Long-term prognosis of patients undergoing radiofrequency catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation: comparison between heart failure subtypes based on left ventricular ejection fraction.

AIMS: Heart failure (HF) prognosis has been reported similar in patients with preserved vs. reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). This study compared the long-term prognosis of HF patients undergoing radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) for atrial fibrillation (AF). METHODS AND RESULTS: Among 5010 patients undergoing RFCA in Kansai Plus AF registry, 656 patients (13.1%) with a documented history of HF were enrolled in the study before RFCA. The primary endpoint was a composite of all-cause death, HF hospitalization, and stroke or systemic embolism. Patients with reduced (<40%), mid-range (40-49%), and preserved (≥50%) LVEF were 98 (14.9%), 107 (16.3%), and 451 (68.8%) patients, respectively. The prevalence of ischaemic heart disease and cardiomyopathies was higher among patients with reduced as compared with preserved LVEF (27.6% vs. 10.0%, P < 0.05 and 36.7% vs. 15.3%, P < 0.05, respectively). The median follow-up period was 2.9 years. The 3-year cumulative risk for the primary endpoint was higher in patients with reduced LVEF (32.7%) compared to those with mid-range (11.7%) or preserved (11.6%) LVEF (P < 0.001). Reduced LVEF was the most significant independent risk factor for primary endpoint (hazard ratio, 2.83; 95% confidence interval 1.74-4.61, P < 0.001). The 3-year arrhythmia recurrence rate was similar among the groups (48.2%, 42.8%, and 47.3%, respectively, P = 0.75). CONCLUSION: This study raises hypothesis that patients with HFrEF and AF had approximately three times higher risk for a composite of all-cause death, HF hospitalization, and stroke or systemic embolism after AF ablation compared with patients with HFmrEF or HFpEF.

Reverse Remodeling and Non-Contrast T1 Hypointense Infarct Core in Patients With Reperfused Acute Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND: Non-contrast T1 hypointense infarct cores (ICs) within infarcted myocardium detected using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) T1 mapping may help assess the severity of left ventricular (LV) injury. However, because the relationship of ICs with chronic LV reverse remodeling (LVRR) is unknown, this study aimed to clarify it.Methods and Results: We enrolled patients with reperfused AMI who underwent baseline CMR on day-7 post-primary percutaneous coronary intervention (n=109) and 12-month follow-up CMR (n=94). Correlations between ICs and chronic LVRR (end-systolic volume decrease ≥15% at 12-month follow-up from baseline CMR) were investigated. We detected 52 (47.7%) ICs on baseline CMR by non-contrast-T1 mapping. LVRR was found in 52.1% of patients with reperfused AMI at 12-month follow-up. Patients with ICs demonstrated higher peak creatine kinase levels, higher B-type natriuretic peptide levels at discharge, lower LV ejection fraction at discharge, and lower incidence of LVRR than those without ICs (26.5% vs. 73.3%, P<0.001) at follow-up. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the presence of ICs was an independent and the strongest negative predictor for LVRR at 12-month follow-up (hazard ratio: 0.087, 95% confidence interval: 0.017-0.459, P=0.004). Peak creatine kinase levels, native T1 values at myocardial edema, and myocardial salvaged indices also correlated with ICs. CONCLUSIONS: ICs detected by non-contrast-T1 mapping with 3.0-T CMR were an independent negative predictor of LVRR in patients with reperfused AMI.

Prevention of Contrast-Induced Nephropathy After Cardiovascular Catheterization and Intervention With High-Dose Strong Statin Therapy in Japan　- The PREVENT CINC-J Study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have reported that high-dose strong statin therapy reduces the incidence of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) in statin naïve patients; however, the efficacy of high-dose strong statins for preventing CIN in real-world clinical practice remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of strong statin therapy in addition to fluid hydration for preventing CIN after cardiovascular catheterization.Methods and Results: This prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled trial included 420 patients with chronic kidney disease who underwent cardiovascular catheterization. They were assigned to receive high-dose pitavastatin (4 mg/day × 4 days) on the day before and of the procedure and 2 days after the procedure (Statin group, n=213) or no pitavastatin (Control group, n=207). Isotonic saline hydration combined with a single bolus of sodium bicarbonate (20 mEq) was scheduled for administration to all patients. In the control group, statin therapy was continued at the same dose as that before randomization. CIN was defined as a ≥0.5 mg/dL increase in serum creatinine or ≥25% above baseline at 48 h after contrast exposure. Before randomization, 83% of study participants were receiving statin treatment. The statin group had a higher incidence of CIN than the control group (3.0% vs. 0%, P=0.01). The 12-month rate of major adverse cardiovascular events was similar between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: High-dose pitavastatin increases the incidence of CIN in this study population.

