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BACKGROUND: Drug-coated balloons (DCB) and drug-eluting stents (DES) represent the currently recommended treatments for in-stent restenosis (ISR). Optical coherence tomography (OCT) allows detailed neointimal characterisation which can guide treatment strategies. AIMS: The aims of this study were first, to assess the relation between neointimal pattern and clinical outcomes following in-stent restenosis (ISR) treatment, and second, to explore a potential interaction between neointimal pattern and treatment modality relative to clinical outcomes. METHODS: Patients undergoing OCT-guided treatment (DCB or DES) of ISR in three European centres were included. Based on the median of distribution of non-homogeneous neointima quadrants, patients were categorised into low and high inhomogeneity groups. RESULTS: A total of 197 patients (low inhomogeneity=100 and high inhomogeneity=97) were included. There were no significant differences in terms of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) (p=0.939) or target lesion revascularisation (TLR) (p=0.732) between the two groups. The exploratory analysis showed a significant interaction between neointimal pattern and treatment modality regarding MACE (pint=0.006) and TLR (pint=0.022). DES showed a significant advantage over DCB in the high (MACE: HR 0.26 [0.10-0.65], p=0.004; TLR: HR 0.28 [0.11-0.69], p=0.006), but not in the low inhomogeneity group (MACE: p=0.917; TLR: p=0.797). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with ISR treated with DCB or DES, there were no significant differences in terms of MACE or TLR between the low and high inhomogeneity groups. A significant interaction was observed between treatment modality and neointimal pattern with an advantage of DES over DCB in the high and no difference in the low inhomogeneity group. This warrants confirmation from prospective dedicated studies.

Objectives The aim of this study was to compare outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with the SAPIEN 3 Ultra (Ultra) and SAPIEN 3 (S3) transcatheter heart valves (T...

Background: Patients suffering from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) frequently receive a bronchoscopy after being admitted to the ICU. We investigated the optimal timing and the outcome in these patients. Methods: All patients who suffered from OHCA and were treated in our ICU from January 2013 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The data were collected from the patients’ medical files, and included duration of mechanical ventilation, antibiotics, microbiological test results and neurological outcome. The outcome was the effect of early bronchoscopy (≤48 h after administration) on the rate of intubated patients on day five and day seven. Results: From January 2013 to December 2018, 190 patients were admitted with OHCA. Bronchoscopy was performed in 111 patients out of the 164 patients who survived the first day. Late bronchoscopy &gt, 48 h was associated with higher rates of intubation on day five (OR 4.94, 95% CI 1.2–36.72, 86.7% vs. 55.0%, p = 0.036) and day seven (OR 4.96, 95% CI 1.38–24.69, 80.0% vs. 43.3%, p = 0.019). Conclusion: This study shows that patients who suffered from OHCA might have a better outcome if they receive a bronchoscopy early after hospital admission. Our data suggests an association of early bronchoscopy with a shorter intubation period.

BACKGROUND: Clinical and angiographic outcomes following recanalisation of coronary chronic total occlusions (CTO) through contemporary dissection and re-entry techniques (DART) as opposed to intraplaque techniques remain controversial. AIMS: The aim of this study was to compare clinical and angiographic outcomes following subintimal and intraplaque CTO recanalisation. METHODS: A total of 454 consecutive patients undergoing successful CTO recanalisation (473 vessels) were included. Intraplaque techniques were used in 403 (85.2%) and DART in 70 (14.8%) vessels. Surveillance angiography was scheduled at 6-9 months and clinical follow-up was performed up to 12 months. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in terms of the cumulative incidence of MACE (p=0.908) or binary restenosis (p=0.320) between the two groups. There was no independent correlation between recanalisation technique and MACE occurrence or in-segment binary restenosis. Target lesion revascularisation (TLR) was performed in 60 (17.5%) and 12 (18.1%) (p=0.719) lesions, respectively. The occurrence of occlusive restenosis was low (7 [2.3%] vs 1 [1.6%]; p=0.824) and comparable between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Contemporary DART are associated with similar midterm clinical and angiographic outcomes compared to intraplaque recanalisation. The rate of occlusive restenosis was low and comparable in both groups. Regardless of recanalisation technique, the overall incidences of binary restenosis and TLR following CTO recanalisation remain higher than those reported for non-CTO PCI.

