Elevated levels of plasma inactive stromal cell derived factor-1α predict poor long-term outcomes in diabetic patients following percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: Since the complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) is a risk for adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), appropriate risk estimation is needed in diabetic patients following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, there is no useful biomarker to predict outcomes in this population. Although stromal cell derived factor-1α (SDF-1α), a circulating chemokine, was shown to have cardioprotective roles, the prognostic impact of SDF-1α in diabetic patients with CAD is yet to be fully elucidated. Moreover, roles of SDF-1α isoforms in outcome prediction remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prognostic implication of three forms of SDF-1α including total, active, and inactive forms of SDF-1α in patients with DM and after PCI. METHODS: This single-center retrospective analysis involved consecutive patients with diabetes who underwent PCI for the first time between 2008 and 2018 (n = 849). Primary and secondary outcome measures were all-cause death and the composite of cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and ischemic stroke (3P-MACE), respectively. For determining plasma levels of SDF-1α, we measured not only total, but also the active type of SDF-1α by ELISA. Inactive isoform of the SDF-1α was calculated by subtracting the active isoform from total SDF-1α. RESULTS: Unadjusted Kaplan-Meier analyses revealed increased risk of both all-cause death and 3P-MACE in patients with elevated levels of inactive SDF-1α. However, plasma levels of total and active SDF-1α were not associated with cumulative incidences of outcome measures. Multivariate Cox hazard analyses repeatedly indicated the 1 higher log-transformed inactive SDF-1α was significantly associated with increased risk of all-cause death (hazard ratio (HR): 2.64, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.28-5.34, p = 0.008) and 3P-MACE (HR: 2.51, 95% CI: 1.12-5.46, p = 0.02). Moreover, the predictive performance of inactive SDF-1α was higher than that of total SDF-1α (C-statistics of inactive and total SDF-1α for all-cause death: 0.631 vs 0.554, for 3P-MACE: 0.623 vs 0.524, respectively). CONCLUSION: The study results indicate that elevated levels of plasma inactive SDF-1α might be a useful indicator of poor long-term outcomes in diabetic patients following PCI. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study describes a retrospective analysis of a prospective registry database of patients who underwent PCI at Juntendo University Hospital, Tokyo, Japan (Juntendo Physicians' Alliance for Clinical Trials, J-PACT), which is publicly registered (University Medical Information Network Japan-Clinical Trials Registry, UMIN-CTR 000035587).

Impact of antiallergy agents on CPAP therapy and sleep quality with spring pollinosis in Japanese.

PURPOSE: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and nasal obstruction causes decreased adherence to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). The purpose is to evaluate the effects of antiallergic agents on CPAP adherence and sleep quality. METHODS: A longitudinal study was made of patients who use CPAP for OSA and treated with antiallergy agents for spring pollinosis. We compared the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), nasal symptoms scores (NSS), and data from CPAP before and after treatment. Then, we classified the subjects into two groups based on the baseline PSQI score: one group without a decreased sleep quality (PSQI < 6) and the other group with decreased sleep quality (PSQI ≥ 6). RESULTS: Of 28 subjects enrolled, 13 had good sleep quality and 15 had poor sleep quality. PSQI showed significant improvements after medication (p = 0.046). ESS showed no significant differences after AR medication (p = 0.565). Significant improvement was observed after the prescription of antiallergy agents in all items of NSS (sneezing, p < 0.05; rhinorrhea, p < 0.01; nasal obstruction, p < 0.01; QOL, p < 0.01). The percentage of days with CPAP use more than 4 h increased significantly after the administration of rhinitis medication (p = 0.022). In the intragroup comparisons of PSQI ≥ 6 group, PSQI decreased significantly (p < 0.05). For the NSS in intragroup comparisons of PSQI ≥ 6 group, all parameters showed significant improvement (sneezing, p = 0.016; rhinorrhea, p = 0.005; nasal obstruction, p < 0.005; QOL, p < 0.005). CONCLUSION: The use of antiallergy agents can improve CPAP adherence and sleep quality in patients with OSA on CPAP.

