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The steady development of same-day discharge (SDD) PCIs in recent years means that, by 2024, we will be able to tackle increasingly complex lesions, including those of the left main artery. This strategy is supported by the literature, but requires an appropriate patient selection (based on medical and social criteria) and precise assessment of the anatomical complexity of the lesion and the foreseeable risks of the PCI. Strict adherence to pre-established service protocols for patient preparation and follow-up, as well as the establishment of clinical and paraclinical criteria for discharge to a conventional hospital unit, are essential to the success of an SDD PCI program., Competing Interests: Déclaration de liens d'intérêts Les auteurs déclarent n'avoir aucun lien d'intérêt., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Progress in coronary angioplasty has enabled outpatients treatment with rates of immediate complications below 1%. This shows a clear improvement in patient's comfort and it represents an important medical and economic gain. Considering the demographic evolution of the population, there is an increasing number of calcified coronary lesions which represent, according to the series, up to a quarter of angioplasties. However, their care is more delicate with a greater risk of complications and procedural failure. In fact, with the difficulties of crossing and with the vascular intrusions related to pre-dilation or sub-dilation stent deployment, the complication risk increases by almost 10% in these cases of angioplasties. Similarly, the death rate at 30 days goes from 4.7% in angioplasty in general up to 24.4% in calcified lesions. Several devices for atherectomy and plaque preparation have been developed in order to better overcome the lesions and better prepare the stent installation at the cost of a risk of complications between 2 and 10%. The three most frequent complications are dissection (1.8 to 7%), slow/no-flow (0.1 to 3%) and coronary perforation (0.2 to 4%). Nevertheless, despite this procedural increased risk, ambulatory angioplasty of calcified complex lesions can become a reality subject to 4-6 hours monitoring in a specialized unit with dedicated protocols., Competing Interests: Déclaration de liens d'intérêts Les auteurs déclarent n'avoir aucun lien d'intérêt., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Coronary disease results from the slow formation of atherosclerotic plaque, accelerated by plaque ruptures that make it serious. Cardiologists have many explorations, but with a lead time that can take several weeks. The organization of a revascularization can sometimes also be long. The medico-legal analysis reports frequent cases of acceleration of the disease in this interval, which can lead to death. It is then necessary to stratify the individual risk of each patient, if this delay is accepted. However, it is imperative to give instructions in case of the development of symptoms, remembering that at any time, it is sometimes necessary to call the emergency services (911 or others). Care teams must ensure that a process for receiving calls is organized during this period. It is sometimes preferable for the cardiologist to make the appointment personally or for him to opt directly for a coronary angiogram from the outset, if his clinical conviction is strong. It is with a complete strategy that we can reduce the risk of a medical accident and therefore of a complaint., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.)

Aim of the Study: To describe the results of a therapeutic education program (cessation rate and success factors) among smoking coronary patients followed in the smoking cessation clinic at Sahloul University Hospital in Sousse during the period from 2015 to 2020., Patients and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among smokers with coronary artery disease who presented to the smoking cessation clinic at Sahloul University Hospital during the period from 2015 to 2020. The data collection was done by reviewing the records of smokers. We defined cessation as complete and continuous abstinence at 1 week, at 3 months, at 6 months and at 12 months and more. The study of cessation success factors involved subjects whose cessation was maintained for 1 year or more., Results: Among 93 patients with coronary artery disease, the prevalences of smoking cessation rates were 54.8% (n = 51), 44.1% (n = 41), 35.5% (n = 33), 31.2% (n = 29), and 24.7% (n = 23) at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months respectively. In univariate analysis, the number of visits greater than or equal to three (p = 0.000) and nicotine treatment (p = 0.018) were significantly associated with successful smoking cessation at 12 months. In multivariate analysis, being non-active (p = 0.028) with a Fagerstrom score <7 (p = 0.040) and three or more visits (p = 0.005) were the independent factors associated with successful smoking cessation at 12 months., Conclusion: The evaluation of the smoking cessation axis of therapeutic education of the coronary patient with tobacco addiction at the Sahloul University Hospital, allowed us to note that the cessation rate is comparable or even higher than that of other studies. However, the rate of maintenance of this cessation at 1 year and more proved to be low despite the strong motivation of the consultants. This observation allows us to better orientate the areas of improvement in the management of our consultants., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

The population of elderly patients comprises a high percentage of women. This population is more vulnerable due to the presence of numerous comorbidities and is, therefore, particularly exposed to the risk of aortic valve degeneration, resulting in aortic valve stenosis whose symptoms are predictors of poor short-term outcomes. In the presence of symptomatic aortic stenosis, the recommended therapeutic option in this vulnerable population is the implementation of transcatheter aortic valve implantation, preferably via the femoral route. The outcomes of this procedure are better in women than in men despite a more frequent occurrence of vascular, bleeding and cerebral complications. Several hypotheses have been reported in the literature regarding the reasons for such differences. Among other reasons, it is likely that in female patients, the myocardium adjusts better to the occurrence of aortic stenosis and that recovery after valve treatment is also more optimal. Another explanation is the higher frequency of coronary artery disease in this older population. This has a considerable impact on the outcome even when coronary lesions are treated prior to valve implantation. There is still room for improvement and progress can be achieved by further reducing the size of the equipment used in order to decrease the diameter of the vascular access, and by continuing to simplify TAVI procedures. Less invasive techniques should result in decreased complication rates. In addition, dedicated studies should allow us to further improve our practice in this growing population of vulnerable patients., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.)

