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Background The SYNTAX trial demonstrated negative impact of repeat revascularization (RR) on 5-year outcomes following PCI/CABG in patients with three-vessel(3VD) and/or left main coronary artery disease(LMCAD). We aimed to investigate the impact of RR within 5 years, on 10-year mortality in patients with 3VD and/or LMCAD after PCI/CABG. Methods The SYNTAXES study evaluated the vital status out to 10 years of patients with 3VD and/or LMCAD. Patients were stratified by RR within 5 years and randomized treatment. The association between RR within 5 years and 10-year mortality was assessed. Results A total of 330 out of 1800 patients (18.3%) underwent RR within 5 years. RR occurred more frequently after initial PCI than after initial CABG (25.9% vs. 13.7%, p 0.001). Overall, 10-year mortality was comparable between patients undergoing RR and those not (28.2% vs. 26.1%, adjusted HR: 1.17, 95%CI 0.93–1.48, p = 0.187). In the PCI arm, RR was associated with a trend toward higher 10-year mortality (adjusted HR: 1.29, 95%CI 0.97–1.72, p = 0.075), while in the CABG arm, the trend was opposite (adjusted HR: 0.74, 95%CI 0.46–1.20, p = 0.219). Among patients requiring RR, those who underwent PCI as initial revascularization had a higher risk of 10-year mortality compared to initial CABG (33.5% vs. 17.6%, adjusted HR: 2.09, 95%CI 1.21–3.61, p = 0.008). Conclusion In the SYNTAXES study, RR within 5 years had no impact on 10-year all-cause death in the population overall. Among patients requiring any repeat procedures, 10-year mortality was higher after initial treatment with PCI than after CABG. These exploratory findings should be investigated with larger populations in future studies. Trial registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; SYNTAXES Unique identifier: NCT03417050. URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; SYNTAX Unique identifier: NCT00114972. Graphical abstract

Aims To study sex differences in major bleeding in relation to dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods and results The Collective Cardiology Research registry was designed to evaluate the application and outcomes of DAPT after ACS/PCI in the Rijnmond region in the Netherlands. Overall, 1172 women (median age 67.5 years) and 3087 men (62.2 years) with ACS/PCI were enrolled between August 2011 and June 2013. Based on a tailored regional DAPT guideline aiming at bleeding risk minimization, 52.6% women and 66.9% men received prasugrel as first-choice P2Y12 inhibitor, additional to aspirin. Women more frequently had contraindications for the use of prasugrel (and therefore received clopidogrel) than men (47.9 vs. 26.9%, p

Aim The aim of this study was to compare long-term all-cause mortality between patients receiving percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) using multiple (MAG) or single arterial grafting (SAG). Methods and results The current study is a post hoc analysis of the SYNTAX Extended Survival Study, which compared PCI with CABG in patients with three-vessel (3VD) and/or left main coronary artery disease (LMCAD) and evaluated survival with ≥10 years of follow-up. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality at maximum follow-up (median 11.9 years) assessed in the as-treated population. Of the 1743 patients, 901 (51.7%) underwent PCI, 532 (30.5%) received SAG, and 310 (17.8%) had MAG. At maximum follow-up, all-cause death occurred in 305 (33.9%), 175 (32.9%), and 70 (22.6%) patients in the PCI, SAG, and MAG groups, respectively (P Conclusion Our findings suggest that MAG might be the more desirable configuration for CABG to achieve lower long-term all-cause mortality than PCI in patients with 3VD and/or LMCAD. Trial registration Registered on clinicaltrial.gov. SYNTAXES: NCT03417050 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03417050); SYNTAX: NCT00114972 (https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00114972).

Angiography alone is the most commonly used imaging modality for guidance of percutaneous coronary interventions. Angiography is limited, however, by several factors, including that it only portrays a low resolution, two-dimensional outline of the lumen and does not inform on plaque composition and functional stenosis severity. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an intracoronary imaging technique that has superior spatial resolution compared to all other imaging modalities. High-resolution imaging of the vascular wall enables precise measurement of vessel wall and luminal dimensions, more accurately informing about the anatomic severity of epicardial stenoses, and also provides input for computational models to assess functional severity. The very high-resolution images also permit plaque characterization that may be informative for prognostication. Moreover, periprocedural imaging provides valuable information to guide lesion preparation, stent implantation and to evaluate acute stent complications for which iterative treatment might reduce the occurrence of major adverse stent events. As such, OCT represent a potential future all-in-one tool that provides the data necessary to establish the indications, procedural planning and optimization, and final evaluation of percutaneous coronary revascularization. ispartof: TRENDS IN CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE vol:33 issue:2 pages:92-106 ispartof: location:United States status: published

Aims The aim of this article was to compare rates of all-cause death at 10 years following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with or without diabetes. Methods and results The SYNTAXES study evaluated up to 10-year survival of 1800 patients with three-vessel disease (3VD) and/or left main coronary artery disease (LMCAD) randomized to receive either PCI or CABG in the SYNTAX trial. Ten-year all-cause death according to diabetic status and revascularization strategy was examined. In diabetics (n = 452), the risk of mortality was numerically higher with PCI compared with CABG at 5 years [19.6% vs. 13.3%, hazard ratio (HR): 1.53, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.96, 2.43, P = 0.075], with the opposite seen between 5 and 10 years (PCI vs. CABG: 20.8% vs. 24.4%, HR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.52, 1.27, P = 0.366). Irrespective of diabetic status, there was no significant difference in all-cause death at 10 years between patients receiving PCI or CABG, the absolute treatment difference was 1.9% in diabetics (PCI vs. CABG: 36.4% vs. 34.5%, difference: 1.9%, 95% CI: −7.6%, 11.1%, P = 0.551). Among insulin-treated patients (n = 182), all-cause death at 10 years was numerically higher with PCI (47.9% vs. 39.6%, difference: 8.2%, 95% CI: −6.5%, 22.5%, P = 0.227). Conclusions The treatment effects of PCI vs. CABG on all-cause death at 10 years in patients with 3VD and/or LMCAD were similar irrespective of the presence of diabetes. There may, however, be a survival benefit with CABG in patients with insulin-treated diabetes. The association between revascularization strategy and very long-term ischaemic and safety outcomes for patients with diabetes needs further investigation in dedicated trials. Trial registration SYNTAX: ClinicalTrials.gov reference: NCT00114972 and SYNTAX Extended Survival: ClinicalTrials.gov reference: NCT03417050., Graphical Abstract The treatment effects of PCI versus CABG on all-cause death at 10 years in 3VD/LMCAD patients with pharmacologically treated diabetes and insulin-treated diabetes.

