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Author's summary We investigated the association between body mass index and clinical outcomes of peripheral artery disease (PAD) after endovascular therapy (EVT). A total of 2914 PAD patients undergoing EVT were participated according to body mass index groups. Underweight was significantly associated with increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.540; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.091–2.173) and major adverse limb events (MALE) (adjusted HR, 1.523; 95% CI, 1.066–2.177) compared with normal weight. Plus, overweight was associated with lower risk of MACE and not with MALE. However, obesity showed no significant association with MACE or MALE., Background and Objectives Few studies have investigated the obesity paradox in clinical outcomes of peripheral artery disease (PAD). We investigated the association between body mass index (BMI) and clinical outcomes in PAD patients undergoing endovascular therapy (EVT). Methods Patients (n=2,914) from the retrospective Korean Vascular Intervention Society Endovascular Therapy in Lower Limb Artery Disease registry were categorized according to BMI: underweight (

Background and objectives The EPIC™ stent is a self-expanding, nitinol stent that has been designed to enhance flexibility and provide expansion within vessels. The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of the EPIC™ stent when used to treat iliac artery diseases in a prospective Korean multicenter registry. Methods A total of 138 patients with iliac artery diseases who received endovascular treatment with EPIC™ stents at 9 Korean sites were enrolled in a prospective cohort and followed for 1 year. The primary endpoint was the 1-year freedom from target lesion revascularization (TLR). The secondary endpoints were 1-year clinical patency and freedom from major adverse events (MAEs). Results The mean age of the study subjects was 66.8±8.5 years and most subjects were male (86.2%). The most frequent lesion type was Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus B (43.5%) and the majority (56.5%) of the target lesions were located in the common iliac artery. Procedural success was obtained in 99.3% of patients. The freedom from TLR and the clinical patency at 1-year follow-up were 94.9% and 92.3%, respectively. The 1-year rate of MAEs was 5.1%. Combined coronary artery disease (hazard ratio [HR], 5.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13-30.89; p=0.035) and smaller stent diameter (HR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.17-0.88; p=0.023) were identified as independent risk factors of TLR after EPIC™ stent implantation. Conclusions The EPIC™ stents demonstrated excellent immediate and 1-year efficacy and safety outcomes in iliac artery lesions in this multicenter, prospective, registry-based study.

Limited data are available regarding long-term clinical outcomes of iliac artery endovascular therapy (EVT) in real-world practice. This study investigated long-term outcomes according to Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus (TASC) classifications.We analyzed data from 1,705 limbs of 1,364 patients from the retrospective cohort of the multicenter Korean Vascular Intervention Society Endovascular Therapy in Lower Limb Artery Disease registry. The primary endpoint was target lesion revascularization (TLR)-free survival.TASC A, B, C, and D lesions were present in 19.4%, 26.2%, 28.7%, and 25.7% of the treated limbs, respectively. The technical success rate was 96.2% and did not differ between TASC lesion types. Complications occurred in 6.8% of cases and more occurred in TASC D (11.8%). Iliac artery EVT showed a 5-year TLR-free survival of 89.2%. The TASC D group had the lowest TLR-free rate of 79.3%. TASC D (hazard ratio [HR], 1.75; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12-2.73; p=0.014), plain old balloon angioplasty (HR, 4.25; 95% CI, 2.03-8.88; p0.001), current smoker (HR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.26-2.83; p=0.002), previous bypass surgery (HR, 3.04; 95% CI, 1.28-7.19; p=0.011), combined femoropopliteal treatment (HR, 4.89; 95% CI, 3.19-7.50; p0.001), combined below the knee treatment (HR, 2.20; 95% CI, 1.25-3.89; p=0.007), and complications (HR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.07-3.24; p=0.028) were predictors for TLR.Iliac artery EVT achieved excellent technical success and 5-year TLR-free survival. TASC D showed a favorable but lower 5-year TLR-free survival rate and higher complication rate compared with other TASC groups.ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02748226.

