Effect of Alirocumab Added to High-Intensity Statin Therapy on Coronary Atherosclerosis in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction: The PACMAN-AMI Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Coronary plaques that are prone to rupture and cause adverse cardiac events are characterized by large plaque burden, large lipid content, and thin fibrous caps. Statins can halt the progression of coronary atherosclerosis; however, the effect of the proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9 inhibitor alirocumab added to statin therapy on plaque burden and composition remains largely unknown. Objective: To determine the effects of alirocumab on coronary atherosclerosis using serial multimodality intracoronary imaging in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Design, Setting, and Participants: The PACMAN-AMI double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial (enrollment: May 9, 2017, through October 7, 2020; final follow-up: October 13, 2021) enrolled 300 patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention for acute myocardial infarction at 9 academic European hospitals. Interventions: Patients were randomized to receive biweekly subcutaneous alirocumab (150 mg; n = 148) or placebo (n = 152), initiated less than 24 hours after urgent percutaneous coronary intervention of the culprit lesion, for 52 weeks in addition to high-intensity statin therapy (rosuvastatin, 20 mg). Main Outcomes and Measures: Intravascular ultrasonography (IVUS), near-infrared spectroscopy, and optical coherence tomography were serially performed in the 2 non-infarct-related coronary arteries at baseline and after 52 weeks. The primary efficacy end point was the change in IVUS-derived percent atheroma volume from baseline to week 52. Two powered secondary end points were changes in near-infrared spectroscopy-derived maximum lipid core burden index within 4 mm (higher values indicating greater lipid content) and optical coherence tomography-derived minimal fibrous cap thickness (smaller values indicating thin-capped, vulnerable plaques) from baseline to week 52. Results: Among 300 randomized patients (mean [SD] age, 58.5 [9.7] years; 56 [18.7%] women; mean [SD] low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, 152.4 [33.8] mg/dL), 265 (88.3%) underwent serial IVUS imaging in 537 arteries. At 52 weeks, mean change in percent atheroma volume was -2.13% with alirocumab vs -0.92% with placebo (difference, -1.21% [95% CI, -1.78% to -0.65%], P < .001). Mean change in maximum lipid core burden index within 4 mm was -79.42 with alirocumab vs -37.60 with placebo (difference, -41.24 [95% CI, -70.71 to -11.77]; P = .006). Mean change in minimal fibrous cap thickness was 62.67 µm with alirocumab vs 33.19 µm with placebo (difference, 29.65 µm [95% CI, 11.75-47.55]; P = .001). Adverse events occurred in 70.7% of patients treated with alirocumab vs 72.8% of patients receiving placebo. Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients with acute myocardial infarction, the addition of subcutaneous biweekly alirocumab, compared with placebo, to high-intensity statin therapy resulted in significantly greater coronary plaque regression in non-infarct-related arteries after 52 weeks. Further research is needed to understand whether alirocumab improves clinical outcomes in this population. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03067844.

Effects of the PCSK9 antibody alirocumab on coronary atherosclerosis in patients with acute myocardial infarction: a serial, multivessel, intravascular ultrasound, near-infrared spectroscopy and optical coherence tomography imaging study-Rationale and design of the PACMAN-AMI trial.

BACKGROUND: The risk for cardiovascular adverse events after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains high despite potent medical treatment including low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) lowering with statins. Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) antibodies substantially reduce LDL-C when added to statin. Alirocumab, a monoclonal antibody to PCSK9, reduces major adverse cardiovascular events after AMI. The effects of alirocumab on coronary atherosclerosis including plaque burden, plaque composition and fibrous cap thickness in patients presenting with AMI remains unknown. AIMS: To determine the effect of LDL-C lowering with alirocumab on top of high-intensity statin therapy on intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-derived percent atheroma volume (PAV), near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)-derived maximum lipid core burden index within 4 mm (maxLCBI4 mm) and optical coherence tomography (OCT)-derived fibrous cap thickness (FCT) in patients with AMI. METHODS: In this multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 300 patients with AMI (ST-elevation or non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction) were randomly assigned to receive either biweekly subcutaneous alirocumab (150 mg) or placebo beginning <24 hours after the acute event as add-on therapy to rosuvastatin 20 mg. Patients undergo serial IVUS, NIRS and OCT in the two non-infarct related arteries at baseline (at the time of treatment of the culprit lesion) and at 52 weeks. The primary endpoint, change in IVUS-derived PAV, and the powered secondary endpoints, change in NIRS-derived maxLCBI4 mm, and OCT-derived minimal FCT, will be assessed 52 weeks post randomization. SUMMARY: The PACMAN-AMI trial will determine the effect of alirocumab on top of high-intensity statin therapy on high-risk coronary plaque characteristics as assessed by serial, multimodality intracoronary imaging in patients presenting with AMI. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03067844.

