), the estimate effect size materially did not change, although it did not remain statistically significant (HR, 1.85; 95% CI, 0.95–3.60; P = 0.070).

Conclusion

Intra-patient comparison of CEA and CAS in terms of restenosis tilts the balance toward CAS.

In-Stent Restenosis in Saphenous Vein Grafts (from the DIVA Trial)

Saphenous vein grafts (SVGs) have high rates of in-stent restenosis (ISR). We compared the baseline clinical and angiographic characteristics of patients and lesions that did develop ISR with those who did not develop ISR during a median follow-up of 2.7 years in the DIVA study (NCT01121224). We also examined the ISR types using the Mehran classification. ISR developed in 119 out of the 575 DIVA patients (21%), with similar incidence among patients with drug-eluting stents and bare-metal stents (BMS) (21% vs 21%, p = 0.957). Patients in the ISR group were younger (67 ± 7 vs 69 ± 8 years, p = 0.04) and less likely to have heart failure (27% vs 38%, p = 0.03) and SVG lesions with Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction 3 flow before the intervention (77% vs 83%, p <0.01), but had a higher number of target SVG lesions (1.33 ± 0.64 vs 1.16 ± 0.42, p <0.01), more stents implanted in the target SVG lesions (1.52 ± 0.80 vs 1.31 ± 0.66, p <0.01), and longer total stent length (31.37 ± 22.11 vs 25.64 ± 17.42 mm, p = 0.01). The incidence of diffuse ISR was similar in patients who received drug-eluting-stents and BMS (57% vs 54%, p = 0.94), but BMS patients were more likely to develop occlusive restenosis (17% vs 33%, p = 0.05).

Pathogenesis and Clinical Significance of In-Stent Restenosis in Patients with Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a strong risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and peripheral arterial disease (PAD). In the population of people living with DM, PAD is characterised by multi-level atherosclerotic lesions as well as greater involvement of the arteries below the knee. DM is also a factor that significantly increases the risk of lower limb amputation. Percutaneous balloon angioplasty with or without stent implantation is an important method of the treatment for atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases, but restenosis is a factor limiting its long-term effectiveness. The pathogenesis of atherosclerosis in the course of DM differs slightly from that in the general population. In the population of people living with DM, more attention is drawn to such factors as inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, platelet dysfunction, blood rheological properties, hypercoagulability, and additional factors stimulating vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation. DM is a risk factor for restenosis. The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the literature and to present the most important information on the current state of knowledge on mechanisms and the clinical significance of restenosis and in-stent restenosis in patients with DM, especially in association with the endovascular treatment of PAD. The role of such processes as inflammation, neointimal hyperplasia and neoatherosclerosis, allergy, resistance to antimitotic drugs used for coating stents and balloons, genetic factors, and technical and mechanical factors are discussed. The information on restenosis collected in this publication may be helpful in planning further research in this field, which may contribute to the formulation of more and more precise recommendations for the clinical practice.

Paclitaxel Drug-Coated Balloon for the Treatment of De Novo Small-Vessel and Restenotic Coronary Artery Lesions: 12-Month Results of the Prospective, Multicenter, Single-Arm PREVAIL Study

OBJECTIVES

The PREVAIL study evaluated the safety and effectiveness of a paclitaxel-coated percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty balloon catheter for the treatment of coronary de novo and in-stent restenosis (ISR) lesions in patients with symptomatic ischemic heart disease.

METHODS

PREVAIL was a prospective, multicenter, single-arm study that enrolled patients with clinical evidence of ischemia who had coronary lesions (de novo or first ISR) amenable to treatment with a drug-coated balloon (DCB). The study included 50 subjects (53 target lesions) who were treated with a Prevail DCB (Medtronic) during the index procedure and followed for 12 months. Mean lesion length was 14.5 ± 7.6 mm. The primary endpoint was in-stent (in-balloon) late lumen loss (LLL) by quantitative coronary angiography at 6 months post procedure. If the mean in-stent (in-balloon) LLL was less than the maximum acceptance rate of 0.50 mm at 6 months, then the study was considered successful.

RESULTS

Mean in-stent (in-balloon) LLL was 0.05 ± 0.44 mm at 6 months post procedure. There were no deaths, myocardial infarctions, or stent (lesion) thrombosis events within 12 months. The incidence of clinically driven target-lesion revascularization was 6.0% at 12 months and clinically driven target-vessel revascularization was 10.0%.

CONCLUSIONS

Paclitaxel DCB treatment of coronary de novo and first ISR lesions led to low LLL at 6 months and low rates of revascularization and safety events through 12 months.

Predictive value of miRNA-21 on coronary restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with coronary heart disease: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Evidence reveals that microRNA (miRNA) can predict coronary restenosis in patients suffering from coronary heart disease (CHD) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Perhaps, miRNA-21 is a promising biomarker for the diagnosis of coronary restenosis after PCI. However, the accuracy of miRNA-21 has not been systematically evaluated. Therefore, it is necessary to perform meta-analysis to certify the diagnostic values of miRNA-21 on coronary restenosis after PCI.

METHODS

China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, VIP, and China Biology Medicine disc, PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched for relevant studies to explore the potential diagnostic values of miRNA-21 on coronary restenosis after PCI from inception to January 2021. All data were extracted by 2 experienced researchers independently. The risk of bias about the meta-analysis was confirmed by the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2. The data extracted were synthesized and heterogeneity was investigated as well. All of the above statistical analyses were carried out with Stata 16.0.

RESULTS

This study proved the pooled diagnostic performance of miRNA-21 on coronary restenosis after PCI.

CONCLUSION

This study clarified confusions about the specificity and sensitivity of miRNA-21 on coronary restenosis after PCI, thus further guiding their promotion and application.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval is not required for this study. The systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal, presented at conferences, and shared on social media platforms. This review would be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal or conference presentations.

OSF REGISTRATION NUMBER

DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/356QK.

Drug-Eluting Balloon for Management of Coronary In-Stent Restenosis in a South Asian Population: Experience From a Tertiary-Care Hospital in Pakistan

BACKGROUND

Emerging evidence suggests that the South Asian (SA) population has an increased rate of in-stent stenosis (ISR) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) when compared with other ethnicities. Drug-eluting balloons (DEBs) have emerged as a viable option for the treatment of ISR. However, data describing the outcomes of DEB-PCI in the SA population are limited. Since the magnitude of the problem is high in the SA population, it is essential to evaluate the outcomes of DEB-PCI for ISR.

METHODS

In this cohort study, we investigated the incidence of target-lesion revascularization (TLR) and major adverse cardiac event (MACE) after PCI with DEB for ISR at 1 year and at long-term follow-up in Pakistani patients. From January 2010 to January 2019, a total of 147 ISR lesions in 112 patients were treated with DEB-PCI at our center.

RESULTS

The incidence of clinically driven TLR and MACE after a 1-year follow-up was 15.2% and 16.1%, respectively. At mean long-term follow-up of 2.73 ± 2.14 years, the TLR and MACE rates were 26.8% and 35.7%, respectively. The major predictors for TLR were diffuse and occlusive ISR types, DEB for a recurrent restenosis lesion, and the presence of ≥3 traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors.

CONCLUSIONS

The high rates of follow-up TLR and MACE reported in this study may suggest that the outcomes of DEB-PCI for ISR in the SA population may be unsatisfactory. With the increasing use of DEBs, it is imperative to further investigate DEB-PCI outcomes in the SA population with large, prospective studies.

