PET evaluation of myocardial perfusion function after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with chronic total occlusion: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective. The benefit of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in chronic complete coronary artery occlusion (CTO) remains controversial. PCI is currently indicated only for symptom and myocardial ischemia abolition, but large chronically occluded vessels with extensive afferent myocardial territories may benefit most from this procedure. The noninvasive evaluation of myocardial perfusion is critical before and after revascularization, and positron emission tomography (PET) can determine absolute myocardial perfusion. Here, we aimed to explore and compare myocardial perfusion in CTO territories and their remote associated areas before and after PCI. Design. We searched for relevant articles published before November 28, 2022, in the Cochrane Library and PubMed. We calculated 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and standardized mean differences (SMDs) for parameters related to myocardial perfusion in CTO territories and remote areas in CTO patients before and after PCI. Results. We included five studies published between 2017 and 2022, with a total of 592 patients. Stress myocardial blood flow (MBF) was increased in CTO territories after PCI when compared to pre-PCI (mean difference [MD]: 1.70, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.33-2.08, p < 0.001). Coronary flow reserve (CFR) in CTO regions was also higher after PCI (MD 1.37,95% [CI]1.13-1.61, p < 0.001). Stress MBF in remote regions was also increased after PCI (MD 0.27,95% [CI]0.99 ∼ 0.45, p = 0.004), as was CFR in remote regions (MD 0.32,95% [CI] 0.14-0.5, p = 0.001). Conclusions. According to our pooled analysis of current literature, there was an increase in stress MBF and CFR in both CTOs and remote regions after PCI, suggesting that patients with CTO have widespread recovery of blood perfusion after the procedure. These results provide evidence that patients with CTO arteries and high ischemic burdens would indeed benefit from CTO-PCI. Future research on the correlation of ischemia burden reduction with hard clinical endpoints would contribute to a clearer demarcation of the role of CTO PCI with prognostic potential.

Validation of biomechanical assessment of coronary plaque vulnerability based on intravascular optical coherence tomography and digital subtraction angiography.

Background: It has been suggested that biomechanical factors may influence plaque development. However, key determinants for assessing plaque vulnerability remain speculative. Methods: In this study, a two-dimensional (2D) structural mechanical analysis and a three-dimensional (3D) fluid-structure interaction (FSI) analysis were conducted based on intravascular optical coherence tomography (IV-OCT) and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) data sets. In the 2D study, 103 IV-OCT slices were analyzed. An in-depth morpho-mechanic analysis and a weighted least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis were conducted to identify the crucial features related to plaque vulnerability via the tuning parameter (λ). In the 3D study, the coronary model was reconstructed by fusing the IV-OCT and DSA data, and a FSI analysis was subsequently performed. The relationship between vulnerable plaque and wall shear stress (WSS) was investigated. Results: The influential factors were selected using the minimum criteria (λ-min) and one-standard error criteria (λ-1se). In addition to the common vulnerable factor of the minimum fibrous cap thickness (FCTmin), four biomechanical factors were selected by λ-min, including the average/maximal displacements and average/maximal stress, and two biomechanical factors were selected by λ-1se, including the average/maximal displacements. Additionally, the positions of the vulnerable plaques were consistent with the sites of high WSS. Conclusions: Functional indices are crucial for plaque status assessment. An evaluation based on biomechanical simulations might provide insights into risk identification and guide therapeutic decisions.

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Offers Clinical Benefits to Diabetic Patients With Stable Chronic Total Occlusion.

