Mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair vs. isolated mitral surgery for severe mitral regurgitation: a French nationwide study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Mitral valve surgery and, more recently, mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) are the two treatments of severe mitral regurgitation in eligible patients. Clinical comparison of both therapies remains limited by the number of patients analysed. The objective of this study was to analyse the outcomes of mitral TEER vs. isolated mitral valve surgery at a nationwide level in France. METHODS: Based on the French administrative hospital discharge database, the study collected information for all consecutive patients treated for mitral regurgitation with isolated TEER or isolated mitral valve surgery between 2012 and 2022. Propensity score matching was used for the analysis of outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 57 030 patients were found in the database. After matching on baseline characteristics, 2160 patients were analysed in each arm. At 3-year follow-up, TEER was associated with significantly lower incidence of cardiovascular death (hazard ratio 0.685, 95% confidence interval 0.563-0.832; P = .0001), pacemaker implantation, and stroke. Non-cardiovascular death (hazard ratio 1.562, 95% confidence interval 1.238-1.971; P = .0002), recurrent pulmonary oedema, and cardiac arrest were more frequent after TEER. No significant differences between the two groups were observed regarding all-cause death (hazard ratio 0.967, 95% confidence interval 0.835-1.118; P = .65), endocarditis, major bleeding, atrial fibrillation, and myocardial infarction. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that TEER for severe mitral regurgitation was associated with lower cardiovascular mortality than mitral surgery at long-term follow-up. Pacemaker implantation and stroke were less frequently observed after TEER.

The everolimus eluting Synergy MegatronTM drug-eluting stent platform: Early outcomes from the European Synergy MegatronTM Implanters' Registry.

BACKGROUND: The Synergy MegatronTM is an everolimus-drug eluting stent that may offer advantages in the treatment of aorto-ostial disease and large proximal vessels. AIMS: To report the short- to medium-term clinical outcomes from the European Synergy MegatronTM Implanters' Registry. METHODS: This registry was an investigator-initiated study conducted at 14 European centers. The primary outcome was target lesion failure (TLF), defined as the composite of cardiovascular death, target vessel myocardial infarction (MI), and target lesion revascularisation. RESULTS: Five hundred seventy-five patients underwent PCI with MegatronTM between 2019 and 2021. Patients were 69 ± 12 years old, 26% had diabetes mellitus, 24% had moderate-severe left ventricular impairment and 59% presented with an acute coronary syndrome. 15% were deemed prohibitively high risk for surgical revascularisation. The target vessel involved the left main stem in 55%, the ostium of the RCA in 13% and was a true bifurcation (Medina 1,1,1) in 50%.  At 1 year, TLF was observed in 40 patients, with 26 (65%) occurring within the first 30 days. The cumulative incidence of TLF was 4.5% at 30 days and 8.6% (95% CI 6.3-11.7) at 1 year. The incidence of stent thrombosis was 0.5% with no late stent thromboses. By multivariate analysis, the strongest independent predictors of TLF were severe left ventricular impairment (HR 3.43, 95% CI: 1.67-6.76, p < 0.001) and a target vessel involving the left main (HR 4.00 95% CI 1.81-10.15 p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Use of the Synergy MegatronTM everolimus eluting stent in a 'real-world' setting shows favorable outcomes at 30 days and 1 year.

The France PCI registry: Design, methodology and key findings.

BACKGROUND: Obstructive coronary artery disease is the main cause of death worldwide. By tracking events and gaining feedback on patient management, the most relevant information is provided to public health services to further improve prognosis. AIMS: To create an inclusive and accurate registry of all percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures performed in France, to assess and improve the quality of care and create research incentives. Also, to describe the methodology of this French national registry of interventional cardiology, and present early key findings. METHODS: The France PCI registry is a multicentre observational registry that includes consecutive patients undergoing coronary angiography and/or PCI. The registry was set up to provide online data analysis and structured reports of PCI activity, including process of care measures and assessment of risk-adjusted outcomes in all French PCI centres that are willing to participate. More than 150 baseline data items, describing demographic status, PCI indications and techniques, and in-hospital and 1-year outcomes, are captured into local reporting software by medical doctors and local research technicians, with subsequent encryption and internet transfer to central data servers. Annual activity reports and scoring tools available on the France PCI website enable users to benchmark and improve clinical practices. External validation and consistency assessments are performed, with feedback of data completeness to centres. RESULTS: Between 01 January 2014 and 31 December 2022, participating centres increased from six to 47, and collected 364,770 invasive coronary angiograms and 176,030 PCIs, including 54,049 non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction cases and 31,631 ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction cases. Fifteen studies stemming from the France PCI registry have already been published. CONCLUSIONS: This fully electronic, daily updated, high-quality, low-cost, national registry is sustainable, and is now expanding. Merging with medicoeconomic databases and nested randomized scientific studies are ongoing steps to expand its scientific potential.

