Understanding the role of coronary artery revascularization in patients with left ventricular dysfunction and multivessel disease.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common cause of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Advances and innovations in medical therapy have been shown to play a crucial role in improving the prognosis of patients with CAD and HFrEF; however, mortality rate in these patients remains high, and the role of surgical and/or percutaneous revascularization strategy is still debated. The Surgical Treatment for Ischemic Heart Failure (STICH) trial and the Revascularization for Ischemic Ventricular Dysfunction (REVIVED) trial have attempted to provide an answer to this issue. Nevertheless, the results of these two trials have generated further uncertainties. Their findings do not provide a definitive answer about the ideal clinical phenotype for surgical or percutaneous coronary revascularization and dispute the historical dogma on myocardial viability and the theory of myocardial hibernation, raising new questions about the proper selection of patients who are candidates for coronary revascularization. The aim of this review is to provide an overview on the actual available evidence of coronary artery revascularization in patients with CAD and left ventricular dysfunction and to suggest new insights on the proper selection and management strategies in this high-risk clinical setting.

Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors in Patients with Diabetes and Coronary Artery Disease: Translating the Benefits of the Molecular Mechanisms of Gliflozins into Clinical Practice.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) were initially developed for the treatment of diabetes due to their antihyperglycemic activity. However, in the light of the most recent clinical studies, they are revolutionizing the approach to cardiovascular disease in patients with and without diabetes. We aimed to generate real-world data about the use of SGLT2i in patients with T2DM and coronary artery disease (CAD), focusing on their effectiveness in glycemic control, adherence, long-term efficacy, and safety outcomes. On the basis of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 143 patients were enrolled. Patients were treated with canagliflozin (n = 33 patients; 23%), dapagliflozin (n = 52 patients, 36.4%), empagliflozin (n = 48 patients; 33.6%), or ertugliflozin (n = 10 patients; 7%) as monotherapy or in combination with other antidiabetic drugs. All patients performed a clinical visit, and their medical history, blood sampling, and anthropometric parameters were measured at discharge and at 1-year follow-up. The reduction in HbA1c % value at 12 months was significant (8.2 vs. 7.4; p < 0.001). Trends in body weight and body mass index also confirmed the positive effect of the treatment (p < 0.0001), as did the reduction in abdominal adiposity (expressed via waist circumference). At 1-year follow-up, 74.1% of patients were adherent to the treatment, and 81.1% were persistent to the treatment. A total of 27 patients (18.8%) had to discontinue treatment early due to drug intolerance caused by genitourinary infections (11.9%), the drub being permanently ineffective (HbA1c not at target or decreasing: 4.9%), or because of expressing. a desire not to continue (2%). No major drug-related adverse events (diabetic ketoacidosis, Fournier's gangrene, lower-limb amputations) occurred at follow-up, while MACE events occurred in 14 patients (9.8%). In real-world patients with T2DM and CAD, SGLT2i have been effective in long-term glycemic control and the improvement in anthropometric indices with good tolerance, high adherence, persistence to treatment, and no major adverse events at 1-year follow-up.

Antithrombotic Therapy in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Interventions for Structural Heart Disease.

Contemporary evidence supports device-based transcatheter interventions for the management of patients with structural heart disease. These procedures, which include aortic valve implantation, mitral or tricuspid valve repair/implantation, left atrial appendage occlusion, and patent foramen ovale closure, profoundly differ with respect to clinical indications and procedural aspects. Yet, patients undergoing transcatheter cardiac interventions require antithrombotic therapy before, during, or after the procedure to prevent thromboembolic events. However, these therapies are associated with an increased risk of bleeding complications. To date, challenges and controversies exist regarding balancing the risk of thrombotic and bleeding complications in these patients such that the optimal antithrombotic regimens to adopt in each specific procedure is still unclear. In this review, we summarize current evidence on antithrombotic therapies for device-based transcatheter interventions targeting structural heart disease and emphasize the importance of a tailored approach in these patients.

Outcomes of 10,312 patients treated with everolimus-eluting bioresorbable scaffolds during daily clinical practice - results from the European Absorb Consortium.