Whether percutaneous coronary intervention for chronic total occlusion (CTO-PCI) in diabetic patients offers more benefits compared with initial medical therapy (CTO-MT) is unclear. In this study, diabetic patients with one CTO (clinical manifestations: stable angina or silent ischemia) were enrolled. Consecutively, enrolled patients (n = 1605) were assigned to different groups: CTO-PCI (1044 [65.0%]) and initial CTO-MT (561 [35%]). After a median follow-up of 44 months, CTO-PCI tended to be superior to initial CTO-MT in major adverse cardiovascular events (adjusted hazard-ratio [aHR]: .81, 95% conference-interval: .65-1.02) and significantly superior in cardiac death (aHR: .58 [.39-.87]) and all-cause death (aHR: .678[.473-.970]). Such superiority mainly attributed to a successful CTO-PCI. CTO-PCI tended to be performed in patients with younger age, good collaterals, left anterior descending branch CTO, and right coronary artery CTO. While, those with left circumflex CTO and severe clinical/angiographic situations were more likely to be assigned to initial CTO-MT. However, none of these variables influenced the benefits of CTO-PCI. Thus, we concluded that for diabetic patients with stable CTO, CTO-PCI (mainly successful CTO-PCI) offered patients survival benefits over initial CTO-MT. These benefits were consistent regardless of clinical/angiographic characteristics.

Drug-Coated Balloon-Only Strategy for De Novo Coronary Artery Disease: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials.

Backgrounds: Many clinical trials have demonstrated the value of drug-coated balloons (DCB) for in-stent restenosis. However, their role in de novo lesions is not well documented. The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the DCB-only strategy compared to other percutaneous coronary intervention strategies for de novo coronary lesions. Methods: The PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) electronic databases were searched for randomized controlled trials published up to May 6, 2023. The primary outcomes were major adverse cardiac events and late lumen loss. Results: A total of eighteen trials with 3336 participants were included. Compared with drug-eluting stents, the DCB-only strategy was associated with a similar risk of major adverse cardiac events (risk ratio (RR) = 0.90; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.59 to 1.37, P = 0.631) and a significant decrease in late lumen loss (standardized mean difference (SMD) = -0.29, 95% CI: -0.53 to -0.04, P = 0.021). This effect was consistent in subgroup analysis regardless of indication, follow-up time, drug-eluting stent type, and dual antiplatelet therapy duration. However, DCBs were inferior to DESs for minimum lumen diameter and percentage diameter stenosis. The DCB-only strategy showed significantly better outcomes for most endpoints compared to plain-old balloon angioplasty or bare metal stents. Conclusions: Interventions with a DCB-only strategy are comparable to those of drug-eluting stents and superior to plain-old balloon angioplasty or bare metal stents for the treatment of selected de novo coronary lesions. Additional evidence is still warranted to confirm the value of DCB before widespread clinical utilization can be recommended.

Regulation of cardiovascular and cardiac functions by caveolins.

Caveolae are intracellular vesicles with diameters ranging from 50 to 100 nm. The role of caveolins in mediating oxidative stress, autophagy, apoptosis, fibrosis, and vascular remodeling has attracted increasing attention in cardiovascular therapy. Several studies have suggested that caveolin could be a therapeutic target for the treatment of cardiac and/or vascular injury via several pathophysiological mechanisms. Despite substantial advances in our understanding of the basic biology of vesicles over the past decade, the relevance and specific role of these mechanisms in cardiovascular homeostasis remains ambiguous. Here, we review the macroscopic role of caveolins in protecting cardiac function and, at the microscopic level, examine possible cardioprotective caveolar mechanisms, including their antioxidative stress, antiapoptosis, autophagy-regulatory, antifibrosis, and angiogenesis-promoting properties. We believe that the role of caveolins in cardiac functioning has not been fully elucidated and is an important line of future research with several cardioprotective implications.

Efficacy and safety of drug-coated balloons in the treatment of de novo coronary lesions in very small vessels: a prospective, multicenter, single-arm trial.