Low apolipoprotein A1 was associated with increased risk of cancer mortality in patients following percutaneous coronary intervention: A 10-year follow-up study.

Previous studies showed that elevated apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) predicted reduced risk of cardiovascular-related (CV) mortality in patients following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Nevertheless, as the association between ApoA1 and cancer mortality in this population has been rarely addressed, our study aimed to evaluate prognostic impact of ApoA1 on multiple types of cancer mortality after PCI. This is a retrospective analysis of a single-center prospective registry database of patients who underwent PCI between 2000 and 2018. The present study enrolled 3835 patients whose data of serum ApoA1 were available and they were divided into three groups according to the tertiles of the preprocedural level of ApoA1. The outcome measures were total, gastrointestinal, and lung cancer mortalities. The median and range of the follow-up period between the index PCI and latest follow-up were 5.9 and 0-17.8 years, respectively. Consequently, Kaplan-Meier analyses showed significantly higher rates of the cumulative incidences of total, gastrointestinal, and lung cancer mortality in the lowest ApoA1 tertile group compared to those in the highest. In contrast, there were no significant differences in all types of cancer mortality rates in the groups divided by the tertiles of HDL-C. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression analysis adjusted by cancer-related prognostic factors, such as smoking status, identified the elevated ApoA1 as an independent predictor of decreased risk of total and gastrointestinal cancer mortalities. Our study demonstrates the prognostic implication of preprocedural ApoA1 for predicting future risk of cancer mortality in patients undergoing PCI.

Differing effects of beta-blockers on long-term clinical outcomes following percutaneous coronary intervention between patients with mid-range and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine the difference in effects of beta-blockers on long-term clinical outcomes between ischemic heart disease (IHD) patients with mid-range ejection fraction (mrEF) and those with reduced ejection fraction (rEF). METHODS: Data were assessed of 3508 consecutive IHD patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) between 1997 and 2011. Among them, 316 patients with mrEF (EF = 40-49%) and 201 patients with rEF (EF < 40%) were identified. They were assigned to groups according to users and non-users of beta-blockers and effects of beta-blockers were assessed between mrEF and rEF patients, separately. The primary outcome was a composite of all-cause death and non-fatal acute coronary syndrome. RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 5.5 years in mrEF patients and 4.3 years in rEF patients. Cumulative event-free survival was significantly lower in the group with beta-blockers than in the group without beta-blockers in rEF (p = 0.003), whereas no difference was observed in mrEF (p = 0.137) between those with and without beta-blockers. In the multivariate analysis, use of beta-blockers was associated with reduction in clinical outcomes in patients with rEF (hazard ratio (HR), 0.59; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.36-0.97; p = 0.036), whereas no association was observed among those with mrEF (HR 0.74; 95% CI 0.49-1.10; p = 0.137). CONCLUSIONS: Our observational study showed that use of beta-blockers was not associated with long-term clinical outcomes in IHD patients with mrEF, whereas a significant association was observed in those with rEF.