OBJECTIVES: To asses mid-term clinical outcomes of bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS) for the treatment of coronary artery disease in a large-scale all-comers population. BACKGROUND: Several clinical settings are underrepresented in randomized studies investigating BVS against drug-eluting stents. Whether their results can be translated into the heterogeny patient population seen during daily routine requires further investigation. METHODS: The European ABSORB Consortium comprises the following European registries: GABI-R, ABSORB UK Registry, ABSORB France, BVS RAI Registry, and REPARA BVS Registry, which all prospectively collected patient-level data regarding outcomes following unrestricted BVS implantation. The primary endpoint of target lesion failure (TLF) includes cardiac death, target-vessel myocardial infarction (TVMI) and target-lesion revascularisation (TLR) at 12 months. The incidence of scaffold thrombosis (ST) according to ARC criteria was also assessed. Multivariable analysis was used to adjust for differences in patient and lesion characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 10,312 patients (mean age 58.4 ± 11.4 y) underwent BVS implantation during routine practice. The 12-month follow-up was complete in 95.5% of patients. At 12 months, the primary endpoint of TLF occurred in 3.6%; its components cardiac death, TVMI and TLR were documented in 1.2%, 1.8%, and 2.6%, respectively. The definite/probable ST rate was 1.7%. Absence of predilatation, discontinuation of DAPT and scaffold diameter below 3 mm were independent predictors of ST. CONCLUSIONS: The EAC demonstrates reasonable real-world clinical outcome data after BVS implantation. However, the rate of scaffold thrombosis remains high.

New Frontiers in the Treatment of Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia.

Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH) is a rare genetic disorder. The most common cause is a mutation in both alleles of the gene encoding for the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor, although other causative mutations have been identified. Complications of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease are common in these patients; therefore, reducing the elevated LDL-cholesterol burden is critical in their management. Conventionally, this is achieved by patients initiating lipid-lowering therapy, but this can present challenges in clinical practice. Fortunately, novel therapeutic strategies have enabled promising innovations in HoFH treatment. This review highlights recent and ongoing studies examining new therapeutic options for patients with HoFH.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in RASopathies: Diagnosis, Clinical Characteristics, Prognostic Implications, and Management.

RASopathies are multisystemic disorders caused by germline mutations in genes linked to the RAS/mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. Diagnosis of RASopathy can be triggered by clinical clues ("red flags") which may direct the clinician toward a specific gene test. Compared with sarcomeric hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in RASopathies (R-HCM) is associated with higher prevalence of congestive heart failure and shows increased prevalence and severity of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. Biventricular involvement and the association with congenital heart disease, mainly pulmonary stenosis, have been commonly described in R-HCM. The aim of this review is to assess the prevalence and unique features of R-HCM and to define the available therapeutic options.

Pathophysiological mechanisms and clinical evidence of relationship between Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and cardiovascular disease.

Evidence suggests a close connection between Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and increased cardiovascular (CV) risk. Several cross-sectional studies report that NAFLD is related to preclinical atherosclerotic damage, and to coronary, cerebral and peripheral vascular events. Similar results have been showed by prospective studies and also by meta-analyzes on observational studies. The pathophysiological mechanisms of NAFLD are related to insulin resistance, which causes a dysfunction in adipokine production, especially adiponectin, from adipose tissue. A proinflammatory state and an increase in oxidative stress, due to increased reacting oxygen species (ROS) formation with consequent oxidation of free fatty acids and increased de novo lipogenesis with accumulation of triglycerides, are observed. These mechanisms may have an impact on atherosclerotic plaque formation and progression, and they can lead to increased cardiovascular risk in subjects with NAFLD. This review extensively discusses and comments current and developing NAFLD therapies and their possible impact on cardiovascular outcome.

Impact of SGLT2 Inhibitors on Heart Failure: From Pathophysiology to Clinical Effects.

Heart failure (HF) affects up to over 20% of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), even more in the elderly. Although, in T2DM, both hyperglycemia and the proinflammatory status induced by insulin resistance are crucial in cardiac function impairment, SGLT2i cardioprotective mechanisms against HF are several. In particular, these beneficial effects seem attributable to the significant reduction of intracellular sodium levels, well-known to exert a cardioprotective role in the prevention of oxidative stress and consequent cardiomyocyte death. From a molecular perspective, patients' exposure to gliflozins' treatment mimics nutrient and oxygen deprivation, with consequent autophagy stimulation. This allows to maintain the cellular homeostasis through different degradative pathways. Thus, since their introduction in the clinical practice, the hypotheses on SGLT2i mechanisms of action have changed: from simple glycosuric drugs, with consequent glucose lowering, erythropoiesis enhancing and ketogenesis stimulating, to intracellular sodium-lowering molecules. This provides their consequent cardioprotective effect, which justifies its significant reduction in CV events, especially in populations at higher risk. Finally, the updated clinical evidence of SGLT2i benefits on HF was summarized. Thus, this review aimed to analyze the cardioprotective mechanisms of sodium glucose transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) in patients with HF, as well as their clinical impact on cardiovascular events.

