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Because of paucity of published data, we evaluated the 2-year major clinical outcomes between early invasive (EI) and delayed invasive (DI) strategies according to the stage of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), who underwent a successful newer-generation drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation.A total of 8241 NSTEMI patients were recruited from the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry (KAMIR). Based on baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR; ≥90, 60-89, 30-59, and30 mL/min/1.73 mAfter multivariable-adjusted and propensity score-adjusted analyses, the cumulative incidence of MACE (group A, p = 0.139 and p = 0.103, respectively; group B, p = 0.968 and p = 0.608, respectively; group C, p = 0.111 and p = 0.196, respectively; group D, p = 0.882 and p = 0.571, respectively), all-cause death, re-MI, and any repeat revascularization was similar between the EI and DI groups in the 4 different renal function groups.In the era of newer-generation DES, EI and DI strategies showed comparable major clinical outcomes in patients with NSTEMI and CKD during a 2-year follow-up period. However, to confirm these results, further randomized, large-scale, long-term follow-up studies are needed.

Aims This observational study aimed to investigate the association between beta-blocker therapy and clinical outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), especially with mid-range or preserved left ventricular systolic function. Methods and results Among 13 624 patients enrolled in the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry-National Institute of Health (KAMIR-NIH), 12 200 in-hospital survivors were selected. Patients with beta-blockers showed significantly lower 1-year major adverse cardiac events (MACE), which was a composite of cardiac death, MI, revascularization, and readmission due to heart failure [9.7 vs. 14.3/100 patient-year; hazard ratio (HR) 0.84, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.72–0.97; P = 0.022). However, this association had a significant interaction with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Beta-blocker therapy at discharge was associated with lower 1-year MACE in patients with LVEF ≤40% (HR 0.63, 95% CI 0.48–0.81; P Conclusions Beta-blocker therapy at discharge was associated with better 1-year clinical outcomes in patients with reduced or mid-range LVEF after AMI, but not in patients with preserved LVEF. These data suggested that the long-term beta-blocker therapy may be guided by LVEF.

BACKGROUND Antihypertensive therapy using renin–angiotensin system blockers and calcium channel blockers to target blood pressure variability (BPV) has not yet been established. We aimed to compare the ability of losartan and amlodipine to lower BPV and systolic blood pressure (SBP) in essential hypertensive patients. METHODS Patients were randomly assigned either losartan 50 mg or amlodipine 5 mg. Medications were uptitrated and hydrochlorothiazide was added according to protocol for 6 months. The primary endpoint was the office visit-to-visit SD of SBP. The secondary endpoints included average real variability (ARV), office SBP, and home SBP. RESULTS The losartan group (n = 71) and amlodipine group (n = 73) finished the scheduled visits between April 2013 and May 2017. The office visit-to-visit SD of SBP was comparable between the losartan and amlodipine groups (11.0 ± 4.2 vs. 10.5 ± 3.8, P = 0.468). The office visit-to-visit ARV of SBP was significantly elevated in the losartan group (10.6 ± 4.3 vs. 9.1 ± 3.4, P = 0.02). The absolute SBP decrement from baseline to 6 months was similar between groups, although the office mean SBP at 6 months was higher in the losartan group (132.3 ± 12.9 vs. 127.5 ± 9.0 mm Hg, P = 0.011). In home blood pressure analysis, evening day-to-day BPV indexes (SD and ARV) were significantly higher in the losartan group at 6 months. CONCLUSIONS The lowering effect of the office visit-to-visit SD of SBP was similar between losartan and amlodipine. However, the losartan group showed a higher office visit-to-visit ARV of SBP and evening day-to-day home BPV indexes. Therefore, amlodipine may be better to lower BPV in essential hypertensive patients.

We aimed to evaluate the relationship between post-stent fractional flow reserve (FFR) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) parameters for stent optimization. IVUS and FFR measurements were performed in 101 coronary lesions after successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Quantitative IVUS parameters for stent optimization such as minimal intra-stent cross sectional area (CSA), proximal, and distal reference lumen CSA, and plaque burden (PB) at both edges of the stent related to the post-stent FFR. Mean post-stent FFR was 0.91 ± 0.06. Post-stent FFR ≤ 0.90 was observed in 46 (45.5%) lesions. The 55 lesions with post-stent FFR > 0.9 had larger proximal CSA (9.2 ± 2.9 mm2 vs. 7.4 ± 2.3 mm2, p = 0.001), distal reference lumen CSA (7.4 ± 2.7 mm2 vs. 6.3 ± 2.1 mm2, p = 0.017), minimum intra-stent lumen CSA (7.4 ± 2.5 mm2 vs. 6.1 ± 1.7 mm2, p = 0.004), and lower proximal reference PB (45 ± 8.2% vs. 50 ± 11%, p = 0.017) than did those with post-stent FFR ≤ 0.90. Post-stent FFR had an inverse correlation with age, left anterior descending artery (LAD) against non-LAD, and proximal reference PB and a positive correlation with pre-stent FFR, proximal and distal reference lumen CSA, and minimum intra-stent lumen CSA. Meanwhile, no correlation was found between post-stent FFR and stent length. Pre-stent FFR (β = 0.544), proximal reference lumen CSA (β = 0.530) and age (β = − 0.251) were found to be independently associated with the post-stent FFR. Post-procedural FFR might partly reflect the appropriateness of PCI results in terms of the adequate expansion of the stent and full lesion coverage on IVUS.