Background: Evidence of the use of drug-coated balloons (DCB) in de novo large or small coronary lesions and in-stent restenosis has accumulated over the past years. Due to their anatomical peculiarity, the treatment of very small vessels (VSV) (lumen diameter <2 mm) is still a controversial issue. Studies that examine the use of DCB in VSV are limited. We investigated the efficacy and safety of using DCBs for the de novo coronary lesions in VSV undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: In this prospective, single-arm study, we enrolled adult patients with coronary artery disease from six centers in China. A total of 29 patients had VSV with a target lesion stenosis ≥70% were included. All patients were treated with DCB. The primary endpoint was late lumen loss (LLL) at 9 months of follow-up. The secondary endpoints were major adverse cardiac events including target lesion revascularization, death, or myocardial infarction at 9 months of follow-up. Results: Twenty-nine eligible patients with VSV were enrolled between November 2019 to May 2020. Angiographic and clinical follow-up were completed at 9 months in 18 (56.25%) patients (7 patients refused to final angiography; 2 failed to finish DCB angioplasty; 1 patient request; 1 other causes of death). The mean diameter of the reference vessel of the target lesion was 1.71±0.27 mm, the minimum lumen diameter (MLD) of the target lesion before operation was 0.31±0.24 mm, the average LLL of the target lesion was 0.13±0.28 mm, and the MLD of the target vessel immediately after operation was (1.19±0.20 mm) and at the 9-month follow-up (1.06±0.31 mm) were significantly higher than those before operation (P=0.043). One patient (5.56%) underwent revascularization. No myocardial infarction or death occurred during follow-up after treatment with DCBs. Conclusions: DCB can be a safe and effective alternative in the treatment of de novo coronary lesions in VSV.

Comparison of successful versus failed percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with chronic total occlusion: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The optimal treatment strategy of chronic total occlusion (CTO) is currently debated. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the long-term clinical outcomes of successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of CTO. METHODS: Electronic databases were searched for studies comparing long-term outcomes between successful PCI in patients with CTO using drug-eluting stents and failed procedures. Meta-analysis was conducted with major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and all-cause mortality during the longest follow-up as endpoints. The combined hazard ratios (HRs) were applied to assess the correlation between successful CTO PCI and MACE/all-cause mortality. RESULTS: Eight studies consisting of 6,211 patients published between 2012 and 2020 met our inclusion criteria, and the CTO PCI success rate was 81.2%. Patients in the failed group were much older, and more likely to have morbidities (hypertension and prior myocardial infarction), reduced left ventricular ejection fraction, and severe lesion characteristics (multivessel disease and moderate/severe calcification). Pooled results indicated that successful CTO PCI was significantly associated with prognosis. Compared to failed recanalization, patients receiving successful procedures had an improved MACE (HR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.40-0.61, p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses further revealed the prognostic value of successful CTO PCI. However, no difference was observed regarding all-cause mortality (HR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.61-1.02, p = 0.074). CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed that CTO recanalization was associated with improved long-term outcomes. However, randomized trials are needed to confirm the results due to the mismatch of baseline characteristics.

Revascularization or medical therapy for stable coronary artery disease patients with different degrees of ischemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the role of myocardial perfusion.

OBJECTIVE: This study explored the best treatment strategies for stable coronary artery disease (SCAD) patients with differing levels of ischemic severity. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive search of the PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases - searching for relevant articles through 4 February 2021. We selected studies comparing different treatments for patients with SCAD who had received ischemia assessments. The primary outcome was death. The secondary outcomes were major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) and myocardial infarction (MI). RESULTS: A total of 11 studies, including 35,607 subjects, were selected for this meta-analysis. Results showed that, compared with medical therapy, revascularization could reduce MACE incidence (odds ratio (OR) 0.73, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.57-0.94, p < 0.05) in SCAD patients with myocardial ischemia, but that it was not effective for patients without ischemia. For mild ischemia, the incidence of death (OR 0.78, 95% CI: 0.59-1.01, p = 0.063), MACE (OR 0.91, 95% CI: 0.48-1.70, p = 0.762), or MI (OR 1.44, 95% CI: 0.94-2.19, p = 0.093) was the same whether they were treated with revascularization or medical therapy. For moderate to severe ischemia, revascularization reduced the incidence of MACE (OR 0.59, 95% CI: 0.42-0.83, p < 0.05) and MI (OR 0.83, 95% CI: 0.71-0.98, p < 0.05), but the incidence of death (OR 0.73, 95% CI: 0.47-1.12, p = .145) was similar. For SCAD patients with severe ischemia, revascularization may confer survival benefits (OR 0.46, 95% CI: 0.21-1.00, p = 0.05). CONCLUSION: For SCAD patients with moderate to severe ischemia, revascularization reduces the MACE and MI incidences, but does not change the incidence of death. Evaluation for myocardial ischemia is vital when selecting a therapeutic strategy.