Background The clinical impact of early aspirin discontinuation compared with dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention with stenting remains poorly studied. We investigated the clinical outcomes of patients assigned to either early aspirin discontinuation or DAPT after percutaneous coronary intervention with stenting. Methods and Results We performed a meta‐analysis of aggregate data from randomized clinical trials enrolling participants receiving a percutaneous coronary intervention with stenting and assigned to either early aspirin discontinuation or DAPT. Scientific databases were searched from inception through March 30, 2020. Trial‐level hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs were pooled using a random effects model with inverse variance weighting. The primary outcome was all‐cause death. Secondary outcomes were myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, stroke, and major bleeding. Overall, 36 206 participants were allocated to either early aspirin discontinuation (experimental therapy, n=18 088) or DAPT (control therapy, n=18 118) in 7 trials. Median follow‐up was 12 months. All‐cause death occurred in 2.5% of patients assigned to experimental and 2.9% of patients assigned control therapy (hazard ratio [HR], 0.91, 95% CI, 0.75–1.11; P =0.37). Overall, patients treated with experimental versus control therapy showed no significant difference in terms of myocardial infarction (HR, 1.02 [0.85–1.22], P =0.81), stent thrombosis (HR, 1.02 [0.87–1.20], P =0.83), or stroke (HR, 1.01 [0.68–1.49], P =0.96). However, the risk for major bleeding (HR, 0.58 [0.43–0.77], P Conclusions In patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention and stenting, assigned to a strategy of early aspirin discontinuation versus DAPT, the risk of death and ischemic events is not significantly different but the risk of bleeding is lower.

Aims To investigate the clinical outcomes associated with an antithrombotic therapy with or without clopidogrel after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Methods and results This is a study-level meta-analysis including all randomized trials investigating antithrombotic regimens after TAVR. The protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020191036). We searched electronic scientific databases for eligible studies. The primary outcome was all-cause death. Main secondary outcome was major bleeding. Other outcomes were life-threatening (or disabling) bleeding, myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke. Six eligible trials randomly allocated 3056 TAVR patients to aspirin or oral anticoagulation (OAC) with clopidogrel (n = 1525) versus aspirin and/or OAC without clopidogrel (n = 1531). In the overall estimates, an antithrombotic therapy with clopidogrel versus without displayed a comparable risk of all-cause death [Risk Ratio—RR = 0.83, 95% Confidence intervals—CI (0.57–1.20); P = 0.25] and major bleeding [RR = 1.33, 95% CI (0.61–2.92); P = 0.39]. However, the combination of aspirin or OAC with clopidogrel doubled the risk of major bleeding as compared to aspirin or OAC without clopidogrel [RR = 2.08, 95% CI (1.27–3.42); P = 0.015, P for interaction = 0.021]. Treatment strategies did not differ with respect to the risk of life-threatening bleeding, MI and stroke. Conclusions In patients receiving TAVR, a therapeutic strategy of aspirin or OAC with clopidogrel significantly increases the risk of major bleeding without impact on mortality and ischemic outcomes compared to aspirin or OAC without clopidogrel. The performance of different antithrombotic regimens in terms of long-term clinical outcomes and bioprosthesis valve function requires further investigation. Graphic abstract Forest plots from pairwise and network meta-analyses associated with an antithrombotic therapy with or without clopidogrel Risk ratio for all outcomes of interest calculated with the pairwise meta-analysis (left side) and for main outcomes calculated with the network meta-analysis (right side) in patients allocated to an antithrombotic therapy with clopidogrel or without. The diamonds indicate the point estimate and the left and the right ends of the lines the [95% CI]. CI: Confidence intervals; OAC; oral anticoagulation.

Extensive translational research has provided considerable progress regarding the understanding of atherosclerosis pathophysiology over the last decades. In contrast, implementation of molecular in vivo imaging remains highly limited. In that context, nanoparticles represent a useful tool. Their variable shape and composition assure biocompatibility and stability within the environment of intended use, while the possibility of conjugating different ligands as well as contrast dyes enable targeting of moieties of interest on a molecular level and visualization throughout various imaging modalities. These characteristics have been exploited by a number of preclinical research approaches aimed at advancing understanding of vascular atherosclerotic disease, in order to improve identification of high-risk lesions prior to oftentimes fatal thromboembolic events. Furthermore, the combination of these targeted nanoparticles with therapeutic agents offers the potential of site-targeted drug delivery with minimized systemic secondary effects. This review gives an overview of different groups of targeted nanoparticles, designed for in vivo molecular imaging of atherosclerosis as well as an outlook on potential combined diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

In patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) receiving percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), the role of systemic therapeutic hypothermia remains controversial. We sought to investigate the role of systemic therapeutic hypothermia versus standard of care in patients with acute MI treated with PCI. This is a study-level meta-analysis of randomized trials. The primary outcome was all-cause death. The main secondary outcome was infarct size. Other secondary outcomes were recurrent MI, ischemia-driven target vessel revascularization (TVR), major adverse cardiovascular events, and bleeding. A total of 1012 patients with acute MI receiving a PCI in nine trials (503 randomly assigned to hypothermia and 509 to control) were available for the quantitative synthesis. The weighted median follow-up was 30 days. As compared to controls, patients assigned to hypothermia had similar risk of all-cause death (risk ratio, [95% confidence intervals], 1.25 [0.80; 1.95], p = 0.32), with a trend toward higher risk of ischemia-driven TVR (3.55 [0.80; 15.87], p = 0.09) mostly due to acute or subacute stent thrombosis. Although in the overall cohort, infarct size was comparable between groups (standardized mean difference [95% Confidence intervals], 0.06 [− 0.92; 1.04], p = 0.92), patients effectively achieving the protocol-defined target temperature in the hypothermia group had smaller infarct size as compared to controls (p for interaction = 0.016). Treatment strategies did not differ with respect to the other outcomes. As compared to standard of care, systemic therapeutic hypothermia in acute MI patients treated with PCI provided similar mortality with a signal toward more frequent repeat revascularization. Among patients assigned to hypothermia, those effectively achieving the protocol-defined target temperature displayed smaller infarct size. PROSPERO, CRD42019138754.

Aims The ultrathin-strut biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) is a new-generation drug-eluting stent (DES) developed to improve the percutaneous treatment of patients with coronary artery disease. Here, we sought to investigate whether the performance of the ultrathin-strut biodegradable polymer SES is superior to that of the benchmark thin-strut fluoropolymer-based everolimus-eluting stent (EES). Methods and results We undertook a study-level meta-analysis of trials in which patients receiving percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were randomly assigned to either SES or EES. Primary efficacy and safety outcomes were target lesion revascularisation (TLR) and definite/probable stent thrombosis (ST), respectively. Secondary outcomes were myocardial infarction (MI), death, target lesion failure (TLF) and target vessel failure (TVF). A total of 4,853 patients received a PCI with either SES (n=2,816) or EES (n=2,037) in six trials. After a weighted median follow-up of 12 months, patients treated with SES had a risk of TLR (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.24 [0.83-1.85], p=0.30), definite/probable ST (0.84 [0.53-1.33], p=0.45) and MI related to the target vessel (0.77 [0.55-1.07], p=0.12) comparable to that of patients treated with EES. We found no significant difference with regard to other secondary outcomes. Conclusions At one-year follow-up, the ultrathin-strut biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stent displays a performance comparable to that of the fluoropolymer-based everolimus-eluting stent.

The development of coronary drug-eluting stents has included use of new metal alloys, changes in stent architecture, and use of bioresorbable polymers. Whether these advancements improve clinical safety and efficacy has not been shown in previous randomised trials. We aimed to examine the clinical outcomes of a bioresorbable polymer sirolimus-eluting stent compared with a durable polymer everolimus-eluting stent in a broad patient population undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.BIOFLOW V was an international, randomised trial done in patients undergoing elective and urgent percutaneous coronary intervention in 90 hospitals in 13 countries (Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Israel, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, and the USA). Eligible patients were those aged 18 years or older with ischaemic heart disease undergoing planned stent implantation in de-novo, native coronary lesions. Patients were randomly assigned (2:1) to either an ultrathin strut (60 μm) bioresorbable polymer sirolimus-eluting stent or to a durable polymer everolimus-eluting stent. Randomisation was via a central web-based data capture system (mixed blocks of 3 and 6), and stratified by study site. The primary endpoint was 12-month target lesion failure. The primary non-inferiority comparison combined these data from two additional randomised trials of bioresorbable polymer sirolimus-eluting stent and durable polymer everolimus-eluting stent with Bayesian methods. Analysis was by intention to treat. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02389946.Between May 8, 2015, and March 31, 2016, 4772 patients were recruited into the study. 1334 patients met inclusion criteria and were randomly assigned to treatment with bioresorbable polymer sirolimus-eluting stents (n=884) or durable polymer everolimus-eluting stents (n=450). 52 (6%) of 883 patients in the bioresorbable polymer sirolimus-eluting stent group and 41 (10%) of 427 patients in the durable polymer everolimus-eluting stent group met the 12-month primary endpoint of target lesion failure (95% CI -6·84 to -0·29, p=0·0399), with differences in target vessel myocardial infarction (39 [5%] of 831 patients vs 35 [8%] of 424 patients, p=0·0155). The posterior probability that the bioresorbable polymer sirolimus-eluting stent is non-inferior to the durable polymer everolimus-eluting stent was 100% (Bayesian analysis, difference in target lesion failure frequency -2·6% [95% credible interval -5·5 to 0·1], non-inferiority margin 3·85%, n=2208).The outperformance of the ultrathin, bioresorbable polymer sirolimus-eluting stent over the durable polymer everolimus-eluting stent in a complex patient population undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention suggests a new direction in improving next generation drug-eluting stent technology.BIOTRONIK.

