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Early menopause is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, including aortic stenosis (AS). We sought to investigate the prevalence and impact of early menopause on clinical outcomes in patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) for severe symptomatic AS. Women's International TAVI is a multinational, prospective, observational registry of women who underwent TAVI for severe symptomatic AS (n = 1,019). Patients were divided into 2 groups based on age of menopause: early menopause (age ≤45 years) and regular menopause (age >45 years). The primary outcome of interest was Valve Academic Research Consortium 2 efficacy end point, a composite of mortality, stroke, myocardial infarction, hospitalization for valve-related symptoms, or heart failure or valve-related dysfunction at 1-year follow-up. Of 732 patients with available data on menopause age, 173 (23.6%) were classified as having early menopause. These patients presented for TAVI at a younger age (81.6 ± 6.9 vs 82.7 ± 5.9, p = 0.05) and had a significantly lower Society of Thoracic Surgeons score (6.6 ± 4.8 vs 8.2 ± 7.1, p = 0.03) than those with regular menopause. However, the total valve calcium volume was smaller among patients with early versus regular menopause (731.8 ± 850.9 mm3 vs 807.6 ± 633.8 mm3, p = 0.002). Other co-morbidities were similar between the 2 groups. At 1-year follow-up, there were no significant differences in clinical outcomes between patients with early versus regular menopause (hazard ratio 1.00, 95% confidence interval 0.61 to 1.63, p = 1.00). In conclusion, despite presenting for TAVI at a younger age, patients with early menopause had a similar risk of adverse events as patients with regular menopause at 1 year after TAVI.

Background Drug eluting stents (DES) are associated with a 2% to 4% annual rate of target lesion failure through 5-to-10-year follow-up. The presence of a metallic protheses is a trigger for neo-atherosclerosis and very late stent thrombosis. A "leave nothing behind" strategy using Drug Coated Balloons has been suggested; however, paclitaxel coated balloons are only recommended in selected indications. Recently a novel sirolimus eluting balloon, the SELUTION SLR TM 014 PTCA balloon (SEB) (M.A. MedAlliance SA, Nyon, Switzerland) has been developed.Hypothesis A strategy of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with SEB and provisional DES is non-inferior to a strategy of systematic DES on target vessel failure (TVF) at one and five years. If non-inferiority is met at 5 years, superiority will be tested.Design SELUTION DeNovo is a multi-center international open-label randomized trial. Subjects meeting eligibility criteria are randomized 1:1 to treatment of all lesions with either SEB and provisional DES or systematic DES. Major inclusion criteria are PCI indicated for >= 1 lesion considered suitable for treatment by either SEB or DES and clinical presentation with chronic coronary syndrome, unstable angina or non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). There is no limitation in the number of lesions to be treated. Target lesions diameters are between 2 and 5 mm. Major exclusion criteria are lesions in the left main artery, chronic total occlusions, ST segment elevation myocardial infarction and unstable non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction. Three thousand three hundred twenty six patients will be included in 50 sites in Europe and Asia. TVF rates and their components will be determined at 30 days, 6 months and annually up to 5 years post-intervention. Among secondary endpoints, bleeding events, cost-effectiveness data and net clinical benefits will be assessed.Summary SELUTION DeNovo trial is an open-label, multi-center international randomized trial comparing a strategy of PCI with SEB and provisional DES to a strategy of PCI with systematic DES on TVF at one and five years. Non-inferiority will be tested at one and five years. If non-inferiority is met at five years, superiority will be tested. (Am Heart J 2023;258:77-84.) The SELUTION DeNovo trial is funded by MedAlliance CardioVascular SA, Rue de Rive 5, 1260 Nyon, Switzerland.

BACKGROUND: Techniques for provisional and dual-stent left main bifurcation stenting require optimization.AIM: To identify technical variables influencing procedural outcomes and periprocedural myocardial infarction following left main bifurcation intervention.METHODS: Procedural and outcome data were analyzed in 438 patients from the per-protocol cohort of the European Bifurcation Club Left Main Trial (EBC MAIN). These patients were randomized to the provisional strategy or a compatible dual-stent extension (T, T-and-protrude, or culotte).RESULTS: Mean age was 71 years and 37.4% presented with an acute coronary syndrome. Transient reduction of side vessel thrombolysis in myocardial infarction flow occurred after initial stent placement in 5% of procedures but was not associated with periprocedural myocardial infarction. Failure to rewire a jailed vessel during any strategy was more common when jailed wires were not used (9.5% vs. 2.5%, odds ratio [OR]: 6.4, p = 0.002). In the provisional cohort, the use of the proximal optimization technique was associated with less subsequent side vessel intervention (23.3% vs. 41.9%, OR: 0.4, p = 0.048). Side vessel stenting was predominantly required for dissection, which occurred more often following side vessel preparation (15.3% vs. 4.4%, OR: 3.1, p = 0.040). Exclusive use of noncompliant balloons for kissing balloon inflation was associated with reduced need for side vessel intervention in provisional cases (20.5% vs. 38.5%, OR: 0.4, p = 0.013), and a reduced risk of periprocedural myocardial infarction across all strategies (2.9% vs. 7.7%, OR: 0.2, p = 0.020).CONCLUSION: When performing provisional or compatible dual-stent left main bifurcation intervention, jailed wire use is associated with successful jailed vessel rewiring. Side vessel preparation in provisional patients is linked to increased side vessel dissection requiring stenting. Use of the proximal optimization technique may reduce the need for additional side vessel intervention, and noncompliant balloon use for kissing balloon inflation is associated with a reduction in both side vessel stenting and periprocedural myocardial infarction.CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT02497014.

Stenting was introduced as a therapy for coronary artery disease 35 years ago, and is currently the most commonly performed minimally invasive procedure globally. Percutaneous coronary revascularization (PCI), initially by plain old balloon angioplasty (POBA) and later by stenting, has dramatically impacted the outcomes of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Coronary stenting is probably the most intensively studied therapy in medicine based on the number of randomized clinical trials for a broad range of indications. Continuous improvements in stent materials, design and coatings concurrent with procedural innovations have truly been awe-inspiring. The story of stenting is replete with high points and some low points, such as the initial experience with stent thrombosis (ST) and restenosis, and the more recent disappointment with bioabsorbable scaffolds. History has shown both rapid growth of stent use with expansion of indications followed by contraction of some uses in response to clinical trial evidence in support of bypass surgery or medical therapy. This review traces the constantly evolving story of the coronary stent from its earliest experience until the present time. Undoubtedly, future iterations of stent design and materials will continue to move the stent story forward. BRIEF SUMMARY Coronary stenting was introduced 35 years ago, and is currently the most commonly performed minimally invasive procedure globally. The history of stenting is replete with high points and some low points, such as the initial experience with stent thrombosis and restenosis. This review traces the constantly evolving story of the coronary stent from its earliest experience until the present time, and looking ahead to future innovations.

