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Background: Recently developed artificial intelligence-based coronary angiography (AI-QCA, fully automated) provides real-time, objective, and reproducible quantitative analysis of coronary angiography without requiring additional time or labor., Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of AI-QCA-assisted percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared to optical coherence tomography (OCT)-guided PCI in terms of post-PCI results., Methods: This trial enrolled 400 patients with significant coronary artery disease undergoing PCI from 13 participating centers in South Korea. Patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either AI-QCA-assisted or OCT-guided PCI. The primary endpoint was the post-PCI minimal stent area (MSA) assessed by OCT. The noninferiority of AI-QCA-assisted PCI to OCT-guided PCI regarding the post-PCI MSA was tested with a noninferiority margin of 0.8 mm 2 ., Results: A total of 395 patients (199 in the AI-QCA group and 196 in the OCT group) were included in the primary endpoint analysis. The post-PCI MSA was 6.3 ± 2.2 mm 2 in the AI-QCA group and 6.2 ± 2.2 mm 2 in the OCT group (difference, -0.16; 95% CI: -0.59 to 0.28; P for noninferiority < 0.001). Other OCT-defined endpoints, such as stent underexpansion (50.8% [101/199] vs 54.6% [107/196]; P = 0.48), dissection (15.6% [31/199] vs 12.8% [25/196]; P = 0.42), and untreated reference segment disease (15.1% [30/199] vs 13.3% [26/196]; P = 0.61), were not significantly different between groups, except for a higher incidence of stent malapposition in the AI-QCA group (13.6% [27/199] vs 5.6 [11/196]; P = 0.007)., Conclusions: This study demonstrated the noninferiority of AI-QCA-assisted PCI to OCT-guided PCI in achieving MSA with comparable OCT-defined endpoints. (Fully Automated Quantitative Coronary Angiography Versus Optical Coherence Tomography Guidance for Coronary Stent Implantation [FLASH]; NCT05388357)., Competing Interests: Funding Support and Author Disclosures This work was supported by the Korea Medical Device Development Fund grant funded by the Korean government (the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety) (Project Number: 1711179379, RS-2022-00141289) and Medipixel, Inc. Dr Kang has received consulting fees from Medipixel, Inc; and owns stock options of Medipixel, Inc. Dr Kweon has received consulting fees and research grant support from Medipixel, Inc. Dr Y-H Kim has received consulting fees from Medipixel, Inc. Dr Ahn has received consulting fees from Medipixel, Inc. All other authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose., (Copyright © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Acute coronary syndrome and sudden cardiac death are often caused by rupture and thrombosis of lipid-rich atherosclerotic coronary plaques (known as vulnerable plaques), many of which are non-flow-limiting. The safety and effectiveness of focal preventive therapy with percutaneous coronary intervention of vulnerable plaques in reducing adverse cardiac events are unknown. We aimed to assess whether preventive percutaneous coronary intervention of non-flow-limiting vulnerable plaques improves clinical outcomes compared with optimal medical therapy alone., Methods: PREVENT was a multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial done at 15 research hospitals in four countries (South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and New Zealand). Patients aged 18 years or older with non-flow-limiting (fractional flow reserve >0·80) vulnerable coronary plaques identified by intracoronary imaging were randomly assigned (1:1) to either percutaneous coronary intervention plus optimal medical therapy or optimal medical therapy alone, in block sizes of 4 or 6, stratified by diabetes status and the performance of percutaneous coronary intervention in a non-study target vessel. Follow-up continued annually in all enrolled patients until the last enrolled patient reached 2 years after randomisation. The primary outcome was a composite of death from cardiac causes, target-vessel myocardial infarction, ischaemia-driven target-vessel revascularisation, or hospitalisation for unstable or progressive angina, assessed in the intention-to-treat population at 2 years. Time-to-first-event estimates were calculated with the Kaplan-Meier method and were compared with the log-rank test. This report is the principal analysis from the trial and includes all long-term analysed data. The trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02316886, and is complete., Findings: Between Sept 23, 2015, and Sept 29, 2021, 5627 patients were screened for eligibility, 1606 of whom were enrolled and randomly assigned to percutaneous coronary intervention (n=803) or optimal medical therapy alone (n=803). 1177 (73%) patients were men and 429 (27%) were women. 2-year follow-up for the primary outcome assessment was completed in 1556 (97%) patients (percutaneous coronary intervention group n=780; optimal medical therapy group n=776). At 2 years, the primary outcome occurred in three (0·4%) patients in the percutaneous coronary intervention group and in 27 (3·4%) patients in the medical therapy group (absolute difference -3·0 percentage points [95% CI -4·4 to -1·8]; p=0·0003). The effect of preventive percutaneous coronary intervention was directionally consistent for each component of the primary composite outcome. Serious clinical or adverse events did not differ between the percutaneous coronary intervention group and the medical therapy group: at 2 years, four (0·5%) versus ten (1·3%) patients died (absolute difference -0·8 percentage points [95% CI -1·7 to 0·2]) and nine (1·1%) versus 13 (1·7%) patients had myocardial infarction (absolute difference -0·5 percentage points [-1·7 to 0·6])., Interpretation: In patients with non-flow-limiting vulnerable coronary plaques, preventive percutaneous coronary intervention reduced major adverse cardiac events arising from high-risk vulnerable plaques, compared with optimal medical therapy alone. Given that PREVENT is the first large trial to show the potential effect of the focal treatment for vulnerable plaques, these findings support consideration to expand indications for percutaneous coronary intervention to include non-flow-limiting, high-risk vulnerable plaques., Funding: The CardioVascular Research Foundation, Abbott, Yuhan Corp, CAH-Cordis, Philips, and Infraredx, a Nipro company., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests S-JP reports research grants and speaker fees from Abbott Vascular, Medtronic, Daiichi-Sankyo, ChongKunDang Pharm, Daewoong Pharm, and Edwards. D-YK reports speaker fees from Abbott Vascular, Daiichi-Sankyo, Viatris, Boryoung, and Daewoong Pharm. Y-KA reports research grants from Boston Scientific, Medtronic, Abbott, and DioMedical. C-WN reports a research grant from Abbott. J-OJ reports speaker fees from Medtronic. HS reports speaker fees from Abbott Vascular and Boston Scientific. H-LK reports grants and speaker fees from Abbott Vascular and Boston Scientific. J-YH reports research grants and speaker fees from Abbott Vascular, Biotronik, Boston Scientific, and Medtronic. K-YC reports research grant from Biotronik and Medtronik. GSM reports honoraria from Boston Scientific, Abbott, SpectraWave, and Gentuity. GWS reports speaker fees from Medtronic, Pulnovo, Infraredx, Abiomed, Abbott, Amgen, and Boehringer Ingelheim; consultant fees from Daiichi Sankyo, Ablative Solutions, CorFlow, Apollo Therapeutics, Cardiomech, Gore, Robocath, Miracor, Vectorious, Abiomed, Valfix, TherOx, HeartFlow, Neovasc, Ancora, Elucid Bio, Occlutech, Impulse Dynamics, Adona Medical, Millennia Biopharma, and Oxitope; equity or stock options from Ancora, Cagent, Applied Therapeutics, Biostar family of funds, SpectraWave, Orchestra Biomed, Aria, Cardiac Success, Valfix, and Xenter; and grants from Abbott, Abiomed, Bioventrix, Cardiovascular Systems, Phillips, Biosense-Webster, Shockwave, Vascular Dynamics, Pulnovo, and V-wave outside the submitted work; and GWS's daughter is an employee at IQVIA. D-WP reports research grants and speaker fees from Abbott Vascular, Medtronic, Daiichi-Sankyo, Edwards Lifescience, ChongKunDang Pharm, and Daewoong Pharm. All other authors declare no competing interests relevant to the contents of this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is occasionally diagnosed in individuals with Graves' disease. Definite treatments, including radioactive iodine therapy (RAIT) or surgery might lower the risk of AF in the literature. However, no studies have compared the effects of anti-thyroid drugs (ATDs), RAIT, and surgery on the risk of AF., Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 94,060 newly diagnosed Graves' disease patients and 470,300 controls from the Korean National Health Insurance database. The incidence of AF was evaluated in patients and controls. Patients were categorized based on treatment method into ATD (95.6%), RAIT (3.5%), and surgery (0.9%) groups. In the ATD group, the dose and duration of ATDs were calculated for each patient. In the RAIT and surgery groups, remission was defined as levothyroxine prescription., Results: Graves' disease patients had a 2.2-fold higher risk of developing AF than controls. Regardless of demographic factors, the patient group had a consistently higher risk of AF than controls, with the highest risk of AF (HR, 5.49) in the younger patient group. The surgery group had a similar risk of AF compared with controls, whereas the ATD (HR, 2.23) and RAIT (HR, 2.00) groups had increased risks of AF, even in patients reaching hypothyroid status after RAIT. Patients with higher dose or longer treatment duration of ATDs were at greater risk of AF., Conclusion: We observed differing risks of AF according to methods of treatment for Graves' disease, and that definite treatment can be an option for subjects needing sustained medical treatment considering the risk of AF., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Cho, Kim, Choi, Kim, Shin, Kim, Park, Kim, Chung, Han and Kim.)

