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Aims: In standard time-to-first event analysis, early aspirin discontinuation followed by ticagrelor monotherapy has been shown to reduce bleeding without increasing ischemic complications compared with ticagrelor plus aspirin after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We evaluated whether these treatment effects are preserved when recurrent events are considered., Methods and Results: In this TWILIGHT trial post hoc analysis, we assessed the effects of ticagrelor monotherapy on the total number of events that occurred over the 12-month follow-up among 7 119 high-risk patients randomized to aspirin or placebo in addition to ticagrelor at 3 months post-PCI if event-free and adherent to treatment. There were 391 patients with at least one Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) type 2, 3, or 5 bleeding (primary endpoint). Of those, 28 (7.2%) had a recurrent event. The total number of BARC 2, 3, or 5 bleeding events were 148 in the ticagrelor monotherapy arm compared with 278 with ticagrelor plus aspirin arm (p < 0.001). Among 272 patients with at least one key secondary ischemic endpoint (all-cause death, myocardial infarction, or stroke), 37 (13.6%) sustained a recurrent event. Total ischemic events were similar (155 vs 159) in the two groups., Conclusions: Among selected high-risk patients who underwent PCI and completed 3 months of dual antiplatelet therapy followed by ticagrelor with or without aspirin, recurrent bleeding was less common than recurrent ischemic events over 12 months. Analysis of total events indicates that ticagrelor monotherapy continues to be more effective than ticagrelor plus aspirin in reducing bleeding without a signal of ischemic harm., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

The mean age of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) is steadily increasing. In older patients, there is a tendency to underutilize invasive approach, coronary revascularization, up-to-date pharmacological therapies, and secondary prevention strategies, including cardiac rehabilitation. Older adults with CAD commonly exhibit atypical symptoms, multi-vessel disease involvement, complex coronary anatomy, and a higher presence of risk factors and comorbidities. Although both invasive procedures and medical treatments are characterized by a higher risk of complications, avoidance may result in a suboptimal outcome. Often, overlooked factors, such as coronary microvascular disease, malnutrition, and poor physical performance, play a key role in determining prognosis, yet they are not routinely assessed or addressed in older patients. Historically, clinicians have relied on sub-analyses or observational findings to make clinical decisions, as older adults were frequently excluded or under-represented in clinical studies. Recently, dedicated evidence through randomized clinical trials has become available for older CAD patients. Nevertheless, the management of older CAD patients still raises several important questions. This review aims to comprehensively summarize and critically evaluate this emerging evidence, focusing on invasive management and coronary revascularization. Furthermore, it seeks to contextualize these interventions within the framework of improved risk stratification tools for older CAD patients, through user-friendly scales along with emphasizing the importance of promoting physical activity and exercise training to enhance the outcomes of invasive and medical treatments. This comprehensive approach may represent the key to improving prognosis in the complex and growing patient population of older CAD patients., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Older people less frequently receive invasive coronary angiography (ICA) for NSTEMI than younger patients. We describe care, ICA data, and in-hospital and 30-day outcomes of NSTEMI by age in a contemporary and geographically diverse cohort., Methods: Prospective cohort study including 2947 patients with NSTEMI from 287 centres in 59 countries, stratified by age (≥75 years, n = 761). Quality of care was evaluated based on 12 guideline-recommended care interventions, and data collected on ICA. Outcomes included in hospital acute heart failure, cardiogenic shock, repeat myocardial infarction, stroke/transient ischaemic attack, BARC Type ≥3 bleeding and death, as well as 30-day mortality., Results: Patients aged ≥75 years, compared with younger patients, at presentation had a higher prevalence of comorbidities and oral anticoagulation prescription (22.4% vs 7.6%, p < 0.001). Older patients less frequently received ICA than younger patients (78.6% vs 90.6%, p < 0.001) with the recorded reason more often being advanced age, comorbidities or frailty. Of those who underwent ICA, older patients more frequently demonstrated 3-vessel, 4-vessel and/or left main stem coronary artery disease compared to younger patients (49.7% vs 34.1%, p < 0.001) but less frequently received revascularisation (63.6% vs 76.9%, p < 0.001). Older patients experienced higher rates of in-hospital acute heart failure (15.0% vs 8.4%, p < 0.001) and bleeding (2.8% vs 1.3%, p = 0.006), as well as in-hospital and 30-day mortality (3.4% vs 1.3%, p < 0.001; 4.8% vs 1.7%, p < 0.001; respectively), than younger patients., Conclusions: Patients aged ≥75 years with NSTEMI, compared with younger patients, less frequently received ICA and guideline-recommended care, and had worse short-term outcomes., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background and Aims: A routine invasive strategy is recommended in the management of higher risk patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTE-ACSs). However, patients with previous coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery were excluded from key trials that informed these guidelines. Thus, the benefit of a routine invasive strategy is less certain in this specific subgroup., Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted. A comprehensive search was performed of PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, and ClinicalTrials.gov. Eligible studies were RCTs of routine invasive vs. a conservative or selective invasive strategy in patients presenting with NSTE-ACS that included patients with previous CABG. Summary data were collected from the authors of each trial if not previously published. Outcomes assessed were all-cause mortality, cardiac mortality, myocardial infarction, and cardiac-related hospitalization. Using a random-effects model, risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated., Results: Summary data were obtained from 11 RCTs, including previously unpublished subgroup outcomes of nine trials, comprising 897 patients with previous CABG (477 routine invasive, 420 conservative/selective invasive) followed up for a weighted mean of 2.0 (range 0.5-10) years. A routine invasive strategy did not reduce all-cause mortality (RR 1.12, 95% CI 0.97-1.29), cardiac mortality (RR 1.05, 95% CI 0.70-1.58), myocardial infarction (RR 0.90, 95% CI 0.65-1.23), or cardiac-related hospitalization (RR 1.05, 95% CI 0.78-1.40)., Conclusions: This is the first meta-analysis assessing the effect of a routine invasive strategy in patients with prior CABG who present with NSTE-ACS. The results confirm the under-representation of this patient group in RCTs of invasive management in NSTE-ACS and suggest that there is no benefit to a routine invasive strategy compared to a conservative approach with