ObjectiveWe sought to investigate whether long-term clinical outcomes differ following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with three-vessel disease (3VD) and lesions in the proximal left anterior descending artery (P-LAD).MethodsThis post-hoc analysis of the Synergy between PCI with Taxus and Cardiac Surgery (SYNTAX) Extended Survival study included patients with 3VD who were classified according to the presence or absence of lesions located in the P-LAD. Ten-year all-cause death and 5-year major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events (MACCE) were assessed.ResultsAmong 1088 patients with 3VD, 559 (51.4%) had involvement of P-LAD and their 10-year mortality was numerically higher following PCI versus CABG (28.9% vs 21.9%; HR: 1.39, 95% CI 0.99 to 1.95). Although patients without P-LAD lesions had significantly higher 10-year mortality following PCI compared with CABG, there was no evidence of a treatment-by-subgroup interaction (28.8% vs 20.2%; HR: 1.47, 95% CI 1.03 to 2.09, pinteraction=0.837). The incidence of MACCE at 5 years was significantly higher with PCI than CABG, irrespective of involvement of P-LAD (with P-LAD: HR: 1.86, 95% CI 1.36 to 2.55; without P-LAD: HR: 1.54, 95% CI 1.11 to 2.12; pinteraction=0.408). Individualised assessment using the SYNTAX Score II 2020 established that a quarter of patients with P-LAD lesions had significantly higher mortality with PCI than CABG, whereas in the remaining three-quarters CABG had similar mortality.ConclusionsAmong patients with 3VD, the presence or absence of a P-LAD lesion was not associated with any treatment effect on long-term outcomes following PCI or CABG.Trial registration numberSYNTAXES:NCT03417050; SYNTAX:NCT00114972.

Background Creatinine clearance (CrCl) is an independent determinant of mortality in predictive models of revascularisation outcomes for complex coronary artery disease. Aims This study aimed to investigate the impact of preprocedural biological markers on 10-year mortality following coronary revascularisation. Methods The SYNTAX Extended Survival (SYNTAXES) study evaluated the 10-year vital status follow-up of 1,800 patients with de novo three-vessel (3VD) and/or left main coronary artery disease (LMCAD) randomised to include percutaneous or surgical coronary revascularisation. The associations between mortality and preprocedural C-reactive protein (CRP), haemoglobin, HbA1c, CrCl, fasting triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were analysed. Results Out of 1,800 patients, 460 patients died before the 10-year follow-up. CRP, HbA1c and CrCl with threshold values of ≥2 mg/L, ≥6% (42 mmol/mol) and l60 ml/min, respectively, were associated with 10-year all-cause death (adjusted hazard ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.35 [1.01-1.82], 1.51 [1.16-1.95], and 1.46 [1.07-2.00], respectively). There was no significant interaction between the biological markers on all-cause mortality and the type of revascularisation. Preprocedural lipid markers were not significantly associated with 10-year all-cause death, but the non-use of statins was a determinant factor of worse prognosis (adjusted confidence interval [95% confidence interval]: 1.68 [1.26-2.25]). Conclusions Preprocedural biomarkers, such as CRP and HbA1c, are associated with long-term mortality post revascularisation, regardless of the revascularisation technique. Conventional lipidic biomarkers associated with high-risk of cardiovascular events seem to be effectively mitigated by the long-term use of statins, whereas the non-use of statins was a factor of a worse prognosis, emphasising the importance of pharmacological treatment. Trial registration SYNTAXES ClinicalTrials.gov reference: NCT03417050. SYNTAX ClinicalTrials.gov reference: NCT00114972.

OBJECTIVES This study sought to evaluate the long-term differences in survival between multiple arterial grafts (MAG) and single arterial grafts (SAG) in patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in the SYNTAX study. METHODS The present analysis included the randomized and registry-treated CABG patients (n = 1509) from the SYNTAX Extended Survival study (SYNTAXES). Patients with only venous (n = 42) or synthetic grafts (n = 1) were excluded. The primary end point was all-cause death at the longest follow-up. Multivariable Cox regression was used to adjust for differences in baseline characteristics. Sensitivity analysis using propensity matching with inverse probability for treatment weights was performed. RESULTS Of the 1466 included patients, 465 (31.7%) received MAG and 1001 (68.3%) SAG. Patients receiving MAG were younger and at lower risk. At the longest follow-up of 12.6 years, all-cause death occurred in 23.6% of MAG and 40.0% of SAG patients [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 0.74, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.55–0.98); P = 0.038], which was confirmed by sensitivity analysis. MAG in patients with the three-vessel disease was associated with significant lower unadjusted and adjusted all-cause death at 12.6 years [adjusted HR 0.65, 95% CI (0.44–0.97); P = 0.033]. In contrast, no significance was observed after risk adjustment in patients with the left main disease, with and without diabetes, or among SYNTAX score tertiles. CONCLUSIONS In the present post hoc analysis of all-comers patients from the SYNTAX trial, MAG resulted in markedly lower all-cause death at 12.6-year follow-up compared to a SAG strategy. Hence, this striking long-term survival benefit of MAG over SAG encourages more extensive use of multiple arterial grafting in selected patients with reasonable life expectancy. Trial registration SYNTAXES ClinicalTrials.gov reference: NCT03417050; SYNTAX ClinicalTrials.gov reference: NCT00114972.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has become an accepted treatment for patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS). Predicting which patients are at risk for adverse clinical outcomes after TAVI remains difficult, especially in women. Aim: To identify predictors of adverse events in the WIN-TAVI cohort. Methods: The WIN-TAVI study is an observational registry of 1019 women undergoing TAVI for severe symptomatic AS. Follow-up was 1 year. The primary outcome was defined according to VARC-2: a composite of mortality, stroke, myocardial infarction or hospitalization for valve-related symptoms or heart failure. The secondary outcome was a composite of cardiovascular mortality or hospitalization for valve-related symptoms or heart failure. Results: We included 1019 women with severe AS (mean age of 82.5 ± 6.3 years). At 1 year, 16.4% of the patients experienced the primary endpoint and 12.6% the secondary endpoint. The use of oral anticoagulants (OAC) was the strongest independent predictor of the primary outcome (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.079–2.106, p = 0.016). Independent predictors of the secondary endpoint were age (aHR 1.04 per year, 95% CI 1.01–1.074, p = 0.016) and use of OAC (aHR: 1.79, 95% CI 1.24–2.60, p = 0.002). OAC use was not associated with higher bleeding risk. Conclusion: Pre-procedural use of OAC was the strongest predictor of adverse outcomes during 1-year follow-up, likely reflecting a combination of high-risk factors and comorbidities, but was not related to increased bleeding risk.

The clinical implications of hypertension in addition to a high prevalence of both uncontrolled blood pressure and medication nonadherence promote interest in developing device-based approaches to hypertension treatment. The expansion of device-based therapies and ongoing clinical trials underscores the need for consistency in trial design, conduct, and definitions of clinical study elements to permit trial comparability and data poolability. Standardizing methods of blood pressure assessment, effectiveness measures beyond blood pressure alone, and safety outcomes are paramount. The Hypertension Academic Research Consortium (HARC) document represents an integration of evolving evidence and consensus opinion among leading experts in cardiovascular medicine and hypertension research with regulatory perspectives on clinical trial design and methodology. The HARC document integrates the collective information among device-based therapies for hypertension to better address existing challenges and identify unmet needs for technologies proposed to treat the world’s leading cause of death and disability. Consistent with the Academic Research Consortium charter, this document proposes pragmatic consensus clinical design principles and outcomes definitions for studies aimed at evaluating device-based hypertension therapies.