The need for transvenous lead extraction (TLE) is increasing worldwide including in Asia-Pacific regions. However, supporting evidence for TightRail, a relatively new rotating mechanical dilator sheath, is still lacking in Asian patients. The efficacy and safety of TLE using TightRail performed between March 2018 and June 2021 were evaluated in 86 consecutive patients with 131 leads. The mean lead age was 11.7 ± 7.3 (range, 1.0-41.4) years. Clinical and complete procedural success using TightRail were achieved in 93.0% and 89.5% of 86 patients, respectively, with 6 min of median fluoroscopic time and 9.3% of major complication rate: death (1.2%), cardiac tamponade (3.5%), severe tricuspid regurgitation (3.5%), and stroke (1.2%). However, in 46 patients with longest lead age ≤ 10 years, clinical/complete success and major cardiac complication rates turned out better as 97.8%, 95.7%, and 2.2%, respectively. Additionally, when patients were divided into 3 groups: the first 28, second 29, and the last 29 patients, there was a clear trend toward better efficacy and safety outcomes with more experience with TightRail (P trend  < 0.05). Longest lead age > 10 years was closely associated with TLE-related major cardiac complication (P = 0.046) with 85.7% sensitivity, 57.0% specificity, 15.0% positive predictive value, and 97.8% negative predictive values. In conclusion, TLE using TightRail may be effectively and safely performed by experienced operators for Asian patients with the longest lead age ≤ 10 years. However, as TightRail is a potentially aggressive tool, special attention should be paid to patients with longer lead dwelling times (e.g., > 10 years)., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objective: The decision to perform percutaneous mitral commissurotomy (PMC) on asymptomatic patients requires careful weighing of the potential benefits against the risks of PMC, and we conducted a multicentre, randomised trial to compare long-term outcomes of early PMC and conventional treatment in asymptomatic, severe mitral stenosis (MS)., Methods: We randomly assigned asymptomatic patients with severe MS (defined as mitral valve area between 1.0 and 1.5 cm 2 ) to early PMC (84 patients) or to conventional treatment (83 patients). The primary endpoint was a composite of major cardiovascular events, including PMC-related complications, cardiovascular mortality, cerebral infarction and systemic thromboembolic events. The secondary endpoints were death from any cause and mitral valve (MV) replacement during follow-up., Results: In the early PMC group, there were no PMC-related complications. During the median follow-up of 6.4 years, the composite primary endpoint occurred in seven patients in the early PMC group (8.3%) and in nine patients in the conventional treatment group (10.8%) (HR 0.77; 95% CI 0.29 to 2.07; p=0.61). Death from any cause occurred in four patients in the early PMC group (4.8%) and three patients in the conventional treatment group (3.6%) (HR 1.30; 95% CI 0.29 to 5.77). Ten patients (11.9%) in the early PMC group and 17 patients (20.5%) in the conventional treatment group underwent MV replacement (HR 0.59; 95% CI 0.27 to 1.29)., Conclusions: Compared with conventional treatment, early PMC did not significantly reduce the incidence of cardiovascular events among asymptomatic patients with severe MS during the median follow-up of 6 years., Trial Registration Number: NCT01406353., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: A single‑lead implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) with a floating atrial dipole has been developed to enhance the diagnostic capability of atrial arrhythmias and to facilitate adjudication of arrhythmic events without the additional effort required for atrial lead insertion. However, there have been concerns about the long-term reliability of atrial sensing., Methods: We enrolled patients with the single-chamber ICD with atrial-sensing electrodes from 4 tertiary university hospitals in Korea. Minimal, maximal, and mean P wave amplitudes were collected at 3-6 months, 6-12 months, and 12-24 months after implantation. The difference between the minimal and maximal sensing amplitudes was calculated as an indicator of the variability of atrial sensing, while the atrial sensing stability was assessed using the mean amplitude., Results: A total of 86 patients were included for analysis. The variability of atrial sensing amplitudes significantly decreased at 12-24 months compared to 3-6 months (p = 0.01), while mean atrial amplitudes were stable throughout the mean follow-up duration of 17.4 months. Nine patients (10.5%) experienced inappropriate ICD therapy mostly due to misclassification of supraventricular tachycardia., Conclusions: Under the hypothesis that sensing stability can be guaranteed as the variability decreases with time, we suggest that the concern about long-term sensing stability of a floating dipole can be abated with an ICD that has been implanted for over 2 years., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background The long-term prognostic effect of the SYNTAX (Synergy Between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With Taxus and Cardiac Surgery) score (SS) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) for left main coronary artery disease is controversial. Methods and Results In the PRECOMBAT (Premier of Randomized Comparison of Bypass Surgery Versus Angioplasty Using Sirolimus-Eluting Stent in Patients With Left Main Coronary Artery Disease) trial, 600 patients with left main coronary artery disease were randomized to undergo PCI with drug-eluting stents (n=300) or CABG (n=300). We compared 10-year outcomes after PCI and CABG according to SS categories and evaluated the predictive value of SS in each revascularization arm. The primary outcome was a major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular event (composite of death, myocardial infarction, stroke, or ischemia-driven target-vessel revascularization) at 10 years. Among 566 patients with valid SS measurement at baseline, 240 (42.4%) had low SS, 200 (35.3%) had intermediate SS, and 126 (22.3%) had high SS. The 10-year rates of major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events were not significantly different between PCI and CABG in low (21.6% versus 22.2%, P =0.97), intermediate (31.8% versus 22.2%; P =0.13), and high SS (46.2% versus 35.7%; P =0.31) ( P -for-interaction=0.46). There were no significant interactions between SS categories and revascularization modalities for death ( P =0.92); composite of death, myocardial infarction, or stroke ( P =0.87); and target-vessel revascularization ( P =0.06). Higher SS categories were associated with higher risks for major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events in the PCI arm but not in the CABG arm. Conclusions Ten-year clinical outcomes between PCI and CABG were not significantly different according to the SS. The SS was predictive of major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events after PCI but not after CABG. Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT03871127.

Background Several trials reported differential outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stents (DES) and coronary-artery bypass grafting (CABG) for multivessel coronary disease according to the presence of diabetes mellitus (DM). However, it is not well recognized how DM status affects very-long-term (10-year) outcomes after DES and CABG for left main coronary artery disease. Methods and Results In the PRECOMBAT (Premier of Randomized Comparison of Bypass Surgery versus Angioplasty using Sirolimus-Eluting Stent in Patients with Left Main Coronary Artery Disease) trial, patients with LMCA were randomly assigned to undergo PCI with sirolimus-eluting stents (n=300) or CABG (n=300). The primary outcome was the incidence of major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events (MACCE; a composite of death from any cause, myocardial infarction, stroke, or ischemia-driven target-vessel revascularization). Outcomes were examined in patients with (n=192) and without (n=408) medically treated diabetes. The follow-up was extended to at least 10 years for all patients (median, 11.3 years). The 10-year rates of MACCE were not significantly different between DES and CABG in patients with DM (36.3% versus 26.7%, respectively; hazard ratio [HR], 1.35; 95% CI, 0.83-2.19; P =0.23) and without DM (25.3% versus 22.9%, respectively; HR, 1.15; 95% CI, 0.79-1.67; P =0.48) ( P -for-interaction=0.48). There were no significant between-group differences in composite of death, MI, or stroke, and all-cause mortality, regardless of DM status. TVR rates were consistently higher after DES than CABG. Conclusions In this 10-year extended follow-up of PRECOMBAT, we found no significant difference between DES and CABG with respect to the incidences of MACCE, serious composite outcome, and all-cause mortality in patients with and without DM with LMCA disease. However, owing to the limited number of patients and no adjustment for multiple testing, overall findings should be considered hypothesis-generating, highlighting the need for further research. Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT03871127 and NCT00422968.

Abstract: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a standard treatment indicated for severe aortic stenosis in high-risk patients. The objective of this study was to evaluate the incidence of pacemaker dependency after permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) following TAVR or surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) and the risk of mortality at a tertiary center in Korea.In this retrospective study conducted at a single tertiary center, clinical outcomes related to pacemaker dependency were evaluated for patients implanted with pacemakers after TAVR from January 2012 to November 2018 and post-SAVR from January 2005 to May 2015. Investigators reviewed patients' electrocardiograms and baseline rhythms as well as conduction abnormalities. Pacemaker dependency was defined as a ventricular pacing rate > 90% with an intrinsic rate of <40 bpm during interrogation.Of 511 patients who underwent TAVR for severe AS, 37(7.3%) underwent PPI after a median duration of 6 (3-7) days, whereas pacemakers were implanted after a median interval of 13 (8-28) days post-SAVR in 10 of 663 patients (P < .001). Pacemaker dependency was observed in 36 (97.3%) patients during 7 days immediately post-TAVR and in 25 (64.9%) patients between 8 and 180 days post-TAVR. Pacemaker dependency occurred after 180 days in 17 (50%) patients with TAVR and in 4 (44.4%) patients with SAVR. Twelve (41.4%) patients were pacemaker-dependent after 365 days post-TAVR.Pacemaker dependency did not differ at 6 months after TAVR vs SAVR. In patients undergoing post-TAVR PPI, 58.6% were not pacemaker-dependent at 1 year after the TAVR procedure., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interests to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

We evaluated the benefit of left ventricular (LV) unloading using a percutaneous transseptal left atrial (LA) drain catheter via femoral vein incorporated into the ECMO venous circuit. This single-center retrospective observational study analyzed clinical outcomes of the LA venting group (N = 62) who underwent percutaneous transseptal LA drain placement comparing with the conventionally treated control group (N = 62) with an arterial pulse pressure below 10 mm Hg for at least 24 hours from December 2012 to August 2018. The ECMO weaning rate (61.3% vs. 38.7%, P = .012) and cardiac transplantation rate (29.0% vs. 11.3%, P = .014) were higher in the LA venting group than in the control group. Inhospital mortality was not significantly different (56.5% vs. 69.4%, P = .191). Pulmonary congestion mostly improved after LA decompression (61.3%, P = .003). A serum lactate level at 24 hours after LA venting of more than 2.2 mmol/L was associated with poor outcomes. LA venting via transseptal cannula reduced pulmonary venous congestion and achieved higher rates of successful ECMO weaning and cardiac transplantation. Placement of a transseptal venous drain cannula should be considered in patients with uncontrolled pulmonary edema secondary to severe LV loading undergoing VA-ECMO., (© 2020 International Center for Artificial Organs and Transplantation and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

