Impact of triglyceride levels on plaque characteristics in patients with coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: High triglyceride (TG) levels have been demonstrated to be a risk factor for coronary artery disease. This study aimed to clarify the impact of TG levels on the characteristics of coronary plaques. METHODS: A total of 850 consecutive patients who underwent optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging of the culprit lesion were included. The morphologies of culprit plaques were compared between the higher TG group (nonfasting TG levels ≥150 mg/dL, n = 337) and the lower TG group (nonfasting TG <150 mg/dL, n = 513). RESULTS: The prevalence of lipid-rich plaques (43% vs. 33%, p = 0.005), thin-cap fibroatheromas (TCFAs) (24% vs. 17%, p = 0.015) and macrophages (40% vs. 31%, p = 0.006) was significantly higher in the higher TG group than in the lower TG group. In addition to a high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level (≥140 mg/dL), high TGs (≥150 mg/dL) were identified as an independent factor for the presence of TCFAs (odds ratio 1.465, 95% confidence interval 1.004-2.137, p = 0.048). Among patients with lower LDL-C levels (<100 mg/dL), the prevalence of macrophages (38% vs. 26%, p = 0.007) and layered plaques (48% vs. 38%, p = 0.019) was significantly higher in the higher TG group than in the lower TG group. CONCLUSIONS: Higher TG levels were associated with a higher prevalence of TCFAs in culprit coronary lesions. The prevalence of macrophages and layered plaques was more frequently observed in patients with higher TGs than those with lower TGs among patients with LDL-C < 100 mg/dL.

Lower levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol are associated with a lower prevalence of thin-cap fibroatheroma in statin-treated patients with coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: Reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels with statins slows the progression of atherosclerotic plaques and reduces cardiovascular events. The 2019 European Society of Cardiology/European Atherosclerosis Society guidelines recommend absolute LDL-C treatment targets of <100 mg/dL, <70 mg/dL and <55 mg/dL according to coexisting patient risk factors. OBJECTIVE: To clarify the difference in the plaque characteristics of coronary lesions associated with these LDL-C levels in statin-treated patients. METHODS: A total of 685 consecutive statin-treated patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) who underwent optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging of culprit lesions were enrolled. The characteristics of culprit plaques evaluated by OCT were compared among the high LDL-C group (≥100 mg/dL, n=247), the moderate LDL-C group (70-100 mg/dL, n=289), the low LDL-C group (55-70 mg/dL, n=106) and the very low LDL-C group (<55 mg/dL, n=43). RESULTS: A significant trend toward a lower prevalence of thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA) associated with the LDL-C groups was observed (23.1, 18.3, 9.4 and 11.6%, respectively, in each group; p=0.002). A trend toward a lower prevalence of TCFAs associated with the LDL-C groups was also observed among patients with lower hemoglobin A1c (<6.2%; p=0.003). LDL-C <70 mg/dL (the low/very low group) was independently associated with the lack of TCFAs (odds ratio, 0.50; 95% confidence interval, 0.27-0.87, p=0.014). CONCLUSIONS: Lower LDL-C levels were associated with a lower prevalence of TCFAs in culprit plaques among statin-treated patients with CAD.

Characteristics of carotid atherosclerosis in patients with plaque erosion.