Association Between Statins and Cancer Incidence in Diabetes: a Cohort Study of Japanese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

BACKGROUND: The antitumor effect of statins has been highlighted, but clinical study results remain inconclusive. While patients with diabetes are at high risk of cancer, it is uncertain whether statins are effective for cancer chemoprevention in this population. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the association between statins and cancer incidence/mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes. DESIGN: This study was a follow-up observational study of the Japanese Primary Prevention of Atherosclerosis with Aspirin for Diabetes (JPAD) trial, which was a randomized controlled trial of low-dose aspirin in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes. PARTICIPANTS: This study enrolled 2536 patients with type 2 diabetes, age 30-85 years, and no history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, from December 2002 until May 2005. All participants recruited in the JPAD trial were followed until the day of any fatal event or July 2015. We defined participants taking any statin at enrollment as the statin group (n = 650) and the remainder as the no-statin group (n = 1886). MAIN MEASURES: The primary end point was the first occurrence of any cancer (cancer incidence). The secondary end point was death from any cancer (cancer mortality). KEY RESULTS: During follow-up (median, 10.7 years), 318 participants developed a new cancer and 123 died as a result. Cancer incidence and mortality were 10.5 and 3.7 per 1000 person-years in the statin group, and 16.8 and 6.3 per 1000 person-years in the no-statin group, respectively. Statin use was associated with significantly reduced cancer incidence and mortality after adjustment for confounding factors (cancer incidence: adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.67; 95% CI, 0.49-0.90, P = 0.007; cancer mortality: adjusted HR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.36-0.98, P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Statin use was associated with a reduced incidence and mortality of cancer in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes.

Functional assessment of intermediate coronary artery stenosis with 4-Fr catheters.

The 4-Fr catheter system is not recommended for invasive functional assessment of coronary artery stenosis, because it tends to distort the aortic waveform. This study aimed to identify the incidence of aortic waveform distortion and a feasible method for correct diagnosis of coronary artery stenosis with a 4-Fr catheter. We retrospectively investigated 178 lesions with intermediate coronary artery stenosis. Non-hyperemic distal coronary artery pressure (Pd) and aortic pressure (Pa) were measured with a 4-Fr diagnostic or 6-Fr guiding catheter before and after saline flush. The mean Pd/mean Pa (Pd/Pa) and instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR) were calculated before and after flushing. We compared the effect of flushing on the changes in Pd/Pa and iFR between the 4-Fr diagnostic and 6-Fr guiding catheters. Using the 4-Fr diagnostic catheter, there was a significant decrease in incidence of aortic waveform distortion from 42.0% (47 lesions) before flushing to 1.8% (2 lesions) after flushing (p < 0.001); the incidence was only 3.0% before saline flush and decreased to 0% after saline flush when using the 6-Fr guiding catheter. The presence of aortic waveform distortion influenced the iFR when the 4-Fr system was used. Functional measurements with the 4-Fr diagnostic catheter require adequate saline flush to remove the influence of aortic waveform distortion.