There is limited data regarding the association between sarcopenia and clinical outcomes in patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). From the prospective ASAN-TAVI registry, we evaluated a total of 522 patients with severe aortic stenosis who underwent TAVI between March 2010 and November 2018. Routine pre-TAVI computed tomography scan was used to calculate the skeletal muscle index (SMI), which was defined as skeletal muscle area at the L3 level divided by height squared; subject patients were classified into the gender-specific tertile groups of SMI. The patients' mean age was 79 years and 49% were men. Mean SMI values were 41.3 ± 6.7 cm 2 /m 2 in men and 34.1 ± 6.5 cm 2 /m 2 in women. The Kaplan-Meier estimates of all-cause mortality at 12 months were higher in the low-tertile group than in the mid- and high-tertile groups (15.5%, 7.1%, and 6.2%, respectively; p = 0.036). In multivariate analysis, low-tertile of SMI was an independent predictor of mortality (vs high-tertile of SMI, hazard ratio 2.69; 95% confidence interval, 1.18 to 6.12; p = 0.019). The all-cause mortality was substantially higher in the groups with high-surgical risk plus low SMI tertile. The risk assessment with addition of SMI on conventional STS-PROM score was significantly improved by statistical measures of model reclassification and discrimination. In patients who underwent TAVI, sarcopenia measured by SMI was significantly associated with an increased risk of 1-year mortality. The prognostic impact of SMI-measured sarcopenia was more prominent in patients with high surgical risks., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Optimal antithrombotic strategy following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is still unknown. We hypothesised that the direct factor Xa inhibitor edoxaban can potentially prevent subclinical leaflet thrombosis and cerebral embolisation compared with conventional dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) in patients undergoing TAVR., Methods and Analysis: The ADAPT-TAVR trial is an international, multicentre, randomised, open-label, superiority trial comparing edoxaban-based strategy and DAPT strategy in patients without an indication for oral anticoagulation who underwent successful TAVR. A total of 220 patients are randomised (1:1 ratio), 1-7 days after successful TAVR, to receive either edoxaban (60 mg daily or 30 mg daily if patients had dose-reduction criteria) or DAPT using aspirin (100 mg daily) plus clopidogrel (75 mg daily) for 6 months. The primary endpoint was an incidence of leaflet thrombosis on four-dimensional, volume-rendered cardiac CT imaging at 6 months post-TAVR. The key secondary endpoints were the number of new lesions and new lesion volume on brain diffusion-weighted MRI and the changes in neurological and neurocognitive function assessment between immediate post-TAVR and 6 months of study drug administration. Detailed clinical information on thromboembolic and bleeding events were also assessed., Ethics and Dissemination: Ethic approval has been obtained from the Ethics Committee/Institutional Review Board of Asan Medical Center (approval number: 2017-1317) and this trial is also approved by National Institute of Food and Drug Safety Evaluation of Republic of Korea (approval number: 31511). Results of this study will be disseminated in scientific publication in reputed journals., Trial Registration Number: NCT03284827., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease is associated with high mortality and morbidity due to a large area of jeopardized myocardium. However, the optimal revascularization strategy for patients with LMCA disease and left ventricular dysfunction is still unclear., Objectives: This study sought to examine long-term comparative outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or a coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) according to the severity of left ventricular dysfunction., Methods: The authors evaluated a total of 3,488 patients with LMCA disease who underwent CABG (n = 1,355) or PCI (n = 2,133) from the IRIS-MAIN (Interventional Research Incorporation Society-Left MAIN Revascularization) registry. Left ventricular function was categorized according to left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) as normal function (LVEF ≥55%), mild dysfunction (LVEF ≥45% to <55%), moderate dysfunction (LVEF ≥35% to <45%), or severe dysfunction (LVEF <35%). The primary outcome was a composite of death, myocardial infarction, or stroke., Results: Among the overall patient population, 2,641 (75.7%) patients had normal LVEF and 403 (11.6%), 260 (7.5%), and 184 (5.3%) had mild, moderate, and severe left ventricular dysfunction at baseline, respectively. Compared with CABG, PCI was associated with a higher adjusted risk of primary outcomes in patients with moderate (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.23; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.17 to 4.28) or severe (HR: 2.45; 95% CI: 1.27 to 4.73) dysfunction. In contrast, PCI and CABG had similar risks of the primary outcomes in patients with normal (HR: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.59 to 1.07) or mild (HR: 1.17; 95% CI: 0.63 to 2.17) dysfunction (p for interaction = 0.004)., Conclusions: In the revascularization of LMCA disease, PCI was associated with an inferior primary composite outcome of death, MI, or stroke compared with CABG in patients with moderate or severe left ventricular dysfunction. However, the risk for the primary outcome was comparable between PCI and CABG in those with normal or mild left ventricular dysfunction. (Observational Study for Left Main Disease Treatment; NCT01341327)., (Copyright © 2020 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: This study sought to obtain large-scale evidence supporting the clinical usefulness of ergonovine echocardiography., Background: The role of noninvasive ergonovine provocation testing with echocardiographic monitoring of ventricular wall motion (ergonovine echocardiography) needs to be defined., Methods: Clinical data of patients who underwent ergonovine echocardiography in 3 tertiary referral hospitals in South Korea were analyzed., Results: Ergonovine echocardiography was performed in 14,012 patients (mean age 52.8 ± 11.1 years; 6,213 [44.3%] women) after exclusion of significant coronary arterial stenosis by functional (treadmill or perfusion scan, n = 9,824) or anatomic test (invasive or computerized tomographic coronary angiography, n = 4,188). Premature termination developed in 0.4% (n = 51), and a positive result was observed in 2,144 patients (15.3%), with variable frequencies according to the diagnosis (acute coronary syndrome [38.2%], variant angina [31.8%], effort angina [14.9%], aborted sudden cardiac death [17.6%], syncope [9.9%]). There was no mortality or development of myocardial infarction during the test. During median follow-up of 11.4 (interquartile range: 7.2 to 15.8) years, death of any cause and cardiovascular death occurred in 494 and 143 patients, respectively. The 10-year overall (96.7 ± 0.2% vs. 91.5 ± 0.6%; p < 0.0001) and cardiovascular mortality-free (99.2 ± 0.1% vs. 96.7 ± 0.4%; p < 0.0001) survival rates were lower in patients with positive ergonovine echocardiography. Regarding patients with positive test results, the functional test group and the anatomic test group did not show a significant difference in the survival rates. After adjustment of age and male sex, a positive test was an independent risk factor associated with all-cause mortality (hazard ratio: 1.879, 95% confidence interval: 1.548 to 2.280; p < 0.001) and cardiovascular death (hazard ratio: 2.903, 95% confidence interval: 2.061 to 4.089; p < 0.001)., Conclusions: Ergonovine echocardiography for coronary vasospasm diagnosis could be safely performed even without angiographic documentation of fixed coronary stenosis depending on the clinical presentation, and provided important prognostic implication. Ergonovine echocardiography can replace the invasive spasm provocation testing, which has been overlooked unfairly., (Copyright © 2020 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: This study compared the 3-year outcomes of intracoronary imaging-guided pre-dilation, stent sizing, and post-dilation (iPSP) for patients with complex coronary artery lesions., Background: The long-term effects of the optimal drug-eluting stent implantation technique in complex coronary artery disease have not been evaluated., Methods: From the IRIS-DES (Interventional Cardiology Research In-cooperation Society-Drug-Eluting Stents) registry, the study evaluated 9,525 patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention for left main, bifurcation, long or diffuse (>30 mm), or angiographically severely calcified lesions. The primary outcome was a composite of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization. The inverse probability of treatment weighting method was used to adjust for confounding factors., Results: At the index procedure, intravascular ultrasound assessment PSP were performed in 8,522 (89.5%) patients, 5,141 (54.0%) patients, and 5,531 (58.1%) patients, respectively; overall, 3,374 (35.4%) patients underwent stent implantation using all 3 parts of the iPSP strategy and were defined as the iPSP group. At 3 years, the adjusted rate of the primary outcome was significantly lower in iPSP group (5.6% vs 7.9%; adjusted hazard ratio: 0.71; 95% confidence interval: 0.63 to 0.81; p < 0.001)., Conclusions: Among patients undergoing drug-eluting stent implantation in complex coronary artery stenosis, iPSP was associated with a lower risk of cardiac events at 3 years. Therefore, physicians should apply iPSP more actively for the treatment of complex coronary artery stenoses, even in the current era. (Evaluation of the First, Second, and New Drug-Eluting Stents in Routine Clinical Practice [IRIS-DES]; NCT01186133)., (Copyright © 2020 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Long-term comparative outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents and coronary-artery bypass grafting (CABG) for left main coronary artery disease are highly debated., Methods: In the PRECOMBAT trial (Premier of Randomized Comparison of Bypass Surgery versus Angioplasty Using Sirolimus-Eluting Stent in Patients with Left Main Coronary Artery Disease), patients with unprotected left main coronary artery disease were randomly assigned to undergo PCI with sirolimus-eluting stents (n=300) or CABG (n=300) in 13 hospitals in Korea from April 2004 to August 2009. The follow-up was extended to at least 10 years for all patients (median, 11.3 years). The primary outcome was the incidence of major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events (composite of death from any cause, myocardial infarction, stroke, or ischemia-driven target-vessel revascularization)., Results: At 10 years, a primary outcome event occurred in 29.8% of the PCI group and in 24.7% of the CABG group (hazard ratio [HR] with PCI vs CABG, 1.25 [95% CI, 0.93-1.69]). The 10-year incidence of the composite of death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (18.2% vs 17.5%; HR 1.00 [95% CI, 0.70-1.44]) and all-cause mortality (14.5% vs 13.8%; HR 1.13 [95% CI, 0.75-1.70]) were not significantly different between the PCI and CABG groups. Ischemia-driven target-vessel revascularization was more frequent after PCI than after CABG (16.1% vs 8.0%; HR 1.98 [95% CI, 1.21-3.21)., Conclusions: Ten-year follow-up of the PRECOMBAT trial of patients with left main coronary artery disease randomized to PCI or CABG did not demonstrate significant difference in the incidence of major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events. Because the study was underpowered, the results should be considered hypothesis-generating, highlighting the need for further research. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifiers: NCT03871127 and NCT00422968.