Background Elevated B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels in patients hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are associated with heart failure and mortality. However, the role of BNP after hospital discharge is not clear. Therefore, we assessed the relationship between short-term follow-up BNP levels and clinical outcomes including all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with AMI after hospital discharge. Methods From a prospective single-center percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) registry, a total of 442 out of 2157 patients with AMI who had measurements for both initial and follow-up BNP levels within 2 months after discharge were retrospectively enrolled. Patients were divided into 4 groups (low-low, high-low, low-high, and high-high) according to their follow-up log-transformed BNP median values. Results The median follow-up period was 441 days (interquartile range [IQR], 362–861 days). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that short-term follow-up BNP level was a significant predictor for all-cause mortality (odds ratio [OR], 2.265; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.455–3.527) and MACE (OR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.101–1.858) after adjustments for covariates. The initial BNP level did not predict both all-cause mortality and MACE. The group with high initial and high follow-up BNP levels was significantly associated with all-cause mortality (OR, 3.465; 95% CI, 1.122–10.700). Conclusions Short-term follow-up BNP level after hospital discharge was a powerful prognostic marker for all-cause mortality and MACE in patients with AMI. The combination of short-term follow-up BNP level with initial BNP level was a better predictor of all-cause mortality.

Background: There is a paucity of data regarding the long-term clinical outcomes of first- versus second-generation drug-eluting stent (DES), especially when used to treat complex lesions such as bifurcation lesions. Objectives: The current study compares the efficacy and safety of first- versus second-generation DES at the 5-year follow-up in patients who underwent bifurcation percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: A total of 5,498 patients with a bifurcation lesion who underwent PCI were pooled at a single patient level from COBIS (Coronary Bifurcation Stenting) registries II and III. Five-year target lesion failure (TLF) (the composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction [MI], and target lesion revascularization [TLR]) and cardiac death or MI were compared between the use of first-generation DES (n = 2,436) and second-generation DES (n = 3,062) during PCI. Propensity score matching was performed to reduce selection bias. Results: After a 1:1 propensity score matching procedure was conducted, the cohort consisted of 1,702 matched pairs. Patients treated with second-generation DES had a significantly lower risk of TLF at 5 years than those treated with first-generation DES in both overall and propensity-matched populations (matched hazard ratio [HRmatched]: 0.576; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.456 to 0.727; p

Background: The optimal side branch (SB) treatment strategy after simple crossover stenting in bifurcation lesions is still controversial. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the long-term outcomes of a 1-stent strategy with simple crossover alone versus with an additional SB–opening procedure in patients with left main (LM) and non-LM coronary bifurcation lesions. Methods: Patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention with a 1-stent strategy for bifurcation lesions including LM were selected from the COBIS (Coronary Bifurcation Stenting) III registry and divided into the simple crossover–alone group and SB-opening group. Clinical outcomes were assessed by the 5-year rate of target lesion failure (a composite of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction, and target lesion repeat revascularization). Results: Among 2,194 patients who underwent the 1-stent strategy, 1,685 (76.8%) patients were treated with simple crossover alone, and 509 (23.2%) patients were treated with an additional SB-opening procedure. Although the baseline SB angiographic disease was more severe in the SB-opening group, the final lumen diameter of the SB was larger. The 5-year observed target lesion failure rate was similar between the 2 groups (7.0% in the simple crossover vs. 6.7% in SB-opening group; hazard ratio: 0.99; 95% confidence interval: 0.66 to 1.48; p = 0.947), even in the subgroup analyses including LM (9.5% vs. 11.3%; p = 0.442) and true bifurcation (5.3% vs. 7.8%; p = 0.362). The results were not changed after an inverse probability of treatment weighting adjustment. There was no difference in the overall and SB-related target lesion revascularization rate in both groups. Conclusions: The long-term clinical outcome of the 1-stent strategy with simple crossover alone for coronary bifurcation lesions was acceptable compared to those of additional SB-opening procedures. (Korean Coronary Bifurcation Stenting [COBIS] Registry III [COBIS III]; NCT03068494)