Background The EXCEL trial reported similar five-year rates of the primary composite outcome of death, myocardial infarction (MI), or stroke after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for treatment of obstructive left main coronary artery disease (LMCAD). Aims We sought to determine whether these outcomes remained consistent regardless of geography of enrolment. Methods We performed a pre-specified subgroup analysis based on regional enrolment. Results Among 1,905 patients randomised to PCI (n=948) or CABG (n=957), 1,075 (56.4%) were recruited at 52 European Union (EU) centres, and 752 (39.5%) were recruited at 67 North American (NA) centres. EU versus NA patients varied according to numerous baseline demographics, anatomy, pharmacotherapy and procedural characteristics. Nonetheless, the relative rates of the primary endpoint after PCI versus CABG were consistent across EU versus NA centres at 30 days and 5 years. However, NA participants had substantially higher late rates of ischaemia-driven revascularisation (IDR) after PCI, driven predominantly by the need for greater target vessel and lesion revascularisation. This culminated in a significant difference in the relative risk of the secondary composite outcome of death, MI, stroke, or IDR at 5 years (pinteraction=0.02). Conclusions In the EXCEL trial, the relative risks for the 30-day and five-year primary composite outcome of death, MI or stroke after PCI versus CABG were consistent irrespective of geography. However, five-year rates of IDR after PCI were significantly higher in NA centres, a finding the Heart Team and patients should consider when making treatment decisions. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01205776.

Aim The aim of this study was to compare long-term all-cause mortality between patients receiving percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) using multiple (MAG) or single arterial grafting (SAG). Methods and results The current study is a post hoc analysis of the SYNTAX Extended Survival Study, which compared PCI with CABG in patients with three-vessel (3VD) and/or left main coronary artery disease (LMCAD) and evaluated survival with ≥10 years of follow-up. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality at maximum follow-up (median 11.9 years) assessed in the as-treated population. Of the 1743 patients, 901 (51.7%) underwent PCI, 532 (30.5%) received SAG, and 310 (17.8%) had MAG. At maximum follow-up, all-cause death occurred in 305 (33.9%), 175 (32.9%), and 70 (22.6%) patients in the PCI, SAG, and MAG groups, respectively (P Conclusion Our findings suggest that MAG might be the more desirable configuration for CABG to achieve lower long-term all-cause mortality than PCI in patients with 3VD and/or LMCAD. Trial registration Registered on clinicaltrial.gov. SYNTAXES: NCT03417050 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03417050); SYNTAX: NCT00114972 (https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00114972).

Background There is limited evidence that fractional flow reserve (FFR) is effective in guiding therapeutic strategy in multivessel coronary artery disease (CAD) beyond prespecified percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary graft surgery candidates. Objectives The FUTURE (FUnctional Testing Underlying coronary REvascularization) trial aimed to evaluate whether a treatment strategy based on FFR was superior to a traditional strategy without FFR in the treatment of multivessel CAD. Methods The FUTURE trial is a prospective, randomized, open-label superiority trial. Multivessel CAD candidates were randomly assigned (1:1) to treatment strategy based on FFR in all stenotic (≥50%) coronary arteries or to a traditional strategy without FFR. In the FFR group, revascularization (percutaneous coronary intervention or surgery) was indicated for FFR ≤0.80 lesions. The primary endpoint was a composite of major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events at 1 year. Results The trial was stopped prematurely by the data safety and monitoring board after a safety analysis and 927 patients were enrolled. At 1-year follow-up, by intention to treat, there were no significant differences in major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events rates between groups (14.6% in the FFR group vs 14.4% in the control group; hazard ratio: 0.97; 95% confidence interval: 0.69-1.36; P = 0.85). The difference in all-cause mortality was nonsignificant, 3.7% in the FFR group versus 1.5% in the control group (hazard ratio: 2.34; 95% confidence interval: 0.97-5.18; P = 0.06), and this was confirmed with a 24 months’ extended follow-up. FFR significantly reduced the proportion of revascularized patients, with more patients referred to exclusively medical treatment (P = 0.02). Conclusions In patients with multivessel CAD, we did not find evidence that an FFR-guided treatment strategy reduced the risk of ischemic cardiovascular events or death at 1-year follow-up. (Functional Testing Underlying Coronary Revascularisation; NCT01881555 )

The appropriate duration of dual antiplatelet therapy in patients at high risk for bleeding after the implantation of a drug-eluting coronary stent remains unclear.One month after they had undergone implantation of a biodegradable-polymer sirolimus-eluting coronary stent, we randomly assigned patients at high bleeding risk to discontinue dual antiplatelet therapy immediately (abbreviated therapy) or to continue it for at least 2 additional months (standard therapy). The three ranked primary outcomes were net adverse clinical events (a composite of death from any cause, myocardial infarction, stroke, or major bleeding), major adverse cardiac or cerebral events (a composite of death from any cause, myocardial infarction, or stroke), and major or clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding; cumulative incidences were assessed at 335 days. The first two outcomes were assessed for noninferiority in the per-protocol population, and the third outcome for superiority in the intention-to-treat population.Among the 4434 patients in the per-protocol population, net adverse clinical events occurred in 165 patients (7.5%) in the abbreviated-therapy group and in 172 (7.7%) in the standard-therapy group (difference, -0.23 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.80 to 1.33; P0.001 for noninferiority). A total of 133 patients (6.1%) in the abbreviated-therapy group and 132 patients (5.9%) in the standard-therapy group had a major adverse cardiac or cerebral event (difference, 0.11 percentage points; 95% CI, -1.29 to 1.51; P = 0.001 for noninferiority). Among the 4579 patients in the intention-to-treat population, major or clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding occurred in 148 patients (6.5%) in the abbreviated-therapy group and in 211 (9.4%) in the standard-therapy group (difference, -2.82 percentage points; 95% CI, -4.40 to -1.24; P0.001 for superiority).One month of dual antiplatelet therapy was noninferior to the continuation of therapy for at least 2 additional months with regard to the occurrence of net adverse clinical events and major adverse cardiac or cerebral events; abbreviated therapy also resulted in a lower incidence of major or clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding. (Funded by Terumo; MASTER DAPT ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03023020.).

Background: The significant interaction between major infection and 5-year mortality after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) for complex coronary artery disease (CAD) was observed previously. However, the very long-term outcomes beyond 5 years remains unclear. Methods and results: This is a subgroup analysis of the SYNTAX Extended Survival (SYNTAXES) trial, which is the extended follow-up of the randomized SYNTAX trial comparing PCI versus CABG in patients with three-vessel disease (3VD) or left-main CAD (LMCAD). Out of 1517 patients enrolled in the SYNTAX trial with available survival status from 5 to 10 years, 140 patients had experienced major infections and survived at 5 years (major infection group). From 5 to 10 years, the mortality of major infection group was 19.8% whereas the mortality of no major infection group was 15.1% (p = 0.157). After the adjustment of other clinical factors, the risk of mortality from 5 to 10 years did not significantly differ between major infection and no major infection groups (HR: 1.10; 95% CI: 0.62–1.96; p = 0.740). When stratified by the presence or absence of periprocedural major infections, defined as a major infection within 60 days after index procedure, there was also no significant difference in 10-year mortality between two groups (30.8% vs. 24.5%; p = 0.057). Conclusions: Despite the initial association between major infections and 5 years mortality, postprocedural major infection was not evident in the 10 years follow-up, suggesting that the impact of major infection on mortality subsided over time beyond 5 years. Trial registration: SYNTAXES ClinicalTrials.gov reference: NCT03417050 SYNTAX ClinicalTrials.gov reference: NCT00114972

