Impact of peripheral artery disease on prognosis after percutaneous coronary intervention: Outcomes from the multicenter prospective e-ULTIMASTER registry.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) represent a high risk group, and have an increased risk of cardiovascular events and worse cardiovascular outcomes. Our aim was to study the impact of PAD among patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with a newer-generation thin-strut DES. METHODS: In this analysis of the e-ULTIMASTER registry, patients with and without known PAD undergoing PCI were compared. A propensity-score was used to adjust for differences between the groups. The primary outcome was target lesion failure (TLF): a composite of cardiac death, target-vessel related myocardial infarction, and/or clinically driven target lesion revascularization at 1-year follow-up. RESULTS: Of 33,880 patients included in the analysis, PAD was present in 2255 (6.7%). Patients with PAD were older (69.0 ± 10.0 vs. 63.8 ± 11.3 years) with a higher burden of comorbidities. Patients with PAD were less likely to present with STEMI (9.6% vs. 21%), and more likely to undergo complex PCI (left main 5.5% vs. 3.0% ostial lesions 10.4% vs. 7.0%, bifurcations 14.5% vs. 12.3% and calcification 26.8% vs. 17.8%). PAD was found to be independently associated with 41% increased risk for TLF. The risk for all cause death and for cardiac death was 75% and 103% higher, respectably. No difference was found in the rates of stent thrombosis, clinically driven target lesion revascularization, or myocardial infarction (MI). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with PAD are at higher risk for (cardiac) death post PCI, but not target vessel or lesion repeat revascularizations. The PAD cohort represents a population with a higher risk clinical profile. Further research combining medical and device therapies is needed to further improve the outcomes in this high-risk population.

Proximal Left Anterior Descending Artery Treatment Using a Bioresorbable Polymer Coating Sirolimus-Eluting Stent: Real-World Outcomes From the Multicenter Prospective e-Ultimaster Registry.

Background Guidelines recommend heart team discussion and coronary artery bypass graft consideration in patients with proximal left anterior descending (LAD) artery stenosis. Evidence suggests that outcomes of proximal LAD angioplasty might not differ from treatment of nonproximal LAD locations. We aim to determine clinical outcomes of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention in the proximal LAD segment in comparison with nonproximal LAD angioplasty, using a thin-strut drug-eluting stent. Methods and Results In this analysis of the e-Ultimaster registry, patients undergoing angioplasty in the proximal LAD territory were compared with those treated in nonproximal LAD locations. Multivariate analysis and propensity score were used to adjust for differences among the groups. The primary outcome was target lesion failure: a composite of cardiac death, target-lesion-related myocardial infarction, and/or clinically driven target lesion revascularization at 1-year follow-up. Of the 17 805 patients (mean age, 64.2±11; 76% male), 5452 (30.6%) underwent proximal LAD and 12 353 (69.4%) nonproximal LAD percutaneous coronary intervention. Patients in the proximal LAD group had more multivessel disease (48.7% versus 43.5%; P<0.001) and 2-fold more bifurcations lesions (18.8% versus 9.2%; P<0.0001). After propensity-weighted adjustment, target lesion failure did not differ between the groups (3.3% versus 2.9%; P=0.17 for proximal LAD versus nonproximal LAD angioplasty, respectively). In multivariate analysis, proximal LAD treatment was not an independent predictor of target lesion failure (odds ratio, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.88-1.31; P=0.48). Conclusions At 1-year follow-up, patients had similar clinical outcomes independent of stenting location, questioning whether proximal LAD treatment should be regarded differently from stenting in any other coronary artery territory.

Lifestyle and impact on cardiovascular risk factor control in coronary patients across 27 countries: Results from the European Society of Cardiology ESC-EORP EUROASPIRE V registry.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to determine whether the Joint European Societies guidelines on secondary cardiovascular prevention are followed in everyday practice. DESIGN: A cross-sectional ESC-EORP survey (EUROASPIRE V) at 131 centres in 81 regions in 27 countries. METHODS: Patients (<80 years old) with verified coronary artery events or interventions were interviewed and examined ≥6 months later. RESULTS: A total of 8261 patients (females 26%) were interviewed. Nineteen per cent smoked and 55% of them were persistent smokers, 38% were obese (body mass index ≥30 kg/m2), 59% were centrally obese (waist circumference: men ≥102 cm; women ≥88 cm) while 66% were physically active <30 min 5 times/week. Forty-two per cent had a blood pressure ≥140/90 mmHg (≥140/85 if diabetic), 71% had low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ≥1.8 mmol/L (≥70 mg/dL) and 29% reported having diabetes. Cardioprotective medication was: anti-platelets 93%, beta-blockers 81%, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers 75% and statins 80%. CONCLUSION: A large majority of coronary patients have unhealthy lifestyles in terms of smoking, diet and sedentary behaviour, which adversely impacts major cardiovascular risk factors. A majority did not achieve their blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and glucose targets. Cardiovascular prevention requires modern preventive cardiology programmes delivered by interdisciplinary teams of healthcare professionals addressing all aspects of lifestyle and risk factor management, in order to reduce the risk of recurrent cardiovascular events.

Liposomal surface coatings of metal stents for efficient non-viral gene delivery to the injured vasculature.

Despite the widespread use of drug eluting stents (DES), in-stent restenosis (ISR), delayed arterial healing and thrombosis remain important clinical complications. Gene-eluting stents (GES) represent a potential strategy for the prevention of ISR by delivering a therapeutic gene via a vector from the stent surface to the vessel wall. To this end, a model in vitro system was established to examine whether cationic liposomes could be used for gene delivery to human artery cells. Three different formulations were compared (DOTMA/DOPE, DDAB/DOPE or DDAB/POPC/Chol) to examine the effects of different cationic and neutral lipids on the transfection efficiency of lipoplex-coatings of metal surfaces. Upon completion of the characterization and optimization of the materials for gene delivery in vitro, these coatings were examined on a range of stents and deployed in a rabbit iliac artery injury model in vivo. Maximal transfection efficiencies for all coatings were observed on day 28, followed by declining, but persisting gene expression 42 days after stent placement, thereby, presenting liposomal coatings for gene eluting stents as treatment options for clinical complications associated with stenting procedures.