Interaction of graphene oxide with lysozyme:Insights from conformational structure and surface charge investigations.

Lysozyme (Lyz) is an important antibacterial protein that exists widely in nature. In recent years, the application of graphene oxide (GO) in the field of biotechnology electronics, optics, chemistry and energy storage has been extensively studied. However, due to the unique properties of GO, the mechanism of its interaction with biomacromolecule proteins is very complex. To further explore the interaction between GO and proteins we explore the influence of different pH and heat treatment conditions on the interaction between GO and Lyz, the GO (0-20 µg/mL) was added at a fixed Lyz concentration (0.143 mg/mL) under different pHs. The structure and surface charge changes of Lyz were measured by spectroscopic analysis and zeta potential. The results showed that the interaction between GO and Lyz depends on temperature and pH, significant changes have taken place in its tertiary and secondary structures. By analyzing the UV absorption spectrum, it was found that lysozyme and GO formed a stable complex, and the conformation of the enzyme was changed. In acidic pH conditions (i.e., pH < pI), a high density of Lyz were found to adsorb on the GO surface, whereas an increase in pH resulted in a progressive decrease in the density of the adsorbed Lyz. This pH-dependent adsorption is ascribed to the electrostatic interactions between the negatively charged GO surface and the tunable ionization of the Lyz molecules. The secondary structure of Lyz adsorbed on GO was also found to be highly dependent on the pH. In this paper, we investigated the exact mechanism of pH-influenced GO binding to lysozyme, which has important guidance significance for the potential toxicity of GO biology and its applications in biomedical fields such as structure-based drug design.

Coronary artery bypass graft surgery versus stenting for patients with chronic kidney disease and complex coronary artery disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The relative role of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stent implantation in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and complex coronary artery disease (CAD) remains debatable due to the lack of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We therefore performed this meta-analysis to compare the outcomes of the two strategies in CKD patients with multivessel and/or left main disease. METHODS: Electronic databases including PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library were comprehensively searched to identify the eligible subgroup analysis of RCTs and propensity-matched registries. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality during the longest follow-up. RESULTS: Five subgroup analyses of RCTs and six propensity-matched registries involving 26,441 patients were analyzed. Overall, the strategy of CABG was associated with lower risks of long-term mortality [odds ratio (OR) 0.83, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.74-0.93], myocardial infarction (OR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.27-0.62), and repeat revascularization (OR, 0.25; 95% CI, 0.16-0.39) compared with PCI in CKD patients with complex CAD. However, CABG was slightly associated with higher risk of stroke than PCI (OR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.00-1.77). Nonetheless, the higher stroke risk in the CABG group no longer existed during long-term follow-up (OR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.37-2.25) (>3 years). CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis supports the current guideline advising CABG for patients with CKD and complex CAD. At the expense of slightly increased risk of stroke, CABG reduces the incidences of long-term all-cause death, myocardial infarction and repeat revascularization compared with PCI.

The success of opening concurrent chronic total occlusion lesion to improve cardiac function trial in patients with multi-vessel disease (SOS-moral): Study protocol of a prospective multicenter study.

AIMS: The purpose of the present trial is to determine whether opening co-existing chronic total occlusions (CTOs) using percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) improves cardiac function in patients with multi-vessel disease (MVD). Patients with MVD are defined as having at least one additional major vessel exhibiting no less than 75% stenosis combined with the presence of a CTO artery. METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients will be prospectively recruited who meet the following criteria:Patients presenting with no necrosis of myocardial tissue in the territory of the CTO will be excluded. Recruited patients will be randomized into 2 groups: those undergoing PCI of only the non-CTO artery (non-CTO PCI group), and those undergoing PCI of the non-CTO artery concurrently with the CTO artery (CTO-PCI group). The primary outcome will be the change in cardiac function evaluated via CMR at a 12-month of follow-up appointment, which will be compared to a baseline measurement. Secondary outcomes include occurrence of major cardiac events, CMR-assessed myocardial viability in the CTO-supplied territory, and quality of life assessed by Seattle angina questionnaire, Patient Health Questionnaire 9 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 after 12-month follow-up. CONCLUSION: The SOS-moral trial will provide data necessary to determine whether to open concurrent CTOs among MVD patients with CMR-detected necrotic myocardial tissue.