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text., Background: The optimal duration of antiplatelet therapy (APT) in patients at high bleeding risk with or without oral anticoagulation (OAC) after coronary stenting remains unclear. Methods: In the investigator-initiated, randomize, open-label MASTER DAPT trial (Management of High Bleeding Risk Patients Post Bioresorbable Polymer Coated Stent Implantation With an Abbreviated Versus Standard DAPT Regimen), 4579 patients at high bleeding risk were randomized after 1-month dual APT to abbreviated or nonabbreviated APT strategies. Randomization was stratified by concomitant OAC indication. In this subgroup analysis, we report outcomes of populations with or without an OAC indication. In the population with an OAC indication, patients changed immediately to single APT for 5 months (abbreviated regimen) or continued ≥2 months of dual APT and single APT thereafter (nonabbreviated regimen). Patients without an OAC indication changed to single APT for 11 months (abbreviated regimen) or continued ≥5 months of dual APT and single APT thereafter (nonabbreviated regimen). Coprimary outcomes at 335 days after randomization were net adverse clinical outcomes (composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and Bleeding Academic Research Consortium 3 or 5 bleeding events); major adverse cardiac and cerebral events (all-cause death, myocardial infarction, and stroke); and type 2, 3, or 5 Bleeding Academic Research Consortium bleeding. Results: Net adverse clinical outcomes or major adverse cardiac and cerebral events did not differ with abbreviated versus nonabbreviated APT regimens in patients with OAC indication (n=1666; hazard ratio [HR], 0.83 [95% CI, 0.60–1.15]; and HR, 0.88 [95% CI, 0.60–1.30], respectively) or without OAC indication (n=2913; HR, 1.01 [95% CI, 0.77–1.33]; or HR, 1.06 [95% CI, 0.79–1.44]; Pinteraction=0.35 and 0.45, respectively). Bleeding Academic Research Consortium 2, 3, or 5 bleeding did not significantly differ in patients with OAC indication (HR, 0.83 [95% CI, 0.62–1.12]) but was lower with abbreviated APT in patients without OAC indication (HR, 0.55 [95% CI, 0.41–0.74]; Pinteraction=0.057). The difference in bleeding in patients without OAC indication was driven mainly by a reduction in Bleeding Academic Research Consortium 2 bleedings (HR, 0.48 [95% CI, 0.33–0.69]; Pinteraction=0.021). Conclusions: Rates of net adverse clinical outcomes and major adverse cardiac and cerebral events did not differ with abbreviated APT in patients with high bleeding risk with or without an OAC indication and resulted in lower bleeding rates in patients without an OAC indication. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT03023020.

Objectives This study sought to determine if percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) prior to transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in patients with significant coronary artery disease would produce noninferior clinical results when compared with no PCI (control arm). Background PCI in patients undergoing TAVR is not without risk, and there are no randomized data to inform clinical practice. Methods Patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis and significant coronary artery disease with Canadian Cardiovascular Society class ≤2 angina were randomly assigned to receive PCI or no PCI prior to TAVR. The primary endpoint was a composite of all-cause death or rehospitalization at 1 year. Noninferiority testing (prespecified margin of 7.5%) was performed in the intention-to-treat population. Results At 17 centers, 235 patients underwent randomization. At 1 year, the primary composite endpoint occurred in 48 (41.5%) of the PCI arm and 47 (44.0%) of the no-PCI arm. The requirement for noninferiority was not met (difference: -2.5%; 1-sided upper 95% confidence limit: 8.5%; 1-sided noninferiority test P = 0.067). On analysis of the as-treated population, the difference was -3.7% (1-sided upper 95% confidence limit: 7.5%; P = 0.050). Mortality was 16 (13.4%) in the PCI arm and 14 (12.1%) in the no-PCI arm. At 1 year, there was no evidence of a difference in the rates of stroke, myocardial infarction, or acute kidney injury, with higher rates of any bleed in the PCI arm (P = 0.021). Conclusions Observed rates of death and rehospitalization at 1 year were similar between PCI and no PCI prior to TAVR; however, the noninferiority margin was not met, and PCI resulted in a higher incidence of bleeding. (Assessing the Effects of Stenting in Significant Coronary Artery Disease Prior to Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation; ISRCTN75836930 )

Numerous studies have demonstrated a paradoxical association between higher baseline body mass index (BMI) and lower long-term mortality risk after coronary revascularization, known as the “obesity paradox”, possibly relying on the single use of BMI. The current study is a post-hoc analysis of the SYNTAX Extended Survival (SYNTAXES) trial, which is the extended follow-up of the SYNTAX trial comparing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) versus coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) in patients with left-main coronary artery disease (LMCAD) or three-vessel disease (3VD). Patients were stratified according to baseline BMI and/or waist circumference (WC). Out of 1,800 patients, 1,799 (99.9%) and 1,587 (88.2%) had available baseline BMI and WC data, respectively. Of those, 1,327 (73.8%) patients had High BMI (≥25 kg/m2), whereas 705 (44.4%) patients had High WC (>102 cm for men or >88 cm for women). When stratified by both BMI and WC, 10-year mortality risk was significantly higher in patients with Low BMI/Low WC (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 1.65; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.09 to 2.51), Low BMI/ High WC (adjusted HR: 2.74; 95% CI: 1.12 to 6.69), or High BMI/High WC (adjusted HR: 1.59; 95% CI: 1.11 to 2.27) compared to those with High BMI/Low WC. In conclusion, the “obesity paradox” following coronary revascularization would be driven by low long-term mortality risk of the High BMI/Low WC group. Body composition should be assessed by the combination of BMI and WC in the appropriate evaluation of the long-term risk of obesity in patients with LMCAD or 3VD.

BACKGROUND In patients at high bleeding risk (HBR), the LEADERS FREE (LF) trial established the safety and efficacy of a polymer-free drug coated (Biolimus-A9) stainless steel stent (SS-DCS) with 30 days of dual antiplatelet treatment (DAPT). In LEADERS FREE III, we studied a new cobalt-chromium thin-strut stent (CoCr-DCS) in HBR patients. METHODS The CoCr-DCS shares all of the design features of the SS-DCS but has a CoCr stent platform with strut thickness of 84-88 μm. The primary safety endpoint was a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI), and definite/probable stent thrombosis. The primary efficacy endpoint was clinically indicated target lesion revascularization. Outcomes were compared to those of LF (non-inferiority to SS-DCS for safety and superiority to SS-BMS for efficacy). Additional propensity-matched comparisons were performed to account for baseline differences. RESULTS We recruited 401 HBR patients using identical criteria to the LF trial. At 1 year, the primary safety endpoint was reached by 31/401 (8.0%) of patients treated with the CoCr-DCS versus 35/401 (8.9%) for the propensity-matched cohort (HR: 0.89, [0.55-1.44], p

Background: The benefit of optimal medical therapy (OMT) on 5-year outcomes in patients with 3-vessel disease and/or left main disease after percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) was demonstrated in the randomized SYNTAX (Synergy Between PCI With Taxus and Cardiac Surgery) trial. Objectives: The objective of this analysis is to assess the impact of the status of OMT at 5 years on 10-year mortality after percutaneous coronary intervention or CABG. Methods: This is a subanalysis of the SYNTAXES (Synergy Between PCI With Taxus and Cardiac Surgery Extended Survival) study, which evaluated for up to 10 years the vital status of patients who were originally enrolled in the SYNTAX trial. OMT was defined as the combination of 4 types of medications: at least 1 antiplatelet drug, statin, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker, and beta-blocker. After stratifying participants by the number of individual OMT agents at 5 years and randomized treatment, a landmark analysis was conducted to assess the association between treatment response and 10-year mortality. Results: In 1,472 patients, patients on OMT at 5 years had a significantly lower mortality at 10 years compared with those on ≤2 types of medications (13.1% vs 19.9%; adjusted HR: 0.470; 95% CI: 0.292-0.757; P = 0.002) but had a mortality similar to those on 3 types of medications. Furthermore, patients undergoing CABG with the individual OMT agents, antiplatelet drug and statin, at 5 years had lower 10-year mortality than those without. Conclusions: In patients with 3-vessel and/or left main disease undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention or CABG, medication status at 5 years had a significant impact on 10-year mortality. Patients on OMT with guideline-recommended pharmacologic therapy at 5 years had a survival benefit. (Synergy Between PCI With Taxus and Cardiac Surgery: SYNTAX Extended Survival [SYNTAXES]; NCT03417050; Taxus Drug-Eluting Stent Versus Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery for the Treatment of Narrowed Arteries [SYNTAX]; NCT00114972)

