Red Blood Cell Transfusion Strategies in Cardiovascular Interventions.

Acute coronary syndrome, cardiac surgery, and cardiac structural interventions are among the most common situations leading to allogeneic red blood cell consumption due to the prevalence of bleeding and anemia. The wide variability in the use of transfusions derives from the current lack of data, and the absence of strong evidence and clear guideline recommendations. The current approach is to avoid unnecessary blood transfusions and limit their use to life-saving conditions; this conservative strategy derives from often controversial and inconclusive results of observational and randomized studies where liberal and restricted red blood transfusion strategies seemed to have similar outcomes. The pivotal question for future research lies in elucidating whether blood transfusions function as an active participant or merely a catalyst in amplifying adverse events. The present review aims to summarize the current literature data and critically analyze the available evidence for red blood transfusions in cardiac interventions.

Optimizing Management of Stable Angina: A Patient-Centered Approach Integrating Revascularization, Medical Therapy, and Lifestyle Interventions.

Angina pectoris may arise from obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) or in the absence of significant CAD (ischemia with nonobstructed coronary arteries [INOCA]). Therapeutic strategies for patients with angina and obstructive CAD focus on reducing cardiovascular events and relieving symptoms, whereas in INOCA the focus shifts toward managing functional alterations of the coronary circulation. In obstructive CAD, coronary revascularization might improve angina status, although a significant percentage of patients present angina persistence or recurrence, suggesting the presence of functional mechanisms along with epicardial CAD. In patients with INOCA, performing a precise endotype diagnosis is crucial to allow a tailored therapy targeted toward the specific pathogenic mechanism. In this expert opinion paper, we review the evidence for the management of angina, highlighting the complementary role of coronary revascularization, optimal medical therapy, and lifestyle interventions and underscoring the importance of a personalized approach that targets the underlying pathobiology.

Biomechanical factors and atherosclerosis localization: insights and clinical applications.

Although the entire vascular bed is constantly exposed to the same risk factors, atherosclerosis manifests a distinct intra-individual pattern in localization and progression within the arterial vascular bed. Despite shared risk factors, the development of atherosclerotic plaques is influenced by physical principles, anatomic variations, metabolic functions, and genetic pathways. Biomechanical factors, particularly wall shear stress (WSS), play a crucial role in atherosclerosis and both low and high WSS are associated with plaque progression and heightened vulnerability. Low and oscillatory WSS contribute to plaque growth and arterial remodeling, while high WSS promotes vulnerable changes in obstructive coronary plaques. Axial plaque stress and plaque structural stress are proposed as biomechanical indicators of plaque vulnerability, representing hemodynamic stress on stenotic lesions and localized stress within growing plaques, respectively. Advancements in imaging and computational fluid dynamics techniques enable a comprehensive analysis of morphological and hemodynamic properties of atherosclerotic lesions and their role in plaque localization, evolution, and vulnerability. Understanding the impact of mechanical forces on blood vessels holds the potential for developing shear-regulated drugs, improving diagnostics, and informing clinical decision-making in coronary atherosclerosis management. Additionally, Computation Fluid Dynamic (CFD) finds clinical applications in comprehending stent-vessel dynamics, complexities of coronary bifurcations, and guiding assessments of coronary lesion severity. This review underscores the clinical significance of an integrated approach, concentrating on systemic, hemodynamic, and biomechanical factors in atherosclerosis and plaque vulnerability among patients with coronary artery disease.

Therapeutic strategies aiming at the reduction of the antiplatelet intensity should not overlook the ischemic risk in patients with coronary syndromes.

De-escalation of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is gaining traction as a strategy to reduce bleeding risks while ensuring ischemic outcomes. Undiscriminating de-escalation, notably in patients with high ischemic risk, might expose them to major adverse cardiac events. Platelet function and genetic tests are emerging tools to guide de-escalation, but both present specific drawbacks. Recent meta-analyses have aimed to consolidate the findings of individual trials to provide clearer insights. Yet, limitations remain for patients with concomitant high bleeding and ischemic risks. These high-risk patients are frequently underrepresented in clinical trials, and, therefore, currently available guidelines lack evidence-based recommendations for this subset. While DAPT de-escalation strategies hold promise, the choice of approach, whether clinically or assay-guided, remains complex and should be individualized.