Net clinical benefit of dual antiplatelet therapy in elderly patients with acute coronary syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Contemporary dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) strategies, such as short-term DAPT or de-escalation of DAPT, have emerged as attractive strategies to treat patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, it remains uncertain whether they are suitable for elderly patients. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases were searched in September 2022. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating DAPT strategies, including standard (12 months), short-term, uniform de-escalation, and guided-selection strategies for elderly patients with ACS (age ≥ 65 years) were identified, and a network meta-analysis was conducted. The primary endpoint was the net clinical benefit outcome, a composite of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs: cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke) and clinically relevant bleeding (equivalent to bleeding of at least type 2 according to the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium). The secondary outcomes were MACE and major bleeding. RESULTS: Sixteen RCTs with a combined total of 47,911 patients were included. The uniform de-escalation strategy was associated with an improved net clinical benefit compared with DAPT using potent P2Y12 inhibitors. The short-term DAPT strategy was associated with reduced risks of the primary outcome and major bleeding compared with DAPT using potent P2Y12 inhibitors, however, it was ranked as the least effective strategy for MACE compared with other DAPT strategies. CONCLUSIONS: Uniform de-escalation and short-term DAPT strategies may be advantageous for elderly patients, but need to be tailored based on individual bleeding and ischemic risks. Further RCTs of contemporary DAPT strategies specifically designed for elderly patients are warranted to confirm the findings of the present study.

Short-Term DAPT and DAPT De-Escalation Strategies for Patients With Acute Coronary Syndromes: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Short-term (≤6 months) dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) and DAPT de-escalation become attractive for patients with acute coronary syndrome. METHODS: A systemic search identified randomized controlled trials that included patients with acute coronary syndrome treated using (1) standard DAPT (12 months) with clopidogrel, prasugrel (standard/low dose), or ticagrelor; (2) extended DAPT (≥18 months); (3) short-term DAPT (≤6 months) followed by P2Y12 inhibitor or aspirin; (4) 12-month DAPT with unguided de-escalation from potent P2Y12 inhibitors to low-dose potent P2Y12 inhibitor or clopidogrel at 1 month; and (5) guided selection DAPT with genotype or platelet function tests. The primary efficacy outcome (major adverse cardiovascular events) was a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke. The primary safety outcome was major or minor bleeding. RESULTS: This meta-analysis included 32 randomized controlled trials with 103 497 patients. While there were no differences in efficacy between short, unguided de-escalation and guided selection strategies, unguided de-escalation was associated with reduced risk of major adverse cardiovascular events compared with standard DAPT with clopidogrel or ticagrelor (hazard ratio [95% CI], 0.67 [0.49-0.93] and 0.68 [0.50-0.93]). Both short DAPT followed by P2Y12 inhibitor and unguided de-escalation were associated with reduced risks in safety compared with other strategies, including guided selection (hazard ratio [95% CI], 0.66 [0.47-0.93] and 0.48 [0.33-0.71]). Short DAPT followed by a P2Y12 inhibitor was associated with reduced risk of major bleeding and all-cause death compared with standard, extended DAPT (eg, versus DAPT with clopidogrel; hazard ratio [95% CI], 0.64 [0.42-0.97] and 0.60 [0.44-0.82]). By rankogram, unguided de-escalation strategy was the safest and most effective strategy in reducing major adverse cardiovascular events and major or minor bleeding while short DAPT followed by P2Y12 inhibitor was ranked the best for major bleeding and all-cause death. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with acute coronary syndrome, unguided de-escalation was associated with the lowest risk of major adverse cardiovascular events and major or minor bleeding outcomes, while short DAPT followed by P2Y12 inhibitor was associated with the lowest risk of major bleeding and all-cause death.