ObjectiveTo investigate percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) practice in an international cohort of patients with spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD). To explore factors associated with complications and study angiographic and longer term outcomes.MethodsSCAD patients (n=215, 94% female) who underwent PCI from three national cohort studies were investigated and compared with a matched cohort of conservatively managed SCAD patients (n=221).ResultsSCAD-PCI patients were high risk at presentation with only 8.8% undergoing PCI outside the context of ST-elevation myocardial infarction/cardiac arrest, thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) 0/1 flow or proximal dissections. PCI complications occurred in 38.6% (83/215), with 13.0% (28/215) serious complications. PCI-related complications were associated with more extensive dissections (multiple vs single American Heart Association coronary segments, OR 1.9 (95% CI: 1.06–3.39),p=0.030), more proximal dissections (proximal diameter per mm, OR 2.25 (1.38–3.67), p=0.001) and dissections with no contrast penetration of the false lumen (Yip-Saw 2 versus 1, OR 2.89 (1.12–7.43), p=0.028). SCAD-PCI involved long lengths of stent (median 46mm, IQR: 29–61mm). Despite these risks, SCAD-PCI led to angiographic improvements in those with reduced TIMI flow in 84.3% (118/140). Worsening TIMI flow was only seen in 7.0% (15/215) of SCAD-PCI patients. Post-PCI major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) and left ventricular function outcomes were favourable.ConclusionWhile a conservative approach to revascularisation is favoured, SCAD cases with higher risk presentations may require PCI. SCAD-PCI is associated with longer stent lengths and a higher risk of complications but leads to overall improvements in coronary flow and good medium-term outcomes in patients.

Aims To evaluate long-term safety and efficacy of ticagrelor monotherapy in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) in relation to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at baseline and the occurrence of dyspnoea reported as adverse event (AE) that may lead to treatment non-adherence. Methods and results This is a non-prespecified, post hoc analysis of the randomized GLOBAL LEADERS trial (n = 15 991), comparing the experimental strategy of 23-month ticagrelor monotherapy following 1-month dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after PCI with the reference strategy of 12-month DAPT followed by 12-month aspirin monotherapy. Impact of COPD and dyspnoea AE (as a time-dependent covariate) on clinical outcomes was evaluated up to 2 years. The primary endpoint was a 2-year all-cause mortality or non-fatal, centrally adjudicated, new Q-wave myocardial infarction. The presence of COPD (n = 832) was the strongest clinical predictor of 2-year all-cause mortality after PCI [hazard ratio (HR) 2.84; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.21–3.66; P adjusted = 0.001] in this cohort (n = 15 991). No differential treatment effects on 2-year clinical outcomes were found in patients with and without COPD (primary endpoint: HR 0.88; 95% CI 0.58–1.35; P = 0.562; P int = 0.952). Overall, at 2 years dyspnoea was reported as an AE in 2101 patients, more frequently among COPD patients, irrespective of treatment allocation (27.2% in experimental arm vs. 14.5% in reference arm, P = 0.001). Its occurrence was not associated with a higher rate of the primary endpoint (P adjusted = 0.640) in the experimental vs. the reference arm. Conclusion In this exploratory analysis, COPD negatively impacted long-term prognosis after PCI. Despite higher incidence of dyspnoea in the experimental arm, in particular among COPD patients, the safety of the experimental treatment strategy appeared not to be affected. Clinical trial registration unique identifier NCT01813435.

AIMS: Scaffold design and plaque characteristics influence implantation outcomes and local flow dynamics in treated coronary segments. Our aim is to assess the impact of strut embedment/protrusion of bioresorbable scaffold on local shear stress distribution in different atherosclerotic plaque types. METHODS AND RESULTS: Fifteen Absorb everolimus-eluting Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffolds were implanted in human epicardial coronary arteries. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was performed post-scaffold implantation and strut embedment/protrusion were analysed using a dedicated software. OCT data were fused with angiography to reconstruct 3D coronary anatomy. Blood flow simulation was performed and wall shear stress (WSS) was estimated in each scaffolded surface and the relationship between strut embedment/protrusion and WSS was evaluated. There were 9083 struts analysed. Ninety-seven percent of the struts (n = 8840) were well-apposed and 243 (3%) were malapposed. At cross-section level (n = 1289), strut embedment was significantly increased in fibroatheromatous plaques (76 ± 48 µm) and decreased in fibrocalcific plaques (35 ± 52 µm). Compatible with strut embedment, WSS was significantly higher in lipid-rich fibroatheromatous plaques (1.50 ± 0.81 Pa), whereas significantly decreased in fibrocalcified plaques (1.05 ± 0.91 Pa). After categorization of WSS as low (