Endovascular therapy (EVT) first strategy has been widely adopted for the treatment of chronic limb threatening ischemia (CLTI) patients in real-world practice. This study aimed to investigate long-term outcomes of CLTI patients who underwent EVT and identify prognostic factors.From the retrospective cohorts of a Korean multicenter endovascular therapy registry, 1,036 patients with CLTI (792 men, 68.8 ± 9.5 years) were included. The primary endpoint was amputation-free survival (AFS) defined as the absence of major amputation or death. Secondary endpoints were major adverse limb events (MALE; a composite of major amputation, minor amputation, and reintervention).Five-year AFS and freedom from MALE were 69.8% and 61%, respectively. After multivariate analysis, age (hazard ratio [HR], 1.476; p0.001), end-stage renal disease (ESRD; HR, 2.340; p0.001), Rutherford category (RC) 6 (HR, 1.456; p=0.036), and suboptimal EVT (HR, 1.798; p=0.005) were identified as predictors of major amputation or death, whereas smoking (HR, 0.594; p=0.007) was protective. Low body mass index (HR, 1.505; p=0.046), ESRD (HR, 1.648; p=0.001), femoropopliteal lesion (HR, 1.877; p=0.004), RC-6 (HR, 1.471; p=0.008), and suboptimal EVT (HR, 1.847; p=0.001) were predictors of MALE. The highest hazard rates were observed during the first 6 months for both major amputation or death and MALE. After that, the hazard rate decreased and rose again after 3-4 years.In CLTI patients, long-term outcomes of EVT were acceptable. ESRD, RC-6, and suboptimal EVT were common predictors for poor clinical outcomes.ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02748226.

To compare the safety and efficacy of a new everolimus-eluting stent with an abluminal-coated biodegradable polymer (Osstem Cardiotec Centum) with those of the Xience Alpine stent (Xience).This randomized, prospective, multicenter, parallel-designed, single-blind trial was conducted among patients with myocardial ischemia undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) from 21st September 2018 until 3rd July 2020. The primary efficacy endpoint was in-segment late lumen loss (LLL) at 270 days after the procedure and the primary safety endpoints were major adverse cardiac events (MACE), composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and target lesion revascularization.We enrolled 121 patients and analyzed 113 patients who finished 270 days of follow-up for the primary efficacy endpoint. The mean age of the participants was 66.8 years. As for the primary efficacy endpoint, LLL of the Osstem Cardiotec Centum group was 0.09±0.13 mm and that of the Xience group was 0.12±0.14 mm (upper limit of 1-sided 95% confidence interval, 0.02; p for non-inferiority, 0.0084). This result demonstrates the non-inferiority of the Osstem Cardiotec Centum. As for the primary safety endpoint, MACE occurred in one patient (1.59% of the Xience group). Meanwhile, no MACE occurred in the Osstem Cardiotec Centum group.The Osstem Cardiotec Centum is non-inferior to the Xience Alpine® stent and is confirmed to be safe. It could be safely and effectively applied to patients with coronary artery disease undergoing PCI.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly contagious disease caused by the novel virus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2. The first case developed in December, 2019 in Wuhan, China; several months later, COVID-19 has become pandemic, and there is no end in sight. This disaster is also causing serious health problems in the area of cardiovascular intervention. In response, the Korean Society of Interventional Cardiology formed a COVID-19 task force to develop practice guidelines. This special article introduces clinical practice guidelines to prevent secondary transmission of COVID-19 within facilities; the guidelines were developed to protect patients and healthcare workers from this highly contagious virus. We hope these guidelines help healthcare workers and cardiovascular disease patients around the world cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The relationship between ejection fraction (EF), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels and renal function is unknown as stratified by heart failure (HF) type. We investigated their relation and the prognostic value of renal function in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) vs. reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). MATERIALS AND METHODS NT-proBNP, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and EF were obtained in 1,932 acute heart failure (AHF) patients. HFrEF was defined as EF

Coronary artery fistula is a rare congenital anomaly. Most patients with this anomaly are asymptomatic, but some may develop heart failure, myocardial ischemia or arrhythmias. We report a case of a patient who presented with myocardial ischemia secondary to persistent Thebesian veins. Coronary angiography demonstrated a marked capillary blush draining into the left ventricular cavity through multiple microfistulae from the left anterior descending artery, left circumflex artery and right coronary artery. The patient was discharged without chest pain and was medically maintained with a beta-blocker and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor.