Combined Effect of Mediterranean Diet and Aerobic Exercise on Weight Loss and Clinical Status in Obese Symptomatic Patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

We evaluated the impact of weight loss (WL) using a Mediterranean diet and mild-to-moderate-intensity aerobic exercise program, on clinical status of obese, symptomatic patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Compared with nonresponders, responders showed a significant reduction of left atrial diameter, left atrial volume index (LAVI), E/E'average, pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP), and a significant increase in Vo2max (%) and peak workload. Body mass index changes correlated with reduction in left atrial diameter, LAVI, E/E'average, PASP, and increase of Vo2max (mL/Kg/min), Vo2max (%), peak workload. Mediterranean diet and aerobic exercise is associated with clinical-hemodynamic improvement in obese symptomatic HCM patients.

Low-Dose Ticagrelor in Patients With High Ischemic Risk and Previous Myocardial Infarction: A Multicenter Prospective Real-World Observational Study.

Prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy after 12 months in patients with previous myocardial infarction (MI) is attractive to reduce long-term ischemic complications. In the PEGASUS-TIMI 54, the use of low-dose ticagrelor (60 mg b.i.d.) plus aspirin after 12 months from MI reduced the risk of ischemic events, at the price of limited increase on bleeding complications. However, data on the use of low-dose ticagrelor in real-world practice lack. We aim at providing data on prescription/eligibility criteria and outcomes in patients receiving low-dose ticagrelor in the real-world setting. We enrolled consecutive patients eligible for ticagrelor 60 mg according to Italian national regulation in 3 high-volume centers and collected 1-year outcomes. The primary objective of the study is to generate real-world data about clinical characteristics, eligibility criteria, major adverse cardiovascular events, bleeding, and adverse event in patients receiving low-dose ticagrelor from our cohort. One hundred eighty-one patients were consecutively enrolled with a median follow-up of 18 months. The most used and the least used prescription criteria were multivessel coronary disease (72.4%) and chronic kidney disease (15.5%), respectively. At 1-year follow-up, the rate of major adverse cardiovascular events was 4.97%; of these, 3.86% of patients had a MI, and 1.1% had a stroke/transient ischemic attack, whereas no major bleeding occurred. In conclusion, in a real-world study, including patients with previous MI, low-dose ticagrelor for prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy showed to be effective and safe, with no major bleeding occurring at follow-up.

Childhood obesity: an overview of laboratory medicine, exercise and microbiome.

In the last few years, a significant increase of childhood obesity incidence unequally distributed within countries and population groups has been observed, thus representing an important public health problem associated with several health and social consequences. Obese children have more than a 50% probability of becoming obese adults, and to develop pathologies typical of obese adults, that include type 2-diabetes, dyslipidemia and hypertension. Also environmental factors, such as reduced physical activity and increased sedentary activities, may also result in increased caloric intake and/or decreased caloric expenditure. In the present review, we aimed to identify and describe a specific panel of parameters in order to evaluate and characterize the childhood obesity status useful in setting up a preventive diagnostic approach directed at improving health-related behaviors and identifying predisposing risk factors. An early identification of risk factors for childhood obesity could definitely help in setting up adequate and specific clinical treatments.

Molecular Basis of Inflammation in the Pathogenesis of Cardiomyopathies.

Cardiomyopathies (CMPs) represent a diverse group of heart muscle diseases, grouped into specific morphological and functional phenotypes. CMPs are associated with mutations in sarcomeric and non-sarcomeric genes, with several suspected epigenetic and environmental mechanisms involved in determining penetrance and expressivity. The understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms of myocardial diseases is fundamental to achieving a proper management and treatment of these disorders. Among these, inflammation seems to play an important role in the pathogenesis of CMPs. The aim of the present study is to review the current knowledge on the role of inflammation and the immune system activation in the pathogenesis of CMPs and to identify potential molecular targets for a tailored anti-inflammatory treatment.