Background: Cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) are principal extracellular matrix-producing cells. In response to injury, CFs transdifferentiate into myofibroblasts. Intracellular calcium (Ca 2+ ) signaling, involved in fibroblast proliferation and differentiation, is activated in fibroblasts through transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, but the function of these channels has not been investigated in human ventricular CFs. Under evaluation in this study, was the role of TRP channels in the differentiation of human ventricular CFs induced by transforming the growth factor beta (TGF- β ), a pro-fibrotic cytokine. Methods: Human ventricular CFs were used in this study. The differentiation of CFs into myofibroblast was induced with TGF- β and was identified by the expression of smooth muscle actin. Results: Results indicate that Ca 2+ signaling was an essential component of ventricular CF dif­ferentiation. CFs treated with TGF- β demonstrated increased expression of a TRP channel, TRPV4, both at the mRNA and protein levels, which corresponded with CF-myofibroblast trans-differentiation, as evidenced by the upregulation of α -smooth muscle actin, a myofibroblast marker, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, which are fibrogenesis markers. An agonist of TRPV4 induced the conversion of CFs into myofibroblasts, whereas it’s antagonist as well a Ca 2+ chelating agent reduced it, indicating that the Ca 2+ influx throughTRPV4 is required for CF trans-differentiation. Overall, these results dem­onstrate that TRPV4-mediated Ca 2+ influx participates in regulating the differentiation of human ventricular CFs into myofibroblasts through the MAPK/ERK pathway. Conclusions: Overall, these results demonstrate that TRPV4-mediated Ca 2+ influx participates in regulating the differentiation of human ventricular CFs into myofibroblasts through the MAPK/ERK pathway.

Background: There is limited data comparing the Xience everolimus-eluting stent (EES) and the Resolute zotarolimus-eluting stent (ZES) with the BioMatrix biolimus-eluting stent (BES). Methods: This open-label, randomized, noninferiority trial enrolled all-comer patients to be randomly treated with either BES, EES, or ZES in a 1:1:1 ratio in 15 centers across South Korea. The primary end point was a device-oriented composite outcome consisting of cardiac death, target-vessel myocardial infarction, and clinically indicated target lesion revascularization at 24 months. The BES was compared with the EES and the ZES by intention-to-treat analyses with a noninferiority margin of 3.8%, respectively. Results: Because of slow recruitment and low event rates, this trial was prematurely terminated after enrollment of 1935 (75%) of the intended 2580 patients. Of the 1911 patients randomized to either EES (n=638), BES (n=634), or ZES (n =639), the rate of device-oriented composite outcome was 3.6%, 2.2%, and 3.9%, respectively, at 24 months (BES versus EES: absolute risk difference −1.4% [upper limit of 1-sided 95% CI: −3.2%]; P for noninferiority P for noninferiority Conclusions: The BES was noninferior to either the EES or the ZES in all-comer patients for device-oriented composite outcome at the 24-month follow-up. However, caution is advised regarding interpretation of these results due to the premature termination of this study. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier: NCT01397175.

Background: Although 1-stent with provisional approach is the preferred strategy for the treatment of bifurcation lesions, the optimal treatment strategy according to lesion location is still debatable. This study aimed to identify whether clinical outcomes according to treatment strategy differed between left main (LM) and non-LM bifurcation lesions in the second-generation drug-eluting stent era. Methods: The Coronary Bifurcation Stenting registry III is a retrospective multicenter registry of 2648 patients with bifurcation lesions who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention with second-generation drug-eluting stent. Among the study population, 935 (35.3%) patients had an LM bifurcation lesion. The primary outcome was target lesion failure, a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and target lesion revascularization. Results: Median follow-up duration was 53 months. LM bifurcation was associated with a higher risk of target lesion failure (HR adj , 1.846 [95% CI, 1.317–2.588]; P P adj , 1.848 [95% CI, 1.045–3.266]; P =0.035), mainly driven by the higher rate of target lesion revascularization (15.3% versus 5.5%; HR adj , 2.698 [95% CI, 1.276–5.706]; P =0.009). However, the risk of cardiac death or myocardial infarction did not differ between the 2 groups (4.4% versus 6.6%; HR adj , 0.694 [95% CI, 0.306–1.572]; P =0.381). For patients with non-LM-bifurcation, there was no significant difference in the rate of target lesion failure between 1-stent and 2-stent strategies (5.6% versus 6.3%; HR adj , 0.925 [95% CI, 0.428–2.001]; P =0.843). Conclusions: Even in the second-generation drug-eluting stent era, the 1-stent strategy, if possible, should initially be considered the preferred approach for the treatment of LM bifurcation lesions. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT03068494.

