Transcatheter Aortic-Valve Replacement for Asymptomatic Severe Aortic Stenosis.

BACKGROUND: For patients with asymptomatic severe aortic stenosis and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction, current guidelines recommend routine clinical surveillance every 6 to 12 months. Data from randomized trials examining whether early intervention with transcatheter aortic-valve replacement (TAVR) will improve outcomes in these patients are lacking. METHODS: At 75 centers in the United States and Canada, we randomly assigned, in a 1:1 ratio, patients with asymptomatic severe aortic stenosis to undergo early TAVR with transfemoral placement of a balloon-expandable valve or clinical surveillance. The primary end point was a composite of death, stroke, or unplanned hospitalization for cardiovascular causes. Superiority testing was performed in the intention-to-treat population. RESULTS: A total of 901 patients underwent randomization; 455 patients were assigned to TAVR and 446 to clinical surveillance. The mean age of the patients was 75.8 years, the mean Society of Thoracic Surgeons Predicted Risk of Mortality score was 1.8% (on a scale from 0 to 100%, with higher scores indicating a greater risk of death within 30 days after surgery), and 83.6% of patients were at low surgical risk. A primary end-point event occurred in 122 patients (26.8%) in the TAVR group and in 202 patients (45.3%) in the clinical surveillance group (hazard ratio, 0.50; 95% confidence interval, 0.40 to 0.63; P<0.001). Death occurred in 8.4% of the patients assigned to TAVR and in 9.2% of the patients assigned to clinical surveillance, stroke occurred in 4.2% and 6.7%, respectively, and unplanned hospitalization for cardiovascular causes occurred in 20.9% and 41.7%. During a median follow-up of 3.8 years, 87.0% of patients in the clinical surveillance group underwent aortic-valve replacement. There were no apparent differences in procedure-related adverse events between patients in the TAVR group and those in the clinical surveillance group who underwent aortic-valve replacement. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with asymptomatic severe aortic stenosis, a strategy of early TAVR was superior to clinical surveillance in reducing the incidence of death, stroke, or unplanned hospitalization for cardiovascular causes. (Funded by Edwards Lifesciences; EARLY TAVR ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03042104.).

Transcatheter Aortic-Valve Replacement in Low-Risk Patients at Five Years.

BACKGROUND: A previous analysis in this trial showed that among patients with severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis who were at low surgical risk, the rate of the composite end point of death, stroke, or rehospitalization at 1 year was significantly lower with transcatheter aortic-valve replacement (TAVR) than with surgical aortic-valve replacement. Longer-term outcomes are unknown. METHODS: We randomly assigned patients with severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis and low surgical risk to undergo either TAVR or surgery. The first primary end point was a composite of death, stroke, or rehospitalization related to the valve, the procedure, or heart failure. The second primary end point was a hierarchical composite that included death, disabling stroke, nondisabling stroke, and the number of rehospitalization days, analyzed with the use of a win ratio analysis. Clinical, echocardiographic, and health-status outcomes were assessed through 5 years. RESULTS: A total of 1000 patients underwent randomization: 503 patients were assigned to undergo TAVR, and 497 to undergo surgery. A component of the first primary end point occurred in 111 of 496 patients in the TAVR group and in 117 of 454 patients in the surgery group (Kaplan-Meier estimates, 22.8% in the TAVR group and 27.2% in the surgery group; difference, -4.3 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI], -9.9 to 1.3; P = 0.07). The win ratio for the second primary end point was 1.17 (95% CI, 0.90 to 1.51; P = 0.25). The Kaplan-Meier estimates for the components of the first primary end point were as follows: death, 10.0% in the TAVR group and 8.2% in the surgery group; stroke, 5.8% and 6.4%, respectively; and rehospitalization, 13.7% and 17.4%. The hemodynamic performance of the valve, assessed according to the mean (±SD) valve gradient, was 12.8±6.5 mm Hg in the TAVR group and 11.7±5.6 mm Hg in the surgery group. Bioprosthetic-valve failure occurred in 3.3% of the patients in the TAVR group and in 3.8% of those in the surgery group. CONCLUSIONS: Among low-risk patients with severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis who underwent TAVR or surgery, there was no significant between-group difference in the two primary composite outcomes. (Funded by Edwards Lifesciences; PARTNER 3 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02675114.).

