Complete or Culprit-Only PCI in Older Patients with Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND: The benefit of complete revascularization in older patients (≥75 years of age) with myocardial infarction and multivessel disease remains unclear. METHODS: In this multicenter, randomized trial, we assigned older patients with myocardial infarction and multivessel disease who were undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of the culprit lesion to receive either physiology-guided complete revascularization of nonculprit lesions or to receive no further revascularization. Functionally significant nonculprit lesions were identified either by pressure wire or angiography. The primary outcome was a composite of death, myocardial infarction, stroke, or any revascularization at 1 year. The key secondary outcome was a composite of cardiovascular death or myocardial infarction. Safety was assessed as a composite of contrast-associated acute kidney injury, stroke, or bleeding. RESULTS: A total of 1445 patients underwent randomization (720 to receive complete revascularization and 725 to receive culprit-only revascularization). The median age of the patients was 80 years (interquartile range, 77 to 84); 528 patients (36.5%) were women, and 509 (35.2%) were admitted for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. A primary-outcome event occurred in 113 patients (15.7%) in the complete-revascularization group and in 152 patients (21.0%) in the culprit-only group (hazard ratio, 0.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.57 to 0.93; P = 0.01). Cardiovascular death or myocardial infarction occurred in 64 patients (8.9%) in the complete-revascularization group and in 98 patients (13.5%) in the culprit-only group (hazard ratio, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.47 to 0.88). The safety outcome did not appear to differ between the groups (22.5% vs. 20.4%; P = 0.37). CONCLUSIONS: Among patients who were 75 years of age or older with myocardial infarction and multivessel disease, those who underwent physiology-guided complete revascularization had a lower risk of a composite of death, myocardial infarction, stroke, or ischemia-driven revascularization at 1 year than those who received culprit-lesion-only PCI. (Funded by Consorzio Futuro in Ricerca and others; FIRE ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03772743.).

Angiography-derived versus invasively-determined index of microcirculatory resistance in the assessment of coronary microcirculation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The index of microvascular resistance (IMR) is an established tool to assess the status of coronary microcirculation. However, the need for a pressure wire and hyperemic agents have limited its routine use and have led to the development of angiography-derived pressure-wire-free methods (angiography-derived IMR [IMRAngio]). In this review and meta-analysis, we aim to assess the global diagnosis accuracy of IMRAngio versus IMR. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was performed. Studies directly evaluating IMRAngio versus IMR were considered eligible. Pooled values of diagnostic test and summary receiver operator curve were calculated. RESULTS: Seven studies directly comparing IMRAngio versus IMR were included (687 patients; 807 vessels). Pooled sensitivity, specificity, +likelihood ratio (LR), and -LR were 82%, 83%, 4.5, and 0.26 respectively. Pooled accuracy was 83% while pooled positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 76% and 85%, respectively. Comparable results were obtained when analyzing by clinical scenario (acute and nonacute coronary syndromes). CONCLUSION: IMRAngio shows a good diagnostic performance for the prediction of abnormal IMR.

Complete versus culprit-only strategy in older MI patients with multivessel disease.

AIMS: The revascularization strategy to pursue in older myocardial infarction (MI) patients with multivessel disease (MVD) is currently unknown. For this reason, while waiting for the results of dedicated trials, we sought to compare a complete versus a culprit-only strategy in older MI patients by merging data from four registries. METHODS AND RESULTS: The inclusion criteria for the target population of the present study were (i) age ≥ 75 years; (ii) MI (STE or NSTE); (iii) MVD; (iv) successful treatment of culprit lesion. Propensity scores (PS) were derived using logistic regression (backward stepwise selection, p < 0.2). The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes were cardiovascular (CV) death, MI, and major bleeding. Multivariable adjustment included the PS and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW). The Kaplan-Meier plots were weighted for IPT. Among 2087 patients included, 1362 (65%) received culprit-only treatment whereas 725 (35%) complete revascularization. The mean age was 81.5 years, while the mean follow-up was 419 ± 284 days. Seventy-four patients (10%) died in the complete group and 223 in the culprit-only one (16%). The adjusted cumulative 1-year mortality was 9.7% in the complete and 12.9% in the culprit-only group (adjusted HR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.50-0.89). Complete revascularization was associated with lower incidence of CV death (adjusted HR: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.48-0.95) and MI (adjusted HR 0.67, 95% CI: 0.48-0.95). CONCLUSIONS: Culprit-only is the default strategy in older MI patients with MVD. In our analysis, complete revascularization was associated with lower all-cause and CV mortality and with a lower MI rate.