In 40 years of existence, interventional cardiology has witnessed the introduction of numerous tools and techniques that have contributed to the important application's broadening of percutaneous techniques, particulary in anatomical situations previously unfavourable, and which were, at that time, subject to surgical revascularization. Among these hostiles situations, one of the principal consists in failure to adequately dilate the lesions and/or to the inability to deliver and implant a stent appropriately, situations frequently associated with a high rate of procedural complications and poor long-term clinical outcomes. Thanks to the development of complementary dedicated techniques such atherectomy device, the treatment of most fibrotic and heavily calcified lesions has become feasible and safe. The present article describes the rotational atherectomy procedure, its indications and its clinical results.

Ischemic heart disease is a leading cause of death in Europe. At the same time, older patients are at high risk for coronary heart disease and represent an increasing proportion of patients in the catheterization laboratory in the context of an ageing population. The elderly patients are also at higher bleeding risk, and were poorly represented in major randomized trials. Duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) should be modulated in a personalized way taking into account hemorrhagic and ischemic risk factors, using risk scores based on the latest recommendations of the European Society of Cardiology. Even if the optimal duration of DAPT after PCI is 6 months in case of stable coronary disease and 12 months in case of an acute coronary syndrome, it can be drastically reduced, up to one month in case of high hemorrhagic risk, or can be prolonged for more than 12 months in case of high ischemic risk. The use of latest generation drug eluting stents associated with a short duration of DAPT has thus demonstrated its safety compared to these durations. In case of triple therapy treatment, associating DAPT and anticoagulation therapy, DAPT is recommended to be as short as possible, potentially reduced to 1 month. Finally, the concomitant prescription of proton pump inhibitor is essential to prevent gastrointestinal bleedings. This literature review will discuss the hemorrhagic risk stratification and choice of DAPT in elderly patients., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To compare the clinical, angiographic, therapeutic and prognostic characteristics of nonagenarians presenting with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome with those of patients under 90 years of age., Methods: We used the CRAC register database including 6 catheterization laboratories in the Center Val-de-Loire region. Only patients with positive-troponin non-ST elevation ACS included in the registry from 2014 to 2017 were selected for epidemiological and procedural data. Regarding antiplatelet therapy, hospital and one-year follow-up data, only patients in the 2014-2015 period were analyzed., Results: From January 1st, 2014 to December 31st, 2017, 5.964 patients with a positive-troponin non-ST ACS, including 133 nonagenarians (2.2%) were included in the CRAC registry. Arterial hypertension and the history of coronary angioplasty were more common among nonagenarians. They present more multivessel and left main disease. The use of the bare metal stent was predominant in 2014-2015 and then became marginal in 2016-2017. Clopidogrel was the most widely used anti platelet and more than one in two nonagenarians remain on dual therapy after 12 months. One-year stroke and hospital and one-year mortality were higher in this age group., Conclusions: Nonagenarians with a positive-troponin non-ST elevation ACS have more severe coronary artery disease and a poorer prognosis than those younger than 90 years of age., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

The elderly benefit from the advances of the interventional cardiology, especially for coronary artery disease and aortic valve stenosis. The prevalence of comorbidities is high in old population, but the benefit-risk balance remains often positive. Chronic kidney disease is frequent and amplifies the risks of contrast-induced nephropathy and acute kidney injury with an impact on clinical course and outcomes, and additional costs. Preventive strategies recognized as efficient to limit renal adverse events must be applied. Future approach may involve research in vulnerable old patients undergoing cardiac interventions., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: This study aimed to determine short and medium term outcomes in patients with unprotected left main coronary disease treated by percutaneous intervention., Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of all patients with unprotected left main coronary artery disease treated by percutaneous intervention between January 2004 and June 2009. Clinical and angiographic data were collected from their medical records and supplemented by a telephone interview with the patients or their doctors., Results: Forty eight patients with an average age of 68.50 ± 14.06 years were included in the study. Acute coronary syndromes were the primary reason for admission (75%). Patients had distal left main lesions (77.1%) and pluritroncular lesions (64.6%). Bare-metal stents were implanted in 73% of patients. After a mean follow-up of 22 months, the rate of major cardiovascular events was 35.4% (20.8% of restenosis and 14.6% of revascularizations). Hospital mortality rate was 4.2%. Predictive factors of major cardiovascular events included an EuroSCORE ≥ 10 and a history of cardiovascular disease., Conclusion: Angioplasty of the left main trunk is an alternative approach to emergency situations or when surgery is not indicated. Patients' outcome is dependent on their overall risks factors before angioplasty., Competing Interests: Les auteurs ne déclarent aucun conflit d'intérêts.