Leaflet modification before transcatheter aortic valve implantation in patients at risk for coronary obstruction: the ShortCut study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: This trial sought to assess the safety and efficacy of ShortCut, the first dedicated leaflet modification device, prior to transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in patients at risk for coronary artery obstruction. METHODS: This pivotal prospective study enrolled patients with failed bioprosthetic aortic valves scheduled to undergo TAVI and were at risk for coronary artery obstruction. The primary safety endpoint was procedure-related mortality or stroke at discharge or 7 days, and the primary efficacy endpoint was per-patient leaflet splitting success. Independent angiographic, echocardiographic, and computed tomography core laboratories assessed all images. Safety events were adjudicated by a clinical events committee and data safety monitoring board. RESULTS: Sixty eligible patients were treated (77.0 ± 9.6 years, 70% female, 96.7% failed surgical bioprosthetic valves, 63.3% single splitting and 36.7% dual splitting) at 22 clinical sites. Successful leaflet splitting was achieved in all [100%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 94%-100.0%, P < .001] patients. Procedure time, including imaging confirmation of leaflet splitting, was 30.6 ± 17.9 min. Freedom from the primary safety endpoint was achieved in 59 [98.3%; 95% CI (91.1%-100%)] patients, with no mortality and one (1.7%) disabling stroke. At 30 days, freedom from coronary obstruction was 95% (95% CI 86.1%-99.0%). Within 90 days, freedom from mortality was 95% [95% CI (86.1%-99.0%)], without any cardiovascular deaths. CONCLUSIONS: Modification of failed bioprosthetic aortic valve leaflets using ShortCut was safe, achieved successful leaflet splitting in all patients, and was associated with favourable clinical outcomes in patients at risk for coronary obstruction undergoing TAVI.

Design and rationale of the evaluation of transcatheter aortic valve replacement compared to surveillance for patients with asymptomatic severe aortic stenosis: The EARLY TAVR trial.

BACKGROUND: For patients with asymptomatic, severe aortic stenosis (AS) and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction, current guidelines recommend clinical surveillance every 6 to 12 months. To date, no randomized trials have examined whether an early intervention with transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) will improve outcomes among these patients. STUDY DESIGN AND OBJECTIVES: EARLY TAVR is a prospective, randomized, controlled, and multicenter trial, with an event-based design. Asymptomatic severe AS patients (n = 900) are randomized 1:1 to either clinical surveillance or TAVR with the Edwards SAPIEN 3/SAPIEN 3 Ultra transcatheter heart valve. Patients are stratified by whether they are able to perform a treadmill stress test. The primary end point is death, stroke, or unplanned cardiovascular hospitalization. Patients who are asymptomatic but have a positive stress test will be followed in a registry and undergo aortic valve replacement as per current guidelines. CONCLUSIONS: EARLY TAVR is the largest randomized trial to date assessing the role of early intervention among patients with asymptomatic severe AS compared to clinical surveillance and the first to study the role of TAVR. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03042104.

Clinical journey for patients with aortic regurgitation: A retrospective observational study from a multicenter database.

BACKGROUND: Data using real-world assessments of aortic regurgitation (AR) severity to identify rates of Heart Valve Team evaluation and aortic valve replacement (AVR), as well as mortality among untreated patients, are lacking. The present study assessed these trends in care and outcomes for real-world patients with documented AR. METHODS: Using a deidentified data set (January 2018-March 2023) representing 1,002,853 patients >18 years of age from 25 US institutions participating in the egnite Database (egnite, Inc.) with appropriate permissions, patients were classified by AR severity in echocardiographic reports. Rates of evaluation by the Heart Valve Team, AVR, and all-cause mortality without AVR were examined using Kaplan-Meier estimates and compared using the log-rank test. RESULTS: Within the data set, 845,113 patients had AR severity documented. For moderate-to-severe or severe AR, respectively, 2-year rates (95% confidence interval) of evaluation by the Heart Valve Team (43.5% [41.7%-45.3%] and 65.4% [63.3%-67.4%]) and AVR (19.4% [17.6%-21.1%] and 46.5% [44.2%-48.8%]) were low. Mortality at 2 years without AVR increased with greater AR severity, up to 20.7% for severe AR (p < 0.001). In exploratory analyses, 2-year mortality for untreated patients with left ventricular end-systolic dimension index > 25 mm/m2 was similar for moderate (34.3% [29.2%-39.1%]) and severe (37.2% [24.9%-47.5%]) AR. CONCLUSIONS: Moderate or greater AR is associated with poor clinical outcomes among untreated patients at 2 years. Rates of Heart Valve Team evaluation and AVR were low for those with moderate or greater AR, suggesting that earlier referral to the Heart Valve Team could be beneficial.

Predictors of outcomes after PCI with incomplete revascularization: Impact of CTO and LAD vessel.