Shedding Light on Treatment Options for Coronary Vasomotor Disorders: A Systematic Review.

PURPOSE: Coronary vasomotor dysfunction embraces two specific clinical entities: coronary (micro)vascular spasm and microvascular dysfunction. The clinical manifestations of these entities are respectively called vasospastic angina (VSA) and microvascular angina (MVA). Over the years, these diseases have become more and more prominent and several studies aimed to investigate the best diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Patients with coronary vasomotor disorders are often undertreated due to the absence of evidence-based guidelines. The purpose of this overview is to illustrate the various therapeutic options available for the optimized management of these patients. METHODS: A Medline search of full-text articles published in English from 1980 to April 2022 was performed. The main analyzed aspects of vasomotor disorders were treatment options. We also performed research on "Clinicaltrial.gov" for ongoing trials. CONCLUSION: Coronary (micro)vascular spasm and microvascular dysfunction are clinical entities characterized by high prevalence and clinical representation. Several therapeutic strategies, both innovative and established, are available to optimize treatment and improve the quality of life of these patients.

Angio-Based Fractional Flow Reserve, Functional Pattern of Coronary Artery Disease, and Prediction of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Result: a Proof-of-Concept Study.

PURPOSE: Wire-based coronary physiology pullback performed before percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) discriminates coronary artery disease (CAD) distribution and extent, and is able to predict functional PCI result. No research investigated if quantitative flow ratio (QFR)-based physiology assessment is able to provide similar information. METHODS: In 111 patients (120 vessels) treated with PCI, QFR was measured both before and after PCI. Pre-PCI QFR trace was used to discriminate functional patterns of CAD (focal, serial lesions, diffuse disease, combination). Functional CAD patterns were identified analyzing changes in the QFR virtual pullback trace (qualitative method) or after computation of the QFR virtual pullback index (QVPindex) (quantitative method). QVPindex calculation was based on the maximal QFR drop over 20 mm and the length of epicardial coronary segment with QFR most relevant drop. Then, the ability of the different functional patterns of CAD to predict post-PCI QFR value was tested. RESULTS: By qualitative method, 51 (43%), 20 (17%), 15 (12%), and 34 (28%) vessels were classified as focal, serial focal lesions, diffuse disease, and combination, respectively. QVPindex values >0.71 and ≤0.51 predicted focal and diffuse patterns, respectively. Suboptimal PCI result (post-PCI QFR value ≤0.89) was present in 22 (18%) vessels. Its occurrence differed across functional patterns of CAD (focal 8% vs. serial lesions 15% vs. diffuse disease 33% vs. combination 29%, p=0.03). Similarly, QVPindex was correlated with post-PCI QFR value (r=0.62, 95% CI 0.50-0.72). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that functional patterns of CAD based on pre-PCI QFR trace can predict the functional outcome after PCI. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov , number NCT02811796. Date of registration: June 23, 2016.

Myocardial bridge evaluation towards personalized medicine: study design and preliminary results of the RIALTO registry.