Background: The resting distal-to-aortic coronary pressure ratio (Pd/Pa) is a universally available, hyperemia-free physiological index of coronary stenosis. We investigated clinical outcomes according to resting Pd/Pa versus hyperemic fractional flow reserve (FFR)., Methods: From the IRIS-FFR (Interventional Cardiology Research Incooperation Society Fractional Flow Reserve) registry, 7014 lesions in 4707 patients with valid resting Pd/Pa and FFR were included in this study. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiac events (MACE; a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and repeat intervention). The MACE rate was compared among resting Pd/Pa ≤0.92 and FFR ≤0.80. A marginal Cox model accounted for correlated data in patients with multiple lesions., Results: During a median follow-up of 2.0 years, 223 MACEs occurred. Resting Pd/Pa was an independent predictor for the occurrence of MACE (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.89 [95% CI, 1.32-2.71]; P =0.001) over clinical and angiographic variables. When resting Pd/Pa and FFR were added into a multivariable model, MACE was no longer significantly associated with resting Pd/Pa (aHR, 1.35 [95% CI, 0.93-1.97]; P =0.12) but remained to be associated with FFR (aHR, 2.34 [95% CI, 1.56-3.54]; P <0.001). Compared with lesions with normal value of resting Pa/Pa and FFR, lesions with abnormal values of either resting Pd/Pa (aHR, 2.12 [95% CI, 1.17-3.84]; P =0.014) or FFR (aHR, 2.32 [95% CI, 1.52-3.55]; P <0.001) or both (aHR, 2.37 [95% CI, 1.57-3.57]; P <0.001) showed a significantly increased risk of the occurrence of MACE., Conclusions: Resting Pd/Pa appeared to be a less-robust prognostic index than FFR. Resting Pd/Pa could be used as a prognostic index when hyperemic agents are contraindicated or not easily available. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT01366404.

Background Data are still limited regarding whether there are differential long-term outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention versus coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for left main coronary artery disease with or without diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods and Results Using the 10-year data from the MAIN-COMPARE (Revascularization for Unprotected Left Main Coronary Artery Stenosis: Comparison of Percutaneous Coronary Angioplasty Versus Surgical Revascularization) registry, we sought to examine the effect of DM on comparative outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention or CABG in patients with unprotected left main coronary artery disease. The outcomes of interest were all-cause mortality; a composite of death, Q-wave myocardial infarction, or stroke; and target-vessel revascularization. The primary adjusted analyses were performed with the use of propensity scores and inverse-probability weighting. Of 2240 patients with left main coronary artery revascularization, 722 (32%) had DM. In the overall population, the adjusted 10-year risks of death and composite outcome were similar between percutaneous coronary intervention and CABG, irrespective of DM status ( P interaction : 0.41, mortality; 0.40, composite outcome). However, in the cohort of bare-metal stents and concurrent CABG, we observed differential outcomes after stenting and CABG by DM status ( P interaction : 0.09, mortality; 0.04, composite outcome), favoring CABG in patients with DM. In the cohort of drug-eluting stents and concurrent CABG, the better effect of CABG over stenting was narrowed in patients with DM without a significant interaction ( P interaction : 0.63, mortality; 0.47, composite outcome). Conclusions In this cohort of patients with longest follow-up who underwent left main coronary artery revascularization, the clinical impact of DM favoring CABG over percutaneous coronary intervention has diminished over time from the bare-metal stent to the drug-eluting stent era. Registration URL: http://www.clini​caltr​ials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02791412.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term impact of SYNTAX (Synergy Between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With Taxus and Cardiac Surgery) score (SS) on differential outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease., Background: The very long term prognostic effect of SS on mortality and major cardiovascular events after LMCA revascularization is still undetermined., Methods: In the MAIN-COMPARE (Ten-Year Outcomes of Stents Versus Coronary-Artery Bypass Grafting for Left Main Coronary Artery Disease) registry, patients with baseline SS measurements were analyzed. The 10-year rates of all-cause mortality, the composite of death, Q-wave myocardial infarction, or stroke, and target vessel revascularization after PCI or CABG were compared according to baseline SS., Results: Among 1,580 patients with baseline SS, 547 patients (34.6%) had low SS (≤22), 350 (22.2%) had intermediate SS (23 to 32), and 683 (43.2%) had high SS (≥33). In patients with low to intermediate SS, the adjusted 10-year risks for death and serious composite outcome were similar between the PCI group and the CABG group. However, in patients with high SS, PCI with stenting, compared with CABG, was associated with a higher risk for death (hazard ratio: 1.39; 95% confidence interval: 1.00 to 1.92; p = 0.048) and serious composite outcome (hazard ratio: 1.27; 95% confidence interval: 0.94 to 1.74; p = 0.123). In each revascularization group, conventional tertiles of SS had a differential prognostic impact on 10-year clinical outcomes in the PCI arm but not in the CABG arm., Conclusions: In this 10-year extended follow-up of patients undergoing LMCA revascularization, CABG showed a clear prognostic benefit over PCI in patients with high anatomic complexity measured by SS at baseline. The discriminative capacity of SS on long-term outcomes was relevant in the PCI group but not in the CABG group. (Ten-Year Outcomes of Stents Versus Coronary-Artery Bypass Grafting for Left Main Coronary Artery Disease [MAIN-COMPARE]; NCT02791412)., (Copyright © 2020 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Owing to the differential propensity for bleeding and ischemic events with response to antiplatelet therapy, the safety and effectiveness of potent P2Y12 inhibitor ticagrelor in East Asian populations remain uncertain., Methods: In this multicenter trial, 800 Korean patients hospitalized for acute coronary syndromes with or without ST elevation and intended for invasive management were randomly assigned to receive, in a 1:1 ratio, ticagrelor (180 mg loading dose, 90 mg twice daily thereafter) or clopidogrel (600 mg loading dose, 75 mg daily thereafter). The primary safety outcome was clinically significant bleeding (a composite of major bleeding or minor bleeding according to PLATO (Platelet Inhibition and Patient Outcomes) criteria at 12 months., Results: At 12 months, the incidence of clinically significant bleeding was significantly higher in the ticagrelor group than in the clopidogrel group (11.7% [45/400] vs 5.3% [21/400]; hazard ratio [HR], 2.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.34 to 3.79; P =0.002). The incidences of major bleeding (7.5% [29/400] vs 4.1% [16/400], P =0.04) and fatal bleeding (1% [4/400] vs 0%, P =0.04) were also higher in the ticagrelor group. The incidence of death from cardiovascular causes, myocardial infarction, or stroke was not significantly different between the ticagrelor group and the clopidogrel group (9.2% [36/400] vs 5.8% [23/400]; HR, 1.62; 95% CI, 0.96 to 2.74; P =0.07). Overall safety and effectiveness findings were similar with the use of several different analytic methods and in multiple subgroups., Conclusions: In Korean acute coronary syndrome patients intended to receive early invasive management, standard-dose ticagrelor as compared with clopidogrel was associated with a higher incidence of clinically significant bleeding. The numerically higher incidence of ischemic events should be interpreted with caution, given the present trial was underpowered to draw any conclusion regarding efficacy., Clinical Trial Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02094963.

Objective: Data on the comparative effectiveness of contemporary drug-eluting stents (DES) in the unrestricted, real-world setting are limited. We investigated the long-term effectiveness and safety of contemporary different drug-eluting stents by means of multiple treatment propensity score weighting., Patients and Methods: From seven stent-specific, prospective DES registries conducted between July 2007 and July 2015, we evaluated 17 196 patients who received several contemporary DES and first-generation DES: 3053 treated with cobalt-chromium everolimus-eluting stents (CoCr-EES), 2985 with platinum-chromium EES (PtCr-EES), 2922 with Resolute zotarolimus-eluting stents (Re-ZES), 789 with Biomatrix biolimus-eluting stents (Bi-BES), 1907 with Nobori biolimus-eluting stents (No-BES), 1970 with Xience Prime cobalt-chromium everolimus-eluting stents (Pr-CoCr-EES), and 3570 with sirolimus-eluting stents (SES). The primary outcome was target-vessel failure (a composite of cardiac death, target-vessel myocardial infarction, or target-vessel revascularization) at 3 years of follow-up and major cardiovascular adverse events (a composite of all-cause death, any myocardial infarction, or any revascularization) was also evaluated., Results: The observed 3-year rates of target-vessel failure were not significantly different among different second-generation DES and SES (CoCr-EES 9.8%, PtCr-EES 9.5%, Re-ZES 9.3%, Bi-BES 9.8%, No-BES 7.7%, Pr-CoCr-EES 10.4%, SES 10.2%; overall P=0.07). In multiple treatment propensity score analysis, adjusted hazard ratios for target-vessel failure were similar in between-group comparisons of several contemporary DES. In addition, no significant differences were observed with respect of the adjusted risk of major adverse cardiac events., Conclusion: In this comparative effectiveness research using stent-specific, clinical practice registries involving unrestricted use of several contemporary DES, there were no significant between-group differences in the 3-year rates of target-vessel failure.

Most studies on gender difference of the in-hospital outcome of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were performed in the pre-drug-eluting stents (DES) era. This study was performed to investigate whether gender influences the in-hospital outcome of PCI in the DES era.A total of 44,967 PCI procedure between January and December of 2014 from the nationwide PCI registry database in Korea were analyzed. The study population was male predominant (70.2%). We examined the association of gender with unadjusted and adjusted in-hospital mortality and composite events of PCI, including mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, stroke, urgent repeat PCI and bleeding requiring transfusion.Most of the study patients (91.3%) received DES. The incidence rates of in-hospital mortality (2.95% vs 1.99%, P <.001) and composite events (7.01% vs 5.48%, P <.001) were significantly higher in women compared to men. Unadjusted analyses showed that women had a 1.49 times higher risk of in-hospital mortality and a 1.30 times higher risk of composite events than men (P <.001 for each). After adjustment for potential confounders, female gender was not a risk factor for mortality (P = .258), but the risk of composite events remained 1.20 times higher in women than in men (P = .008).Among patients undergoing PCI in the contemporary DES era, female gender was associated with an increased risk of in-hospital composite events, but not in-hospital mortality. More careful attention should be emphasized to minimize procedure-related risks and to improve prognosis in women undergoing PCI.