BACKGROUND: Incomplete revascularization (ICR) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with mortality and morbidity. AIM: We sought to investigate whether ICR in the left anterior descending artery (LAD) is worse than ICR of the right coronary artery (RCA) or left circumflex artery (LCX); and whether ICR in patients with a chronic total occlusion (CTO) is worse than in those without. METHODS: In the RIVER-PCI trial, 2651 patients with ICR after PCI were randomly assigned to ranolazine or placebo. Angiograms were assessed at an independent core laboratory in 2501 patients (94.3%). The primary endpoint was the composite of ischemia-driven revascularization or hospitalization. RESULTS: A total of 1664 patients (66.5%) had ICR involving the LAD, whereas 837 (33.5%) had ICR limited to the RCA or LCX. At median follow-up of 643 days, the primary endpoint occurred in 26.9% versus 26.5% of patients (adjusted HR [aHR]: 1.03, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.88-1.21). A nonrecanalized CTO was present in 854 patients (34.1%) with ICR after PCI. The primary endpoint occurred in 28.6% versus 25.9% of ICR patients with versus without a CTO (aHR: 1.10, 95% CI: 0.94-1.29). However, patients with a CTO had higher rates of ischemia-driven hospitalization without revascularization (aHR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.04-1.56), heart failure hospitalization (aHR: 2.69, 95% CI: 1.61-4.59) and myocardial infarction (aHR: 1.46, 95% CI: 1.11-1.92) compared with those without. CONCLUSIONS: The 2-year prognosis was similar in post-PCI patients with ICR whether the LAD was versus was not involved. ICR patients with a CTO had more frequent hospitalizations for ischemia and myocardial infarctions compared with those without.

Organ blood flow assessment with the ModulHeart cardiorenal support device.

BACKGROUND: ModulHeart (Puzzle Medical Devices Inc) is a novel percutaneous flow entrainment pump anchored in the descending aorta. The current study evaluates the hemodynamic effect of ModulHeart support and its impact on cerebral, myocardial, and renal blood flow. METHODS: ModulHeart was implanted in the descending aorta of four healthy calves. A ramp protocol (2000 RPM increments) was performed with the pump operating at five different speeds from 14 000 to 22 000 RPM. For each speed, pressures proximal and distal to the pump, and right heart catheterization measurements were recorded. Stable-isotope labeled microspheres were injected in the left ventricle to evaluate organ perfusion. RESULTS: Thermodilution cardiac output increased by 23% at 22 000 RPM. Greater pump speeds resulted in greater pump gradients, up to 10 mm Hg in mean arterial pressure at 22 000 RPM, without significant reduction of proximal perfusion pressures. Arterial pulse pressure remained stable at all speeds. ModulHeart was not associated with a reduction in cerebral or myocardial blood flow at any speed. Renal cortical and medullary blood flow increased by up to 50% and 40%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The ModulHeart device implanted in the descending aorta of healthy calves resulted in significant arterial pressure gradients and preserved pulse pressure. Greater pump speeds translated into greater increases in renal blood flow, with no decrease in cerebral or myocardial perfusion.

Association of ACEI/ARB and statin prescribing patterns with mortality after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR): Findings from real-world claims data.

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has become the standard of care for most patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS), but the impact of medical therapy prescribing patterns on post-TAVR patients has not been thoroughly investigated. METHODS: We analyzed Optum claims data from 9,012 adults who received TAVR for AS (January 2014-December 2018). Pharmacy claims data were used to identify patients who filled ACEI/ARB and/or statin prescriptions during the study's 90-day landmark period post-TAVR. Kaplan-Meier and adjusted Cox Proportional Hazards models were used to evaluate the association of prescribing patterns with mortality during the 3-year follow-up period. Subgroup analyses were performed to examine the impact of 11 potential confounders on the observed associations. RESULTS: A significantly lower adjusted 3-year mortality was observed for patients with post-TAVR prescription for ACEI/ARBs (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.82, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.74-0.91, P = .0003) and statins (HR = 0.85, 95% CI 0.77-0.94, P = .0018) compared to patients who did not fill prescriptions for these medications post-TAVR. Subgroup analyses revealed that the survival benefit associated with ACEI/ARB prescription was not affected by any of the potential confounding variables, except preoperative ACEI/ARB prescription was associated with significantly lower risk of mortality vs postoperative prescription only. No other subgroup variables had significant interactions associated with survival benefits, including preoperative use of statins. CONCLUSIONS: In this large-scale, real-world analysis of patients undergoing TAVR, the prescription of ACEI/ARB and statins was associated with a significantly lower risk of mortality at 3-years, especially in those where the medications were initiated preoperatively.

Transcatheter Aortic-Valve Replacement with a Balloon-Expandable Valve in Low-Risk Patients.