Caveolin as a Novel Potential Therapeutic Target in Cardiac and Vascular Diseases: A Mini Review.

Caveolin, a structural protein of caveolae, play roles in the regulation of endothelial function, cellular lipid homeostasis, and cardiac function by affecting the activity and biogenesis of nitric oxide, and by modulating signal transduction pathways that mediate inflammatory responses and oxidative stress. In this review, we present the role of caveolin in cardiac and vascular diseases and the relevant signaling pathways involved. Furthermore, we discuss a novel therapeutic perspective comprising crosstalk between caveolin and autophagy.

Long-term outcomes of staged recanalization for concurrent chronic total occlusion in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction after primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: In patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who undergo primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), approximately 10% are concomitant with a chronic total occlusion (CTO) in a non-culprit vessel. However, the impact of staged CTO recanalization on prognosis in this cohort remains disputable. This study aimed to compare the long-term outcomes of staged CTO recanalization versus medical therapy in patients with STEMI after primary PCI. METHODS: Between January 2005 and December 2016, a total of 287 patients were treated with staged CTO-PCI (n = 91) or medical therapy (n = 196) after primary PCI in our center. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular event (MACCE), defined as a composite of all-cause death, nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), stroke or unplanned revascularization. After propensity-score matching, 77 pairs of well-balanced patients were identified. RESULTS: The mean follow-up period was 6.06 years. Overall, the incidence of the primary endpoint of MACCE was significantly lower in staged CTO-PCI group than that in medical therapy group in both overall population (22.0% vs. 46.9%; hazard ratio (HR) = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.29-0.77) and propensity-matched cohorts (22.1% vs. 42.9%; HR: 0.48, 95% CI: 0.27-0.86). In addition, staged CTO-PCI was also associated with reduced risk of the composite of cardiac death, nonfatal MI or stroke compared with medical therapy in both overall population (9.9% vs. 26.5%; hazard ratio (HR) = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.19-0.79) and propensity-matched cohorts (9.1% vs. 22.1%; HR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.16-0.96). After correction of the possible confounders, staged CTO-PCI was independently associated with reduced risks of MACCE (adjusted HR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.28-0.75), the composite of cardiac death, nonfatal MI or stroke (adjusted HR: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.22-0.94) and all-cause mortality (adjusted HR: 0.32, 95% CI: 0.13-0.83). Moreover, the results of sensitivity analysis were almost concordant with the overall analysis. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with STEMI and a concurrent CTO who undergo primary PCI, successful staged recanalization of CTO in the non-culprit vessels is associated with better clinical outcomes during long-term follow-up.

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Offers Survival Benefit to Stable Patients With One Single Chronic Total Occlusion and Diabetes: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis.

Studies on chronic total occlusion (CTO) treatment strategy in stable patients have reported conflicting results. We focused on stable diabetic patients with a single CTO (other vessels have been successfully treated before). We attempted to identify which strategy (percutaneous coronary intervention [PCI] or medical therapy [MT]) is optimal; 545 patients were selected from a total of 39 952 patients. Based on the initial treatment strategy, we assigned patients to either the PCI or MT group. The primary end point was a major adverse cardiac event (MACE). After a median follow-up of 45 months (interquartile range: 25.7-79.2 months), we observed (1) no difference in MACE and myocardial infarction between groups, (2) multivariate analysis showed that PCI group was superior to MT group in cardiac death (hazard ratio: 4.758 (1.698-13.334); P = .003) and all-cause death (2.767 [1.157-6.618]; P = .022). The superiority was consistent in propensity score-matched analysis, and (3) a failed PCI group was not associated with higher risks in the clinical end points, except for target vessel revascularization, compared with MT. We concluded that for stable patients with diabetes and one single CTO, initial PCI strategy tended to offer patients survival benefits compared with MT.