Duplex ultrasound findings and clinical outcomes of carotid restenosis after carotid endarterectomy

This study aimed to describe the duplex ultrasound (DUS) findings associated with carotid restenosis after carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and to determine whether carotid restenosis is associated with the clinical outcomes of CEA. Between January 2007 and December 2016, a total of 660 consecutive patients who underwent 717 CEAs were followed up at our hospital with DUS surveillance for at least 3 years after CEA. These patients were analyzed retrospectively for this study. Following CEA, restenosis was defined as the development of ≥50% stenosis, diagnosed on the basis of DUS findings of the luminal narrowing and velocity criteria. The study outcomes were defined as restenosis of the ipsilateral carotid artery after CEA and late (>30days) fatal or nonfatal stroke ipsilateral to the carotid restenosis. During the median follow-up period of 74 months, the restenosis incidence was 2.8% (20/717), and there were 2 strokes (2/20, 10%) ipsilateral to the restenosis after CEA; reintervention was performed for 11 patients with carotid restenosis (55%). Within 2 years after CEA, restenosis was identified in 9 cases (45%, 9/20), and 8 reinterventions (72.7%, 8/11) were performed. According to DUS findings, the morphologic characteristics of carotid restenosis were different from the preoperative plaque morphology. Among the 20 carotid restenosis cases, we observed the following DUS patterns: homogenous isoechoic restenosis (n = 14, 70%), homogenous hypoechoic (n = 2, 10%), isoechoic with hypoechoic surface (n = 3, 15%), and hypoechoic with isoechoic surface (n = 1, 5%). Although 9 carotid restenosis patients received prophylactic reintervention to mitigate the progression of restenosis, the 2 symptomatic restenosis patients had isoechoic lesions with hypoechoic surfaces on DUS. On Kaplan-Meier survival analyses, in terms of stroke-free survival rates, there was a higher risk of stroke among patients with carotid restenosis compared with patients without restenosis, with a non-significant trend (P = 0.051). In conclusion, most carotid restenoses were identified within 2 years after CEA, and there was a non-significant trend toward a higher risk of stroke among patients with carotid restenosis.

Outcomes of Patients With Coronary Arterial Bifurcation Narrowings Undergoing Provisional 1-Stent Treatment (from the BIONICS Trial)

Treatment of bifurcation lesions is technically challenging and has been associated with an increased risk of adverse events. We sought to evaluate the clinical and angiographic outcomes of patients who underwent bifurcation lesion provisional treatment in the BioNIR Ridaforolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System in Coronary Stenosis trial. A prospective, multicenter, 1:1 randomized trial was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ridaforolimus-eluting stents (RES) versus zotarolimus-eluting stents (ZES). Enrollment of bifurcation lesions treated with a provisional 1-stent technique was allowed. Bifurcation lesions were analyzed by an angiographic core laboratory. Outcomes were analyzed according to the presence of a bifurcation lesion treatment. Study population included 686 (35.8%) patients with and 1,228 (64.2%) patients without bifurcation lesion treatment. Procedural success was high and similar between groups. In 2 years, there was no difference in the rate of target lesion failure between the bifurcation and nonbifurcation groups (7.6% vs 7.3%, respectively, p = 0.81) regardless of the presence of side branch stenosis ≥50%. In 159 patients with angiographic follow-up, there was no difference in the rate of binary restenosis between groups (9.0% vs 9.2%, p = 0.96). Rates of target lesion failure at 1-year were similar with ZES and RES, and consistent in patients with and without bifurcation lesions (p_interaction = 0.61). In conclusion, patients with bifurcation lesions treated and a provisional strategy experienced similar outcomes as those with nonbifurcation lesions. RES performed as well as ZES in bifurcation and nonbifurcation lesions.

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With the Agent Paclitaxel-Coated Balloon: A Real-World Multicenter Experience

BACKGROUND

The Agent paclitaxel-coated balloon is a new drug-coated balloon (DCB) with few available real-world data. Our study sought to assess the safety and efficacy of the Agent DCB during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in different coronary lesion types in a prospective registry.

METHODS AND RESULTS

All patients undergoing PCI with the Agent DCB at three Italian centers between September 2014 and March 2018 were included in this registry. Major adverse cardiac event (MACE) rate was defined as the composite of cardiac death, recurrent non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), and target-lesion revascularization (TLR). Procedural success was also evaluated. Among the 354 patients included in the registry (450 lesions treated with 508 DCBs), Agent DCBs were used for the treatment of in-stent restenosis (ISR) in 34%, small-vessel disease (SVD) in 29%, bifurcation lesions in 26%, and "stent-like result" (SLR) lesions obtained after balloon predilation in 11%. The implantation of Agent DCBs was safe and had a high DCB lesion success rate of 92%. One-year MACE rate was 5.7% in the overall population. A higher MACE rate was observed in the ISR group (8.3%) vs the SVD group (3.6%; P=.03), with a trend toward higher event rates vs both BL (3.7%; P=.09) and SLR patients (5.5%; P=.54).

CONCLUSIONS

The use of Agent DCBs during PCI appears safe and effective in a large real-world registry. These results were maintained in all subgroups, with a slightly higher trend of events rates in the ISR setting, consistent with the higher-risk nature of this patient subset.

The number of stents was an independent risk of stent restenosis in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is one of the most effective therapies for coronary artery disease, but stent restenosis remains an important clinical challenge. The studies about the independent effect of the number of stents on stent restenosis were limited.The purpose was to identify the independent effect of the number of stents on stent restenosis.A retrospective cohort study of data reuse.From July 2009 to August 2011, a total of 2338 cases met the inclusion and exclusion criteria.The univariate analysis showed that the number of stents was a risk of stent restenosis, the OR value was 1.30 (95% CI:1.15 to 1.47, P < .001). The multi-factor regression analysis also showed that the number of stents was an independent risk of stent restenosis, the adjusted OR value was 1.38 (95% CI: 1.15 to 1.66, P < .001).Compared with 1-2 stents, the adjusted OR values of 3-5 stents and more than 6 stents were respectively 2.20 (95% CI: 1.24 to 3.90, P = .007) and 5.33 (95% CI: 1.89 to 15.08, P = .002), and the trend adjusted OR values was 2.26 (95% CI: 1.43 to 3.59, P < .001).The subgroup analysis of multi-factor regression analysis showed that when patients with the following conditions: 50 < Age, female, non-DES or SES, the risk of stent restenosis increased obviously.The number of stents was an independent risk of stent restenosis in patients undergoing PCI, especially for patients with the following conditions: 2<the number of stents, 50 < age, female, Non-DES (Drug-eluting stents) or SES (sirolimus-eluting stent).

Effects of patient age on outcomes after carotid endarterectomy: A retrospective, single-center study in Korea

In this single-center, retrospective study, we aimed to compare early and late outcomes after carotid endarterectomy (CEA) between younger and elderly patients and to investigate the impact of patient age on the overall incidence of cardiovascular events after CEA.A total of 613 patients with 675 CEAs between January 2007 and December 2014 were stratified by patient age into 2 groups: younger (≤60 years, n = 103 CEAs, 15.3%) and elderly (>60 years, n = 572 CEAs, 84.7%) groups. The study outcomes were defined as the occurrence of major adverse events (MAEs), including fatal or nonfatal stroke or myocardial infarction (MI), or any-cause mortality, and overall cardiovascular events (meaning the composite incidence of stroke or MI) during the perioperative period and within 4 years after CEA.Although there were no significant differences in the incidence of 30-day MAEs and any of the individual MAE manifestations between the 2 groups, the differences in the MAE incidence (P = .006) and any-cause mortality (P = .023) within 4 years after CEA were significantly greater in patients in the elderly group. For overall incidence of cardiovascular events, no significant difference was noted between the 2 groups (P = .096). On multivariate analysis, older age (>60 years) did not affect the incidence of perioperative MAEs and individual MAE manifestations; however, older age was significantly associated with an increased risk of 4-year MAEs (hazard ratio [HR], 3.68, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.35-10.0; P = .011) and any-cause mortality (HR, 3.26, 95% CI, 1.02-10.5; P = .047). With regard to the 4-year overall incidence of cardiovascular events, older age was not an independent predictor of increased risk of these cardiovascular events.Our study indicates that the risks of perioperative MAEs and the 4-year overall incidence of cardiovascular events do not significantly differ between younger and elderly Korean patients undergoing CEA, although there was a higher risk of 4-year any-cause mortality in the elderly patients. Older age does not appear to be an independent risk factor for perioperative MAEs and overall cardiovascular events within 4 years after CEA.

