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Background: The optimal strategy and timing of revascularization in hemodynamically stable patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and multivessel disease is unknown. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the comparative efficacy and safety of early complete revascularization vs culprit-only or staged revascularization in this setting., Methods: We searched the literature for randomized clinical trials that assessed this issue. Early complete revascularization was defined as a complete revascularization achieved during the index procedure or within 72 hours. Efficacy outcomes were major adverse cardiovascular events, myocardial infarction, repeat revascularization, and all-cause mortality. Safety outcomes were all bleeding events, stroke, and contrast-induced acute kidney injury., Results: Nine randomized clinical trials with a total of 2837 patients were included; 1254 received early complete revascularization and 1583 were treated with other revascularization strategies. After a mean follow-up of 15.3 ± 9.4 months early complete revascularization was associated with a lower risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (relative risk [RR], 0.51; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.41-0.62; P < 0.00001; number needed to treat = 8), myocardial infarction (RR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.40-0.87), and repeat revascularization (RR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.28-0.55) without any difference in all-cause mortality and in safety outcomes compared with culprit-only or staged revascularization. Moreover, fractional flow reserve-guided complete revascularization reduced the incidence of repeat revascularization compared with angiography-guided procedure (χ 2  = 4.36; P = 0.04)., Conclusions: Early complete revascularization should be considered in hemodynamically stable patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and multivessel disease deemed suitable for percutaneous interventions. Fractional flow reserve-guided complete revascularization might be superior to angiography-guided procedures in reducing need for further interventions., (Copyright © 2019 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background/objectives: Long term safety of DES, particularly regarding thrombosis is of concern. The hypothesized underlying mechanisms (stent under expansion, malapposition) could be prevented by IVUS guidance. Aim of this meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials (RCT) and high quality observational cohort studies (HQ-OBS) is to quantify the potential clinical benefit of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) guidance in drug-eluting stents (DES) implantation., Methods: We performed an extensive literature search for full-text articles published in 2003–2013. The primary outcome was the rate of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in RCT and HQ-OBS; secondary outcomes were death, myocardial infarction (MI), revascularization, thrombosis and post-procedural minimum lumen diameter (MLD). Fixed/random effect relative risks (RRs) or standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were computed for the meta-analysis., Results: Thirty-four articles were retrieved from 268 found; of these 3 were RCT and 9 were HQ-OBS; 18,707 patients were enrolled, 1037 in RCT and 17,670 in OBS. Median follow-up was 20 months. IVUS guidance was associated with a significantly lower rate of MACE (RR=0.80, 95% CI 0.71–0.89, p b 0.001), death (RR=0.60, 95% CI 0.48–0.74, p b 0.001), MI (RR=0.59, 95% CI 0.44–0.80, p=0.001) and thrombosis (RR=0.50, 95% CI 0.32–0.80, p=0.007) and larger MLD (SMD=0.15, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.27, p=0.014), but not of revascularization (RR=0.95, 95% CI 0.82–1.09, p=0.75)., Conclusions: In this meta-analysis, IVUS guidance in DES implantation appears to reduce MACE, mortality and MI, possibly by reducing thrombosis rather than restenosis rate. Patients at high risk for thrombosis might be identified as the best candidate for IVUS guidance.

Objectives: This study sought to evaluate whether remote ischemic post-conditioning (RIPC) could reduce enzymatic infarct size in patients with anterior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI)., Background: Myocardial reperfusion injury may attenuate the benefit of pPCI. In animal models, RIPC mitigates myocardial reperfusion injury., Methods: One hundred patients with anterior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and occluded left anterior descending artery were randomized to pPCI + RIPC (n = 50) or conventional pPCI (n = 50). RIPC consisted of 3 cycles of 5 min/5 min ischemia/reperfusion by cuff inflation/deflation of the lower limb. The primary endpoint was infarct size assessed by the area under the curve of creatinine kinase-myocardial band release (CK-MB). Secondary endpoints included the following: infarct size assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance delayed enhancement volume; T2-weighted edema volume; ST-segment resolution >50%; TIMI (Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction) frame count; and myocardial blush grading., Results: Four patients (2 RIPC, 2 controls) were excluded due to missing samples of CK-MB. A total of 96 patients were analyzed; median area under the curve CK-MB was 8,814 (interquartile range [IQR]: 5,567 to 11,325) arbitrary units in the RIPC group and 10,065 (IQR: 7,465 to 14,004) arbitrary units in control subjects (relative reduction: 20%, 95% confidence interval: 0.2% to 28.7%; p = 0.043). Seventy-seven patients underwent a cardiac magnetic resonance scan 3 to 5 days after randomization, and 66 patients repeated a second scan after 4 months. T2-weighted edema volume was 37 ± 16 cc in RIPC patients and 47 ± 22 cc in control subjects (p = 0.049). ST-segment resolution >50% was 66% in RIPC and 37% in control subjects (p = 0.015). We observed no significant differences in TIMI frame count, myocardial blush grading, and delayed enhancement volume., Conclusions: In patients with anterior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, RIPC at the time of pPCI reduced enzymatic infarct size and was also associated with an improvement of T2-weighted edema volume and ST-segment resolution >50%. (Remote Postconditioning in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction Treated by Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention [PCI] [RemPostCon]; NCT00865722)., (Copyright © 2013 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Mortality and morbidity after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remain high even when myocardial reperfusion is successful. Erythropoietin (EPO) protects against experimental MI., Methods: The aim of this single-centre study was to investigate the effects of short-term high-dose erythropoietin on peripheral blood cells (PBCs) and infarct size in 30 patients with a first uncomplicated AMI undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) who were randomly assigned to treatment with EPO (33 × 10(3)IU before PCI, and 24 and 48 h after admission), or placebo. We considered short-term CD34+ cell mobilisation, quantitative PBC gene expression in the apoptotic, angiogenic and inflammatory pathways, and enzymatically estimated infarct size. Echocardiographic and cardiac magnetic resonance studies were performed in the acute phase and six months later., Results: CD34+ cell mobilisation 72 h after admission was greater in the EPO-treated patient group (93 cells/μl [36-217] vs 22 cells/μl [6-51]; p = 0.002), who also showed higher expression of the anti-apoptotic AKT and NFkB, the pro-angiogenic VEGFR-2, and the EPO-R genes, and lower expression of the pro-apoptotic CASP3 and TP53 and pro-inflammatory IL12a genes. Moreover, they showed smaller infarct size (30% reduction in CK-MB release; p = 0.025), and a favourable pattern of left ventricular remodelling., Conclusions: Short-term high-dose EPO administration in patients with AMI treated by PCI and standard anti-platelet therapy increases the levels of circulating CD34+ cells, shifts PBC gene expression towards anti-apoptotic, pro-angiogenic and anti-inflammatory pathways, and decreases infarct size. The clinical relevance of these results needs to be confirmed in specifically tailored trials., (Copyright © 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)