regard to major adverse cardiac events. These findings should be validated in an adequately powered RCT., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Background and Aims: Older patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTEACS) are less likely to receive guideline-recommended care including coronary angiography and revascularization. Evidence-based recommendations regarding interventional management strategies in this patient cohort are scarce. This meta-analysis aimed to assess the impact of routine invasive vs. conservative management of NSTEACS by using individual patient data (IPD) from all available randomized controlled trials (RCTs) including older patients., Methods: MEDLINE, Web of Science and Scopus were searched between 1 January 2010 and 11 September 2023. RCTs investigating routine invasive and conservative strategies in persons >70 years old with NSTEACS were included. Observational studies or trials involving populations outside the target range were excluded. The primary endpoint was a composite of all-cause mortality and myocardial infarction (MI) at 1 year. One-stage IPD meta-analyses were adopted by use of random-effects and fixed-effect Cox models. This meta-analysis is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023379819)., Results: Six eligible studies were identified including 1479 participants. The primary endpoint occurred in 181 of 736 (24.5%) participants in the invasive management group compared with 215 of 743 (28.9%) participants in the conservative management group with a hazard ratio (HR) from random-effects model of 0.87 (95% CI 0.63-1.22; P = .43). The hazard for MI at 1 year was significantly lower in the invasive group compared with the conservative group (HR from random-effects model 0.62, 95% CI 0.44-0.87; P = .006). Similar results were seen for urgent revascularization (HR from random-effects model 0.41, 95% CI 0.18-0.95; P = .037). There was no significant difference in mortality., Conclusions: No evidence was found that routine invasive treatment for NSTEACS in older patients reduces the risk of a composite of all-cause mortality and MI within 1 year compared with conservative management. However, there is convincing evidence that invasive treatment significantly lowers the risk of repeat MI or urgent revascularisation. Further evidence is needed from ongoing larger clinical trials., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Aims: Women have historically been disadvantaged in terms of care and outcomes for non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). We describe patterns of presentation, care, and outcomes for NSTEMI by sex in a contemporary and geographically diverse cohort., Methods and Results: Prospective cohort study including 2947 patients (907 women, 2040 men) with Type I NSTEMI from 287 centres in 59 countries, stratified by sex. Quality of care was evaluated based on 12 guideline-recommended care interventions. The all-or-none scoring composite performance measure was used to define receipt of optimal care. Outcomes included acute heart failure, cardiogenic shock, repeat myocardial infarction, stroke/transient ischaemic attack, BARC Type ≥3 bleeding, or death in-hospital, as well as 30-day mortality. Women admitted with NSTEMI were older, more comorbid, and more frequently categorized as at higher ischaemic (GRACE >140, 54.0% vs. 41.7%, P < 0.001) and bleeding (CRUSADE >40, 51.7% vs. 17.6%, P < 0.001) risk than men. Women less frequently received invasive coronary angiography (ICA; 83.0% vs. 89.5%, P < 0.001), smoking cessation advice (46.4% vs. 69.5%, P < 0.001), and P2Y12 inhibitor prescription at discharge (81.9% vs. 90.0%, P < 0.001). Non-receipt of ICA was more often due to frailty for women than men (16.7% vs. 7.8%, P = 0.010). At ICA, more women than men had non-obstructive coronary artery disease or angiographically normal arteries (15.8% vs. 6.3%, P < 0.001). Rates of in-hospital adverse outcomes and 30-day mortality were low and did not differ by sex., Conclusion: In contemporary practice, women presenting with NSTEMI, compared with men, less frequently receive antiplatelet prescription, smoking cessation advice, or are considered eligible for ICA., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: H.B., K.H., P.L., R.N., and V.K. report no conflict of interest. C.P.G. reports personal fees from AstraZeneca, Amgen, Bayer, Boehrinher-Ingelheim, Daiichi Sankyo, Vifor, Pharma, Menarini, Wondr Medical, Raisio Group, and Oxford University Press. He has received educational and research grants from BMS, Abbott Inc., the British Heart Foundation, National Institute of Health Research, Horizon 2020, and from the European Society of Cardiology, outside the submitted work. S.B. reports personal fees from Boston Scientific, Insight, Lifetech, iVascular, and Abbott Vascular. D.M. reports personal fees from Abbott, Boston Scientific, Biosensors and Terumo. He has participated on Data Safety Monitoring Boards or Advisory Boards for Abbott and Boston Scientific. A.B. reports personal and institutional investigator fees from AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb/Pfizer, sanofi-aventis, Novartis, Amgen, Novo Nordisk, and Bayer. He reports personal fees from AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb/Pfizer, sanofi-aventis, Novartis, and Bayer. He has participated in Data Safety Monitoring Boards or Advisory Boards for AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb/Pfizer, sanofi-aventis, and Bayer. He has received support for attending meetings by Astra Zeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb/Pfizer, sanofi-aventis, and Bayer. S.L. reports personal fees from ICON, Chiesi, AstraZeneca, Daiichi Sankyo, Bayer, Bristol Myers Squibb/Pfizer, and Novo Nordisk. M.L. reports speaker fees from Bristol Myers Squibb/Pfizer, Boehrinher-Ingelheim, Novartis and sanofi, and manuscript writing fees from Edwards Lifesciences. She has also participated as an advisory board member for sanofi, Bristol Myers Squibb/Pfizer, and Boehrinher-Ingelheim. Y.A. reports a research grant from the Dutch Heart Foundation. Signed COIs available for all authors., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background and Aims: To develop a suite of quality indicators (QIs) for the evaluation of the care and outcomes for adults undergoing transcatheter aortic valve intervention (TAVI)., Methods: We followed the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) methodology for the development of QIs. Key domains were identified by constructing a conceptual framework for the delivery of TAVI care. A list of candidate QIs were developed by conducting a systematic review of the literature. A modified Delphi method was then used to select the final set of QIs. Finally, we mapped the QIs to the EuroHeart Data Standards for TAVI to ascertain the extent to which the EuroHeart TAVI registry captures information to calculate the QIs., Results: We formed an international group of experts in quality improvement and TAVI, including representatives from the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions, the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging and the Association of Cardiovascular Nursing & Allied Professions. In total, 27 QIs were selected across eight domains of TAVI care, comprising 22 main (81%) and five secondary (19%) QIs. Of these, 19/27 (70%) are now being utilised in the EuroHeart TAVI registry., Conclusion: We present the 2023 ESC QIs for TAVI, developed using