Myocardial bridge (MB) is the most frequent inborn coronary artery variant in which a portion of the myocardium overlies an epicardial coronary artery segment. Although MB has long been considered a benign entity, a growing body of evidence has suggested its association with angina and adverse cardiac events. However, to date, no data on long-term prognosis are available, nor on therapies improving cardiovascular outcomes. We are currently conducting an ambispective, observational, multicentre, study in which we enrol patients with a clinical indication to undergo coronary angiography (CA) and evidence of MB, aiming to describe the incidence of symptoms and cardiovascular events at baseline and at long-term follow-up (FUP). The role of invasive full-physiology assessment in modifying the discharge therapy and eventually the perceived quality of life and the incidence of major cardiovascular events will be analysed. Basal clinical-instrumental data of eligible and consenting patients have been acquired after CA; FUP was performed 6, 12, and 24 months after the angiographic diagnosis of MB. The primary endpoint of the study is the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as the composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, cardiac hospitalization, and target vessel revascularization; the secondary endpoints are the rate of patients with Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) summary score <70 and the incidence of MACE in patients undergoing invasive intracoronary assessment. Among patients undergone FUP visits, we recorded 31 MACE at 6 months (11.6%), 16 MACE at 12 months (6.5%), and 26 MACE at 24 months (13.5%). The rate of patients with SAQ <70 is 18.8% at 6 months, 20.6% at 12 months, and 21.8% at 24 months. To evaluate the prognostic role of invasive intracoronary assessment, we compared MB patients who underwent only angiographic evaluation (Angio group) to those who underwent acetylcholine (ACH) provocative test with indication to calcium-channel blockers (CCBs) at discharge (Angio + ACH + CCBs group) and those who underwent functional assessment with fractional flow reserve (FFR) with indication to beta-blockers (BBs) at discharge (Angio + FFR + BBs group). After 2 years of FUP, the rate of MACE was significantly reduced in both Angio + ACH + CCBs group (6 vs. 25%, P = 0.029) and Angio + FFR + BBs group (3 vs. 25%, P = 0.005) compared with Angio group. The preliminary results of our study showed that MB may be a cause of angina and adverse cardiac events in patients referred to CA for suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). Full-physiology assessment unmasking MB-related ischaemia mechanisms, allowed to guide the treatment, personalizing the clinical management, improving the quality of life, and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with MB.

Cangrelor, Tirofiban, and Chewed or Standard Prasugrel Regimens in Patients With ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction: Primary Results of the FABOLUS-FASTER Trial.

BACKGROUND: Standard administration of newer oral P2Y12 inhibitors, including prasugrel or ticagrelor, provides suboptimal early inhibition of platelet aggregation (IPA) in patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention. We aimed to investigate the effects of cangrelor, tirofiban, and prasugrel, administered as chewed or integral loading dose, on IPA in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention. METHODS: The FABOLUS-FASTER trial (Facilitation Through Aggrastat or Cangrelor Bolus and Infusion Over Prasugrel: A Multicenter Randomized Open-Label Trial in Patients with ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Referred for Primary Percutaneous Intervention) is an investigator-initiated, multicenter, open-label, randomized study. A total of 122 P2Y12-naive patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction were randomly allocated (1:1:1) to cangrelor (n=40), tirofiban (n=40) (both administered as bolus and 2-hour infusion followed by 60 mg of prasugrel), or 60-mg loading dose of prasugrel (n=42). The latter group underwent an immediate 1:1 subrandomization to chewed (n=21) or integral (n=21) tablets administration. The trial was powered to test 3 hypotheses (noninferiority of cangrelor compared with tirofiban using a noninferiority margin of 9%, superiority of both tirofiban and cangrelor compared with chewed prasugrel, and superiority of chewed prasugrel as compared with integral prasugrel, each with α=0.016 for the primary end point, which was 30-minute IPA at light transmittance aggregometry in response to 20 µmol/L adenosine diphosphate. RESULTS: At 30 minutes, cangrelor did not satisfy noninferiority compared with tirofiban, which yielded superior IPA over cangrelor (95.0±8.9 versus 34.1±22.5; P<0.001). Cangrelor or tirofiban were both superior to chewed prasugrel (IPA, 10.5±11.0; P<0.001 for both comparisons), which did not provide higher IPA over integral prasugrel (6.3±11.4; P=0.47), despite yielding higher prasugrel active metabolite concentration (ng/mL; 62.3±82.6 versus 17.1±43.5; P=0.016). CONCLUSIONS: Cangrelor provided inferior IPA compared with tirofiban; both treatments yielded greater IPA compared with chewed prasugrel, which led to higher active metabolite concentration but not greater IPA compared with integral prasugrel. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT02978040; URL: https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu; EudraCT 2017-001065-24.