Red blood cell transfusion and mortality after transcatheter aortic valve implantation via transapical approach: A propensity-matched comparison from the TRITAVI registry.

Objective: Bleeding is frequent during transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), especially when performed through a transapical approach (TA), and is associated with a worse prognosis. The present study aims to test the implication of red blood cell (RBC) transfusion and the optimal transfusion strategy in this context. Methods: Among 11,265 participants in the multicenter TRITAVI (Transfusion Requirements in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation) registry, 548 patients (4.9%) who received TA-TAVI at 19 European centers were included. One-to-one propensity score matching was performed to reduce treatment selection bias and potential confounding among transfused versus non-transfused patients. The primary endpoint of the study was the 30-day occurrence of all-cause mortality. Results: 209 patients (38 %) received RBC transfusions. The primary endpoint occurred in 47 (8.6 %) patients. Propensity score matching identified 188 pairs of patients with and without RBC transfusion. In the propensity score-matched analysis, RBC transfusion was associated with increased 30-day mortality (HR 3.35, 95 % CI 1.51 - 7.39; p = 0.002). At multivariable cox regression analysis, RBC transfusion was an independent predictor of 30-day mortality (HR 3.07, 95 % CI 1.01-9.41, p = 0.048), as well as baseline ejection fraction (HR 0.96, 95 % CI 0.92-0.99, p = 0.043), and acute kidney injury (HR 3.95, 95 % CI 1.11-14.05, p = 0.034). Conclusions: RBC transfusion is an independent predictor of short-term mortality in patients undergoing TA-TAVI, regardless of major bleeding.Clinical trial registration: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov Unique identifier: NCT03740425.

Risk Score for Prediction of Dialysis After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

BACKGROUND: Dialysis is a rare but serious complication after transcatheter aortic valve replacement. We analyzed the large multicenter TRITAVI (transfusion requirements in transcatheter aortic valve implantation) registry in order to develop and validate a clinical score assessing this risk. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 10 071 consecutive patients were enrolled in 19 European centers. Patients were randomly assigned (2:1) to a derivation and validation cohort. Two scores were developed, 1 including only preprocedural variables (TRITAVIpre) and 1 also including procedural variables (TRITAVIpost). In the 6714 patients of the derivation cohort (age 82±6 years, 48% men), preprocedural factors independently associated with dialysis and included in the TRITAVIpre score were male sex, diabetes, prior coronary artery bypass graft, anemia, nonfemoral access, and creatinine clearance <30 mL/min per m2. Additional independent predictors among procedural features were volume of contrast, need for transfusion, and major vascular complications. Both scores showed a good discrimination power for identifying risk for dialysis with C-statistic 0.78 for TRITAVIpre and C-statistic 0.88 for TRITAVIpost score. Need for dialysis increased from the lowest to the highest of 3 risk score groups (from 0.3% to 3.9% for TRITAVIpre score and from 0.1% to 6.2% for TRITAVIpost score). Analysis of the 3357 patients of the validation cohort (age 82±7 years, 48% men) confirmed the good discrimination power of both scores (C-statistic 0.80 for TRITAVIpre and 0.81 for TRITAVIpost score). Need for dialysis was associated with a significant increase in 1-year mortality (from 6.9% to 54.4%; P=0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: A simple preprocedural clinical score can help predict the risk of dialysis after transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Reproducibility of an artificial intelligence optical coherence tomography software for tissue characterization: Implications for the design of longitudinal studies.