BACKGROUND: Among patients with aortic stenosis who are at intermediate or high risk for death with surgery, major outcomes are similar with transcatheter aortic-valve replacement (TAVR) and surgical aortic-valve replacement. There is insufficient evidence regarding the comparison of the two procedures in patients who are at low risk. METHODS: We randomly assigned patients with severe aortic stenosis and low surgical risk to undergo either TAVR with transfemoral placement of a balloon-expandable valve or surgery. The primary end point was a composite of death, stroke, or rehospitalization at 1 year. Both noninferiority testing (with a prespecified margin of 6 percentage points) and superiority testing were performed in the as-treated population. RESULTS: At 71 centers, 1000 patients underwent randomization. The mean age of the patients was 73 years, and the mean Society of Thoracic Surgeons risk score was 1.9% (with scores ranging from 0 to 100% and higher scores indicating a greater risk of death within 30 days after the procedure). The Kaplan-Meier estimate of the rate of the primary composite end point at 1 year was significantly lower in the TAVR group than in the surgery group (8.5% vs. 15.1%; absolute difference, -6.6 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI], -10.8 to -2.5; P<0.001 for noninferiority; hazard ratio, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.37 to 0.79; P = 0.001 for superiority). At 30 days, TAVR resulted in a lower rate of stroke than surgery (P = 0.02) and in lower rates of death or stroke (P = 0.01) and new-onset atrial fibrillation (P<0.001). TAVR also resulted in a shorter index hospitalization than surgery (P<0.001) and in a lower risk of a poor treatment outcome (death or a low Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire score) at 30 days (P<0.001). There were no significant between-group differences in major vascular complications, new permanent pacemaker insertions, or moderate or severe paravalvular regurgitation. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with severe aortic stenosis who were at low surgical risk, the rate of the composite of death, stroke, or rehospitalization at 1 year was significantly lower with TAVR than with surgery. (Funded by Edwards Lifesciences; PARTNER 3 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02675114.).

Five-Year Outcomes after PCI or CABG for Left Main Coronary Disease.

BACKGROUND: Long-term outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with contemporary drug-eluting stents, as compared with coronary-artery bypass grafting (CABG), in patients with left main coronary artery disease are not clearly established. METHODS: We randomly assigned 1905 patients with left main coronary artery disease of low or intermediate anatomical complexity (according to assessment at the participating centers) to undergo either PCI with fluoropolymer-based cobalt-chromium everolimus-eluting stents (PCI group, 948 patients) or CABG (CABG group, 957 patients). The primary outcome was a composite of death, stroke, or myocardial infarction. RESULTS: At 5 years, a primary outcome event had occurred in 22.0% of the patients in the PCI group and in 19.2% of the patients in the CABG group (difference, 2.8 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.9 to 6.5; P = 0.13). Death from any cause occurred more frequently in the PCI group than in the CABG group (in 13.0% vs. 9.9%; difference, 3.1 percentage points; 95% CI, 0.2 to 6.1). In the PCI and CABG groups, the incidences of definite cardiovascular death (5.0% and 4.5%, respectively; difference, 0.5 percentage points; 95% CI, -1.4 to 2.5) and myocardial infarction (10.6% and 9.1%; difference, 1.4 percentage points; 95% CI, -1.3 to 4.2) were not significantly different. All cerebrovascular events were less frequent after PCI than after CABG (3.3% vs. 5.2%; difference, -1.9 percentage points; 95% CI, -3.8 to 0), although the incidence of stroke was not significantly different between the two groups (2.9% and 3.7%; difference, -0.8 percentage points; 95% CI, -2.4 to 0.9). Ischemia-driven revascularization was more frequent after PCI than after CABG (16.9% vs. 10.0%; difference, 6.9 percentage points; 95% CI, 3.7 to 10.0). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with left main coronary artery disease of low or intermediate anatomical complexity, there was no significant difference between PCI and CABG with respect to the rate of the composite outcome of death, stroke, or myocardial infarction at 5 years. (Funded by Abbott Vascular; EXCEL ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01205776.).

Randomized evaluation of vessel preparation with orbital atherectomy prior to drug-eluting stent implantation in severely calcified coronary artery lesions: Design and rationale of the ECLIPSE trial.

BACKGROUND: Severe coronary artery calcification has been associated with stent underexpansion, procedural complications, and increased rates of early and late adverse clinical events in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. To date, no lesion preparation strategy has been shown to definitively improve outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention for calcified coronary artery lesions. STUDY DESIGN AND OBJECTIVES: ECLIPSE (NCT03108456) is a prospective, randomized, multicenter trial designed to evaluate two different vessel preparation strategies in severely calcified coronary artery lesions. The routine use of the Diamondback 360 Coronary Orbital Atherectomy System is compared with conventional balloon angioplasty prior to drug-eluting stent implantation. The trial aims to enroll approximately 2000 subjects with a primary clinical endpoint of target vessel failure, defined as the composite of cardiac death, target vessel-related myocardial infarction, or ischemia-driven target vessel revascularization assessed at 1 year. The co-primary endpoint is the acute post-procedural in-stent minimal cross-sectional area as assessed by optical coherence tomography in a 500-subject cohort. Enrollment is anticipated to complete in 2022 with total clinical follow-up planned for 2 years. CONCLUSIONS: ECLIPSE is a large-scale, prospective randomized trial powered to demonstrate whether a vessel preparation strategy of routine orbital atherectomy system is superior to conventional balloon angioplasty prior to implantation of drug-eluting stents in severely calcified coronary artery lesions.