Effect of statins and non-statin LDL-lowering medications on cardiovascular outcomes in secondary prevention: a meta-analysis of randomized trials.

Aims: Current evidence on dyslipidaemia management has expanded to novel treatments and very low achieved levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). We sought to compare the clinical impact of more-intensive vs. less-intensive LDL-C lowering by means of statins and currently recommended non-statin medications in secondary prevention. Methods and results: We searched Medline, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases for randomized controlled trials of statins, ezetimibe, proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors, or bile acid sequestrants with >500 patients followed for ≥1 year. We employed random-effects models using risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to compare outcomes. We included 19 trials (15 of statins, 3 of PCSK9 inhibitors, and 1 of ezetimibe) with 152 507 patients randomly assigned to more-intensive (n = 76 678) or less-intensive treatment (n = 75 829). More-intensive treatment was associated with 19% relative risk reduction for the primary outcome, major vascular events (MVEs; RR 0.81, 95% CI 0.77-0.86). Risk reduction was greater across higher baseline levels and greater achieved reductions of LDL-C. The clinical benefit was significant across varying types of more-intensive treatment and was consistent for statins (RR 0.81, 95% CI 0.76-0.86) and non-statin agents (PCSK9 inhibitors and ezetimibe; RR 0.85, 95% CI 0.77-0.94) as active (more-intensive) intervention (P-interaction = 0.38). Each 1.0 mmol/L reduction in LDL-C was associated with 19% relative decrease in MVE. Death, cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and coronary revascularization also favoured more-intensive treatment. Conclusion: Reduction of MVE is proportional to the magnitude of LDL-C lowering across a broad spectrum of on-treatment levels in secondary prevention. Statin intensification and add-on treatment with PCSK9 inhibitors or ezetimibe are associated with significant reduction of cardiovascular morbidity in this very high-risk population.

Clinical use of intracoronary imaging. Part 1: guidance and optimization of coronary interventions. An expert consensus document of the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions.

This Consensus Document is the first of two reports summarizing the views of an expert panel organized by the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI) on the clinical use of intracoronary imaging including intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT). The first document appraises the role of intracoronary imaging to guide percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) in clinical practice. Current evidence regarding the impact of intracoronary imaging guidance on cardiovascular outcomes is summarized, and patients or lesions most likely to derive clinical benefit from an imaging-guided intervention are identified. The relevance of the use of IVUS or OCT prior to PCI for optimizing stent sizing (stent length and diameter) and planning the procedural strategy is discussed. Regarding post-implantation imaging, the consensus group recommends key parameters that characterize an optimal PCI result and provides cut-offs to guide corrective measures and optimize the stenting result. Moreover, routine performance of intracoronary imaging in patients with stent failure (restenosis or stent thrombosis) is recommended. Finally, strengths and limitations of IVUS and OCT for guiding PCI and assessing stent failures and areas that warrant further research are critically discussed.

