Sirolimus-coated balloon in acute and chronic coronary syndromes: subanalysis of the EASTBOURNE registry.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The PEACE study (Performance of a sirolimus-eluting balloon strategy in acute and chronic coronary syndromes) investigated for the first time whether a sirolimus-coated balloon (SCB) (Magic Touch, Concept Medical, India) is associated with different outcomes depending on whether it is used in acute coronary syndromes (ACS) or chronic coronary syndromes (CCS). METHODS: This was a post-hoc analysis from the all-comers EASTBOURNE Registry (NCT03085823). Out of 2083 patients enrolled, an SCB was used to treat 968 (46.5%) ACS and 1115 (53.5%) CCS patients. The primary endpoint was target lesion revascularization at 12 months, while secondary endpoints were angiographic success and major adverse cardiovascular events. RESULTS: Baseline demographics, mean reference vessel diameter and mean lesion length were comparable between ACS and CCS. Predilatation was more commonly performed in ACS (P=.007). SCB was inflated at a standard pressure in both groups with a slight trend toward longer inflation time in ACS. Angiographic success was high in both groups (ACS 97.4% vs CCS 97.7%, P=.820) with limited bailout stenting. Similarly, at 12 months the cumulative incidence of target lesion revascularization (ACS 6.6% vs CCS 5.2%, P=.258) was comparable between ACS and CCS. Conversely, a higher rate of major adverse cardiovascular events in acute presenters was mainly driven by myocardial infarction recurrencies (ACS 10.4% vs CCS 8.3%, P=.009). In-stent restenosis showed a higher proportion of target lesion revascularization and major adverse cardiovascular events than de novo lesions, independently of the type of presentation at the index procedure. CONCLUSIONS: This SCB shows good performance in terms of acute and 1-year outcomes independently of the clinical presentation.

Natural history and clinical burden of moderate aortic stenosis: a systematic review and explorative meta-analysis.

AIMS: The mortality risk of patients with moderate aortic stenosis is not well known, but recent studies suggested that it might negatively affect prognosis. We aimed to assess the natural history and clinical burden of moderate aortic stenosis and to investigate the interaction of patients' baseline characteristics with prognosis. METHODS: Systematic research was conducted on PubMed. The inclusion criteria were inclusion of patients with moderate aortic stenosis; and report of the survival at 1-year follow-up (minimum). Incidence ratios related to all-cause mortality in patients and controls of each study were estimated and then pooled using a fixed effects model. All patients with mild aortic stenosis or without aortic stenosis were considered controls. Meta-regression analysis was performed to assess the impact of left ventricular ejection fraction and age on the prognosis of patients with moderate aortic stenosis. RESULTS: Fifteen studies and 11 596 patients with moderate aortic stenosis were included. All-cause mortality was significantly higher among patients with moderate aortic stenosis than in controls in all timeframes analysed (all P  < 0.0001). Left ventricular ejection fraction and sex did not significantly impact on the prognosis of patients with moderate aortic stenosis ( P  = 0.4584 and P  = 0.5792), while increasing age showed a significant interaction with mortality (estimate = 0.0067; 95% confidence interval: 0.0007-0.0127; P  = 0.0323). CONCLUSION: Moderate aortic stenosis is associated with reduced survival. Further studies are necessary to confirm the prognostic impact of this valvulopathy and the possible benefit of aortic valve replacement.

Sirolimus-Coated Balloon in an All-Comer Population of Coronary Artery Disease Patients: The EASTBOURNE Prospective Registry.

