Effects of complete revascularization according to age in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and multivessel disease (COMPLETE-AGE).

BACKGROUND: In ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), complete revascularization with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) reduces major cardiovascular events compared with culprit-lesion-only PCI. Whether age influences these results remains unknown. METHODS: COMPLETE was a multinational, randomized trial evaluating a strategy of staged complete revascularization, consisting of angiography-guided PCI of all suitable nonculprit lesions, versus a strategy of culprit-lesion-only PCI. In this prespecified subgroup analysis, treatment effect according to age (≥65 years vs <65 years) was determined for the first coprimary outcome of cardiovascular (CV) death or new myocardial infarction (MI) and the second coprimary outcome of CV death, new MI, or ischemia-driven revascularization (IDR). Median follow-up was 35.8 months (interquartile range [IQR]: 27.6-44.3 months). RESULTS: Of 4,041 patients randomized in COMPLETE, 1,613 were aged ≥ 65 years (39.9%). Higher event rates were observed for both coprimary outcomes in patients aged ≥ 65 years comparted with those aged < 65 years (11.2% vs 7.9%, HR 1.49, 95% CI 1.22-1.83; 14.4% vs 11.8%, HR 1.28, 95% CI 1.07-1.52, respectively). Complete revascularization reduced the first coprimary outcome in patients ≥ 65 years (9.7% vs 12.5%, HR 0.77; 95% CI, 0.58-1.04) and < 65 years (6.7% vs 9.1%, HR 0.72; 95% CI, 0.54-0.96)(interaction P = .74). The second coprimary outcome was reduced in those ≥ 65 years (HR 0.56, 95% CI, 0.43-0.74) and < 65 years (HR 0.48, 95% CI, 0.37-0.61 (interaction P = .37). A sensitivity analysis was performed with consistent results demonstrated using a 75-year threshold (albeit attenuated). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with STEMI and multivessel CAD, complete revascularization compared with culprit-lesion-only PCI reduced major cardiovascular events regardless of patient age and could be considered as a revascularization strategy in older adults.

Ticagrelor with and without aspirin in patients with a prior coronary artery bypass graft undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: the TWILIGHT-CABG study.

BACKGROUND: Prior coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are often older and present with multiple comorbidities. Ticagrelor monotherapy after a short course of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) has emerged as an effective bleeding-avoidance strategy among high-risk patients. AIMS: We aimed to examine the effects of ticagrelor with or without aspirin in prior CABG patients undergoing PCI within the TWILIGHT trial. METHODS: After 3 months of ticagrelor plus aspirin, patients were randomised to either aspirin or placebo, in addition to ticagrelor, for 12 months and compared by prior CABG status. The primary endpoint was Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) type 2, 3 or 5 bleeding. The key secondary endpoint was all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), or stroke. RESULTS: Out of 7,119 patients, a total of 703 (10.8%) patients had prior CABG within the randomised cohort. Prior CABG patients had more comorbidities and a higher incidence of BARC type 2, 3, or 5 bleeding and death, MI or stroke at 1 year after randomisation, compared with patients without prior CABG. Ticagrelor monotherapy was associated with significantly less BARC 2, 3, or 5 bleeding among prior CABG patients compared with DAPT (4.9% vs 9.6%, hazard ratio [HR] 0.50, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.28 to 0.90; pinteraction=0.676) and similar rates of death, MI or stroke (10.0% vs 8.7%, HR 1.14, 95% CI: 0.70 to 1.87; pinteraction=0.484). When comparing target vessel type, treatment effects were consistent among graft- and native-vessel interventions. CONCLUSIONS: In high-risk patients with prior CABG, ticagrelor monotherapy reduced bleeding without compromising ischaemic outcomes compared with ticagrelor plus aspirin.

Comparison of effects on markers of blood cell activation of enoxaparin, dalteparin, and unfractionated heparin in patients with unstable angina pectoris or non-ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (the ARMADA study).

The low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWHs) enoxaparin and dalteparin have shown superior and equivalent efficacy, respectively, over unfractionated heparin (UFH) in patients with unstable angina pectoris (UAP) or non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). This study aimed to identify markers of blood cell activation that are independent predictors of outcomes at 1 month and to compare the effects of enoxaparin, dalteparin, and UFH on any such markers. In this multicenter, prospective, open-label study, 141 patients with UAP or NSTEMI were randomized to treatment for 48 to 120 hours with enoxaparin (n = 46), dalteparin (n = 48), or UFH (n = 47). Blood samples were taken at the time of randomization and after > or =48 hours of treatment but before catheterization. Multivariate analysis identified increased plasma levels of von Willebrand factor (vWF) and decreased platelet levels of glycoprotein Ib/IX complexes as independent predictors of 1-month adverse outcome (a composite of death, myocardial infarction, and recurrent ischemia). vWF release was strongly related to and may have been released by inflammation as measured by C-reactive protein. Both LMWHs reduced the release of vWF in plasma (as well as C-reactive protein) compared with UFH. Enoxaparin had a more favorable effect on glycoprotein Ib/IX complexes than either dalteparin or UFH. The incidence of the composite clinical efficacy end point was: 13% (enoxaparin), 19% (dalteparin), and 28% (UFH). vWF and its receptor glycoprotein Ib/IX play a key role in acute coronary syndromes. vWF is linked to inflammation and, like glycoprotein Ib/IX, is affected more favorably by the LWMHs than by UFH.

Impact of polyvascular disease on baseline characteristics, management and mortality in acute myocardial infarction. The Alliance project.

BACKGROUND: A substantial number of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have polyvascular disease (PolyVD), defined as cerebrovascular disease (CVD), peripheral arterial disease (PAD) or both. AIM: To investigate the impact of PolyVD on baseline characteristics, management and outcomes. METHODS: The Alliance project is a multicentre, cross-sectional database of patients with myocardial infarction throughout France from 2000 to 2005. A pooled analysis of individual patient data was performed by aggregating data from five registries, representing 9783 patients hospitalized for acute coronary syndromes. Data were collected on history of PAD and CVD and correlated to baseline characteristics, management and hospital outcomes. RESULTS: Eight thousand nine hundred and four patients had full datasets for this analysis (13% with a history of CVD or PAD, 87% without). Patients with PolyVD were older (72 vs 65 years, p<0.0001), had a more frequent history of AMI (26% vs 15%, p<0.0001), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), renal insufficiency (12% vs 3%, p<0.0001) and consistently more risk factors for atherosclerosis (hypertension, dyslipidaemia, smoking, diabetes), but less frequently a body mass index>30 kg/m(2) (14.0% vs 20.1%, p<0.0001) compared to patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) alone. Killip class, left-ventricular ejection fraction and GUSTO risk score were all worse among patients with PolyVD. Management of patients with PolyVD was less aggressive (with later admission and less frequent use of in-hospital angiography or evidence-based therapies at discharge). Mortality of patients with PolyVD was consistently higher than in those with CAD alone, regardless of age. Multivariable analysis, adjusting for age, showed that both PAD (odds ratio 1.36 95% confidence interval 1.03-1.79) and history of CVD (odds ratio 1.74, 95% confidence interval 1.27-2.40) were independent predictors of hospital mortality relative to patients with CAD only. CONCLUSION: Patients with PolyVD represented a substantial group among AMI patients, at particularly high risk of death, yet were managed less aggressively than patients with CAD alone. This was associated with markedly higher in-hospital mortality. Further research is warranted to design and test strategies to decrease mortality in this high-risk subset.