Current Use of Intracoronary Imaging in Interventional Practice　- Results of a European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI) and Japanese Association of Cardiovascular Interventions and Therapeutics (CVIT) Clinical Practice Survey.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the views of the cardiology community on the clinical use of coronary intravascular imaging (IVI).Methods and Results:A web-based survey was distributed to 31,893 individuals, with 1,105 responses received (3.5% response rate); 1,010 of 1,097 respondents (92.1%) self-reported as interventional cardiologists, 754 (68.7%) with >10 years experience. Overall, 96.1% had personal experience with IVI (95.5% with intravascular ultrasound [IVUS], 69.8% with optical coherence tomography [OCT], and 7.9% with near-infrared spectroscopy); 34.7% of respondents were from Europe and 52.0% were from Asia (45.4% from Japan). The most commonly reported indications for IVI were optimization of stenting (88.5%), procedural/strategy guidance (79.6%), and guidance of left main interventions (77.0%). Most respondents reported perceived equipoise regarding choice between IVUS and OCT for guidance of coronary intervention. High cost (65.9%) and prolongation of the procedure (35.0%) were the most commonly reported factors limiting use. IVI was used more frequently (>15% of cases guided by IVI) in Japan than Europe (96.6% vs. 10.4%, respectively; P<0.001) and by operators with longer interventional experience. CONCLUSIONS: In a sample of predominantly experienced interventional cardiologists, there was a high rate of personal experience with IVI in clinical practice. The most commonly identified indications for IVI were optimization of stenting, procedural/strategy guidance, and guidance of left main interventions. Variability in practice patterns is substantial according to geographic region and interventional experience.

Mechanisms of Very Late Drug-Eluting Stent Thrombosis Assessed by Optical Coherence Tomography.

BACKGROUND: The pathomechanisms underlying very late stent thrombosis (VLST) after implantation of drug-eluting stents (DES) are incompletely understood. Using optical coherence tomography, we investigated potential causes of this adverse event. METHODS AND RESULTS: Between August 2010 and December 2014, 64 patients were investigated at the time point of VLST as part of an international optical coherence tomography registry. Optical coherence tomography pullbacks were performed after restoration of flow and analyzed at 0.4 mm. A total of 38 early- and 20 newer-generation drug-eluting stents were suitable for analysis. VLST occurred at a median of 4.7 years (interquartile range, 3.1-7.5 years). An underlying putative cause by optical coherence tomography was identified in 98% of cases. The most frequent findings were strut malapposition (34.5%), neoatherosclerosis (27.6%), uncovered struts (12.1%), and stent underexpansion (6.9%). Uncovered and malapposed struts were more frequent in thrombosed compared with nonthrombosed regions (ratio of percentages, 8.26; 95% confidence interval, 6.82-10.04; P<0.001 and 13.03; 95% confidence interval, 10.13-16.93; P<0.001, respectively). The maximal length of malapposed or uncovered struts (3.40 mm; 95% confidence interval, 2.55-4.25; versus 1.29 mm; 95% confidence interval, 0.81-1.77; P<0.001), but not the maximal or average axial malapposition distance, was greater in thrombosed compared with nonthrombosed segments. The associations of both uncovered and malapposed struts with thrombus were consistent among early- and newer-generation drug-eluting stents. CONCLUSIONS: The leading associated findings in VLST patients in descending order were malapposition, neoatherosclerosis, uncovered struts, and stent underexpansion without differences between patients treated with early- and new-generation drug-eluting stents. The longitudinal extension of malapposed and uncovered stent was the most important correlate of thrombus formation in VLST.

Intracoronary imaging of coronary atherosclerosis: validation for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment.

While coronary atherosclerosis is a leading cause of mortality, evaluation of coronary lesions was previously limited to either indirect angiographic assessment of the lumen silhouette or post mortem investigations. Intracoronary (IC) imaging modalities have been developed that allow for visualization and characterization of coronary atheroma in living patients. Used alone or in combination, these modalities have enhanced our understanding of pathobiological mechanisms of atherosclerosis, identified factors responsible for disease progression, and documented the ability of various medications to reverse the processes of plaque growth and destabilization. These methodologies have established a link between in vivo plaque characteristics and subsequent coronary events, thereby improving individual risk stratification, paving the way for risk-tailored systemic therapies and raising the option for pre-emptive interventions. Moreover, IC imaging is increasingly used during coronary interventions to support therapeutic decision-making in angiographically inconclusive disease, guide and optimize procedural results in selected lesion and patient subsets, and unravel mechanisms underlying stent failure. This review aims to summarize current evidence regarding the role of IC imaging for diagnosis and risk stratification of coronary atherosclerosis, and to describe its clinical role for guiding percutaneous coronary interventions. Future perspectives for in-depth plaque characterization using novel techniques and multimodality imaging approaches are also discussed.

