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The use of prasugrel and ticagrelor as part of dual antiplatelet therapy is increasing in patients after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Accordingly, we aimed to evaluate their prescription patterns in the National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR) Practice Innovation and Clinical Excellence (PINNACLE) registry. We analyzed patients enrolled in NCDR PINNACLE registry from January 2013 to March 2015 who underwent PCI with drug-eluting stent and were prescribed dual antiplatelet therapy. All patients received aspirin. The primary study outcome was a 3-level variable denoting the second antiplatelet agent prescribed: (1) clopidogrel, (2) prasugrel, or (3) ticagrelor. Baseline characteristics were compared among the 3 groups. Odds ratios and 95% credible intervals were calculated from a nested hierarchical Bayesian logistic regression models to identify independent predictors of prescription of antiplatelet medications, incorporating practice and provider as random effects. Our study cohort consisted of 26,710 patients during our study period January 2013 to March 2015. Seventy nine percent of patients were prescribed clopidogrel, 12% prasugrel, and 11% ticagrelor. Patients aged ≥75 years, women, history of tobacco use, Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD), hypertension, diabetes, previous vascular complication, heart failure, and stroke/transient ischemic attack were more likely to be on clopidogrel than prasugrel or ticagrelor. The relative percentages of ticagrelor and prasugrel were higher in patients with history of myocardial infarction, compared with those without myocardial infarction. In summary, our study highlights the prescription patterns associated with prescription of antiplatelet agents after PCI. We found that both ticagrelor and prasugrel were mostly prescribed per the current practice guidelines, thus reflecting appropriate guideline adherence by practices in NCDR PINNACLE registry., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Patients with unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) disease are increasingly being treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using drug-eluting stents (DES), but long-term outcomes comparing PCI with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) remain limited. We performed aggregate data meta-analyses of clinical outcomes (all-cause death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke, repeat revascularization, cardiac death, and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events) in studies comparing 5-year outcomes of PCI with DES versus CABG in patients with ULMCA disease. A comprehensive literature search (January 1, 2003 to December 10, 2016) identified 9 studies (6,637 patients). Effect size for individual clinical outcomes was estimated using odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) using a random effects model. At 5 years, PCI with DES was associated with equivalent cardiac (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.62 to 1.46) and all-cause mortality (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.72 to 1.33), lower rates of stroke (OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.30 to 0.84), and higher rates of repeat revascularization (OR 2.52, 95% CI 1.63 to 3.91); compared with CABG, major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events showed a trend favoring CABG but did not reach statistical significance (OR 1.19, 95% CI 0.93 to 1.54). In conclusion, for ULMCA disease, PCI can be considered as a comparably effective and yet less invasive alternative to CABG given the comparable long-term mortality and lower incidences of stroke., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Short- and long-term mortality in women who undergo coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) has been evaluated in multiple studies with conflicting results. The investigators conducted a meta-analysis of all existing studies to evaluate the impact of female gender on mortality in patients who undergo isolated CABG. A comprehensive search of studies published through May 31, 2012 identified 20 studies comparing men and women who underwent isolated CABG. All-cause mortality was evaluated at short-term (postoperative period and/or at 30 days), midterm (1-year), and long-term (5-year) follow-up. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence interval (CIs) were calculated using a random-effects model. A total of 966,492 patients (688,709 men [71%], 277,783 women [29%]) were included in this meta-analysis. Women were more likely to be older; had significantly greater co-morbidities, including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, unstable angina, congestive heart failure, and peripheral vascular disease; and were more likely to undergo urgent CABG (51% vs 44%, p <0.01). Short-term mortality (OR 1.77, 95% CI 1.67 to 1.88) was significantly higher in women. At midterm and long-term follow-up, mortality remained high in women compared with men. Women remained at increased risk for short-term mortality in 2 subgroup analyses including prospective studies (n = 41,500, OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.59 to 2.12) and propensity score-matched studies (n = 11,522, OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.78). In conclusion, women who underwent isolated CABG experienced higher mortality at short-term, midterm, and long-term follow-up compared with men. Mortality remained independently associated with female gender despite propensity score-matched analysis of outcomes., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The acute impact of hypertensive crisis, and changes after treatment, on left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic function using comprehensive echocardiography, including speckle tracking, has not been well characterized. Thirty consecutive patients admitted to the hospital from the emergency room with hypertensive crisis underwent Doppler echocardiography at baseline and after blood pressure optimization. The mean age of the patients was 54 ± 13 years, with 19 men (63%). The most common presenting symptoms included dyspnea (70%), chest pain (43%), and altered mental status (13%). Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures at presentation were 198 ± 12 and 122 ± 12 mm Hg, decreasing to 143 ± 15 and 77 ± 12 mm Hg (p <0.001 for both) after treatment. There was no significant change in LV ejection fraction between baseline and follow-up (48 ± 18% vs 46 ± 18%, p = 0.50); however, global longitudinal LV systolic strain (-10 ± 4% to -12 ± 4%, p = 0.01) and global systolic strain rate (-1.0 ± 0.4 vs -1.4 ± 0.6 s(-1), p = 0.01) significantly improved. Mean global early diastolic strain (-7.2 ± 4.0% to -9.4 ± 2.9%, p = 0.004) and early diastolic strain rate (0.3 ± 0.2 to 0.5 ± 0.4 s(-1), p = 0.05) also improved after treatment. On multivariate analysis, the independent predictors of LV longitudinal strain at follow-up were LV ejection fraction (p <0.001), heart rate (p = 0.005), systolic blood pressure (p = 0.04), and left atrial volume index (p = 0.05). In conclusion, as opposed to LV ejection fraction, LV systolic strain and strain rate were depressed during hypertensive crisis and significantly improved after medical treatment. LV diastolic function, assessed using conventional and speckle-tracking parameters, was also depressed and significantly improved after treatment., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Adequate antiplatelet therapy is paramount for good clinical outcomes in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The purpose of this study was to determine whether a high-dose regimen of clopidogrel in patients undergoing PCI is superior to standard dosing. A total of 119 patients undergoing PCI were blindly randomized in 2:1 fashion to receive clopidogrel loading 600 mg on the table immediately before PCI and 75 mg 2 times/day for 1 month (high-dose group) versus standard dosing (300 mg loading and 75 mg/day; low-dose group). Platelet aggregation was measured using light transmission aggregometry at baseline, 4 hours, and 30 days. The composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization was studied at 30 days in addition to major and minor bleeding. Baseline characteristics and baseline platelet aggregation were similar in the 2 groups. Percent inhibitions of platelet activity were 41% and 27% in the high-dose group versus 19% and 10% in the low-dose group at 4 hours and 30 days (p = 0.046 and 0.047, respectively). Composite clinical end points were 10.3% in the high-dose group and 23.8% in the low-dose group (p = 0.04). No difference was noted in major or minor bleeding. In conclusion, a higher loading and maintenance dose of clopidogrel in patients undergoing PCI results in superior platelet inhibition and decreased cardiovascular events without increasing bleeding complications.

There is controversy regarding the nature of systolic function in patients with elevated filling pressure and preserved left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction. In this study, tissue Doppler variables and 2-dimensional echocardiographic systolic strain (SS) and systolic strain rate (SSr) were measured in patients who underwent cardiac catheterization to determine correlations with invasively measured LV end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), dP/dt, and LV mass. Forty patients were studied. Their mean age was 55.9+/-9.9 years, and their mean LV ejection fraction was 59.8+/-5.2%. Tissue Doppler systolic annular velocity (5.4+/-1.1 vs 6.4+/-1.0 cm/s, p=0.04), SS (13.4+/-3.7% vs 18.8+/-2.3%, p <0.001), and SSr (0.73+/-0.17 vs 0.98+/-0.14 s(-1), p <0.001) were significantly lower in patients with LVEDP >20 mm Hg compared with those with LVEDP <20 mm Hg. Tissue Doppler systolic velocity, SSr, and SS were correlated with LV mass (R=0.58, R=0.57, and R=0.52, respectively, all p values <0.001) and with LVEDP (R=0.49, p=0.002; R=0.79, p<0.001; and R=0.70, p<0.001, respectively). However, dP/dt was not significantly different between patients with LVEDP >20 mm Hg and those with LVEDP <20 mm Hg (1,387+/-520 vs 1,495+/-594 mm Hg/s, respectively, p=0.55) and was not correlated with LV mass (R=0.18, p=0.25). The optimum cut-off values for LVEDP >20 mm Hg were SSr <0.85 s(-1) (area under the curve 0.88, p<0.001, positive predictive value 89%, negative predictive value 86%) and SS<16% (area under the curve 0.84, p=0.002, positive predictive value 88%, negative predictive value 79%). In conclusion, as opposed to invasively measured dP/dt, tissue Doppler systolic velocity and 2-dimensional echocardiographic SS and SSr are significantly depressed in patients with preserved LV ejection fraction and LVEDP >20 mm Hg, suggesting that systolic abnormalities are present in at least some of these patients. These differences are likely because invasively measured dP/dt and these echocardiographic variables measure different systolic properties in patients with preserved LV ejection fraction.