No detailed data on left bundle branch block (LBBB) and permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) exist from randomised clinical trials comparing the ACURATE neo and CoreValve Evolut devices.Our aim was to assess the incidence and impact of new LBBB and PPI with self-expanding prostheses from a powered randomised comparison.From the SCOPE 2 trial, 648 patients with no previous pacemaker were analysed for PPI at 30 days, and 426 patients without previous LBBB were adopted for analysis of LBBB at 30 days. Results: At 30 days, 16.5% of patients required PPI; rates were higher in CoreValve Evolut compared to ACURATE neo recipients (21.0% vs 12.3%; p=0.004). Previous right bundle branch block (odds ratio [OR] 6.11, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.19-11.73; p0.001) was associated with an increased risk of PPI at 30 days, whereas the use of the ACURATE neo (OR 0.50, 95% CI: 0.31-0.81; p=0.005) was associated with a decreased risk. One-year mortality was similar in patients with and without new PPI. A total of 9.4% of patients developed persistent LBBB at 30 days, with higher incidences in CoreValve Evolut recipients (13.4% vs 5.5%; p=0.007). New LBBB at 30 days was associated with lower ejection fraction at 1 year (65.7%±11.0 vs 69.1%±7.6; p=0.041).New LBBB and PPI rates were lower in ACURATE neo compared to CoreValve Evolut recipients. The ACURATE neo valve was associated with a lower risk of PPI at 30 days. No effect on 1-year mortality was determined for PPI at 30 days, while LBBB at 30 days was associated with reduced ejection fraction at 1 year.

The polymer-free biolimus coated stent (BioFreedom) was shown to be superior to bare metal stents in the LEADERS FREE randomized trial in high bleeding risk (HBR) patients treated with 1-month dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT). However, there is limited outcome data with this device in an all-comers' population.We conducted a prospective single-arm study of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention with the polymer-free biolimus coated stent in 25 centers in France with wide inclusion criteria including multivessel disease, complex lesions, and acute coronary syndromes. The primary endpoint was the incidence of target lesion failure (TLF), a composite of cardiac death or target-vessel myocardial infarction (MI) or clinically indicated target lesion revascularization (ci-TLR) at 1-year. The patient population was classified according to the presence (or not) of HBR criteria according to the recent ARC-HBR definition.Between April 2019 and April 2020, 1497 patients were enrolled. TLF occurred in 101 (6.9%) patients, including cardiac death in 35 (2.4%), target vessel MI in 20 (1.4%) and ci-TLR in 65 (4.5%) of them. There were 491 HBR patients (32.8%) and 1006 non-HBR patients. The median duration of DAPT was 74 days in the HBR group versus 348 days in the non-HBR group (p 0.0001). TLF occurred in 44 (9.2%) of the HBR group and in 57 (5.8%) of the non-HBR group (relative risk 1.62 [95% confidence interval: 1.10-2.41], p = 0015). Compared to the non-HBR group, HBR patients had higher rates of cardiac death (4.4% vs. 1.4%, p = 0.0005) and target vessel MI (2.9% vs. 0.6%, p = 0.0003), but similar rates of ci-TLR. BARC 3-5 bleeding occurred in 6.2% of the HBR group versus 1.4% of the non-HBR group (p 0.0001).In this multicenter all-comers study, HBR patients treated with a polymer-free biolimus coated stent had, compared to non-HBR patients, an increased risk of cardiac death and MI, and despite a shorter duration of DAPT, continued to have higher rates of BARC 3-5 bleeding.

Conventional stents "cage" the coronary arteries, impairing vascular function and physiology. The DynamX Bioadaptor is a cobalt‑chromium platform with uncaging elements, designed to improve arterial pulsatility, vasomotion, compliance, and positive adaptive remodelling which may attenuate late clinical events associated with the caging of arteries through conventional stents. We present the first 24-month outcomes of this device.This European multicenter study enrolled 50 patients with 50 de novo lesions treated with the DynamX Bioadaptor. Clinical follow-up is scheduled until 36 months and imaging follow-up was performed at 9-12 months.24-month endpoints were target lesion failure (2 cardiac deaths), myocardial infarction (1 non-target vessel myocardial infarction), target vessel revascularisation (n = 0), and definite or probable device thrombosis (n = 0). No endpoint events occurred beyond 9 months. Paired intravascular ultrasound analysis of 18 patients from a single center revealed a 0.22 mm24-month clinical data demonstrate promising safety and efficacy of the DynamX Bioadaptor. Imaging data confirmed its unique capacity to improve arterial pulsatility, vasomotion, compliance and positive adaptive remodelling after "uncaging" which might have led to the promising clinical outcomes that need to be confirmed in larger studies.

Background: The optimal revascularization strategy for the elderly with complex coronary artery disease remains unclear. Objectives: The goal of this study was to investigate 10-year all-cause mortality, life expectancy, 5-year major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events (MACCE), and 5-year quality of life (QOL) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) in elderly individuals (>70 years old) with 3-vessel disease (3VD) and/or left main disease (LMD). Methods: In the present pre-specified analysis on age of the SYNTAX Extended Survival study, 10-year all-cause death and 5-year MACCE were compared with Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox proportional hazards models among elderly or nonelderly patients. Life expectancy was estimated by restricted mean survival time within 10 years, and QOL status according to the Seattle Angina Questionnaire up to 5 years was assessed by linear mixed-effects models. Results: Among 1,800 randomized patients, 575 patients (31.9%) were elderly. Ten-year mortality did not differ significantly between PCI and CABG in elderly (44.1% vs. 41.1%; hazard ratio [HR]: 1.08; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.84 to 1.40) and nonelderly patients (21.1% vs. 16.6%; HR: 1.30; 95% CI: 1.00 to 1.69; pinteraction = 0.332). Among elderly patients, 5-year MACCE was comparable between PCI and CABG (39.4% vs. 35.1%; HR: 1.18; 95% CI: 0.90 to 1.56), whereas it was significantly higher in PCI over CABG among nonelderly patients (36.3% vs. 23.0%; HR: 1.69; 95% CI: 1.36 to 2.10; pinteraction = 0.043). There were no significant difference in life expectancy (mean difference: 0.2 years in favor of CABG; 95% CI: −0.4 to 0.7) and 5-year QOL status between PCI and CABG among elderly patients. Conclusions: Elderly patients with 3VD and/or LMD had comparable 10-year all-cause death, life expectancy, 5-year MACCE, and 5-year QOL status irrespective of revascularization mode. (Synergy Between PCI With TAXUS and Cardiac Surgery: SYNTAX Extended Survival [SYNTAXES]; NCT03417050) (SYNTAX Study: TAXUS Drug-Eluting Stent Versus Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery for the Treatment of Narrowed Arteries [SYNTAX]; NCT00114972)