a standard methodology and in collaboration with ESC Associations. The EuroHeart TAVI registry allows calculation of the majority of the QIs, which may be used for benchmarking care and quality improvement initiatives., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Aim: Diabetes mellitus (diabetes) is common amongst patients with NSTEMI. We describe presentation, care and outcomes of patients admitted with NSTEMI by diabetes status., Methods: Prospective cohort study including 2928 patients (1104 with prior diabetes, 1824 without) admitted to hospital with NSTEMI from 287 centres in 59 countries. Quality of care was evaluated based on 12 guideline-recommended care interventions. Outcomes included in-hospital acute heart failure, cardiogenic shock, repeat myocardial infarction, stroke/transient ischaemic attack (TIA), BARC Type ≥ 3 bleeding and death, as well as 30-day mortality., Results: Patients with diabetes had higher comorbidity burden and more frequently presented with Killip Class II-IV heart failure (10.2% vs 3.7%, P < 0.001), haemodynamic instability (7.1% vs 3.7%, P < 0.001) and ongoing chest pain (43.1% vs 37.0%, P < 0.001), than those without diabetes. Overall, care quality received was similar by diabetes status (60.0% vs 60.5% received ≥ 80% of eligible care interventions, P = 0.786), but patients with diabetes experienced higher rates of in-hospital acute heart failure (15.3% vs 6.8% P < 0.001), cardiogenic shock (4.5% vs 2.5%, P = 0.002), stroke/TIA (2.0% vs 0.8%, P = 0.006) and death (2.5% vs 1.4%, P = 0.022), and higher 30-day mortality (3.3% vs 2.0%, P = 0.025). Of NSTEMI with diabetes, only 1.9% and 9.0% received prescription for GLP-1 RAs and SGLT2 inhibitors, respectively, on discharge, and only 45.9% were referred for cardiac rehabilitation., Conclusion: NSTEMI patients with diabetes, compared to those without, present more clinically unwell and have worse outcomes despite receiving equal quality of care. Prescription of cardiovascular-protective glycaemic agents is an actionable target to reduce risk of further events., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Background: The majority of NSTEMI burden resides outside high-income countries (HICs). We describe presentation, care, and outcomes of NSTEMI by country income classification., Methods and Results: Prospective cohort study including 2947 patients with NSTEMI from 287 centres in 59 countries, stratified by World Bank country income classification. Quality of care was evaluated based on 12 guideline-recommended care interventions. The all-or-none scoring composite performance measure was used to define receipt of optimal care. Outcomes included in-hospital acute heart failure, stroke/transient ischaemic attack, and death, and 30-day mortality. Patients admitted with NSTEMI in low to lower-middle-income countries (LLMICs), compared with patients in HICs, were younger, more commonly diabetic, and current smokers, but with a lower burden of other comorbidities, and 76.7% met very high risk criteria for an immediate invasive strategy. Invasive coronary angiography use increased with ascending income classification (LLMICs, 79.2%; upper middle income countries [UMICs], 83.7%; HICs, 91.0%), but overall care quality did not (≥80% of eligible interventions achieved: LLMICS, 64.8%; UMICs 69.6%; HICs 55.1%). Rates of acute heart failure (LLMICS, 21.3%; UMICs, 12.1%; HICs, 6.8%; P < 0.001), stroke/transient ischaemic attack (LLMICS: 2.5%; UMICs: 1.5%; HICs: 0.9%; P = 0.04), in-hospital mortality (LLMICS, 3.6%; UMICs: 2.8%; HICs: 1.0%; P < 0.001) and 30-day mortality (LLMICs, 4.9%; UMICs, 3.9%; HICs, 1.5%; P < 0.001) exhibited an inverse economic gradient., Conclusion: Patients with NSTEMI in LLMICs present with fewer comorbidities but a more advanced stage of acute disease, and have worse outcomes compared with HICs. A cardiovascular health narrative is needed to address this inequity across economic boundaries., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Multiple guidelines and consensus papers have addressed the role of antithrombotic strategies in patients with established coronary artery disease (CAD). Since evidence and terminology continue to evolve, the authors undertook a consensus initiative to guide clinicians to select the optimal antithrombotic regimen for each patient. The aim of this document is to provide an update for clinicians on best antithrombotic strategies in patients with established CAD, classifying each treatment option in relation to the number of antithrombotic drugs irrespective of whether the traditional mechanism of action is expected to mainly inhibit platelets or coagulation cascade. With the aim to reach comprehensiveness of available evidence, we systematically reviewed and performed meta-analyses by means of both direct and indirect comparisons to inform the present consensus document., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of ticagrelor monotherapy among high-risk patients with anaemia undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)., Methods and Results: In the TWILIGHT (Ticagrelor with Aspirin or Alone in High-Risk Patients after Coronary Intervention) trial, after 3 months of ticagrelor plus aspirin, high-risk patients were maintained on ticagrelor and randomized to aspirin or placebo for 1 year. Anaemia was defined as haemoglobin <13 g/dL for men and <12 g/dL for women. The primary endpoint was Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) 2, 3, or 5 bleeding. The key secondary endpoint was a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, or stroke.Out of 6828 patients, 1329 (19.5%) had anaemia and were more likely to have comorbidities, multivessel disease, and to experience bleeding or ischaemic complications than non-anaemic patients. Among anaemic patients, BARC 2, 3, or 5 bleeding occurred less frequently with ticagrelor monotherapy than with ticagrelor plus aspirin [6.4% vs. 10.7%; hazard ratio (HR) 0.60; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.41-0.88; P = 0.009]; the rate of the key secondary endpoint was similar in the two arms (5.2% vs. 4.8%; HR 1.07; 95% CI 0.66-1.74; P = 0.779). These effects were consistent in patients without anaemia (interaction P values 0.671 and 0.835, respectively)., Conclusion: In high-risk patients undergoing PCI, ticagrelor monotherapy after 3 months of ticagrelor-based dual antiplatelet therapy was associated with a reduced risk of clinically relevant bleeding without any increase in ischaemic events irrespective of anaemia status (TWILIGHT: NCT02270242)., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Despite the increasing proportion of female medical and nursing students, there is still a significant under-representation of women working as healthcare providers in interventional cardiology, with very few of them reaching senior leadership, academic positions, or acting principal investigators, as well as actively involved in company advisory boards. In this position paper, we will describe the current status of women working in interventional cardiology across Europe. We will also provide an overview of the most relevant determinants of the under-representation of women at each stage of the interventional cardiology career path and offer practical suggestions for overcoming these challenges., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest Dr Buchanan declares travel support from Menarini. Dr Paradies declares consulting, advisory board and speaker fees from Abbott and Boston