Tissue Doppler indexes of left ventricular (LV) filling pressure are prone to angulation errors and tethering and are less reliable in patients with preserved LV ejection fraction and indeterminate early peak transmitral diastolic flow (E)/mitral early diastolic velocity (Ea) (8 or =8 had higher sensitivity and specificity (95% and 94%, respectively; area under the curve = 0.96, p <0.0001) than E/Ea > or =15 (sensitivity 81%, specificity 75%; area under the curve = 0.85, p <0.0001) for the prediction of LV pre-A pressure > or =15 mm Hg (p = 0.01 for comparison). In patients with LV ejection fraction > or =50% and 8 or =50% or indeterminate E/Ea, both E/Ds and E/10DSr (a ratio based on global DSR) were better predictors of LV filling pressure than E/Ea.

It is unknown whether right ventricular (RV) tissue Doppler (TD) predicts outcome in patients with left ventricular (LV) heart failure (HF) independently of contemporary echocardiographic Doppler variables of LV diastolic function. Comprehensive echocardiographic Doppler examination was performed before discharge in 107 patients hospitalized with LV HF. The primary end point was cardiac death or rehospitalization for HF. Follow-up was complete for 100 of 107 patients a mean of 527 days after hospital discharge. There were no significant differences in baseline clinical variables (mean age 58+/-12 years, 46% women, 77% hypertensive, 48% diabetic, 41% current smokers, and 23% known coronary artery disease) in prediction of the primary end point. Compared with patients without an event, patients with an event had a larger left atrial volume index (42+/-16 vs 33+/-13 ml/m2, p=0.001), lower LV ejection fraction (35+/-19% vs 46+/-22%, p=0.01), higher mitral peak early diastolic flow velocity/TD early diastolic velocity (19+/-7 vs 14+/-7, p=0.001), lower RV fractional area change (39+/-11% vs 43+/-10%, p=0.04), and lower RV TD systolic velocity (8+/-2 vs 10+/-3 cm/s, p=0.005). On Cox proportional hazards multivariate analysis, left atrial volume index (p=0.01), mitral peak early diastolic flow velocity/TD early diastolic velocity (p=0.03), and RV TD systolic velocity (p=0.04) were independent predictors of outcome. Even when contemporary echocardiographic Doppler measures of LV diastolic function are considered, RV TD systolic velocity is an independent predictor of cardiac death or rehospitalization for HF in patients hospitalized with HF and appears to be superior to conventional 2-dimensional parameters of RV function.