Plaque erosion (PE) is a major underlying mechanism of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Patients with PE may have less systemic atherosclerosis. We aimed to clarify the status of carotid atherosclerosis in patients with PE. A total of 115 consecutive patients with ACS who underwent optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging of the culprit lesion were enrolled. Patients were classified into PE (n = 26), plaque rupture (n = 56) or calcified plaque (CP, n = 33) based on OCT findings of the culprit lesions. The status of carotid atherosclerosis was assessed by the findings of carotid echography. The mean IMT was the lowest in the PE group (1.5 ± 0.6 mm) among the three groups (p = 0.004) with a significant difference between the PE group and the CP group (2.1 ± 0.6 mm, p < 0.001). The plaque score was the lowest in the PE group (6.6 ± 2.5) among the three groups (p = 0.004) with a significant difference between the PE group and the CP group (9.0 ± 2.7, p < 0.001). Multivariate analyses demonstrated that the PE was independently associated with the presence of lower mean IMT (below median; 1.85 mm) (odds ratio 3.34; 95 % confidence interval 1.07-10.4; p = 0.035) and the lack of heterogenous plaque (odds ratio 2.92; 95 % confidence interval 1.02-8.32; p = 0.037). Patients with PE were associated with less atherosclerosis in the carotid artery than other patients with ACS. These findings may help further clarify the distinct pathophysiology of PE. Carotid atherosclerosis and plaque erosion.

Association between acute myocardial infarction-to-cardiac rupture time and in-hospital mortality risk: a retrospective analysis of multicenter registry data from the Cardiovascular Research Consortium-8 Universities (CIRC-8U).

Despite the known association of cardiac rupture with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), it is still unclear whether the clinical characteristics are associated with the risk of in-hospital mortality in patients with AMI complicated by cardiac rupture. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between the time of cardiac rupture occurrence and the risk of in-hospital mortality after AMI. We conducted a retrospective analysis of multicenter registry data from eight medical universities in Eastern Japan. From 10,278 consecutive patients with AMI, we included 183 patients who had cardiac rupture after AMI, and examined the incidence of in-hospital deaths during a median follow-up of 26 days. Patients were stratified into three groups according to the AMI-to-cardiac rupture time, namely the > 24-h group (n = 111), 24-48-h group (n = 20), and < 48-h group (n = 52). Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and the confidence interval (CI) for in-hospital mortality. Around 87 (48%) patients experienced in-hospital death and 126 (67%) underwent a cardiac surgery. Multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed a non-linear association across the three groups for mortality (HR [CI]; < 24 h: 1.0, reference; 24-48 h: 0.73 [0.27-1.86]; > 48 h: 2.25 [1.22-4.15]) after adjustments for age, sex, Killip classification, percutaneous coronary intervention, blood pressure, creatinine, peak creatine kinase myocardial band fraction, left ventricular ejection fraction, and type of rupture. Cardiac surgery was independently associated with a reduction in the HR of mortality (HR [CI]: 0.27 [0.12-0.61]) and attenuated the association between the three AMI-to-cardiac rupture time categories and mortality (statistically non-significant) in the Cox model. These data suggest that the AMI-to-cardiac rupture time contributes significantly to the risk of in-hospital mortality; however, rapid diagnosis and prompt surgical interventions are crucial for improving outcomes in patients with cardiac rupture after AMI.

Clinical and procedure characteristics in patients treated with polytetrafluoroethylene-covered stents after coronary perforation: a CIRC-8U multicenter registry and literature review.

This study aimed at identifying the clinical characteristics and in-hospital outcomes of patients treated with polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE)-covered stents after coronary interventions in a multicenter registry. Subjects with coronary artery perforation were selected from 31,262 consecutive patients who underwent coronary interventions in the hospital registries. Subjects were divided into two groups: those with a PTFE-covered stent implantation and those without a PTFE-covered stent implantation. Clinical characteristics and in-hospital outcomes were compared between the two groups. Data for 82 consecutive coronary perforations (15 PTFE-covered stents and 67 non-PTFE-covered stents) were extracted from each hospital registry. The PTFE-covered stent group had a higher prevalence of perforations due to pre-dilatation before stenting or post-dilatation after stenting (80% vs. 10.4%; p < 0.001), more Ellis classification III perforations (66.6% vs. 28.4%; p = 0.019), longer perforation to hemostasis time (74 min vs. 10 min; p < 0.001), lower hemostatic success rates (73.3% vs. 94.0%; p = 0.015), and higher in-hospital mortality (26.7% vs. 6.0%; p = 0.015) than the non-PTFE-covered stent group. Although the prevalence of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) usage was high during coronary interventions (86.7%), IVUS was performed in less than half the cases just before coronary perforations (47%) in the PTFE-covered stent group. Patients requiring PTFE-covered stents are more likely to be observed after balloon dilatation before or after stenting and have a poor prognosis. Careful coronary intervention is needed when IVUS image acquisition is not achieved in addition to proper evaluation of IVUS. Furthermore, if coronary artery perforation occurs, it is important to determine the need for a prompt PTFE-covered stent.

