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Introduction and Objectives: After ST-segment myocardial infarction (STEMI), the impact of different adverse events on prognosis remains unknown. We aimed to assess very long-term predictors of patient-oriented composite endpoints (POCE) and investigate whether the occurrence of target vessel failure (TVF) vs a non-TVF event as the first event could potentially influence subsequent outcomes., Methods: The EXAMINATION-EXTEND trial randomized STEMI patients to receive either an everolimus-eluting stent or a bare-metal stent. The follow-up period was 10 years. Predictors of POCE (a composite of all-cause death, any myocardial infarction, or any revascularization) were evaluated in the overall study population. The patients were stratified based on the type of first event (TVF-first vs non-TVF-first) and were compared in terms of subsequent POCE. TVF was defined as a composite of cardiac death, TV myocardial infarction, or TV revascularization., Results: Out of the 1498 enrolled patients, 529 (35.3%) experienced a POCE during the 10-year follow-up. Independent predictors of POCE were age, diabetes mellitus, previous myocardial infarction, peripheral arterial disease, and multivessel coronary disease. The first event was a TVF in 296 patients and was a non-TVF in 233 patients. No significant differences were observed between TVF-first and non-TVF-first patients in terms of subsequent POCE (21.7% vs 39.3%, time ratio 1.79; 95%CI, 0.87-3.67;P=.12) or its individual components., Conclusions: At the 10-year follow-up, approximately one-third of STEMI patients had experienced at least 1 POCE. Independent predictors of these events were age, diabetes, and more extensive atherosclerotic disease. The occurrence of a TVF or a non-TVF as the first event did not seem to influence subsequent outcomes., Trial Registration Number: NCT04462315., (Copyright © 2023 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction and Objectives: The vasomotor function of new-generation drug-eluting stents designed to enhance stent healing and reendothelialization is unknown. This study aimed to compare the endothelial function of the infarct-related artery (IRA) treated with bioactive circulating endothelial progenitor cell-capturing sirolimus-eluting stents (COMBO) vs polymer-free biolimus-eluting stents (BioFreedom) in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients at 6 months. Secondary objectives were to compare the microcirculatory function of the IRA and stent healing at 6 months., Methods: Sixty patients were randomized to bioactive sirolimus-eluting stent vs polymer-free biolimus-eluting stents implantation. At 6 months, patients underwent coronary angiography with vasomotor, microcirculatory and optical coherence tomography examinations. Endothelial dysfunction of the distal coronary segment was defined as ≥ 4% vasoconstriction to intracoronary acetylcholine infusion., Results: Endothelial dysfunction was similarly observed between groups (64.0% vs 62.5%, respectively; P=.913). Mean lumen diameter decreased by 16.0 ±20.2% vs 16.1 ±21.6% during acetylcholine infusion (P=.983). Microcirculatory function was similar in the 2 groups: coronary flow reserve was 3.23 ±1.77 vs 3.23±1.62 (P=.992) and the index of microcirculatory resistance was 24.8±16.8 vs 21.3±12.0 (P=.440). Optical coherence tomography findings were similar: uncovered struts (2.3% vs 3.2%; P=.466), malapposed struts (0.1% vs 0.3%; P=.519) and major evaginations (7.1% vs 5.6%; P=.708) were observed in few cases., Conclusions: Endothelial dysfunction of the IRA was frequent and was similarly observed with new-generation drug-eluting stents designed to enhance stent reendothelialization at 6 months. Endothelial dysfunction was observed despite almost preserved microcirculatory function and complete stent coverage. Larger and clinically powered studies are needed to assess the role of residual endothelial dysfunction in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients. Registered in ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04202172., (Copyright © 2021 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction and Objectives: Coronary lithoplasty (CL) is a balloon-based technique used to treat calcified lesions. This study reports the initial experience of treatment of calcified lesions with CL in an unselected and high-risk population., Methods: This was a prospective, multicenter registry, which included all consecutive cases with calcified coronary lesions that underwent CL between August, 2018 and August, 2019. Exclusion criteria consisted of a target lesion located in a small vessel (< 2.5mm) and the presence of dissection prior to CL. Quantitative