Scientific and research grant to the institution from Abbott. Dr Karam declares consulting, speaker and advisoryboard fees from Abbott, Medtronic and Edwards. Dr Holmvang declares speaker fees from Bayer. Dr Morice declares to be CEO andshare holder of CERC, a CRO not involved in the publication, and to be minor shareholder of ELECRODUCER. Dr Manzo-Silberman declares consulting and speaker fees for Bayer, Organon, Exeltis, Biotronik, Organon and BMS. Dr Petronio declares consulting and speaker fees from Boston and Abbott and from Medtronic to the Institution. Dr Mauri declares to be share holder of CERC, a CRO notinvolved in the publication. Dr Mehilli declares speaker fees from Daiichi Sankyo, Biotronik, Astra Zeneca, BMS and SIS Medical. Dr Barbato declares speaker's fees and travel grants from the following companies: BSCI, Abbott, Insight Lifetech, MicroPort. Dr Chieffo declares speaker/consulting fees from Abiomed, Boston Scientific, Biosensor, Menarini, Medtronic and Shock Wave Medical. The other authors declare no conflict of interest related to this article., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Aims: To appraise all available antithrombotic treatments within or after 12 months following coronary revascularization and/or acute coronary syndrome in two network meta-analyses., Methods and Results: Forty-three (N = 189 261 patients) trials within 12 months and 19 (N = 139 086 patients) trials beyond 12 months were included for efficacy/safety endpoints appraisal. Within 12 months, ticagrelor 90 mg bis in die (b.i.d.) [hazard ratio (HR), 0.66; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.49-0.88], aspirin and ticagrelor 90 mg (HR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.76-0.95), or aspirin, clopidogrel and rivaroxaban 2.5 mg b.i.d. (HR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.51-0.86) were the only treatments associated with lower cardiovascular mortality, compared with aspirin and clopidogrel, without or with greater bleeding risk for the first and the other treatment options, respectively. Beyond 12 months, no strategy lowered mortality; compared with aspirin; the greatest reductions of myocardial infarction (MI) were found with aspirin and clopidogrel (HR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.55-0.85) or P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy (HR, 0.76; 95% CI: 0.61-0.95), especially ticagrelor 90 mg (HR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.32-0.92), and of stroke with VKA (HR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.44-0.76) or aspirin and rivaroxaban 2.5 mg (HR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.44-0.76). All treatments increased bleeding except P2Y12 monotherapy, compared with aspirin., Conclusion: Within 12 months, ticagrelor 90 mg monotherapy was the only treatment associated with lower mortality, without bleeding risk trade-off compared with aspirin and clopidogrel. Beyond 12 months, P2Y12 monotherapy, especially ticagrelor 90 mg, was associated with lower MI without bleeding trade-off; aspirin and rivaroxaban 2.5 mg most effectively reduced stroke, with a more acceptable bleeding risk than VKA, compared with aspirin.Registration URL: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/; Unique identifiers: CRD42021243985 and CRD42021252398., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Aims: The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) EURObservational Research Programme (EORP) Non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) Registry aims to identify international patterns in NSTEMI management in clinical practice and outcomes against the 2015 ESC Guidelines for the management of acute coronary syndromes in patients presenting without ST-segment-elevation., Methods and Results: Consecutively hospitalised adult NSTEMI patients (n = 3620) were enrolled between 11 March 2019 and 6 March 2021, and individual patient data prospectively collected at 287 centres in 59 participating countries during a two-week enrolment period per centre. The registry collected data relating to baseline characteristics, major outcomes (in-hospital death, acute heart failure, cardiogenic shock, bleeding, stroke/transient ischaemic attack, and 30-day mortality) and guideline-recommended NSTEMI care interventions: electrocardiogram pre- or in-hospital, pre-hospitalization receipt of aspirin, echocardiography, coronary angiography, referral to cardiac rehabilitation, smoking cessation advice, dietary advice, and prescription on discharge of aspirin, P2Y12 inhibition, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi)/angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB), beta-blocker, and statin., Conclusion: The EORP NSTEMI Registry is an international, prospective registry of care and outcomes of patients treated for NSTEMI, which will provide unique insights into the contemporary management of hospitalised NSTEMI patients, compliance with ESC 2015 NSTEMI Guidelines, and identify potential barriers to optimal management of this common clinical presentation associated with significant morbidity and mortality., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Aims: We aimed to evaluate the treatment effects of ticagrelor monotherapy in the very high risk cohort of patients with concomitant diabetes mellitus (DM) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)., Methods and Results: In the TWILIGHT (Ticagrelor with Aspirin or Alone in High-Risk Patients after Coronary Intervention) trial, after 3-month dual antiplatelet therapy with ticagrelor and aspirin post-PCI, event-free patients were randomized to either aspirin or placebo in addition to ticagrelor for 12 months. Those with available information on DM and CKD status were included in this subanalysis and were stratified by the presence or absence of either condition: 3391 (54.1%) had neither DM nor CKD (DM-/CKD-), 1822 (29.0%) had DM only (DM+/CKD-), 561 (8.9%) had CKD only (DM-/CKD+), and 8.0% had both DM and CKD (DM+/CKD+). The incidence of the primary endpoint of Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) type 2, 3, or 5 bleeding did not differ according to DM/CKD status (P-trend = 0.13), but there was a significant increase in BARC 3 or 5 bleeding (P-trend &lt; 0.001) as well as the key secondary endpoint of death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (P-trend &lt; 0.001). Ticagrelor plus placebo reduced bleeding events compared with ticagrelor plus aspirin across all four groups, including DM+/CKD+ patients with respect to BARC 2-5 [4.5% vs. 8.7%; hazard ratio (HR) 0.49, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.24-1.01] as well as BARC 3-5 (0.8% vs. 5.3%; HR 0.15, 95% CI 0.03-0.53) bleeding, with no evidence of heterogeneity. The risk of death, myocardial infarction, or stroke was similar between treatment arms across all groups., Conclusion: Irrespective of the presence of DM, CKD, and their combination, ticagrelor monotherapy reduced the risk of bleeding without a significant increase in ischaemic events compared with ticagrelor plus aspirin., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Aims: Restoration of myocardial blood flow and perfusion during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) measured using Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow grade (TFG) and perfusion grade (TMPG) is associated with improved outcomes in acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Associations between TFG/TMPG and changes in biomarkers