Under-diagnosed pathology. Especially in women under 60 without cardiovascular risk factor. Conventional coronary angiography without lesion. Association with fibrodysplasia being evaluated. Impact of IVUS and OCT. Conservative therapy., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Ectasias and coronary aneurysms are uncommon coronary artery diseases, can coexist and are poorly known. Their principal etiology in adults is coronary atherosclerosis. It has been suggested that these abnormalities would have poor prognosis and that slow flow could lead to in situ thrombosis and distal embolisation. However, ectasias and aneurysms are most often associated with coronary stenosis. We report a series of 47 cases of ectasias and coronary aneurysms with evaluation of the clinical and angiographic characteristics, the therapeutic choices and we review the literature concerning these lesions. In situ thrombosis does not seem to be the usual pathophysiological mechanism. We retain that this is a particular form of coronary atherosclerosis in this population and present technical problems in case of revascularization with an predominant indication of medical treatment (57.4 % of the cases), but rarely the introduction of anticoagulants (4.25 % of the cases), except in acute coronary syndromes where revascularization is most common (70.6 % of cases) as is usually expected in the general population. The complex angiographic presentation of these lesions is probably an explanation for the low numbers of revascularizations performed., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Coronary artery disease is the leading death for women in Europe and developed countries. It kills seven times more than breast cancer. The number of deaths from coronary artery disease increase and affects also younger women (< 55 years old). Coronary artery disease in women is a major public health problem, often underestimated. Women should become a priority target of prevention. Traditional vision of coronary artery disease as myocardial ischemia due to obstruction of major coronary arteries do not represent all the aspects of ischemic disease in women. Myocardial ischemia without obstruction of major coronary arteries, described as microvascular dysfunction is often unknown and ignored. It is yet a situation at high cardiovascular risk. Presentation and symptoms of coronary artery disease are misleading in women. Coronary artery disease in women remains under-diagnosed and under-treated. It is necessary to improve management of women at cardiovascular risk, whose inequalities contribute to the excess of female mortality from coronary artery disease. Coronary artery disease in women needs new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. It must take into account specific risk stratification, evaluation of particular chest pain and reduced performance of non-invasive testing., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

The coronary fistula is a link between one or more of the coronary arteries and cardiac cavity or great vessel. The exact occurrence is unknown. The majority of these fistulas are congenital in origin. However, they may occasionally be detected after cardiac surgery. For a long time, fistulas are asymptomatic, especially if they are small; the frequency of the symptoms and especially the complications rise with age. The potential complications are: cardiac failure, endocarditis, endarteritis, atrial fibrillation, ventricular arrhythmias, rupture, and thrombosis. The main differential diagnosis is patent arterial duct, while other congenital arteriovenous shunts need to be excluded. Even though echocardiography Doppler can help to differentiate shunts, the coronary angiography remains the main diagnostic tool for the description of the anatomy. For a long time, the surgery was the only therapeutic means, up till now, percutaneous occlusion is the first line therapy of coronary fistulas and that the different devices can be tailored to meet different anatomic and functional characteristics., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

In developed countries, coronary artery diseases (CAD) represent a common and serious disease, and cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death. During the last decade, however, several epidemiological studies have suggested a significant reduction in the Incidence of myocardial infarction and cardiovascular mortality in many countries. In France, data from "FAST-MI programme" (observational studies including acute coronary syndrome) show a dramatic decline in mortality (approximatively 50%) regardless of the type of acute coronary syndrome. This evolution can be explained by several factors: overall improvement in organization of care, better implementation!of recommendations, substantial change in the patient risk profile, increasing use of invasive strategy, adjunctive therapies... However, decline mortality of stable CAD is more complex to evaluate.Therefore, the improved prognosis of patients with myocardial nfarction appears to be one of the factors that have contributed to the decline in cardiovascular mortality. For the future, the challenge will be to maintain these results, strengthen preventive measures and improve long-term prognosis in particular by developing the therapeutic education programs.

In patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), early management is of prime importance. However, the median time taken by the patient to call the emergency services is often very long, up to 2 hours. The presence of a physician as first responder ensures good quality resuscitation in case of cardiac arrest, and allows recording of a first ECG, which can be very informative, especially in ACS without ST segment elevation. Treatment at this stage is limited to sublingual nitroglycerin and aspirin. If the first ECG shows ST segment elevation, the patient should be immediately oriented for reperfusion, usually by percutaneous coronary intervention. in the absence of ST segment elevation, the diagnosis of ACS remains unconfirmed. This does not imply that the risk is lesser, but rather that the risk cannot be evaluated accurately in the pre-hospital setting. The use of risk scores can guide the choice of management towards an invasive strategy, including coronary angiography (immediately, or within 24-72 hours). Low-risk patients are candidates for an invasive strategy, provided non-invasive tests demonstrate the presence of ischemia. During the hospital phase, antiplatelet treatment should be initiated and must be adapted to the patient bleeding and thrombotic risk. Clopidogrel is recommended only in patients who are not amenable to prasugrel or ticagrelor. Statin therapy should be initiated from day one, regardless of the initial cholesterol level, preferably with 80 mg atorvastatin. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and beta-blockers should also be prescribed to complete the medical prescription both in-hospital and in the long term.