Thin-capped atheromata with reduced collagen content in pigs develop in coronary arterial regions exposed to persistently low endothelial shear stress.

OBJECTIVE: The mechanisms promoting the focal formation of rupture-prone coronary plaques in vivo remain incompletely understood. This study tested the hypothesis that coronary regions exposed to low endothelial shear stress (ESS) favor subsequent development of collagen-poor, thin-capped plaques. APPROACH AND RESULTS: Coronary angiography and 3-vessel intravascular ultrasound were serially performed at 5 consecutive time points in vivo in 5 diabetic, hypercholesterolemic pigs. ESS was calculated along the course of each artery with computational fluid dynamics at all 5 time points. At follow-up, 184 arterial segments with previously identified in vivo ESS underwent histopathologic analysis. Compared with other plaque types, eccentric thin-capped atheromata developed more in segments that experienced lower ESS during their evolution. Compared with lesions with higher preceding ESS, segments persistently exposed to low ESS (<1.2 Pa) exhibited reduced intimal smooth muscle cell content; marked intimal smooth muscle cell phenotypic modulation; attenuated procollagen-I gene expression; increased gene and protein expression of the interstitial collagenases matrix-metalloproteinase-1, -8, -13, and -14; increased collagenolytic activity; reduced collagen content; and marked thinning of the fibrous cap. CONCLUSIONS: Eccentric thin-capped atheromata, lesions particularly prone to rupture, form more frequently in coronary regions exposed to low ESS throughout their evolution. By promoting an imbalance of attenuated synthesis and augmented collagen breakdown, low ESS favors the focal evolution of early lesions toward plaques with reduced collagen content and thin fibrous caps-2 critical determinants of coronary plaque vulnerability.

Ranolazine enhances the efficacy of amiodarone for conversion of recent-onset atrial fibrillation.

AIMS: Amiodarone is used commonly for pharmacological cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF), but it is limited by moderate efficacy and delayed action. Ranolazine and amiodarone are markedly synergistic in suppressing experimental AF in vitro, yet the clinical efficacy of ranolazine combined with amiodarone for AF conversion has only undergone minimal investigation. This prospective, single-blinded, randomized study compared the safety and efficacy of ranolazine added to amiodarone vs. amiodarone alone for conversion of recent-onset AF. METHODS AND RESULTS: We enroled 121 patients (64 ± 10 years, 45% male) with recent-onset (<48 h duration) AF who were eligible for pharmacological cardioversion. Patients received either 24 h amiodarone infusion (loading dose 5 mg/kg followed by maintenance dose of 50 mg/h; n = 60), or amiodarone infusion at the same dosage plus a single oral dose of ranolazine 1500 mg (n = 61). Patients in the amiodarone plus ranolazine group compared with the amiodarone-only group showed significantly higher conversion rates at 24 h (87 vs. 70%, respectively; P = 0.024) and at 12 h (52 vs. 32%; P = 0.021), and shorter time to conversion (10.2 ± 3.3 vs. 13.3 ± 4.1 h; P = 0.001). Subgroup analysis identified higher 24 h conversion in patients with left atrial (LA) diameter >46 mm who received the combination treatment vs. amiodarone alone (81 vs. 54%; P = 0.02), whereas the efficacy of the two interventions did not differ among patients with LA diameter ≤46 mm (P = 0.77). There was modest QT prolongation in both the groups, no serious adverse reactions, and no pro-arrhythmic events. CONCLUSION: Addition of ranolazine to amiodarone was safe and well tolerated in this study, and it demonstrated efficacy superior to amiodarone alone for conversion of recent-onset AF. These findings may have clinical implications by offering a simple therapeutic manoeuvre to enhance amiodarone's effectiveness for conversion of AF.

Ranolazine as a promising treatment option for atrial fibrillation: electrophysiologic mechanisms, experimental evidence, and clinical implications.