Low-Dose Aspirin for Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Events in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: 10-Year Follow-Up of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: The long-term efficacy and safety of low-dose aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus are still inconclusive. METHODS: The JPAD trial (Japanese Primary Prevention of Atherosclerosis With Aspirin for Diabetes) was a randomized, open-label, standard care-controlled trial examining whether low-dose aspirin affected cardiovascular events in 2539 Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and without preexisting cardiovascular disease. Patients were randomly allocated to receive aspirin (81 or 100 mg daily; aspirin group) or no aspirin (no-aspirin group) in the JPAD trial. After that trial ended in 2008, we followed up with the patients until 2015, with no attempt to change the previously assigned therapy. Primary end points were cardiovascular events, including sudden death, fatal or nonfatal coronary artery disease, fatal or nonfatal stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. For the safety analysis, hemorrhagic events, consisting of gastrointestinal bleeding, hemorrhagic stroke, and bleeding from any other sites, were also analyzed. The primary analysis was conducted for cardiovascular events among patients who retained their original allocation (a per-protocol cohort). Analyses on an intention-to-treat cohort were conducted for hemorrhagic events and statistical sensitivity. RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 10.3 years; 1621 patients (64%) were followed up throughout the study; and 2160 patients (85%) retained their original allocation. Low-dose aspirin did not reduce cardiovascular events in the per-protocol cohort (hazard ratio, 1.14; 95% confidence interval, 0.91-1.42). Multivariable Cox proportional hazard model adjusted for age, sex, glycemic control, kidney function, smoking status, hypertension, and dyslipidemia showed similar results (hazard ratio, 1.04; 95% confidence interval, 0.83-1.30), with no heterogeneity of efficacy in subgroup analyses stratified by each of these factors (all interaction P>0.05). Sensitivity analyses on the intention-to-treat cohort yielded consistent results (hazard ratio, 1.01; 95% confidence interval, 0.82-1.25). Gastrointestinal bleeding occurred in 25 patients (2%) in the aspirin group and 12 (0.9%) in the no-aspirin group (P=0.03), and the incidence of hemorrhagic stroke was not different between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Low-dose aspirin did not affect the risk for cardiovascular events but increased risk for gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in a primary prevention setting. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00110448.

Effect of low-dose aspirin on primary prevention of cardiovascular events in Japanese diabetic patients at high risk.

BACKGROUND: Benefit of low-dose aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular events in diabetes remains controversial. The American Diabetes Association (ADA), the American Heart Association (AHA), and the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF) recommend aspirin for high-risk diabetic patients: older patients with additional cardiovascular risk factors. We evaluated aspirin's benefit in Japanese diabetic patients stratified by cardiovascular risk. METHODS AND RESULTS: In the JPAD trial, we enrolled 2,539 Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes and no history of cardiovascular disease. We randomly assigned them to aspirin (81-100 mg daily) or no aspirin groups. The median follow-up period was 4.4 years. We stratified the patients into high-risk or low-risk groups, according to the US recommendation: age (older; younger) and coexisting cardiovascular risk factors. The risk factors included smoking, hypertension, dyslipidemia, family history of coronary artery disease, and proteinuria. Most of the patients were classified into the high-risk group, consisting of older patients with risk factors (n=1,804). The incidence of cardiovascular events was higher in this group, but aspirin did not reduce cardiovascular events (hazard ratio [HR], 0.83; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.58-1.17). In the low-risk group, consisting of older patients without risk factors and younger patients (n=728), aspirin did not reduce cardiovascular events (HR, 0.55; 95% CI: 0.23-1.21). These results were unchanged after adjusting for potential confounding factors. CONCLUSIONS: Low-dose aspirin is not beneficial in Japanese diabetic patients at high risk.

Prevention of Contrast-Induced Nephropathy After Emergency Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With a Single Bolus Administration of High-Concentrate Sodium Bicarbonate　- Rationale and Design of a Single-Arm Study Compared With Historical Controls.

Background: Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is clinically important because of its poor prognosis. The incidence of CIN is higher in emergency than elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) because there is no established method to prevent CIN. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether bolus administration of a concentrated solution of sodium bicarbonate can prevent CIN in patients undergoing emergency PCI. Methods and Results: This multicenter prospective single-arm trial with historical controls will include patients who are aged ≥20 years and will undergo cardiac catheterization for suspected acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Patients will receive an intravenous bolus administration of concentrated sodium bicarbonate solution (7% or 8.4%, 20 mEq) and will be observed for 72±12 h. Data for the control group, comprising all patients who underwent PCI for AMI between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020 across participating hospitals, will be extracted. The primary endpoint is the incidence of CIN, defined as an increase in serum creatinine of >0.5 mg/dL or >25% from baseline within 48±12 h. We will evaluate the endpoints in the prospective group and compare them with those in the historical control group. Conclusions: This study will evaluate whether a single bolus administration of concentrated sodium bicarbonate can prevent CIN after emergency PCI.