Double-blind, placebo-controlled evaluation of biorest liposomal alendronate in diabetic patients undergoing PCI: The BLADE-PCI trial.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is an important predictor of neointimal hyperplasia (NIH) and adverse clinical outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). LABR-312, a novel intravenous formulation of liposomal alendronate, has been shown in animal models to decrease NIH at vascular injury sites and around stent struts. The aim of the Biorest Liposomal Alendronate Administration for Diabetic Patients Undergoing Drug-Eluting Stent Percutaneous Coronary Intervention trial was to assess the safety, effectiveness, and dose response of LABR-312 administered intravenously at the time of PCI withDES in reducing NIH as measured by optical coherence tomography postprocedure in patients with DM. METHODS: Patients with DM were randomized to a bolus infusion of LABR-312 vs placebo at the time of PCI. Dose escalation of LABR-312 in the study arm was given: 0.01 mg, 0.03 mg, and 0.08 mg. The primary endpoint was the in-stent %NIH volume at 9 months as measured by optical coherence tomography. RESULTS: From September 2016 to December 2017, 271 patients with DM undergoing PCI were enrolled; 136 patients were randomized to LABR-312 infusion and 135 patients were randomized to placebo. At 9-month follow-up, no difference was seen in the primary endpoint of %NIH between LABR-312 and placebo (13.3% ± 9.2 vs 14.6% ± 8.5, P = .35). No differences were present with the varying LABR-312 doses. Clinical outcomes at 9 months were similar between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with DM undergoing PCI with drug-eluting stents, a bolus of LABR-312 injected systematically at the time of intervention did not result in a lower rate in-stent %NIH volume at 9-month follow-up.

Rates and impact of vascular complications in mechanical circulatory support.

BACKGROUND: Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices are increasingly used for hemodynamic support in cardiogenic shock or high-risk percutaneous coronary interventions. Vascular complications remain a major source of morbidity and mortality despite technological advances with percutaneous techniques. Little is known about the rates and predictors of vascular complications with large-bore access MCS in the contemporary era. METHODS: The study cohort was derived from National Inpatient Sample using data from 2015 to 2019 for cardiac hospitalizations with the use of: intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) Impella, and/or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). The rates of vascular complications and in-hospital outcomes were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Of 221,700 hospitalizations with MCS use, the majority had only IABP (68%). The rates of vascular complications were greatest with ECMO (15.8%) when compared with IABP (3.0%) and Impella (5.6%). Among patients with vascular complications, in-hospital mortality was higher with ECMO (56.3%) when compared with IABP (26.2%) and Impella (33.8%). Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) was the strongest predictor of vascular complications, with 10 times higher odds when present (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 10.96, p < 0.001). In risk-adjusted models, when compared with IABP, the use of Impella (aOR: 1.73, p < 0.001), ECMO (aOR: 5.35, p < 0.001), or a combination of MCS devices (aOR: 3.47, p < 0.001) was associated with higher odds of vascular complications. CONCLUSIONS: In contemporary practice, the use of MCS is associated with significant vascular complications and in-hospital mortality. Predictors of vascular complications include larger arteriotomy size, female gender, and peripheral arterial disease. Vascular access management remains essential to prevent major complications.

Coronary CTA With AI-QCT Interpretation: Comparison With Myocardial Perfusion Imaging for Detection of Obstructive Stenosis Using Invasive Angiography as Reference Standard.

BACKGROUND. Deep learning frameworks have been applied to interpretation of coronary CTA performed for coronary artery disease (CAD) evaluation. OBJECTIVE. The purpose of our study was to compare the diagnostic performance of myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) and coronary CTA with artificial intelligence quantitative CT (AI-QCT) interpretation for detection of obstructive CAD on invasive angiography and to assess the downstream impact of including coronary CTA with AI-QCT in diagnostic algorithms. METHODS. This study entailed a retrospective post hoc analysis of the derivation cohort of the prospective 23-center Computed Tomographic Evaluation of Atherosclerotic Determinants of Myocardial Ischemia (CREDENCE) trial. The study included 301 patients (88 women and 213 men; mean age, 64.4 ± 10.2 [SD] years) recruited from May 2014 to May 2017 with stable symptoms of myocardial ischemia referred for nonemergent invasive angiography. Patients underwent coronary CTA and MPI before angiography with quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) measurements and fractional flow reserve (FFR). CTA examinations were analyzed using an FDA-cleared cloud-based software platform that performs AI-QCT for stenosis determination. Diagnostic performance was evaluated. Diagnostic algorithms were compared. RESULTS. Among 102 patients with no ischemia on MPI, AI-QCT identified obstructive (≥ 50%) stenosis in 54% of patients, including severe (≥ 70%) stenosis in 20%. Among 199 patients with ischemia on MPI, AI-QCT identified nonobstructive (1-49%) stenosis in 23%. AI-QCT had significantly higher AUC (all p < .001) than MPI for predicting ≥ 50% stenosis by QCA (0.88 vs 0.66), ≥ 70% stenosis by QCA (0.92 vs 0.81), and FFR < 0.80 (0.90 vs 0.71). An AI-QCT result of ≥ 50% stenosis and ischemia on stress MPI had sensitivity of 95% versus 74% and specificity of 63% versus 43% for detecting ≥ 50% stenosis by QCA measurement. Compared with performing MPI in all patients and those showing ischemia undergoing invasive angiography, a scenario of performing coronary CTA with AIQCT in all patients and those showing ≥ 70% stenosis undergoing invasive angiography would reduce invasive angiography utilization by 39%; a scenario of performing MPI in all patients and those showing ischemia undergoing coronary CTA with AI-QCT and those with ≥ 70% stenosis on AI-QCT undergoing invasive angiography would reduce invasive angiography utilization by 49%. CONCLUSION. Coronary CTA with AI-QCT had higher diagnostic performance than MPI for detecting obstructive CAD. CLINICAL IMPACT. A diagnostic algorithm incorporating AI-QCT could substantially reduce unnecessary downstream invasive testing and costs. TRIAL REGISTRATION. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02173275.