Feasibility of Non-Invasive Coronary Artery Disease Screening with Coronary CT Angiography before Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) screening is usually performed before transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) by invasive coronary angiography (ICA). Computed coronary tomography angiography (CCTA) has shown good diagnostic performance for CAD screening in patients with a low probability of CAD and is systematically performed before TAVI. CCTA could be an efficient alternative to ICA for CAD screening before TAVI. We sought to investigate the diagnostic performance of CCTA in a population of unselected patients without known CAD who were candidates for TAVI. All consecutive patients referred to our center for TAVI without known CAD were enrolled. All patients underwent CCTA and ICA, which were considered the gold standard. A statistical analysis of the diagnostic performance per patient and per artery was performed. 307 consecutive patients were enrolled. CCTA was non-analyzable in 25 patients (8.9%). In the per-patient analysis, CCTA had a sensitivity of 89.6%, a specificity of 90.2%, a positive predictive value of 65.15%, and a negative predictive value of 97.7%. Only five patients were classified as false negatives on the CCTA. Despite some limitations of the study, CCTA seems reliable for CAD screening in patients without known CAD who are candidates for TAVI. By using CCTA, ICA could be avoided in patients with a CAD-RADS score ≤ 2, which represents 74.8% of patients.

Cardiovascular outcomes in patients with cancer during a 5-year follow-up: Results from a French administrative database.

BACKGROUND: Limited data are available regarding the optimal management and prognosis of patients with cancer who develop an acute myocardial infarction. AIM: The objective of this study was to analyse the characteristics and outcomes of patients according to cancer and myocardial infarction occurrence. METHODS: Based on the French administrative hospital discharge database, the study collected information for all consecutive patients seen in French hospitals in 2013, excluding those with a history of myocardial infarction. The population was divided into two groups according to their history of cancer. We studied the following outcomes: all-cause and cardiovascular mortality; acute myocardial infarction; and ischaemic stroke. Data were collected after a 5-year follow-up. RESULTS: Between 2013 and 2019, 3,381,472 patients were seen in French hospitals; among them, 3,323,757 had no history of myocardial infarction. Patients with a history of cancer (n=497,593) had higher incidences of all-cause mortality (17.82%/year vs 3.79%/year), cardiovascular mortality (1.61%/year vs 1.17%/year), myocardial infarction (0.82%/year vs 0.61%/year) and ischaemic stroke (0.91%/year vs 0.62%/year) compared with patients without cancer (n=2,826,164). After performing an adjusted competing-risk analysis, the cumulative incidence of acute myocardial infarction, cardiovascular death and ischaemic stroke incidence was found to be lower in patients with a history of cancer, whereas death of non-cardiac origin was more prevalent in patients with a history of cancer. CONCLUSIONS: In this observational study, we have shown that patients with cancer have a higher incidence of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality and myocardial infarction. However, multivariable analysis showed a lower cumulative incidence of these events.

Adenosine Receptors Profile in Fibromuscular Dysplasia.

Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) is a non-inflammatory vascular disease that is characterized by unexplained systemic hypertension occurring in young people, associated with arterial stenosis, aneurysm rupture, intracranial/renal infarction, and stroke. Although the gold standard for the diagnosis remains catheter-angiography, biological markers would be helpful due to the delay from first symptom to diagnosis. Adenosine is an ATP derivative, that may be implicated in FMD pathophysiology. We hypothesized that changes in adenosine blood level (ABL) and production of adenosine receptors may be associated with FMD. Using peripheral blood mononuclear cells, we evaluated A1, A2A, and A2B receptor production by Western blot, in 67 patients (17 men and 50 women, mean (range) age 55 (29−77) years and 40 controls, 10 men and 30 women, mean (range) age 56 (37−70)). ABL was evaluated by liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry. ABL was significantly higher in patients vs. controls, mean (range): 1.7 (0.7−3) µmol/L vs. controls 0.6 (0.4−0.8) µmol/L (+180%) p < 0.001. While A1R and A2AR production did not differ in patients and controls, we found an over-production of A2BR in patients: 1.70 (0.90−2.40; arbitrary units) vs. controls = 1.03 (0.70−1.40), mean + 65% (p < 0.001). A2BR production with a cut off of 1.3 arbitrary units, gives a good sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis. Production measurement of A2BR on monocytes and ABL could help in the diagnosis, especially in atypical or with poor symptoms.