Comparison of quantitative flow ratio, Pd/Pa and diastolic hyperemia-free ratio versus fractional flow reserve in non-culprit lesion of patients with non ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the correlation between quantitative flow ratio (QFR), Pd/Pa, diastolic hyperemia-free ratio (DFR) and fractional flow reserve (FFR, gold standard) in non-culprit lesion (NCL) of patients with non ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). BACKGROUND: The non-hyperemic pressure ratio (NHPR) and the angiography-based indexes have been developed to overcome the limitation of the use of the FFR. METHODS: Between January and December 2019, 184 NCL from 116 NSTEMI patients underwent physiologic assessment and were included in the study. NCLs were investigated with QFR, Pd/Pa, DFR, and FFR. Mean values of QFR, Pd/Pa, DFR and FFR were 0.85 ± 0.10, 0.92 ± 0.07, 0.93 ± 0.05 and 0.84 ± 0.07, respectively. RESULTS: DFR and FFR showed a good correlation (r = 0.76). Bland and Altman plot showed a mean difference of 0.080. DFR Diagnostic accuracy was 88%. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for DFR was 0.946 (95%CI 0.90-0.97, p = .0001). Similar findings were reported for Pd/Pa (r = 0.73; mean difference 0.095, diagnostic accuracy 84%, AUC 0.909 [95%CI 0.85-0.94, p = .0001]) and QFR (r = 0.68; mean difference 0.01; diagnostic accuracy 88%, AUC 0.964 [95% CI 0.91-0.98, p = .0001]). FFR, QFR, Pd/Pa and DFR identified 31%, 32%, 30% and 32% potentially flow-limiting lesions, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In NSTEMI patients, QFR, Pd/Pa and DFR showed equivalence as compared to gold standard FFR in the discrimination of non-culprit lesions requiring revascularization.

Complete revascularization reduces cardiovascular death in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and multivessel disease: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

AIMS: The aim of this work was to investigate the prognostic impact of revascularization of non-culprit lesions in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and multivessel disease by performing a meta-analysis of available randomized clinical trials (RCTs). METHODS AND RESULTS: Data from six RCTs comparing complete vs. culprit-only revascularization in STEMI patients with multivessel disease were analysed with random effect generic inverse variance method meta-analysis. The endpoints were expressed as hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). The primary outcome was cardiovascular death. Main secondary outcomes of interest were all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), and repeated coronary revascularization. Overall, 6528 patients were included (3139 complete group, 3389 culprit-only group). After a follow-up ranging between 1 and 3 years (median 2 years), cardiovascular death was significantly reduced in the group receiving complete revascularization (HR 0.62, 95% CI 0.39-0.97, I2 = 29%). The number needed to treat to prevent one cardiovascular death was 70 (95% CI 36-150). The secondary endpoints MI and revascularization were also significantly reduced (HR 0.68, 95% CI 0.55-0.84, I2 = 0% and HR 0.29, 95% CI 0.22-0.38, I2 = 36%, respectively). Needed to treats were 45 (95% CI 37-55) for MI and 8 (95% CI 5-13) for revascularization. All-cause death (HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.56-1.16, I2 = 27%) was not affected by the revascularization strategy. CONCLUSION: In a selected study population of STEMI patients with multivessel disease, a complete revascularization strategy is associated with a reduction in cardiovascular death. This reduction is concomitant with that of MI and the need of repeated revascularization.

Physiology-guided revascularization versus optimal medical therapy of nonculprit lesions in elderly patients with myocardial infarction: Rationale and design of the FIRE trial.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial infarction (MI) in elderly patients is associated with unfavorable prognosis, and it is becoming an increasingly prevalent condition. The prognosis of elderly patients is equally impaired in ST-segment elevation (STE) or non-STE (NSTE), and it is markedly worsened by the common presence of multivessel disease (MVD). Given the limited evidence available for elderly patients, it has not yet been established whether, as for younger patients, a complete revascularization strategy in MI patients with MVD should be advocated. We present the design of a dedicated study that will address this research gap. METHODS AND DESIGN: The FIRE trial is a prospective, randomized, international, multicenter, open-label study with blinded adjudicated evaluation of outcomes. Patients aged 75 years and older, with MI (either STE or NSTE), MVD at coronary artery angiography, and a clear culprit lesion will be randomized to culprit-only treatment or to physiology-guided complete revascularization. The primary end point will be the patient-oriented composite end point of all-cause death, any MI, any stroke, and any revascularization at 1 year. The key secondary end point will be the composite of cardiovascular death and MI. Quality of life and physical performance will be evaluated as well. All components of the primary and key secondary outcome will be tested also at 3 and 5 years. The sample size for the study is 1,400 patients. IMPLICATIONS: The FIRE trial will provide evidence on whether a specific revascularization strategy should be applied to elderly patients presenting MI and MVD to improve their clinical outcomes.