reflecting myocardial damage/dysfunction and inflammation is unknown., Methods and Results: Among 2606 patients included, TFG was evaluated in 2198 and TMPG in 1874 with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) or non-ST-segment ACS (NSTE-ACS). Biomarkers reflecting myocardial necrosis [troponin T (TnT)], myocardial dysfunction [N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP)], inflammation [interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP)], and oxidative stress/ageing/inflammation [growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15)] were measured at baseline, discharge, and 1- and 6-month post-randomization. Associations between TFG/TMPG and changes in biomarker levels were evaluated using the Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon signed test. In total, 1423 (54.6%) patients had STEMI and 1183 (45.4%) NSTE-ACS. Complete reperfusion after PCI with TFG = 3 was achieved in 1110 (85.3%) with STEMI and in 793 (88.5%) with NSTE-ACS. Normal myocardial perfusion with TMPG = 3 was achieved in 475 (41.6%) with STEMI and in 396 (54.0%) with NSTE-ACS. Levels of TnT, NT-proBNP, IL-6, CRP, and GDF-15 were substantially lower at discharge in patients with complete vs. incomplete TFG and STEMI (P < 0.01). This pattern was not observed for patients with NSTE-ACS. Patients with normal vs. abnormal TMPG and NSTE-ACS had lower levels of NT-proBNP at discharge (P = 0.01)., Conclusions: Successful restoration of epicardial blood flow in STEMI was associated with less myocardial necrosis/dysfunction and inflammation. Attainment of normal myocardial perfusion was associated with less myocardial dysfunction in NSTE-ACS., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of chronic kidney disease (CKD) on the safety and efficacy of ticagrelor monotherapy among patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)., Methods and Results: In this prespecified subanalysis of the TWILIGHT trial, we evaluated the treatment effects of ticagrelor with or without aspirin according to renal function. The trial enrolled patients undergoing drug-eluting stent implantation who fulfilled at least one clinical and one angiographic high-risk criterion. Chronic kidney disease, defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 mL/min/1.73 m2, was a clinical study entry criterion. Following a 3-month period of ticagrelor plus aspirin, event-free patients were randomly assigned to aspirin or placebo on top of ticagrelor for an additional 12 months. Of the 6835 patients randomized and with available eGFR at baseline, 1111 (16.3%) had CKD. Ticagrelor plus placebo reduced the primary endpoint of Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) type 2, 3, or 5 bleeding as compared with ticagrelor plus aspirin in both patients with [4.6% vs. 9.0%; hazard ratio (HR) 0.50, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.31-0.80] and without (4.0% vs. 6.7%; HR 0.59, 95% CI 0.47-0.75; Pinteraction = 0.508) CKD, but the absolute risk reduction was greater in the former group. Rates of death, myocardial infarction, or stroke were not significantly different between the two randomized groups irrespective of the presence (7.9% vs. 5.7%; HR 1.40, 95% CI 0.88-2.22) or absence of (3.2% vs. 3.6%; HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.68-1.20; Pinteraction = 0.111) CKD., Conclusion: Among CKD patients undergoing PCI, ticagrelor monotherapy reduced the risk of bleeding without a significant increase in ischaemic events as compared with ticagrelor plus aspirin., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author(s) 2021. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Aims: Patients at high bleeding risk (HBR) represent a prevalent subgroup among those undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Early aspirin discontinuation after a short course of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) has emerged as a bleeding avoidance strategy. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of ticagrelor monotherapy after 3-month DAPT in a contemporary HBR population., Methods and Results: This prespecified analysis of the TWILIGHT trial evaluated the treatment effects of early aspirin withdrawal followed by ticagrelor monotherapy in HBR patients undergoing PCI with drug-eluting stents. After 3 months of ticagrelor plus aspirin, event-free patients were randomized to 12 months of aspirin or placebo in addition to ticagrelor. A total of 1064 (17.2%) met the Academic Research Consortium definition for HBR. Ticagrelor monotherapy reduced the incidence of the primary endpoint of Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) 2, 3, or 5 bleeding compared with ticagrelor plus aspirin in HBR (6.3% vs. 11.4%; hazard ratio (HR) 0.53, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.35-0.82) and non-HBR patients (3.5% vs. 5.9%; HR 0.59, 95% CI 0.46-0.77) with similar relative (Pinteraction = 0.67) but a trend towards greater absolute risk reduction in the former [-5.1% vs. -2.3%; difference in absolute risk differences (ARDs) -2.8%, 95% CI -6.4% to 0.8%, P = 0.130]. A similar pattern was observed for more severe BARC 3 or 5 bleeding with a larger absolute risk reduction in HBR patients (-3.5% vs. -0.5%; difference in ARDs -3.0%, 95% CI -5.2% to -0.8%, P = 0.008). There was no significant difference in the key secondary endpoint of death, myocardial infarction, or stroke between treatment arms, irrespective of HBR status., Conclusions: Among HBR patients undergoing PCI who completed 3-month DAPT without experiencing major adverse events, aspirin discontinuation followed by ticagrelor monotherapy significantly reduced bleeding without increasing ischaemic events, compared with ticagrelor plus aspirin. The absolute risk reduction in major bleeding was larger in HBR than non-HBR patients., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author(s) 2021. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

A substantial number of chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) experience periprocedural myocardial injury or infarction. Accurate diagnosis of these PCI-related complications is required to guide further management given that their occurrence may be associated with increased risk of major adverse cardiac events (MACE). Due to lack of scientific data, the cut-off thresholds of post-PCI cardiac troponin (cTn) elevation used for defining periprocedural myocardial injury and infarction, have been selected based on expert consensus opinions, and their prognostic relevance remains unclear. In this Consensus Document from the ESC Working Group on Cellular Biology of the Heart and European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI), we recommend, whenever possible, the measurement of baseline (pre-PCI) cTn and post-PCI cTn values in all CCS patients undergoing PCI. We confirm the prognostic relevance of the post-PCI cTn elevation >5× 99th percentile URL threshold used to define type 4a myocardial infarction (MI). In the absence of periprocedural angiographic flow-limiting complications or electrocardiogram (ECG) and imaging evidence of new myocardial ischaemia, we propose the same post-PCI cTn cut-off threshold (>5× 99th percentile URL) be used to define prognostically relevant 'major' periprocedural myocardial injury. As both type 4a MI and major periprocedural myocardial injury are strong independent predictors of all-cause mortality at 1 year post-PCI, they may be used as quality metrics and surrogate endpoints for clinical trials. Further research is needed to evaluate treatment strategies for reducing the risk of major periprocedural myocardial injury, type 4a MI, and MACE in CCS patients undergoing PCI., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author(s) 2021. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

