Fatal, ischemic and bleeding risk of patients meeting the selection criteria of the TWILIGHT trial: Insights from a large PCI registry.

BACKGROUND: The TWILIGHT trial (NCT02270242) demonstrated that in selected high-risk patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) ticagrelor monotherapy significantly reduced bleeding complications without ischemic harm as compared to ticagrelor plus aspirin after 3-month of dual antiplatelet therapy. The aim of this analysis was to assess the applicability of the findings TWILIGHT trial to a real-world population. METHODS: Patients undergoing PCI at a tertiary center between 2012 and 2019 and not meeting any TWILIGHT exclusion criterion (oral anticoagulation treatment, ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction [MI], cardiogenic shock, dialysis, prior stroke, or thrombocytopenia) were included. Patients were stratified into 2 groups based on whether they fulfilled the TWILIGHT inclusion criteria (high-risk) or not (low-risk). The primary outcome was all-cause death; the key secondary outcomes were MI and major bleeding at 1 year after PCI. RESULTS: Out of 13,136 included patients, 11,018 (83%) were at high risk. At 1-year, these patients had an approximately 3 folds greater hazard of death (1.4% vs 0.4%, HR 3.63, 95% CI 1.70-7.77) and MI (1.8% vs 0.6%, HR 2.81, 95% CI 1.56-5.04) and a nearly 2 folds higher risk of major bleeding (3.3% vs 1.8%, HR 1.86, 95% CI 1.32-2.62) as compared to low-risk patients. CONCLUSION: Among patients not meeting the TWILIGHT exclusion criteria from a large PCI registry, the high-risk inclusion criteria of the TWILIGHT trial were met by the majority of patients and were associated with an increased risk of mortality and MI and a moderately elevated risk of bleeding.

COVID-19 IgG/IgM antibody testing in Los Angeles County, California.

Evidence suggests that asymptomatic and mild SARS-CoV-2 infections comprise > 95% of all cases. Developing a test that indicates past infection and possible immunity against the virus is important. We administered 244 antibody tests to three groups of high-risk population. The test consisted of an IgG component and an IgM component. The overall IgM/IgG positivity for patients with none, mild, moderate, and severe symptoms were 21.1%, 21.8%, 14.2%, and 26.9%, respectively. Those with moderate or severe symptoms were no more or less likely to have positive antibody tests than those with no or mild symptoms.

Prevalence of normal coronary arteries by coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus from Semaglutide Treatment on Coronary Plaque Progression (STOP) trial.

INTRODUCTION: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is leading cause of morbidity and mortality among type 2 diabetics (T2DM). METHODS: 140 T2DM will be enrolled in randomized, double blind, placebo controlled Semaglutide Treatment On Coronary Plaque Progression (STOP) trial to determine effect of weekly subcutaneous semaglutide on coronary plaque progression. All participants will undergo Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) Scoring and Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography (CCTA) at our center. A Fisher test, ANOVA and Kruskal Wallis were used. RESULTS: As of May 2020, 87 patients (81%) randomized (mean age 56.4 ± 8.4 yrs. and 62% male) with documented CAD by CCTA. Approximately 20% of screened study population were screen failed due to normal coronaries (n= 14) or HbA1C<7 (n=7). Of interest, 14 persons with diabetes with normal coronaries (no calcification) were significantly more likely to be females (21% vs 62%), have higher glomerular filtration rate (106.5 ± 19.4 vs 89.9 ± 22.6 mL/min/1.73m2; p= 0.006), and younger (53.4 ± 9.0 vs 56.4 ± 8.4 yrs.; p=0.02) than those who were randomized. CONCLUSION: Among T2DM, there is a significant portion who have normal coronary arteries and may have a better prognosis. Excluding these participants from cardiovascular studies may improve power and decrease sample size.

Comprehensive plaque assessment with serial coronary CT angiography: translation to bedside.

The purpose of this review is to highlight the utility of comprehensive plaque assessment by serial coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) to understand atherosclerosis and its effect on cardiovascular risk stratification and management. CCTA is a validated, noninvasive imaging modality for coronary atherosclerotic plaque characterization. Numerous clinical trials have used approach of serial CCTA to demonstrate the potential benefits of multiple treatment strategies to reduce coronary plaque progression and its translation to benefits with cardiovascular outcomes. Serial CCTA trials for cardiovascular therapies combined with clinical outcome studies are providing mechanistic correlations of coronary atherogenesis and cardiovascular risk reduction, thereby establishing a new standard of care in addressing cardiac disease. Advancements in CCTA imaging and plaque analysis continue to expand the potential for CCTA in the evaluation of cardiovascular risk and targeted treatment of CAD.

20-Year trend of high prevalence of zero coronary artery calcium in beach cities of Southern California: A blue zone?

BACKGROUND: Blue zones are longevity hotspots around the world characterized by highest concentrations of healthy centenarians. Certified blue zone communities are designed by implementation of environmental and policy changes that promote healthy behaviors. OBJECTIVE: To examine the trends of prevalence of zero CAC, a marker of ideal cardiovascular and overall health status and burden of cardiovascular risk factors in Beach Cities/certified blue zones of Southern California and rest of California. METHODS: This is a population-based cohort study of persons aged 50 years or older in California, who underwent CAC screening between 2000 and 2019. A total of 3864 participants from Beach Cities of Southern California were identified by Zip Codes and compared with 35,537 participants from rest of California. We compared trends of prevalence of zero CAC and cardiovascular risk factors between the two groups, in 5-year intervals. RESULTS: Among 39,401 participants (mean age, 58.1 years; 36% women), 13,374 (34%) had zero CAC. The prevalence of CAC â€‹= â€‹0 was significantly higher in Beach Cities compared to the rest of California (p â€‹< â€‹0.001). Across the study period, the prevalence of cardiac risk factors including obesity, smoking, diabetes and hypertension remain significantly lower in Beach Cities. (p â€‹< â€‹0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study, shows for the first time, that higher prevalence of zero CAC in Beach Cities of California, adds validity to excellent prognosis and longevity in these areas. The impact of policy implementation and environmental changes on lifestyle patterns, cardiovascular health and healthy ageing needs to be evaluated.