Aortic valve (AV) replacement (AVR) is the only effective treatment for severe aortic stenosis (AS). However, survival benefits by performing AVR in asymptomatic AS patients with preserved left ventricular (LV) function remains controversial. This study included 468 patients (aged 64.2 ± 13.0 years, 232 women) with preserved LV function (≥50%) and severe AS (AV area ≤1.0 cm 2 , peak trans-AV velocity [V max ] ≥4.0 m/s, or mean AV pressure gradient ≥40 mm Hg) between 2000 and 2015. AVR was performed in 221 (47.2%) patients early (within 3 months; n = 130, 27.8%) or during follow-up (n = 91, 19.4%), whereas the remainder (n = 247) received medical treatment. Time-dependent Cox regression analyses were performed to determine the impact of AVR on long-term survival outcomes. During a median follow-up of 60.9 months (quartile 1 to 3, 29.9 to 107.0 months), 72 (15.4%) patients developed AS-related symptoms and 146 (31.2%) died. On time-dependent Cox models, AVR was associated with a significant risk reduction in all-cause death (hazard ratio [HR], 0.62; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.40 to 0.97; p = 0.036) and cardiac death (HR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.35 to 0.995; p = 0.048) after adjusting for significant contributors to mortality. Survival benefits by performing AVR were manifested in most risk subgroups. In conclusion, AVR in asymptomatic severe AS patients with preserved LV function resulted in significant survival benefits, suggesting that early recruitment for AVR may be warranted before ventricular dysfunction or symptom development., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

There is limited information on the incidence, management, and prognostic impact of new-onset atrial fibrillation (NOAF) following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) for severe aortic valve stenosis. In the prospective ASAN-TAVI registry, we evaluated a total of 347 consecutive patients who underwent TAVI from March 2010 to August 2017. The primary end point was a composite of stroke or systemic embolism at 12 months. The study subjects were categorized into 3 groups; pre-existing AF (50 patients), NOAF (31 patients), and non-AF (266 patients) group. NOAF developed in 10.4% of patients without pre-existing AF after TAVI and most cases were paroxysmal type (93.6%). Pharmacologic and electrical cardioversion were tried in 13 (41.9%) and 6 (19.4%) patients and success rates were 61.5% and 33.3%, respectively. NOAF-associated case rate for primary end point was 22.6%. Transfemoral access and cardiac tamponade were independent predictors of NOAF. Patients with NOAF, as compared with those with pre-existing AF and those without AF, had an increased 1-year rate of primary end point (24.0% vs 9.9% vs 7.2%, respectively; p <0.001). By multivariable analysis, NOAF was an independent predictor of 1-year rate of primary end point (adjusted hazard ratio: 3.31; 95% CI: 1.34 to 8.20; p = 0.010). In conclusion, patients with severe aortic valve stenosis who underwent TAVI, NOAF occurred in 10% and 1 of 4 NOAF patients experienced stroke or systemic embolization. The presence of NOAF was associated with a substantially higher risk of stroke or systemic embolization., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Invasive fractional flow reserve (FFR) is a standard tool for identifying ischemia-producing coronary stenosis. However, in clinical practice, over 70% of treatment decisions still rely on visual estimation of angiographic stenosis, which has limited accuracy (about 60%-65%) for the prediction of FFR < 0.80. One of the reasons for the visual-functional mismatch is that myocardial ischemia can be affected by the supplied myocardial size, which is not always evident by coronary angiography. The aims of this study were to develop an angiography-based machine learning (ML) algorithm for predicting the supplied myocardial volume for a stenosis, as measured using coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA), and then to build an angiography-based classifier for the lesions with an FFR < 0.80 versus ≥ 0.80., Methods and Findings: A retrospective study was conducted using data from 1,132 stable and unstable angina patients with 1,132 intermediate lesions who underwent invasive coronary angiography, FFR, and CCTA at the Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea, between 1 May 2012 and 30 November 2015. The mean age was 63 ± 10 years, 76% were men, and 72% of the patients presented with stable angina. Of these, 932 patients (assessed before 31 January 2015) constituted the training set for the algorithm, and 200 patients (assessed after 1 February 2015) served as a test cohort to validate its diagnostic performance. Additionally, external validation with 79 patients from two centers (CHA University, Seongnam, Korea, and Ajou University, Suwon, Korea) was conducted. After automatic contour calibration using the caliber of guiding catheter, quantitative coronary angiography was performed using the edge-detection algorithms (CAAS-5, Pie-Medical). Clinical information was provided by the Asan BiomedicaL Research Environment (ABLE) system. The CCTA-based myocardial segmentation (CAMS)-derived myocardial volume supplied by each vessel (right coronary artery [RCA], left anterior descending [LAD], left circumflex [LCX]) and the myocardial volume subtended to a stenotic segment (CAMS-%Vsub) were measured for labeling. The ML for (1) predicting vessel territories (CAMS-%LAD, CAMS-%LCX, and CAMS-%RCA) and CAMS-%Vsub and (2) identifying the lesions with an FFR < 0.80 was constructed. Angiography-based ML, employing a light gradient boosting machine (GBM), showed mean absolute errors (MAEs) of 5.42%, 8.57%, and 4.54% for predicting CAMS-%LAD, CAMS-%LCX, and CAMS-%RCA, respectively. The percent myocardial volumes predicted by ML were used to predict the CAMS-%Vsub. With 5-fold cross validation, the MAEs between ML-predicted percent myocardial volume subtended to a stenotic segment (ML-%Vsub) and CAMS-%Vsub were minimized by the elastic net (6.26% ± 0.55% for LAD, 5.79% ± 0.68% for LCX, and 2.95% ± 0.14% for RCA lesions). Using all attributes (age, sex, involved vessel segment, and angiographic features affecting the myocardial territory and stenosis degree), the ML classifiers (L2 penalized logistic regression, support vector machine, and random forest) predicted an FFR < 0.80 with an accuracy of approximately 80% (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.84-0.87, 95% confidence intervals 0.71-0.94) in the test set, which was greater than that of diameter stenosis (DS) > 53% (66%, AUC = 0.71, 95% confidence intervals 0.65-0.78). The external validation showed 84% accuracy (AUC = 0.89, 95% confidence intervals 0.83-0.95). The retrospective design, single ethnicity, and the lack of clinical outcomes may limit this prediction model's generalized application., Conclusion: We found that angiography-based ML is useful to predict subtended myocardial territories and ischemia-producing lesions by mitigating the visual-functional mismatch between angiographic and FFR. Assessment of clinical utility requires further validation in a large, prospective cohort study., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

There is a lack of evidence regarding the efficacy of ischemia-guided coronary artery bypass grafting. We compared the incidence of graft failure between grafts bypassing ischemia-inducing and nonischemia-inducing stenoses. Between 1997 and 2011, 2,304 patients for whom baseline coronary angiography and myocardial perfusion imaging were available were identified from a single-center coronary artery bypass grafting registry. According to baseline myocardial perfusion imaging, each graft was assigned to either graft bypassing ischemia-inducing or nonischemia-inducing stenoses (ischemia-related grafts, n = 4,904; ischemia-unrelated grafts, n = 2,709). Graft failure was defined as total occlusion on coronary computed tomography angiography, performed at the discretion of the treating physician. The incidence of graft failure was compared on a per-graft basis. At 5 years, the incidence of graft failure was significantly higher in the ischemia-unrelated grafts (4.2% vs 2.9% in ischemia-related grafts; p = 0.003). Ischemia-related graft was an independent determinant of graft patency (adjusted hazard ratio 0.61; 95% confidence interval 0.44 to 0.84; p = 0.002). Increased risk of graft failure associated with ischemia-unrelated graft was observed only in the internal thoracic artery (3.3% vs 2.0%, p = 0.021) and arterial grafts (6.5% vs 4.3%, p = 0.020), but not in the venous grafts (2.7% vs 2.7%; p = 0.99). In terms of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events, 5-year incidences were comparable between the patients with and without ischemia-unrelated grafts (219, 19.3% vs 160, 18.0%; p = 0.61). In conclusion, ischemia-unrelated grafts became dysfunctional more frequently than ischemia-related grafts, and were not preventive of adverse events., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background/aims: Compared with metallic drug-eluting stents (DES), bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS) may further improve long-term outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with coronary artery disease. We report our early experience with BVS in Korea., Methods: We evaluated 105 consecutive patients with BVS implanted at Asan Medical Center, Korea between October 21, 2015 and June 3, 2016. Angiographic results, and in-hospital and 6-month clinical outcomes were assessed., Results: A total of 134 BVS were implanted to treat 115 lesions. The mean age was 62 ± 10.5 years; 85 patients (81%) were males, 26 patients (25%) were presented with acute coronary syndrome. Among 115 lesions treated with BVS, 76 (66.1%) were B2/C type, 27 (23.5%) were bifurcation lesions, and four (3.5%) were chronic total occlusion. Pre-dilation and post-dilation using high-pressure non-compliant balloon was performed in 104 lesions (90.4%) and 113 lesions (98.2%), respectively. During the procedure, intravascular imaging was used for all patients (100%; intravascular ultrasound 89 and optical coherence tomography 40 patients). Device success rate was 100%. In-segment and in-scaffold acute again were 1.1 ± 0.6 and 1.3 ± 0.5 mm, respectively. Periprocedural myocardial infraction occurred in four patients (3.8%). No deaths, stent thrombosis, or urgent revascularizations occurred either during hospitalization or the follow-up period., Conclusion: In this single-center experience, implantation of BVS with intravascular imaging support was feasible and early clinical outcomes were excellent. Evaluation of long-term efficacy and safety of BVS and its feasibility in clinical use for a broader range of lesions is warranted.