Long-Term Prognosis Value of Paravalvular Leak and Patient-Prosthesis Mismatch following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation: Insight from the France-TAVI Registry.

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is the preferred treatment for symptomatic severe aortic stenosis (AS) in a majority of patients across all surgical risks. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Paravalvular leak (PVL) and patient-prosthesis mismatch (PPM) are two frequent complications of TAVI. Therefore, based on the large France-TAVI registry, we planned to report the incidence of both complications following TAVI, evaluate their respective risk factors, and study their respective impacts on long-term clinical outcomes, including mortality. RESULTS: We identified 47,494 patients in the database who underwent a TAVI in France between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2019. Within this population, 17,742 patients had information regarding PPM status (5138 with moderate-to-severe PPM, 29.0%) and 20,878 had information regarding PVL (4056 with PVL ≥ 2, 19.4%). After adjustment, the risk factors for PVL ≥ 2 were a lower body mass index (BMI), a high baseline mean aortic gradient, a higher body surface area, a lower ejection fraction, a smaller diameter of TAVI, and a self-expandable TAVI device, while for moderate-to-severe PPM we identified a younger age, a lower BMI, a larger body surface area, a low aortic annulus area, a low ejection fraction, and a smaller diameter TAVI device (OR 0.85; 95% CI, 0.83-0.86) as predictors. At 6.5 years, PVL ≥ 2 was an independent predictor of mortality and was associated with higher mortality risk. PPM was not associated with increased risk of mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis from the France-TAVI registry showed that both moderate-to-severe PPM and PVL ≥ 2 continue to be frequently observed after the TAVI procedure. Different risk factors, mostly related to the patient's anatomy and TAVI device selection, for both complications have been identified. Only PVL ≥ 2 was associated with higher mortality during follow-up.

Plasma A2AR Measurement Can Help Physicians Identify Patients Suspected of Coronary Chronic Syndrome: A Pilot Study.

The evaluation of suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) in the medical community is challenging. Patients with suspected coronary chronic syndrome (CCS) are referred by the medical community to be assessed by specialists for the performance of noninvasive tests that have high rates of false positives and false negatives. While troponins are the gold standard for evaluate myocardial injuries, there is no biomarker to assess myocardial ischemia in patient populations with negative electrocardiography or without an increase in troponin level. A2A adenosine receptors control the coronary blood flow through its vasodilating properties. It has been shown that patients with CAD have a lower A2AR expression on peripheral blood mononuclear cells, suggesting a link between A2AR production and the severity of CAD. Herein, we present a new and innovative method of inhibition ELISA for A2AR in the plasma of patients who permit the evaluation of the amount of soluble A2AR. For this analysis, the total study sample was 54, including 31 patients with CAD with stenosis > 50% and a significant fractional flow reserve (FFR < 0.8) (Group 1) and 23 patients with normal or non-obstructive coronary arteries (stenosis < 50% and nonsignificant FFR > 0.8) (Group 2). The % inhibition (which is linked to the presence of soluble receptors) with the plasma of patients with FFR < 0.8 was significantly lower than that of patients with FFR > 0.8 (median [range]: 68% [20.7−86.9] vs. 83% [67−88.4]; p < 0.001). The ROC curve indicated a good sensitivity/specificity ratio with a cut off of 72.5% and an area under the curve of 0.87. In conclusion, a rapid ELISA to assess soluble A2AR in the plasma shows promise to screen patients suspected of having CAD.

