Very late stent thrombosis and late target lesion revascularization after sirolimus-eluting stent implantation: five-year outcome of the j-Cypher Registry.

BACKGROUND: There is a scarcity of long-term data from large-scale drug-eluting stent registries with a large enough sample to evaluate low-frequency events such as stent thrombosis (ST). METHODS AND RESULTS: Five-year outcomes were evaluated in 12 812 consecutive patients undergoing sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) implantation in the j-Cypher registry. Cumulative incidence of definite ST was low (30 day, 0.3%; 1 year, 0.6%; and 5 years, 1.6%). However, late and very late ST continued to occur without attenuation up to 5 years after sirolimus-eluting stent implantation (0.26%/y). Cumulative incidence of target lesion revascularization within the first year was low (7.3%). However, late target lesion revascularization beyond 1 year also continued to occur without attenuation up to 5 years (2.2%/y). Independent risk factors of ST were completely different according to the timing of ST onset, suggesting the presence of different pathophysiological mechanisms of ST according to the timing of ST onset: acute coronary syndrome and target of proximal left anterior descending coronary artery for early ST; side-branch stenting, diabetes mellitus, and end-stage renal disease with or without hemodialysis for late ST; and current smoking and total stent length >28 mm for very late ST. Independent risk factors of late target lesion revascularization beyond 1 year were generally similar to those risk factors identified for early target lesion revascularization. CONCLUSION: Late adverse events such as very late ST and late target lesion revascularization are continuous hazards, lasting at least up to 5 years after implantation of the first-generation drug-eluting stents (sirolimus-eluting stents), which should be the targets for developing improved coronary stents.

Antiplatelet therapy and long-term clinical outcome after sirolimus-eluting stent implantation: 5-year outcome of the j-Cypher registry.

Due to serious concerns on very late stent thrombosis (VLST), extended use of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) beyond 1 year after DES implantation has become a common clinical practice despite apparent lack of evidence suggesting its efficacy in reducing VLST. The study population consisted of 12812 patients in the j-Cypher registry who were treated with at least one sirolimus-eluting stent (SES). We assessed the relation between duration of thienopyridine therapy and clinical outcomes with a landmark analysis at 1 year after SES implantation. Among 11713 patients without myocardial infarction (MI), stent thrombosis and stroke at 1 year who were eligible for the landmark analysis, 7414 patients (63 %) were maintained on thienopyridine at 1-year landmark point, while 4299 patients (37 %) had discontinued thienopyridine before 1-year landmark point. Patients in the on-thienopyridine group had more complex characteristics than patients in the off-thienopyridine group. Cumulative incidence of and the risk for definite VLST in the on-thienopyridine group relative to the off-thienopyridine group favored prolonged DAPT, but were not significant [0.9 and 1.2 %, P = 0.1, and adjusted HR (95 % CI): 0.71 (0.47-1.06), P = 0.11]. Cumulative incidence of and the risk for a composite of death, MI, or stroke in the on-thienopyridine group relative to the off-thienopyridine group were also not significant [15.3 and 14.3 %, P = 0.15, and adjusted HR (95 % CI): 0.99 (0.89-1.11), P = 0.89]. Prolonged use of thienopyridine beyond 1 year after SES implantation was not associated with significant decrease in the risks for VLST or for serious cardiovascular events including death, MI or stroke.