There has been a significant increase in the use of short-term percutaneous ventricular assist devices (pVADs) as acute circulatory support in cardiogenic shock and to provide haemodynamic support during interventional procedures, including high-risk percutaneous coronary interventions. Although frequently considered together, pVADs differ in their haemodynamic effects, management, indications, insertion techniques, and monitoring requirements. This consensus document summarizes the views of an expert panel by the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI) and the Association for Acute Cardiovascular Care (ACVC) and appraises the value of short-term pVAD. It reviews the pathophysiological context and possible indications for pVAD in different clinical settings and provides guidance regarding the management of pVAD based on existing evidence and best current practice., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author(s) 2021. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is implicated in the pathogenesis of a number of medical conditions but to date only one official position paper related to left circulation thromboembolism has been published. This interdisciplinary paper, prepared with the involvement of eight European scientific societies, reviews the available evidence and proposes a rationale for decision making for other PFO-related clinical conditions. In order to guarantee a strict evidence-based process, we used a modified grading of recommendations, assessment, development, and evaluation (GRADE) methodology. A critical qualitative and quantitative evaluation of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures was performed, including assessment of the risk/benefit ratio. The level of evidence and the strength of the position statements were weighed and graded according to predefined scales. Despite being based on limited and observational or low-certainty randomised data, a number of position statements were made to frame PFO management in different clinical settings, along with suggestions for new research avenues. This interdisciplinary position paper, recognising the low or very low certainty of existing evidence, provides the first approach to several PFO-related clinical scenarios beyond left circulation thromboembolism and strongly stresses the need for fresh high-quality evidence on these topics., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author(s) 2021. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Women undergo important changes in sex hormones throughout their lifetime that can impact cardiovascular disease risk. Whereas the traditional cardiovascular risk factors dominate in older age, there are several female-specific risk factors and inflammatory risk variables that influence a woman's risk at younger and middle age. Hypertensive pregnancy disorders and gestational diabetes are associated with a higher risk in younger women. Menopause transition has an additional adverse effect to ageing that may demand specific attention to ensure optimal cardiovascular risk profile and quality of life. In this position paper, we provide an update of gynaecological and obstetric conditions that interact with cardiovascular risk in women. Practice points for clinical use are given according to the latest standards from various related disciplines (Figure 1)., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of ticagrelor monotherapy on clinically relevant bleeding and major ischaemic events in relation to clinical presentation with and without non-ST elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTE-ACS) among patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents (DES)., Methods and Results: We conducted a pre-specified subgroup analysis of The Ticagrelor With Aspirin or Alone in High Risk Patients After Coronary Intervention (TWILIGHT) trial, which enrolled 9006 patients with high-risk features undergoing PCI with DES. After 3 months of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with ticagrelor plus aspirin, 7119 adherent and event-free patients were randomized in a double-blind manner to ticagrelor plus placebo versus ticagrelor plus aspirin for 12 months. The primary outcome was Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) type 2, 3, or 5 bleeding while the composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), or stroke was the key secondary outcome. Among patients with NSTE-ACS (n = 4614), ticagrelor monotherapy reduced BARC 2, 3, or 5 bleeding by 53% [3.6% vs. 7.6%; hazard ratio (HR) 0.47; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.36-0.61; P < 0.001) and in stable patients (n = 2503) by 24% (4.8% vs. 6.2%; HR 0.76; 95% CI 0.54-1.06; P = 0.11; nominal Pint = 0.03). Rates of all-cause death, MI, or stroke among those with (4.3% vs. 4.4%; HR 0.97; 95% CI 0.74-1.28; P = 0.84) and without (3.1% vs. 3.2%; HR 0.96; 95% CI 0.61-1.49; P = 0.85) NSTE-ACS were similar between treatment arms irrespective of clinical presentation (Pint = 0.96)., Conclusion: Among patients with or without NSTE-ACS who have completed an initial 3-month course of DAPT following PCI with DES, ticagrelor monotherapy reduced clinically meaningful bleeding events without increasing ischaemic risk as compared with ticagrelor plus aspirin. The benefits of ticagrelor monotherapy with respect to bleeding events were more pronounced in patients with NSTE-ACS., Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT02270242., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author(s) 2020. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

This consensus document, a summary of the views of an expert panel organized by the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI), appraises the importance of ischaemia with non-obstructive coronary arteries (INOCA). Angina pectoris affects approximately 112 million people globally. Up to 70% of patients undergoing invasive angiography do not have obstructive coronary artery disease, more common in women than in men, and a large proportion have INOCA as a cause of their symptoms. INOCA patients present with a wide spectrum of symptoms and signs that are often misdiagnosed as non-cardiac leading to under-diagnosis/investigation and under-treatment. INOCA can result from heterogeneous mechanism including coronary vasospasm and microvascular dysfunction and is not a benign condition. Compared to asymptomatic individuals, INOCA is associated with increased incidence of cardiovascular events, repeated hospital admissions, as well as impaired quality of life and associated increased health care costs. This consensus document provides a definition of INOCA and guidance to the community on the diagnostic approach and management of INOCA based on existing evidence from research and best available clinical practice; noting gaps in knowledge and potential areas for further investigation., (The article has been co-published with permission in the European Heart Journal and EuroIntervention. All rights reserved. © 2020 the Author(s). These articles are identical except for minor stylistic and spelling differences in keeping with each journal's style. Either citation can be used when citing this article.)