Background/aims Transradial intervention (TRI) is becoming the preferred method over transfemoral intervention (TFI) because TRI is associated with lower incidence of major bleeding and vascular complications. However, there has been limited published data regarding the clinical outcomes of TRI versus TFI in Korean patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods A total of 689 consecutive STEMI patients who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents (DESs) from January to December of 2009 at nine university hospitals were enrolled in this study. Mid-term angiographic and 12-month cumulative clinical outcomes of the TRI group (n = 220, 31.9%) were compared to those of the TFI group (n = 469, 28.1%). Results After propensity score matching, in-hospital complications and the 12-month major clinical outcomes during follow-up in the two groups were similar to each other. However, the incidence rates of repeat revascularization (6.4% vs. 0.5%, p = 0.003), target vessel revascularization (6.4% vs. 0.5%, p = 0.003), and major adverse cardiac events (MACE; 11.6% vs. 4.6%, p = 0.018) in the TFI group were higher than those in the TRI group during the 12-month of follow-up. Conclusions In our study, TRI in STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI with DESs was associated with lower incidence of access site hematoma, 12-month repeat revascularization, and MACE compared to TFI. Therefore, TRI might play an important role in reducing bleeding complications while improving major clinical outcomes in STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI with DESs.

Background: No large-scale study has compared the clinical and angiographic predictors of cardiovascular events in patients with left main bifurcation (LMB) and non-LMB stenting after second-generation DES implantation. Herein, we investigated differential clinical and angiographic factors for predicting outcomes in LMB versus non-LMB stenting. Methods: A total of 2648 patients with bifurcation lesions treated with second-generation DESs from the retrospective patient cohort were divided into an LMB group (n = 935) and a non-LMB group (n = 1713). The primary outcome was the 7-year incidence of target lesion failure (TLF), defined as the composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and target lesion revascularization. Results: The incidence of TLF was 9.8%. Those in the LMB group were associated with a higher risk of TLF (14.2% versus 7.5%, p &lt, 0.001) than those in the non-LMB group. Regarding the LMB group, independent predictors of TLF were chronic kidney disease (CKD), reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and two-stenting. Regarding the non-LMB group, CKD, reduced LVEF, old age, diabetes, and small diameter of the main vessel stent were independent predictors of TLF. Conclusions: The two-stent strategy could potentially increase TLF for the LMB lesions, and achieving the maximal diameter of the main vessel stent could result in better clinical outcomes for non-LMB lesions.

Background and objectives This trial evaluated the safety and efficacy of the Genoss drug-eluting coronary stent. Methods This study was a prospective, multicenter, randomized trial with a 1:1 ratio of Genoss drug-eluting stent (DES)™ and Promus Element™. Inclusion criteria were the presence of stable angina, unstable angina, or silent ischemia. Angiographic inclusion criteria were de novo coronary stenotic lesion with diameter stenosis >50%, reference vessel diameter of 2.5-4.0 mm, and lesion length ≤40 mm. The primary endpoint was in-stent late lumen loss at 9-month quantitative coronary angiography follow-up. Secondary endpoints were in-segment late lumen loss, binary restenosis rate, death, myocardial infarction (MI), target lesion revascularization (TLR), target vessel revascularization (TVR), and stent thrombosis during 9 months of follow-up. Results We enrolled 38 patients for the Genoss DES™ group and 39 patients for the Promus Element™ group. In-stent late lumen loss at 9 months was not significantly different between the 2 groups (0.11±0.25 vs. 0.16±0.43 mm, p=0.567). There was no MI or stent thrombosis in either group. The rates of death (2.6% vs. 0%, p=0.494), TLR (2.6% vs. 2.6%, p=1.000), and TVR (7.9% vs. 2.6%, p=0.358) at 9 months were not significantly different. Conclusion This first-in-patient study of the Genoss DES™ stent showed excellent angiographic outcomes for in-stent late lumen loss and major adverse cardiac events over a 9-month follow-up.