Background: Improvements in drug-eluting stent design have led to a reduced frequency of repeat revascularisation and new biodegradable polymer coatings may allow a shorter duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Aims: The Improved Drug-Eluting stent for All-comers Left Main (IDEAL-LM) study aims to investigate long-term clinical outcomes after implantation of a biodegradable polymer platinum-chromium everolimus-eluting stent (BP-PtCr-EES) followed by 4 months DAPT compared to a durable polymer cobalt-chromium everolimus-eluting stent (DP-CoCr-EES) followed by 12 months DAPT in patients undergoing PCI of unprotected left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease. Methods: This is a multicentre randomised clinical trial study in patients with an indication for coronary artery revascularisation who have been accepted for PCI for LMCA disease after Heart Team consultation. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either the BP-PtCr-EES or the DP-CoCr-EES. The primary endpoint was a non-inferiority comparison of the rate of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as all-cause death, myocardial infarction, or ischaemia-driven target vessel revascularisation at 2 years. Results: Between December 2014 and October 2016, 818 patients (410 BP-PtCr-EES and 408 DP-CoCr-EES) were enrolled at 29 centres in Europe. At 2 years, the primary endpoint of MACE occurred in 59 patients (14.6%) in the BP-PtCr-EES group and 45 patients (11.4%) in the DP-CoCr-EES group; 1-sided upper 95% confidence interval (CI) 7.18%; p=0.04 for non-inferiority; p=0.17 for superiority. The secondary endpoint event of BARC 3 or 5 bleeding occurred in 11 patients (2.7%) in the BP-PtCr-EES group and 2 patients (0.5%) in the DP-CoCr-EES group (p=0.02). Conclusions: In patients undergoing PCI of LMCA disease, after two years of follow-up, the use of a BP-PtCr-EES with 4 months of DAPT was non-inferior to a DP-CoCr-EES with 12 months of DAPT with respect to the composite endpoint of all-cause death, myocardial infarction or ischaemia-driven target vessel revascularisation.

The Lipid Rich Plaque (LRP) study demonstrated that near-infrared spectroscopy imaging of non-obstructive lesions identified patients and segments at higher risk for subsequent non-culprit major adverse cardiac events (NC-MACE). Whether this is true for both men and women is not known. In thisPatients with an evaluable maxLCBIAmong 1271 patients, 388 (30.5%) were women. Women were older and had a higher cardiovascular risk profile. Cumulative incidence of NC-MACE at 24 months was 10.3% for women and 7.6% for men (log-rank p = 0.11). When comparing maxLCBIThe maxLCBI

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Item does not contain fulltext Shockwave lithotripsy is a novel therapy to treat severely calcified lesions. The effectiveness of shockwave lithotripsy to treat severely calcified lesions and stent underexpansion due to severe calcifications has been demonstrated. However, this is the first case to demonstrate the use of shockwave lithotripsy in stent underexpansion due to severely calcified in-stent restenosis. A woman in her early 50s presented with angina. The coronary angiogram showed severe three-vessel coronary artery disease with in-stent restenosis in the left anterior descending. After stent implantation in the left anterior descending, there was persisting stent underexpansion due to severely calcified in-stent restenosis. Shockwave lithotripsy contributed to the improvement of angiographic and haemodynamic results. Although evidence is still limited, shockwave lithotripsy could be a valuable tool for treatment of stent underexpansion as a result of severely calcified in-stent restenosis. More studies are needed to confirm the incremental value of shockwave lithotripsy in stent underexpansion.

Contains fulltext : 245655.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) Historically, aspirin has been the primary treatment for the prevention of ischaemic events in patients with coronary artery disease. For patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) standard treatment has been 12 months of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with aspirin and clopidogrel, followed by aspirin monotherapy; however, DAPT is undeniably associated with an increased risk of bleeding. For over a decade novel P2Y12 inhibitors, which have increased specificity, potency, and efficacy have been available, prompting studies which have tested whether these newer agents can be used in aspirin-free antiplatelet regimens to augment clinical benefits in patients post-PCI. Among these studies, the GLOBAL LEADERS trial is the largest by cohort size, and so far has provided a wealth of evidence in a variety of clinical settings and patient groups. This article summarizes the state-of-the-art evidence obtained from the GLOBAL LEADERS and other trials of aspirin-free strategies.

Background: In clinical trials, the optimal method of adjudicating revascularization events as clinically or nonclinically indicated (CI) is to use an independent Clinical Events Committee (CEC). However, the Academic Research Consortium-2 currently recommends using physiological assessment. The level of agreement between these methods of adjudication remains unknown. Methods: Data for all CEC adjudicated revascularization events among the 3457 patients followed-up for 2-years in the TALENT trial, and 3-years in the DESSOLVE III, PIONEER, and SYNTAX II trial were collected and readjudicated according to a quantitative flow ratio (QFR) analysis of the revascularized vessels, by an independent core lab blinded to the results of the conventional CEC adjudication. The κ statistic was used to assess the level of agreement between the 2 methods. Results: In total, 351 CEC-adjudicated repeat revascularization events occurred, with retrospective QFR analysis successfully performed in 212 (60.4%). According to QFR analysis, 104 events (QFR ≤0.80) were adjudicated as CI revascularizations and 108 (QFR >0.80) were not. The agreement between CEC and QFR based adjudication was just fair (κ=0.335). Between the 2 methods of adjudication, there was a disagreement of 26.4% and 7.1% in CI and non-CI revascularization, respectively. Overall, the concordance and discordance rates were 66.5% and 33.5%, respectively. Conclusions: In this event-level analysis, QFR based adjudication had a relatively low agreement with CEC adjudication with respect to whether revascularization events were CI or not. CEC adjudication appears to overestimate CI revascularization as compared with QFR adjudication. Direct comparison between these 2 strategies in terms of revascularization adjudication is warranted in future trials. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier: TALENT trial: NCT02870140, DESSOLVE III trial: NCT02385279, SYNTAX II: NCT02015832, and PIONEER trial: NCT02236975.

Objectives This study aimed to assess the predictive ability of the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) risk score 2.0 in contemporary acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients, and its relation to antiplatelet strategies.Background The predictive value of the GRACE risk score in the contemporary ACS cohort and the appropriate antiplatelet regimen according to the risk remain unclear.Methods This is a subgroup analysis of the all-comers, randomized GLOBAL LEADERS trial, comparing ticagrelor monotherapy versus conventional dual-antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The GRACE risk score 2.0 with 1-year mortality prediction was implemented. The randomized antiplatelet effect was assessed in predefined three GRACE risk-groups; low-risk (GRACE 140).Results The GRACE risk score was available in 6,594 out of 7,487 ACS patients among whom 1,743, 2,823, and 2,028 patients were classified as low-risk, moderate-risk, and high-risk, respectively. At 1 year, all-cause mortality occurred in 120 patients (1.8%). The discrimination ability of the GRACE model was moderate (C-statistic = 0.742), whereas 1-year mortality risk was overestimated (mean predicted mortality rate: 3.9%; the Hosmer-Lemeshow chi-square: 21.47; p = 0.006). There were no significant interactions between the GRACE risk strata and effects of the ticagrelor monotherapy on ischemic or bleeding outcomes at 1 year compared to the reference strategy.Conclusion The GRACE risk score 2.0 is valuable in discriminating high risk ACS patients, however, the recalibration of the score is recommended for better risk stratification. There is no significant differences in efficacy and safety of ticagrelor monotherapy across the three GRACE risk strata. WOA Institution: National University of Ireland Galway Blended DEAL: IReL