BACKGROUND: Drug-coated balloons (DCB) represent 1 of the most promising innovations in interventional cardiology and may represent a valid alternative to drug-eluting stents. Currently, some sirolimus-coated balloons (SCB) are being investigated for several coronary artery disease applications. OBJECTIVES: This study sought to understand the role of a novel SCB for the treatment of coronary artery disease. METHODS: EASTBOURNE (All-Comers Sirolimus-Coated Balloon European Registry) is a prospective, multicenter, investigator-driven clinical study that enrolled real-world patients treated with SCB. Primary endpoint was target lesion revascularization (TLR) at 12 months. Secondary endpoints were procedural success, myocardial infarction (MI), all-cause death, and major adverse clinical events (a composite of death, MI, and TLR). All adverse events were censored and adjudicated by an independent clinical events committee. RESULTS: A total population of 2,123 patients (2,440 lesions) was enrolled at 38 study centers in Europe and Asia. The average age was 66.6 ± 11.3 years, and diabetic patients were 41.5%. De novo lesions (small vessels) were 56%, in-stent restenosis (ISR) 44%, and bailout stenting occurred in 7.7% of the patients. After 12 months, TLR occurred in 5.9% of the lesions, major adverse clinical events in 9.9%, and spontaneous MI in 2.4% of the patients. The rates of cardiac/all-cause death were 1.5% and 2.5%, respectively. The primary outcome occurred more frequently in the ISR cohort (10.5% vs 2.0%; risk ratio: 1.90; 95% CI: 1.13-3.19). After multivariate Cox regression model, the main determinant for occurrence of the primary endpoint was ISR (OR: 5.5; 95% CI: 3.382-8.881). CONCLUSIONS: EASTBOURNE, the largest DCB study in the coronary field, shows the safety and efficacy of a novel SCB in a broad population of coronary artery disease including small vessels and ISR patients at mid-term follow-up. (The All-Comers Sirolimus-Coated Balloon European Registry [EASTBOURNE]; NCT03085823).

CMV seroprevalence and coronary CMV-DNA detection in immunocompetent patients with heart diseases.

BACKGROUND: Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. As cytomegalovirus (CMV) may contribute to cardio-vascular (CV) manifestations, we sought to provide a proof-of-concept for the involvement of coronary and/or systemic CMV-reactivation as a possible ACS trigger. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled consecutive patients undergoing a coronary angiography for ACS (acute-cases, N.=136), or non-ACS reasons (chronic-cases, N.=57). Matched coronary and peripheral blood-samples were processed for quantification of CMV-DNAemia (RT-PCR), CMV-IgG/IgM, and CMV-IgG avidity (ELISA). Peripheral-blood samples from 17 healthy subjects were included as controls. RESULTS: Out of the 193 cases included, 18.1% were aged ≤55 years, 92.5% were Central-European, and 100% immunocompetent. CMV-IgG seroprevalence was 91.7% (95%CI: 87.8-95.6), significantly higher than in healthy-controls (52.9% [95%CI: 29.2-76.5]; P<0.001), yet consistent across age-groups (P=0.602), male/females (P=0.765), and acute/chronic-cases (P=0.157). Median (IQR) IgG titers were 110 (84-163) AU/mL, with 0.62 (0.52-0.72) avidity, supporting a long history of infection. No acute CMV infections were found. In 22.6% (n/N.=40/177) of the IgG-positive cases low-level coronary and/or systemic CMV-DNAemia (always <40 copies/mL) was detected. While no differences in peripheral CMV-DNAemia prevalence were observed nor among cases nor controls, coronary CMV-DNAemia was more frequent in acute-cases without modifiable CV risk-factors (n/N.=4/10; 40.0%), than in chronic-cases (n/N.=6/55, 10.9%; P=0.029), or acute-cases with risk-factors (n/N.=16/112, 14.3%; P=0.058). CONCLUSIONS: CMV-IgG seroprevalence was high in patients with heart diseases. CMV-DNAemia can be found, although uncommonly, in coronary circulation during an ACS, with increased prevalence in older subjects and in absence of CV risk-factors, identifying possible areas for novel interventions.