BACKGROUND: More effective and progressively safer generations of drug-elut-ing stents (DES) have replaced bare metal stents (BMS) in rou-tine clinical practice. However, patients considered to be at high bleeding risk (HBR) have traditionally been underrepresented in pivotal DES trials. AIMS: The aim of this study was to model the safety and effectiveness of drug-coated stents (DCS) versus BMS in HBR patients according to the Academic Research Consortium (ARC) criteria. METHODS: Participants from the LEADERS FREE (LF) and LEADERS FREE II (LFII) studies were pooled into one data set. Participants were treated with 30 days of DAPT. The primary safety (composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, or stent thrombosis) and effectiveness (target lesion revascularisation) endpoints were compared between DCS and BMS in the subgroup of patients satisfying the ARC-HBR definition using propensity-score modelling. RESULTS: From the 3,635 participants included in the combined LF and LFII data set, 2,898 (79.7%) satisfied the ARC-HBR criteria (DCS: 1,923; BMS: 975). The primary safety endpoint occurred in 184 (9.8%) and in 132 (13.8%) participants in the DCS and BMS groups, respectively (adjusted HR 0.72, 95% CI: 0.57-0.91; p=0.006). The risk of the primary effectiveness endpoint was also significantly lower with DCS (6.2%) versus BMS (8.8%) (adjusted HR 0.70, 95% CI: 0.52-0.94; p=0.016). The safety and effectiveness of DCS versus BMS were consistent according to ARC-HBR status (p for interaction=0.206 and 0.260, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: DCS are safer and more effective than BMS in an ARC-defined HBR population.

Background Patients with non-left-main coronary bifurcation lesions are usually best treated with a stepwise provisional approach. However, patients with true left main stem bifurcation lesions have been shown in one dedicated randomized study to benefit from systematic dual stent implantation. Methods and results Four hundred and sixty-seven patients with true left main stem bifurcation lesions requiring intervention were recruited to the EBC MAIN study in 11 European countries. Patients were aged 71 ± 10 years; 77% were male. Patients were randomly allocated to a stepwise layered provisional strategy (n = 230) or a systematic dual stent approach (n = 237). The primary endpoint (a composite of death, myocardial infarction, and target lesion revascularization at 12 months) occurred in 14.7% of the stepwise provisional group vs. 17.7% of the systematic dual stent group (hazard ratio 0.8, 95% confidence interval 0.5–1.3; P = 0.34). Secondary endpoints were death (3.0% vs. 4.2%, P = 0.48), myocardial infarction (10.0% vs. 10.1%, P = 0.91), target lesion revascularization (6.1% vs. 9.3%, P = 0.16), and stent thrombosis (1.7% vs. 1.3%, P = 0.90), respectively. Procedure time, X-ray dose and consumables favoured the stepwise provisional approach. Symptomatic improvement was excellent and equal in each group. Conclusions Among patients with true bifurcation left main stem stenosis requiring intervention, fewer major adverse cardiac events occurred with a stepwise layered provisional approach than with planned dual stenting, although the difference was not statistically significant. The stepwise provisional strategy should remain the default for distal left main stem bifurcation intervention. Study registration http://clinicaltrials.gov NCT02497014.

Objectives: We investigated the impact of total stent length (TSL) and average nominal stent diameter (ASD) on 10-year mortality after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the SYNTAXES trial. Background: TSL and ASD in patients treated with PCI are associated with major adverse cardiovascular events. However, the treatment effect of PCI with extensive and/or small stenting as compared with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for complex coronary artery disease has not been fully evaluated. Methods: Impacts on mortality of extensive stenting defined as TSL >100 mm and small stenting as ASD

Background: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of bifurcation lesions is associated with higher rates of adverse events, and currently it is unclear whether PCI or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is the safer treatment for these patients at very long-term follow-up. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of bifurcation lesions on individual predicted and observed all-cause 10-year mortality in the SYNTAX (Synergy Between PCI With Taxus and Cardiac Surgery) trial. Methods: In the SYNTAXES (SYNTAX Extended Survival) study, 10-year observed and individual predicted mortality derived from the SYNTAX score 2020 (SS-2020) was compared between patients with ≥1 bifurcation (n = 1,300) and those with no bifurcations (n = 487). Results: Among patients treated with PCI, patients with >1 bifurcation lesion compared with those without bifurcation lesions had a significantly higher risk for all-cause death (19.8% vs 30.1%; HR: 1.55; 95% CI: 1.12-2.14; P = 0.007), whereas following CABG, mortality was similar in patients with and those without bifurcation lesions (23.3% vs 23.0%; HR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.59-1.12; P = 0.207; Pinteraction = 0.006). In PCI patients, a 2-stent vs a 1-stent technique was associated with higher mortality (33.3% vs 25.9%; HR: 1.51; 95% CI: 1.06-2.14; P = 0.021). According to the SS-2020, among those with ≥1 bifurcation, there was equipoise for all-cause mortality between PCI and CABG in 2 quartiles of the population, whereas CABG was superior to PCI in the 2 remaining quartiles. Conclusions: Bifurcation lesions require special attention from the heart team, considering the higher 10-year all-cause mortality associated with PCI. Careful evaluation of bifurcation lesion complexity and calculation of individualized 10-year prognosis using the SS-2020 may therefore be helpful in decision making. (Synergy Between PCI With TAXUS and Cardiac Surgery: SYNTAX Extended Survival [SYNTAXES], NCT03417050; Taxus Drug-Eluting Stent Versus Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery for the Treatment of Narrowed Arteries [SYNTAX], NCT00114972)

BACKGROUND: The Academic Research Consortium - High Bleeding Risk (ARC-HBR) initiative defined conditions associated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)-related bleeding. AIMS: We sought to further explore these HBR conditions in the setting of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). METHODS: Patients from the SCOPE 2 trial were stratified by their bleeding risk status based on the ARC-HBR definitions. Baseline and procedural characteristics, as well as key clinical outcomes including Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) 3-5 bleeding, were compared in ARC-HBR positive (HBR+) and ARC-HBR negative (HBR-) patients. RESULTS: Of 787 patients randomised in SCOPE 2 and included in this study, 633 were HBR+ (80.4%). Compared with HBR- patients, those HBR+ were older and more frequently presented with diabetes, a history of coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, prior cerebrovascular accident, and a Society of Thoracic Surgeons predicted risk of 30-day mortality (STS-PROM) (4.9±2.9% vs 3.3%±2.1%; p

Prior studies in patients with noncomplex coronary artery disease have demonstrated the safety of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the outpatient setting. We sought to examine the outcomes of outpatient PCI in patients with unprotected left main coronary artery disease (LMCAD). In the EXCEL trial, 1905 patients with LMCAD and site-assessed low or intermediate SYNTAX scores were randomized to PCI with everolimus-eluting stents versus coronary artery bypass grafting. The primary end point was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE; the composite of death, stroke, or myocardial infarction). In this sub-analysis, outcomes at 30 days and 5 years were analyzed according to whether PCI was performed in the outpatient versus inpatient setting. Among 948 patients with LMCAD assigned to PCI, 935 patients underwent PCI as their first procedure, including 100 (10.7%) performed in the outpatient setting. Patients who underwent outpatient compared with inpatient PCI were less likely to have experienced recent myocardial infarction. Distal left main bifurcation disease involvement and SYNTAX scores were similar between the groups. Comparing outpatient to inpatient PCI, there were no significant differences in MACE at 30 days (4.0% vs 5.0% respectively, adjusted OR 0.52 95% CI 0.12 to 2.22; p = 0.38) or 5 years (20.6% vs 22.1% respectively, adjusted OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.40 to 1.29; p = 0.27). Similar results were observed in patients with distal left main bifurcation lesions. In conclusion, in the EXCEL trial, outpatient PCI of patients with LMCAD was not associated with an excess early or late hazard of MACE. These data suggest that outpatient PCI may be safely performed in select patients with LMCAD.