Influence of CYP2C19 genotypes for the effect of 1-month dual antiplatelet therapy followed by clopidogrel monotherapy relative to 12-month dual antiplatelet therapy on clinical outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention: a genetic substudy from the STOPDAPT-2.

The ultra-short dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) followed by P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy might be promising after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, CYP2C19 loss-of-function (LOF) alleles have been reported to diminish the effect of clopidogrel, and clopidogrel monotherapy has a concern about the increased ischemic risk for patients with such alleles. STOPDAPT-2 is the multicenter prospective open-label, but adjudicator-blinded randomized control study comparing 1-month DAPT followed by clopidogrel monotherapy with the standard 12-month DAPT after PCI with cobalt-chromium everolimus-eluting stents. Among the participants of STOPDAPT-2, selected patients participated in a substudy of the CYP2C19 gene test. Patients with two CYP2C19*2 or *3 alleles were defined as the poor metabolizer (PM), one allele as the intermediate metabolizer (IM), and no allele as the extensive metabolizer (EM). The primary endpoint was the composite of cardiovascular and bleeding events, as defined in STOPDAPT-2. Among 750 (24.9%) patients with known CYP2C19 genotypes, 129 (17.2%) were PM, 367 (49.0%) were IM, and 254 (33.9%) were EM. The hazard ratios of 1-month DAPT relative to 12-month DAPT for the primary endpoint in PM, IM, and EM strata were 0.66 (95% CI 0.11-3.94), 1.94 (95% CI 0.60-6.31), and 0.21 (95% CI 0.02-1.78), respectively (P interaction = 0.17), and those for cardiovascular composite endpoint were 1.00 (95% CI 0.14-7.10), 6.10 (95% CI 0.75-49.55), and 0.26 (95% CI 0.03-2.34), respectively (P interaction = 0.12). In conclusion, for the selected patients in STOPDAPT-2 trial, CYP2C19 LOF alleles had no significant, consistent interaction with the effect of 1-month DAPT relative to 12-month DAPT for clinical outcomes, although the study was overtly underpowered. TRIAL REGISTRY: STOPDAPT-2 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02619760.

Achilles tendon thickening is associated with higher incidence of adverse cardiovascular event in patients with coronary artery disease.

Achilles tendon thickening (ATT) is a marker of high risk for coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the association between the presence of ATT and the incidence of cardiovascular events in patients with CAD is unclear. A total of 406 consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and ATT assessment were analyzed. ATT was defined as the Achilles tendon thickness of 9 mm or more on radiography. The incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) at 1-year was compared between patients with ATT and those without ATT. MACE included cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, stroke, target vessel revascularization (TVR), and non-TVR. ATT was found in 67 patients (16.5%). The incidence of cardiac death (3.2 vs. 0.0%, p = 0.001), TVR (12.7 vs. 4.0%, p = 0.005) and MACE (20.6 vs. 9.6%, p = 0.011) was significantly higher in the ATT group than the no ATT group. Patients with ATT had significantly higher incidence of cardiac death (5.6 vs. 0%, p < 0.001) than those without ATT even if they did not meet the diagnostic criteria of familial hypercholesterolemia. A multivariate model demonstrated that ATT was independently associated with the MACE at 1-year (Hazard ratio, 2.09; 95% Confidence Interval, 1.09-4.00, p = 0.026). The presence of ATT was independently associated with 1-year recurrence of cardiovascular events in patients with CAD undergoing PCI. Assessment of ATT might be useful for risk stratification of secondary cardiovascular events.