Angio-Based Index of Microcirculatory Resistance for the Assessment of the Coronary Resistance: A Proof of Concept Study.

BACKGROUND: The study of coronary microcirculation has gained increasing consideration and importance in cath lab. Despite the increase of evidence, its use still remains very limited. QFR is a novel angio-based approach for the evaluation of coronary stenosis. The aim of our study was to use the QFR assessment in stable patients to recreate the IMR formula and to correlate the result of the two techniques. METHODS: From June 1, 2019, to February 29, 2019, 200 patients with CCS and indication of coronary artery angiography and referred to the cath lab of the University Hospital of Ferrara (Italy) were enrolled. After baseline coronary angiogram, quantitative flow ratio, fractional flow reserve, and index of microcirculatory resistance evaluation were performed. RESULTS: Pearson correlation (r) between angio-based index of microcirculatory resistance (A-IMR) and IMR 0.32 with R 2 = 0.098, P=0.03: McNemar test showed a difference between the two tests of 6.82% with 95% CI from -12.05% to 22.89%, which is not significant (P=0.60). Bland and Altman plot showed a mean difference of 23.3 (from -26.5 to 73.1). Sensitivity, specificity, NPV, and PPV were 70%, 83.3%, 75%, and 70% for A-IMR value >44.2. The area under the ROC curve for A-IMR was 0.76 (95% CI 0.61-0.88, P=0.0003). CONCLUSION: We have validated for the first time the formula of the A-IMR, a tool for the calculation of microvascular resistance which does not require the use of pressure guides and the induction of hyperemia.

Radial versus femoral access and bivalirudin versus unfractionated heparin in invasively managed patients with acute coronary syndrome (MATRIX): final 1-year results of a multicentre, randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The Minimizing Adverse Haemorrhagic Events by Transradial Access Site and Systemic Implementation of Angiox (MATRIX) programme was designed to assess the comparative safety and effectiveness of radial versus femoral access and of bivalirudin versus unfractionated heparin with optional glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors in patients with the whole spectrum of acute coronary syndrome undergoing invasive management. Here we describe the prespecified final 1-year outcomes of the entire programme. METHODS: MATRIX was a programme of three nested, randomised, multicentre, open-label, superiority trials in patients with acute coronary syndrome in 78 hospitals in Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden. Patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction were simultaneously randomly assigned (1:1) before coronary angiography to radial or femoral access and to bivalirudin, with or without post-percutaneous coronary intervention infusion or unfractionated heparin (one-step inclusion). Patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome were randomly assigned (1:1) before coronary angiography to radial or femoral access and, only if deemed eligible to percutaneous coronary intervention after angiography (two-step inclusion), entered the antithrombin type and treatment duration programmes. Randomisation sequences were computer generated, blocked, and stratified by intended new or current use of P2Y12 inhibitor (clopidogrel vs ticagrelor or prasugrel), and acute coronary syndrome type (ST-elevation myocardial infarction, troponin-positive, or troponin-negative non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome). Bivalirudin was given as a bolus of 0·75 mg/kg, followed immediately by an infusion of 1·75 mg/kg per h until completion of percutaneous coronary intervention. Heparin was given at 70-100 units per kg in patients not receiving glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors, and at 50-70 units per kg in patients receiving glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors. Clinical follow-up was done at 30 days and 1 year. Co-primary outcomes for MATRIX access and MATRIX antithrombin type were major adverse cardiovascular events, defined as the composite of all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, or stroke up to 30 days; and net adverse clinical events, defined as the composite of non-coronary artery bypass graft-related major bleeding, or major adverse cardiovascular events up to 30 days. The primary outcome for MATRIX treatment duration was the composite of urgent target vessel revascularisation, definite stent thrombosis, or net adverse clinical events up to 30 days. Analyses were done according to the intention-to-treat principle. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01433627. FINDINGS: Between Oct 11, 2011, and Nov 7, 2014, we randomly assigned 8404 patients to receive radial (4197 patients) or femoral (4207 patients) access. Of these 8404 patients, 7213 were included in the MATRIX antithrombin type study and were randomly assigned to bivalirudin (3610 patients) or heparin (3603 patients). Patients assigned to bivalirudin were included in the MATRIX treatment duration study, and were randomly assigned to post-procedure infusion (1799 patients) or no post-procedure infusion (1811 patients). At 1 year, major adverse cardiovascular events did not differ between patients assigned to radial access compared with those assigned to femoral access (14·2% vs 15·7%; rate ratio 0·89, 95% CI 0·80-1·00; p=0·0526), but net adverse clinical events were fewer with radial than with femoral access (15·2% vs 17·2%; 0·87, 0·78-0·97; p=0·0128). Compared with heparin, bivalirudin was not associated with fewer major adverse cardiovascular (15·8% vs 16·8%; 0·94, 0·83-1·05; p=0·28) or net adverse clinical events (17·0% vs 18·4%; 0·91, 0·81-1·02; p=0·10). The composite of urgent target vessel revascularisation, stent thrombosis, or net adverse clinical events did not differ with or without post-procedure bivalirudin infusion (17·4% vs 17·4%; 0·99, 0·84-1·16; p=0·90). INTERPRETATION: In patients with acute coronary syndrome, radial access was associated with lower rates of net adverse clinical events compared with femoral access, but not major adverse cardiovascular events at 1 year. Bivalirudin with or without post-procedure infusion was not associated with lower rates of major adverse cardiovascular events or net adverse clinical events. Radial access should become the default approach in acute coronary syndrome patients undergoing invasive management. FUNDING: Italian Society of Invasive Cardiology, The Medicines Company, Terumo, amd Canada Research Chairs Programme.