One-year clinical performance of ABSORB bioresorbable vascular scaffold in patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes: Results from the RAI registry.

OBJECTIVES: To report 1-year clinical outcomes of bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) in acute coronary syndromes (ACS) population. BACKGROUND: BVS use has rapidly extended to high-risk patients as those presenting with ACS. To date limited data have been reported on BVS performance in ACS patients. METHODS: RAI is a multicenter, prospective registry that included 1,505 patients treated with at least 1 successful BVS implantation. A subgroup analysis on ACS patients was performed and the 1-year outcomes of this cohort compared to the remaining stable coronary artery disease (SCAD) population are reported here. Coprimary endpoints were target-lesion revascularization (TLR) and scaffold thrombosis (ScT) at 1-year follow-up. RESULTS: Fifty-nine percent of the patients presented with ACS, of whom 36.5% with ST-elevation myocardial infarctions. ACS patients were significantly younger, with a better cardiovascular risk profile, a lower rate of multivessel disease, chronic total occlusion or in-stent restenosis and a lower Syntax score. Predilation and postdilation were performed in 97.4% and in 96.5% of cases, respectively. No differences were noted in terms of TIMI 3 final flow, but acute gain was greater in ACS compared to SCAD group (P < 0.001). At one-year follow-up no differences were found in terms of TLR (3.3% vs. 3.3%, P = 0.98), and device-oriented composite end-point (4.3% vs. 3.4%, P = 0.4) between ACS and SCAD groups. The rate of definite/probable ScT was numerically higher in ACS vs. stable CAD patients (1.3% vs. 0.8%, P = 0.2). CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that the use of BVS in ACS patients is associated with a numerically higher rate of ScT compared to SCAD population numerically higher, but without statistical significance.

One-year clinical outcome of biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stent in patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction: Insight from the ULISSE registry.

BACKGROUND: The ULISSE registry has demonstrated the real-world performance of the Ultimaster biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stent (BP-SES) in a large cohort of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, including a large proportion of patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). METHODS: We performed a subgroup analysis of the ULISSE registry in AMI patients and compared the outcomes of this vulnerable cohort with that of patients presenting without AMI (non-AMI). The primary end point was the incidence of 1-year target lesion failure (TLF), a composite of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction (TV-MI), and clinically indicated target lesion revascularization (TLR). RESULTS: Of 1,660 patients included in the ULISSE registry, 381(23%) presented with AMI, 207(54.3%) non-ST elevation myocardial infarction, and 174(45.7%) ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Compared with non-AMI patients, those with AMI were more frequently female and smokers, with lower left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and chronic kidney disease requiring dialysis. At 1 year, TLF rate was significantly higher in AMI than non-AMI patients (7.9 vs. 4.1%; HR 1.98, CI 95% 1.22-3.23; p = .005) driven by higher rate of cardiac death (4.0 vs. 1.1%; HR 3.59, CI 95% 1.64-7.88; p = .01) and TV-MI (2.8 vs 0.9%; HR 2.99,CI 95% 1.22-7.37; p = .01), without differences in TLR rate (4.3 vs. 2.9%,HR 0.66, CI95% 0.35-1.25; p = .2). At multivariate Cox regression analysis, eGFR <40 mL/min (HR: 2.868) and LVEF <40% (HR: 2.394) were the only independent predictors of TLF. CONCLUSIONS: In AMI patients, Ultimaster BP-SES implantation was associated with higher rate of TLF and definite stent thrombosis compared with non-AMI patients. The high incidence of adverse events was mainly driven by the unfavorable baseline risk profile.

Bioresorbable vascular scaffold versus everolimus-eluting stents or drug eluting balloon for the treatment of coronary in-stent restenosis: 1-Year follow-up of a propensity score matching comparison (the BIORESOLVE-ISR Study).