Multivessel vs. culprit-only percutaneous coronary intervention strategy in older adults with acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: The optima revascularization strategy for senior patients admitted with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the context of multivessel coronary artery disease (MVCAD) remains unclear. We aimed to compare a strategy of culprit-vessel (CV) vs. multi-vessel percutaneous coronary intervention (MV-PCI) in older adults (≥75 years) with AMI. METHODS: We analyzed four randomized controlled trials designed to include older adults with AMI. The primary endpoint was all-cause death. The secondary endpoint was the composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stroke and major bleeding (Net Adverse Clinical Events, NACE). A non-parsimonious propensity score and nearest-neighbor matching was performed to account for bias. RESULTS: A total of 1,334 trial participants were included; of them, 770 (57.7%) underwent CV-PCI and 564 (42.3%) a MV-PCI strategy. After a median follow-up of 365 days, patients treated with MV-PCI experienced a lower rate of death (6.0% vs. 9.9%; p = 0.01) and of NACE (11.2% vs. 15.5%; p = 0.016). After multivariable analysis, MV-PCI was independently associated with a lower hazard of death (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.65; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.42-0.96; p = 0.03) and NACE (NACE 0.72[0.53-0.98]; p = 0.04). These results were confirmed in a matched propensity analysis, were consistent throughout the spectrum of older age and when analyzed by subgroups and when immortal-time bias was considered. CONCLUSIONS: In the setting of older adults with MVCAD who were managed invasively for AMI, a MV-PCI strategy to pursue complete revascularization was associated with better survival and lower risk of NACE compared to a CV-PCI. Adequately sized RCTs are required to confirm these findings.

Impact of hemoglobin levels at admission on outcomes among elderly patients with acute coronary syndrome treated with low-dose Prasugrel or clopidogrel: A sub-study of the ELDERLY ACS 2 trial.

Hemoglobin (Hb) levels have emerged as a useful tool for risk stratification and the prediction of outcome after myocardial infarction. We aimed at evaluating the prognostic impact of this parameter among patients in advanced age, where the larger prevalence of anemia and the higher rate of comorbidities could directly impact on the cardiovascular risk. METHODS: All the patients in the ELDERLY-2 trial, were included in this analysis and stratified according to the values of hemoglobin at admission. The primary endpoint of this study was cardiovascular mortality within one year. The secondary endpoints were all-cause mortality, MI, Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) type 2-3 or 5 bleeding, any stroke, re-hospitalization for cardiovascular event or stent thrombosis (probable or definite) within 12 months after index admission. RESULTS: We included in our analysis 1364 patients, divided in quartiles of Hb values (<12.2; 12.2-13.39; 13.44-14.49; ≥ 4.5 g/dl). At a mean follow- up of 330.4 ± 99.9 days cardiovascular mortality was increased in patients with lower Hb (HR[95%CI] = 0.76 [0.59-0.97], p = 0.03). Results were no more significant after correction for baseline differences (adjusted HR[95%CI] = 1.22 [0.41-3.6], p = 0.16). Similar results were observed for overall mortality. At subgroup analysis, (according to Hb median values) a significant interaction was observed only with the type of antiplatelet therapy, but not with major high-risk subsets of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Among elderly patients with acute coronary syndrome managed invasively, lower hemoglobin at admission is associated with higher cardiovascular and all-cause mortality and major ischemic events, mainly explained by the higher risk profile.

Association of statin pretreatment with presentation characteristics, infarct size and outcome in older patients with acute coronary syndrome: the Elderly ACS-2 trial.

BACKGROUND: prior statin treatment has been shown to have favourable effects on short- and long-term prognosis in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). There are limited data in older patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of previous statin therapy and presentation characteristics, infarct size and clinical outcome in older patients, with or without atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), included in the Elderly-ACS 2 trial. METHODS: data on statin use pre-admission were available for 1,192 of the 1,443 patients enrolled in the original trial. Of these, 531 (44.5%) were already taking statins. Patients were stratified based on established ASCVD and statin therapy. ACS was classified as non-ST elevation or ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Infarct size was measured by peak creatine kinase MB (CK-MB). All-cause death in-hospital and within 1 year were the major end points. RESULTS: there was a significantly lower frequency of STEMI in statin patients, in both ASCVD and No-ASCVD groups. Peak CK-MB levels were lower in statin users (10 versus 25 ng/ml, P < 0.0001). There was lower all-cause death in-hospital and within 1 year for subjects with ASCVD already on statins independent of other baseline variables. There were no differences in all-cause death for No-ASCVD patients whether or not on statins. CONCLUSIONS: statin pretreatment was associated with more favourable ACS presentation and lower myocardial damage in older ACS patients both ASCVD and No-ASCVD. The incidence of all-cause death (in-hospital and within 1 year) was significantly lower in the statin treated ASCVD patients.