Increased risk of cardiovascular mortality by strict glycemic control (pre-procedural HbA1c < 6.5%) in Japanese medically-treated diabetic patients following percutaneous coronary intervention: a 10-year follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: In the secondary prevention of cardiovascular (CV) disease in patients with diabetes, an optimal level of HbA1c, the most widely-used glycemic control indicator, for favorable clinical consequences still remains to be established. This study assessed the association between preprocedural HbA1c level and CV mortality in Japanese diabetic patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: This is a retrospective observational study using a single-center prospective PCI database involving consecutive 4542 patients who underwent PCI between 2000 and 2016. Patients with any antidiabetic medication including insulin at PCI were included in the analysis (n = 1328). We divided the patients into 5 and 2 groups according to HbA1c level; HbA1c: < 6.5% (n = 267), 6.5-7.0% (n = 268), 7.0-7.5% (n = 262), 7.5-8.5% (n = 287) and ≥ 8.5% (n = 244), and 7.0% > and ≤ 7.0%, respectively. The primary outcome was CV mortality including sudden death. The median follow-up duration was 6.2 years. RESULTS: In the follow-up period, CV and sudden death occurred in 81 and 23 patients, respectively. While unadjusted Kaplan-Meier analysis showed no difference in cumulative CV mortality rate between patients binarized by preprocedural HbA1c 7.0%, analysis of the 5 groups of HbA1c showed significantly higher cumulative CV death in patients with HbA1c < 6.5% compared with those with 7.0-7.5% (P = 0.042). Multivariate Cox hazard analysis revealed a U-shaped relationship between preprocedural HbA1c level and risk of CV death, and the lowest risk was in the HbA1c 7.0-7.5% group (Hazard ratio of HbA1c < 6.5% compared to 7.0-7.5%: 2.97, 95% confidence interval: 1.33-7.25, P = 0.007). Similarly, univariate analysis revealed the lowest risk of sudden death was in the HbA1c 7.0-7.5% group. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate an increased risk of CV mortality by strict glycemic control (HbA1c < 6.5%) in the secondary prevention of CV disease in Japanese patients with medically-treated diabetes. Trial registration This study reports the retrospective analysis of a prospective registry database of patients who underwent PCI at Juntendo University Hospital, Tokyo, Japan (Juntendo Physicians' Alliance for Clinical Trials, J-PACT), which is publicly registered (University Medical Information Network Japan-Clinical Trials Registry UMIN-CTR 000035587).

Impact of Lipoprotein (a) Levels on Long-Term Outcomes in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease and Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: Serum levels of lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)) could be a risk factor for adverse events in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the effect of Lp(a) on long-term outcomes in patients with left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction, possibly through the increased likelihood for development of heart failure (HF), remains to be elucidated. This study aimed to determine the prognostic impact of Lp(a) in patients with CAD and LV systolic dysfunction. Methods and Results: A total of 3,508 patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention were candidates. We analyzed 369 patients with LV systolic dysfunction (defined as LV ejection fraction <50%). They were assigned to groups according to a median level of Lp(a) (i.e., high Lp(a), ≥21.6 mg/dL, n=185; low Lp(a), <21.6 mg/dL, n=184). The primary outcome was a composite of all-cause death and readmission for acute coronary syndrome and/or HF. The median follow-up period was 5.1 years. Cumulative event-free survival was significantly worse for the group with high Lp(a) than for the group with low Lp(a) (P=0.005). In the multivariable analysis, a high Lp(a) level was an independent predictor of the primary outcomes (hazard ratio, 1.54; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-2.18; P=0.014). CONCLUSIONS: A high Lp(a) value could be associated with long-term adverse clinical outcomes among patients with CAD and LV systolic dysfunction.

Long-Term Predictive Value of High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein for Cancer Mortality in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

BACKGROUND: High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is a well known risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease and cancer. We investigated the long-term impact of hs-CRP on cancer mortality in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods and Results: This study was a retrospective analysis of 2,867 consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention for stable CAD from 2000 to 2016. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to median hs-CRP. We then evaluated the association between baseline hs-CRP and both all-cause and cancer deaths. Median hs-CRP was 0.10 mg/dL (IQR, 0.04-0.27 mg/dL). The median follow-up period was 5.8 years (IQR, 2.3-10.0 years). There were 416 deaths (14.5%), including 149 cardiovascular deaths (5.2%) and 115 (4.0%) cancer deaths. On Kaplan-Meier analysis the higher hs-CRP group had a significantly higher incidence of both all-cause and cancer death (log-rank, P<0.001 and P=0.001, respectively). On multivariable analysis higher hs-CRP was significantly associated with higher risk of cancer death (HR, 1.74; 95% CI: 1.18-2.61, P=0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated baseline hs-CRP was significantly associated with cancer mortality in patients with stable CAD. Hs-CRP measurement may be useful for the identification of subjects with an increased risk of cancer death.