Aspirin reduces cerebrovascular events in type 2 diabetic patients with poorly controlled blood pressure. Subanalysis from the JPAD trial.

BACKGROUND: There are few data that demonstrate a significant effect of aspirin therapy for diabetic patients. To clarify the effect of the primary prevention of aspirin therapy in diabetic patients, the relationship between blood pressure (BP) and the incidence of atherosclerotic events was investigated in participants in the Japanese primary prevention of atherosclerosis with aspirin for diabetes (JPAD) trial. METHODS AND RESULTS: We divided the JPAD participants according to their systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) BPs at enrollment (SBP ≥140 mmHg and/or DBP ≥90 mmHg: unattained group, SBP <140 mmHg and DBP <90 mmHg: attained group). The incidence of the primary atherosclerotic events, especially cerebrovascular events, was higher in the unattained group than in the attained group. The incidence of cerebrovascular events was higher in the unattained group than in the attained group in patients without aspirin therapy; however, the incidence of cerebrovascular events in the unattained group was as low as the incidence in the attained group in patients undergoing aspirin therapy. Cox proportional hazards analysis revealed that BP level was an independent predictor for cerebrovascular events in diabetic patients. CONCLUSIONS: Aspirin therapy may reduce cerebrovascular events in diabetic patients with higher BP. Aspirin therapy could be an additional strategy as primary prevention for diabetic patients with higher BP.

Incidence of atrial fibrillation in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

INTRODUCTION: The incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF), a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), is increasing worldwide. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and advanced age are recognized as major risk factors for AF, but herein, we evaluated the incidence of AF in elderly patients with T2D and compared the prognosis between these patients with/without AF. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The Japanese Primary Prevention of Atherosclerosis with Aspirin for Diabetes (JPAD2) study is a follow-up cohort study of the JPAD trial, a randomized controlled clinical trial initiated in 2002 in 2535 Japanese patients with T2D, to examine whether low-dose aspirin prevents CVD. After completion of that trial, we followed up the patients until 2019 and evaluated the incidence of AF. We also compared the incidence of cerebral cardiovascular events in elderly patients with T2D with/without AF. RESULTS: During the median follow-up period of 10.9 years, 132 patients developed AF (incidence rate: 5.14/1000 person-years). The adjusted HRs for cerebral cardiovascular events, stroke, coronary artery disease, heart failure, and all-cause death in elderly patients with T2D with versus without AF were 1.65 (95% CI 1.03 to 2.66), 1.54 (95% CI 0.81 to 2.93), 1.96 (95% CI 1.03 to 3.73), 5.17 (95% CI 2.46 to 10.89), and 1.82 (95% CI 1.24 to 2.67), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Annually, 1 in 200 elderly Japanese patients with T2D are estimated to develop AF. Because elderly patients with T2D with AF are at an elevated risk for CVD, careful follow-up of this patient subgroup is necessary. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT00110448.

Urgent percutaneous transluminal septal myocardial ablation for left ventricular outflow tract obstruction exacerbated after surgical aortic valve replacement.

Percutaneous transluminal septal myocardial ablation (PTSMA) is an established procedure for treating symptomatic hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. We report a case of urgent PTSMA for treating refractory heart failure due to exacerbated obstruction of the left ventricular outflow tract after surgical aortic valvular replacement to treat severe aortic stenosis.

Effects of Fatty Acid Therapy in Addition to Strong Statin on Coronary Plaques in Acute Coronary Syndrome: An Optical Coherence Tomography Study.