An 80-year-old woman on oral anticoagulation therapy, with previous mitral valve reconstruction, subsequent coronary artery bypass grafting with aortic and mitral valve (29-mm Mosaic, Medtronic, Dublin, Ireland) replacement, and 10 years later, transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) with a 26

Neointimal infiltration with foamy macrophages is recognized as an early and important sign of de-novo atherosclerosis after stent implantation (neoatherosclerosis). Recent histopathological studies have proven that automated quantification of signal attenuation using intravascular optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging allows for sensitive identification of macrophages in native atherosclerotic disease. Whether this is true for neointimal foam cells in the setting of neoatherosclerosis remains unknown. Autopsy samples of stented coronary arteries (n = 13 cases) were evaluated by histology and OCT. After co-registration with histology, the attenuation rate of emitted laser light was measured in regions with and without neointimal foamy macrophages relative to its peak intensity at the blood-tissue interface. Attenuation index was subsequently determined as slope of a regression curve fitted to individual data points. Receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis was used to establish an optimal cut-off for detecting foamy macrophages in homogenous and non-homogenous neointima, respectively. Finally, the tissue attenuation index was applied to confirm or exclude the presence of neointimal foamy macrophages in symptomatic patients presenting with in-stent restenosis and undergoing intravascular OCT imaging (n = 29 cases). Tissue attenuation index derived from post-mortem samples differed significantly between histologically confirmed regions with and without neointimal foamy macrophages (− 1.23 ± 1.42 vs. − 0.52 ± 1.79, p

Background: Neoatherosclerosis represents an accelerated manifestation of atherosclerosis in nascent neointima after stenting, associated with adverse events. We investigated whether improved reendothelialization using RGD-coated stents results in diminished vascular permeability and reduced foam cell formation compared to standard DES in atherosclerotic rabbits. Methods and Results: Neointimal foam cell formation was induced in rabbits (n = 7). Enhanced endothelial integrity in RGD-coated stents resulted in decreased vascular permeability relative to DES, which was further confirmed by SEM and TEM. Cell culture experiments examined the effect of everolimus on endothelial integrity. Increasing concentrations of everolimus resulted in a dose-dependent decrease of endothelial cell junctions and foam cell transformation of monocytes, confirming the relevance of endothelial integrity in preventing permeability of LDL. Conclusion: Incomplete endothelial integrity was confirmed as a key factor of neointimal foam cell formation following stent implantation. Pro-healing stent coatings may facilitate reendothelialization and reduce the risk of neoatherosclerosis.