Bleeding Risk Scores and Scales of Frailty for the Prediction of Haemorrhagic Events in Older Adults with Acute Coronary Syndrome: Insights from the FRASER study.

PURPOSE: Hitherto, no study has yielded important information on whether the scales of frailty may improve the ability to discriminate the risk of haemorrhages in older adults admitted to hospital for acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The aim of this study is to investigate whether frailty scales would predict the 1-year occurrence of haemorrhagic events and if they confer a significant incremental prognostic value over the bleeding risk scores. METHODS: The present study involved 346 ACS patients aged ≥ 70 years enrolled in the FRASER study. Seven different scales of frailty and PARIS, PRECISE-DAPT and BleeMACS bleeding risk scores were available for each patient. The outcomes were the 1-year BARC 3-5 and 2 bleeding events. RESULTS: Adherence to antiplatelet treatment at 1, 6 and 12 months was 98%, 87% and 78%, respectively. At 1-year, 14 (4%) and 30 (9%) patients presented BARC 3-5 and 2 bleedings, respectively. Bleeding risk scores and four scales of frailty (namely Short Physical Performance Battery, Columbia, Edmonton and Clinical Frailty Scale) significantly discriminated the occurrence of BARC 3-5 events. The addition of the scales of frailty to bleeding risk scores did not lead to a significant improvement in the ability to predict BARC 3-5 bleedings. Neither the bleeding risk scores nor the scales of frailty predicted BARC 2 bleedings. CONCLUSIONS: Both the bleeding risk scores and the scales of frailty predicted BARC 3-5 haemorrhages. However, integrating the scales of frailty with the bleeding risk scores did not improve their discriminative ability. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: www.clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02386124.

Angina and left ventricular dysfunction: can we 'reduce' it?

Despite the evolution in pharmacology and devices, recurrent and persistent angina still represent a frequent issue in clinical practice. A 69-year-old Caucasian female patient has history of surgical aortic valve replacement with a bioprosthesis for severe aortic stenosis with subsequent transcatheter valve-in-valve implantation for bioprosthesis degeneration and single coronary artery bypass graft with left internal mammary artery on left anterior descending (LAD). After transcatheter aortic valve implantation, she started to complain angina [Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) Class III], effectively treated with bisoprolol uptitration and ivabradine 5 b.i.d. addition. After 6 months, she had a non-ST segment elevated myocardial infarction with evidence of left main occlusion and good functioning aortic bioprosthesis. A retrograde drug-eluting balloon percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on LAD (in-stent restenosis) was performed. However, the patient continued to complain angina (CCS Class II-III), even after further ivabradine increase to 7.5 mg b.i.d. After 4 months, the patient underwent Reducer implantation. After 2 months, angina started to improve and the patient is currently angina free. In the last decades, PCI materials and stents greatly improved. Medical therapy (such as ß-blockers) has been shown not only to improve symptoms but also to add a prognostic benefit in patients with reduced ejection fraction (EF). Ivabradine showed additional benefits in patients with angina and reduced EF. However, still a relevant portion of patients complain refractory angina. The COSIRA trial showed that a coronary sinus Reducer was associated with greater angina relief than the sham procedure and could be a further step in angina treatment.