Three-Year Outcomes of Biodegradable Polymer-Coated Ultra-Thin (60 µm) Sirolimus-Eluting Stents in Real-World Clinical Practice

INTRODUCTION

Although drug-eluting stents (DES) have outclassed the use of bare metal stents, the safety and efficacy of DES at long-term follow-up has still been conflicting because of increased occurrence of late or very late restenosis and stent thrombosis after DES implantation. Hence, the present study was aimed to evaluate the 3-year safety and clinical performance of biodegradable polymer-coated ultra-thin (60 µm) sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) in real-world patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a physician-initiated, retrospective, single-centre, observational study that included 237 consecutive patients who had previously undergone implantation of only Supraflex SES (Sahajanand Medical Technologies Pvt Ltd, Surat, India) for the treatment of CAD. Follow-up was received after 1 year and 3 years of stent implantation. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACE), a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI) and target lesion revascularisation (TLR). Stent thrombosis was considered as a safety endpoint.

RESULTS

The mean age of patients was 64.1 ± 10.2 years, and 192 (81.0%) patients were male. The average stent length and diameter were 24.4 ± 9.0 mm and 3.1 ± 0.4 mm, respectively. The cumulative MACE rate at 3 years follow-up was 6.5% which included 4 (1.8%) cardiac deaths, 6 (2.8%) MI, and 4 (1.8%) TLR. There were 2 (0.9%) cases of stent thrombosis.

CONCLUSION

Treatment of patients with CAD in real-world clinical practice was associated with sustained clinical safety and low rates of restenosis, stent thrombosis and MACE up to 3 years after Supraflex SES implantation.

A Long-Term Single-Center Registry of 6893 Patients Undergoing Elective Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With the Xience Everolimus-Eluting Stent

BACKGROUND

The safety and effectiveness of the everolimus-eluting stent (EES) have been previously demonstrated.

AIMS

To assess very long-term performance and outcomes of the EES in a real-world population.

METHODS

This single-center registry prospectively enrolled 6893 patients (mean age, 66 ± 9.7 years; 81.4% men) undergoing elective coronary intervention with the EES over a decade. Clinical follow-up (FU) was performed at 1 year and then yearly thereafter.

RESULTS

Multiple risk factors were present in 34%. Stable angina was the main stenting indication (78.1%), followed by unstable angina (5.3%) and positive stress test (16.6%) for 1-vessel (44%) or 2/3-vessel disease (56%). Multiple stents (stent/patient ratio: 2.1 ± 0.8) in >1 vessel were implanted in 36.9% (mean stent length, 43 ± 31.3 mm). At 1 year, 80% of patients were on dual-antiplatelet therapy, while only 3% were on therapy at 2 years. A low 1-year major adverse cardiac event (MACE) rate of 5.0% was observed; stent thrombosis (ST) occurred in 19 patients (0.3%), with a prevalence of early (n = 9) over late (n = 4) and very late events (n = 6; 0.08%). Clinically driven target- lesion revascularization/target-vessel revascularization (TLR/TVR) occurred in 3.3% at 1-year follow-up. Long-term FU (3 years) completed in 6210 patients (90.0%) showed a MACE rate of 5.9%, while very long-term FU (>5 years and up to 10 years), available in 3550 out of 4635 exposed patients (76.6%), showed a MACE rate of 8.6%. Independent MACE predictors were stented segment length (odds ratio [OR], 2.1; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.57-2.82), small vessel stenting (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.08-1.68), and multivessel disease (2-vessel disease: OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.21-2.08; 3-vessel disease: OR, 2.26; 95% CI, 1.72-2.97).

CONCLUSIONS

This large, prospective registry confirms the very long-term safety and efficacy of the EES in unselected real-world and complex coronary lesions.

Bivalirudin versus heparin with primary percutaneous coronary intervention

BACKGROUND

Optimal adjunctive therapy in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients treated with primary PCI (PPCI) remains a matter of debate. Our aim was to compare the efficacy and safety of bivalirudin to unfractionated heparin (UFH), with or without glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (GPI) in a large real-world population, using data from the Swedish national registry, SWEDEHEART.

METHOD

From 2008 to 2014 we identified 23,800 STEMI patients presenting within 12 hours from symptom onset treated with PPCI and UFH ± GPI or bivalirudin±GPI. Primary outcomes included 30-day all-cause mortality and major in-hospital bleeding. Multivariable regression models and propensity score modelling were utilized to study adjusted association between treatment and outcome.

RESULTS

Treatment with UFH ± GPI was associated with similar risk of 30-day mortality compared to bivalirudin±GPI (5.3% vs 5.5%, adjusted HR 0.94; 95% CI 0.82-1.07). The adjusted risk for 1-year mortality, 30-day and 1-year stent thrombosis and re-infarction did not differ significantly between UFH ± GPI and bivalirudin±GPI. In contrast, treatment with UFH ± GPI was associated with a significant higher risk of major in-hospital bleeding (adjusted OR 1.62; 95% CI 1.30-2.03). When including GPI use in the multivariable analysis, the difference was attenuated and no longer significant (adjusted OR 1.25; 95% CI 0.92-1.70).

CONCLUSION

Bivalirudin±GPI was associated with significantly lower risk for major inhospital bleeding but no significant difference in 30-day or one year mortality, stent thrombosis or re-infarction compared with UFH ± GPI. The bleeding reduction associated with bivalirudin could be explained by the greater GPI use with UFH.

Real-world antithrombotic therapies and clinical outcomes after second-generation drug-eluting stent implantation in patients with atrial fibrillation: a multi-center cohort study

Previous reports have focused on cardiovascular and bleeding events in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, antithrombotic treatment strategies and clinical outcomes after second-generation drug-eluting stents (DES) implantation in AF patients remain to be determined. We enrolled 244 consecutive AF patients treated with second-generation DES. The study population was derived from multi-center AF registry (including 8 centers in Japan) from 2010 to 2012. Prescription of antithrombotic agents and clinical outcomes were retrospectively examined. Ninety-two patients (37.7%) were prescribed dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) at discharge and 152 patients (62.3%) were given DAPT plus oral anticoagulation (OAC) with warfarin. The median follow-up period was 730 days. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) were not significantly different (2-year event rate, 17.6 vs. 13.5%, p = 0.37), but bleeding events were significantly higher in the DAPT plus OAC group than in the DAPT group (2-year event rate, 6.1 vs. 17.9%, p = 0.033). In a sub-analysis of DAPT plus OAC patients, adequate time in the therapeutic range (TTR) group (TTR ≥ 65%) was not significantly different from the suboptimal OAC group (TTR < 65%) for bleeding events, but it had a lower incidence of MACCE, resulting in better net clinical outcomes (composite of MACCE and major bleeding, 2-year event rate, 9.2 vs. 27.8%, p = 0.008). DAPT plus OAC remains more common in AF patients undergoing PCI with second-generation DES. Under adequate TTR, DAPT plus OAC showed better net clinical outcomes by reducing MACCE without increasing bleeding.

Lower Repeat Revascularization Rates Among Patients With Prior Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery are Due to Lack of Adequate Target Vessels

BACKGROUND

Studies comparing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery in patients with multivessel coronary artery disease (CAD) have shown lower repeat revascularization rates in patients who undergo CABG. The reason remains unclear.