BACKGROUND Vascular healing response associated with adjunctive n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid therapy therapy in patients receiving strong statin therapy remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of polyunsaturated fatty acid therapy with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in addition to strong statin therapy on coronary atherosclerotic plaques using optical coherence tomography. METHODS AND RESULTS This prospective multicenter randomized controlled trial included 130 patients with acute coronary syndrome treated with strong statins. They were assigned to either statin only (control group, n=42), statin+high-dose EPA (1800 mg/day) (EPA group, n=40), statin+EPA (930 mg/day)+DHA (750 mg/day) (EPA+DHA group, n=48). Optical coherence tomography was performed at baseline and at the 8-month follow-up. The target for optical coherence tomography analysis was a nonculprit lesion with a lipid plaque. Between baseline and the 8-month follow-up, fibrous cap thickness (FCT) significantly increased in all 3 groups. There were no significant differences in the percent change for minimum FCT between the EPA or EPA+DHA group and the control group. In patients with FCT <120 µm (median value), the percent change for minimum FCT was significantly higher in the EPA or EPA+DHA group compared with the control group. CONCLUSIONS EPA or EPA+DHA therapy in addition to strong statin therapy did not significantly increase FCT in nonculprit plaques compared with strong statin therapy alone, but significantly increased FCT in patients with thinner FCT. Registration URL: https://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/; Unique identifier: UMIN 000012825.

Sex Difference in Effects of Low-Dose Aspirin on Prevention of Dementia in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Long-term Follow-up Study of a Randomized Clinical Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and compare the efficacy of long-term use of low-dose aspirin for the prevention of dementia in men and women. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This study is a follow-up cohort study of the Japanese Primary Prevention of Atherosclerosis With Aspirin for Diabetes (JPAD) trial, which was a randomized, open-label, standard care-controlled trial examining the effects of low-dose aspirin on cardiovascular events. We followed up 2,536 Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) enrolled in the JPAD trial from 2002 to 2017. The primary outcome of this post hoc analysis was the incidence of dementia, which was defined by the prescription of antidementia drugs or admission due to dementia. RESULTS: Among the originally enrolled patients, 2,121 (84%) retained their original allocation. During a median follow-up of 11.4 years, 128 patients developed dementia. The overall effect of low-dose aspirin on the prevention of dementia adjusted for age, sex, and other established risk factors was not significant (hazard ratio [HR] 0.82, 95% CI 0.58-1.16). However, a significant reduction was seen in the risk of dementia in women (HR 0.58, 95% CI 0.36-0.95), but not in men (HR 1.27, 95% CI 0.75-2.13) (P interaction = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Long-term use of low-dose aspirin may reduce the risk for dementia in women with T2D.

One quarter of total myocardial infarctions are silent manifestation in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Silent events with newly developed Q waves in electrocardiogram (ECG) [silent myocardial infarction (MI)] in diabetic patients is reported to be independently associated with an increased risk of fatal MI. However, the incidence rate of silent MI in diabetic patients has yet to be clarified. We sought to determine the incidence rate of first symptomatic MI and silent MI in diabetic patients. METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study on patients enrolled in the Japanese primary prevention of atherosclerosis with aspirin for diabetes (JPAD) trial which was started in 2002. It is a randomized controlled trial to examine the efficacy of low-dose aspirin therapy for the primary prevention of atherosclerotic events in type 2 diabetic patients. No patients had Q waves in their ECG before entry to the JPAD trial. We followed-up 1825 patients until July 2015 after completion of the JPAD trial in 2008. The median follow-up period was 10.3 years. We collected 1648 patients' ECGs to identify patients with silent MI. RESULTS: Symptomatic MI occurred in 65 patients and silent MI occurred in 22 patients. The incidence rate of symptomatic MI was 4.26 per 1000 patient-years and 1.44 for silent MI in diabetic patients. Thus, 25% of total MIs were silent. Cause-specific Cox proportional hazard model indicated that age (hazard ratio 1.06, 95% confidence interval; 1.03-1.10, p=0.0004) and long history of diabetes (1.00, 1.01-1.07, p=0.01) were independently associated with symptomatic MI, but these were not associated with silent MI. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that incidence rate of first silent MI and that proportion of silent MI to all MIs was 25% in diabetic patients without a history of atherosclerotic events. Diabetic patients frequently need ECG screening for detection of silent MI.

Low-dose aspirin for primary prevention of atherosclerotic events in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized controlled trial.