Determinants of radiation dose during right transradial access: Insights from the RAD-MATRIX study.

BACKGROUND: The RAD-MATRIX trial reported a large operator radiation exposure variability in right radial percutaneous coronary procedures. The reasons of these differences are not well understood. Our aim was to appraise the determinants of operator radiation exposure during coronary right transradial procedures. METHODS: Patient arrangement during transradial intervention was investigated across operators involved in the RAD-MATRIX trial. Operator radiation exposure was analyzed according to the position of the patient right arm (close or far from the body) and in relation to the size of the upper leaded glass. RESULTS: Among the 14 operators who agreed to participate, there was a greater than 10-fold difference in radiation dose at thorax level (from 21.5 to 267 µSv) that persisted after normalization by dose-area product (from 0.35 to 3.5 µSv/Gy*cm2). Among the operators who positioned the instrumented right arm far from the body (110.4 µSv, interquartile range 71.5-146.5 µSv), thorax dose was greater than that in those who placed the instrumented arm close to the right leg (46.1 µSv, 31.3-56.8 µSv, P = .02). This difference persisted after normalization by dose-area product (P = .028). The use of a smaller full glass shield was also associated with a higher radiation exposure compared with a larger composite shield (147.5 and 60 µSv, respectively, P = .016). CONCLUSIONS: In the context of the biggest radiation study conducted in patients undergoing transradial catheterization, the instrumented right arm arrangement close to the leg and greater upper leaded shield dimensions were associated with a lower operator radiation exposure. Our findings emphasize the importance of implementing simple preventive measures to mitigate the extra risks of radiation exposure with right radial as compared with femoral access.

Comparison of Verapamil versus Heparin as Adjunctive Treatment for Transradial Coronary Procedures: The VERMUT Study.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to demonstrate that the combination of a local vasodilator (verapamil), modern materials, patent hemostasis, and intravenous anticoagulant only in the case of percutaneous coronary intervention, as compared to default heparin administration after sheath insertion, may optimize a combined endpoint, including radial artery oc-clusion (RAO), radial artery spasm (RAS), and access site complication. METHODS: This is a prospective, single-center, double-blind randomized trial. Overall, 418 patients undergoing a transradial approach (TRA) for coronary procedures were randomized 1: 1 to receive intraradial verapamil (5 mg) or heparin (5,000 IU) after a 6-Fr sheath insertion. The primary outcome was the 24-h occurrence of RAO (ultrasound confirmation), access site complication, and RAS requiring the bailout administration of vasodilators. RESULTS: The combined primary outcome occurred in 127 (30%) patients. It was significantly lower in patients randomized to verapamil as compared to others (26 vs. 35%, p = 0.03). This was mainly due to a significant reduction in RAS (3 vs. 10%, p = 0.006). The 24-h and 30-day occurrence of RAO did not differ between the study groups. CONCLUSION: Local administration of verapamil versus heparin reduces RAS, without increasing RAO, which appears to be strictly related to radial artery diameter and hemostasis time.

Fractional Flow Reserve Evaluation and Chronic Kidney Disease: Analysis From a Multicenter Italian Registry (the FREAK Study).

