Hypertension, microvascular obstruction and infarct size in patients with STEMI undergoing PCI: Pooled analysis from 7 cardiac magnetic resonance imaging studies.

BACKGROUND: Mortality after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is increased in patients with hypertension. The mechanisms underlying this association are uncertain. We sought to investigate whether patients with STEMI and prior hypertension have greater microvascular obstruction (MVO) and infarct size (IS) compared with those without hypertension. METHODS: We pooled individual patient data from 7 randomized trials of patients with STEMI undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in whom cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was performed within 1 month after reperfusion. The associations between hypertension and MVO, IS, and mortality were assessed in multivariable adjusted models. RESULTS: Among 2174 patients (61.3 ± 12.6 years, 76% male), 1196 (55.0%) had hypertension. Patients with hypertension were older, more frequently diabetic and had more extensive coronary artery disease than those without hypertension. MVO and IS measured as percent LV mass were not significantly different in patients with and without hypertension (adjusted differences 0.1, 95% CI -0.3 to 0.6, P = .61 and -0.2, 95% CI -1.5 to 1.2, P = .80, respectively). Hypertension was associated with a higher unadjusted risk of 1-year death (hazard ratio [HR] 2.28, 95% CI 1.44-3.60, P < .001), but was not independently associated with higher mortality after multivariable adjustment (adjusted HR 1.04, 95% CI 0.60-1.79, P = .90). CONCLUSION: In this large-scale individual patient data pooled analysis, hypertension was not associated with larger IS or MVO after primary PCI for STEMI.

Influence of Culprit Lesion Intervention on Outcomes in Infarct-Related Cardiogenic Shock With Cardiac Arrest.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac arrest (CA) is common in patients with infarct-related cardiogenic shock (CS). OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to identify the characteristics and outcomes of culprit lesion percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of patients with infarct-related CS stratified according to CA in the CULPRIT-SHOCK (Culprit Lesion Only PCI Versus Multivessel PCI in Cardiogenic Shock) randomized trial and registry. METHODS: Patients with CS with and without CA from the CULPRIT-SHOCK study were analyzed. All-cause death or severe renal failure leading to renal replacement therapy within 30 days and 1-year death were assessed. RESULTS: Among 1,015 patients, 550 (54.2%) had CA. Patients with CA were younger, more frequently male, had lower rates of peripheral artery disease, a glomerular filtration rate <30 mL/min, and left main disease, and they presented more often with clinical signs of impaired organ perfusion. The composite of all-cause death or severe renal failure within 30 days occurred in 51.2% of patients with CA vs 48.5% in non-CA patients (P = 0.39) and 1-year death in 53.8% vs 50.4% (P = 0.29), respectively. In a multivariate analysis, CA was an independent predictor of 1-year mortality (HR: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.01-1.59). In the randomized trial, culprit lesion-only PCI was superior to immediate multivessel PCI in patients both with and without CA (P for interaction = 0.6). CONCLUSIONS: More than 50% of patients with infarct-related CS had CA. These patients with CA were younger and had fewer comorbidities, but CA was an independent predictor of 1-year mortality. Culprit lesion-only PCI is the preferred strategy, both in patients with and without CA. (Culprit Lesion Only PCI Versus Multivessel PCI in Cardiogenic Shock [CULPRIT-SHOCK]; NCT01927549).

Fractal dimension of the aortic annulus: a novel predictor of paravalvular leak after transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