Background and objectives The Korean Vascular Intervention Society Endovascular Therapy in Lower Limb Artery Diseases (K-VIS ELLA) Registry is a multicenter observational study with retrospective and prospective cohorts of patients with lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD) undergoing endovascular treatment. In this study, we report the baseline characteristics of this retrospective cohort. Subjects and methods In the present study we analyzed datasets of 3073 patients with 3972 target limbs from a retrospective cohort treated with endovascular therapy in 31 Korean hospitals. Data regarding patient baseline clinical and lesion characteristics and postintervention medications were collected from electronic medical records. Results The mean patient age was 68.3±9.4 years. The majority were male (82.1%) with comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus (58.0%), hypertension (73.4%), and coronary artery disease (CAD; 55.3%). Patients more commonly presented with intermittent claudication (66.3%) than with critical limb ischemia (CLI; 33.7%). Femoropopliteal artery (41.2%) was the most common target vessel for endovascular treatment, followed by the aortoiliac (35.6%) and infrapopliteal arteries (23.2%). TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus for the Management of Peripheral Artery Disease (TASC II) type C/D aortoiliac (48.0%) or femoropopliteal lesions (60.2%) were frequent targets of endovascular treatment. At hospital discharge, only 73.1% of patients received dual antiplatelet therapy and 69.2% received a statin. Conclusion The majority of Korean patients with PAD exhibited conventional risk factors, such as male sex, older age, diabetes, and hypertension with coexisting CAD. Complex lesions were frequently treated with endovascular therapy. However, the rate of adherence to guidelines regarding post-procedural medical treatment requires improvement.

There have been a growing numbers of patients diagnosed with malignancy and coronary artery disease simultaneously or serially. In the era of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), stent thrombosis has been a rare but challenging problem. Recently, we experienced two unique cases of acute stent thrombosis in patients with malignancy. The first case showed acute and subacute stent thrombosis after PCI. The second case revealed simultaneous thromboses in stent and non-treated native coronary artery. We believe that we need rigorous precautions in the treatment of patients with coronary artery disease and malignancy, especially with regards to deciding how and whether to revascularize, as well as which anti-platelet agents to select.

A case of a 23 year-old man who, thanks to his parietal pericardium, scarred by previous open heart surgery, survived traumatic ventricular free wall and coronary artery rupture, without surgical repair, is reported. He was injured in a traffic accident and transferred to our hospital immediately. On arrival, he was hypotensive, with blood pressure of 53/25 mmHg. Because hemoperitoneum was suspected, an emergency exploratory laparotomy was performed. After surgery, his blood pressure stabilized, but electrocardiography showed abnormal findings that had not existed before the traffic accident. To find the probable cause of the electrocardiographic changes, echocardiography was performed, which showed a right ventricular free wall and right coronary artery ruptures. Nevertheless, he survived, without surgery, due to the thickened and adhered pericardium around the rupture site, which presumably resulted from the prior open heart surgery. Since discharged, he has remained well for nine

Background and Objectives:Endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) in one study group are not the same as those in other investigators, suggesting that EPC is not a single type of cell population. In this study, we tried to demonstrate the heterogeneity of EPC. Materials and Methods:We cultured total mononuclear cells from human peripheral blood to get two types of EPC sequentially from the same donors;termed early EPC and late EPC. Results:Early EPC with spindle shape showed a peak at 2-3 weeks and died at 4 weeks, while late EPC with cobblestone shape appeared late at 2-3 weeks, showed exponential growth at 4-8 weeks and were sustained up to 12 weeks. Late EPC expressed VE-cadherin, Flt-1 and KDR at higher levels than early EPC did, and did not express CD45, whereas early EPC did. Late EPC was superior in the production of nitric oxide, the incorporation into HUVEC monolayer and the formation of capillary tubes. Conclusion:We found two different types of EPC that might play different roles in adult neovasculogenesis based on the genetic and functional differences. (Korean Circulation J 2004; 34(3):304-313)