Limited information exists about characteristics of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Asia. We examined trends in interventional treatment and clinical outcomes for AMI from the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry (KAMIR). The study population was derived from patients in the KAMIR from November 2005 to December 2016. We identified 54,402 patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) (n = 29,222) and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) (n = 25,180). The rate of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) increased to 96.2% of STEMI group and 84.3% of NSTEMI group in 2016, respectively (All p trend <0.001). Furthermore, the rate of successful PCI was 97.3% in STEMI and 97.9% in NSTEMI. The rate of primary PCI increased from 67.8% in 2005 to 96.9% in 2016 (p trend <0.001). Moreover, in patients with STEMI, the proportion of drug-eluting stent implantation increased from 88.8% in 2005 to 97.9% in 2016 (p trend <0.001). Regarding 1-year clinical outcomes, incidence of definite stent thrombosis was 0.5%, 0.6%, and 0.4% in patients with AMI, STEMI, and NSTEMI, respectively. Moreover, 1-year mortality of AMI improved almost 40% compared with in 2005 (11.4% in 2005 and 6.7% in 2015, p trend <0.001). In Korean patients with AMI, the rate of primary PCI and drug-eluting stent implantation in STEMI was evidently higher than in the Western registries. In 1-year clinical outcomes, the incidence of stent thrombosis was low and mortality of AMI gradually improved and was lower than in the Western registries., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Aims: The optimal fractional flow reserve (FFR) cut-off value for revascularization is debated. We evaluated the prognosis for deferred and performed revascularization in coronary stenosis with FFR values in the grey zone (0.75-0.80)., Methods and Results: This study included 1334 native coronary stenosis with grey-zone FFR values in 1334 patients from the prospective multicentre Interventional Cardiology Research In-cooperation Society Fractional Flow Reserve registry. Revascularization was deferred for 683 patients (deferred group) and performed for 651 (performed group). The primary outcome, a composite of death, target-vessel myocardial infarction (MI), and target vessel revascularization (TVR) occurred in 55 (8.1%) patients in the deferred group and 55 (8.4%) in the performed group [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 1.05, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.67-1.66; P = 0.79] during a median follow-up of 2.9 years (interquartile range 1.5-4.1 years). Overall mortality and spontaneous MI did not differ between the groups (mortality 2.5% vs. 2.0%; aHR 0.82, 95% CI 0.34-2.00; P = 0.66; spontaneous MI 0.7% vs. 0.5%; aHR 1.85, 95% CI 0.35-9.75; P = 0.47). Myocardial infarction was significantly higher in the performed group (0.7% vs. 3.2%; aHR 0.27, 95% CI 0.09-0.80; P = 0.02) mainly because of a higher risk of periprocedural MI. Target vessel revascularization was significantly higher in the deferred group (5.7% vs. 3.7%; aHR 2.17, 95% CI 1.17-4.02; P = 0.01)., Conclusion: For coronary stenosis with grey-zone FFR, revascularization was not associated with better clinical outcomes. The higher likelihood of periprocedural MI with revascularization was offset by the higher likelihood of TVR with deferral., Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT01366404.

Objective: To evaluate the long-term mortality according to obesity in patients with chronic total occlusion (CTO) lesions after successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)., Background: Despite the potential impact of coronary revascularization and lesion severity on the obesity paradox, the long-term survival according to obesity in CTO patients after successful PCI has been unknown., Methods and Results: Between January 2003 and September 2014, we examined 1,172 consecutive Korean patients with 1,190 CTO lesions who underwent successful drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation in two tertiary academic medical centers. The primary and secondary endpoints were all-cause and cardiac death, respectively. Obesity was defined as a body mass index ≥25.0 kg/m 2 , based on the criteria for Asians. The median follow-up time was 4.4 years. The prevalence of obesity was 54.4%. During the follow-up periods, the occurrence of all-cause (6.1 vs. 10.7%) and cardiac death (3.8 vs. 6.7%) was lower in obese patients than in non-obese patients (P <0.05, respectively). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that obese patients had lower cumulative rates of all-cause and cardiac death than did non-obese patients (log-rank P <0.05, respectively). Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that age ≥65 years (hazard ratio [HR], 3.62), diabetes mellitus (HR, 1.94), renal dysfunction (HR, 7.03), systolic heart failure (HR, 2.61), and obesity (HR, 0.58) were associated with all-cause death (P <0.05). Multivariate Cox regression models showed that high BMI was independently associated with the decreased risk of all-cause death., Conclusions: Obese patients appear to have a lower long-term mortality than do non-obese patients in CTO after successful PCI using DES. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., (© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: This study sought to evaluate the optimal treatment for in-stent restenosis (ISR) of drug-eluting stents (DESs)., Methods: This is a prospective, multicenter, open-label, randomized study comparing the use of drug-eluting balloon (DEB) versus second-generation everolimus-eluting stent for the treatment of DES ISR. The primary end point was in-segment late loss at 9-month routine angiographic follow-up., Results: A total of 172 patients were enrolled, and 74 (43.0%) patients underwent the angiographic follow-up. The primary end point was not different between the 2 treatment groups (DEB group 0.15±0.49 mm vs DES group 0.19±0.41 mm, P=.54). The secondary end points of in-segment minimal luminal diameter (MLD) (1.80±0.69 mm vs 2.09±0.46 mm, P=.03), in-stent MLD (1.90±0.71 mm vs 2.29±0.48 mm, P=.005), in-segment percent diameter stenosis (34%±21% vs 26%±15%, P=.05), and in-stent percent diameter stenosis (33%±21% vs 21%±15%, P=.002) were more favorable in the DES group. The composite of death, myocardial infarction, or target lesion revascularization at 1 year was comparable between the 2 groups (DEB group 7.0% vs DES group 4.7%, P=.51)., Conclusions: Treatment of DES ISR using DEB or second-generation DES did not differ in terms of late loss at 9-month angiographic follow-up, whereas DES showed better angiographic results regarding minimal MLD and percent diameter stenosis. Both treatment strategies were safe and effective up to 1year after the procedure., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study sought to evaluate the impact of triple antiplatelet therapy on clinical outcomes in patients treated with second-generation drug-eluting stents (DES) for coronary artery disease. There are limited data regarding the impact of triple antiplatelet therapy in patients who underwent implantation of second-generation DES. We planned to randomly assign 2,110 patients treated with second-generation DES to triple (aspirin, clopidogrel, and cilostazol) and dual (aspirin, clopidogrel, and placebo) antiplatelet therapy groups. The primary end point was a composite of death, myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, or target vessel revascularization (TVR) at 1 year since randomization. The study was stopped early owing to slow enrollment. In total, 404 patients (202 patients each in the triple and dual antiplatelet therapy groups) were finally enrolled. At 1 year, the primary end point had occurred in 3.6% and 9.4% of patients in the triple and dual antiplatelet therapy groups, respectively (hazard ratio [HR] of the triple group 0.396; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.166 to 0.949; p = 0.038). There was no significant difference between the 2 groups regarding the occurrence of a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, or ischemic stroke (HR 0.583; 95% CI 0.229 to 1.481; p = 0.256). However, the rates of TVR were significantly lower in the triple antiplatelet therapy group than in the dual antiplatelet therapy group (HR 0.118; 95% CI 0.015 to 0.930; p = 0.043). In conclusion, triple antiplatelet therapy with cilostazol after implantation of second-generation DES improved clinical outcomes, mainly by reducing TVR., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Recent evidence suggests that the diagnostic accuracy of myocardial perfusion imaging is improved by quantifying stress myocardial blood flow (MBF) in absolute terms. We evaluated a comprehensive quantitative (13)N-ammonia positron emission tomography ((13)NH3-PET) diagnostic panel, including stress MBF, coronary flow reserve (CFR), and relative flow reserve (RFR) in conjunction with relative perfusion defect (PD) assessments to better detect functionally significant coronary artery stenosis., Methods and Results: A total of 130 patients (307 vessels) with coronary artery disease underwent both (13)NH3-PET and invasive coronary angiography with fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurement. Diagnostic accuracy, optimal cut points, and discrimination indices of respective (13)NH3-PET quantitative measures were compared, with FFR as standard reference. The capacity to discern disease with stepwise addition of stress MBF, CFR, and RFR to qualitatively assessed relative PD was also gauged, using the category-free net reclassification index. All quantitative measures showed significant correlation with FFR (PET-derived CFR, r=0.388; stress MBF, r=0.496; and RFR, r=0.780; all P<0.001). Optimal respective cut points for FFR ≤0.8 and ≤0.75 were 1.99 and 1.84 mL/min per g for stress MBF and 2.12 and 2.00 for PET-derived CFR. Discrimination indices of quantitative measures that correlated with FFR ≤0.8 were all significantly higher than that of relative PD (area under the curve: 0.626, 0.730, 0.806, and 0.897 for relative PD, CFR, stress MBF, and RFR, respectively; overall comparison P<0.001). The capacity for functionally significant coronary stenosis was incrementally improved by the successive addition of CFR (net reclassification index=0.629), stress MBF (net reclassification index=0.950), and RFR (net reclassification index=1.253; all P<0.001) to relative PD., Conclusions: Integrating quantitative (13)NH3-PET measures with qualitative myocardial perfusion assessment provides superior diagnostic accuracy and improves the capacity to detect functionally significant coronary artery stenosis., Clinical Trial Registration: URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifiers: NCT01621438 and NCT01366404., (© 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Unlabelled: Little data are available to compare the clinical implications of coronary angiography (CAG) or myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) as an initial evaluation for stable coronary artery disease (CAD)., Methods: From national health insurance claims data in South Korea, patients aged 18 y or older without a known history of CAD, who underwent CAG or MPI for the diagnosis of stable CAD between 2009 and 2013, were enrolled. Patients were divided into CAG (n = 117,134) and MPI (n = 19,932) groups. The primary endpoint, defined as a composite of all-cause death and myocardial infarction, was compared by a propensity score analysis between the 2 groups., Results: There was a significant increase (39%) in the annual rate of CAG from 23,985 in 2009-2010 to 33,373 in 2012-2013. However, a substantial reduction (41%) in the annual MPI rate was also noted from 6,389 in 2009-2010 to 3,790 in 2012-2013. During the follow-up period (median, 2.4 y; interquartile range, 1.5-3.5), coronary revascularization was more frequently performed in the CAG group (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] of CAG, 24.15; 95% confidence interval [CI], 19.66-29.68; P < 0.001). However, the incidence of the primary endpoint was significantly higher in the CAG group (aHR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.17-1.36; P < 0.001). The individual endpoints of death (aHR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.06-1.25; P = 0.001) and myocardial infarction (aHR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.60-2.36; P < 0.001) were also higher in the CAG group., Conclusion: As an initial diagnostic test in patients with stable CAD, MPI is associated with a better clinical outcomes than CAG., (© 2016 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.)