Valve Academic Research Consortium 3: updated endpoint definitions for aortic valve clinical research.

AIMS: The Valve Academic Research Consortium (VARC), founded in 2010, was intended to (i) identify appropriate clinical endpoints and (ii) standardize definitions of these endpoints for transcatheter and surgical aortic valve clinical trials. Rapid evolution of the field, including the emergence of new complications, expanding clinical indications, and novel therapy strategies have mandated further refinement and expansion of these definitions to ensure clinical relevance. This document provides an update of the most appropriate clinical endpoint definitions to be used in the conduct of transcatheter and surgical aortic valve clinical research. METHODS AND RESULTS: Several years after the publication of the VARC-2 manuscript, an in-person meeting was held involving over 50 independent clinical experts representing several professional societies, academic research organizations, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and industry representatives to (i) evaluate utilization of VARC endpoint definitions in clinical research, (ii) discuss the scope of this focused update, and (iii) review and revise specific clinical endpoint definitions. A writing committee of independent experts was convened and subsequently met to further address outstanding issues. There were ongoing discussions with FDA and many experts to develop a new classification schema for bioprosthetic valve dysfunction and failure. Overall, this multi-disciplinary process has resulted in important recommendations for data reporting, clinical research methods, and updated endpoint definitions. New definitions or modifications of existing definitions are being proposed for repeat hospitalizations, access site-related complications, bleeding events, conduction disturbances, cardiac structural complications, and bioprosthetic valve dysfunction and failure (including valve leaflet thickening and thrombosis). A more granular 5-class grading scheme for paravalvular regurgitation (PVR) is being proposed to help refine the assessment of PVR. Finally, more specific recommendations on quality-of-life assessments have been included, which have been targeted to specific clinical study designs. CONCLUSIONS: Acknowledging the dynamic and evolving nature of less-invasive aortic valve therapies, further refinements of clinical research processes are required. The adoption of these updated and newly proposed VARC-3 endpoints and definitions will ensure homogenous event reporting, accurate adjudication, and appropriate comparisons of clinical research studies involving devices and new therapeutic strategies.

Echocardiographic Results of Transcatheter Versus Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement in Low-Risk Patients: The PARTNER 3 Trial.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to compare echocardiographic findings in low-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis after surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) or transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). METHODS: The PARTNER 3 trial (Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valves) randomized 1000 patients with severe aortic stenosis and low surgical risk to undergo either transfemoral TAVR with the balloon-expandable SAPIEN 3 valve or SAVR. Transthoracic echocardiograms obtained at baseline and at 30 days and 1 year after the procedure were analyzed by a consortium of 2 echocardiography core laboratories. RESULTS: The percentage of moderate or severe aortic regurgitation (AR) was low and not statistically different between the TAVR and SAVR groups at 30 days (0.8% versus 0.2%; P=0.38). Mild AR was more frequent after TAVR than SAVR at 30 days (28.8% versus 4.2%; P<0.001). At 1 year, mean transvalvular gradient (13.7±5.6 versus 11.6±5.0 mm Hg; P=0.12) and aortic valve area (1.72±0.37 versus 1.76±0.42 cm2; P=0.12) were similar in TAVR and SAVR. The percentage of severe prosthesis-patient mismatch at 30 days was low and similar between TAVR and SAVR (4.6 versus 6.3%; P=0.30). Valvulo-arterial impedance (Zva), which reflects total left ventricular hemodynamic burden, was lower with TAVR than SAVR at 1 year (3.7±0.8 versus 3.9±0.9 mm Hg/mL/m2; P<0.001). Tricuspid annulus plane systolic excursion decreased and the percentage of moderate or severe tricuspid regurgitation increased from baseline to 1 year in SAVR but remained unchanged in TAVR. Irrespective of treatment arm, high Zva and low tricuspid annulus plane systolic excursion, but not moderate to severe AR or severe prosthesis-patient mismatch, were associated with increased risk of the composite end point of mortality, stroke, and rehospitalization at 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with severe aortic stenosis and low surgical risk, TAVR with the SAPIEN 3 valve was associated with similar percentage of moderate or severe AR compared with SAVR but higher percentage of mild AR. Transprosthetic gradients, valve areas, percentage of severe prosthesis-patient mismatch, and left ventricular mass regression were similar in TAVR and SAVR. SAVR was associated with significant deterioration of right ventricular systolic function and greater tricuspid regurgitation, which persisted at 1 year. High Zva and low tricuspid annulus plane systolic excursion were associated with worse outcome at 1 year whereas AR and severe prosthesis-patient mismatch were not. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT02675114.