Background Coronary bypass artery grafting (CABG) has a higher procedural risk of stroke than percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), but may offer better long-term survival. The optimal revascularization strategy for patients with prior cerebrovascular disease (CEVD) remains unclear. Methods and results The SYNTAXES study assessed the vital status out to 10 year of patients with three-vessel disease and/or left main coronary artery disease enrolled in the SYNTAX trial. The relative efficacy of PCI vs. CABG in terms of 10 year all-cause death was assessed according to prior CEVD. The primary endpoint was 10 year all-cause death. The status of prior CEVD was available in 1791 (99.5%) patients, of whom 253 patients had prior CEVD. Patients with prior CEVD were older and had more comorbidities (medically treated diabetes, insulin-dependent diabetes, metabolic syndrome, peripheral vascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, impaired renal function, and congestive heart failure), compared with those without prior CEVD. Prior CEVD was an independent predictor of 10 year all-cause death (adjusted HR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.04–1.73; p = 0.021). Patients with prior CEVD had a significantly higher risk of 10 year all-cause death (41.1 vs. 24.1%; HR: 1.92; 95% CI: 1.54–2.40; p -interaction = 0.624). Conclusion Prior CEVD was associated with a significantly increased risk of 10 year all-cause death which was similar in patients treated with PCI or CABG. These results do not support preferential referral for PCI rather than CABG in patients with prior CEVD. Trial registration: SYNTAX: ClinicalTrials.gov reference: NCT00114972. SYNTAX Extended Survival: ClinicalTrials.gov reference: NCT03417050. Graphic abstract

The aims of this first-in-human pilot study of intravascular polarimetry were to investigate polarization properties of coronary plaques in patients and to examine the relationship of these features with established structural characteristics available to conventional optical frequency domain imaging (OFDI) and with clinical presentation.Polarization-sensitive OFDI measures birefringence and depolarization of tissue together with conventional cross-sectional optical frequency domain images of subsurface microstructure.Thirty patients undergoing polarization-sensitive OFDI (acute coronary syndrome, n = 12; stable angina pectoris, n = 18) participated in this study. Three hundred forty-two cross-sectional images evenly distributed along all imaged coronary arteries were classified into 1 of 7 plaque categories according to conventional OFDI. Polarization features averaged over the entire intimal area of each cross section were compared among plaque types and with structural parameters. Furthermore, the polarization properties in cross sections (n = 244) of the fibrous caps of acute coronary syndrome and stable angina pectoris culprit lesions were assessed and compared with structural features using a generalized linear model.The median birefringence and depolarization showed statistically significant differences among plaque types (p 0.001 for both, one-way analysis of variance). Depolarization differed significantly among individual plaque types (p 0.05), except between normal arteries and fibrous plaques and between fibrofatty and fibrocalcified plaques. Caps of acute coronary syndrome lesions and ruptured caps exhibited lower birefringence than caps of stable angina pectoris lesions (p 0.01). In addition to clinical presentation, cap birefringence was also associated with macrophage accumulation as assessed using normalized SD.Intravascular polarimetry provides quantitative metrics that help characterize coronary arterial tissues and may offer refined insight into coronary arterial atherosclerotic lesions in patients.

Aims The efficacy and safety of continued bivalirudin infusion after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains uncertain. We sought to investigate the association between post-PCI bivalirudin infusion and the risk of net adverse clinical events (NACE) at 30 days. Methods and results In the GLOBAL LEADERS study, all patients who received bivalirudin during PCI were categorized according to the use of bivalirudin infusion after the procedure. The primary endpoint of the present analysis was NACE [a composite of all-cause death, any stroke, any myocardial infarction, all revascularization, and bleeding assessed according to the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) criteria Type 3 or 5] at 30 days. The key safety endpoint was BARC Type 3 or 5 bleeding and definite stent thrombosis. Of 15 968 patients, 13 870 underwent PCI with the use of bivalirudin. In total, 7148 patients received continued bivalirudin infusion after procedure, while 6722 patients received standard care. After propensity score covariate adjustment, the risk of NACE did not significantly differ between two treatments after PCI [continued bivalirudin infusion vs. no bivalirudin infusion: 3.2% vs. 3.1%, adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 1.35, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.99–1.84, P = 0.06] nor the BARC Type 3 or 5 bleeding (0.7% vs. 0.7%, aHR 0.89, 95% CI 0.44–1.79; P = 0.743) and definite stent thrombosis (0.5% vs. 0.3%, aHR 1.71, 95% CI 0.77–3.81, P = 0.189). However, continued bivalirudin infusion was associated with an increased risk of NACE and definite stent thrombosis in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. Conclusion In an all-comers population undergoing PCI, there was no significant difference in the risk of NACE at 30 days between continued bivalirudin infusion vs. no bivalirudin infusion after procedure but continued bivalirudin infusion was associated with a higher risk of NACE in STEMI patients when compared with no infusion.