Neoatherosclerosis is defined as foamy macrophage infiltration into the peri-strut or neointimal area after stent implantation, potentially leading to late stent failure through progressive atherosclerotic changes including calcification, fibroatheroma, thin-cap fibroatheroma, and rupture with stent thrombosis (ST) in advanced stages. Human autopsy as well as intravascular imaging studies have led to the understanding of neoatherosclerosis formation as a similar but significantly accelerated pathophysiology as compared to native atherosclerosis. This acceleration is mainly based on disrupted endothelial integrity with insufficient barrier function and augmented transmigration of lipids following vascular injury after coronary intervention and especially after implantation of drug-eluting stents. In this review, we summarize translational insights into disease pathophysiology and discuss therapeutic approaches to tackle this novel disease entity. We introduce a novel animal model of neoatherosclerosis alongside accompanyingLa neoateroesclerosis se define como infiltración de macrófagos espumosos en la zona periprotésica o de la neoíntima tras una implantación de stent, lo cual posiblemente derive en un fracaso tardío del stent mediante cambios ateroescleróticos progresivos, incluidos la calcificación, fibroateromas, fibroateromas de cápsula fina (FACF) y trombosis del stent (TS). Gracias a los estudios de autopsia humana y de imagen intravascular se ha podido comprender la formación de la neoateroesclerosis de una manera fisiopatológica similar a la ateroesclerosis nativa pero significativamente acelerada. Esta aceleración se basa principalmente en la alteración de la integridad endotelial con una función de barrera insuficiente y una mayor transmigración de lípidos a consecuencia de una lesión vascular tras una intervención coronaria y, especialmente, tras la implantación de stents farmacoactivos. En este artículo ofrecemos un resumen de las perspectivas translacionales sobre la fisiopatología de la enfermedad y analizamos los enfoques terapéuticos para abordar esta nueva enfermedad. Presentamos un modelo animal de neoateroesclerosis innovador junto con experimentos新动脉粥样硬化被定义为支架植入后泡沫巨噬细胞浸润到支柱周围或新内膜区域, 可能引起进行性动脉粥样硬化改变（包括钙化、纤维状动脉瘤、薄型纤维状动脉粥样硬化 (TCFA)）和晚期阶段的支架血栓破裂 (ST) 破裂而导致晚期支架衰竭。人体解剖以及血管内影像学研究使人们对新动脉粥样硬化的形成更为了解, 新动脉粥样硬化的形成与自然动脉粥样硬化相似, 但病理生理过程显著加快。这种加快主要是由于在冠状动脉介入治疗后, 尤其是在植入药物洗脱支架后, 发生血管损伤, 内皮功能完整性受损, 伴屏障功能不足及脂质转运增加。在这篇综述中, 我们总结了对疾病病理生理学的转化见解, 并讨论了解决这种新型疾病的治疗方法。我们引入了新的动脉粥样硬化动物模型并伴随了体外实验, 该实验显示内皮完整性受损导致 LDL-胆固醇 (LDL) 的通透性增加, 从而导致人单核细胞发生泡沫细胞转化。此外, 我们讨论了新颖的血管内影像替代物, 以期改善早期新动脉粥样硬化的可靠诊断。最后, 使用可吸收镁支架 (BRS) 和全身他汀类药物治疗以预防支架内新动脉粥样硬化的治疗方法证明了改善动脉愈合和血管内皮化的潜力, 从而使新动脉粥样硬化动物模型中新动脉粥样硬化的形成明显减轻。.

BackgroundOut-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, with acute coronary syndromes accounting for most of the cases.While the benefit of early revascularization has been clearly demonstrated in patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), diagnostic pathways remain unclear in the absence of STEMI. We aimed to characterize OHCA patients presenting to 2 tertiary cardiology centers and identify predicting factors associated with survival.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed 519 patients after OHCA from February 2003 to December 2017 at 2 centers in Munich, Germany. Patients undergoing immediate coronary angiography (CAG) were compared to those without. Propensity score (PS) matching analysis and multivariate regression analysis were performed to identify predictors for improved outcome.ResultsImmediate CAG was performed in 385 (74.1%) patients after OHCA with presumed cardiac cause of arrest.As a result of multivariate analysis after propensity score matching, we found that ROSC at admission and immediate CAG were associated with better 30-days-survival [(OR, 6.54; 95% CI, 2.03-21.02), (OR, 2.41; 95% CI, 1.04-5.55)], and 1-year-survival [(OR, 4.49; 95% CI, 1.55-12.98), (OR, 2.54; 95% CI, 1.06-6.09)].ConclusionsIn our study, ROSC at admission and immediate CAG were independent predictors of survival in cardiac arrest survivors. Improvement in prehospital management including bystander CPR and best practice post-resuscitation care with optimized triage of patients to an early invasive strategy may help ameliorate overall outcome of this critically-ill patient population.