One-year outcomes of supersaturated oxygen therapy in acute anterior myocardial infarction: The IC-HOT study.

BACKGROUND: Supersaturated oxygen (SSO2 ) has recently been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for administration after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) in patients with anterior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) based on its demonstration of infarct size reduction in the IC-HOT study. OBJECTIVES: To describe the 1-year clinical outcomes of intracoronary SSO2 treatment after pPCI in patients with anterior STEMI. METHODS: IC-HOT was a prospective, open-label, single-arm study in which 100 patients without cardiogenic shock undergoing successful pPCI of an occluded left anterior descending coronary artery were treated with a 60-min SSO2 infusion. One-year clinical outcomes were compared with a propensity-matched control group of similar patients with anterior STEMI enrolled in the INFUSE-AMI trial. RESULTS: Baseline and postprocedural characteristics were similar in the two groups except for pre-PCI thrombolysis in myocardial infarction 3 flow, which was less prevalent in patients treated with SSO2 (9.6% vs. 22.9%, p = .02). Treatment with SSO2 was associated with a lower 1-year rate of the composite endpoint of all-cause death or new-onset heart failure (HF) or hospitalization for HF (0.0% vs. 12.3%, p = .001). All-cause mortality, driven by cardiovascular mortality, and new-onset HF or HF hospitalization were each individually lower in SSO2 -treated patients. There were no significant differences between groups in the 1-year rates of reinfarction or clinically driven target vessel revascularization. CONCLUSIONS: Infusion of SSO2 following pPCI in patients with anterior STEMI was associated with improved 1-year clinical outcomes including lower rates of death and new-onset HF or HF hospitalizations.

Impact of lesion preparation strategies on outcomes of left main PCI: The EXCEL trial.

OBJECTIVES: We examined outcomes according to lesion preparation strategy (LPS) in patients with left main coronary artery (LMCA) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the EXCEL trial. BACKGROUND: The optimal LPS for LMCA PCI is unclear. METHODS: We categorized LPS hierarchically (high to low) as: (a) rotational atherectomy (RA); (b) cutting or scoring balloon (CSB); (c) balloon angioplasty (BAL); and d) direct stenting (DIR). The primary endpoint was 3-year MACE; all-cause death, stroke, or myocardial infarction. RESULTS: Among 938 patients undergoing LMCA PCI, RA was performed in 6.0%, CSB 9.5%, BAL 71.3%, and DIR 13.2%. In patients treated with DIR, BAL, CSB, and RA, respectively, there was a progressive increase in SYNTAX score, LMCA complex bifurcation, trifurcation or calcification, number of stents, and total stent length. Any procedural complication occurred in 10.4% of cases overall, with the lowest rate in the DIR (7.4%) and highest in the RA group (16.1%) (ptrend  = .22). There were no significant differences in the 3-year rates of MACE (from RA to DIR: 17.9%, 20.2%, 14.5%, 14.7%; p = .50) or ischemia-driven revascularization (from RA to DIR: 16.8%, 10.8%, 12.3%, 14.2%; p = .65). The adjusted 3-year rates of MACE did not differ according to LPS. CONCLUSIONS: The comparable 3-year outcomes suggest that appropriate lesion preparation may be able to overcome the increased risks of complex LMCA lesion morphology.