Aims: To study the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of selatogrel, a novel P2Y12 receptor antagonist for subcutaneous administration, in patients with chronic coronary syndromes (CCS)., Methods and Results: In this double-blind, randomized study of 345 patients with CCS on background oral antiplatelet therapy, subcutaneous selatogrel (8 mg, n = 114; or 16 mg, n = 115) was compared with placebo (n = 116) (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03384966). Platelet aggregation was assessed over 24 h (VerifyNow assay) and 8 h (light transmittance aggregometry; LTA). Pharmacodynamic responders were defined as patients having P2Y12 reaction units (PRU) <100 at 30 min post-dose and lasting ≥3 h. At 30 min post-dose, 89% of patients were responders to selatogrel 8 mg, 90% to selatogrel 16 mg, and 16% to placebo (P < 0.0001). PRU values (mean ± standard deviation) were 10 ± 25 (8 mg), 4 ± 10 (16 mg), and 163 ± 73 (placebo) at 15 min and remained <100 up to 8 h for both doses, returning to pre-dose or near pre-dose levels by 24 h post-dose. LTA data showed similarly rapid and potent inhibition of platelet aggregation. Selatogrel plasma concentrations peaked ∼30 min post-dose. Selatogrel was safe and well-tolerated with transient dyspnoea occurring overall in 7% (16/229) of patients (95% confidence interval: 4-11%)., Conclusions: Selatogrel was rapidly absorbed following subcutaneous administration in CCS patients, providing prompt, potent, and consistent platelet P2Y12 inhibition sustained for ≥8 h and reversible within 24 h. Further studies of subcutaneous selatogrel are warranted in clinical scenarios where rapid platelet inhibition is desirable., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Despite major therapeutic advances over the last decades, complex supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias (VAs), particularly in the emergency setting or during revascularization for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), remain an important clinical problem. Although the incidence of VAs has declined in the hospital phase of acute coronary syndromes (ACS), mainly due to prompt revascularization and optimal medical therapy, still up to 6% patients with ACS develop ventricular tachycardia and/or ventricular fibrillation within the first hours of ACS symptoms. Despite sustained VAs being perceived predictors of worse in-hospital outcomes, specific associations between the type of VAs, arrhythmia timing, applied treatment strategies and long-term prognosis in AMI are vague. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common supraventricular tachyarrhythmia that may be asymptomatic and/or may be associated with rapid haemodynamic deterioration requiring immediate treatment. It is estimated that over 20% AMI patients may have a history of AF, whereas the new-onset arrhythmia may occur in 5% patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction. Importantly, patients who were treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention for AMI and developed AF have higher rates of adverse events and mortality compared with subjects free of arrhythmia. The scope of this position document is to cover the clinical implications and pharmacological/non-pharmacological management of arrhythmias in emergency presentations and during revascularization. Current evidence for clinical relevance of specific types of VAs complicating AMI in relation to arrhythmia timing has been discussed., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author(s) 2019. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

This consensus document is the second of two reports summarizing the views of an expert panel organized by the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI) on the clinical use of intracoronary imaging including intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), optical coherence tomography (OCT), and near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)-IVUS. Beyond guidance of stent selection and optimization of deployment, invasive imaging facilitates angiographic interpretation and may guide treatment in acute coronary syndrome. Intravascular imaging can provide additional important diagnostic information when confronted with angiographically ambiguous lesions and allows assessment of plaque morphology enabling identification of vulnerability characteristics. This second document focuses on useful imaging features to identify culprit and vulnerable coronary plaque, which offers the interventional cardiologist guidance on when to adopt an intracoronary imaging-guided approach to the treatment of coronary artery disease and provides an appraisal of intravascular imaging-derived metrics to define the haemodynamic significance of coronary lesions., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author(s) 2019. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Coronary heart disease is the most common cause of death worldwide. In the United Kingdom in 2010, over 80,000 deaths were attributed to coronary heart disease, and one in 10 female deaths were due to coronary heart disease. Acute coronary syndrome, a subset of coronary heart disease, was responsible for 175,000 inpatient admissions in the United Kingdom in 2012. While men have traditionally been considered to be at higher risk of acute coronary syndrome, various studies have demonstrated that women often suffer from poorer outcomes following an adverse cardiovascular event. This gap is gradually narrowing with the introduction of advanced interventional strategies and pharmacotherapy. However, a better understanding of these differences is of crucial importance for the improvement of the pharmacological and interventional management of acute coronary syndrome and for the development of possible new gender-specific diagnostic and therapeutic options. The goals of this review are to evaluate gender differences in outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome in the current era and identify potential mechanisms behind these differences in outcomes following percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: Microvascular obstruction (MVO) following primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) treatment of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) contributes to infarct expansion, left ventricular (LV) remodelling, and worse clinical outcomes. The REFLO-STEMI trial tested whether intra-coronary (IC) high-dose adenosine or sodium nitroprusside (SNP) reduce infarct size and/or MVO determined by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR)., Methods and Results: REFLO-STEMI, a prospective, open-label, multi-centre trial with blinded endpoints, randomized (1:1:1) 247 STEMI patients with single vessel disease presenting within 6 h of symptom onset to IC adenosine (2-3 mg total) or SNP (500 μg total) immediately following thrombectomy and again following stenting, or