Since the introduction of the 64-generation scanners, the accuracy and robustness of the diagnosis of coronary artery disease has progressed. The main advantage of cardiac CT is the exclusion of coronary artery disease by its excellent negative predictive value. Currently, cardiac CT applications extend thanks to innovations both in terms of technological development systems scanner or stents implanted, that the evolution of surgical procedures such as TAVI., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Stress magnetic cardiac resonance imaging (MRI) development is in progress. Many cardiac imaging technics already known are completed by this safe radiation free exam with a short time acquisition (30minutes) and a good diagnostic performance in particular for patients with three vessels coronary artery diseases. Best indication concerns symptomatic patients unable to exercise with intermediate or high pretest probability. Pharmacological heart stress can be induced with vasodilatators or dobutamine to identify the presence and extent of myocardial ischemia, with high precision to guide coronary vessels revascularization. MRI gives many other interesting informations like heart anatomy, left ventricular function. Myocardial viability can be assessed with study of late gadolinium enhancement or analysis of contractile reserve with low dose of dobutamine., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Background: In this study, we examine the effect of previous percutaneous intervention on the rate of adverse perioperative outcome in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG)., Methods: Outcomes of 240 CABG patients, collected consecutively in an observational study, were compared. Gp A (n=35) had prior PCI before CABG and Gp B (n=205) underwent primary CABG., Results: Statistically significant results were obtained for the following preoperative criteria: previous myocardial infarction: 48.6% vs 36.6% (P=0.003), distribution of CAD (P=0.0001), unstable angina: 45.7% vs 39% (P=0.04). For intraoperative data, the total number of established bypasses was 2.6 (GpA) vs 2.07 (Gp B) (P=0.017), with the number of arterial bypass grafts being: 20% vs 13% (P=ns). Regarding the postoperative course, no significant difference in troponine I rate, 24-hour bleeding: 962 ml (Gp A) vs 798 ml (Gp B) (P=0.004), transfusion (PRBC unit): 3.63 (Gp A) vs 2.5 (Gp B) (P=0.006). Previous PCI emerged as an independent predictor of postoperative in-hospital mortality (OR 2.24, 95% CI [1.52-2.75], P<0.01)., Conclusion: Patients with prior PCI presented for CABG with more severe CAD. Thirty-day mortality and morbidity were significantly higher in patients with prior PCI., (Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier SAS.)

Background: The mother and child "5-in-6" technique using the Heartrail II catheter is a novel tool allowing stent delivery in challenging lesions, when conventional techniques have failed., Methods: A total of 147 consecutive patients underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using the "5-in-6" Heartrail II catheter was restrospectively identified in the Institut Cardiovasculaire Paris Sud, (Jacques-cartier hospital), Institut hospitalier Claude-Galien (Claude-Galien hospital) and European hospital of Paris between July 2009 and September 2012., Results: Ten interventional cardiologists treated 147 patients with the new device. The patients mean age was 68.5 ± 21.5 years, 78% were men. Radial access was used in 128 cases (87.9%). The treated vessels were the right coronary artery in 82%, left anterior descending in 22%, left circumflex in 18%, marginal branch in 9%, the posterior descending artery in three patients, retroventricular artery in one patient and a saphenous graft in two patients. Most lesions (70%) had American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology (AHA/ACC) type B2 or C, and greater than 50% were located in distal vessel segments. Mean lesion length was 16 ± 4 mm, which is indicative of long lesion. Most (62%) lesions were moderately to heavily calcified and 22 (14%) were chronic total occlusions. Problems with stent delivery were due to poor guide catheter support or excessive calcification. Introduction of the "Heartrail II" catheter allowed successful stent delivery in 139 cases (94%)., Conclusion: The "5 in 6" Heartrail II catheter is a simple and easy-to-use device that can improve the success of stent delivery in challenging coronary interventions., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Background: The Mediterranean diet is one of the food models which showed its ability at the patient at high cardiovascular risk in numerous cohort studies and two major interventional studies: Lyon Heart Study in 1999 and PREDIMED in 2013., Aim of the Study: Propose a practical assistance in the analysis of the dietary habits of the coronary patient with a simplified food frequency questionnaire., Patients and Methods: Hundred coronary patients followed a program of cardiac rehabilitation and benefited from a nutritional education. The analysis of their dietary habits was made with the questionnaire of frequency of consumption of Rennes upon their arrival and 6months later. We have coded again these data by means of a simplified questionnaire with 15 items and compared the results and their evolution in 6months., Results: On studied 200 questionnaires, the score of Rennes was 10.6±4.5 and the simplified score 8.2±3.4 with a coefficient of correlation of Pearson r=0.94 (0.91-0.95) at risk P<0.0001. Initial scores were respectively 8.0±4.4 and 6.3±3.4 (r=0.93) and the scores at 6months 13.1±2.9 and 10.1±2.2 (r=0.86). The evolution of the scores of 100 patients were respectively 14.2±11.7% and 12.6±11% (P<0.26)., Conclusion: The use of a simplified questionnaire allows to analyze the dietary habits of the coronary patient and to estimate their evolution during a therapeutic educational program., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