To evaluate the prognostic relevance of aortic annulus (AA) and left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) Fractal dimension (FD). FD is a mathematical concept that describes geometric complexity of a structure and has been shown to predict adverse outcomes in several contexts. Computed tomography (CT) scans from the SOLVE-TAVI trial, which, in a 2 × 2 factorial design, randomized 447 patients to TAVI with the balloon-expandable Edwards Sapien 3 or the self-expanding Medtronic Evolut R, and conscious sedation or general anesthesia, were analyzed semi-automatically with a custom-built software to determine border of AA and LVOT. FD was measured by box counting using grid calibers between 0.8 and 6.75 mm and was compared between patients with none/trivial and mild/moderate paravalvular regurgitation (PVR). Overall, 122 patients had CT scans sufficient for semi-automatic PVR in 30-day echocardiography. PVR was none in 65(53.3%) patients, trace in 9(7.4%), mild in 46(37.7%), moderate in 2(1.6%) and severe in 0 patients. FD determined in diastolic images was significantly higher in patients with mild/moderate PVR (1.0558 ± 0.0289 vs. 1.0401 ± 0.0284, p = 0.017). Annulus eccentricity was the only conventional measure of AA and LVOT geometry significantly correlated to FD (R = 0.337, p < 0.01). Area under the curve (AUC) of diastolic annular FD for prediction of mild/moderate PVR in ROC analysis was 0.661 (0.542-0.779, p = 0.014). FD shows promise in prediction of PVR after TAVI. Further evaluation using larger patient numbers and refined algorithms to better understand its predictive performance is warranted.Trial Registration: www.clinicaltrials.gov , identifier: NCT02737150, date of registration: 13.04.2016.

Impact of moderate or severe left ventricular outflow tract calcification on clinical outcomes of patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation with self- and balloon-expandable valves: a post hoc analysis from the SOLVE-TAVI trial.

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) calcification has been associated with worse outcomes in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and may influence the selection of prosthetic valve type. AIMS: We aimed to evaluate the impact of LVOT calcification on outcomes after TAVI with a self-expanding valve (SEV) versus a balloon-expandable valve (BEV). METHODS: Patients of the SOLVE-TAVI trial, randomised to Edwards SAPIEN 3 or Medtronic Evolut R, were divided according to LVOT calcification into no/mild (≤1 calcium nodule extending <5 mm and covering <10% of the LVOT perimeter) and moderate/severe LVOT calcification groups. The primary endpoint was a composite of death, stroke, moderate/severe paravalvular regurgitation, permanent pacemaker implantation and annulus rupture at 30 days. Additional endpoints included all-cause and cardiovascular mortality at 1 year. RESULTS: Out of 416 eligible patients, moderate/severe LVOT calcification was present in 143 (34.4%). Moderate/severe LVOT calcification was associated with significantly longer fluoroscopy time and higher rates of pre- and post-dilation. Regardless of the LVOT calcification group, there was no significant difference in the primary endpoint associated with the valve type (no/mild LVOT calcification group: SEV 25.0% vs BEV 27.0%; hazard ratio [HR] 1.10, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.68-1.73; p=0.73 and moderate/severe LVOT calcification group: SEV 25.0% vs BEV 19.4%; HR 0.76, 95% CI: 0.38-1.61; p=0.49), no significant interaction between LVOT calcification and valve type (pint=0.29) and no differences between SEV vs BEV within LVOT calcification groups regarding 1-year all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Moderate/severe LVOT calcification was associated with longer fluoroscopy time and an increased need for pre- and post-dilation, but not with a higher incidence of early and mid-term adverse clinical outcomes, regardless of valve type. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02737150).

Prognostic relevance of peri-infarct zone measured by cardiovascular magnetic resonance in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging provides valuable prognostic information in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The peri-infarct zone (PIZ) is a potential marker for post-infarction risk stratification. The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic impact of PIZ in a large multicenter STEMI-trial. METHODS: The study population consisted of 704 consecutive patients undergoing CMR within 10 days after STEMI to assess established parameters of myocardial injury and additionally the extent of PIZ. The primary clinical endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACE) consisting of death, re-infarction and new congestive heart failure within 1 year after infarction. RESULTS: The median heterogeneous PIZ-volume in the overall population was 14 ml (interquartile range [IQR] 7 to 24 ml). Male sex, infarct size, and left ventricular ejection fraction were identified as independent predictors of larger PIZ alterations. Patients with MACE had a significantly larger PIZ volume compared to patients without adverse events (21 ml [IQR 12 to 35 ml] versus 14 ml [IQR 7 to 23 ml]; p = 0.001). In stepwise multivariable Cox regression analysis, PIZ > median (>14 ml) emerged as an independent predictor of MACE (hazard ratio [HR] 2.84; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.34 to 6.00; p = 0.006) in addition to the Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) risk score (HR 1.53; 95% CI 1.19 to 1.53; p < 0.001). Addition of PIZ to a CMR risk model comprising LVEF, infarct size and microvascular obstruction resulted in net reclassification improvement of 0.46 (0.19-0.73, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In this currently largest prospective, multicenter CMR study assessing PIZ, the extent of PIZ emerged as an independent predictor of MACE and a potential novel marker for optimized risk stratification in STEMI patients. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00712101.