Drug-eluting stents (DESs) deliver biphasic (early and late) elution of anti-inflammatory compounds. We therefore hypothesized that DESs would be associated with early reductions in inflammatory biomarker release after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). A total of 741 patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome underwent PCI in the Randomized Trial to Evaluate the Relative PROTECTion against Post-PCI Microvascular Dysfunction and Post-PCI Ischemia among Anti-Platelet and Anti-Thrombotic Agents (PROTECT) Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction 30 study of eptifibatide and reduced-dose antithrombin compared with bivalirudin. Serial biomarkers C-reactive protein, troponin, creatine kinase-MB, soluble CD40 ligand, interleukin-6, prothrombin fragment F1.2, and RANTES (regulated on activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted) were assessed through 24 hours after PCI. DES use was at the investigator's discretion. Patients treated with DESs (n = 665) versus bare metal stents (n = 139) were more likely to have patent arteries before PCI (92.0% vs 86.6%, p = 0.04), Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction myocardial perfusion grade 3 (57.9% vs 47.7%, p = 0.033), and the left anterior descending artery as the culprit artery (38.5% vs 18.3%, p <0.001). The increase in C-reactive protein and troponin was lower among patients undergoing DES implantation (median 2.1 vs 3.5 mg/L for C-reactive protein, median 0.11 vs 0.41 ng/ml for troponin), even after adjustment for randomized treatment, clopidogrel before treatment, diabetes mellitus status, epicardial patency, left anterior descending artery location, and myocardial perfusion (p = 0.036 and p = 0.039, respectively). Interleukin-6 was lower with DESs on univariate analysis but not multivariate analysis. Creatine kinase-MB, soluble sCD40 ligand, prothrombin fragment F1.2, and RANTES did not differ by DES use. In conclusion, patients undergoing DES implantation achieved more reductions in periprocedural markers of inflammation and necrosis than patients receiving bare metal stents among those with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome.

Previous evidence suggests that the monoclonal antibody abciximab may have a more potent anticoagulant effect than small-molecule glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibitors. We prospectively reviewed collected heparin dose, activated clotting time (ACT), and corresponding clinical outcome data from The Do Tirofiban and ReoPro Give Similar Efficacy Outcome Trial (TARGET), a direct comparison of tirofiban versus abciximab in patients who underwent percutaneous intervention. Of the 4,809 patients enrolled in the trial, 3,739 patients (78%) had an ACT measured after the administration of GP IIb/IIIa and heparin (peak procedural ACT); this formed the population for the present study. Mean total heparin dose was 75 +/- 32 and 76 +/- 31 U/kg in the tirofiban and abciximab groups, respectively. The resultant mean peak ACTs were 296 +/- 91 and 299 +/- 89 seconds (p = 0.09). In a subset of patients with both baseline ACT (before any heparin or GP IIb/IIIa therapy) and peak procedural ACT measurements, the difference in ACT between these time points was 80 +/- 97 vs 82 +/- 101 seconds (p = 0.44) for the tirofiban and abciximab groups, respectively. After adjusting for patients' weight, weight-adjusted heparin dose, and method of ACT measurement in a multiple linear regression analysis, the type of GP IIb/IIIa inhibitor was not predictive of the peak ACT (p = 0.24). When stratified by ACT quartile, no statistically significant difference in bleeding or ischemic end points between the tirofiban and abciximab cohorts was observed. In this large contemporary percutaneous coronary intervention trial, there was no observed difference in the anticoagulant effect of tirofiban and abciximab, as measured by the ACT, or in the incidence of bleeding or ischemic complications in each ACT quartile.

Thallium-201 single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is superior to planar imaging for localizing native coronary stenoses, but has not yet been studied for assessing graft patency late after coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). Accordingly, we studied 50 patients (40 males), aged 58 +/- 9 years (mean +/- SD), who presented for evaluation of angina (30 patients), atypical chest pain (20 patients), and other symptoms (9 patients), late after CABG (51 +/- 47 months). Patients with prior myocardial infarction were excluded. The mean ejection fraction was 58 +/- 17%. All patients underwent coronary angiography within 3 weeks of symptom-limited exercise thallium-201 SPECT. There were 119 grafts, of which 48 had > 50% stenosis by angiography. Thallium-201 SPECT detected 40 of these 48 (83%) stenosed grafts. The sensitivity of thallium-201 SPECT for detecting any graft stenosis was higher than that of the exercise electrocardiogram in patients with typical recurrent angina (84% vs 24%, p < 0.0001), as well as in those with atypical symptoms (70% vs 50%, p = 0.0039). The sensitivity of thallium-201 SPECT for correctly localizing the graft stenosis site was 82% for the left anterior descending, 92% for the right coronary, and 75% for the circumflex coronary artery. In conclusion, exercise thallium-201 SPECT is an excellent method to detect and localize graft stenosis late after CABG; it is far superior to the exercise electrocardiogram alone, both in patients with and without typical recurrent angina.