The paclitaxel-eluting balloon is an emerging percutaneous coronary angioplasty tool which aim is to prevent restenosis by delivering a high intravessel paclitaxel dose during balloon inflation. It has been already approved in the treatment of bare metal stent restenosis and is being investigated in drug-eluting stent restenosis. For the treatment of de novo lesions, it could be used alone or in combination with bare metal stent implantation. Most interesting results were obtained by a drug-eluting balloon alone strategy in small vessels angioplasty. Current and upcoming results of this evolving technology are reviewed., (Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier SAS.)

Background: Transradial intervention of coronary lesion is increasing in frequency and is associated with lower major vascular access site complications. However, the small size of the radial artery is a major limitation of this technique, especially for bifurcation lesions, because 6-French guiding catheters are necessary to optimize the technique. A Sheathless guiding catheter has recently been introduced, optimizing a large lumen with a small size., Objectives: The aim of this study is to report our preliminary experience performing bifurcated transradial interventions using a 6.5 French Sheathless guide catheter., Patients and Methods: From March 2009 to February 2012 in three hospitals, 46 consecutive patients were enrolled in this study who underwent transradial approach (TRA) for percutaneous bifurcation coronary interventions using the 6.5 French Sheathless Eaucath guiding catheter system because of small radial artery caliber., Results: In this study, 46 patients were enrolled with mean age of 72.13 ± 16.41 years. The majority of patients were females with sex-ratio 0.53. Procedural success using the 6.5 French Sheathless guide catheter system was 100 % with no cases requiring conversion to a conventional guide and catheter system. During procedures, adjunctive devices used in this cohort included IVUS (2 patients), 35 bifurcated lesions were treated with a kissing-balloon technique in the group of 46 patients undergoing bifurcation PCIs, one patient required rotational atherectomy, thrombus-aspiration catheters had used in four patients, FFR-guided angiography in four patients. We report one case of chronic total occlusion bifurcated lesion successfully treated using this hydrophilic catheter. There were no radial artery site complications., Conclusion: The treatment of coronary bifurcation lesions with 6.5 French Sheathless guiding catheter by transradial approach is feasible and appears safe in this multicenter study., (Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier SAS.)

Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is a new imaging technique recently applied to coronary and is based on the diffusion and reflection of an infrared spectrum. With a resolution 10 times higher than that of IVUS, it allows an analysis of the atherosclerotic plaque and its components, indicating its possible vulnerable character, and can identify the culprit lesion and the presence of thrombus in the course of acute events. It allows quality control of good apposition of stents to the wall and essentially tracks the downstream dissection. In the longer term, it evaluates the endothelisation and in-stent restenosis. Its scope thus extends to basic research and the pharmaceutical industry where it plays a new reference tool in the monitoring of atherosclerotic plaques and stents with drug treatment. This invasive imaging technique is limited by its cost and artifacts but new generation OCT can better overcome them. The OCT appears as a promising intravascular imaging technique whose feasibility and clinical applications, however, require confirmation by randomized clinical trials to better define its place in the cardiac catheterization lab., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Coronary disease is the leading cause of death in women, responsible for 2-4 times more deaths than breast cancer. The clinical picture of coronary heart disease in women is often different than that in men, evidence of a particular pathophysiology: it is most often identified when acute, as non-ST-elevated acute coronary syndrome, and involves a higher frequency than among men of normal coronary arteries, microvascular damage, and endothelial dysfunction. The risk factors for woman are also distinctive: a higher risk profile, older age, and higher frequency of lack of exercise and its consequences (abdominal obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes). Smoking is a major risk factor in young women. Stress tests are less useful for diagnosis in women than in men, essentially because of the higher rate of false positives. On the other hand, the diagnostic value of myocardial scintigraphy and stress ultrasound testing differs little from that in men. Coronary revascularization by angioplasty or bypass classically yields poorer results in women than men, probably because of their smaller arteries. These differences are nonetheless fading as techniques improve. The impact of active stents in women remains to be determined. The prognosis of myocardial infarction in women remains poorer than in men, but appropriate and early management, especially by angioplasty, seems to be smoothing out this difference in recent studies. Women on the whole receive less good treatment than men (delayed management and less frequent drug and interventional treatment), which contributes to their poorer prognosis. Simple means of prevention have proved effective in women: regular physical activity thus reduces the risk of infarction by 50% (and also reduces the incidence of diabetes); the effect of aspirin as primary prevention remains controversial., (Copyright 2010. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.)

