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The prognostic value of SYNTAX score (SS), intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-derived plaque burden (PB) and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)-derived lipid core burden index(LCBI) for identification of high-risk patients for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) has been proven in previous studies. The majority of patients presenting in the cathlab however do not endure MACE over time, and identification of low-risk groups has remained underexposed. This study evaluates the combined prognostic value of SS, PB and LCBI in identifying patients with low MACE risk. This post-hoc analysis combines the ATHEROREMO and IBIS-3 studies and included 798 patients undergoing coronary angiography. Anatomical SS was calculated (N = 617) and ≥40mm non-stenotic segment of a non-target vessel was investigated with IVUS (N = 645) and NIRS (N = 273) to determine PB and maximum 4mm LCBI (LCBI4mm). During five-year follow-up, 191 MACE were observed. Patients with PB ≤70%, LCBI4mm ≤227 (median), or SS ≤8 (median) had lower MACE incidence than their counterparts with higher values. Combined into one model, LCBI4mm ≤227 (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.49, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.30–0.78; p-value = 0.003) and SS ≤8 (aHR 0.67, 95%CI 0.48–0.96, p-value = 0.027) were independently associated with (lower) MACE rate, but PB was not. Additionally, negative predictive value (NPV) of this model was high (SS<8: 0.80, PB<70%: 0.77, LCBI4mm<227: 0.79). In this cohort, SS and LCBI4mm proved to be independent predictors of MACE-free survival during five-year follow-up. Combination of SS and LCBI4mm is useful to identify a low-risk population. Furthermore, NPV of SS, PB and LCBI4mm for prediction of MACE is high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Renal dysfunction and anaemia are common in patients with acute heart failure (HF). It is not known whether their combined presence has additive prognostic value. We investigated their prognostic value separately and in combination, on prognosis in acute HF patients. Furthermore, we examined whether the improvement in prognosis was comparable between patients with and without renal dysfunction. Methods and results: This prospective registry includes 1783 patients admitted to the (Intensive) Coronary Care Unit for acute HF in the period of 1985–2008. The outcome measure was the composite of all-cause mortality, heart transplantation and left ventricular assist device implantation. In patients without renal dysfunction, anemia was associated with worse 30-day outcome (HR 2.91; [95% CI 1.69–5.00]), but not with 10-year outcome (HR 1.13 [95% CI 0.93–1.37]). On the contrary, anemia was found to influence prognosis in patients with renal dysfunction, both at 30 days (HR 1.93 [95% CI 1.33–2.80]) and at 10 years (HR 1.27 [95% CI 1.10–1.47]). Over time, the 10-year survival rate improved in patients with preserved renal function (HR 0.73 [95% CI 0.55–0.97]), but not in patients with renal dysfunction. Conclusion: The long-term prognosis of acute HF patients with a preserved renal function was found to have improved significantly. However, the prognosis of patients with renal dysfunction did not change. Anemia was a strong prognosticator for short-term outcome in all patients. In patients with renal dysfunction, anemia was also associated with impaired long-term prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: SYNTAX score II (SSII) is a long-term mortality prediction model to guide the decision making of the heart-team between coronary artery bypass grafting or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with left main or three-vessel coronary artery disease. This study aims to investigate the long-term predictive value of SSII for all-cause mortality in patients with one- or two-vessel disease undergoing PCI. Methods: A total of 628 patients (76% men, mean age: 61±10 years) undergoing PCI due to stable angina pectoris (43%) or acute coronary syndrome (57%), included between January 2008 and June 2013, were eligible for the current study. SSII was calculated using the original SYNTAX score website (). Cox regression analysis was used to assess the association between continuous SSII and long-term all-cause mortality. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve was used to assess the performance of SSII. Results: SSII ranged from 6.6 to 58.2 (median: 20.4, interquartile range: 16.1–26.8). In multivariable analysis, SSII proved to be an independent significant predictor for 4.5-year mortality (hazard ratio per point increase: 1.10; 95% confidence interval: 1.07–1.13; p<0.001). In terms of discrimination, SSII had a concordance index of 0.77. Conclusion: In addition to its established value in patients with left main and three-vessel disease, SSII may also predict long-term mortality in PCI-treated patients with one- or two-vessel disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between cigarette smoking and coronary atherosclerotic burden, volume and composition as determined in-vivo by grayscale and virtual histology (VH) intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). Methods and Results: Between 2008 and 2011, (VH-)IVUS of a non-culprit coronary artery was performed in 581 patients undergoing coronary angiography. To account for differences in baseline characteristics, current smokers were matched to never smokers by age, gender and indication for catheterization, resulting in 280 patients available for further analysis. Coronary atherosclerotic plaque volume, burden, composition (fibrous, fibro-fatty, dense calcium and necrotic core) and high-risk lesions (VH-IVUS derived thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA), plaque burden ≥70%, minimal luminal area ≤4.0 mm2) were assessed. Cigarette smoking showed a tendency towards higher coronary plaque burden (mean±SD, 38.6±12.5% in current versus 36.4±11.0% in never smokers, p = 0.080; and odds ratio (OR) of current smoking for plaque burden above versus below the median 1.69 (1.04–2.75), p = 0.033). This effect was driven by an association in patients presenting with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) (current smokers, plaque burden 38.3±12.8% versus never smokers, plaque burden 35.0±11.2%, p = 0.049; OR 1.88 (1.02–3.44), p = 0.042). Fibrous tissue tended to be lower in current smokers (mean±SD, 57.7±10.5% versus 60.4±12.6%, p = 0.050) and fibro-fatty tissue was higher in current smokers (median[IQR], 9.6[6.0–13.7]% versus 8.6[5.8–12.2]%, p = 0.039). However, differences in percentage necrotic core and dense calcium could not be demonstrated. Also, no differences were found with regard to high-risk lesions. Conclusions: An association between smoking and degree of coronary atherosclerosis was present in patients undergoing coronary angiography who presented with ACS. Although smoking was associated with higher fibro-fatty percentage, no associations could be demonstrated with percentage necrotic core, nor with VH-IVUS derived TCFA lesions. Since the magnitude of the differences in both degree and composition of atherosclerosis was modest, clinical relevance of the findings may be questioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]