METHODS

We identified patients with multivessel CAD who received CABG or PCI enrolled in the Duke Databank for Cardiovascular Disease (2003 to 2012). We compared the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) between the two groups. Clinically performed follow-up angiograms for CABG patients were reviewed to determine adequacy of intervenable targets.

RESULTS

A total of 1555 patients were included: 861 underwent PCI and 694 underwent CABG. Patients with index PCI were more often female, African-American, presented with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (MI), and had previous MI; they were less often diabetic and had less heart failure or proximal left anterior descending disease. The adjusted hazard ratio of MACCE for CABG vs PCI was 0.68 (95% confidence interval, 0.58-0.80; P<.001). The adjusted odds ratio for repeat revascularization for CABG vs PCI was 0.45 (95% confidence interval, 0.28-0.72; P<.001). Fifty-seven patients with index CABG were found to have ≥1 occluded graft on subsequent angiography without repeat revascularization; 48 patients (6.9%) had inadequate targets for intervention.

CONCLUSION

Among patients with multivessel CAD, repeat revascularization rates are lower among CABG patients compared with PCI patients. However, a high proportion of CABG patients with occluded grafts on repeat angiography lack targets for repeat revascularization. This may partially explain the disparity in repeat revascularization rates and suggests that future comparison studies should additionally assess angiographic outcomes.

Drug-Eluting vs Bare-Metal Stents in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease and Coronary Artery Disease: Insights From a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Most drug-eluting stent (DES) trials have excluded patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The efficacy of DES implantation in patients with CKD is therefore not known.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the outcomes with DES vs bare-metal stent (BMS) implantation in patients with CKD.

METHODS AND RESULTS

MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL were searched for studies including at least 100 patients with CKD (estimated glomerular filtration rate ≤60 mL/min/1.73 m² or on dialysis) treated with DES or BMS and followed for at least 1 month and reporting outcomes of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular (CV) mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), target-vessel revascularization (TVR), and stent thrombosis (ST). Thirty-one studies (5 randomized) with 91,817 participants (49,081 DES and 42,736 BMS) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. DES was associated with lower all-cause mortality (relative risk [RR], 0.77; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.71-0.84), CV mortality (RR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.38-0.70), MI (RR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.86-0.95), TVR (RR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.47-0.80), and numerically lower ST (RR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.55-1.01) when compared with BMS. Analysis by study type (RCTs vs non-RCTs) showed similar results for most outcomes (Pinteraction>.05) except all-cause mortality, where there was no difference between DES vs BMS in RCTs (Pinteraction=.04). The effects were greater with 2nd-generation DES vs BMS (for example, ST: RR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.20-0.72).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with CKD, the available evidence, largely from observational studies, suggests significantly fewer events with DES vs BMS with even a lower ST rate with 2nd-generation DES. These findings should be tested in large, randomized trials.

Comparison of very long-term clinical and angiographic outcomes of bare metal stent implants between patients with and without type 2 diabetes

BACKGROUND

Data on a large patient population regarding very long-term outcomes after bare metal stent (BMS) implantation in diabetic patients are lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate the very long-term (8-17 years) clinical and 6-month angiographic outcomes of BMS implantations in patients with and without type 2 diabetes.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A total of 2391 patients (579 with and 1812 without diabetes) who received BMS implantations between November 1995 and May 2004 were enrolled from the Cardiovascular Atherosclerosis and Percutaneous TrAnsluminal INterventions (CAPTAIN) registry into this study. During a mean follow-up period of 152±53months, the diabetic patients had higher rates of all-cause mortality (28% vs. 15%, p<0.001), re-infarction (6% vs. 5%, p=0.284), target lesion revascularization (13% vs. 10%, p=0.049), and a lower cardiovascular event-free survival rate (42% vs. 56%, p<0.001) compared to the patients without diabetes. The diabetic patients also had a higher restenosis rate (26% vs. 18%, p<0.001) at 6-month angiographic follow-up. The multivariate analysis of risk factors for cardiac event-free survival included age (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.011; p=0.001), hypertension (HR: 1.168; p=0.011), diabetes mellitus (HR: 1.353; p<0.001), pre-existing coronary artery disease (HR: 1.341; p<0.001), and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (HR: 0.992; p=0.002) (Table 7). The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a significant difference in cardiovascular event-free survival rate between the two groups (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

The clinical and angiographic outcomes of diabetic patients with BMS implantations were worse than those of patients without diabetes after a very long-term follow-up period.

A risk scoring system to predict coronary stent thrombosis

OBJECTIVE

Stent thrombosis (ST) is a potentially life-threatening complication of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We aimed to develop a scoring system to predict the risk of ST following PCI.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Odds ratios (ORs) for risk factors associated with ST were identified from a meta-analysis based on a systematic literature review, and through consensus expert opinion (Delphi-RAND method). The combined ORs were used to calculate risk scores for acute (within 24 hours), early (within 30 days) and late (31 days to 1 year) ST. Risk scores were validated against patient-level data from the TRITON-TIMI 38 study. Twenty risk factors were identified.

RESULTS

The most highly predictive factor for early and late ST was "incomplete duration of dual antiplatelet therapy". Derived total risk scores ranged from 0 to 22 for acute and early ST, and from 0 to 20 for late ST. Increasing scores were associated with an increasing risk of ST when applied to trial data. Model discrimination was 0.60 (p = .0028), 0.67 (p < .0001) and 0.66 (p < .0001) for acute, early and late ST respectively, indicating good discriminatory power for predicting ST. Key limitations included a lack of published data on acute ST, resulting in a risk score for this time point being based predominantly on expert opinion, and that it was not possible to map all risk factors to variables collected in the TRITON-TIMI 38 study.

CONCLUSION

Our weighted scoring system may help to stratify ST risk and individualize antiplatelet therapy in patients undergoing PCI.

QT Dispersion and Age; Independent Predictors of Restenosis after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

INTRODUCTION

There are no reliable non-invasive markers of restenosis after Percutaneous Coronary Interventions (PCIs). The aim of our study was to measure changes incorrected QT interval (QTc), corrected QT dispersion (QTcd), corrected T wave peak to end interval (TPEc) and corrected TPE dispersion (TPEcd) after PCI and to determine whether restenosis subsequently affects these indices.

METHODS

From 211 patients, who underwent successful PCI, 202 patients were referred for repeated coronary angiography in order to exclusion of coronary restenosis and included in this analysis. QTc, QTcd, TPEc and TPEcd indices were calculated just before PCI and 24 hours later.

RESULTS

Comparing pre procedural with post procedural results, median QTc and median QTcd decreased significantly after PCI procedure (from 447 to 440 ms, p=0.017 and from 46 to 40 ms,p=0.005; respectively). Corresponding changes of TPEc and TPEcD were not statistically significant. Multivariate analysis showed higher amounts of QTcd changes [Exp(B): 1.033, 95% CI: 1.018-1.051; P=0.025] and younger age[Exp(B): 1.074, 95% CI: 1.038-1.112; P=0.023] as independent predictors of restenosis. Area under the ROC curve indicated good predictive performance of QTcd changes (.QTcd) [AUC: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.51-0.86, P = 0.03] and age [AUC 0.68, 95% CI 0.62-0.74, p = 0.04] for restenosis after PCI. The best cut-off point for .QTcd was 6 msec, and for age was 52 years. The sensitivity and specificity of .QTcd.6 ms to detect coronary restenosis were 73.2% and 71.4% respectively. The diagnostic accuracy of age was also similar, the sensitivity and specificity of age. 52 years were 68.1% and 74.3% respectively.