Comparison of Unguided De-Escalation Versus Guided Selection of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy After Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The benefit of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) for reducing ischemic events is greatest in the early period of acute coronary syndrome, and recent randomized controlled trials have investigated the unguided de-escalation strategy of changing potent P2Y12 inhibitors to less potent or reduced-dose P2Y12 inhibitors 1 month after acute coronary syndrome. However, it remains unclear which strategy is more effective and safer: the uniform unguided de-escalation strategy versus the personalized guided selection of DAPT with genotype or platelet function tests. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central were searched for articles published from database inception to September 10, 2021. Randomized controlled trials investigating DAPT using clopidogrel, low-dose prasugrel, standard-dose prasugrel, ticagrelor, unguided de-escalation strategy, and guided selection strategy for patients with acute coronary syndrome were included. Hazard ratios and relative risk estimates were extracted from each study. The estimates were pooled using a random-effects network meta-analysis. The primary efficacy outcome was major adverse cardiovascular events, defined as a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke. The primary safety outcome was major or minor bleeding. Secondary outcomes were all-cause death, cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, stent thrombosis, and major bleeding. RESULTS: This study included 19 randomized controlled trials with 69 746 patients. Compared with guided selection of DAPT, unguided de-escalation of DAPT was associated with a decreased risk of the primary safety outcome (hazard ratio, 0.48 [95% CI, 0.33-0.72]) without increased risks of major adverse cardiovascular events (hazard ratio, 0.82 [95% CI, 0.53-1.28]) or any secondary outcomes. The results were similar when the guided selection strategy was divided into platelet function-guided and genotype-guided strategies. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with guided selection of DAPT, unguided de-escalation of DAPT decreased bleeding without increasing ischemic events in patients after acute coronary syndrome. If a strategy of de-escalation is chosen, these findings do not support the routine use of personalized guiding tests. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/; Unique identifier: CRD42021273082.

Valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve replacement or re-surgical aortic valve replacement in degenerated bioprostheses: A systematic review and meta-analysis of short and midterm results.

INTRODUCTION: Despite limited to short and midterm outcomes, valve-in-valve (ViV) transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has emerged as a valid alternative to re-surgical aortic valve replacement (re-SAVR) for high- and intermediate-risk patients with degenerated surgical bioprosthesis. METHODS: All studies comparing multivariate adjustment between ViV TAVI and re-SAVR were screened. The primary end-points were all-cause and cardiovascular (CV) mortality at 30 days and at Midterm follow-up. Short-term complications were the secondary endpoints. RESULTS: We obtained data from 11 studies, encompassing 8570 patients, 4224 undergoing ViV TAVI, and 4346 re-SAVR. Four studies included intermediate-risk patients and seven high-risk patients. 30-day all-cause and CV mortality were significantly lower in ViV (odds ratio [OR] 0.43, 95% confidence intervals [CIs] 0.29-0.64 and OR 0.44, 0.26-0.73 respectively), while after a mean follow-up of 717 (180-1825) days, there was no difference between the two groups (OR 1.04, 0.87-1.25 and OR 1.05, 0.78-1.43, respectively). The risk of stroke (OR 1.03, 0.59-1.82), MI (OR 0.70, 0.34-1.44), major vascular complications (OR 0.92, 0.50-1.67), and permanent pacemaker implantation (OR 0.67, 0.36-1.25) at 30 days did not differ, while major bleedings and new-onset atrial fibrillation were significantly lower in ViV patients (OR 0.41, 0.25-0.67 and OR 0.23, 0.12-0.42, respectively, all 95% CIs). CONCLUSIONS: In high- and intermediate-risk patients with degenerated surgical bioprostheses, ViV TAVI is associated with reduced short-term mortality, compared with re-SAVR. Nevertheless, no differences were found in all-cause and CV mortality at midterm follow-up. PROSPERO CRD42021226488.

Prosthesis-Patient Mismatch in Small Aortic Annuli: Self-Expandable vs. Balloon-Expandable Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