Comparison of risk prediction models in infarct-related cardiogenic shock.

AIMS: Several prediction models have been developed to allow accurate risk assessment and provide better treatment guidance in patients with infarct-related cardiogenic shock (CS). However, comparative data between these models are still scarce. The objective of the study is to externally validate different risk prediction models in infarct-related CS and compare their predictive value in the early clinical course. METHODS AND RESULTS: The Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) II Score, the CardShock score, the IABP-SHOCK II score, and the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Intervention (SCAI) classification were each externally validated in a total of 1055 patients with infarct-related CS enrolled into the randomized CULPRIT-SHOCK trial or the corresponding registry. The primary outcome was 30-day all-cause mortality. Discriminative power was assessed by comparing the area under the curves (AUC) in case of continuous scores. In direct comparison of the continuous scores in a total of 161 patients, the IABP-SHOCK II score revealed best discrimination [area under the curve (AUC = 0.74)], followed by the CardShock score (AUC = 0.69) and the SAPS II score, giving only moderate discrimination (AUC = 0.63). All of the three scores revealed acceptable calibration by Hosmer-Lemeshow test. The SCAI classification as a categorical predictive model displayed good prognostic assessment for the highest risk group (Stage E) but showed poor discrimination between Stages C and D with respect to short-term-mortality. CONCLUSION: Based on the present findings, the IABP-SHOCK II score appears to be the most suitable of the examined models for immediate risk prediction in infarct-related CS. Prospective evaluation of the models, further modification, or even development of new scores might be necessary to reach higher levels of discrimination.

Management of cardiogenic shock.

Despite the rapidly evolving evidence base in modern cardiology, progress in the area of cardiogenic shock remains slow, with short-term mortality still reaching 40-50%, relatively unchanged in recent years. Despite advances with an increase in the number of clinical trials taking place in this admittedly difficult-to-study area, the evidence base on which we make day-to-day decisions in clinical practice remains relatively sparse. With only definitive evidence for early revascularisation and the relative ineffectiveness of intra-aortic balloon pumping, most aspects of patient management are based on expert consensus, rather than randomised controlled trials. This updated 2020 review will outline the management of CS mainly after acute myocardial infarction with major focus on state-of-the-art treatment based on randomised clinical trials or matched comparisons if available.

Angiography after Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest without ST-Segment Elevation.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial infarction is a frequent cause of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. However, the benefits of early coronary angiography and revascularization in resuscitated patients without electrocardiographic evidence of ST-segment elevation are unclear. METHODS: In this multicenter trial, we randomly assigned 554 patients with successfully resuscitated out-of-hospital cardiac arrest of possible coronary origin to undergo either immediate coronary angiography (immediate-angiography group) or initial intensive care assessment with delayed or selective angiography (delayed-angiography group). All the patients had no evidence of ST-segment elevation on postresuscitation electrocardiography. The primary end point was death from any cause at 30 days. Secondary end points included a composite of death from any cause or severe neurologic deficit at 30 days. RESULTS: A total of 530 of 554 patients (95.7%) were included in the primary analysis. At 30 days, 143 of 265 patients (54.0%) in the immediate-angiography group and 122 of 265 patients (46.0%) in the delayed-angiography group had died (hazard ratio, 1.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00 to 1.63; P = 0.06). The composite of death or severe neurologic deficit occurred more frequently in the immediate-angiography group (in 164 of 255 patients [64.3%]) than in the delayed-angiography group (in 138 of 248 patients [55.6%]), for a relative risk of 1.16 (95% CI, 1.00 to 1.34). Values for peak troponin release and for the incidence of moderate or severe bleeding, stroke, and renal-replacement therapy were similar in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with resuscitated out-of-hospital cardiac arrest without ST-segment elevation, a strategy of performing immediate angiography provided no benefit over a delayed or selective strategy with respect to the 30-day risk of death from any cause. (Funded by the German Center for Cardiovascular Research; TOMAHAWK ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02750462.).