Resumen Introduccion y objetivos Esta por clarificar el valor pronostico de la troponina T de alta sensibilidad tras una intervencion coronaria percutanea en pacientes con enfermedad coronaria estable. Esta cuestion clinicamente relevante se ha investigado en 3.463 pacientes consecutivos a los que se practico una intervencion coronaria percutanea. Metodos En este estudio se incluyo a pacientes con enfermedad coronaria estable y un valor basal de troponina T de alta sensibilidad menor que el limite superior de referencia del percentil 99 (0,014 μg/l). Se determino la troponina T de alta sensibilidad antes de la intervencion y luego al cabo de 6, 12 y 24 h. El objetivo principal fue la mortalidad por cualquier causa. Resultados Se clasifico a los pacientes en un grupo con un valor maximo de troponina T tras la intervencion ≤ percentil 99 (n = 742), un grupo con un valor maximo de troponina T tras la intervencion entre > percentil 99 y 5 veces el percentil 99 (n = 1.928) y un grupo con un valor maximo de troponina T tras la intervencion > 5 veces el percentil 99 (n = 793). La edad avanzada, el indice de masa corporal mas bajo, el valor de troponina basal, las lesiones complejas, las lesiones en bifurcacion y la longitud del stent se asociaron de manera independiente a concentraciones de troponina T aumentadas despues de la intervencion. La mediana de seguimiento fue de 15,5 meses. Hubo 56 muertes: 5 pacientes (1,7%) con valor maximo de troponina T tras la intervencion ≤ percentil 99, 35 (4,5%) con valor maximo de troponina T tras la intervencion entre > percentil 99 y 5 veces el percentil 99, y 16 (4,3%) del grupo con valor maximo de troponina T tras la intervencion > 5 veces el percentil 99 (hazard ratio = 1,50; intervalo de confianza del 95%, 1,01-2,25; p = 0,047). Tras el ajuste, el valor maximo de troponina T tras el procedimiento no mostro asociacion independiente con la mortalidad tras la intervencion coronaria percutanea (p = 0,094). Conclusiones En los pacientes con enfermedad coronaria estable y sin elevacion basal de la troponina T de alta sensibilidad, la elevacion de esta despues de una intervencion coronaria percutanea no se asocio a mayor mortalidad tras el procedimiento.

Introduction and objectives The prognostic value of high-sensitivity troponin T after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with stable coronary artery disease is unclear. We investigated this clinically relevant question in 3463 consecutive patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. Methods This study included patients with stable coronary artery disease and baseline high-sensitivity troponin T below the 99th percentile upper reference limit (0.014 μg/L). High-sensitivity troponin T was measured before and at 6, 12 and 24 hours after the procedure. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Results Patients were divided into a group with peak postprocedural troponin T ≤ 99th percentile (n = 742), a group with peak postprocedural troponin T > 99th to 5 × 99th percentile (n = 1928), and a group with peak postprocedural troponin T > 5 × 99th percentile upper reference limit (n = 793). Advanced age, smaller body mass index, baseline troponin level, complex lesions, bifurcation lesions and stented length were independently associated with elevated troponin T levels after the procedure. The median follow-up was 15.5 months. There were 56 deaths: 5 deaths (1.7%) among patients with peak postprocedural troponin T ≤ 99th percentile, 35 deaths (4.5%) among patients with peak postprocedural troponin T > 99th to 5 × 99th percentile and 16 deaths (4.3%) among patients with peak postprocedural troponin T > 5 × 99th percentile upper reference limit (hazard ratio = 1.50; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-2.25; P = .047). After adjustment, peak postprocedural troponin T level was not independently associated with mortality after percutaneous coronary intervention ( P = .094). Conclusions In patients with stable coronary artery disease and without elevated baseline high-sensitivity troponin T, elevated high-sensitivity troponin T level after percutaneous coronary intervention was not associated with postprocedural mortality.

Patients experiencing out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) without ST-segment elevation are a heterogenic group with a variety of underlying causes. Up to one-third of patients display a significant coronary lesion compatible with myocardial infarction as OHCA trigger. There are no randomized data on patient selection and timing of invasive coronary angiography after admission. METHODS AND RESULTS: The TOMAHAWK trial randomly assigns 558 patients with return of spontaneous circulation after OHCA with no obvious extracardiac origin of cardiac arrest and no ST-segment elevation/left bundle-branch block on postresuscitation electrocardiogram to either immediate coronary angiography or initial intensive care assessment with delayed/selective angiography in a 1:1 ratio. The primary end point is 30-day all-cause mortality. Secondary analyses will be performed with respect to initial rhythm, electrocardiographic patterns, myocardial infarction as underlying cause, neurological outcome, as well as clinical and laboratory markers. Clinical follow-up will be performed at 6 and 12 months. Safety end points include bleeding and stroke. CONCLUSION: The TOMAHAWK trial will address the unresolved issue of timing and general indication of angiography after OHCA without ST-segment elevation.