Background: The long-term clinical benefit after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with total occlusions (TOs) and complex coronary artery disease has not yet been clarified. Objectives: The objective of this analysis was to assess 10-year all-cause mortality in patients with TOs undergoing PCI or CABG. Methods: This is a subanalysis of patients with at least 1 TO in the SYNTAXES (Synergy Between PCI With Taxus and Cardiac Surgery Extended Survival) study, which investigated 10-year all-cause mortality in the SYNTAX (Synergy Between PCI With Taxus and Cardiac Surgery) trial, beyond its original 5-year follow-up. Patients with TOs were further stratified according to the status of TO recanalization or revascularization. Results: Of 1,800 randomized patients to the PCI or CABG arm, 460 patients had at least 1 lesion of TO. In patients with TOs, the status of TO recanalization or revascularization was not associated with 10-year all-cause mortality, irrespective of the assigned treatment (PCI arm: 29.9% vs. 29.4%; adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 0.992; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.474 to 2.075; p = 0.982; and CABG arm: 28.0% vs. 21.4%; adjusted HR: 0.656; 95% CI: 0.281 to 1.533; p = 0.330). When TOs existed in left main and/or left anterior descending artery, the status of TO recanalization or revascularization did not have an impact on the mortality (34.5% vs. 26.9%; adjusted HR: 0.896; 95% CI: 0.314 to 2.555; p = 0.837). Conclusions: At 10-year follow-up, the status of TO recanalization or revascularization did not affect mortality, irrespective of the assigned treatment and location of TOs. The present study might support contemporary practice among high-volume chronic TO-PCI centers where recanalization is primarily offered to patients for the management of angina refractory to medical therapy when myocardial viability is confirmed. (Synergy Between PCI With TAXUS and Cardiac Surgery: SYNTAX Extended Survival [SYNTAXES]; NCT03417050; SYNTAX Study: TAXUS Drug-Eluting Stent Versus Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery for the Treatment of Narrowed Arteries [SYNTAX]; NCT00114972)

Background The recent approval of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in patients with low operative risk has paved the way for the introduction of novel and potentially improved technologies. The safety and efficacy of these novel technologies should be investigated in randomized control trials against the contemporary TAVR devices. The objective of the LANDMARK trial is to compare the balloon-expandable Myval transcatheter heart valve (THV) series with contemporary THV (SAPIEN THV and Evolut THV series) series in patients with severe symptomatic native aortic stenosis. Methods/Design The LANDMARK trial (ClinicalTrials.govNCT04275726, EudraCT number 2020–000,137–40) is a prospective, randomized, multinational, multicenter, open-label, and noninferiority trial of approximately 768 patients treated with TAVR via the transfemoral approach. Patients will be allocated in a 1:1 randomization to Myval THV series (n = 384) or to contemporary THV (n = 384) (either of SAPIEN THV or Evolut THV series). The primary combined safety and efficacy endpoint is a composite of all-cause mortality, all stroke (disabling and nondisabling), bleeding (life-threatening or disabling), acute kidney injury (stage 2 or 3), major vascular complications, prosthetic valve regurgitation (moderate or severe), and conduction system disturbances (requiring new permanent pacemaker implantation), according to the Valve Academic Research Consortium-2 criteria at 30-day follow-up. All patients will have follow-up to 10 years following TAVR. Summary The LANDMARK trial is the first randomized head-to-head trial comparing Myval THV series to commercially available THVs in patients indicated for TAVR. We review prior data on head-to-head comparisons of TAVR devices and describe the rationale and design of the LANDMARK trial.

Aims: To compare the outcomes of patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery (NCS) after PCI with either a drug-coated stent (DCS) or a bare-metal stent (BMS), followed by 1-month dual antiplatelet therapy and to explore the impact of the timing of NCS. Methods: This is a subgroup analysis of the LEADERS FREE trial. The primary safety end point was a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, or stent thrombosis, and the primary efficacy end point was clinically driven target lesion revascularization (TLR). Results: Out of 2432 patients included in the LEADERS FREE trial, 278 (11.4%) underwent NCS within 1 year after PCI. Among NCS patients, the 1-year safety end point was numerically lower with DCS; however, this difference was not significant as compared to BMS (4.7% vs. 10.1%, HR: 0.459 [0.178–1.183], p = 0.099), clinically driven TLR was significantly lower after DCS (2.4% vs. 8.3%, HR: 0.281 [0.079—0.996], p = 0.036), and BARC 3–5 bleeding was similar with DCS vs. BMS (10.2% vs. 7.5%, p = 0.438). In patients treated with BMS, NCS within 3 months after PCI was associated with higher incidence of the safety end point than NCSs performed later: 14.9% vs. 4.4%, HR: 3.586 [1.012–12.709], p = 0.034. The timing of surgery had no impact on patients treated with DCS (4.7% vs. 4.7%, p = 0.947). Conclusions: Among patients undergoing NCS after PCI, DCS-treated patients had a lower probability of clinically driven TLR compared with BMS. However, there was no significant difference in the occurrence of the primary composite safety end point or bleeding complications. Early NCS after BMS-PCI was associated with impaired safety, while the timing of NCS had no such influence after DCS implantation. Graphic abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]

Aims The accuracy and prognostic value of stress perfusion cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) are established in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients. Because myocardial contrast kinetics may be altered after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), most studies excluded CABG patients. This study aimed to assess the prognostic value of vasodilator stress perfusion CMR in CABG patients. Methods and results Consecutive CABG patients referred for stress CMR were retrospectively included and followed for the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) including cardiovascular (CV) death or non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI). Cox regression analyses were performed to determine the prognostic association of inducible ischaemia and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) by CMR. Of 866 consecutive CABG patients, 852 underwent the stress CMR protocol and 771 (89%) completed the follow-up [median (interquartile range) 4.2 (3.3–6.2) years]. There were 85 MACE (63 CV deaths and 22 non-fatal MI). Using Kaplan–Meier analysis, the presence of inducible ischaemia identified the occurrence of MACE [hazard ratio (HR) 3.52, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.27–5.48; P Conclusion Stress CMR has a good discriminative prognostic value in patients after CABG, with a higher incidence of MACE and CV death in patients with inducible ischaemia and/or LGE.

Aims To evaluate the impact of various smoking status on 10-year all-cause mortality and to examine a relative treatment benefit of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) vs. percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) according to smoking habits. Methods and results The SYNTAX Extended Survival study evaluated vital status up to 10 years in 1800 patients with de novo three-vessel disease and/or left main coronary artery disease randomized to CABG or PCI in the SYNTAX trial. In the present analysis, patients were divided into three groups (current, former, or never smokers), and the primary endpoint of 10-year all-cause mortality was assessed according to smoking status. Smoking status was available in 1793 (99.6%) patients at the time of randomization, of whom 363 were current smokers, 798 were former smokers, and 632 were never smokers. The crude rates of 10-year all-cause mortality were 29.7% in current smokers, 25.3% in former smokers, and 25.9% in never smokers (Log-rank P = 0.343). After adjustment for imbalances in baseline characteristics, current smokers had a significantly higher risk of 10-year all-cause mortality than never smokers [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR): 2.29; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.60–3.27; P Conclusion Current smokers had a higher adjusted risk of 10-year all-cause mortality, whereas former smokers did not. The treatment effect of CABG vs. PCI did not differ significantly according to smoking status. Clinical trial registration SYNTAX: ClinicalTrials.gov reference: NCT00114972; SYNTAX Extended Survival. ClinicalTrials.gov reference: NCT03417050.