CONCLUSION

The Higher differences between pre and post PCI QTcd may be an inexpensive and simple predictor of restenosis after a previously successful coronary angioplasty. It seems that these findings encourage us to re-think about using QTcd as a simple ECG predictor for sustained coronary patency after angioplasty.

[Risk factors for progression of atherosclerosis of the shunted coronary artery in the remote postoperative period]

The study was aimed at revealing risk factors for progression of atherosclerosis in the shunted coronary artery in the remote period following coronary artery bypass grafting. Our prospective study included a total of 292 patients having endured coronary artery bypass grafting. All patients were divided in two groups depending on the type of the bypass grafts used: either autoarterial shunts (Group 1) or autovenous grafts (Group 2). We thus assessed a total of 516 autoarterial grafts and 257 autovenous grafts, as well as the coronary arteries shunted thereby. The long-term results were evaluated by means of coronaroshuntography performed not earlier than 12 months after surgery. The average duration of follow up amounted to 53.4±26.5 months. Analysing the cumulative risk for progression of atherosclerosis in the arteries shunted demonstrated that for autoarterial grafts the rate of the development of proximal stenosis of the coronary artery (CA) shunted was lower compared with autovenous grafts (p≤0.001). The Cox regression model showed that an autovein used as a graft increased the risk for the development of occlusion of the shunted CA by 43% from the baseline each postoperative month. The presence of proximal stenosis of the shunted coronary artery amounting to or exceeding 90% increases the risk of occlusion by 68% per month. Also, for the patients with the SYNTAX scoring ≥ 32 points the risk of coronary artery occlusion increases 2.2-fold each month after the operation. Such factors as the patient's gender, the diameter of the shunted artery, diabetes mellitus, tobacco smoking, multifocal atherosclerosis by the findings of the study exerted no influence on the progression of proximal stenosis of the shunted coronary artery.

SeQuent Please vs. Pantera Lux drug coated balloon angioplasty in real life: Results from the Düsseldorf DCB registry

BACKGROUND

In-stent restenosis (ISR) is still a major concern in interventional cardiology. Drug coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty has been shown to be a promising option in treatment of ISR. However heterogeneity of different DCBs in suppression of neointimal growth has been described in a porcine model of coronary ISR. Therefore, in this registry analysis, we compared two frequently used paclitaxel eluting DCBs, the SeQuent Please and the Pantera Lux DCB.

METHODS

571 patients were treated with DCB angioplasty at the Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf between 2009 and 2012. Follow-up was conducted during ambulatory care at our department. Major adverse cardiac events (death, myocardial infarction [MI] and target lesion revascularization) were registered during hospitalization and follow-up.

RESULTS

Patient characteristics, prior diseases, clinical presentation, ejection fraction, procedural success and lost-for-follow-up did not differ between patients treated with the SeQuent Please and. The Pantera Lux DCB. MACE during hospital course were similar as well (Pantera Lux: 6 patients [1.6%] vs. SeQuent®Please: 3 patients [1.5%], relative risk 1.06, 95% confidence interval 0.3-4.2, P=0.93). Event free survival was significantly longer in patients treated with the Pantera Lux DCB as compared to SeQuent Please DCB (Hazard ratio: 0.65, 95% confidence interval 0.43-0.98; P value of log-rank test: 0.0405).

CONCLUSION

MACE free survival was longer in Pantera Lux DCB treated patients as compared to SeQuent Please treated patients. This finding has to be confirmed in future clinical trials.

Prevalence and Predictors of Early Discontinuation of Dual-Antiplatelet Therapy After Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation in Korean Population

The administration of antiplatelet drugs for months after a drug-eluting stent implantation is critical in decreasing the risk of complications, and premature discontinuation of antiplatelet therapy before the recommended period is the most important predictor for late complications. Therefore, we investigated the prevalence and associated factors of premature discontinuation of antiplatelet therapy in patients in Korea. This retrospective cohort study was conducted using the Korean National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort data. Patients who were treated with dual-antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) were identified with medication prescription data. The Kaplan-Meier failure time plot was used to illustrate the cumulative probability of treatment discontinuation. Cox regression analysis was conducted to compare predictors of early discontinuation of DAPT. The characteristics of the early discontinuation group were not significantly different from the guideline concordance group, except for a higher prevalence of disability and a lower rate of chronic kidney disease. In a Cox regression model, the presence of hypertension was identified as a negative predictor of early discontinuation, and disability was not a statistically significant predictor. The prevalence of early discontinuation was 31.0% and seems to be significantly higher than those reported from prospective studies, which may more accurately reflect the real-world situation. In conclusion, physicians should make more effort to educate patients on the risk associated with premature discontinuation of antiplatelet therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stent, and further studies investigating the reasons for nonadherence of DAPT are needed to improve DAPT compliance.

Coronary Stenting or Balloon Angioplasty for Chronic Total Coronary Occlusions: The Taiwan Experience (A Single-Center Report)

The authors conducted this study to compare the restenosis and reocclusion rates of primary balloon angioplasty alone versus angioplasty followed by stenting in Taiwanese patients with chronic total occlusions. They also evaluated whether stenting reduced the incidence of restenosis and improved left ventricular function in these patients. From October 1998 to April 2000, a total of 294 patients with chronic total occlusion (Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction grade 0 flow) underwent recanalization using balloon angioplasty alone or followed by stent implantation. Of these, only 129 patients were included after procedural failure and patients lost to follow-up; 62 patients were placed in the stent group, while 67 patients were assigned to the percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) group. Coronary angiography was performed at baseline and at 6 months follow-up or earlier if angina or objective evidence of ischemia involving the target vessel or other vessels was present. Procedural success was 60%. Minimal lumen diameter increased significantly after stenting: 2.97 ±0.41 vs 2.24 ±0.41 (p<0.001); 60% of patients in the stent group were free of restenosis, whereas only 33% in the PTCA group were free of restenosis at follow-up. Only 1 patient in the stent group had reocclusion, as opposed to 17 (25%) patients in the PTCA group (p<0.001). The follow-up minimal lumen diameter (MLD) at 6 months was significantly larger in the stent group: 1.80 ±0.85 mm vs 1.08 ±0.82 mm (p<0.001). Left ventricular function improved in the stent group, but not in the PTCA group (58.44 ±16.58% to 63.60 ±14.59% [p<0.001] vs 54.13 ±15.66% to 54.31 ±15.60% [p=0.885]). More patients had angina in the PTCA group than in the stented group 43 vs 29 (p=0.053). The postprocedural MLD and reference vessel diameter (RVD) were the strong predictors of restenosis and follow-up MLD (p<0.001). Stenting of chronically occluded arteries significantly reduced the incidence of reocclusion and restenosis, at the same time improving left ventricular function in these patients. This should be the procedure of choice after successful angioplasty of chronically occluded vessels.

Randomized clinical trial comparing abluminal biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stents with durable polymer sirolimus-eluting stents: Nine months angiographic and 5-year clinical outcomes

BACKGROUND

The biodegradable polymer drug-eluting stents (DES) were developed to improve vascular healing. However, further data and longer-term follow-up are needed to confirm safety and efficacy of these stents. This randomized clinical trial aimed to compare safety and efficacy of 2 sirolimus-eluting stents (SES): Cordimax-a novel abluminal biodegradable polymer SES and Cypher Select-a durable polymer SES, at 9 months angiographic and 5-year clinical follow-up.

METHODS

We randomized 402 patients with coronary artery disease to percutaneous coronary intervention with Cordimax (n = 202) or Cypher select (n = 200). Angiographic follow-up was performed at 9 months after the index procedure and clinical follow-up annually up to 5 years. The primary endpoint was angiographic in-stent late luminal loss (LLL). Secondary endpoints included angiographic restenosis rate, target vessel revascularization (TVR), and major adverse cardiac events (MACEs; defined as cardiac death, myocardial infarction, or TVR) at 5-year follow-up.