Predictors of fractional flow reserve/instantaneous wave-free ratio discordance: impact of tailored diagnostic cut-offs on clinical outcomes of deferred lesions.

BACKGROUND: Patient-related and lesion-related factors may influence instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR)/fractional flow reserve (FFR) concordance, potentially affecting the safety of revascularization deferral. METHODS: Consecutive patients with at least an intermediate coronary stenosis evaluated by both iFR and FFR were retrospectively enrolled. The agreement between iFR and FFR at their diagnostic cut-offs (FFR 0.80, iFR 0.89) was assessed. Predictors of discordance were assessed using multivariate analyses. Tailored iFR cut-offs according to predictors of discordance best matching an FFR of 0.80 were identified. The impact of reclassification according to tailored iFR cut-offs on major cardiovascular events (MACE: cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction or target-lesion revascularization) among deferred lesions was investigated. RESULTS: Two hundred and ninety-nine intermediate coronary stenosis [FFR 0.84 (0.78-0.89), iFR 0.91 (0.87-0.95), 202 left main/left anterior descending (LM/LAD) vessels, 67.6%] of 260 patients were studied. Discordance rate was 23.4% (n = 70, 10.7% iFR-negative discordant, 12.7% iFR-positive discordant). Predictors of discordance were LM/LAD disease, multivessel disease, non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction, smoking, reduced eGFR and hypertension. Lesion reclassification with tailored iFR cut-offs based on patient-level predictors carried no prognostic value among deferred lesions. Reclassification according to lesion location, which was entirely driven by LM/LAD lesions (iFR cut-offs: 0.93 for LM/LAD, 0.89 for non-LM/LAD), identified increased MACE among lesions deferred based on a negative FFR, between patients with a positive as compared with a negative iFR (19.4 vs. 6.1%, P = 0.044), whereas the same association was not observed with the conventional 0.89 iFR cut-off (15 vs. 8.6%, P = 0.303). CONCLUSION: Tailored vessel-based iFR cut-offs carry prognostic value among FFR-negative lesions, suggesting that a one-size-fit-all iFR cut-off might be clinically unsatisfactory.

Uric acid in chronic coronary syndromes: Relationship with coronary artery disease severity and left ventricular diastolic parameter.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Uric Acid (UA) has been related to the development of Cardio-Vascular (CV) events in patients affected by Chronic Coronary Syndromes (CCS). Among various hypothesis, two arise: UA may negatively act on coronary artery determining a higher degree of atherosclerotic disease, and/or on heart determining a higher prevalence of diastolic dysfunction. Both the above hypothesized effects are object of our investigation. METHODS AND RESULTS: 231 patients who were admitted to the cardiological department of the Niguarda Hospital (Milan, Italy) for CCS from January 2017 to June 2018 were enrolled. Coronary atherosclerotic burden was evaluated from coronary angiography as the number and type of involved vessels, as well as with both Gensini and Syntax scores. All subjects underwent a complete echocardiogram. At unadjusted and adjusted/multivariable analysis, UA levels were not significantly associated with variables analysed from the coronary angiography (number and type of vessels involved, neither the Gensini and Syntax scores) as well as with echocardiographic parameters regarding systolic and diastolic function. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the main finding of our work is the absence of a role for UA in determining coronary arteries disease as well as LV diastolic dysfunction in CCS subjects. Taking together the results of previous studies with ours, we hypothesize that UA could act on heart (both on coronary arteries and on LV function) in an early phase of the disease, whereas while in the advanced stages other factors (previous myocardial infarction, previous myocardial revascularization and so on) may overshadow its effects.

Clinical performance of a novel sirolimus-coated balloon in coronary artery disease: EASTBOURNE registry.