Independent and Combined Effects of Serum Albumin and C-Reactive Protein on Long-Term Outcomes of Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

BACKGROUND: Both inflammation and malnutrition have been reported to be closely linked to atherosclerosis, especially in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The combined effects of serum albumin and C-reactive protein (CRP) on clinical outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were investigated.Methods and Results:A total of 2,164 all-comer patients with coronary artery disease who underwent their first PCI and had data available for preprocedural serum albumin and hs-CRP levels between 2000 and 2011 were studied. Patients were assigned to 4 groups according to their median serum albumin and CRP levels (4.1 g/dL and 0.10 mg/dL, respectively). The incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE), including all-cause death and non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), was evaluated. During a median follow-up period of 7.5 years, 331 cases of MACE (15.3%), including 270 deaths and 61 non-fatal MIs, occurred. Kaplan-Meier curves showed that the rates of MACE differed significantly among the groups (log-rank P<0.0001), even stratified by with or without CKD (both log-rank P<0.0001). After adjustment for established cardiovascular risk factors, low serum albumin with high CRP levels was associated with adverse cardiac events (hazard ratio 2.55, 95% confidence interval 1.72-3,88, P<0.0001, high albumin/low CRP group as reference). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of both low serum albumin and high CRP levels conferred a synergistic adverse effect on the risk for long-term MACE in patients undergoing PCI.

Impact of serum albumin levels on long-term outcomes in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated an association between low serum albumin levels and both coronary artery disease (CAD) and mortality. However, the long-term clinical impact of low serum albumin level in patients with CAD undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has not yet been fully investigated. We studied 2860 all-comer patients with CAD who underwent their first PCI and had data available for pre-procedural serum albumin between 2000 and 2011. Patients were assigned to tertiles based on pre-procedural albumin levels. We evaluated the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE), including all-cause death and nonfatal myocardial infarction. Mean albumin level was 4.0 ± 0.5 g/dL. Lower albumin levels were associated with older age, lower body mass index (BMI), and higher prevalences of female sex, ACS and chronic kidney disease (CKD). During the median follow-up period of 7.4 years, Kaplan-Meier curves showed ongoing divergence in rates of MACE among albumin tertiles (albumin <3.8 g/dl: 44.3% vs. 3.8-4.1 g/dl: 38.0% vs. >4.1 g/dl: 22.9%; log-rank p < 0.0001). After adjusting for established cardiovascular risk factors including age, acute coronary syndrome, BMI and CKD, serum albumin levels were significantly associated with incidence of MACE (HR 1.74 per 1-g/dl decrease, 95% CI 1.34-2.26, p < 0.0001) and all-cause mortality (HR 1.74, 95% CI 1.30-2.33, p = 0.0002). Pre-PCI low serum albumin level was associated with worse long-term outcomes, independent of traditional risk factors. Assessing albumin levels may allow risk stratification in patients with CAD undergoing PCI.

Impact of gender difference on long-term outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention for coronary artery disease in patients under statin treatment.

The incidence of adverse outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is higher in women than in men. Statins reduce the likelihood of cardiovascular events arising in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), but the impact of gender difference on long-term outcomes of PCI for CAD under statin treatment has not been established. We prospectively enrolled 3,580 consecutive patients with CAD who were treated by PCI at our institution between 2000 and 2011. Among these, 2,009 (43.9 %; male, n = 1619; female, n = 390) were under statin therapy at the time of PCI. We evaluated the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) including all-cause death and acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Age was significantly more advanced and the prevalences of hypertension and chronic kidney disease were higher among the female, than the male patients. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were significantly higher in women than in men (111.5 ± 38.9 vs. 107.5 ± 3 3.9 mg/dL, p = 0.04). During a median follow-up period of 6.3 years, MACE that occurred in 336 (16.7 %) patients included 206 (10.2 %) with all-cause death and 154 (7.7 %) with ACS. The cumulative rate of MACE tended to be higher in women than in men but the difference did not reach significance (19.7 vs. 16.0 %; p = 0.08, log-rank test). Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that being female was not associated with MACE after adjusting for age (HR 1.22; 95 % CI 0.94-1.57; p = 0.13) and other variables (HR 1.14; 95 % CI 0.86-1.49; p = 0.35). Long-term clinical outcomes were comparable between male and female patients with coronary artery disease who were administered with statins and underwent PCI even though the baseline characteristics were worse among the females.