Currently available agents for pharmacologic management of atrial fibrillation (AF) are limited by their suboptimal efficacy and nonnegligible proarrhythmic risk. Ranolazine (RN) is a novel antianginal agent with increasingly appreciated antiarrhythmic properties that can suppress ventricular and supraventricular arrhythmias including AF. In this review, we describe the electrophysiological properties of RN, focusing on atrial-selective inhibition of a number of ion channels implicated in the development of AF, particularly the sodium current. We further summarize evidence from experimental studies that demonstrate a potent AF-suppressing effect of RN, alone or in combination with other antiarrhythmic drugs. Of clinical relevance, we present growing evidence from preliminary clinical investigations indicating the safety and efficacy of RN for prevention and treatment of AF in various clinical settings including prevention of AF in patients with acute coronary syndromes, prevention and conversion of postoperative AF after surgical coronary revascularization, sinus rhythm maintenance in drug-resistant recurrent AF, and facilitating of electrical or pharmacological cardioversion in cardioversion-resistant patients. While current experimental and clinical evidence points to RN as a potentially promising agent for suppression of AF, well-designed, large-scale trials will be required before RN can be considered for pharmacological treatment of AF in clinical practice.

The future of education in Preventive Cardiology. A Statement of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC) of the ESC.

In recent years, major advances in our understanding of risk factors implicated in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD), in available tools for early detection of CVD, and in effective interventions to prevent subclinical or clinically manifest disease, have led to an increasing appreciation of prevention as a major pillar of cardiovascular medicine. Preventive cardiology has evolved into a dynamic sub-specialty focused on the promotion of cardiovascular health through all stages of life, and on the management of individuals at risk of developing CVD or experiencing recurrent cardiovascular events, through interdisciplinary care in different settings. As the level of knowledge, specialized skills, experience, and committed attitudes related to cardiovascular prevention has exceeded core cardiology training, the European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC) has placed major emphasis on continuous education and training of physicians and allied professionals involved in cardiovascular prevention, with the aim of setting standards for practice and improving quality of care. The EAPC recognizes the need for comprehensive educational offer across different levels of training (from core cardiology to sub-specialty to expert training) as well as the need for interdisciplinary approaches that will promote synergies among allied professionals involved in cardiovascular prevention. This statement by the EAPC aims to highlight current gaps and unmet needs, and to describe the framework to help standardize, structure, and deliver comprehensive, up-to-date, interactive, high-quality education using a combination of traditional and novel educational tools. The document aims to form the basis for ongoing refinements of the EAPC educational offer, with the ultimate goal to ensure that new evidence in the field will translate to better cardiovascular practice and improved outcomes for our patients.

Effects of alirocumab on endothelial function and coronary atherosclerosis in myocardial infarction: A PACMAN-AMI randomized clinical trial substudy.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The effects of protein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors on endothelial function as assessed by flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are unknown. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effects of the PCSK9 inhibitor alirocumab added to high-intensity statin on FMD, and its association with coronary atherosclerosis in non-infarct related arteries using intracoronary intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), and optical coherence tomography (OCT). METHODS: This was a pre-specified substudy among patients recruited at Bern University Hospital, Switzerland, for the randomized-controlled, double-blind, PACMAN-AMI trial, which compared the effects of biweekly alirocumab 150 mg vs. placebo added to rosuvastatin. Brachial artery FMD was measured at 4 and 52 weeks, and intracoronary imaging at baseline and 52 weeks. RESULTS: 139/173 patients completed the substudy. There was no difference in FMD at 52 weeks in the alirocumab (n = 68, 5.44 ± 2.24%) versus placebo (n = 71, 5.45 ± 2.19%) group (difference = -0.21%, 95% CI -0.77 to 0.35, p = 0.47). FMD improved throughout 52 weeks in both groups similarly (p < 0.001). There was a significant association between 4 weeks FMD and baseline plaque burden (IVUS) (n = 139, slope = -1.00, p = 0.006), but not with lipid pool (NIRS) (n = 139, slope = -7.36, p = 0.32), or fibrous cap thickness (OCT) (n = 81, slope = -1.57, p = 0.62). CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with AMI, the addition of alirocumab did not result in further improvement of FMD as compared to 52 weeks secondary preventative medical therapy including high-intensity statin therapy. FMD was significantly associated with coronary plaque burden at baseline, but not with lipid pool or fibrous cap thickness.