AIMS: The purpose of the EASTBOURNE registry is to evaluate the immediate and long-term clinical performance of a novel sirolimus-coated balloon (SCB) in a real-world population of patients with coronary artery disease. We here present the prespecified interim analysis after the enrollment of the first 642 patients who obtained 1-year clinical follow-up. METHODS: EASTBOURNE is a prospective, international, multicenter, all-comer investigator-driven clinical registry, which is enrolling consecutive patients treated with SCB at 42 European and Asiatic centers. Primary study endpoint is target-lesion revascularization (TLR) at 12 months. Secondary endpoints are procedural success and major adverse cardiac events through 36 months. RESULTS: Diabetes mellitus was present in 41% of patients. Acute coronary syndrome was present in 45% of patients and de novo lesions were 55%; 83% of the in-stent restenosis (ISR) patients had drug-eluting stents restenosis. Lesion predilatation was performed in 95% of the cases and bailout stenting occurred in 7.5%. So far, 642 patients have a complete 12-month follow-up. TLR occurred in 2.5%, myocardial infarction in 2.3%, total death in 1% and major adverse cardiac events in 5.8% of patients. A prespecified analysis of comparison between ISR and de-novo lesions showed a significantly higher occurrence of TLR in the ISR population (5.4 vs. 0.2%, P = 0.0008). CONCLUSION: The current interim analysis of 12-month follow-up of the EASTBOURNE registry shows good immediate performance and an adequate and encouraging safety profile through 12 months for this novel SCB.

Residual SYNTAX Score and One-Year Outcome in Elderly Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: The residual burden of coronary artery disease after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been associated with worse ischemic outcome. However, data are conflicting in elderly patients. The aim of our study was to verify the incremental value of the residual Synergy Between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With Taxus and Cardiac Surgery (SYNTAX) score (rSS) over clinical variables and baseline SYNTAX score (bSS) in predicting 1-year mortality or cardiovascular events. METHODS: A post hoc analysis of data collected in the Elderly-ACS 2 multicenter randomized trial was performed. We included 630 patients aged > 75 years with multivessel coronary disease undergoing PCI for acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The primary outcome was a composite of death, recurrent myocardial infarction, and stroke at 1-year follow up. Change in c-statistic and standardized net benefit were used to evaluate the incremental value of the rSS. RESULTS: Event rates were significantly higher in patients with incomplete revascularization (rSS > 8). When the rSS was included in a core Cox regression model containing age, previous myocardial infarction, and ACS type, the hazard ratio for patients with score values > 8 was 2.47 (95% confidence interval, 1.51-4.06). However, the core model with rSS did not increase the c-statistic compared with the core model with the bSS (from 0.69 to 0.70) and gave little incremental value in the standardized net benefit. CONCLUSIONS: In elderly patients with ACS with multivessel disease undergoing PCI, incomplete revascularization was associated with worse outcome at 1-year follow-up. However, there was no clear incremental value of the rSS in the prediction of 1-year adverse outcome compared with a model including clinical variables and bSS.

CONTEXTE: Le fardeau résiduel de la coronaropathie après une intervention coronarienne percutanée (ICP) a été associé à de moins bons résultats sur le plan ischémique. Les données recueillies chez les patients âgés sont toutefois contradictoires. Cette étude avait donc pour objectif de valider la valeur ajoutée du score SYNTAX (SYNergy between percutaneous coronary intervention with TAXus and cardiac surgery) résiduel (SSr) par rapport aux paramètres cliniques et au score SYNTAX initial (SSi) pour prédire la mortalité à 1 an et les manifestations cardiovasculaires. MÉTHODOLOGIE: Une analyse a posteriori des données de l'étude multicentrique avec répartition aléatoire Elderly-ACS 2 a été effectuée. Pour ce faire, 630 patients âgés de plus de 75 ans, atteints d'une coronaropathie multitronculaire et ayant subi une ICP pour traiter un syndrome coronarien aigu (SCA) ont été retenus. Le critère d'évaluation principal était composé du décès, de l'infarctus du myocarde récurrent et de l'accident vasculaire cérébral (AVC) au moment du suivi à 1 an. La variation de la statistique C et le bénéfice net normalisé ont servi à évaluer la valeur ajoutée du SSr. RÉSULTATS: Les manifestations étaient significativement plus fréquentes chez les patients dont la revascularisation était incomplète (SSr > 8). Lorsque le SSr a été pris en compte dans un modèle de régression de Cox de base ayant pour facteurs l'âge, les antécédents d'infarctus du myocarde et le type de SCA, le rapport des risques instantanés pour les patients ayant un score > 8 était de 2,47 (intervalle de confiance à 95 % : 1,51-4,06). L'intégration du SSr dans le modèle de base n'a toutefois pas donné lieu à une statistique C plus élevée que celle du SSi (0,70 vs 0,69) et conférait peu de valeur ajoutée sur le plan du bénéfice net normalisé. CONCLUSIONS: Chez les patients âgés présentant un SCA et une atteinte multitronculaire, et subissant une ICP, la revascularisation incomplète a été associée à de moins bons résultats au moment du suivi à 1 an. Le SSr n'a toutefois pas été clairement associé à une valeur ajoutée pour prédire une issue défavorable à 1 an comparativement à un modèle reposant sur des paramètres cliniques et le SSi.