Coronary Artery Disease and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a major risk factor of coronary artery diseases (CAD). Clinical outcomes in CAD with T2DM are poor despite improvement in medications and intervention devices. Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is superior to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in treating diabetic patients with multivessel coronary artery diseases (MVD). However, selecting a revascularization strategy should depend not only on the lesion complexity but also on the patient's background and comorbidities. In addition, comprehensive risk management with medical and non-pharmacological therapies is important, as is confirmation of whether risk managements are appropriately achieved. Recently, novel anti-diabetic drugs have been demonstrated to have effectiveness in reducing cardiovascular events, which was independent of their glucose-lowering effect. Furthermore, non-pharmacological interventions using exercise and diet during the earlier stages of abnormal glucose metabolism might be beneficial in preventing the development or progression of T2DM and reducing the incidence of cardiovascular events.

Temporal Trends in Clinical Outcome After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention 1984-2010　- Report From the Juntendo PCI Registry.

BACKGROUND: Since the introduction of PCI in 1977, it has evolved along with advances in the technology, improvement in operator technique and establishment of medical therapy. However, little is known of the improvement in clinical outcome following PCI. METHODS AND RESULTS: Data from the Juntendo PCI Registry during 1984-2010 were analyzed. The patients were divided into 3 groups according to date of index PCI: POBA era, January 1984-December 1997; BMS era, January 1998-July 2004; and DES era, August 2004-February 2010. The primary endpoint was a composite of MACE including all-cause mortality, non-fatal MI, non-fatal stroke and revascularization. A total of 3,831 patients were examined (POBA era, n=1,147; BMS era, n=1,180; DES era, n=1,504). Mean age was highest in the DES era. The prevalence of diabetes and hypertension was higher in the DES and BMS eras than in the POBA era. Unadjusted cumulative event-free survival rate for 2-year MACE was significantly different across the 3 eras. Adjusted relative risk reduction for 2-year MACE was 56% in the DES era and 34% in the BMS era, both compared with the POBA era. Age, ACS, and LVEF were associated with the incidence of MACE. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical outcome of PCI improved across the 26-year study period, despite the higher patient risk profile in the recent era.

Preprocedural High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein Predicts Long-Term Outcome of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

BACKGROUND: High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) has been used to predict the risk of adverse cardiac events in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Less is known, however, about the association between hs-CRP and long-term outcome after PCI in the Japanese population.Methods and Results:We studied 3,039 all-comer patients with CAD who underwent their first PCI and had data available for preprocedural hs-CRP at Juntendo University between 2000 and 2011. Patients were assigned to tertiles based on preprocedural hs-CRP concentration. We evaluated the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) including all-cause death, acute coronary syndrome (ACS), and target vessel revascularization (TVR). Patients with higher hs-CRP had a higher prevalence of current smoking, chronic kidney disease and ACS, and a lower prevalence of statin use. During a median follow-up period of 6.5 years, ongoing divergence in MACE with hs-CRP tertile was noted on Kaplan-Meier curves (hs-CRP <0.08 mg/L, 26.4%; 0.08-0.25 mg/L, 38.2%; >0.25 mg/L, 45.6%; log-rank P<0.001). After adjustment for established cardiovascular risk factors, hs-CRP was associated with higher incidence of MACE (hazard ratio [HR], 1.10; 95% CI: 1.04-1.16, P<0.001) and higher all-cause mortality (HR, 1.14; 95% CI: 1.06-1.22, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Preprocedural hs-CRP measurement is clinically useful for long-term risk assessment in Japanese patients with established CAD and undergoing PCI.

Long-term effect of ß-blocker in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction in patients with preserved left ventricular systolic function: a propensity analysis.