Patients with chronic kidney disease have a high cardiovascular risk and mortality. This problem is growing because of the aging of the population and prevalence of diabetes. Transradial approach is traditionally prohibited due to the injury that catheterization induces on this artery that could possibly influence its suitability as an arteriovenous fistula. Paradoxically, the increased risk of major vascular complications with femoral access leads to transgress this rule. Indeed, transradial approach by reducing dramatically the rate of vascular bleeding complications leads to a significant reduction of adverse events and mortality, especially in the high cardiovascular risk sub-group. In patients with chronic kidney disease, choice of vascular access site should compare the potentially fatal risk of vascular complications with the one of traumatizing the artery needed to create a distal hemodialysis access site. Thus, chronic renal insufficiency even on hemodialysis should not be an absolute contraindication to radial approach, which could be used individually by a skilled team and in a mini-invasive spirit. A large randomised study comparing radial and femoral access in this population is needed.

The most common approach in the treatment of bifurcation lesions is stenting only the main branch (MB) with provisional T-stenting of the side branch (SB). However, some bifurcation lesions may have extensive disease within a large SB requiring stenting of this vessel. The "crush" technique, which has been proposed as an alternative approach to other strategies to treat complex bifurcations, is a relatively simple technique that ensures complete coverage of the SB ostium. Previous series have reported its safety and feasibility, but limited data are available about the long-term outcomes. We report our experience on 21 consecutive patients (pts) treated with the "crush" technique with drug-eluting stents (DES) between November 2005 and March 2007. Clinical follow-up was 18+/-7 months for 19 pts (90%), and angiographic follow-up was completed in 66% of pts (N=14), at a mean time of 8.5+/-4 months. Mean pt age was 70+/-11 years; 33% (N=7) had diabetes mellitus, and mean preoperative logistic EUROSCORE predicted 11% mortality rate. The left anterior descending artery/diagonal and the distal left main were the most frequent bifurcation locations (52 and 43% of cases respectively), with a type 1,1,1 of the Medina classification of bifurcation lesions in 62% of pts, and an angulation MB-SB below 50 degrees in 66% of cases. Final kissing balloon dilation was performed in 90% of pts (N=20). Stent diameter and length were similar between MB and SB. The procedure was successfull in 100% of cases in the MB and 95% of cases in the SB. Procedure-related CK elevation above 2 ULN was seen in two pts (9.5%), without ECG modification. One pt had subacute stent thrombosis 5 days after his procedure. At the end of follow-up, target vessel revascularization (TVR) was required in four pts (19%), and target lesion revascularisation (TLR) in three pts (14%) whom had focal restenosis in the SB ostium (one pt) and in the MB and SB ostia (one pt). Sudden death occurred in one pt 14 months after his procedure. In conclusion, when an effective strategy for stenting both branches is planned, the "crush" technique with final kissing balloon can be safely used by experienced operators to treat complex bifurcation lesions with DES. The safety profile and TLR rate in our small series of "crush" stenting were similar to that of other studies reported thus far.

Until recently, the optimal work-up of patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) was based on non-invasive functional tests. Coronary CTA (CCTA) now challenges this standard work-up due to its efficacy to exclude significant coronary artery disease. Current indications for CCTA include symptomatic patients with intermediate pre-test probability of CAD with altered ECG (LBBB, repolarization abnormalities) rendering stress tests useless or patients unable to achieve sustained stress effort, and patients with indeterminate or uninterpretable results on ischemic work-up. A more agressive position is to consider CCTA as the cornerstone of patient management because the limitations and pitfalls of non-invasive techniques open the door to an alternative diagnostic imaging technique, either alone, or in combination with other Imaging techniques after reorganizing the sequence of imaging work-up. Without dismissing the dogma of initial détection of CAD along with prognostic stratification using functional tests, the recent availability of a minimally invasive anatomical test in the management of patients with stress angina, given the known limitations of traditional tests, changes the standard work-up algorithms. This suggests that the diagnostic work-up of patients with CAD is likely to be modified to increase the rôle of CCTA.

Following the tradition, the AHA has compiled a list of the top 10 major advances in heart disease and stroke research in 2008. As always, the choice was rather eclectic. There were, to start with, a series of papers providing objective data to validate several programs of public health, prevention, or good practice promotion that the AHA has initiated, or encouraged. Then came the results of some recent clinical trials which may prompt a change in clinical habits, or even in international guidelines related to cardio- or cerebro-vascular disease. Finally, the AHA identified new areas of research which, even if they are still in their early development, show significant promise for the future of medicine.

The cardiovascular risk is the main cause of mortality and is increasing with age in women. In old women, this risk is similar to men. Many cardiovascular treatments are used in women without a clear demonstration of their efficiency in this population. It is only extrapolations of studies enrolling a large majority of males (more than 85%). It is very important to improve our therapeutic strategies in women, for all clinical presentations (stable angina or acute coronary syndromes), to perform dedicated studies. In fact, the rate of success of coronary angioplasty in women is similar to men but the prognosis is worse. This is partly explained by a waiting-game in the strategy and some anatomic differences such as smaller vessels diameters and also a high rate of vascular complications. To decrease this risk of vascular complications, the use of transradial seems to be a good solution. In another hand, in women, the use of drug eluting stent (DES) gives good results comparable to men. But no study has been dedicated to this group of patients.