Predictors of Clinical Outcome After Early Veno-Arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Cardiogenic Shock Complicating ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

OBJECTIVES: Despite increasing use of veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) in patients with cardiogenic shock (CS) secondary to ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), a paucity of adequate evidence for this therapy remains. The aim of this single-center clinical registry study was to identify predictors of survival and discern the possible optimal time to initiate VA-ECMO in this cohort. METHODS AND RESULTS: Seventy-nine consecutive patients with CS complicating STEMI who received VA-ECMO support were included in this analysis. The primary endpoint was survival at 6 months after initiation of VA-ECMO. Mean age was 60 ± 11 years. Forty-six patients (58%) were successfully weaned from VA-ECMO and 30 patients (38%) could be discharged. Of these, 23 patients (29% of the overall population) survived up to 6-month follow-up. Multivariate analysis to identify determinants of survival showed no association between the time of CS onset to VA-ECMO start time and 6-month survival (P=.75). Glomerular filtration rate on admission (P<.001), white blood cell count on admission (P≤.01), age (P≤.01), and arterial lactate level 1 and 24 hours after VA-ECMO initiation (P=.01) were the strongest predictors of survival. CONCLUSIONS: The timing of VA-ECMO initiation in patients with CS complicating STEMI was not a prognostic factor of survival. Renal function, white blood cell count, age, and lactate level were the strongest predictors of death during 6-month follow-up.

Impact of Anesthesia Strategy and Valve Type on Clinical Outcomes After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

BACKGROUND: The randomized SOLVE-TAVI (compariSon of secOnd-generation seLf-expandable vs. balloon-expandable Valves and gEneral vs. local anesthesia in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation) trial compared newer-generation self-expanding valves (SEV) and balloon-expandable valves (BEV) as well as local anesthesia with conscious sedation (CS) and general anesthesia (GA) in patients undergoing transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Both strategies showed similar outcomes at 30 days. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to compare clinical outcomes during 1-year follow-up in the randomized SOLVE-TAVI trial. METHODS: Using a 2 × 2 factorial design 447 intermediate- to high-risk patients with severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis were randomly assigned to transfemoral TAVR using either the SEV (Evolut R, Medtronic Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota) or the BEV (Sapien 3, Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, California) as well as CS or GA at 7 sites. RESULTS: In the valve-comparison strategy, rates of the combined endpoint of all-cause mortality, stroke, moderate or severe paravalvular leakage, and permanent pacemaker implantation were similar between the BEV and SEV group (n = 84, 38.3% vs. n = 87, 40.4%; hazard ratio: 0.94; 95% confidence interval: 0.70 to 1.26; p = 0.66) at 1 year. Regarding the anesthesia comparison, the combined endpoint of all-cause mortality, stroke, myocardial infarction, and acute kidney injury occurred with similar rates in the GA and CS groups (n = 61, 25.7% vs. n = 54, 23.8%; hazard ratio: 1.09; 95% confidence interval: 0.76 to 1.57; p = 0.63). CONCLUSIONS: In intermediate- to high-risk patients undergoing transfemoral TAVR, newer-generation SEV and BEV as well as CS and GA showed similar clinical outcomes at 1 year using a combined clinical endpoint. (SecOnd-generation seLf-expandable Versus Balloon-expandable Valves and gEneral Versus Local Anesthesia in TAVI [SOLVE-TAVI]; NCT02737150).

Impact of Morphine Treatment With and Without Metoclopramide Coadministration on Myocardial and Microvascular Injury in Acute Myocardial Infarction: Insights From the Randomized MonAMI Trial.