The current guidelines for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) recommended that ß-blocker should be used in patients with decreased left ventricular (LV) systolic function for long-term period. However, the effect of ß-blocker in AMI patients with preserved LV systolic function is uncertain. We sought to assess the long-term effect of ß-blocker in AMI patients with preserved LV systolic function. During the follow-up period (1997-2011), total 3508 patients were performed percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Of these patients, 424 AMI patients with preserved LV systolic function [ejection fraction (EF) > 40 %] were analyzed. Median follow-up period was 4.7 years. Then, patients were divided into two groups (ß-blocker group 197 patients and no-ß-blocker group 227 patients). However, there are substantial differences in baseline characteristics between two groups. Therefore, we calculated propensity score to match the patients in ß-blocker and no-ß-blocker groups. After post-match patients (N = 206, 103 matched pair), ß-blocker therapy significantly reduced cardiac death compared with no-ß-blocker [hazard ratio (HR) 0.40, p = 0.04], whereas ß-blocker therapy was not associated with major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and all-cause death. ß-Blocker is an effective treatment for AMI patients who underwent PCI with preserved LV systolic function.

Comparing mortality between coronary artery bypass grafting and percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stents in elderly with diabetes and multivessel coronary disease.

Coronary artery disease is a critical issue that requires physicians to consider appropriate treatment strategies, especially for elderly people who tend to have several comorbidities, including diabetes mellitus (DM) and multivessel disease (MVD). Several studies have been conducted comparing clinical outcomes between percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) in patients with DM and MVD. However, elderly people were excluded in those clinical studies. Therefore, there are no comparisons of clinical outcomes between CABG and PCI in elderly patients with DM and MVD. We compared all-cause mortality between PCI with drug-eluting stents (DES) and CABG in elderly patients with DM and MVD. A total of 483 (PCI; n = 256, CABG; n = 227) patients were analyzed. The median follow-up period was 1356 days (interquartile range of 810-1884). The all-cause mortality rate was not significantly different between CABG and PCI with DES groups. The CABG group had more patients with complex coronary lesions such as three-vessel disease or a left main trunk lesion. Older age, hemodialysis, and reduced LVEF were associated with increased long-term all-cause mortality in a multivariable Cox regression analysis. The rate of all-cause mortality was not significantly different between the PCI and CABG groups in elderly patients with DM and MVD in a single-center study.

Comparison of Clinical and Angiographic Outcomes After Bare Metal Stents and Drug-Eluting Stents Following Rotational Atherectomy.

Few studies have investigated the clinical outcomes of rotational atherectomy (RA) prior to and during the drugeluting stent (DES) era. The goal of this study was to assess the long-term outcome after RA followed by DES and bare metal stent (BMS) implantation in complex calcified coronary lesions and to compare the outcomes among various DESs.This was a single center retrospective observational study. Consecutive 406 patients who underwent elective RA followed by BMS or DES implantation at our institution from 2001 to 2011 were included. This study compared the long-term outcomes after treatment with RA among BMS and 3 different DESs (sirolimus-eluting stent, paclitaxel-eluting stent, and everolimus-eluting stent) implantation.The mean follow-up period was 4.6 years. Patients with DES were older and exhibited more vessel disease, longer lesion length, and smaller vessel size. Patients with BMS had a significantly higher rate of target lesion revascularization, restenosis, and larger late lumen loss than those with DES. Composite events including mortality, ACS, and target vessel revascularization were significantly higher in the BMS-RA group than in the DES-RA group. After adjustment, BMS remained an independent predictor of MACE and ACS plus death in patients treated with RA. However, there were no significant differences in late lumen loss, restenosis rate, and MACE among the 3 DES.The combination of DES-RA has a favorable effect in both the angiographic and clinical outcomes compared with BMS-RA. However, no significant differences in late loss and events rates were observed among the 3 DES groups.

Comparison of long-term clinical outcomes between sirolimus- and paclitaxel-eluting stents in real-world clinical practice.