The diabetic patient is at high risk of coronary heart disease. He/she can benefit of revascularisation procedures, even if he/she is exposed to a higher incidence of complications after a coronary artery bypass graft or a percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. The use of drug-eluting stents--paclitaxel (PES) or sirolimus (SES)--dramatically reduces the risk of restenosis as compared to bare-metal stents; nevertheless, the rate of restenosis remains almost double in diabetic patients compared to that observed in non-diabetic subjects. However, the risk of (very) late thrombosis is higher with drug-eluting stents than with bare-metal stents, in the diabetic population as in the non-diabetic population. Altogether, among diabetic patients, the incidence of major cardiovascular events is significantly reduced with drug-eluting stents. This global clinical benefit essentially results from a diminution of revascularisation procedures rather than from a reduction of myocardial infarcts or cardiovascular deaths. Comparison between SES and PES gives discordant results. Indeed, while the loss of intra-stent lumen is more important with PES than with SES, PES are associated with a lower rate of major cardiovascular events than SES. Efficacious antiplatelet therapy in the long run is mandatory in all diabetic patients treated with drug-eluting stents.

It is possible to decrease the rate of progression of coronary artery disease in diabetic patients by controlling all risk factors including hyperglycemia and by the prescription of statin and aspirin in high risk patients. After a coronary event, the management of the patient must be as optimal as possible in terms of pharmacological treatment and revascularization. "Ever more" is the key line in these patients.

All patients with suspected angina need rapidly further cardiological examinations to check the diagnosis and fix the prognosis (at least clinical and risk factor evaluations and a resting ECG). The initial non-invasive strategy should include an echocardiography and a stress test (exercise ECG, stress echocardiography or perfusion scintigraphy), followed, in the majority of cases, by a coronary angiography. Lifestyle changes are mandatory and are fully part of secondary prevention: cigarette smoking withdrawal, mediterranean diet (fruit, vegetables, fish and poultry), weight loss, moderate alcohol consumption, increased omega-3 fatty acids and regular physical activity. Pharmacological therapy of stable coronary artery disease should associate short-acting nitrates (in case of angina), and systematically aspirin and statin. A beta-blocker should be used as a first-line therapy, particularly in the post-infarction setting or in case of left ventricular dysfunction. In case of contraindication, a calcium inhibitor or a long-acting nitrate should be choosen. ACE inhibitors are indicated in patients with left ventricular dysfunction, hypertension or diabetes and should also be considered in high-risk patients. The combination aspirin plus clopidogrel is required for at least one month after insertion of a nude stent, 12 months after an active stent or an acute coronary syndrome.

The prevalence of coronary artery disease increases with age. Its clinical presentation is even less typical and its prognosis even more severe that it occurs in frail subjects with several co-morbidities. These atypical symptoms are often associated with a delayed diagnosis and therapy. The presence of comorbidities requires a comprehensive geriatric assessment to detect the existence of "frailty". Evidence based medicine available for coronary artery disease is based on studies that involve very few subjects over 80 years and recommendations are extrapolated from data based on evidence obtained in younger populations. Basically the strategy of treatments of coronary artery disease in octogenarians remains identical to the youngest subject. However, epidemiological studies indicate an under-prescription of recommended drugs whereas this older population is likely to derive the greatest benefit because of its elevated cardiovascular risk. Cautions for use of cardio-vascular therapies are necessary in octogenarian people because of comorbidities and pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic changes related to aging. Globally, the therapeutic strategy of coronary artery disease should be based not on the age but on an individual analysis that takes into account the severity of coronary artery disease, the existence of comorbidities, the iatrogenic risk, the expectancy and the quality of life of the patient.

Coronary drug-eluting stents (DES) are increasingly used in interventional cardiology. Stents coated with pharmacological substances such as sirolimus or paclitaxel, capable of reducing endothelial proliferation, have been proposed to replace bare-metal stents (BMS) in order to reduce the risk of restenosis. The survey of the literature confirms a major and significant reduction in the risk of restenosis with both sirolimus and paclitaxel DES as compared to BMS in the global population. This effect leads to a diminished requirement for new revascularisation procedures. However, such DES may increase the risk of very late stent thrombosis, presumably due to a defect of endothelialisation, which requires long-term effective antiplatelet therapy. The impact on major clinical coronary events shows no significant difference in mortality between DES and BMS. However, the incidence of myocardial infarct may be, slightly but significantly, reduced with sirolimus DES. In a next paper, the same analysis will be specifically performed in the diabetic population, which is well known to be at high risk of coronary heart disease, but is also expected to particularly benefit from DES.