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of post-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) quantitative flow ratio (QFR) on clinical outcomes in patients with de novo 3-vessel disease (3VD) treated with contemporary PCI.BACKGROUND The clinical impact of post-PCI QFR in patients treated with state-of-the-art PCI for de novo 3VD is undetermined.METHODS All vessels treated in the SYNTAX (SYNergy between percutaneous coronary intervention with TAXus and cardiac surgery) II trial were retrospectively screened and analyzed for post-PCI QFR. The primary endpoint of this substudy was vessel-oriented composite endpoint (VOCE) at 2 years, defined as the composite of vessel-related cardiac death, vessel-related myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization. The receiver-operating characteristic curve was used to calculate the optimal cutoff value of post-PCI QFR for predicting 2-year VOCE. All the analyzable vessels were stratified on the basis of the optimal cutoff value.RESULTS A total of 968 vessels treated with PCI were screened. Post-PCIQFR was analyzable in 771 (79.6%) vessels. A total of 52 (6.7%) VOCEs occurredat 2 years. The mean value of post-PCIQFR was 0.91 +/- 0.07. The diagnostic performance of post-PCI QFR to predict 2-year VOCE was moderate (area under the curve: 0.702; 95% confidence interval: 0.633 to 0.772), with the optimal cutoff value of post-PCI QFR for predicting 2-year VOCE 0.91 (sensitivity 0.652, specificity 0.635). The incidence of 2-year VOCE in the vessels with post-PCIQFR= 0.91 (n = 487) (12.0% vs. 3.7%; hazard ratio: 3.37; 95% confidence interval: 1.91 to 5.97; p < 0.001).CONCLUSIONS A higher post-PCI QFR value is associated with improved vessel-related clinical outcomes in state-of the art PCI practice for de novo 3VD. Achieving a post-PCI QFR value >= 0.91 in all treated vessels should be a target when treating de novo 3VD. These findings require confirmation in future prospective trials. (C) 2019 by the American College of Cardiology Foundation.

AIMS The aim of this study was to investigate the predictors of long-term adverse clinical events after implantation of the everolimus-eluting Absorb bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS). METHODS AND RESULTS We pooled patient-level databases derived from the large-scale ABSORB EXTEND study and five high-volume international centres. Between November 2011 and November 2015, 1,933 patients underwent PCI with a total of 2,372 Absorb BVS implanted. The median age was 61.0 (IQR 53.0 to 68.6) years, 24% had diabetes, and 68.2% presented with stable coronary artery disease. At a median follow-up of 616 days, MACE occurred in 93 (4.9%) patients, all-cause death in 36 (1.9%) patients, myocardial infarction in 47 (2.5%) patients, and target vessel revascularisation in 72 (3.8%) patients. Definite or probable scaffold thrombosis occurred in 26 (1.3%) patients. On multivariable logistic regression analysis, acute coronary syndromes (hazard ratio [HR] 2.79, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.47 to 5.29; p=0.002), dyslipidaemia (HR 1.43, 95% CI: 1.23 to 1.79; p=0.007), scaffold/reference diameter ratio >1.25 (HR 1.49, 95% CI: 1.18 to 1.88; p=0.001), and residual stenosis >15% (HR 1.67, 95% CI: 1.34 to 2.07; p

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 (SS4mm4mm 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.

Aims The SYNTAX II study evaluated the impact of advances in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), integrated into a single revascularization strategy, on outcomes of patients with de novo three-vessel disease. The study employed decision-making utilizing the SYNTAX score II, use of coronary physiology, thin-strut biodegradable polymer drug-eluting stents, intravascular ultrasound, enhanced treatments of chronic total occlusions, and optimized medical therapy. Patients treated with this approach were compared with predefined patients from the SYNTAX I trial. Methods and results SYNTAX II was a multicentre, single-arm, open-label study of patients requiring revascularization who demonstrated clinical equipoise for treatment with either coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or PCI, predicted by the SYNTAX score II. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), which included any revascularization. The comparators were a matched PCI cohort trial and a matched CABG cohort, both from the SYNTAX I trial. At 5 years, MACCE rate in SYNTAX II was significantly lower than in the SYNTAX I PCI cohort (21.5% vs. 36.4%, P < 0.001). This reflected lower rates of revascularization (13.8% vs. 23.8%, P < 0.001), and myocardial infarction (MI) (2.7% vs. 10.4%, P < 0.001), consisting of both procedural MI (0.2% vs. 3.8%, P < 0.001) and spontaneous MI (2.3% vs. 6.9%, P = 0.004). All-cause mortality was lower in SYNTAX II (8.1% vs. 13.8%, P = 0.013) reflecting a lower rate of cardiac death (2.8% vs. 8.4%, P < 0.001). Major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events’ outcomes at 5 years among patients in SYNTAX II and predefined patients in the SYNTAX I CABG cohort were similar (21.5% vs. 24.6%, P = 0.35). Conclusions Use of the SYNTAX II PCI strategy in patients with de novo three-vessel disease led to improved and durable clinical results when compared to predefined patients treated with PCI in the original SYNTAX I trial. A predefined exploratory analysis found no significant difference in MACCE between SYNTAX II PCI and matched SYNTAX I CABG patients at 5-year follow-up.

IntroductionIn patients with myocardial infarction, the decision to treat a nonculprit lesion is generally based on its physiological significance. However, deferral of revascularisation based on nonischaemic fractional flow reserve (FFR) values in these patients results in less favourable outcomes compared with patients with stable coronary artery disease, potentially caused by vulnerable nonculprit lesions. Intravascular optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging allows for in vivo morphological assessment of plaque ‘vulnerability’ and might aid in the detection of FFR-negative lesions at high risk for recurrent events.Methods and analysisThe PECTUS-obs study is an international multicentre prospective observational study that aims to relate OCT-derived vulnerable plaque characteristics of nonflow limiting, nonculprit lesions to clinical outcome in patients with myocardial infarction. A total of 438 patients presenting with myocardial infarction (ST-elevation myocardial infarction and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction) will undergo OCT-imaging of any FFR-negative nonculprit lesion for detection of plaque vulnerability. The primary study endpoint is a composite of major adverse cardiovascular events (all-cause mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction or unplanned revascularisation) at 2-year follow-up. Secondary endpoints will be the same composite at 1-year and 5-year follow-up, target vessel failure, target vessel revascularisation, target lesion failure and target lesion revascularisation.Ethics and disseminationThis study has been approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the region Arnhem-Nijmegen. The results of this study will be disseminated in a main paper and additional papers with subgroup analyses.Trial registration numberNCT03857971.