Clinical outcome of biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stent and durable polymer everolimus-eluting stent in patients with diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus is a risk for increased incidence of adverse clinical events after percutaneous coronary intervention. However, the difference in the incidence of adverse clinical events according to stent type in patients with diabetes remains to be elucidated. In the present study, we aimed to compare the clinical outcomes between patients treated with the biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stents (BP-SES) and the durable polymer everolimus-eluting stents (DP-EES) among patients with diabetes. METHODS: Among 631 lesions in 510 consecutive patients treated with either BP-SES or DP-EES, 165 lesions in 141 patients with diabetes mellitus and stable angina pectoris were identified and classified into the BP-SES group (48 lesions in 44 patients) and the DP-EES group (117 lesions in 100 patients). The incidence of adverse clinical events after stent implantation was compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the prevalence of conventional risk factors, lesion characteristics, and procedural characteristics between the 2 groups. During median 386 [334-472] days follow-up, the incidence of target lesion revascularization (11.4 vs. 2.0%, p = 0.003) and device-oriented clinical endpoint (13.6 vs. 6.0%, p = 0.035) in the BP-SES group was significantly greater than that in the DP-EES group. A univariate model demonstrated that the BP-SES usage was significantly associated with the higher incidence of target lesion revascularization (odds ratio, 6.686; 95% confidence interval, 1.234-36.217; p = 0.028). CONCLUSION: BP-SES was associated with the greater incidence of TLR than the DP-EES in patients with diabetes mellitus. Further studies with larger cohorts and longer follow-up are required to confirm the present results.

Endothelial glycocalyx and severity and vulnerability of coronary plaque in patients with coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Endothelial glycocalyx covers the endothelium and maintains vascular integrity. However, its association with the severity and vulnerability of coronary artery disease (CAD) remains to be elucidated. METHODS: A total of 259 consecutive patients with stable CAD requiring percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were prospectively enrolled. Patients were classified into 2 groups according to the median value of serum syndecan-1, which is a core component of the endothelial glycocalyx (lower syndecan-1 group [syndecan-1 <99.0 ng/mL], n = 130; higher syndecan-1 group [syndecan-1 ≥99.0 ng/mL], n = 129). Severity of CAD and focal plaque vulnerability in culprit lesion were evaluated using angiography and optical coherence tomography. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in clinical characteristics between the lower syndecan-1 group and the higher syndecan-1 group other than the prevalence of family history of CAD (19 vs. 32%, p = 0.022), prior PCI history (45 vs. 60%, p = 0.015) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (57.8 ± 17.2 vs. 50.9 ± 25.6 ml/min/1.73 m2, p = 0.011). Although disease severity on angiogram was comparable between the 2 groups, the prevalence of lipid-rich plaque (40 vs. 19%, p = 0.004) and thin-cap fibroatheroma (20 vs. 6%, p = 0.006) was significantly higher in the lower syndecan-1 group than the higher syndecan-1 group. Lower syndecan-1 level was independently associated with higher prevalence of lipid-rich plaque (odds ratio 3.626, 95% confidence interval 1.535-8.566, p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Lower syndecan-1 level was associated with higher prevalence of vulnerable plaque in patients with CAD. This finding suggests the association between impaired endothelial glycocalyx and the development of vulnerable plaque.

Physical exertion as a trigger of acute coronary syndrome caused by plaque erosion.