The use of drug-eluting stents has brought considerable change to the treatment of coronary artery disease. However, recent reports have suggested that they may be associated with an increase risk of late thrombosis. A current analysis of the available data suggests that the risk of late thrombosis is indeed probably higher with drug-eluting stents than with bare metal stents. However, this risk appears low, and does not justify withholding the device from the patients who would benefit from their use, especially when they suffer from complex disease (long lesions, small vessels, diabetes, etc) with a known higher risk of recurrent stenosis. Based on the information available to us today, appropriate patient selection, meticulous implantation technique and uninterrupted dual antiplatelet therapy (aspirin and clopidogrel) for six to twelve months after angioplasty appear to be the main ingredients for a successful and uncomplicated procedure.

Chronic renal insufficiency leads to many cardiovascular complications and provide worst prognosis, especially when patients need hemodialysis. The atherosclerosis of chronic hemodialysis patients is qualified as "accelerated" by some authors, because of a very fast and large progression. To improve prognosis, it seems to be very important to detect and treat the frequent and serious underlying cardiovascular disease. Because of the high rate of diabetes mellitus, silent ischemia is a very frequent clinical situation. In the other hand, coronary artery disease in chronic hemodialysis patients is frequently complex, with a large coronary extension and high rate of coronary calcifications. Consequently, this disease needs a specific therapeutic approach. Even though, percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) are more complex in this population, it provides good results, and improves patient's prognosis. However, the rate of complications of the vascular approach and the rate of restenosis is high. New devices, such as Drug Eluting Stents (DES) can critically decrease restenosis rate, and closure devices for trans-femoral approach, provides very encouraging results in this high risk population. Despite, good results of PCI with DES use, the mortality is still high in this population. To improve our efficiency, we have to progress in our therapeutic strategies and optimize medical approach to treat the important biological perturbations.

Objectives: The purpose of our study is to illustrate by five original observations the various situations where the stenting of the left main coronary artery can be proposed in alternative to aortocoronary bridging with encouraging results in short- and long-term., Materials and Methods: We report a retrospective study relating to five cases with left main disease treated by stenting between 1996 and 2002 at our institution. In two cases the left main stem was unprotected. In two other cases, the left main trunk was protected. And the last case was an emergency stenting for an iatrogenic dissection of the left main coronary artery., Results: The stenting was carried out successfully among the five patients without major in-hospital complication. During the follow-up of 29 months at mean, no death was deplored, and no target lesion revascularization was required on the left main coronary artery (with a left main trunk permeable on three coronarographic controls)., Conclusions: In the light of these results, and basing on the published data, we conclude that stenting for the left main coronary disease may be a safe and effective alternative to coronary artery bypass surgery in particular cases among "selected" patients (refusal or surgical contraindication, protected left main coronary artery, spontaneous or iatrogenic acute occlusion of the left main coronary artery).

The aim ot tnis study was to assess the results of interventional strategy in patients over 75 years of age admitted to hospital with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) without persistent ST elevation. Over three months, patients over the age of 75 undergoing coronary angiography for ACS were included in a multicentre register and followed up for 6 months. A total of 126 patients with an average age of 79 were included: 70% had at least one poor prognostic factor. The treatment on admission included: Aspirin (84%), Clopidogrel (60%), anti GpIIb-IIIa (12%) and Heparin (81%, of which 3/4 of cases were low molecular weight heparins). Coronary angiography (average delay 80 hours) showed single, double and triple vessel disease in 21, 29 and 35% of cases respectively. Coronary angioplasty was proposed in 83 patients and carried out in 82. Eleven patients underwent coronary artery bypass grafting and 31 were treated medically. During the hospital phase, there were 3 major cardiovascular complications: 1 death during coronary angiography, 1 intra-stent thrombosis and 1 death in the group undergoing bypass grafting, with no major bleeding complications. At 6 months, there were 8 (6.5%) major cardiovascular adverse events with 6 in the "angioplasty" group; 5 deaths (3 cardiac deaths), 3 myocardial infarcts. Two thirds of patients were asymptomatic. The authors conclude that interventional strategy in ACS of elderly patients is associated with a low rate of major adverse events. The benefits of this strategy should be confirmed by randomised trial.

Despite the improvement in revascularisation techniques, coronary artery disease remains the principal aetiology of cardiac failure in developed countries. The therapeutic management of cardiac failure has been improved over recent years, yet cardiac failure is still associated with significant morbidity and mortality. As cardiac transplantation lacks donors, techniques that allow myocardial regeneration represent an attractive alternative. To date, several types of cells are under study and are suitable for implantation into infarcted myocardium (myoblasts, medullary stem cells...). Following good preclinical study results, the first human cell therapy trials, using the intramyocardial route, have begun, in the course of aorto-coronary bypass surgery in patients with chronic ischaemic cardiopathy and little altered left ventricular function, and then in those with ventricular dysfunction. Different modes of administration of these cell therapy products are under study and could be envisaged in clinical situations such as just after infarction in order to improve ventricular remodelling with an intracoronary injection technique. As for every new treatment, there are numerous problems to resolve, from understanding the relevant mechanisms of cellular transplantation, to the secondary effects that it could entail. Nevertheless, cardiac cellular transplantation is expanding rapidly and with the evolution of techniques it allows a glimpse of a new field of treatment for cardiac failure.