Clinical Impact of Valvular Heart Disease in Elderly Patients Admitted for Acute Coronary Syndrome: Insights From the Elderly-ACS 2 Study.

BACKGROUND: Elderly patients are under-represented in clinical trials and registries, and a gap of evidence exists for clinical decision making in the setting of acute coronary syndromes (ACS). We aimed to assess the prevalence and independent prognostic impact of valvular heart disease (VHD) diagnosed during the index hospitalization on clinical outcomes among elderly patients with ACS. Included VHDs were moderate-to-severe mitral regurgitation (MR), moderate-to-severe aortic stenosis (AS), or both combined. METHODS: We explored the Elderly-ACS 2 dataset, which includes patients older than 74 years of age diagnosed with ACS and managed invasively. The primary endpoint was a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, disabling stroke, and rehospitalization for heart failure at 1 year; the secondary endpoint was death for cardiovascular causes. Patients were stratified into 4 groups: no VHD, moderate-to-severe MR, moderate-to-severe AS, and both moderate-to-severe MR and AS. RESULTS: Of the 1443 subjects enrolled, 190 (13.2%) had moderate-to-severe MR, 26 (1.8%) had moderate-to-severe AS, and 13 (0.9%) had both moderate-to-severe MR and AS. When compared with those with no VHD, patients with moderate-to-severe MR had hazard ratios (HRs) for the primary endpoint of 2.04 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.36-3.07], those with moderate-to-severe AS had HRs of 3.10 (95% CI, 1.39-6.93), and those with both moderate-to-severe MR and AS had HRs of 4.00 (95% CI, 1.65-9.73] (all P < 0.01). Patients with moderate-to-severe MR also had increased risks of cardiovascular death (HR 3.17; 95% CI, 1.57-6.42; P < 0.01), whereas in those with moderate-to-severe AS or both moderate-to-severe MR and AS, a nonsignificant increased risk was observed. CONCLUSIONS: In a contemporary cohort of elderly patients admitted for ACS, VHD was found in 1 of 5 subjects and had an independent, consistent impact on prognosis.

Impact of diabetes on clinical outcome among elderly patients with acute coronary syndrome treated with percutaneous coronary intervention: insights from the ELDERLY ACS 2 trial.