We sought to estimate the prevalence of coronary atherosclerosis by coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) and to identify risk factors attributable to the development of coronary atherosclerosis in an asymptomatic Asian population. We analyzed 6,311 consecutive asymptomatic individuals aged 40 and older with no prior history of coronary artery disease (CAD) who voluntarily underwent CCTA evaluation as part of a general health examination. The mean age of study participants was 54.7 ± 7.4 years, and 4,594 (72.8%) were male. After age and gender adjustment using the population census of the National Statistical Office, the prevalence of plaque was 40.5% [95% confidence interval (CI) 38.1-42.9], and significant CAD (diameter stenosis ≥50%) was observed in 9.0% (95% CI 7.7-10.2). Individuals with significant CAD were significantly older than those without (59.2 ± 8.8 vs. 54.0 ± 7.1 years, p < 0.001). Compared with individuals with no cardiovascular risk factors, there was a higher prevalence of significant CAD in individuals with diabetes mellitus [standardized rate ratio (SRR) 2.66; 95% CI 1.93-3.68; p < 0.001], hypertension (SRR 2.24; 95% CI 1.69-2.97; p < 0.001), or hyperlipidemia (SRR 1.65; 95% CI 1.25-2.17; p < 0.001). There was also a greater prevalence of significant CAD in individuals with an intermediate or high Framingham risk score (SRR 5.91; 95% CI 2.34-14.95; p < 0.001) or a high atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk score (SRR 8.04; 95% CI 3.04-21.23; p < 0.001). The prevalence of coronary atherosclerosis in this Asian population was not negligible and was associated with known cardiovascular risk factors and high-risk individuals.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of bleeding after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents on long-term clinical events according to the newly proposed Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) classification., Background: Current evidence about the impact of the BARC classification is limited., Methods: Out of a total of 6,166 patients who underwent PCI in a prospective IRIS-DES registry, the impact of in-hospital bleeding defined as the BARC classification on major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) comprising death, myocardial infarction (MI), or stroke was analyzed., Results: In-hospital bleeding occurred in 235 patients (3.8%) according to BARC classification. During the 2-year follow-up, MACE occurred in 599 patients (9.7%). The 2-year incidence of MACE was significantly higher in patients with bleeding (16.7% vs. 8.3%; adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-2.3; P = 0.002) than in those without bleeding. We observed a higher risk of MI (12.4% vs. 6.4%; adjusted HR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.2-2.6, P = 0.005), stroke (3.0% vs. 0.6%; adjusted HR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.4-6.2, P = 0.005) in patients with bleeding. Death (3.8% vs. 1.6%; adjusted HR, 1.6; 95% CI, 0.9-3.0, P = 0.120) and target vessel revascularization (4.3% vs. 1.9%; adjusted HR, 1.6; 95% CI, 0.9-2.9, P = 0.108) were statistically insignificant. Incidence, adjusted HR and P-value were similar between BARC and TIMI classification., Conclusions: In-hospital bleeding events according to the newly proposed BARC definition were significantly associated with an increased risk of adverse long-term events in patients undergoing PCI with drug-eluting stents. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., (© 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Few data on the relative efficacy and safety of new P2Y12inhibitors such as prasugrel and ticagrelor in Japanese, Taiwanese and South Korean patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) exist., Methods and results: The multicenter, double-blind, randomized PHILO trial compared the safety and efficacy of ticagrelor vs. clopidogrel in 801 patients with ACS (Japanese, n=721; Taiwanese, n=35; South Korean, n=44; unknown ethnicity, n=1). All were planned to undergo percutaneous coronary intervention and randomized within 24 h of symptom onset. Primary safety and efficacy endpoints were time to first occurrence of any major bleeding event and to any event from the composite of myocardial infarction, stroke or death from vascular causes, respectively.At 12 months, overall major bleeding occurred in 10.3% of ticagrelor-treated patients and in 6.8% of clopidogrel-treated patients (hazard ratio (HR), 1.54; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.94-2.53); the composite primary efficacy endpoint occurred in 9.0% and in 6.3% of ticagrelor- and clopidogrel-treated patients, respectively (HR, 1.47; 95% CI: 0.88-2.44). For both analyses, the difference between groups was not statistically significant., Conclusions: In ACS patients from Japan, Taiwan and South Korea, event rates of primary safety and efficacy endpoints were higher, albeit not significantly, in ticagrelor-treated patients compared with clopidogrel-treated patients. This observation could be explained by the small sample size, imbalance in clinical characteristics and low number of events in the PHILO population.

We applied cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) for desynchronized heart failure patients. We evaluated clinical outcomes including morbidity, mortality, and echocardiographic parameters in 47 patients with implanted CRT in Korea from October 2005 to May 2013. The combined outcomes of hospitalization from heart failure, heart transplantation and death were the primary end point. Median follow-up period was 17.5 months. The primary outcomes listed above occurred in 10 (21.3%) patients. Two patients (4.3%) died after CRT and 8 (17%) patients were hospitalized for recurrent heart failure. Among patients hospitalized for heart failure, 2 (4.3%) patients underwent heart transplantation. The overall free rate of heart failure requiring hospitalization was 90.1% (95% CI, 0.81-0.99) over one year and 69.4% (95% CI, 0.47-0.91) over 3 yr. We observed improvement of the New York Heart Association classification (3.1±0.5 to 1.7±0.4), decreases in QRS duration (169.1 to 146.9 ms), decreases in left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic (255.0 to 220.1 mL) and end-systolic (194.4 to 159.4 mL) volume and increases in LV ejection fraction (22.5% to 31.1%) at 6 months after CRT. CRT improved symptoms and echocardiographic parameters in a relatively short period, resulting in low mortality and a decrease in hospitalization due to heart failure.

Background: A model for predicting cardiovascular disease in Asian populations is limited., Methods and Results: In total, 57 393 consecutive asymptomatic Korean individuals aged 30 to 80 years without a prior history of cardiovascular disease who underwent a general health examination were enrolled. Subjects were randomly classified into the train (n=45 914) and validation (n=11 479) cohorts. Thirty-one possible risk factors were assessed. The cardiovascular event was a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, and stroke. In the train cohort, the C-index (95% confidence interval) and Akaike Information Criterion were used to develop the best-fitting prediction model. In the validation cohort, the predicted versus the observed cardiovascular event rates were compared by the C-index and Nam and D'Agostino χ(2) statistics. During a median follow-up period of 3.1 (interquartile range, 1.9-4.3) years, 458 subjects had 474 cardiovascular events. In the train cohort, the best-fitting model consisted of age, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, current smoking, family history of coronary heart disease, white blood cell, creatinine, glycohemoglobin, atrial fibrillation, blood pressure, and cholesterol (C-index =0.757 [0.726-0.788] and Akaike Information Criterion =7207). When this model was tested in the validation cohort, it performed well in terms of discrimination and calibration abilities (C-index=0.760 [0.693-0.828] and Nam and D'Agostino χ(2) statistic =0.001 for 3 years; C-index=0.782 [0.719-0.846] and Nam and D'Agostino χ(2) statistic=1.037 for 5 years)., Conclusions: A risk model based on traditional clinical and biomarkers has a feasible model performance in predicting cardiovascular events in an asymptomatic Korean population., (© 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Objectives: We aimed at comparing the clinical outcomes of the patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) due to left main coronary arteries (LMCA) and non-LMCA determining the predictors of mortality in the patients., Background: There are few data regarding the midterm prognosis of STEMI due to LMCA as compared with them due to non-LMCA., Methods: A total of 4,697 patients with STEMI (61 patients with LMCA and 4,636 patients with non-LMCA) were enrolled in a nationwide Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction (MI) Registry between November 2005 and September 2009. The primary endpoints was a composite of cardiac death, nonfatal MI, and target lesion and vessel revascularization (TLR/TVR) during a 12-month clinical follow-up., Results: The LMCA group had a higher incidence of total major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) (26.2% vs. 7.8%; P < 0.001) at 12 months, which was largely attributable to cardiac deaths at 1 month (21.3% vs. 3.8%; P < 0.001). Therefore, there was no statistical difference in cardiac deaths, nonfatal MI, TLR/TVR, and MACEs after 1 month between the two groups. Presenting in cardiogenic shock (HR, 4.25; 95% CI, 1.01-17.97; P = 0.049) and heart rate ≥100 bpm (HR, 4.97; 95% CI, 1.18-21.00; P = 0.029) were independent predictors of cardiac death due to LMCA., Conclusion: Patients with STEMI and a LMCA had poor clinical outcomes, which is attributable to hemodynamic deterioration during the periprocedural period. However, after that time, midterm MACEs of the survivors following the periprocedural period may not be different between STEMI due to LMCA and non-LMCA., (Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., a Wiley company.)