Aims To evaluate the impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on 10-year all-cause death and the treatment effect of CABG versus PCI on 10-year all-cause death in patients with three-vessel disease (3VD) and/or left main coronary artery disease (LMCAD) and COPD. Methods Patients were stratified according to COPD status and compared with regard to clinical outcomes. Ten-year all-cause death was examined according to the presence of COPD and the revascularization strategy. Results COPD status was available for all randomized 1800 patients, of whom, 154 had COPD (8.6%) at the time of randomization. Regardless of the revascularization strategy, patients with COPD had a higher risk of 10-year all-cause death, compared with those without COPD (43.1% vs. 24.9%; hazard ratio [HR]: 2.03; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.56–2.64; p p = 0.858), whereas among those without COPD, CABG had a significantly lower risk of 10-year all-cause death (22.7% vs. 27.1%; HR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.67–0.99, p = 0.041). There was no significant differential treatment effect of CABG versus PCI on 10-year all-cause death between patients with and without COPD (pinteraction = 0.544). Conclusions COPD was associated with a higher risk of 10-year all-cause death after revascularization for complex coronary artery disease. The presence of COPD did not significantly modify the beneficial effect of CABG versus PCI on 10-year all-cause death. Trial registration: SYNTAX: ClinicalTrials.gov reference: NCT00114972. SYNTAX Extended Survival: ClinicalTrials.gov reference: NCT03417050 Graphic abstract

Background We hypothesised that ticagrelor, in combination with aspirin for 1 month, followed by ticagrelor alone, improves outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention compared with standard antiplatelet regimens. Methods GLOBAL LEADERS was a randomised, open-label superiority trial at 130 sites in 18 countries. Patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention with a biolimus A9-eluting stent for stable coronary artery disease or acute coronary syndromes were randomly assigned (1:1) to 75-100 mg aspirin daily plus 90 mg ticagrelor twice daily for 1 month, followed by 23 months of ticagrelor monotherapy, or standard dual antiplatelet therapy with 75-100 mg aspirin daily plus either 75 mg clopidogrel daily (for patients with stable coronary artery disease) or 90 mg ticagrelor twice daily (for patients with acute coronary syndromes) for 12 months, followed by aspirin monotherapy for 12 months. Randomisation was concealed, stratified by centre and clinical presentation (stable coronary artery disease vs acute coronary syndrome), and blocked, with randomly varied block sizes of two and four. The primary endpoint at 2 years was a composite of all-cause mortality or non-fatal centrally adjudicated new Q-wave myocardial infarction as assessed by a core lab in a blinded manner. The key secondary safety endpoint was site-reported bleeding assessed according to the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium criteria (grade 3 or 5). Analysis was by intention to treat. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01813435, and is closed to new participants, with followup completed. Findings Between July 1, 2013, and Nov 9, 2015, 15 968 participants were randomly assigned, 7980 to the experimental group and 7988 to the control group. At 2 years, 304 (3.81%) participants in the experimental group had died or had a non-fatal centrally adjudicated new Q-wave myocardial infarction, compared with 349 (4.37%) participants in the control group (rate ratio 0.87 [95% CI 0. 75-1. 01]; p=0.073]). There was no evidence for a difference in treatment effects for the primary endpoint across prespecified subgroups of acute coronary syndromes and stable coronary artery disease (p=0.93). Grade 3 or 5 bleeding occurred in 163 participants in the experimental group and 169 in the control group (2.04% vs 2.12%; rate ratio 0.97 [95% CI 0. 78-1. 20]; p=0.77). Interpretation Ticagrelor in combination with aspirin for 1 month followed by ticagrelor alone for 23 months was not superior to 12 months of standard dual antiplatelet therapy followed by 12 months of aspirin alone in the prevention of all-cause mortality or new Q-wave myocardial infarction 2 years after percutaneous coronary intervention. Copright (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. European Clinical Research Institute; Biosensors International; AstraZeneca; Medicines Company; Canada Research Chairs Programme

Aims To investigate the impact of established cardiovascular disease (CVD) on 10-year all-cause death following coronary revascularization in patients with complex coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods The SYNTAXES study assessed vital status out to 10 years of patients with complex CAD enrolled in the SYNTAX trial. The relative efficacy of PCI versus CABG in terms of 10-year all-cause death was assessed according to co-existing CVD. Results Established CVD status was recorded in 1771 (98.3%) patients, of whom 827 (46.7%) had established CVD. Compared to those without CVD, patients with CVD had a significantly higher risk of 10-year all-cause death (31.4% vs. 21.7%; adjusted HR: 1.40; 95% CI 1.08–1.80, p = 0.010). In patients with CVD, PCI had a non-significant numerically higher risk of 10-year all-cause death compared with CABG (35.9% vs. 27.2%; adjusted HR: 1.14; 95% CI 0.83–1.58, p = 0.412). The relative treatment effects of PCI versus CABG on 10-year all-cause death in patients with complex CAD were similar irrespective of the presence of CVD (p-interaction = 0.986). Only those patients with CVD in ≥ 2 territories had a higher risk of 10-year all-cause death (adjusted HR: 2.99, 95% CI 2.11–4.23, p Conclusions The presence of CVD involving more than one territory was associated with a significantly increased risk of 10-year all-cause death, which was non-significantly higher in complex CAD patients treated with PCI compared with CABG. Acceptable long-term outcomes were observed, suggesting that patients with established CVD should not be precluded from undergoing invasive angiography or revascularization. Trial registration SYNTAX: ClinicalTrials.gov reference: NCT00114972. SYNTAX Extended Survival: ClinicalTrials.gov reference: NCT03417050. Graphic abstract