Advances in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) have improved the outcomes of patients with coronary artery diseases. The advent of drug-eluting stents (DES) has dramatically reduced the rate of revascularization. The first-generation DES has yielded the main role of PCI to the second-generation DES; however, many patients had been implanted with the first-generation DES, sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) and paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES). Therefore, it is of importance to detect the long-term clinical outcomes in patients who underwent PCI with SES or PES. We analyzed data from our PCI cohort who underwent PCI with first-generation DES at Juntendo University Hospital between August 2004 and June 2010. The index procedure was analyzed when patients underwent multiple PCIs. Patients who were implanted with both SES and PES were excluded from this study. The study ended on December 31, 2011. The primary outcome was a composite of all-cause mortality and acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The secondary outcome was the rate of target lesion revascularization (TLR) and stent thrombosis. We analyzed data from 861 consecutive patients who underwent implantation of SES or PES. The median follow-up period was 1671 days (interquartile range 1081 and 2105). Kaplan-Meier curves for the primary endpoint did not significantly differ between the two groups (p = 0.8). The incidence of stent thrombosis was 1.4 and 1.8 per 1,000 person-years in the SES and PES groups, respectively (p = 0.9). The rate of TLR was significantly lower in the SES, than the PES group (12.6 and 38.3 per 1,000 person-years, p = 0.03). The rate of TLR was lower in the group treated with SES than PES, but the primary outcome comprising all-cause mortality and ACS was comparable between the two groups.

Low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol is a residual risk factor associated with long-term clinical outcomes in diabetic patients with stable coronary artery disease who achieve optimal control of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.

Diabetes mellitus is recognized an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD) and mortality. Clinical trials have shown that statins significantly reduce cardiovascular events in diabetic patients. However, residual cardiovascular risk persists despite the achievement of target low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels with statin. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) is an established coronary risk factor that is independent of LDL-C levels. We evaluated the impact of HDL-C on long-term mortality in diabetic patients with stable CAD who achieved optimal LDL-C. We enrolled 438 consecutive diabetic patients who were scheduled for percutaneous coronary intervention between 2004 and 2007 at our institution. We identified 165 patients who achieved target LDL-C <100 mg/dl. Patients were stratified into two groups according to HDL-C levels (low HDL-C group, baseline HDL-C <40 mg/dl; high HDL-C group, ≥40 mg/dl). Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) that included all-cause death, acute coronary syndrome, and target lesion revascularization were evaluated between the two groups. The median follow-up period was 946 days. The rate of MACE was significantly higher in diabetic patients with low-HDL-C who achieved optimal LDL-C (6.9 vs 17.9 %, log-rank P = 0.030). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that HDL-C is significantly associated with clinical outcomes (adjusted hazard ratio for MACE 1.33, 95 % confidence interval 1.01-1.75, P = 0.042). Low HDL-C is a residual risk factor that is significantly associated with long-term clinical outcomes among diabetic patients with stable CAD who achieve optimal LDL-C levels.

The Correlation between the Severity of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Insulin Resistance in a Japanese Population.

Background: Repetitive episodes of apnea and hypopnea during sleep in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are known to increase the risk of atherosclerosis. Underlying obesity and related disorders, such as insulin resistance, are indirectly related to the development of atherosclerosis. In addition, OSA is independently associated with insulin resistance; however, data regarding this relationship are scarce in Japanese populations. Methods: This study aimed to examine the relationship between the severity of OSA and insulin resistance in a Japanese population. We analyzed the data of consecutive patients who were referred for polysomnography under clinical suspicion of developing OSA and who did not have diabetes mellitus or any cardiovascular disease. Multiple regression analyses were performed to determine the relationship between the severity of OSA and insulin resistance. Results: The data from a total of 483 consecutive patients were analyzed. The median apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was 40.9/h (interquartile range: 26.5, 59.1) and the median homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was 2.00 (interquartile range: 1.25, 3.50). Multiple regression analyses revealed that the AHI, the lowest oxyhemoglobin saturation (SO2), and the percentage of time spent on SO2 < 90% were independently correlated with HOMA-IR (an adjusted R-squared value of 0.01278821, p = 0.014; an adjusted R-squared value of -0.01481952, p = 0.009; and an adjusted R-squared value of 0.018456581, p = 0.003, respectively). Conclusions: The severity of OSA is associated with insulin resistance assessed by HOMA-IR in a Japanese population.