Effect of High-Intensity Statin Therapy on Atherosclerosis (IBIS-4): Manual Versus Automated Methods of IVUS Analysis.

AIMS: Standard manual analysis of IVUS to study the impact of anti-atherosclerotic therapies on the coronary vessel wall is done by a core laboratory (CL), the ground truth (GT). Automatic segmentation of IVUS with a machine learning (ML) algorithm has the potential to replace manual readings with an unbiased and reproducible method. The aim is to determine if results from a CL can be replicated with ML methods. METHODS: This is a post-hoc, comparative analysis of the IBIS-4 (Integrated Biomarkers and Imaging Study-4) study (NCT00962416). The GT baseline and 13-month follow-up measurements of lumen and vessel area and percent atheroma volume (PAV) after statin induction were repeated by the ML algorithm. RESULTS: The primary endpoint was change in PAV. PAV as measured by GT was 43.95 % at baseline and 43.02 % at follow-up with a change of -0.90 % (p = 0.007) while the ML algorithm measured 43.69 % and 42.41 % for baseline and follow-up, respectively, with a change of -1.28 % (p < 0.001). Along the most diseased 10 mm segments, GT-PAV was 52.31 % at baseline and 49.42 % at follow-up, with a change of -2.94 % (p < 0.001). The same segments measured by the ML algorithm resulted in PAV of 51.55 % at baseline and 47.81 % at follow-up with a change of -3.74 % (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: PAV, the most used endpoint in clinical trials, analyzed by the CL is closely replicated by the ML algorithm. ML automatic segmentation of lumen, vessel and plaque effectively reproduces GT and may be used in future clinical trials as the standard.

Effects of SARS-COV-2 infection on outcomes in patients hospitalized for acute cardiac conditions. A prospective, multicenter cohort study (Swiss Cardiovascular SARS-CoV-2 Consortium).

Background: Although the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) primarily affects the respiratory system, the disease entity has been associated with cardiovascular complications. This study sought to assess the effect of concomitant SARS-COV-2 infection on clinical outcomes of patients hospitalized primarily for acute cardiac conditions on cardiology wards in Switzerland. Methods: In this prospective, observational study conducted in 5 Swiss cardiology centers during the COVID-19 pandemic, patients hospitalized due to acute cardiac conditions underwent a reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction test at the time of admission and were categorized as SARS-COV-2 positive (cases) or negative (controls). Patients hospitalized on cardiology wards underwent treatment for the principal acute cardiac condition according to local practice. Clinical outcomes were recorded in-hospital, at 30 days, and after 1 year and compared between cases and controls. To adjust for imbalanced baseline characteristics, a subgroup of patients derived by propensity matching was analyzed. Results: Between March 2020 and February 2022, 538 patients were enrolled including 122 cases and 416 controls. Mean age was 68.0 ± 14.7 years, and 75% were men. Compared with controls, SARS-COV-2-positive patients more commonly presented with acute heart failure (35% vs. 17%) or major arrhythmia (31% vs. 9%), but less commonly with acute coronary syndrome (26% vs. 53%) or severe aortic stenosis (4% vs. 18%). Mortality was significantly higher in cases vs. controls in-hospital (16% vs. 1%), at 30 days (19.0% vs. 2.2%), and at 1 year (28.7% vs. 7.6%: p < 0.001 for all); this was driven primarily (up to 30 days) and exclusively (at one-year follow-up) by higher non-cardiovascular mortality, and was accompanied by a greater incidence of worsening renal function in cases vs. controls. These findings were maintained in a propensity-matched subgroup of 186 patients (93 cases and 93 controls) with balanced clinical presentation and baseline characteristics. Conclusions: In this observational study of patients hospitalized for acute cardiac conditions, SARS-COV-2 infection at index hospitalization was associated with markedly higher all-cause and non-cardiovascular mortality throughout one-year follow-up. These findings highlight the need for effective, multifaceted management of both cardiac and non-cardiac morbidities and prolonged surveillance in patients with acute cardiac conditions complicated by SARS-COV-2 infection.