coronary angiography and intravascular ultrasound/optical coherence tomography analysis were completed by an independent central core laboratory., Results: This registry included 57 patients (66 lesions). The population was elderly (72.6±9.4 years) with high proportions of patients with diabetes (56%), chronic kidney disease (35%), and multivessel disease (84%). All lesions were classified as type B/C. More than 75% of lesions were predilated with noncompliant/semicompliant balloons or cutting-balloon. Rotablator was used in 5 lesions (7.6%) prelithoplasty. On average, CL required 1.17 balloons delivering a mean of 60 pulses. Successful CL was achieved in 98%. In 13% of cases, lithoplasty balloon was broken during therapy. There were few procedural complications: 2 cases of significant dissections (none related to lithoplasty balloon rupture) were successfully treated with drug-eluting stent implantation. One patient experienced stent thrombosis 2 days after successfully undergoing target lesion revascularization., Conclusions: This is a real-world multicenter registry, which supports the feasibility, safety, and short-term efficacy of PCI for calcified coronary lesions using CL in an unselected and high-risk population with promising results., (Copyright © 2020 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction and Objectives: Recent animal studies have shown metformin (MF) to impair endothelialization of drug-eluting stents (DES). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of MF on the healing of DES in human coronary arteries of patients with diabetes mellitus by optical coherence tomography (OCT)., Methods: The RESERVOIR trial randomized 116 lesions in 112 patients with diabetes mellitus to amphilimus- or everolimus-eluting stents and included mandatory OCT at 9 months of follow-up. Patients were divided in 3 groups according to the glucose-lowering agents received: a) no MF; b) MF in noninsulin treated patients, and c) MF in insulin-treated patients. The primary safety endpoint was the rate of uncovered stents., Results: Seventeen patients with 19 lesions did not receive MF, whereas MF was administered to 53 noninsulin treated patients (54 lesions) and 28 insulin-treated patients (28 lesions). Baseline characteristics were comparable, although noninsulin treated patients who received MF had better glycemic control (P < .01). By OCT, rates of uncovered struts were comparable between groups (3.07±4.80% vs 2.23±4.73% vs 3.43±6.69%, respectively; P = .48). Multivariate models confirmed that MF had no effect on the healing of DES (OR, 1.49, 95%CI, 0.71-3.08; P = .29). Similarly, quantitative angiography showed no effect of MF on late lumen loss, whereas patients treated with exogenous insulin had greater late lumen loss (P = .02)., Conclusions: Metformin use does not impair endothelial healing of DES in patients with both insulin- and noninsulin-treated diabetes mellitus. According to these results, MF should not be discouraged in these patients., (Copyright © 2017 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction and Objectives: Stent thrombosis (ST) is a life-threatening complication after stent implantation. Intravascular ultrasound is able to discern most causes of ST. The aim of this study was to compare intravascular ultrasound findings between bare-metal stents (BMS) and drug-eluting stents (DES) in patients with late (31 days to 1 year) or very late ST (> 1 year)., Methods: Of 250 consecutive patients with late or very late ST in 7 Spanish institutions, 114 patients (45.5% BMS and 54.5% DES) were imaged with intravascular ultrasound. Off-line intravascular ultrasound analysis was performed to assess malapposition, underexpansion, and neoatherosclerosis., Results: The median time from stent implantation to ST was 4.0 years with BMS and 3.4 years with DES (P = .04). Isolated malapposition was similarly observed in both groups (36.5% vs 46.8%; P = .18) but was numerically lower with BMS (26.6% vs 48.0%; P = .07) in patients with very late ST. Isolated underexpansion was similarly observed in both groups (13.5% vs 11.3%; P = .47). Isolated neoatherosclerosis occurred only in patients with very late ST and was more prevalent with BMS (22.9%) than with DES (6.0%); P = .02. At 2.9 years' follow-up, there were 0% and 6.9% cardiac deaths, respectively (P = .06) and recurrent ST occurred in 4.0% and 5.2% of patients, respectively (P = .60)., Conclusions: Malapposition was the most common finding in patients with late and very late ST and is more prevalent with DES in very late ST. In contrast, neoatherosclerosis was exclusively observed in patients with very late ST and mainly with BMS., (Copyright © 2017 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)