Distinct clinical characteristics have been demonstrated in patients with plaque erosion as compared with those with plaque rupture. We reasoned that greater physical activity might influence the onset of plaque erosion. In total, 97 consecutive patients with non ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (ACS) who underwent optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging of the culprit lesion were enrolled. OCT-determined culprit plaque characteristics were plaque erosion (18.6%), calcified plaque (26.8%), plaque rupture (32.0%) and other (22.7%). The physical activity evaluated by estimated metabolic equivalents (METs) at ACS onset was significantly greater in the plaque erosion group than in the plaque rupture group (3.3 ± 1.7 vs. 2.1 ± 1.0, p = 0.011). The rate of ACS onset outdoors was the highest (61.1%) in the plaque erosion group. The combination of greater physical activity (> 3 METs), outdoor onset and higher body mass index (> 25.1 kg/m2) had a significant odds ratio for the incidence of plaque erosion (odds ratio 15.0, 95% confidence interval 3.81 to 59.0, p < 0.001). Plaque erosion was associated with greater physical activity at the onset. This finding may help to further clarify the pathogenesis of ACS Impact of physical exertion on the incidence of plaque erosion. NSTE-ACS, non ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome.

Novel volumetric analysis for stent expansion after drug-eluting stent implantation: An optical coherence tomography study.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the clinical significance of a novel optical coherence tomography (OCT)-derived volumetric parameter of stent expansion by comparing it with the conventional parameters in real-world practice. BACKGROUND: The clinical significance of novel parameters in real-world practice including longer and smaller stents remains to be elucidated. METHODS: A total of 226 de novo lesion treated with drug-eluting stents in 208 consecutive patients were enrolled. Stent expansion was retrospectively assessed on the final OCT images after stent implantation. The novel parameter was the minimum expansion index (MEI) calculated using a novel algorithm that yields the ideal lumen area in each frame by taking into account vessel tapering. The device-oriented clinical end point (DoCE) included cardiac death, target vessel-related myocardial infarction, ischemia-driven target lesion revascularization. RESULTS: The MEI in the lesions with a DoCE (n = 22) at 2 years and cases without a DoCE (n = 204) was 64.3 ± 12.0% and 78.5 ± 14.6%, respectively (p < .001). In the receiver operating characteristic curve analyses, the areas under the curve for the MEI (0.787; p < .001) were larger than that for %stent expansion (0.718; p = .001) and minimum stent area (0.664; p = .004) in predicting the DoCE. The best cutoff of MEI for predicting the DoCE was 74.0. CONCLUSIONS: The novel MEI was better than the conventional %stent expansion and minimum stent area for predicting DoCE.

Age- and Gender-Related Differences in Coronary Lesion Plaque Composition on Optical Coherence Tomography.

BACKGROUND: The pathophysiology and chronological course of atherosclerosis seems to be different between men and women due to biological differences, and age and gender differences in plaque composition of coronary lesions remain to be elucidated.Methods and Results:A total of 860 consecutive patients with a median age of 69 years (IQR, 60-78 years) who underwent optical coherence tomography (OCT) of culprit lesions was included. The composition of culprit plaque on OCT was compared between female (n=171) and male (n=689) subjects in younger (<70 years old) and elderly (≥70 years old) patients. In elderly patients, the prevalence of thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA) was significantly higher in women than in men (30.6 vs. 15.2%, P<0.001). In younger patients, the prevalence of large calcification was significantly higher in women than in men (60.0 vs. 32.8%, P<0.001). The prevalence of other vulnerable plaque characteristics (i.e., macrophages, microchannels, and spotty calcification), was similar between women and men. Elderly women had a significantly higher prevalence of TCFA (OR, 2.13; 95% CI: 1.33-3.44, P=0.002) than other patients. CONCLUSIONS: Women had a higher prevalence of TCFA and of large calcification than men in patients ≥70 and <70 years old, respectively. This may facilitate the understanding of gender differences in the pathogenesis of coronary atherosclerosis, and the tailoring of therapy and of prevention according to age and gender.