BACKGROUND: Despite recent improvements in percutaneous coronary revascularization and antithrombotic therapies for the treatment of acute coronary syndromes, the outcome is still unsatisfactory in high-risk patients, such as the elderly and patients with diabetes. The aim of the current study was to investigate the prognostic impact of diabetes on clinical outcome among patients included in the Elderly-ACS 2 trial, a randomized, open-label, blinded endpoint study carried out at 32 centers in Italy. METHODS: Our population is represented by 1443 patients included in the Elderly-ACS 2 trial. Diabetes was defined as known history of diabetes at admission. The primary endpoint of this analysis was cardiovascular mortality, while secondary endpoints were all-cause death, recurrent myocardial infarction, Bleeding Academic Research Consortium type 2 or 3 bleeding, and rehospitalization for cardiovascular event or stent thrombosis within 12 months after index admission. RESULTS: Diabetes was present in 419 (29%) out of 1443 patients. Diabetic status was significantly associated with major cardiovascular risk factors and history of previous coronary disease, presentation with non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (P = 0.01) more extensive coronary disease (P = 0.02), more advanced Killip class at presentation (P = 0.003), use at admission of statins (P = 0.004) and diuretics at discharge (P < 0.001). Median follow-up was 367 days (interquartile range: 337-378 days). Diabetic status was associated with an absolute increase in the rate of cardiovascular mortality as compared with patients without diabetes [5.5 vs. 3.3%, hazard ratio (HR) 1.7 (0.99-2.8), P = 0.054], particularly among those treated with clopidogrel [HR (95% confidence interval (CI)) = 1.89 (0.93-3.87), P = 0.08]. However, this difference disappeared after correction for baseline differences [Adjusted HR (95% CI) 1.1(0.4-2.9), P = 0.86]. Similar findings were observed for other secondary endpoints, except for bleeding complications, significantly more frequent in diabetic patients [HR (95% CI) 2.02 (1.14-3.6), P = 0.02; adjusted HR (95% CI) = 2.1 (1.01-4.3), P = 0.05]. No significant interaction was observed between type of dual antiplatelet therapy, diabetic status and outcome. CONCLUSION: Among elderly patients with acute coronary syndromes, diabetic status was associated with higher rates of comorbidities, more severe cardiovascular risk profile and major bleeding complications fully accounting for the absolute increase in mortality. In fact, diabetes mellitus did not emerge as an independent predictor of survival in advanced age.

Characteristics and Outcome of Patients ≥75 Years of Age With Prior Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Admitted for an Acute Coronary Syndrome.

The prognostic role of previous coronary artery bypass (CABG) in elderly patients admitted to hospital for an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the prognosis of patients aged ≥75 years admitted for an ACS with or without previous history of CABG. The primary outcome of the study was a composite of overall mortality, recurrent nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, and rehospitalization for heart failure at 1-year follow-up. We included 2,253 ACS patients, aged 81 (78 to 85) years enrolled in 3 multicenter studies (the Italian Elderly ACS study, the LADIES ACS study, and the Elderly ACS 2 randomised trial) - 178 (7.9%) with previous CABG, 2,075 (92.1%) without. Patients with previous CABG had a higher burden of cardiovascular risk factors, lower ejection fraction, and higher creatinine values on admission. However, both at univariate analysis and after adjustment for the most relevant covariates (sex, age, previous myocardial infarction, type of ACS, left ventricular ejection fraction, and serum creatinine on admission), previous CABG did not show any statistically significant association with 1-year outcome (adjusted hazard ratio 0.85; 95% confidence interval 0.61 to 1.19; p = 0.353). In conclusion, our study suggests that elderly ACS patients with previous CABG have worse basal clinical characteristics. Nevertheless, in a broad cohort of patients mostly treated with percutaneous coronary intervention during the index event, previous CABG did not confer independent additional risk of major adverse cardiovascular events at 1-year follow-up.

Impact of body mass index on clinical outcome among elderly patients with acute coronary syndrome treated with percutaneous coronary intervention: Insights from the ELDERLY ACS 2 trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Elderly patients are at increased risk of hemorrhagic and thrombotic complications after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Frailty, comorbidities and low body weight have emerged as conditioning the prognostic impact of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT). The aim of the present study was to investigate the prognostic impact of body mass index (BMI) on clinical outcome among patients included in the Elderly-ACS 2 trial, a randomized, open-label, blinded endpoint study comparing low-dose (5 mg) prasugrel vs clopidogrel among elderly patients with ACS. METHODS AND RESULTS: Our population is represented by 1408 patients enrolled in the Elderly-ACS 2 trial. BMI was calculated at admission. The primary endpoint of this analysis was cardiovascular (CV) mortality. Secondary endpoints were all-cause death, recurrent MI, Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) type 2 or 3 bleeding, and re-hospitalization for cardiovascular reasons or stent thrombosis within 12 months after index admission. Patients were grouped according to median values of BMI (

Mycotic coronary aneurysms.