Staged complete revascularization or culprit-only percutaneous coronary intervention for multivessel coronary artery disease in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Recently, several randomized trials have noted improved outcomes with staged percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of nonculprit vessels in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and multivessel disease. However, it remains unclear whether diabetes status affects the outcomes after different revascularization strategies. This study thus compared the impact of diabetes status on long-term outcomes after staged complete revascularization with that after culprit-only PCI. METHODS: From January 2006 to December 2015, 371 diabetic patients (staged PCI: 164, culprit-only PCI: 207) and 834 nondiabetic patients (staged PCI: 412, culprit-only PCI: 422) with STEMI and multivessel disease were enrolled. The primary endpoint was 5-year major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular event (MACCE), defined as a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke or unplanned revascularization. RESULTS: The rate of the 5-year composite primary endpoint for diabetic patients was close to that for nondiabetic patients (34.5% vs. 33.7%; adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.012, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.815-1.255). In nondiabetic patients, the 5-year risks of MACCE (31.8% vs. 35.5%; adjusted HR 0.638, 95% CI 0.500-0.816), MI (4.6% vs. 9.2%; adjusted HR 0.358, 95% CI 0.200-0.641), unplanned revascularization (19.9% vs. 24.9%; adjusted HR 0.532, 95% CI 0.393-0.720), and the composite of cardiac death, MI or stroke (11.4% vs. 15.2%; adjusted HR 0.621, 95% CI 0.419-0.921) were significantly lower after staged PCI than after culprit-only PCI. In contrast, no significant difference was found between the two groups with respect to MACCE, MI, unplanned revascularization, and the composite of cardiac death, MI or stroke in diabetic patients. Significant interactions were found between diabetes status and revascularization assignment for the composite of cardiac death, MI or stroke (Pinteraction = 0.013), MI (Pinteraction = 0.005), and unplanned revascularization (Pinteraction = 0.013) at 5 years. In addition, the interaction tended to be significant for the primary endpoint of MACCE (Pinteraction = 0.053). Moreover, the results of propensity score-matching analysis were concordant with the overall analysis in both diabetic and nondiabetic population. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with STEMI and multivessel disease, diabetes is not an independent predictor of adverse cardiovascular events at 5 years. In nondiabetic patients, an approach of staged complete revascularization is superior to culprit-only PCI, whereas the advantage of staged PCI is attenuated in diabetic patients. Trial registration This study was not registered in an open access database.

Timing of initiation of intra-aortic balloon pump in patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: For patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complicated by cardiogenic shock (CS) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), the optimal timing of the initiation of intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) therapy remains unclear. Therefore, we performed the first meta-analysis to compare the outcomes of IABP insertion before vs after primary PCI in this population. METHODS: Electronic databases of PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were comprehensively searched from inception to April 1, 2019, to identify the eligible studies. The main outcomes were short-term (in-hospital or 30 days) and long-term (≥ 6 months) mortality. In addition, pooled analysis of risk-adjusted data were also performed to control for confounding factors. RESULTS: Seven observational studies and two sub-analysis of randomized controlled trials involving 1348 patients were included. Compared to patients inserted IABP after PCI, patients who received IABP therapy before primary PCI had similar risks of short-term (odds ratio [OR] 0.88, 95% CI 0.49 to 1.59) and long-term (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.58 to 1.68) all-cause mortality. Moreover, a pooled analysis of risk-adjusted data also found similar effects of the two therapies on short-term (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.34 to 1.25) and long-term (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.17 to 2.72) mortality. Besides, no significant difference was found between the two groups with respect to reinfarction, repeat revascularization, stroke, renal failure, and major bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: The timing of the initiation of IABP therapy does not appear to impact short-term and long-term survival in patients with AMI complicated by CS undergoing primary PCI.