to standard PPCI. The primary endpoint was infarct size % LV mass (%LVM) on CMR undertaken 24-96 h after PPCI (n = 197). Clinical follow-up was to 6 months. There was no significant difference in infarct size (%LVM, median, interquartile range, IQR) between adenosine (10.1, 4.7-16.2), SNP (10.0, 4.2-15.8), and control (8.3, 1.9-14.0), P = 0.062 and P = 0.160, respectively, vs., Control: MVO (% LVM, median, IQR) was similar across groups (1.0, 0.0-3.7, P = 0.205 and 0.6, 0.0-2.4, P = 0.244 for adenosine and SNP, respectively, vs. control 0.3, 0.0-2.8). On per-protocol analysis, infarct size (%LV mass, 12.0 vs. 8.3, P = 0.031), major adverse cardiac events (hazard ratio, HR, 5.39 [1.18-24.60], P = 0.04) at 30 days and 6 months (HR 6.53 [1.46-29.2], P = 0.01) were increased and ejection fraction reduced (42.5 ± 7.2% vs. 45.7 ± 8.0%, P = 0.027) in adenosine-treated patients compared with control., Conclusions: High-dose IC adenosine and SNP during PPCI did not reduce infarct size or MVO measured by CMR. Furthermore, adenosine may adversely affect mid-term clinical outcome., Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01747174; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01747174., (© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

The prevalence of obesity is increasing at an epidemic rate globally with more than 1 billion adults overweight and at least 300 million of them clinically obese. This is expected to rise further in the next 20 to 30 years. Obesity is known to be an independent risk factor for serious health conditions, including hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Given the association of obesity with cardiovascular disease, it could be speculated that obese individuals would have adverse outcomes after a cardiovascular event compared to those with normal body mass index (BMI). However, various studies have reported a paradoxical U-shaped relationship between obesity and mortality from various diseases, including myocardial infarction and heart failure, suggesting that patients with higher BMI have similar or lower short- and long-term mortality rates. This phenomenon has been termed the 'obesity paradox' or 'reverse epidemiology'. The goal of this review is to evaluate the potential mechanisms behind the obesity paradox and its implications., (© The European Society of Cardiology 2014.)

Background: The mortality rate among patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) in the setting of cardiac arrest (CA) and whether the location where the patient sustains CA influences the outcome is not known in the contemporary era., Methods: Prospectively collected data at a tertiary cardiac centre on all patients undergoing PPCI for ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in the setting of CA was analysed., Results: In total, 484/4118 (11.8%) patients sustained CA during the study period. Of these, 91/484 (18.8%) sustained CA prior to ambulance arrival, the remainder occurred either after ambulance arrival or in hospital. The overall in-hospital mortality was 20.5% in this cohort. Those sustaining CA before ambulance arrival experienced the highest unadjusted mortality compared to those that had CA after ambulance arrival, in hospital and in the catheterisation laboratory (29.7% versus 12.0%, 16.1% and 23.8% respectively, p=0.03). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the following parameters are independent predictors of in-hospital mortality: age (odds ratio (OR) for each year increment of age 1.05; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-1.08, p=0.0009); female gender (OR 2.42; 95% CI 1.17-4.99, p=0.0173); previous PCI (OR 7.59; 95% CI 1.72-33.53, p=0.0075); asystole/ electromechanical dissociation (EMD) (OR 13.43; 95% CI 5.34-33.80, p<0.0001); and patient location at arrest (OR 5.77 for before ambulance arrival; 95% CI 2.55-13.07, p<0.0001)., Conclusions: In conclusion, in-hospital mortality remains high among patients undergoing PPCI in the context of CA, particularly among those that arrest prior to ambulance arrival., (© The European Society of Cardiology 2014.)

Background: Delayed arrival to a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI)-capable hospital following ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is associated with poorer outcome. The influence of patient characteristics on delayed presentation during STEMI is unknown., Methods and Results: This was a retrospective observational study. Patients presenting for PPCI from March 2008 to November 2011 in the north of England (Northumbria, Tyne and Wear) were included. The outcomes were self-presentation to a non-PPCI-capable hospital, symptom to first medical contact (STFMC) time, total ischaemic time and mortality during follow-up. STEMI patients included numbered 2297; 619 (26.9%) patients self-presented to a non-PPCI-capable hospital. STFMC of >30 min and total ischaemic time of >180 min was present in 1521 (70.7%) and 999 (44.9%) cases, respectively. Self-presentation was the strongest predictor of prolonged total ischaemic time (odds ratio, OR (95% confidence interval, CI): 5.05 (3.99-6.39)). Married patients (OR 1.38 (1.10-1.74)) and patients living closest to an Emergency Room self-presented more commonly (driving time (vs. ≤10 min) 11-20 min OR 0.66 (0.52-0.83), >20 minutes OR 0.46 (0.33-0.64). Unmarried females waited longest to call for help (OR vs. married males 1.89 (1.29-2.78) and experienced longer total ischaemic times (OR 1.51 (1.10-2.07)). Married patients had a borderline association with lower mortality (hazard ratio 0.75 (0.53-1.05), p=0.09)., Conclusions: Unmarried female patients had the longest treatment delays. Married patients and those living closer to an Emergency Room self-present more frequently. Early and exclusive use of the ambulance service may reduce treatment delay and improve STEMI outcome., (© The European Society of Cardiology 2014.)

Sudden cardiac death is the leading cause of mortality among young athletes with an incidence of 1-2 per 100,000 athletes per annum. It is described as 'an event that is non-traumatic, non-violent, unexpected, and resulting from sudden cardiac arrest within six hours of previously witnessed normal health'. Most predisposed athletes have no symptoms and there is no warning for the impending tragic event. The majority of cases are caused by an underlying structural cardiac abnormality, most commonly hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. More recently, the understanding of non-structural causes such as long QT syndrome and Brugada syndrome has grown and diagnostic criteria have been developed. This review presents the known aetiologies of sudden cardiac death among athletes and outlines their identification and management including implications for future sporting participation as laid out in the consensus documents produced by the European Society of Cardiology and the 36th Bethesda Conference.