Prosthesis−patient mismatch (PPM) is associated with worse outcomes following surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). PPM has been identified in a significant proportion of TAVR, particularly in patients with small aortic annuli. Our objective was to evaluate the hemodynamic performances of balloon-expandable (BE) (Sapiens 3TM) versus two different self-expandable (SE) (Evolut ProTM, Accurate NeoTM) TAVR devices in patients with small aortic annulus defined by a computed tomography aortic annulus area (AAA) between 330 and 440 mm2. We enrolled 131 consecutive patients corresponding to 76 Sapiens 3 23 mm (58.0%), 26 Evolut Pro (19.9%) and 29 Accurate Neo (22.1%). Mean age was 82.5 ± 7.06 years, 22.9% of patients were male and mean Euroscore was 4.0%. Mean AAA was 374 ± 27 mm2 for Sapiens 3, 383 ± 29 mm2 for Corevalve Evolut Pro and 389 ± 25 mm2 for Accurate Neo. BE devices were associated with significantly higher rates of PPM (39.5%) as compared to SE devices (15.4% for Corevalve Evolut Pro and 6.9% for Accurate Neo) (p < 0.0001). Paravalvular leaks ≥ 2/4 were more often observed in SE devices (15.4% for Corevalve Evolut Pro and 17.2% for Accurate Neo) than in BE devices (2.6%) (p = 0.007). In conclusion, SE TAVR devices did achieve better hemodynamic results despite higher rates of paravalvular leaks. Therefore, SE TAVI devices could be considered as first choice in small aortic anatomy.

Myocardial Revascularization Strategies in ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction Without Urgent Revascularization: Insight From a Nationwide Study.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the outcomes of patients presenting with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) without early (<48 hours) revascularization, according to percutaneous versus surgical revascularization. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Based on the French administrative hospital discharge database, the study collected information for all consecutive patients seen for a STEMI in France between January 1, 2010, to June 31, 2019, who underwent either a first percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or a first coronary artery bypass graft between 48 hours and 90 days after the index hospitalization. Propensity score matching was used for the analysis of outcomes. RESULTS: Of 71,365 patients with STEMI in the analysis, 59,340 patients underwent PCI and 12,025 patients underwent coronary artery bypass graft. In a matched analysis of 12,012 patients by arm, surgical revascularization was associated with lower rates of all cause (5.1% vs 7.1%; hazard ratio [HR], 0.70; 95% CI, 0.66 to 0.75) and cardiovascular (2.6% vs 3.1%; HR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.76 to 0.91) death. Rehospitalization for heart failure was less often reported after surgery (5.5% vs 7.5%; HR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.71 to 0.81) whereas stroke incidence was not statistically different between the two arms (2.1% vs 2.3%; HR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.80 to 1.00). Major bleeding was less often reported in the PCI arm (4.6% vs 6.1%; HR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.22 to 1.41). CONCLUSION: In patients with STEMI who did not undergo urgent revascularization (ie, within 48 hours after presentation), surgical revascularization was associated with better outcomes and should be individually considered as an alternative to PCI.

Advantages and disadvantages of drug challenge during electrophysiological study in patients with new left bundle branch block after transaortic valve implantation.

AIMS: Electrophysiological study (EPS) is recommended in case of new-onset persistent left bundle branch block (NOP-LBBB) after transaortic valve implantation (TAVI) to identify patients at high risk of delayed atrioventricular block (D-AVB). We evaluated the added value of drug challenge, after normal baseline EPS, to predict D-AVB in such patients. METHODS: We conducted a comparative single-centre study of two successive periods, during which we used baseline EPS alone (first period) or drug challenge in case of normal baseline EPS (second period), for patients with NOP-LBBB after TAVI. The primary endpoint was a composite of pacemaker use, documented D-AVB, cardiac syncope, sudden death, or delayed pacemaker implantation. RESULTS: Among 736 patients with TAVI implantation between January 2016 and September 2019, 64 with NOP-LBBB were included. During the first period, 4/22 (18.2%) presented with a positive baseline EPS. After a mean (standard deviation [SD]) of 15.6 (8.3) months, 7/22 (31.8%) reached the primary endpoint. During the second period, 19/42 (45.2%) presented with a positive EPS. After a mean (SD) of 12.8 (3.5) months, 8/42 (19.0%) reached the primary endpoint. There was a tendency to increased sensitivity (42.9-87.5%; P = 0.12) and negative predictive value (77.8-95.7%; P = 0.15) of the EPS, respectively during the first to the second period. However, the specificity decreased (93.3-64.7%; P = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Diagnostic yield improved with drug challenge in case of normal baseline EPS. However, the decrease in specificity led to a high rate of unnecessary pacemaker implantation.

Outcomes Following Aortic Stenosis Treatment (Transcatheter vs Surgical Replacement) in Women vs Men (From a Nationwide Analysis).