: Mycotic coronary aneurysm is a rare infective disease of arterial vessel walls. Their development could be linked to the presence of an infective endocarditis or could represent a primary infection at the site of an implanted intracoronary stent. Bacterial agents, particularly Staphylococcus aureus, are the most common etiological agents. Due to an aspecific clinical presentation and examination, diagnosis could be challenging. Multiple imaging techniques (both invasive and noninvasive) are often required to reach the final diagnosis. Prognosis is characterized by high morbidity and mortality rates and, in fact, a tempestive treatment is required, although, to date, scanty data concerning the optimal treatment choice are present in literature.

Outcomes of Elderly Patients with ST-Elevation or Non-ST-Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

INTRODUCTION: Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) have been classified according to the finding of ST-segment elevation on the presenting electrocardiogram, with different treatment strategies and practice guidelines. However, a comparative description of the clinical characteristics and outcomes of acute coronary syndrome elderly patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention during index admission has not been published so far. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of patients enrolled in the Elderly ACS-2 multicenter randomized trial. Main outcome measures were crude cumulative incidence and cause-specific hazard ratio (cHR) of cardiovascular death, noncardiovascular death, reinfarction, and stroke. RESULTS: Of 1443 ACS patients aged >75 years (median age 80 years, interquartile range 77-84), 41% were classified as ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), and 59% had non-ST-elevation ACS (NSTEACS) (48% NSTEMI and 11% unstable angina). As compared with those with NSTEACS, STEMI patients had more favorable baseline risk factors, fewer prior cardiovascular events, and less severe coronary disease, but lower ejection fraction (45% vs 50%, P < .001). At a median follow-up of 12 months, 51 (8.6%) STEMI patients had died, vs 39 (4.6%) NSTEACS patients. After adjusting for sex, age, and previous myocardial infarction, the hazard among the STEMI group was significantly higher for cardiovascular death (cHR 1.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-3.36), noncardiovascular death (cHR 2.10; 95% CI, 1.01-4.38), and stroke (cHR 4.8; 95% CI, 1.7-13.7). CONCLUSIONS: Despite more favorable baseline characteristics, elderly STEMI patients have worse survival and a higher risk of stroke compared with NSTEACS patients after percutaneous coronary intervention.

[Paclitaxel-coated balloons for in-stent restenosis treatment: long-term clinical results and predictors of recurrent target lesion revascularization]. / Palloncini medicati a eluizione di paclitaxel nel trattamento delle ristenosi intrastent: risultati clinici a lungo termine e predittori di nuova rivascolarizzazione della lesione bersaglio.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to report clinical outcomes in patients treated with paclitaxel-coated balloons (PCB) for in-stent restenosis (ISR) in both bare metal (BMS) and drug-eluting stent (DES). METHODS: Between May 2009 and December 2015, we treated 155 ISR in 140 patients. At recruitment, 35% of patients had diabetes. Among the lesions, 125 were first occurrence (55 within BMS and 70 within DES) and 30 recurrent; 24 ISR were multi-metal layered. Mean reference diameter was 2.79 ± 0.52 mm and mean lesion length 13.2 ± 7.1 mm. PCB use included 32 Dior I, 97 InPact Falcon, 18 Panthera Lux, and 8 Restore DEB. RESULTS: At a median follow-up of 442 days, we observed 18 target lesion revascularizations (TLR), one myocardial infarction, 3 cardiac deaths, and 5 non-cardiac deaths. TLR occurrence differed according to type of ISR (4% within BMS, 14% within DES, 28% within recurrent ISR; p<0.05). TLR was associated with PCB type (35% Dior I, 9% InPact Falcon, 0% Panthera Lux and Restore DEB; p<0.05). Multivariable analysis revealed that first-generation PCB without a carrier (hazard ratio [HR] 2.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.96-6.50; p=0.06) and recurrent ISR (HR 7.76, 95% CI 1.56-38.66; p=0.01) correlated with subsequent TLR. CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirm the safety and efficacy of PCB for ISR treatment both within BMS and DES. PCB type and recurrent ISR correlate with subsequent TLR.