BACKGROUND Nonadherence to antiplatelet therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is common, even in clinical trials. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of nonadherence to study protocol regimens in the MASTER DAPT (Management of High Bleeding Risk Patients Post Bioresorbable Polymer Coated Stent Implantation With an Abbreviated Versus Prolonged DAPT Regimen) trial. METHODS At 1-month after PCI, 4,579 high bleeding risk patients were randomized to single antiplatelet therapy (SAPT) for 11 months (or 5 months in patients on oral anticoagulation [OAC]) or dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) for ≥2 months followed by SAPT. Coprimary outcomes included net adverse clinical events (NACE), major adverse cardiac and cerebral events (MACE), and major or clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding (MCB) at 335 days. Inverse probability-of-censoring weights were used to correct for nonadherence Academic Research Consortium type 2 or 3. RESULTS In total, 464 (20.2%) patients in the abbreviated-treatment and 214 (9.4%) in the standard-treatment groups incurred nonadherence Academic Research Consortium type 2 or 3. At inverse probability-of-censoring weights analyses, NACE (HR: 1.01; 95% CI: 0.88-1.27) or MACE (HR: 1.07; 95% CI: 0.83-1.40) did not differ, and MCB was lower with abbreviated compared with standard treatment (HR: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.60-0.73) consistently across OAC subgroups; among OAC patients, SAPT discontinuation 6 months after PCI was associated with similar MACE and lower MCB (HR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.22-0.99) compared with SAPT continuation. CONCLUSIONS In the MASTER DAPT adherent population, 1-month compared with ≥3-month DAPT was associated with similar NACE or MACE and lower MCB. Among OAC patients, SAPT discontinuation after 6 months was associated with similar MACE and lower MCB than SAPT continuation (Management of High Bleeding Risk Patients Post Bioresorbable Polymer Coated Stent Implantation With an Abbreviated Versus Prolonged DAPT Regimen [MASTER DAPT]; NCT03023020).

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess 10-year all-cause mortality in patients with heavily calcified lesions (HCLs) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Background: Limited data are available on very long term outcomes in patients with HCLs according to the mode of revascularization. Methods: This substudy of the SYNTAXES (Synergy Between PCI With Taxus and Cardiac Surgery Extended Survival) study assessed 10-year all-cause mortality according to the presence of HCLs within lesions with >50% diameter stenosis and identified during the calculation of the anatomical SYNTAX (Synergy Between PCI With Taxus and Cardiac Surgery) score among 1,800 patients with the 3-vessel disease and/or left main disease randomized to PCI or CABG in the SYNTAX trial. Patients with HCLs were further stratified according to disease type (3-vessel disease or left main disease) and assigned treatment (PCI or CABG). Results: The 532 patients with ≥1 HCL had a higher crude mortality rate at 10 years than those without (36.4% vs 22.3%; HR: 1.79; 95% CI: 1.49-2.16; P < 0.001). After adjustment, an HCL remained an independent predictor of 10-year mortality (HR: 1.36; 95% CI: 1.09-1.69; P = 0.006). There was a significant interaction in mortality between treatment effect (PCI and CABG) and the presence or absence of HCLs (Pinteraction = 0.005). In patients without HCLs, mortality was significantly higher after PCI than after CABG (26.0% vs 18.8%; HR: 1.44; 95% CI: 0.97-1.41; P = 0.003), whereas in those with HCLs, there was no significant difference (34.0% vs 39.0%; HR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.64-1.13; P = 0.264). Conclusions: At 10 years, the presence of an HCL was an independent predictor of mortality, with a similar prognosis following PCI or CABG. Whether HCLs require special consideration when deciding the mode of revascularization beyond their current contribution to the anatomical SYNTAX score deserves further evaluation. (Synergy Between PCI With TAXUS and Cardiac Surgery: SYNTAX Extended Survival [SYNTAXES], NCT03417050; SYNTAX Study: TAXUS Drug-Eluting Stent Versus Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery for the Treatment of Narrowed Arteries [SYNTAX], NCT00114972)

Background: The poorer prognosis of coronary artery disease in females compared with males is related mainly to differences in baseline characteristics. In the SYNTAX (Synergy Between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With Taxus and Cardiac Surgery) trial, the effect of treatment with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) versus coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG) on mortality at 5 years differed significantly between females and males; however, the optimal revascularization beyond 5 years according to sex has not been evaluated. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of sex on mortality and sex-treatment interaction at 10 years. Methods: The SYNTAXES (SYNTAX Extended Survival) study evaluated vital status up to 10 years in 1,800 patients with de novo 3-vessel and/or left main coronary artery disease randomized to treatment with PCI or CABG in the SYNTAX trial. All-cause death at 10 years was separately evaluated in female and male patients with complex coronary artery disease. Results: Of 1,800 patients, 402 (22.3%) were female and 1,398 (77.7%) were males. Females had a higher 10-year mortality rate compared with males (32.8% vs. 24.7%; log-rank p = 0.002), but female sex was not an independent predictor of mortality (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.02; 95% confidence interval: 0.76 to 1.36). Mortality at 10 years tended to be lower after CABG than after PCI, with a similar treatment effect for female and male patients (adjusted hazard ratio for females: 0.90 [95% confidence interval: 0.54 to 1.51]; adjusted hazard ratio for males: 0.76 [95% confidence interval: 0.56 to 1.02]; p for interaction = 0.952). Conclusions: Female sex was not an independent predictor of mortality at 10 years in patients with complex coronary artery disease. The interaction between sex and treatment with PCI or CABG that was observed at 5 years was no longer present at 10 years. (Synergy Between PCI With TAXUS and Cardiac Surgery: SYNTAX Extended Survival [SYNTAXES], NCT03417050; SYNTAX Study: TAXUS Drug-Eluting Stent Versus Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery for the Treatment of Narrowed Arteries [SYNTAX], NCT00114972)

Resumen Introduccion y objetivos El objetivo es evaluar el impacto del acceso vascular en las complicaciones hemorragicas tras una intervencion coronaria percutanea en pacientes con alto riesgo de sangrado (ARS) a los 30 dias y a los 2 anos. Metodos El presente estudio es un subanalisis predefinido del estudio LEADERS FREE, que incluyo a 2.432 pacientes con ARS y en el que el stent farmacoactivo Biolimus A9 resulto superior al stent convencional en seguridad y eficacia. Resultados El acceso radial (AR) se utilizo en 1.454 pacientes (59,8%) y el femoral (AF), en 978 (40,2%), ambos a eleccion del operador. La seguridad y los beneficios del stent farmacoactivo sobre el convencional fueron independientes del acceso vascular. A los 30 dias y a los 2 anos, habian sufrido un sangrado mayor el 2,4 y el 7,5% de los pacientes con AR y el 4,6 y el 10,9% de los pacientes con AF (p = 0,003), la mayoria en ambos grupos (el 2,1 y el 7,0% del de AR; el 3,2 y el 9,4% del de AF) no relacionados con el sitio de acceso vascular. El AR se asocio con una reduccion significativa en las tasas ajustadas de sangrado mayor tanto a 30 dias (HR = 1,98; IC95%, 1,25-3,11; p = 0,003) como a 2 anos de seguimiento (HR = 1,51; IC95%, 1,14-2,01; p = 0,003). Conclusiones Los operadores prefirieron el AR en la mayoria de los pacientes con ARS, lo cual se asocio con una reduccion significativa del sangrado mayor. Asimismo, un numero significativo de sangrados en el seguimiento de esta poblacion son no relacionados con el acceso vascular.