BACKGROUND: To assess the reproducibility of coronary tissue characterization by an Artificial Intelligence Optical Coherence Tomography software (OctPlus, Shanghai Pulse Medical Imaging Technology Inc.). METHODS: 74 patients presenting with multivessel ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) underwent optical coherence tomography (OCT) of the infarct-related artery at the end of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) and during staged PCI (SPCI) within 7 days thereafter in the MATRIX (Minimizing Adverse Hemorrhagic Events by Transradial Access Site and angioX) Treatment-Duration study (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01433627). OCT films were run through the OctPlus software. The same region of interest between either side of the stent and the first branch was identified on OCT films for each patient at PPCI and SPCI, thus generating 94 pairs of segments. 42 pairs of segments were re-analyzed for intra-software difference. Five plaque characteristics including cholesterol crystal, fibrous tissue, calcium, lipid, and macrophage content were analyzed for various parameters (span angle, thickness, and area). RESULTS: There was no statistically significant inter-catheter (between PPCI and SPCI) or intra-software difference in the mean values of all the parameters. Inter-catheter correlation for area was best seen for calcification [intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) 0.86], followed by fibrous tissue (ICC 0.87), lipid (ICC 0.62), and macrophage (ICC 0.43). Some of the inter-catheter relative differences for area measurements were large: calcification 9.75 %; cholesterol crystal 74.10 %; fibrous tissue 5.90 %; lipid 4.66 %; and macrophage 1.23 %. By the intra-software measurements, there was an excellent correlation (ICC > 0.9) for all tissue types. The relative differences for area measurements were: calcification 0.64 %; cholesterol crystal 5.34 %; fibrous tissue 0.19 %; lipid 1.07 %; and macrophage 0.60 %. Features of vulnerable plaque, minimum fibrous cap thickness and lipid area showed acceptable reproducibility. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates an overall good reproducibility of tissue characterization by the Artificial Intelligence Optical Coherence Tomography software. In future longitudinal studies, investigators may use discretion in selecting the imaging endpoints and sample size, accounting for the observed relative differences in this study.

Management of high and intermediate-high risk pulmonary embolism: A position paper of the Interventional Cardiology Working Group of the Italian Society of Cardiology.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a potentially life-threatening condition that remains a major global health concern. Noteworthy, patients with high- and intermediate-high-risk PE pose unique challenges because they often display clinical and hemodynamic instability, thus requiring rapid intervention to mitigate the risk of clinical deterioration and death. Importantly, recovery from PE is associated with long-term complications such as recurrences, bleeding with oral anticoagulant treatment, pulmonary hypertension, and psychological distress. Several novel strategies to improve risk factor characterization and management of patients with PE have recently been introduced. Accordingly, this position paper of the Working Group of Interventional Cardiology of the Italian Society of Cardiology deals with the landscape of high- and intermediate-high risk PE, with a focus on bridging the gap between the evolving standards of care and the current clinical practice. Specifically, the growing importance of catheter-directed therapies as part of the therapeutic armamentarium is highlighted. These interventions have been shown to be effective strategies in unstable patients since they offer, as compared with thrombolysis, faster and more effective restoration of hemodynamic stability with a consistent reduction in the risk of bleeding. Evolving standards of care underscore the need for continuous re-assessment of patient risk stratification. To this end, a multidisciplinary approach is paramount in refining selection criteria to deliver the most effective treatment to patients with unstable hemodynamics. In conclusion, the current management of unstable patients with PE should prioritize tailored treatment in a patient-oriented approach in which transcatheter therapies play a central role.

In-stent restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention: emerging knowledge on biological pathways.

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has evolved significantly over the past four decades. Since its inception, in-stent restenosis (ISR)-the progressive reduction in vessel lumen diameter after PCI-has emerged as the main complication of the procedure. Although the incidence of ISR has reduced from 30% at 6 months with bare-metal stents to 7% at 4 years with drug-eluting stents (DESs), its occurrence is relevant in absolute terms because of the dimensions of the population treated with PCI. The aim of this review is to summarize the emerging understanding of the biological pathways that underlie ISR. In-stent restenosis is associated with several factors, including patient-related, genetic, anatomic, stent, lesion, and procedural characteristics. Regardless of associated factors, there are common pathophysiological pathways involving molecular phenomena triggered by the mechanical trauma caused by PCI. Such biological pathways are responses to the denudation of the intima during balloon angioplasty and involve inflammation, hypersensitivity reactions, and stem cell mobilization particularly of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). The results of these processes are either vessel wall healing or neointimal hyperplasia and/or neo-atherosclerosis. Unravelling the key molecular and signal pathways involved in ISR is crucial to identify appropriate therapeutic strategies aimed at abolishing the 'Achille's heel' of PCI. In this regard, we discuss novel approaches to prevent DES restenosis. Indeed, available evidence suggests that EPC-capturing stents promote rapid stent re-endothelization, which, in turn, has the potential to decrease the risk of stent thrombosis and allow the use of a shorter-duration dual antiplatelet therapy.