Effect of Alirocumab Added to High-Intensity Statin on Platelet Reactivity and Noncoding RNAs in Patients with AMI: A Substudy of the PACMAN-AMI Trial.

OBJECTIVE: The effect of the PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9) inhibitor alirocumab on platelet aggregation among patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains unknown. We aimed to explore the effect of alirocumab added to high-intensity statin therapy on P2Y12 reaction unit (PRU) among AMI patients receiving dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with a potent P2Y12 inhibitor (ticagrelor or prasugrel). In addition, we assessed circulating platelet-derived noncoding RNAs (microRNAs and YRNAs). METHODS: This was a prespecified, powered, pharmacodynamic substudy of the PACMAN trial, a randomized, double-blind trial comparing biweekly alirocumab (150 mg) versus placebo in AMI patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. Patients recruited at Bern University Hospital, receiving DAPT with a potent P2Y12 inhibitor, and adherent to the study drug (alirocumab or placebo) were analyzed for the current study. The primary endpoint was PRU at 4 weeks after study drug initiation as assessed by VerifyNow P2Y12 point-of-care assays. RESULTS: Among 139 randomized patients, the majority of patients received ticagrelor DAPT at 4 weeks (57 [86.4%] in the alirocumab group vs. 69 [94.5%] in the placebo group, p = 0.14). There were no significant differences in the primary endpoint PRU at 4 weeks between groups (12.5 [interquartile range, IQR: 27.0] vs. 19.0 [IQR: 30.0], p = 0.26). Consistent results were observed in 126 patients treated with ticagrelor (13.0 [IQR: 20.0] vs. 18.0 [IQR: 27.0], p = 0.28). Similarly, platelet-derived noncoding RNAs did not significantly differ between groups. CONCLUSION: Among AMI patients receiving DAPT with a potent P2Y12 inhibitor, alirocumab had no significant effect on platelet reactivity as assessed by PRU and platelet-derived noncoding RNAs.

Impact of alirocumab on plaque regression and haemodynamics of non-culprit arteries in patients with acute myocardial infarction: a prespecified substudy of the PACMAN-AMI trial.

BACKGROUND: Treatment with proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors on top of statins leads to plaque regression and stabilisation. The effects of PCSK9 inhibitors on coronary physiology and angiographic diameter stenosis (DS%) are unknown. AIMS: This study aimed to investigate the effects of the PCSK9 inhibitor alirocumab on coronary haemodynamics as assessed by quantitative flow ratio (QFR) and DS% by three-dimensional quantitative coronary angiography (3D-QCA) in non-infarct-related arteries (non-IRA) among acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients. METHODS: This was a prespecified substudy of the randomised controlled PACMAN-AMI trial, comparing alirocumab versus placebo on top of rosuvastatin. QFR and 3D-QCA were assessed at baseline and 1 year in any non-IRA ≥2.0 mm and 3D-QCA DS% >25%. The prespecified primary endpoint was the number of patients with a mean QFR increase at 1 year, and the secondary endpoint was the change in 3D-QCA DS%. RESULTS: Of 300 enrolled patients, 265 had serial follow-up, of which 193 underwent serial QFR/3D-QCA analysis in 282 non-IRA. At 1 year, QFR increased in 50/94 (53.2%) patients with alirocumab versus 40/99 (40.4%) with placebo (Δ12.8%; odds ratio 1.7, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.9 to 3.0; p=0.076). DS% decreased by 1.03±7.28% with alirocumab and increased by 1.70±8.27% with placebo (Δ-2.50%, 95% CI: -4.43 to -0.57; p=0.011). CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of AMI patients with alirocumab versus placebo for 1 year resulted in a significant regression in angiographic DS%, whereas no overall improvement of coronary haemodynamics was observed. CLINICALTRIALS: gov: NCT03067844.