Blinded outcomes and angina assessment of coronary bioresorbable scaffolds: 30-day and 1-year results from the ABSORB IV randomised trial.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies showed more adverse events with coronary bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS) than with metallic drug-eluting stents (DES), although in one randomised trial angina was reduced with BVS. However, these early studies were unmasked, lesions smaller than intended for the scaffold were frequently enrolled, implantation technique was suboptimal, and patients with myocardial infarction, in whom BVS might be well suited, were excluded. METHODS: In the active-controlled, blinded, multicentre, randomised ABSORB IV trial, patients with stable coronary artery disease or acute coronary syndromes aged 18 years or older were recruited from 147 hospitals in five countries (the USA, Germany, Australia, Singapore, and Canada). Enrolled patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive polymeric everolimus-eluting BVS (Absorb; Abbott Vascular, Santa Clara, CA, USA) with optimised implantation technique or cobalt-chromium everolimus-eluting stents (EES; Xience; Abbott Vascular, Santa Clara, CA, USA). Randomisation was stratified by diabetic status, whether patients would have been eligible for enrolment in the previous ABSORB III trial, and site. Patients and clinical assessors were masked to randomisation. The primary endpoint was target lesion failure (cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction, or ischaemia-driven target lesion revascularisation) at 30 days, tested for non-inferiority with a 2·9% margin for the risk difference. Analysis was by intention to treat. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02173379, and is closed to accrual. FINDINGS: Between Aug 15, 2014, and March 31, 2017, we screened 18 722 patients for eligibility, 2604 of whom were enrolled. 1296 patients were assigned to BVS, and 1308 patients were assigned to EES. Follow-up data at 30 days and 1 year, respectively, were available for 1288 and 1254 patients with BVS and for 1303 and 1272 patients with EES. Biomarker-positive acute coronary syndromes were present in 622 (24%) of 2602 patients, and, by angiographic core laboratory analysis, 78 (3%) of 2893 of lesions were in very small vessels. Target lesion failure at 30 days occurred in 64 (5·0%) patients assigned to BVS and 48 (3·7%) patients assigned to EES (difference 1·3%, upper 97·5% confidence limit 2·89; one-sided pnon-inferiority=0·0244). Target lesion failure at 1 year occurred in 98 (7·8%) patients assigned to BVS and 82 (6·4%) patients assigned to EES (difference 1·4%, upper 97·5% confidence limit 3·4; one-sided pnon-inferiority=0·0006). Angina, adjudicated by a central events committee at 1 year, occurred in 270 (20·3%) patients assigned to BVS and 274 (20·5%) patients assigned to EES (difference -0·3%, 95% CI -3·4% to 2·9%; one-sided pnon-inferiority=0·0008; two-sided psuperiority=0·8603). Device thrombosis within 1 year occurred in nine (0·7%) patients assigned to BVS and four (0·3%) patients assigned to EES (p=0·1586). INTERPRETATION: Polymeric BVS implanted with optimised technique in an expanded patient population resulted in non-inferior 30-day and 1-year rates of target lesion failure and angina compared with metallic DES. FUNDING: Abbott Vascular.

Everolimus-Eluting Stents or Bypass Surgery for Left Main Coronary Artery Disease.

BACKGROUND: Patients with obstructive left main coronary artery disease are usually treated with coronary-artery bypass grafting (CABG). Randomized trials have suggested that drug-eluting stents may be an acceptable alternative to CABG in selected patients with left main coronary disease. METHODS: We randomly assigned 1905 eligible patients with left main coronary artery disease of low or intermediate anatomical complexity to undergo either percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with fluoropolymer-based cobalt-chromium everolimus-eluting stents (PCI group, 948 patients) or CABG (CABG group, 957 patients). Anatomic complexity was assessed at the sites and defined by a Synergy between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with Taxus and Cardiac Surgery (SYNTAX) score of 32 or lower (the SYNTAX score reflects a comprehensive angiographic assessment of the coronary vasculature, with 0 as the lowest score and higher scores [no upper limit] indicating more complex coronary anatomy). The primary end point was the rate of a composite of death from any cause, stroke, or myocardial infarction at 3 years, and the trial was powered for noninferiority testing of the primary end point (noninferiority margin, 4.2 percentage points). Major secondary end points included the rate of a composite of death from any cause, stroke, or myocardial infarction at 30 days and the rate of a composite of death, stroke, myocardial infarction, or ischemia-driven revascularization at 3 years. Event rates were based on Kaplan-Meier estimates in time-to-first-event analyses. RESULTS: At 3 years, a primary end-point event had occurred in 15.4% of the patients in the PCI group and in 14.7% of the patients in the CABG group (difference, 0.7 percentage points; upper 97.5% confidence limit, 4.0 percentage points; P=0.02 for noninferiority; hazard ratio, 1.00; 95% confidence interval, 0.79 to 1.26; P=0.98 for superiority). The secondary end-point event of death, stroke, or myocardial infarction at 30 days occurred in 4.9% of the patients in the PCI group and in 7.9% in the CABG group (P<0.001 for noninferiority, P=0.008 for superiority). The secondary end-point event of death, stroke, myocardial infarction, or ischemia-driven revascularization at 3 years occurred in 23.1% of the patients in the PCI group and in 19.1% in the CABG group (P=0.01 for noninferiority, P=0.10 for superiority). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with left main coronary artery disease and low or intermediate SYNTAX scores by site assessment, PCI with everolimus-eluting stents was noninferior to CABG with respect to the rate of the composite end point of death, stroke, or myocardial infarction at 3 years. (Funded by Abbott Vascular; EXCEL ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01205776 .).