OBJECTIVES: to compare the 1-year outcome between bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS), everolimus-eluting stent (EES), and drug-eluting balloon (DEB) for in-stent restenosis (ISR) treatment. BACKGROUND: BVS has been proposed as alternative for ISR treatment. To date a direct comparison between BVS and DES or DEB for ISR treatment is lacking. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed all ISR lesions treated with BVS, DEB, and EES from January 2012 to December 2014. A total of 548 lesions (498 patients) were included. By applying two propensity-score matching, 93 lesions treated with BVS were compared with 93 lesions treated with DEB, and 100 lesions treated with BVS were compared to 100 lesions treated with EES. RESULTS: At 1-year follow-up the incidence of device-oriented cardiovascular events (DOCE) and its components did not significantly differ between BVS and DEB (DOCE: 10.9 vs. 11.8%, HR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.33-2.52; P = 0.86; Cardiac death: 2.2 vs. 1.2%, HR, 1.74, 95% CI 0.16-18.80, P = 0.65; ID-TLR: 8.9 vs. 10.7%, HR, 0.81, 95% CI 0.27-2.48, P = 0.71; TV-MI: 3.3 vs. 1.2%, HR, 2.39, 95% CI 0.27-21.32, P = 0.43) and BVS vs. EES (DOCE: 10.1 vs. 5.2% HR, 1.81, 95% CI, 0.63-5.25; P = 0.27; Cardiac death: 3.0 vs. 1.1%; HR, 2.83, 95% CI 0.29-27.4, P = 0.37; ID-TLR: 7.2 vs. 4.2%, HR, 1.57, 95% CI 0.47-5.23, P = 0.46; TV-MI: 3.1 vs. 0%). CONCLUSION: At 1-year follow-up the use of BVS as ISR treatment is associated with a higher, even if not significant, DOCE rate compared with EES while a similar rate compared to DEB.

Bioresorbable vascular scaffolds for small vessels coronary disease: The BVS-save registry.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we investigated long-term results following bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) implantation in small coronary arteries. BACKGROUND: Management of small coronary vessel disease with percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) is often associated with high recurrencies and an increased risk of late or very late adverse events. Currently, little is known about BVS behavior in this setting. METHODS: A retrospective cohort analysis in a consecutive all-comer population was performed in patients that had a BVS implanted for coronary artery disease (CAD) in vessels with reference diameter <2.75 mm. Primary end-point was the occurrence of BVS failure (any event between target lesion revascularization (TLR) and definite/probable thrombosis) at the longest available follow-up. Secondary end-points were device-oriented clinical outcome (DOCE, a composite of cardiac death, target-vessel non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI) and TLR) and its single components at 12-month follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 121 patients (133 lesions) were treated between March 2013 and December 2014 at three high volume Italian centers. From baseline clinical and angiographic characteristics emerges a highly complex patient population. Procedural success was obtained in 120 (99.2%) patients. In-hospital events included one cardiac death. At the longest available clinical follow-up (average 12 ± 6, median 11.4 months, interquartile ranges (IQR) 8, primary end-point occurred in 12 patients (9.0%), including 12 (9.0%) TLR and 2 (1.5%) BVS thrombosis. DOCE occurred in 9.0% of cases. The use of overlapping BVS in this setting did not increase the risk of adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: BVS implantation in a highly complex clinical and angiographic setting of small coronary vessels was technically feasible and effective in maintaining vessel patency after 12 months. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Impact of clinical presentation on ischaemic and bleeding outcomes in patients receiving 6- or 24-month duration of dual-antiplatelet therapy after stent implantation: a pre-specified analysis from the PRODIGY (Prolonging Dual-Antiplatelet Treatment After Grading Stent-Induced Intimal Hyperplasia) trial.

AIMS: We investigated if acute coronary syndrome (ACS) rather than stable coronary artery disease (SCAD) presentation is an outcome modifier with respect to the duration of dual-antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) in patients undergoing coronary stenting. METHODS AND RESULTS: In the Prolonging Dual-Antiplatelet Treatment After Grading Stent-Induced Intimal Hyperplasia (PRODIGY) trial, a total of 1465 (74.3%) patients presented ACS whereas 505 (25.7%) had SCAD and were randomized to 6- or 24-month DAPT. At 24 months, the composite of death, myocardial infarction (MI), or cerebrovascular accident (CVA) did not differ between the long- and short-term DAPT arms in both ACS (11.1 vs. 11.7%; P = 0.67) and SCAD (7.5 vs. 4.8%; P = 0.21) patients, respectively. Long-term DAPT was associated with a 75% increase of Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC)-class 2, 3, or 5 bleeding in ACS [7.1 vs. 4.1%; hazard ratio (HR) 1.75, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11-2.74, P = 0.015; number needed to treat for harm (NNTH): 33.3] and a five-fold increase in SCAD (8.2 vs. 1.6%; HR 5.37, 95% CI 1.84-15.74, P = 0.002; NNTH: 15.1) patients, with a borderline quantitative interaction (PINT = 0.056). As a result, net adverse cardiovascular events (death, MI, CVA, BARC class 2, 3, or 5 bleeding) were more than doubled in SCAD patients receiving 24-month DAPT, whereas they did not differ in ACS patients (PINT = 0.024). CONCLUSIONS: This analysis suggests that clinical presentation may be a treatment modifier with respect to DAPT duration after stenting consistent with the hypothesis that SCAD-but not ACS-patients are exposed to a significant increase in bleeding and net adverse clinical events when treated with 24-month compared with 6-month therapy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00611286. http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00611286?term=prodigy&rank=2.