Background: Radial artery access has been shown to reduce mortality and bleeding events, especially in patients with acute coronary syndromes. Despite this, interventional cardiologists experienced in femoral artery access still prefer that route for percutaneous coronary intervention. Little is known regarding the merits of each vascular access in patients stratified by their risk of bleeding. Methods: Patients from the Global Leaders trial were dichotomized into low or high risk of bleeding by the median of the PRECISE-DAPT score. Clinical outcomes were compared at 30 days. Results: In the overall population, there were no statistical differences between radial and femoral access in the rate of the primary end point, a composite of all-cause mortality, or new Q-wave myocardial infarction (MI) (hazard ratio [HR] 0.70, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.42-1.15). Radial access was associated with a significantly lower rate of the secondary safety end point, Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) 3 or 5 bleeding (HR 0.55, 95% CI 0.36-0.84). Compared by bleeding risk strata, in the high bleeding score population, the primary (HR 0.47, 95% CI 0.26-0.85; P = 0.012; Pinteraction = 0.019) and secondary safety (HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.35-0.95; P = 0.030; Pinteraction = 0.631) end points favoured radial access. In the low bleeding score population, however, the differences in the primary and secondary safety end points between radial and femoral artery access were no longer statistically significant. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the outcomes of mortality or new Q-wave MI and BARC 3 or 5 bleeding favour radial access in patients with a high, but not those with a low, risk of bleeding. Because this was not a primary analysis, it should be considered hypothesis generating.

BackgroundThe relative frequency of psychological factors in patients with spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) compared to patients with traditional atherosclerosis-related type 1 acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is unknown. This study examines whether psychological factors and emotional or physical precipitants are more common in SCAD patients versus atherosclerosis-related ACS patients.MethodsParticipants with SCAD were recruited from a Dutch SCAD database. Given the predominance of SCAD in women (>90%), only female patients were included. The age- and sex-matched atherosclerosis-related ACS group was identified from a registry database. Online questionnaires and medical records were used to investigate psychological factors and clinical information. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to examine differences between 172 SCAD patients and 76 ACS patients on emotional and physical precipitants prior to the event and psychological factors after the event.ResultsPatients with SCAD were more likely to experience an emotional precipitant in the 24 h prior to the event (56%), compared with the ACS group (39%) (OR = 1.98, 95%CI 1.14-3.44). Multivariate analyses showed that this association remained significant after adjustment for covariates (OR = 2.17, 95%CI 1.08-4.36). At an average of 3.2 years post-hospitalization for the SCAD or atherosclerosis-related ACS event, both patient groups had similar high levels of perceived stress (50% vs. 45%, p = .471) and fatigue (56% vs. 53%, p = .643).ConclusionsThis study shows that risk profiles for SCAD differ from traditional atherosclerosis-related ACS. Our findings may help health professionals to recognize SCAD and offer tailored rehabilitation and prevention programs.

Contains fulltext : 235282.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) BACKGROUND: The risk for cardiovascular adverse events after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains high despite potent medical treatment including low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) lowering with statins. Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) antibodies substantially reduce LDL-C when added to statin. Alirocumab, a monoclonal antibody to PCSK9, reduces major adverse cardiovascular events after AMI. The effects of alirocumab on coronary atherosclerosis including plaque burden, plaque composition and fibrous cap thickness in patients presenting with AMI remains unknown. AIMS: To determine the effect of LDL-C lowering with alirocumab on top of high-intensity statin therapy on intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-derived percent atheroma volume (PAV), near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)-derived maximum lipid core burden index within 4 mm (maxLCBI(4 mm)) and optical coherence tomography (OCT)-derived fibrous cap thickness (FCT) in patients with AMI. METHODS: In this multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 300 patients with AMI (ST-elevation or non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction) were randomly assigned to receive either biweekly subcutaneous alirocumab (150 mg) or placebo beginning

Background Dissemination of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills is essential for cardiac arrest survival. Virtual reality (VR)‐training methods are low cost and easily available, but to meet depth requirements adaptations are required, as confirmed in a recent randomized study on currently prevailing CPR quality criteria. Recently, the promising clinical performance of new CPR quality criteria was demonstrated, based on the optimal combination of compression depth and rate. We now study compliance with these newly proposed CPR quality criteria. Methods and Results Post hoc analysis of a randomized trial compared standardized 20‐minute face‐to‐face CPR training with VR training using the Lifesaver VR smartphone application. During a posttraining test, compression depth and rate were measured using CPR mannequins. We assessed compliance with the newly proposed CPR criteria, that is, compression rate within ±20% of 107/minute and depth within ±20% of 47 mm. We studied 352 participants, age 26 (22–31) years, 56% female, and 15% with CPR training ≤2 years. Among VR‐trained participants, there was a statistically significant difference between the proportions complying with newly proposed versus the currently prevailing quality criteria (52% versus 23%, P P P =0.45). Conclusions Lifesaver VR training, although previously found to be inferior to face‐to‐face training, may lead to CPR quality compliant with recently proposed, new quality criteria. If the prognostic importance of these new criteria is confirmed in additional studies, Lifesaver VR in its current form would be an easily available vector to disseminate CPR skills.

Contains fulltext : 225405.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The prognostic impact of pre-procedure heart rate (PHR) following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has not yet been fully investigated. This post-hoc analysis sought to assess the impact of PHR on medium-term outcomes among patients having PCI, who were enrolled in the "all-comers" GLOBAL LEADERS trial. METHODS AND RESULTS: The primary endpoint (composite of all-cause death or new Q-wave myocardial infarction [MI]) and key secondary safety endpoint (bleeding according to Bleeding Academic Research Consortium [BARC] type 3 or 5) were assessed at 2 years. PHR was available in 15,855 patients, and when evaluated as a continuous variable (5 bpm increase) and following adjustment using multivariate Cox regression, it significantly correlated with the primary endpoint (hazard ratio [HR] 1.06, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-1.09, p 67 bpm was associated with increased all-cause mortality (HR 1.38, 95%CI 1.13-1.69, p = 0.002) and more frequent new Q-wave MI (HR 1.41, 95%CI 1.02-1.93, p = 0.037). No significant association was found between PHR and BARC 3 or 5 bleeding (HR 1.04, 95% CI 0.99-1.09, p = 0.099). There was no interaction with the primary (p-inter = 0.236) or secondary endpoint (p-inter = 0.154) when high and low PHR was analyzed according to different antiplatelet strategies. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated PHR was an independent predictor of all-cause mortality at 2 years following PCI in the "all-comer" GLOBAL LEADERS trial. The prognostic value of increased PHR on outcomes was not affected by the different antiplatelet strategies in this trial.