CONTEXT: Previous trials have investigated the effects of low-dose aspirin on primary prevention of cardiovascular events, but not in patients with type 2 diabetes. OBJECTIVE: To examine the efficacy of low-dose aspirin for the primary prevention of atherosclerotic events in patients with type 2 diabetes. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Multicenter, prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded, end-point trial conducted from December 2002 through April 2008 at 163 institutions throughout Japan, which enrolled 2539 patients with type 2 diabetes without a history of atherosclerotic disease and had a median follow-up of 4.37 years. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were assigned to the low-dose aspirin group (81 or 100 mg per day) or the nonaspirin group. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary end points were atherosclerotic events, including fatal or nonfatal ischemic heart disease, fatal or nonfatal stroke, and peripheral arterial disease. Secondary end points included each primary end point and combinations of primary end points as well as death from any cause. RESULTS: A total of 154 atherosclerotic events occurred: 68 in the aspirin group (13.6 per 1000 person-years) and 86 in the nonaspirin group (17.0 per 1000 person-years) (hazard ratio [HR], 0.80; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.58-1.10; log-rank test, P = .16). The combined end point of fatal coronary events and fatal cerebrovascular events occurred in 1 patient (stroke) in the aspirin group and 10 patients (5 fatal myocardial infarctions and 5 fatal strokes) in the nonaspirin group (HR, 0.10; 95% CI, 0.01-0.79; P = .0037). A total of 34 patients in the aspirin group and 38 patients in the nonaspirin group died from any cause (HR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.57-1.14; log-rank test, P = .67). The composite of hemorrhagic stroke and significant gastrointestinal bleeding was not significantly different between the aspirin and nonaspirin groups. CONCLUSION: In this study of patients with type 2 diabetes, low-dose aspirin as primary prevention did not reduce the risk of cardiovascular events. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00110448.

Effect of Aspirin on Cancer Chemoprevention in Japanese Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: 10-Year Observational Follow-up of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: This study analyzed the efficacy of low-dose aspirin in cancer chemoprevention in patients with diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This study was a posttrial follow-up of the Japanese Primary Prevention of Atherosclerosis with Aspirin for Diabetes (JPAD) trial. Participants in the JPAD trial (2,536 Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes and without preexisting cardiovascular disease) were randomly allocated to receive aspirin (81 or 100 mg daily) or no aspirin. After that trial ended in 2008, we followed up with the participants until 2015, with no attempt to change the previously assigned therapy. The primary end point was total cancer incidence. We investigated the effect of low-dose aspirin on cancer incidence. RESULTS: During the median follow-up period of 10.7 years, a total of 318 cancers occurred. The cancer incidence was not significantly different between the aspirin and no-aspirin groups (log-rank, P = 0.4; hazard ratio [HR], 0.92; 95% CI, 0.73-1.14; P = 0.4). In subgroup analyses, aspirin did not affect cancer incidence in men, women, or participants aged ≥65 years. However, it decreased cancer incidence in participants aged <65 years (log-rank, P = 0.05; HR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.44-0.99; P = 0.048). After adjusting for sex, hemoglobin A1c, smoking status, and administration of metformin and statins, aspirin significantly reduced cancer incidence in participants aged <65 years (adjusted HR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.43-0.99; P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Low-dose aspirin did not reduce cancer incidence in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes.

Indications and outcomes of excimer laser coronary atherectomy: Efficacy and safety for thrombotic lesions-The ULTRAMAN registry.

BACKGROUND: Excimer laser coronary atherectomy (ELCA) recently became available in Japan, but ELCA's effectiveness and safety are not clear. METHODS AND RESULTS: We enrolled consecutive patients who underwent ELCA and were registered in the Utility of Laser for Transcatheter Atherectomy-Multicenter Analysis around Naniwa (ULTRAMAN) registry comprising six Japanese medical centers around Naniwa in Japan with patients registered from April 2006 to June 2015. We evaluated the catheter sizes used and compared the success rate, thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow, blush score, and complications between the rich-thrombus (RT) group [acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and saphenous vein graft (SVG)] and the poor-thrombus (PT) group [in-stent restenosis (ISR), chronic total occlusion (CTO), calcification, and long or bifurcation (L&B) lesions]. Of the 328 patients, 6 (1.8%) were treated for an SVG, 175 (53.4%) were treated for ACS, 18 (5.5%) for CTO, 106 (32.4%) for ISR, 8 (2.4%) for calcification, and 15 for L&B lesions (4.6%). A 1.7-mm (concentric)-diameter ELCA catheter was used most frequently (59.4%). High success rates were achieved in both the RT and PT groups, but the TIMI flow grade and blush score were significantly lower and the complications rate was significantly higher in the RT group (n=181). CONCLUSIONS: In Japan, the major indications for ELCA have been ACS and ISR. ELCA can provide a safe and effective treatment even for RT lesions.