Comparing two-year outcomes of balloon-expandable Myval and self-expanding Evolut R in severe aortic valve stenosis.

BACKGROUND: The new balloon-expandable (BE) Myval transcatheter heart valves (THV) has shown promising early results with low paravalvular leak (PVL) and permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) rates. Limited data are available regarding its long-term performance. We aimed to compare the 2-year clinical and echocardiographic outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) using the self-expanding (SE) Evolut R and the BE Myval THVs. METHODS: The EVAL study included 166 patients with severe aortic valve stenosis who underwent TAVR either with SE Evolut R (n = 108) or BE Myval (n = 58) THV. Primary objectives include comparison on clinical efficacy (freedom from all-cause mortality, stroke, and cardiovascular hospitalization), echocardiographic performance and PPI rates between the two THVs. RESULTS: At 2-year the BE Myval group showed higher clinical efficacy (86% vs. 66%,HR:2.62, 95%CI 2.2-5.1;p = 0.006), with fewer cardiac hospitalizations (3.4% vs. 13.9%,p = 0.03). No significant differences in all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, or stroke rates were observed. The proportion of patients with ≥moderate PVL was significantly lower in the BE Myval compared to the SE Evolut R group (4%vs. 22%,p = 0.008). The mean transvalvular gradient was significantly higher in the SE group compared to the BE group (9.5 ± 4.3 vs. 6.9 ± 2.2 mmHg,p < 0.001), however there was no difference in the percentage of patients with a mean gradient ≥20 mmHg between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Both THVs offer similar 2-year clinical outcomes. The BE Myval THV demonstrated advantages with higher clinical efficacy and lower PVL incidence. Longer follow-up and randomized trials are needed to validate these results and assess Myval's sustained performance and durability.

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

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

QFR for the Revascularization of Nonculprit Vessels in MI Patients: Insights From the FIRE Trial.

BACKGROUND: The role of quantitative flow ratio (QFR) in the treatment of nonculprit vessels of patients with myocardial infarction (MI) is a topic of ongoing discussion. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the predictive capability of QFR for adverse events and its noninferiority compared to wire-based functional assessment in nonculprit vessels of MI patients. METHODS: The FIRE (Functional Assessment in Elderly MI Patients With Multivessel Disease) trial randomized 1,445 older MI patients to culprit-only (n = 725) or physiology-guided complete revascularization (n = 720). In the culprit-only arm, angiographic projections of nonculprit vessels were prospectively collected, centrally reviewed for QFR computation, and associated with endpoints. In the complete revascularization arm, endpoints were compared between nonculprit vessels investigated with QFR or wire-based functional assessment. The primary endpoint was the vessel-oriented composite endpoint (VOCE) at 1 year. RESULTS: QFR was measured on 903 nonculprit vessels from 685 patients in the culprit-only arm. Overall, 366 (40.5%) nonculprit vessels showed a QFR value ≤0.80, with a significantly higher incidence of VOCEs (22.1% vs 7.1%; P < 0.001). QFR ≤0.80 emerged as an independent predictor of VOCEs (HR: 2.79; 95% CI: 1.64-4.75). In the complete arm, QFR was used in 320 (35.2%) nonculprit vessels to guide revascularization. When compared with propensity-matched nonculprit vessels in which treatment was guided by wire-based functional assessment, no significant difference was observed (HR: 0.57; 95% CI: 0.28-1.15) in VOCEs. CONCLUSIONS: This prespecified subanalysis of the FIRE trial provides evidence supporting the safety and efficacy of QFR-guided interventions for the treatment of nonculprit vessels in MI patients. (Functional Assessment in Elderly MI Patients With Multivessel Disease [FIRE]; NCT03772743).