Q-wave myocardial infarction (QWMI) comprises 2 entities. First, a clinically evident MI, which can occur spontaneously or be related to a coronary procedure. Second, silent MI which is incidentally detected on serial electrocardiographic (ECG) assessment. The prevalence of silent MI after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the drug-eluting stent era has not been fully investigated. The GLOBAL LEADERS is an all-comers multicenter trial which randomized 15,991 patients who underwent PCI to 2 antiplatelet treatment strategies. The primary end point was a composite of all-cause death or nonfatal new QWMI at 2-years follow-up. ECGs were collected at discharge, 3-month and 2-year visits, and analyzed by an independent ECG core laboratory following the Minnesota code. All new QWMI were further reviewed by a blinded independent cardiologist to identify a potential clinical correlate by reviewing clinical information. Of 15,968 participants, ECG information was complete in 14,829 (92.9%) at 2 years. A new QWMI was confirmed in 186 (1.16%) patients. Transient new Q-waves were observed in 28.5% (53 of 186) of them during the follow-up. The majority of new QWMI (78%, 146 of 186) were classified as silent MI due to the absence of a clinical correlate. Silent MI accounted for 22.1% (146 of 660) of all MI events. The prevalence of silent MI did not differ significantly between treatment strategies (experimental vs reference: 0.88% vs 0.98%, p = 0.5027). In conclusion, we document the prevalence of silent MI in an all-comers population undergoing PCI in this large-scale randomized trial. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Objectives This study aimed to evaluate whether polarimetry, performed using a modified optical frequency domain imaging (OFDI) system, can improve the assessment of histological features relevant to characterizing human coronary atherosclerosis. Background The microscopic structure and organization of the arterial wall influence the polarization of the infrared light used by OFDI. Modification of the OFDI apparatus, along with recently developed image reconstruction methods, permits polarimetric measurements simultaneously with conventional OFDI cross-sectional imaging through standard intravascular imaging catheters. Methods The main coronary arteries of 5 cadaveric human hearts were imaged with an OFDI system capable of providing polarimetric assessment. Cross-sectional views of tissue birefringence, measured in refractive index units, and depolarization, expressed as the ratio of depolarized signal to total intensity, were reconstructed, together with conventional OFDI images. Following imaging, the vessels underwent histological evaluation to enable interpretation of the observed polarization features of individual tissue components. Results Birefringence in fibrous tissue was significantly higher than in intimal tissue with minimal abnormality (0.44 × 10−3 vs. 0.33 × 10−3; p Conclusions Intravascular measurements of birefringence and depolarization can be obtained using conventional OFDI catheters in conjunction with a modified console and signal processing algorithms. Polarimetric measurements enhance conventional OFDI by providing additional information related to the tissue composition and offer quantitative metrics enabling characterization of plaque features.

Aims: Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is able to quantify cholesterol within coronary arteries by the lipid core burden index (LCBI). We studied the prognostic value of NIRS-derived LCBI in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) for adverse cardiac outcome during long-term follow-up. Methods and results: During 2009-2013, NIRS was performed in a non-culprit artery of 275 patients undergoing coronary angiography for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or stable angina. LCBI was quantified by an independent corelab for the region of interest (LCBIROI) and the 4 and 10 mm long segment with the maximum LCBI (MaxLCBI4mm and MaxLCBI10mm). The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACE), defined as the composite of all-cause death, non-fatal ACS, or unplanned revascularization. Hazard ratios (HR) were adjusted for age, gender, clinical risk factors, and segment plaque burden based on intravascular ultrasound. During a median follow-up of 4.1 years, 79 patients (28.7%) had MACE. There was a statistically significant and independent continuous relationship between higher MaxLCBI4mm values and a higher risk of MACE. Each 100 units increase of MaxLCBI4mm was associated with a 19% increase in MACE [hazard ratios (HR) 1.19, 95% confidence intervals (95% CI): 1.07-1.32, P = 0.001]. Continuous MaxLCBI4mm remained independently associated with MACE after exclusion of target lesion-related events (HR 1.21, 95% CI: 1.08-1.35), as well as after exclusion of adverse events related to the NIRS-imaged coronary segment (HR 1.19, 95% CI: 1.06-1.34). Results for MaxLCBI10mm were comparable. Conclusion: NIRS-derived LCBI is associated with adverse cardiac outcome in CAD patients during long-term follow-up independent of clinical risk factors and plaque burden.

Item does not contain fulltext Intravascular polarimetry with polarization sensitive optical frequency domain imaging (PS-OFDI) measures polarization properties of the vessel wall and offers characterization of coronary atherosclerotic lesions beyond the cross-sectional image of arterial microstructure available to conventional OFDI. A previous study of intravascular polarimetry in cadaveric human coronary arteries found that tissue birefringence and depolarization provide valuable insight into key features of atherosclerotic plaques. In addition to various tissue components, catheter and sample motion can also influence the polarization of near infrared light as used by PS-OFDI. This paper aimed to evaluate the robustness and repeatability of imaging tissue birefringence and depolarization in a clinical setting. 30 patients scheduled for percutaneous coronary intervention at the Erasmus Medical Center underwent repeated PS-OFDI pullback imaging, using commercial imaging catheters in combination with a custom-built PS-OFDI console. We identified 274 matching cross sections among the repeat pullbacks to evaluate the reproducibility of the conventional backscatter intensity, the birefringence, and the depolarization signals at each spatial location across the vessel wall. Bland-Altman analysis revealed best agreement for the birefringence measurements, followed by backscatter intensity, and depolarization, when limiting the analysis to areas of meaningful birefringence. Pearson correlation analysis confirmed highest correlation for birefringence (0.86), preceding backscatter intensity (0.83), and depolarization (0.78). Our results demonstrate that intravascular polarimetry generates robust maps of tissue birefringence and depolarization in a clinical setting. This outcome motivates the use of intravascular polarimetry for future clinical studies that investigate polarization properties of arterial atherosclerosis.