Background Intravenous morphine administration can adversely affect platelet inhibition induced by P2Y12 receptor inhibitors after acute myocardial infarction. In contrast, some evidence suggests that opioid agonists may have cardioprotective effects on the myocardium. The aim of this prospective, randomized MonAMI (Impact of Morphine Treatment With and Without Metoclopramide Coadministration on Platelet Inhibition in Acute Myocardial Infarction) trial was, therefore, to investigate the impact of morphine with or without metoclopramide coadministration on myocardial and microvascular injury. Methods and Results Patients with acute myocardial infarction (n=138) were assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to ticagrelor 180 mg plus: (1) intravenous morphine 5 mg (morphine group); (2) intravenous morphine 5 mg and metoclopramide 10 mg (morphine+metoclopramide group); or (3) intravenous placebo (control group) administered before primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 104 patients on day 1 to 4 after the index event. Infarct size was significantly smaller in the morphine only group as compared with controls (percentage of left ventricular mass, 15.5 versus 17.9; P=0.047). Furthermore, the number of patients with microvascular obstruction was significantly lower after morphine administration (28% versus 54%; P=0.022) and the extent of microvascular obstruction was smaller (percentage of left ventricular mass, 0 versus 0.74; P=0.037). In multivariable regression analysis, morphine administration was independently associated with a reduced risk for the occurrence of microvascular obstruction (odds ratio, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.14-0.93 [P=0.035]). There was no significant difference in infarct size (P=0.491) and extent (P=0.753) or presence (P=0.914) of microvascular obstruction when comparing the morphine+metoclopramide group with the control group. Conclusions In this randomized study, intravenous administration of morphine before primary percutaneous coronary intervention resulted in a significant reduction of myocardial and microvascular damage following acute myocardial infarction. This effect was not observed in the morphine plus metoclopramide group. Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT02627950.

The novel cystatin C, lactate, interleukin-6, and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (CLIP)-based mortality risk score in cardiogenic shock after acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Cardiogenic shock (CS) complicating acute myocardial infarction (AMI) still reaches excessively high mortality rates. This analysis is aimed to develop a new easily applicable biomarker-based risk score. METHODS AND RESULTS: A biomarker-based risk score for 30-day mortality was developed from 458 patients with CS complicating AMI included in the randomized CULPRIT-SHOCK trial. The selection of relevant predictors and the coefficient estimation for the prognostic model were performed by a penalized multivariate logistic regression analysis. Validation was performed internally, internally externally as well as externally in 163 patients with CS included in the randomized IABP-SHOCK II trial. Blood samples were obtained at randomization. The two trials are registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01927549 and NCT00491036), are closed to new participants, and follow-up is completed. Out of 58 candidate variables, the four strongest predictors for 30-day mortality were included in the CLIP score (cystatin C, lactate, interleukin-6, and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide). The score was well calibrated and yielded high c-statistics of 0.82 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.78-0.86] in internal validation, 0.82 (95% CI 0.75-0.89) in internal-external (temporal) validation, and 0.73 (95% CI 0.65-0.81) in external validation. Notably, it outperformed the Simplified Acute Physiology Score II and IABP-SHOCK II risk score in prognostication (0.83 vs 0.62; P < 0.001 and 0.83 vs. 0.76; P = 0.03, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: A biomarker-only score for 30-day mortality risk stratification in infarct-related CS was developed, extensively validated and calibrated in a prospective cohort of contemporary patients with CS after AMI. The CLIP score outperformed other clinical scores and may be useful as an early decision tool in CS.

Extracorporeal life support in patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock - Design and rationale of the ECLS-SHOCK trial.

BACKGROUND: In acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock the use of mechanical circulatory support devices remains controversial and data from randomized clinical trials are very limited. Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) - venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation - provides the strongest hemodynamic support in addition to oxygenation. However, despite increasing use it has not yet been properly investigated in randomized trials. Therefore, a prospective randomized adequately powered clinical trial is warranted. STUDY DESIGN: The ECLS-SHOCK trial is a 420-patient controlled, international, multicenter, randomized, open-label trial. It is designed to compare whether treatment with ECLS in addition to early revascularization with percutaneous coronary intervention or alternatively coronary artery bypass grafting and optimal medical treatment is beneficial in comparison to no-ECLS in patients with severe infarct-related cardiogenic shock. Patients will be randomized in a 1:1 fashion to one of the two treatment arms. The primary efficacy endpoint of ECLS-SHOCK is 30-day mortality. Secondary outcome measures such as hemodynamic, laboratory, and clinical parameters will serve as surrogate endpoints for prognosis. Furthermore, a longer follow-up at 6 and 12 months will be performed including quality of life assessment. Safety endpoints include peripheral ischemic vascular complications, bleeding and stroke. CONCLUSIONS: The ECLS-SHOCK trial will address essential questions of efficacy and safety of ECLS in addition to early revascularization in acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock.