Aspirin possibly reduces cerebrovascular events in type 2 diabetic patients with higher C-reactive protein level: subanalysis from the JPAD trial.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There are few data that demonstrate a significant effect of aspirin therapy for diabetic patients as primary prevention for cardiovascular events. A guideline recommends the use of aspirin as a primary prevention strategy in patients with diabetes who are at increased cardiovascular risk including those who have additional risk factors. To clarify the effect of primary prevention with aspirin therapy on diabetic patients, the relationship between C-reactive protein (CRP) and the incidence of atherosclerotic events was investigated in participants in the Japanese primary prevention of atherosclerosis with aspirin for diabetes (JPAD) trial. METHODS AND SUBJECTS: We divided the JPAD participants according to the CRP level at enrollment; CRP ≥0.1mg/dl: high CRP group, CRP <0.1mg/dl: low CRP group. The high CRP group consisted of 1131 patients and the low CRP group consisted of 398 patients. ESSENTIAL RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the incidence of primary atherosclerotic events between the high CRP group and the low CRP group. Of the atherosclerotic events, the incidence of cerebrovascular events, however, was significantly higher in the high CRP group than in the low CRP group. The incidence of cerebrovascular events was higher in the high CRP group than in the low CRP group in patients without aspirin therapy, although there was no significant difference in the incidence of the cerebrovascular events between the high CRP group and the low CRP group in patients undergoing aspirin therapy. PRINCIPAL CONCLUSIONS: Aspirin therapy may reduce cerebrovascular events in diabetic patients with higher CRP. Aspirin therapy could be an additional strategy as primary prevention for diabetic patients with higher CRP.

Low-dose aspirin therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes and reduced glomerular filtration rate: subanalysis from the JPAD trial.

OBJECTIVE: Type 2 diabetes accompanied by renal damage is a strong risk factor for atherosclerotic events. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of low-dose aspirin therapy on primary prevention of atherosclerotic events in patients with type 2 diabetes and coexisting renal dysfunction. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The Japanese Primary Prevention of Atherosclerosis With Aspirin for Diabetes (JPAD) trial was a prospective, randomized, open-label trial conducted throughout Japan that enrolled 2,539 type 2 diabetic patients without a history of atherosclerotic diseases. Patients were assigned to the aspirin group (81 mg/day or 100 mg/day) or the nonaspirin group and followed for a median of 4.37 years. The primary end points were atherosclerotic events of fatal and nonfatal ischemic heart disease, stroke, and peripheral arterial disease. RESULTS: The analysis included 2,523 patients who had serum creatinine measured. In 1,373 patients with baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) 60-89 mL/min/1.73 m(2), the incidence of primary end points was significantly lower in the aspirin group than in the nonaspirin group (aspirin, 30/661; nonaspirin, 55/712; hazard ratio 0.57 [95% CI 0.36-0.88]; P = 0.011). Low-dose aspirin therapy did not reduce primary end points in patients with eGFR ≥ 90 mL/min/1.73 m(2) (aspirin, 9/248; nonaspirin, 11/270; 0.94 [0.38-2.3]) or those with eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) (aspirin, 29/342; nonaspirin, 19/290; 1.3 [0.76-2.4]). The Cox proportional hazard model demonstrated a significant interaction between mild renal dysfunction (eGFR 60-89 mL/min/1.73 m(2)) and aspirin (P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest a differential effect of low-dose aspirin therapy in diabetic patients with eGFR 60-89 mL/min/1.73 m(2).