Contrast Volume and Decline in Kidney Function in Optical Coherence Tomography-Guided Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) may increase contrast volume. However, the impact of OCT-guided PCI on the decline in kidney function (DKF) in actual clinical practice remains unclear.Among 1,003 consecutive patients who underwent either OCT-guided or intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided PCI in our institute, we identified 202 propensity score-matched pairs adjusted by baseline factors. The incidence of DKF was compared between the OCT-guided PCI group and the IVUS-guided PCI group. DKF was defined as an increase in serum creatinine level of ≥ 0.5 mg/dL or a relative increase of ≥ 25% over baseline within 48 hours (acute DKF) or 1 month (sustained DKF) after PCI.Baseline characteristics, including the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (54% versus 46%, P = 0.09), were comparable between the OCT- and IVUS-guided PCI groups except for the age. The contrast volume was comparable between the two groups (153 ± 56 versus 144 ± 60 mL, P = 0.09), although it was significantly greater in the OCT-guided PCI group in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS; 175 ± 55 versus 159 ± 43 mL, P = 0.04). The incidence of acute DKF (0.5% versus 2.5%, P = 0.22) and sustained DKF (5.0% versus 10.4%, P = 0.31) was comparable between the two groups. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that ACS (odds ratio 4.74, 95% confidence interval 2.72-8.25, P < 0.001) was a predictor of sustained DKF.Compared with IVUS-guided PCI, OCT-guided PCI did not increase the incidence of DKF in actual clinical practice, although the increased contrast volume was observed in ACS cases.

Lipoprotein (a) level is associated with plaque vulnerability in patients with coronary artery disease: An optical coherence tomography study.

BACKGROUND: High lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] levels are an independent factor for worse prognosis in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the association between serum Lp(a) level and coronary plaque vulnerability remains to be determined. METHODS: A total of 255 consecutive patients with CAD who underwent optical coherence tomography imaging of culprit lesions were included. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to their Lp(a) levels (the higher Lp(a) group [≥25 mg/dL], n = 87; or the lower Lp(a) group [<25 mg/dL], n = 168). RESULTS: The prevalence of thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA) was significantly higher in the higher Lp(a) group than in the lower Lp(a) group (23% [n = 20] vs. 11% [n = 19], p = 0.014). Although the prevalence of TCFA was comparable between the 2 groups among patients with a lower LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) level (<100 mg/dL), TCFA was significantly more prevalent in the higher Lp(a) group than in the lower Lp(a) group (39% [14/36] vs. 10% [5/50], p = 0.001) among patients with a higher LDL-C level (≥100 mg/dL). CONCLUSIONS: A higher Lp(a) level was associated with a higher frequency of TCFA, particularly in patients with a higher LDL-C level.

Impaired Flow-Mediated Dilation and Severity and Vulnerability of Culprit Plaque in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease.

The association between endothelial function, evaluated using flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), and the severity of coronary artery disease remains to be elucidated.A total of 245 consecutive patients with stable angina were prospectively enrolled. FMD was evaluated in the brachial artery before percutaneous coronary intervention. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the FMD value (lower FMD group [FMD < 2.0], n = 82; higher FMD group [FMD ≥ 2.0], n = 163). The severity of coronary artery disease was evaluated using findings of angiography and optical coherence tomography, and compared between the 2 groups.The prevalence of left main (LM) disease was significantly higher in the lower FMD group than in the higher FMD group (8.5% versus 2.5%, P = 0.046), although the prevalence of multivessel disease was comparable between the groups. Lower FMD was independently associated with a higher prevalence of LM disease (odds ratio, 3.89; 95% confidence interval, 1.12-15.5; P = 0.033). A general linear model with multiple variables revealed that the minimal lumen area (MLA) in the culprit lesion was significantly smaller in patients with lower FMD than in those with higher FMD (regression coefficient b, -0.249 mm2; 95% confidence interval, -0.479--0.018 mm2; P = 0.035). The prevalence ofvulnerable plaque characteristics was comparable between the 2 groups.Patients with lower FMD had a higher incidence of LM disease and a smaller MLA in the culprit lesion. FMD may be a useful, noninvasive indicator for identifying patients with severe coronary artery disease.