RESULTS

Cordimax was noninferior to Cypher select for in-stent LLL (0.25 ± 0.47 vs 0.18 ± 0.49 mm; P = 0.587) and in-stent mean diameter stenosis (22.19 ± 12.21% vs 19.89 ± 10.79%; P = 0.064) at 9 months angiographic follow-up. The MACE rates were not different at 1 year (5.9% vs 4.0%, P = 0.376); however, MACE rates from 2 to 5 years were lower in the Cordimax group (6.8% vs 13.1%; P = 0.039).

CONCLUSION

Abluminal biodegradable polymer SES is noninferior to durable polymer SES at 9-month angiographic and 1-year clinical follow-up. However, MACE rates from 2 to 5 years were less in the abluminal biodegradable polymer group.

Elective placement of covered stents in native coronary arteries

Purpose: To study the feasibility of placing a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-covered stent graft into native coronary arteries and assess the complications and the restenosis rate.

Material and Methods: Fifty consecutive patients with stable angina pectoris were included and the stent graft was placed into native coronary arteries. Clinical and angiographic follow-up were performed after 6 months.

Results: The stent grafts were successfully placed in all patients. The mean reference diameter was 3.3 ± 0.6 mm. During follow-up the stent grafts occluded in patients after 1, 2 and 2.5 months and one more was occluded at 6 months. Three patients experienced myocardial infarction, 2 Q wave and one non-Q wave. After 6 months 42 (84%) patients had angina NYHA class 0 or 1. Target vessel revascularization was done in 11 cases for restenosis in the graft (n = 4), outside the graft (n = 3) and both (n = 4), giving a restenosis rate of 24%. The total major adverse coronary events at 6 months was 24%.

Conclusion: The stent graft was deployed with a high success rate. The restenosis rate was not higher than expected for bare stents. However, this study showed that subacute occlusion may occur more frequently and we therefore recommend that ticlopidine or clopidogrel treatment should be prolonged to at least 3 months.

Effect of Previous Failure on Subsequent Procedural Outcomes of Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (from a Contemporary Multicenter Registry)

We sought to examine the impact of previous failure on the outcomes of chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We examined the clinical and angiographic characteristics and procedural outcomes of 1,213 consecutive patients who underwent 1,232 CTO PCIs from 2012 to 2015 at 12 US centers. Mean age was 65 ± 10 years, and 84.8% of patients were men. A previously failed attempt had been performed in 215 patients (17.5%). As compared with patients without previous CTO PCI failure, patients with previous failure had higher Multicenter CTO Registry in Japan CTO score (2.40 ± 1.13 vs 3.28 ± 1.29, p <0.0001) and were more likely to have in-stent restenosis (10.5% vs 28.4%, p <0.0001) and to undergo recanalization attempts using the retrograde approach (41% vs 50%, p = 0.011). Technical (90% vs 88%, p = 0.390) and procedural (89% vs 86%, p = 0.184) success were similar in the 2 study groups; however, median procedure time (125 vs 142 minutes, p = 0.026) and fluoroscopy time (45 vs 55 minutes, p = 0.015) were longer in the previous failure group. In conclusion, a previously failed CTO PCI attempt is associated with higher angiographic complexity, longer procedural duration, and fluoroscopy time, but not with the success and complication rates of subsequent CTO PCI attempts.

Long-term clinical outcomes of everolimus-eluting stent versus paclitaxel-eluting stent in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Everolimus -eluting stent (EES) is common used in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). Our purpose is to evaluate long-term clinical outcomes of everolimus -eluting stent (EES) versus paclitaxel-eluting stent (PES) in patients undergoing percutaneous coronaryinterventions (PCI) in randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

METHODS

We searched Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CNKI, VIP and relevant websites ( https://scholar-google-com.ezproxy.lib.usf.edu/ ) for articles to compare outcomes between everolimus-eluting stent and paclitaxel-eluting stent without language or date restriction. RCTs that compared the use of everolimus -eluting stent and paclitaxel-eluting stent in PCI were included. Variables relating to patient, study characteristics, and clinical endpoints were extracted. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.2 software.

RESULTS

We identified 6 published studies (from three randomized trials) more on everolimus-eluting stent (n = 3352) than paclitaxel-eluting (n = 1639), with follow-up duration ranging from 3, 4 and 5 years. Three-year outcomes of everolimus-eluting stent compared to paclitaxel-eluting were as following: the everolimus-eluting stent significantly reduced all-cause death (relative risk [RR]:0.63; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.46. to 0.82), MACE (RR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.41 to 0.77), MI (RR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.48 to 0.86), TLR (RR: 0.72; 95% CI: 0.59 to 0.88), ID-TLR (RR: 0.74; 95% CI: 0.59 to 0.92) and ST (RR: 0.54; 95% CI: 0.32 to 0.90). There was no difference in TVR between the everolimus-eluting and paclitaxel-eluting (RR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.58 to 1.10); Four-year outcomes of everolimus-eluting compared to paclitaxel-eluting: the everolimus-eluting significantly reduced MACE (RR: 0.44; 95% CI: 0.18 to 0.98) and ID-TLR (RR: 0.47; 95 % CI: 0.23 to 0.97). There was no difference in MI (RR: 0.48; 95% CI: 0.16 to 1.46), TLR (RR: 0.46; 95% CI: 0.20 to 1.04) and ST ((RR: 0.34; 95% CI: 0.05 to 2.39). Five-year outcomes of everolimus-eluting stent compared to paclitaxel-eluting: There was no difference in ID-TLR (RR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.45 to 1.02) and ST (RR: 0.71; 95% CI: 0.28 to 1.80).

CONCLUSIONS

In the present meta-analysis, everolimus-eluting appeared to be safe and clinically effective in patients undergoing PCI in comparison to PES in 3-year clinical outcomes; there was similar no difference in reduction of ST between EES and PES in long-term(≥ 4 years) clinical follow-ups. Everolimus-eluting is more safety than paclitaxel-eluting in long-term clinical follow-ups, whether these effects can be applied to different patient subgroups warrants further investigation.

[Results of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Elderly Diabetic Patients]

OBJECTIVE

Our aim was to compare results of the percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug elutingstent (DES) and bare metal stent (BMS) in older patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and diabetes mellitus (DM) type 2.

METHODS

Patients (> 65 years) with DM type 2 were divided into two groups: the 1st group--58 patients after PCI with DES, the 2nd group--62 patients after PCI with BMS. The average follow-up period was 32.6 ± 8.0 months. The end-points of the study were death, non-fatal myocardial infarction and restenosis of the target stenosis.

RESULTS

Endovascular treatment of patients older than 65 years with DM is highly effective and safe despite the complexity of coronary lesions. There are no significant differences in the rate of early (hospital) complications in two groups. Also, we did notfind differences in three-year mortality between the groups. But the incidence of myocardial infarction in the groups with DES and BMS was 9% and 18% respectively (p = 0.039). Major adverse cardiovascular events (death, myocardial infarction and restenosis of the target stenosis) frequency was also lower in the group with DES compared to BMS (36% and 61% respectively, p = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Endovascular treatment of patients older than 65 years with DM type 2 is a highly effective and safe method despite the complexity of coronary lesions. PCI with DES compared to BMS in older patients with DM is associated with improvement of medium-term results and decreases the number of cardiovascular events.

Prognostic Impact of 9-Month High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein Levels on Long-Term Clinical Outcomes and In-Stent Restenosis in Patients at 9 Months after Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation

Introduction

The level of 9-month high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) in predicting cardiovascular outcomes is scanty in patients at 9 months after receiving drug-eluting stent (DES) implantations. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between 9-month follow-up hsCRP levels and long-term clinical outcomes in patients at 9 months after receiving DES.