We aimed to assess the association between arterial hypertension and bleeding in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).The impact of arterial hypertension on bleeding risk of patients with coronary artery disease undergoing PCI is unknown.This study included 14,180 patients who underwent PCI. Bleeding was defined using the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) criteria. Arterial hypertension was defined as treatment with antihypertensive drugs or a systolic blood pressure>140 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure value>90 mm Hg documented on at least 2 occasions. The primary outcome was bleeding rate within 30 days of PCI.Overall, 11,066 patients (78.0%) had arterial hypertension. Bleeding events occurred in 1,232 patients with arterial hypertension and 278 patients without arterial hypertension (11.1% vs 8.9%; odds ratio [OR] = 1.28, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.11-1.46, P< 0.001). Access-site bleeding occurred in 730 patients with arterial hypertension and 175 patients without arterial hypertension (6.6% vs 5.6%: OR = 1.19 [1.01-1.41], P = 0.049). Non-access-site bleeding occurred in 502 patients with and 103 patients without arterial hypertension (4.5% vs 3.3%; OR = 1.39 [1.12-1.72], P = 0.003). After adjustment, arterial hypertension was significantly associated with any bleeding (adjusted OR = 1.41 [1.19-1.67], P< 0.001), access-site bleeding (adjusted OR = 1.36 [1.10-1.68], P = 0.005) and non-access-site bleeding (adjusted OR = 1.42 [1.09-1.83], P = 0.008). A history of arterial hypertension increased the risk of non-access-site bleeding (P = 0.002), whereas systolic blood pressure at the time of PCI increased the risk of access site bleeding (P = 0.018).Arterial hypertension is associated with increased risk of bleeding during PCI procedures. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Multislice computed tomography (MSCT) has emerged as the mainstay in patients planned for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Incidental findings (IF) in MSCT are common. However, the exact incidence, clinical relevance and further consequences of IF are unclear and it is controversial whether IF adversely affect patients’ outcome. We analyzed MSCT data of 1050 patients screened for TAVI between January 2011 and December 2014. Median follow-up of patients was 20 months. In total, 3194 IF were identified, which were classified into clinically non-relevant IF (2872, 90%) and clinically relevant IF (322, 10%). In 25% of patients (258/1050) at least one clinically relevant IF was present. Age (80 ± 7 vs. 80 ± 7 years; p = 0.198) and EuroSCORE II (3.6% [2.1–5.7] vs. 3.6% [2.1–5.9]; p = 0.874) was similar between patients with and without a clinically relevant IF. TAVI was performed less frequently in patients with a clinically relevant IF (76% vs. 85%; p

SummaryThe DAPT score is a recently-proposed decision tool for guiding optimal duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT). It showed modest accuracy in prior derivation and validation cohorts of patients with ≥12 months DAPT. This study was aimed to evaluate the validity of the DAPT score in a cohort of patients with 6 or 12 months DAPT after implantation of predominantly second-generation drug-eluting stents. We analyzed data of patients enrolled in the ISAR-SAFE trial. Patients were classified into low (

In patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) the optimal duration of dual-antiplatelet therapy after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation remains unclear. At 6 months after intervention, patients receiving clopidogrel were randomly assigned to either a further 6-month period of placebo or clopidogrel. The primary composite endpoint was death, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, stroke, or major bleeding 9 months after randomization. The ISAR-SAFE trial was terminated early due to low event rates and slow recruitment. 1601/4000 (40.0%) patients presented with ACS and were randomized to 6 (n = 794) or 12 months (n = 807) clopidogrel. The primary endpoint occurred in 14 patients (1.8%) receiving 6 months of clopidogrel and 17 patients (2.2%) receiving 12 months; hazard ratio (HR) 0.83, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.41-1.68, P = 0.60. There were 2 (0.3%) cases of stent thrombosis in each group; HR 1.00, 95% CI 0.14-7.09, P = >0.99. Major bleeding occurred in 3 patients (0.4%) receiving 6 months clopidogrel and 5 (0.6%) receiving 12 months; HR 0.60, 95% CI 0.15-2.49, P = 0.49. There was no significant difference in net clinical outcomes after DES implantation in ACS patients treated with 6 versus 12 months clopidogrel. Ischaemic and bleeding events were low beyond 6-months. ispartof: Scientific Reports vol:6 issue:1 ispartof: location:England status: published