Gender-differences in survival following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) have been suggested. The objective of this study was to analyze outcomes following TAVR according to gender and to compare outcomes between TAVR and SAVR in women, at a nationwide level. Based on the French administrative hospital-discharge database, the study collected information for all consecutive patients treated with TAVR and SAVR between 2010 and 2019. Outcomes were analyzed according to gender and propensity score matching was used for the analysis of outcomes. In total 71,794 patients were identified in the database. After matching on baseline characteristics, we analyzed 12,336 women and 12,336 men treated with TAVR. In a second matched analysis, we compared 9,297 women treated with TAVR and 9,297 women treated with SAVR. Long term follow-up showed lower risk of all-cause death (12.7% vs 14.8%, hazard ratio (HR) 0.85, 95% CI 0.81 to 0.90) in women than men. Although the difference in cardiovascular death remained non-significant (5.8% vs 6.0%, HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.88 to 1.05), non-cardiovascular death was less frequent in women than in men following TAVR (6.9% vs 8.8% HR 0.78, 95%CI 0.72 to 0.84).When TAVR was compared with SAVR in women, long-term follow-up with TAVR showed higher rates of all-cause death (11.2% vs 6.5%, HR 1.91, 95%CI 1.78 to 2.05), cardiovascular death (5.0% vs 3.2%, HR 1.44, 95%CI 1.30 to 1.59), and non-cardiovascular death (6.2% vs 3.3%, HR 2.48, 95% CI 2.25 to 2.72). In conclusion, we observed that women undergoing TAVR have lower long-term all-cause mortality as compared with TAVR in men, driven by non-cardiovascular mortality. SAVR was associated with lower rates of long-term cardiovascular adverse events in women as compared with TAVR.

De-Escalation of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndromes.

BACKGROUND: Balancing the effects of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) in the era of potent P2Y12 inhibitors has become a cornerstone of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) management. Recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have investigated DAPT de-escalation to decrease the risk of bleeding outcomes. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety outcomes of various DAPT strategies in patients with ACS, including de-escalation from a potent P2Y12 inhibitor to clopidogrel or low-dose prasugrel. METHODS: MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched through January 2021 for RCTs investigating the efficacy and safety of DAPT in patients with ACS, and a network meta-analysis was conducted. The primary efficacy outcome was a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, and stroke. The primary bleeding outcome was trial-defined major or minor bleeding. RESULTS: Our search identified 15 eligible RCTs, including 55,798 patients with ACS. De-escalation therapy was associated with reduced risk of primary bleeding outcomes (HR: 0.48 [95% CI: 0.30-0.77] vs clopidogrel; HR: 0.32 [95% CI: 0.20-0.52] vs ticagrelor; HR: 0.36 [95% CI: 0.24-0.55] vs standard-dose prasugrel; and HR: 0.40 [95% CI: 0.22-0.75] vs low-dose prasugrel) without negatively affecting primary efficacy outcomes. There were no significant differences in ischemic or bleeding outcomes between de-escalation to clopidogrel or low-dose prasugrel. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with other established uses of DAPT, de-escalation was the most effective strategy for ACS treatment, resulting in fewer bleeding events without increasing ischemic events.

Adenosine Receptor Reserve and Long-Term Potentiation: Unconventional Adaptive Mechanisms in Cardiovascular Diseases?

While the concept of a receptor reserve (spare receptors) is old, their presence on human cells as an adaptive mechanism in cardiovascular disease is a new suggestion. The presence of spare receptors is suspected when the activation of a weak fraction of receptors leads to maximal biological effects, in other words, when the half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) for a biological effect (cAMP production, for example) is lower than the affinity (KD) of the ligand for a receptor. Adenosine is an ATP derivative that strongly impacts the cardiovascular system via its four membrane receptors, named A1R, A2AR, A2BR, and A3R, with the A1R being more particularly involved in heart rhythm, while the A2AR controls vasodilation. After a general description of the tools necessary to explore the presence of spare receptors, this review focuses on the consequences of the presence of spare adenosine receptors in cardiovascular physiopathology. Finally, the role of the adenosinergic system in the long-term potentiation and its possible consequences on the physiopathology are also mentioned.