OBJECTIVES: To establish if the presence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) influences fractional flow reserve (FFR) value in patients with intermediate coronary stenosis. BACKGROUND: FFR-guided coronary revascularization reduces cardiac adverse events in patients with coronary artery disease. CKD impairs microcirculation and increases cardiovascular risk. Whether CKD presence may limit FFR accuracy is unknown. METHODS: We used data from a multicenter prospective registry enrolling 1.004 patients undergoing FFR evaluation for intermediate stenosis. We assessed the relationship between clinical and angiographic variables and FFR measurement. CKD was defined as CrCl value ≤45 ml/min. FFR value was considered potentially flow-limiting, and therefore positive, if ≤0.80. The index of microcirculatory resistance (IMR) was calculated in 20 patients stratified according CrCl value (single-center substudy). RESULTS: FFR measurement was positive in 395 (39%) patients. Overall, 131 (13%) patients had CKD. Patients with CrCl ≤45 ml/min showed significantly higher FFR values as compared to the others (0.84 ± 0.07 vs. 0.81 ± 0.08, p < 0.001). Positive FFR occurrence was lower in patients with CrCl ≤45 ml/min (27% vs. 41%, p < 0.01). After multivariable analysis, diabetes (HR 1.07, 95%CI 1.008-1.13, p = 0.03), left anterior descending (HR 1.35, 95%CI 1.27-1.43, p < 0.001) and CrCl ≤45 ml/min (HR 0.92, 95%CI 0.87-0.97, p = 0.005) emerged as independent predictors of FFR measurement. Accordingly, IMR values were higher in patients with CrCl ≤45 ml/min (32 U [28245] vs. 16 U [11220], p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: FFR and IMR measurements differ between CKD patients and those with normal renal function. Flow-limiting FFR is less frequent in patients with CrCl ≤45 ml/min. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Prospective Identification of Stent Fracture by Enhanced Stent Visualization System During Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

BACKGROUND: No study has evaluated the clinical consequences of stent fracture (SF) detected during the index percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Thus, we sought to investigate the relationship between SF detected during PCI and clinical outcome.Methods and Results:We consecutively enrolled 832 patients with SF-predisposing factors undergoing 2nd-generation drug-eluting stent implantation and enhanced stent visualization (ESV) system evaluation to detect SF at index PCI. The primary endpoint was a 9-month device-oriented endpoint (DOCE, including cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction, and target lesion revascularization). We observed 136 SF in 115 patients (14% of study population). SF I-II was present in 78 patients (68% of patients with SF), and SF III-IV occurred in 37 patients (32%). DOCE at 9 months occurred in 135 patients (16% of the overall population). There was a significant difference in DOCE occurrence between the 3 groups (P=0.006 at log-rank), driven by the SF III-IV group (P=0.001 vs. no SF group, and P=0.01 vs. SF I-II group). In 23 cases of SF III-IV (62%) a further stent was implanted. DOCE occurrence was significantly higher in patients with "untreated" type III-IV SF as compared with the "treated" ones (9% vs. 79%, P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The ESV system is helpful in detecting SF during the index PCI. Type III-IV SFs are associated with a higher incidence of DOCE.

Occurrence, causes, and outcome after switching from ticagrelor to clopidogrel in a real-life scenario: data from a prospective registry.

In randomized clinical trials, ticagrelor has been substituted in roughly one-third of the patients during follow-up. To date, there are no studies addressing safety and modalities of switching from ticagrelor to clopidogrel. The aim of our study is to describe the occurrence, causes, and outcome of the switch from ticagrelor to clopidogrel in a real-life scenario. From June 2013 to March 2015, 586 patients were treated with ticagrelor in our centre. Overall, 101 (17%) patients were switched to clopidogrel through a standardized protocol, and they were followed-up for 12 months. Ischemic and bleeding events were prospectively recorded. The switch from ticagrelor to clopidogrel occurred mostly after discharge (69 ± 40 days), and the most frequent cause was the need of oral anticoagulation treatment, followed by bleeding events. Patients requiring ticagrelor discontinuation were older, more frequently female, with lower body mass index and creatinine clearance if compared to the "non-switched" group. In the 10 days after the switch, we did not observe ischemic adverse events. No definite/probable stent thrombosis was recorded. Before the switch, there was a significant higher occurrence of BARC bleedings in the "switched" group, particularly BARC 1 and 2. Our data confirm that the switch from ticagrelor to clopidogrel is common, and it occurs for several reasons. Our analysis did not demonstrate a significant increase in adverse cardiovascular events in the days following the switch from ticagrelor to clopidogrel, although larger studies are needed to validate our findings.