Apixaban or Vitamin K Antagonists and Aspirin or Placebo According to Kidney Function in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation After Acute Coronary Syndrome or Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Insights From the AUGUSTUS Trial.

BACKGROUND: In the AUGUSTUS trial (An Open-Label, 2×2 Factorial, Randomized Controlled, Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Safety of Apixaban Versus Vitamin K Antagonist and Aspirin Versus Aspirin Placebo in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Acute Coronary Syndrome or Percutaneous Coronary Intervention), apixaban resulted in less bleeding and fewer hospitalizations than vitamin K antagonists, and aspirin caused more bleeding than placebo in patients with atrial fibrillation and acute coronary syndrome or percutaneous coronary intervention treated with a P2Y12 inhibitor. We evaluated the risk-benefit balance of antithrombotic therapy according to kidney function. METHODS: In 4456 patients, the CKD-EPI (Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration) formula was used to calculate baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). The effect of apixaban versus vitamin K antagonists and aspirin versus placebo was assessed across kidney function categories by using Cox models. The primary outcome was International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis major or clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding. Secondary outcomes included death or hospitalization and ischemic events (death, stroke, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis [definite or probable], or urgent revascularization). Creatinine clearance <30 mL/min was an exclusion criterion in the AUGUSTUS trial. RESULTS: Overall, 30%, 52%, and 19% had an eGFR of >80, >50 to 80, and 30 to 50 mL·min-1·1.73 m-2, respectively. At the 6-month follow-up, a total of 543 primary outcomes of bleeding, 1125 death or hospitalizations, and 282 ischemic events occurred. Compared with vitamin K antagonists, patients assigned apixaban had lower rates for all 3 outcomes across most eGFR categories without significant interaction. The absolute risk reduction with apixaban was most pronounced in those with an eGFR of 30 to 50 mL·min-1·1.73 m-2 for bleeding events with rates of 13.1% versus 21.3% (hazard ratio, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.41-0.84). Patients assigned aspirin had a higher risk of bleeding in all eGFR categories with an even greater increase among those with eGFR >80 mL·min-1·1.73 m-2: 16.6% versus 5.6% (hazard ratio, 3.22; 95% CI, 2.19-4.74; P for interaction=0.007). The risk of death or hospitalization and ischemic events were comparable to aspirin and placebo across eGFR categories with hazard ratios ranging from 0.97 (95% CI, 0.76-1.23) to 1.28 (95% CI, 1.02-1.59) and from 0.75 (95% CI, 0.48-1.17) to 1.34 (95% CI, 0.81-2.22), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The safety and efficacy of apixaban was consistent irrespective of kidney function, compared with warfarin, and in accordance with the overall trial results. The risk of bleeding with aspirin was consistently higher across all kidney function categories. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT02415400.

Deep sedation versus general anaesthesia for transcatheter mitral valve repair: an individual patient data meta-analysis of observational studies.

AIMS: The aim of this meta-analysis was to compare general anaesthesia (GA) and deep sedation (DS) with regard to safety and length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay in patients undergoing percutaneous edge-to-edge mitral valve repair (PMVR). METHODS AND RESULTS: Four studies comparing GA and DS in patients undergoing PMVR were included in an individual patient data meta-analysis. Data were pooled after multiple imputation. The composite safety endpoint of all-cause death, stroke, pneumonia, or major to life-threatening bleeding occurred in 87 of 626 (13.9%) patients with no difference between patients treated with DS as compared to GA (56 and 31 events in 420 and 206 patients, respectively). In this regard, the odds ratio (OR) was 1.27 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.78 to 2.09; p=0.338) and 1.26 (95% CI: 0.49 to 3.22; p=0.496) following the one-stage and two-stage approach, respectively. Length of ICU stay was longer after GA as compared to DS (ratio of days 3.08, 95% CI: 2.18 to 4.36, p<0.001, and 2.88, 95% CI: 1.45 to 5.73, p=0.016, following the one-stage and two-stage approach, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Both DS and GA might offer a similar safety profile. However, ICU stay seems to be shorter after DS.