Successful revascularization versus medical therapy in diabetic patients with stable right coronary artery chronic total occlusion: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The territory of the right coronary artery (RCA) is smaller than that of the left anterior descending artery. Previous studies have reported conflicting results when considering whether stable RCA-chronic total occlusion (CTO) should be reopened. The coexistence of diabetic and coronary artery diseases represents a severe situation. Therefore, we aimed to determine if stable RCA-CTO in diabetic patients was necessary to be reopened. To our knowledge, no studies have focused on this topic to date. METHODS: We enrolled diabetic patients with RCA-CTO who had clinical presentations of symptomatic stable angina or silent ischemia. RCA-CTO was treated with either successful revascularization (the CTO-SR group) or medical therapy (the CTO-MT group). The primary endpoint was all-cause death. Both Cox regression and propensity score matching analyses were used. Sensitivity analysis was performed based on subgroup populations and relevant baseline variables. RESULTS: A total of 943 patients were included: 443 (46.98%) patients in the CTO-MT group and 500 (53.02%) patients in the CTO-SR group. After a mid-term follow-up (CTO-SR: 48 months; CTO-MT: 42 months), we found that CTO-SR was superior to CTO-MT in terms of all-cause death (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] [model 1]: 0.429, 95% conference interval [CI] 0.269-0.682; adjusted HR [model 2]: 0.445, 95% CI 0.278-0.714). The superiority of CTO-SR was consistent for cardiac death, possible/definite cardiac death, repeat revascularization, target vessel revascularization (TVR) and repeat nonfatal myocardial infarction. Subgroup analysis confirmed the mortality benefit of CTO-SR by percutaneous coronary intervention (the successful CTO-PCI subgroup, 309 patients in total). While CTO-SR by coronary artery bypass grafting (the CTO-CABG subgroup, 191 patients in total) offered patients more benefit from repeat revascularization and TVR than that offered by successful CTO-PCI. CONCLUSIONS: For stable RCA-CTO patients with diabetes, successful revascularization offered patients more clinical benefits than medical therapy. CTO-CABG might be a more recommended way to accomplish revascularization. Trial registration This study was not registered in an open access database.

Long-Term Safety and Efficacy of Staged Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Patients with ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction and Multivessel Coronary Disease.

The relative benefit of staged percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) versus culprit-only PCI in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and multivessel coronary disease remains disputable. Therefore, we conducted this study to compare the long-term outcomes of staged complete revascularization and culprit-only PCI in this population. A total of 1,205 patients were treated with staged PCI (n = 576) or culprit-only PCI (n = 629) from January 2006 to December 2015 in our center. After propensity-score matching, 415 pairs of patients were identified, and postmatching absolute standardized differences were <10% for all covariates. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular event (MACCE), defined as a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, or unplanned revascularization. The mean follow-up duration was 5 years. Overall, staged complete revascularization was associated with lower risks of MACCE, MI, unplanned revascularization, and a composite of cardiac death, MI or stroke compared with culprit-only PCI in both overall population and propensity-matched cohorts. In Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, the strategy of staged PCI was consistently a significant predictor of lower incidences of MACCE, MI, unplanned revascularization and a composite of cardiac death, MI, or stroke. However, there was no difference in the risks of MACCE, MI and unplanned revascularization between the 2 approaches for diabetic patients. In conclusion, among patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and multivessel disease who underwent primary PCI, an approach of staged complete revascularization is superior to culprit-only PCI at 5-year follow-up. Nevertheless, the advantage of staged PCI is attenuated in diabetic patients.

Drug-Eluting Stent Versus Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting for Diabetic Patients With Multivessel and/or Left Main Coronary Artery Disease: A Meta-Analysis.

With the development of stent design and surgical techniques, the relative benefit of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) versus coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with diabetes and complex coronary artery disease are highly debated. This meta-analysis was conducted to compare the outcomes of drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation and CABG in these cohorts. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library up to January 4, 2018, was performed. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs), subgroup analysis from RCTs, or adjusted observational studies were eligible. Five RCTs and 13 adjusted observational studies involving 17 532 patients were included. Overall, PCI with DES was significantly associated with higher risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.16, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05-1.29), myocardial infarction (MI; HR: 1.69, 95% CI: 1.43-2.00), and repeat revascularization (HR: 3.77, 95% CI: 2.76-5.16) compared with CABG. Nevertheless, the risk of stroke was significantly lower in the DES group (HR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.54-0.83). The incidence of the composite end point of death, MI, or stroke was comparable between the 2 groups (HR: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.84-1.17). Despite the higher risk of stroke, CABG was better than PCI with DES for diabetic patients with multivessel and/or left main coronary artery disease.