Methods

A total of 1,763 patients who received 9-month follow-up angiography were enrolled and grouped according to hsCRP level 9 months after the DES implantation: group I (718 patients, hsCRP<1.0 mg/L), group II (639 patients, 1.0≦hsCRP≦3.0 mg/L), and group III (406 patients, hsCRP>3.0 mg/L).

Results

Group III patients had a lower cardiovascular event-free survival rate than group I or II patients during a follow-up of 64±45 months (64.5% vs. 71.6% vs. 72.8%, respectively, p = 0.012). Multivariate analysis showed that a follow-up hsCRP level <3.0 mg/L was an independent predictor of a major adverse cardiovascular event (cardiac death, reinfarction, target lesion revascularization, stenting in a new lesion, or coronary bypass surgery). Group III patients had a higher restenosis rate (11.3% vs. 5.8% vs. 6.6%, respectively, p = 0.002) and loss index (0.21±0.32 vs. 0.16±0.24 vs. 0.18±0.28, respectively, p = 0.001) than group I or II patients in 9-month follow-up angiography.

Conclusions

A high 9-month follow-up hsCRP level is an independent predictor of long-term clinical cardiovascular outcomes in patients at 9 months after DES implantation. It is also associated with a higher restenosis rate, larger late loss and loss index at 9 months after DES implantation.

Trial of everolimus-eluting stents or bypass surgery for coronary disease

BACKGROUND

Most trials comparing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with coronary-artery bypass grafting (CABG) have not made use of second-generation drug-eluting stents.

METHODS

We conducted a randomized noninferiority trial at 27 centers in East Asia. We planned to randomly assign 1776 patients with multivessel coronary artery disease to PCI with everolimus-eluting stents or to CABG. The primary end point was a composite of death, myocardial infarction, or target-vessel revascularization at 2 years after randomization. Event rates during longer-term follow-up were also compared between groups.

RESULTS

After the enrollment of 880 patients (438 patients randomly assigned to the PCI group and 442 randomly assigned to the CABG group), the study was terminated early owing to slow enrollment. At 2 years, the primary end point had occurred in 11.0% of the patients in the PCI group and in 7.9% of those in the CABG group (absolute risk difference, 3.1 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.8 to 6.9; P=0.32 for noninferiority). At longer-term follow-up (median, 4.6 years), the primary end point had occurred in 15.3% of the patients in the PCI group and in 10.6% of those in the CABG group (hazard ratio, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.01 to 2.13; P=0.04). No significant differences were seen between the two groups in the occurrence of a composite safety end point of death, myocardial infarction, or stroke. However, the rates of any repeat revascularization and spontaneous myocardial infarction were significantly higher after PCI than after CABG.

CONCLUSIONS

Among patients with multivessel coronary artery disease, the rate of major adverse cardiovascular events was higher among those who had undergone PCI with the use of everolimus-eluting stents than among those who had undergone CABG. (Funded by CardioVascular Research Foundation and others; BEST ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00997828.).

Everolimus-eluting stents or bypass surgery for multivessel coronary disease

BACKGROUND

Results of trials and registry studies have shown lower long-term mortality after coronary-artery bypass grafting (CABG) than after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) among patients with multivessel disease. These previous analyses did not evaluate PCI with second-generation drug-eluting stents.

METHODS

In an observational registry study, we compared the outcomes in patients with multivessel disease who underwent CABG with the outcomes in those who underwent PCI with the use of everolimus-eluting stents. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes were the rates of myocardial infarction, stroke, and repeat revascularization. Propensity-score matching was used to assemble a cohort of patients with similar baseline characteristics.

RESULTS

Among 34,819 eligible patients, 9223 patients who underwent PCI with everolimus-eluting stents and 9223 who underwent CABG had similar propensity scores and were included in the analyses. At a mean follow-up of 2.9 years, PCI with everolimus-eluting stents, as compared with CABG, was associated with a similar risk of death (3.1% per year and 2.9% per year, respectively; hazard ratio, 1.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.93 to 1.17; P=0.50), higher risks of myocardial infarction (1.9% per year vs. 1.1% per year; hazard ratio, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.29 to 1.77; P<0.001) and repeat revascularization (7.2% per year vs. 3.1% per year; hazard ratio, 2.35; 95% CI, 2.14 to 2.58; P<0.001), and a lower risk of stroke (0.7% per year vs. 1.0% per year; hazard ratio, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.50 to 0.76; P<0.001). The higher risk of myocardial infarction with PCI than with CABG was not significant among patients with complete revascularization but was significant among those with incomplete revascularization (P=0.02 for interaction).

CONCLUSIONS

In a contemporary clinical-practice registry study, the risk of death associated with PCI with everolimus-eluting stents was similar to that associated with CABG. PCI was associated with a higher risk of myocardial infarction (among patients with incomplete revascularization) and repeat revascularization but a lower risk of stroke. (Funded by Abbott Vascular.).

Antiplatelet therapy duration following bare metal or drug-eluting coronary stents: the dual antiplatelet therapy randomized clinical trial

IMPORTANCE

Despite antirestenotic efficacy of coronary drug-eluting stents (DES) compared with bare metal stents (BMS), the relative risk of stent thrombosis and adverse cardiovascular events is unclear. Although dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) beyond 1 year provides ischemic event protection after DES, ischemic event risk is perceived to be less after BMS, and the appropriate duration of DAPT after BMS is unknown.

OBJECTIVE

To compare (1) rates of stent thrombosis and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE; composite of death, myocardial infarction, or stroke) after 30 vs 12 months of thienopyridine in patients treated with BMS taking aspirin and (2) treatment duration effect within the combined cohorts of randomized patients treated with DES or BMS as prespecified secondary analyses.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

International, multicenter, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial comparing extended (30-months) thienopyridine vs placebo in patients taking aspirin who completed 12 months of DAPT without bleeding or ischemic events after receiving stents. The study was initiated in August 2009 with the last follow-up visit in May 2014.

INTERVENTIONS

Continued thienopyridine or placebo at months 12 through 30 after stent placement, in 11,648 randomized patients treated with aspirin, of whom 1687 received BMS and 9961 DES.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Stent thrombosis, MACCE, and moderate or severe bleeding.

RESULTS

Among 1687 patients treated with BMS who were randomized to continued thienopyridine vs placebo, rates of stent thrombosis were 0.5% vs 1.11% (n = 4 vs 9; hazard ratio [HR], 0.49; 95% CI, 0.15-1.64; P = .24), rates of MACCE were 4.04% vs 4.69% (n = 33 vs 38; HR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.57-1.47; P = .72), and rates of moderate/severe bleeding were 2.03% vs 0.90% (n = 16 vs 7; P = .07), respectively. Among all 11,648 randomized patients (both BMS and DES), stent thrombosis rates were 0.41% vs 1.32% (n = 23 vs 74; HR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.19-0.50; P < .001), rates of MACCE were 4.29% vs 5.74% (n = 244 vs 323; HR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.62-0.87; P < .001), and rates of moderate/severe bleeding were 2.45% vs 1.47% (n = 135 vs 80; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Among patients undergoing coronary stent placement with BMS and who tolerated 12 months of thienopyridine, continuing thienopyridine for an additional 18 months compared with placebo did not result in statistically significant differences in rates of stent thrombosis, MACCE, or moderate or severe bleeding. However, the BMS subset may have been underpowered to identify such differences, and further trials are suggested.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00977938.