Functional and prognostic implications of cardiac magnetic resonance feature tracking-derived remote myocardial strain analyses in patients following acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac magnetic resonance myocardial feature tracking (CMR-FT)-derived global strain assessments provide incremental prognostic information in patients following acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Functional analyses of the remote myocardium (RM) are scarce and whether they provide an additional prognostic value in these patients is unknown. METHODS: 1034 patients following acute myocardial infarction were included. CMR imaging and strain analyses as well as infarct size quantification were performed after reperfusion by primary percutaneous coronary intervention. The occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) within 12 months after the index event was defined as primary clinical endpoint. RESULTS: Patients with MACE had significantly lower RM circumferential strain (CS) compared to those without MACE. A cutoff value for RM CS of - 25.8% best identified high-risk patients (p < 0.001 on log-rank testing) and impaired RM CS was a strong predictor of MACE (HR 1.05, 95% CI 1.07-1.14, p = 0.003). RM CS provided further risk stratification among patients considered at risk according to established CMR parameters for (1) patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤ 35% (p = 0.038 on log-rank testing), (2) patients with reduced global circumferential strain (GCS) > - 18.3% (p = 0.015 on log-rank testing), and (3) patients with large microvascular obstruction ≥ 1.46% (p = 0.002 on log-rank testing). CONCLUSION: CMR-FT-derived RM CS is a useful parameter to characterize the response of the remote myocardium and allows improved stratification following AMI beyond commonly used parameters, especially of high-risk patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00712101 and NCT01612312 Defining remote segments (R) in the presence of infarct areas (I) for the analysis of remote circumferential strain (CS). Remote CS was significantly lower in patients who suffered major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and a cutoff value for remote CS of - 25.8% best identified high-risk patients. In addition, impaired remote CS ≥ - 25.8 % (Remote -) and preserved remote CS < - 25.8 % (Remote +) enabled further risk stratification when added to established parameters like left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), global circumferential strain (GCS) or microvascular obstruction (MVO).

Clinical Outcomes According to ECG Presentations in Infarct-Related Cardiogenic Shock in the Culprit Lesion Only PCI vs Multivessel PCI in Cardiogenic Shock Trial.

BACKGROUND: The impact of ECG presentations of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in cardiogenic shock is unknown. RESEARCH QUESTION: In myocardial infarction with cardiogenic shock, is there a difference in the outcomes and effect of revascularization strategies between non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and left bundle branch block myocardial infarction (LBBBMI) vs ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Cardiogenic shock patients from the CULPRIT-SHOCK trial with NSTEMI or LBBBMI were compared with STEMI patients for 30-day and 1-year all-cause mortality. The interaction between ECG presentation and the effect of revascularization strategies on outcomes was evaluated. RESULTS: Of 665 cardiogenic shock patients analyzed, 55.9% demonstrated STEMI, 29.3% demonstrated NSTEMI, and 14.7% demonstrated LBBBMI. Patients differed in mean age (68.0 years in STEMI patients, 71.0 years in NSTEMI patients, and 73.5 years in LBBBMI patients; P = .015), cardiovascular risk factors, and angiographic severity. No difference was found in the 30-day risk of death between NSTEMI and STEMI patients (48.7% vs 43.0%; adjusted OR [aOR], 1.05; 95% CI, 0.66-1.67; P = .85), nor between LBBBMI and STEMI patients (59.2% vs 43.0%; aOR, 1.31; 95% CI, 0.73-2.34; P = .36). Although the univariate risk of death by 1 year was higher in NSTEMI and LBBBMI patients compared with STEMI patients, ECG presentation was not an independent risk factor of mortality after adjustment (NSTEMI vs STEMI: 56.4% vs 46.8%; aOR, 1.21; 95% CI, 0.76-1.92; P = .42; LBBBMI vs STEMI: 69.4% vs 46.8%; aOR, 1.59; 95% CI, 0.89-2.84; P = .12). ECG presentation did not modify the effect of the revascularization strategy on 30-day and 1-year mortality (P = .91 and P = .97 for interaction). INTERPRETATION: In patients with cardiogenic shock, NSTEMI and LBBBMI presentations reflect higher-risk profiles than STEMI presentations, but are not independent risk factors of mortality. ECG presentations did not modify the treatment effect, supporting culprit-lesion-only percutaneous coronary intervention as the preferred strategy across the AMI spectrum.