Background: Conflicting data on sex-based differences in outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) among Western population exist. Little is known about the nature of sex-specific PCI outcomes in an Asian population., Methods: We performed a pooled analysis using 23,604 patients from 11 prospective PCI clinical studies performed in Korea. The primary outcome was a major cardiovascular event, defined as composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, or stroke. Secondary outcomes were all-cause mortality and target vessel revascularization., Results: Thirty-day and 2-year rates of major cardiovascular events were more frequent in women than in men, mainly because of a higher incidence of periprocedural myocardial infarction in women (30-day: 9.2% vs 7.1%; 2-year: 11.2% vs 8.9%). After multivariable adjustment, women had significantly higher risks of 30-day (hazard ratio [HR] 1.27, 95% CI 1.19-1.36) and 2-year major cardiovascular events (HR 1.21, 95% CI 1.13-1.30). Unadjusted 30-day and 2-year all-cause mortality was similar between women and men (30-day: 0.5% vs 0.4%; 2-year: 2.8% vs 2.8%). However, after multivariable adjustment, women had a lower adjusted risk of 2-year death (HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.77-0.87). No sex-based difference was observed for target vessel revascularization (HR 1.07, 95% CI 0.91-1.25). Overall, sex-specific findings for outcomes were consistent across multiple patient subgroups., Conclusion: Among Korean population undergoing contemporary PCI, women have a significantly higher risk of short- and long-term major cardiovascular events than do men but have better long-term survival., (Copyright © 2014 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The aim of this study was to report the long-term clinical outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents (DES) versus coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for ostial/midshaft lesions in an unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA)., Background: Data regarding outcomes in these patients are limited., Methods: Of a total of 2,775 patients enrolled in the DELTA multinational registry, 856 patients with isolated ostial/midshaft lesions in an ULMCA treated by PCI with DES (n = 482) or CABG (n = 374) were analyzed., Results: At a median follow-up period of 1,293 days, there were no significant differences in the propensity score-adjusted analyses for the composite endpoint of all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), and cerebrovascular accident (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.21, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.79 to 1.86; p = 0.372), all-cause death (HR: 1.35, 95% CI: 0.80 to 2.27; p = 0.255), the composite endpoint of all-cause death and MI (HR: 1.33, 95% CI: 0.83 to 2.12; p = 0.235) and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (HR: 1.34, 95% CI: 0.93 to 1.93; p = 0.113). These results were sustained after propensity-score matching. However, a higher incidence of target vessel revascularization (HR: 1.94, 95% CI: 1.03 to 3.64; p = 0.039) was observed in the PCI compared with the CABG group, with a trend toward higher target lesion revascularization (HR: 2.00, 95% CI: 0.90 to 4.45; p = 0.090)., Conclusions: This study demonstrates that PCI for ostial/midshaft lesions in an ULMCA is associated with clinical outcomes comparable to those observed with CABG at long-term follow-up, despite the use of older first-generation DES., (Copyright © 2014 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Our study aims to analyze prognosis after implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implantation in Korean patients with Brugada syndrome (BrS)., Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study of BrS patients implanted with an ICD at one of four centers in Korea between January 1998 and April 2012. Sixty-nine patients (68 males, 1 female) were implanted with an ICD based on aborted cardiac arrest (n=38, 55%), history of syncope (n=17, 25%), or induced ventricular tachyarrhythmia on electrophysiologic study in asymptomatic patients (n=14, 20%). A family history of sudden cardiac death and a spontaneous type 1 electrocardiography (ECG) were noted in 13 patients (19%) and 44 patients (64%), respectively., Results: During a mean follow-up of 59±46 months, 4.6±5.5 appropriate shocks were delivered in 19 patients (28%). Fourteen patients (20%) experienced 5.2±8.0 inappropriate shocks caused by supraventricular arrhythmia, lead failure, or abnormal sensing. Six patients were admitted for cardiac causes during follow-up, but no cardiac deaths occurred. An episode of aborted cardiac arrest was a significant predictor of appropriate shock, and the composite of cardiac events in the Cox proportional hazard model [hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) was 11.34 (1.31-97.94) and 4.78 (1.41-16.22), respectively]. However, a spontaneous type 1 ECG was not a predictor of cardiac events., Conclusion: Appropriate shock (28%) and inappropriate shock (20%) were noted during a mean follow-up of 59±46 months in Korean BrS patients implanted with an ICD. An episode of aborted cardiac arrest was the most powerful predictor of cardiac events.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare, in a large all-comer registry, the long-term clinical outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents (DES) for ostial/mid-shaft lesions versus distal bifurcation lesions in unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) stenosis., Background: Limited data are available regarding clinical outcomes following DES implantation at the different ULMCA sites., Methods: Patients with ULMCA stenosis treated by PCI with DES were analyzed in this multinational registry., Results: A total of 1,612 patients were included: 482 were treated for ostial/mid-shaft lesions versus 1,130 for distal bifurcation lesions. At a median follow-up period of 1,250 (interquartile range: 987 to 1,564) days, PCI for distal bifurcation lesions was associated with a higher incidence of major adverse cardiac events (propensity-score adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 1.48, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.16 to 1.89; p = 0.001), largely because of the higher target vessel revascularization rate observed in this group as compared to the ostial/mid-shaft lesions group (propensity-score adjusted HR: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.19 to 2.38; p = 0.003). These results were sustained following propensity-score matched analysis. With regard to all-cause death and the composite endpoint of all-cause death and myocardial infarction, propensity-score adjusted analysis suggested a trend toward higher rates of these in the distal ULMCA PCI group, although this was not observed in the propensity-score matched analysis., Conclusions: This study demonstrates that PCI for ostial/mid-shaft lesions is associated with better clinical outcomes than are distal bifurcation lesions in ULMCA, largely because there is a lower need for repeat revascularization in ostial/mid-shaft lesions., (Copyright © 2013 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Purpose: Octogenarians (age ≥ 80 years) with coronary artery disease constitute a high-risk group. However, octogenarian patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the drug-eluting stents (DES) era have not been widely reported. We aimed to identify clinical outcomes in octogenarian compared with non-octogenarian AMI patients., Methods and Subjects: We retrospectively analyzed 9877 patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents (DES) and who were enrolled in the Korean Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry (KAMIR). They were divided into 2 groups, octogenarians (n=1494) and non-octogenarians (n=8383), in order to compare the incidence of 1-year all-cause death and 1-year major adverse cardiac events (MACE), where MACE included all-cause death, recurrent myocardial infarction, target vessel revascularization (TVR), target lesion revascularization (TLR), and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)., Results: The clinical status was significantly inferior in octogenarians compared to non-octogenarians: Killip class ≥ II (34.8% vs. 22.5%, p<0.001), multivessel disease (65.8% vs. 53.7%, p<0.001). Rates of 1-year all-cause death were significantly higher in octogenarians than in non-octogenarians (22.3% vs. 6.5%, p<0.001). However, the rates of 1-year recurrent myocardial infarction (1.3% vs. 0.9%, p=0.68), TLR (2.4% vs. 3.1%, p=0.69), TVR (3.6% vs. 4.3%, p=0.96), and CABG (0.9% vs. 0.9%, p=0.76) did not differ significantly between the 2 groups., Conclusions: Octogenarian AMI patients have higher rates of mortality and MACE even in the DES era. According to KAMIR subgroup analysis, the TLR/TVR rates in octogenarians were comparable to those in non-octogenarian AMI patients., (Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Objective: To investigate procedural success rates and long-term clinical outcome of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for chronic total occlusions (CTO) in elderly patients., Background: Little is known about procedural success and long-term clinical outcome of PCI for CTO in the elderly., Methods: A total of 1,791 consecutive patients with 1,852 CTO underwent PCI at three large centers in USA, Italy, and South Korea. Outcomes included procedural success and major adverse cardiac events (MACE, composite of mortality, myocardial infarction, or coronary artery bypass graft surgery [CABG]).Time-to-event analyses were performed using Kaplan-Meier statistics, and the log-rank statistic was used to test for differences between patients aged ≥75 and patients aged <75 years., Results: Two hundred and thirteen patients (12%) were aged ≥75 years. Procedural success rates were similar in elderly patients compared with patients <75 years (63.8% vs. 69.1%, P = 0.12). Median follow-up was 890 days (IQR: 380-1,480 days). MACE rates after successful versus failed PCI were 25.8% versus 42.3% in the elderly (P = 0.02) and 11.2 versus 20.8% in younger patients (P < 0.01). In elderly patients, this reduction in MACE after successful PCI was mainly driven by a reduction in CABG (0.0% vs. 20.4%, P < 0.01), there were no significant differences in terms of mortality (19.6% vs. 24.6%, P = 0.13) or MI (11.5% vs. 8.0%, P = 0.87)., Conclusion: CTO PCI in patients ≥75 years has similar success as in patients <75 years. In elderly patients undergoing CTO PCI, MACE rates were relatively high but successful revascularization is associated with a reduction in MACE at 5-year follow-up in both elderly and younger patients., (Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Mutation or common intronic variants in cardiac ion channel genes have been suggested to be associated with sudden cardiac death caused by idiopathic ventricular tachyarrhythmia. This study aimed to find mutations in cardiac ion channel genes of Korean sudden cardiac arrest patients with structurally normal heart and to verify association between common genetic variation in cardiac ion channel and sudden cardiac arrest by idiopathic ventricular tachyarrhythmia in Koreans. Study participants were Korean survivors of sudden cardiac arrest caused by idiopathic ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation. All coding exons of the SCN5A, KCNQ1, and KCNH2 genes were analyzed by Sanger sequencing. Fifteen survivors of sudden cardiac arrest were included. Three male patients had mutations in SCN5A gene and none in KCNQ1 and KCNH2 genes. Intronic variant (rs2283222) in KCNQ1 gene showed significant association with sudden cardiac arrest (OR 4.05). Four male sudden cardiac arrest survivors had intronic variant (rs11720524) in SCN5A gene. None of female survivors of sudden cardiac arrest had SCN5A gene mutations despite similar frequencies of intronic variants between males and females in 55 normal controls. Common intronic variant in KCNQ1 gene is associated with sudden cardiac arrest caused by idiopathic ventricular tachyarrhythmia in Koreans.

Objectives: To evaluate the differential treatment effects of zotarolimus-eluting stents (ZES), sirolimus-eluting stents (SES), and paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES) according to diabetic status., Background: Diabetic patients have a higher risk of ischemic complications after stenting than nondiabetic patients., Methods: Using data from the ZEST randomized trial, comparing ZES with SES and PES, we evaluated relative outcomes among stents in diabetic and nondiabetic patients. The primary outcome was a major adverse cardiac event (MACE), defined as a composite of death, myocardial infarction, or ischemia-driven target-vessel revascularization., Results: Of the 2,645 patients enrolled in the ZEST trial, 760 (29%) had diabetes mellitus. Baseline clinical and angiographic characteristics were similar in the three stent groups, regardless of diabetic status. In diabetic patients, ZES showed similar rates of MACE as compared to PES (13.8% vs. 15.3%, P = 0.58), but higher rates of MACE than SES (13.8% vs. 7.7%, P = 0.05). In nondiabetic patients, ZES showed similar rates of MACE as compared to SES (10.3% vs. 10.8%, P = 0.72), whereas significantly lower rates of MACE compared to PES (10.3% vs. 15.3%, P = 0.01). In comparing the ZES and SES groups, there was a substantial interaction between diabetic status and stent types on MACE occurrence (Interaction P = 0.07). However, in comparison of ZES and PES, there were no significant interactions between diabetes and stent type on MACE (Interaction P = 0.25)., Conclusions: In diabetic patients, SES showed the lowest rate of MACE compared with ZES and PES. But, in nondiabetic patients, SES and ZES showed significantly lower rates of MACE than PES. ZES shows a diabetes-related interaction on MACE compared with SES, but not with PES., (Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)