Early outcome of 212 coronary angioplasty procedures our experience at Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular and Transplant Centre

A prospective study was carried out to evaluate safety, in-hospital clinical end points and early outcome in a consecutive series of 212 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) who underwent coronary angioplasty in Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular and Transplant Centre from October 2012 to April 2014 over a period of 18 months. All patients who underwent angioplasty during the specified period were included in the study. Majority of the patients were male (84.4%). Hypertension was found in 31%, diabetes in 29%, dyslipidemia in 23% and smoking in 19%. A total of 253 stents were deployed. Patients with single vessel coronary artery disease (SVD) were 75%, double vessel coronary artery disease (DVD) 23% and triple vessel coronary artery disease (TVD) was only 1.8%. Indications for stent implantation were stable CAD in 110 (51.8%), unstable angina (UA) in 19 (8.9%), Non ST segment elevation Myocardial Infarction (NSTEMI) in 31 (14.6%) and ST segment elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) in 52 (24.5%). Eighty one percent received drug eluting stent (DES); while 19% received bare metal stent (BMS). Over all procedural success was obtained in 206 (97.6%) cases. Mortality occurred in 4 cases (1.9%) during index hospitalization. All these patients were in cardiogenic shock due to acute STEMI. On follow up, one case of sub acute stent thrombosis (0.4%) and 3 cases (6.3%) of instent restenosis were observed among 47 BMS cases. Coronary Angioplasty was found to be a safe and effective method of coronary revascularization with low in-hospital morbidity and mortality even in high risk elective and emergency procedures.

Meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials comparing short-term versus long-term dual antiplatelet therapy following drug-eluting stents

Current guidelines recommend 12 months of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation in the absence of increased bleeding risk. Studies have suggested that early discontinuation of DAPT can result in an increased risk of stent thrombosis. However, given the potential for major bleeding, the optimal duration of DAPT after DES implantation remains uncertain. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases from inception until October 2013 for randomized controlled trials that compared shorter versus longer DAPT duration after DES implantation. Four randomized controlled trials were included. A total of 4,081 patients received DAPT for 3 to 6 months, and 4,076 patients were treated with DAPT for 12 to 24 months. Oral DAPT consisted of aspirin and clopidogrel. There was no significant difference in the rate of the composite outcome of cardiac death or myocardial infarction between the short (3.3%) and prolonged (3.0%) DAPT groups (odds ratio 1.11, 95% confidence interval 0.87 to 1.43, p=0.41). A landmark analysis performed at the time of discontinuation of DAPT in the short DAPT group demonstrated a nonsignificant higher rate of stent thrombosis in patients treated with a short course of DAPT (0.35% vs 0.20%, p=0.22). Major bleeding was significantly higher in the group of patients treated with prolonged DAPT (0.29% vs 0.71%, p=0.01). In conclusion, prolonged DAPT compared with short-term treatment is associated with increased major bleeding but is not associated with a decrease in the composite rates of death or myocardial infarction.

Early-generation versus new-generation drug-eluting stents in isolated chronic total occlusion: on the road to extinction?

BACKGROUND

The performance of second-generation drug-eluting stent (DES) versus first-generation DES implantation in patients with stable angina and single chronic total occlusion (CTO) has not yet been studied. Herein, we sought to investigate whether a successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for CTO using second-generation versus first-generation polymer-coated DES improved outcomes in a setting of isolated CTO.

METHODS

Among 7765 patients undergoing elective PCIs between 2006 and 2011, a total of 742 single CTOs were identified. Of these, 496 had a successful PCI and 193 were implanted with DESs. The major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) records were extracted from the national administrative database and all patients were linked to the 2-year follow-up.

RESULTS

When compared to first-generation DES implantation, second-generation implantation once significantly reduced risk of MACE, both at 1-year (hazard ratio [HR], 0.15; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.06-0.36; P=.01) and 2-year follow-up (HR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.13-0.56; P=.01). The symptom-driven target lesion revascularization (TLR) also occurred less frequently in patients with second-generation DES vs first-generation DES within 2 years of follow-up (HR, 0.15; 95% CI, 0.05-0.44; P=.03). The substantial 2-year benefit of second-generation DES over first-generation DES also persisted after incorporating a propensity score analysis for MACE (HR, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.08-0.72; P=.01) and TLR (HR, 0.15; 95% CI, 0.05-0.49; P=.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Successful PCI for CTO using thin-strut polymer-coated DES vs early-generation DES implantation improves outcomes after recanalization of isolated CTO in a setting of stable angina.

Results of the self-expandable BA9 stent for treatment of large angle coronary bifurcation

Since the advent of coronary angioplasty the treatment of bifurcation lesions has always proved a complex issue resulting in lower angiographic success rates, increased risk of restenosis, higher rates of dissection, myocardial infarction, and acute vessel closure. The advent of coronary stenting reduced the risks, but in-stent restenosis was noted to be frequent at the ostium of the side branch; for this reasons two-stent techniques were developed to try to combat this phenomenon. Novel dedicated stents have recently been developed to provide easier access to the SB and to scaffold more effectively its ostium, matching the stent configuration more closely to the anatomy of the bifurcation. Most of bifurcation lesions that require treatment and which have a wide angle involving the left main coronary artery (LMCA). The impact of the angle and the asymmetry of bifurcation on flow dynamic are very important and may influence clinical outcome. More recently, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to treat wide angle disease has increased in frequency, and is associated with improvements in interventional techniques and adjunctive drug therapy. Several studies have shown that stenting in LMCA, especially using drug-eluting stents (DES), is a safe and effective treatment strategy both at mid- and long-term follow-up. The AXXESS System is a self-expanding, conically-shaped stent from nitinol (nickel-titanium alloy) with strut thickness, specifically designed to conform to the anatomy at the level of the bifurcation carina. A special version of the AXXESS System has been designed for left main bifurcation lesions, allowing for larger diameters (up to 4.75 mm) and distinct bifurcation angles (flare-end diameters of 8, 10 and 12 mm). The AXXENT trial is the first study to evaluate the vascular response of the self-expanding biolimus-eluting AXXESS stent for the treatment of LMCA bifurcation lesions. It was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the AXXESS biolimus-eluting stent for the treatment of LMCA bifurcation lesions, that showed good results in terms of stent thrombosis and TLR at 6 months follow-up. Technical modifications and stent innovations may further improve both the angiographic and clinical outcomes for patients with wide angle bifurcation disease treated by PCI. Moreover a long term follow-up is needful to demonstrate better safety and efficacy of these new dedicated bifurcation devices.

Impact of the stent length on long-term clinical outcomes following newer-generation drug-eluting stent implantation

Stent length has been considered an important predictor of adverse events after percutaneous coronary intervention, even with the first-generation drug-eluting stents (DESs). The introduction of newer-generation DES has further reduced the rates of adverse clinical events such as restenosis, myocardial infarction, and stent thrombosis. The aim of this study was to compare the impact of stent length on the long-term clinical outcomes between first- and newer-generation DESs. The effects of stent length (≥32 vs <32 mm) on the clinical outcomes were evaluated in 8,445 patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention using either a first-generation DES (sirolimus- and paclitaxel-eluting stents, n = 6,334) or a newer-generation DES (everolimus- and zotarolimus-eluting stents, n = 2,111) from January 2004 to December 2009. The 3-year adverse outcomes (composite of all-cause death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, target vessel revascularization, and stent thrombosis) were compared using the inverse probability of treatment-weighted method according to the stent length. After adjustment for differences in the baseline risk factors, a stent length of ≥32 mm was significantly associated with higher cumulative rates of target vessel revascularization and stent thrombosis in the patients treated with a first-generation DES (adjusted hazard ratio 1.875, 95% confidence interval 1.531 to 2.297, p <0.001; adjusted hazard ratio 2.964, 95% confidence interval 1.270 to 6.917, p = 0.012), but it was not associated with the clinical outcomes in patients treated with a newer-generation DES. In conclusion, stent length might not be associated with long-term clinical outcomes in newer-generation DES era, whereas stent length might be associated with long-term clinical outcomes in the first-generation DESs.