Background B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) has prognostic significance in heart failure (HF), and reductions in BNP may predict clinical improvement. However, there are limited data regarding the prognostic value of BNP during short-term follow-up. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between short-term follow-up BNP and mortality after discharge in patients with HF. Methods We analyzed 427 patients hospitalized with HF from the Wonju Severance Christian Hospital Heart Failure Registry from April 2011 to December 2013, with a planned follow-up period through February 2016. Of the 427 patients, 240 (mean age, 75 years; 102 males, 42.5%) had BNP measured on admission and within the short-term follow-up period (3 months). We compared all-cause mortality during the clinical follow-up period (median length of follow-up, 709.5 days) according to the median value of BNP on admission (as a baseline value) and over a short-term follow-up period after discharge. Results Median BNP at admission was 816.5 pg/ml, and median follow-up BNP was 369.7 pg/ml. Multivariate analysis revealed a positive association between risk of death and high BNP. High BNP during follow-up was significantly associated with a greater risk of all-cause mortality compared to low BNP (P

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is known to be a major adverse predictor in diabetes mellitus (DM) patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). It is expected that the use of newer-generation drug-eluting stents (DES) would improve clinical outcomes in these patients. We evaluated the impact of CKD on clinical outcomes in diabetic patients undergoing PCI using newer-generation DES in a real-world setting. SUBJECTS AND METHODS A total of 887 patients who underwent PCI with newer-generation DES and who had a history of DM or HbA1c >6.5% at the time of hospitalization were analyzed. These patients were divided into groups without CKD (n=549) and with CKD (n=338). Among survivors at discharge, a patient-oriented composite outcome (POCO) including all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), and revascularization was evaluated, together with a device-oriented composite outcome (DOCO) including cardiac death, target vessel-related MI, and target lesion revascularization at a follow-up period of one year. RESULTS The incidence of POCO (5.4% vs. 14.0%, log-rank p

Contains fulltext : 215333.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) BACKGROUND: Patients with stable coronary artery disease and diabetes with previous percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), particularly those with previous stenting, are at high risk of ischaemic events. These patients are generally treated with aspirin. In this trial, we aimed to investigate if these patients would benefit from treatment with aspirin plus ticagrelor. METHODS: The Effect of Ticagrelor on Health Outcomes in diabEtes Mellitus patients Intervention Study (THEMIS) was a phase 3 randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial, done in 1315 sites in 42 countries. Patients were eligible if 50 years or older, with type 2 diabetes, receiving anti-hyperglycaemic drugs for at least 6 months, with stable coronary artery disease, and one of three other mutually non-exclusive criteria: a history of previous PCI or of coronary artery bypass grafting, or documentation of angiographic stenosis of 50% or more in at least one coronary artery. Eligible patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to either ticagrelor or placebo, by use of an interactive voice-response or web-response system. The THEMIS-PCI trial comprised a prespecified subgroup of patients with previous PCI. The primary efficacy outcome was a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (measured in the intention-to-treat population). FINDINGS: Between Feb 17, 2014, and May 24, 2016, 11 154 patients (58% of the overall THEMIS trial) with a history of previous PCI were enrolled in the THEMIS-PCI trial. Median follow-up was 3.3 years (IQR 2.8-3.8). In the previous PCI group, fewer patients receiving ticagrelor had a primary efficacy outcome event than in the placebo group (404 [7.3%] of 5558 vs 480 [8.6%] of 5596; HR 0.85 [95% CI 0.74-0.97], p=0.013). The same effect was not observed in patients without PCI (p=0.76, pinteraction=0.16). The proportion of patients with cardiovascular death was similar in both treatment groups (174 [3.1%] with ticagrelor vs 183 (3.3%) with placebo; HR 0.96 [95% CI 0.78-1.18], p=0.68), as well as all-cause death (282 [5.1%] vs 323 [5.8%]; 0.88 [0.75-1.03], p=0.11). TIMI major bleeding occurred in 111 (2.0%) of 5536 patients receiving ticagrelor and 62 (1.1%) of 5564 patients receiving placebo (HR 2.03 [95% CI 1.48-2.76], p

Background There have been few studies to evaluate the prognostic implications of guideline-directed therapy according to the temporal course of heart failure. This study assessed the relationship between adherence to guideline-directed therapy at discharge and 60-day clinical outcomes in de novo acute heart failure (AHF) and acute decompensated chronic heart failure (ADCHF) separately. Methods Among 5,625 AHF patients who were recruited from a multicenter cohort registry of Korean Acute Heart Failure, 2,769 patients with reduced ejection fraction were analyzed. Guideline-directed therapies were defined as the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) or angiotensin receptor II blocker (ARB), β-blocker, and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist. Results In de novo AHF, ACEI or ARB reduced re-hospitalization (hazard ratio [HR], 0.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.34–0.95), mortality (HR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.24–0.69) and composite endpoint (HR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.36–0.77) rates. Beta-blockers reduced re-hospitalization (HR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.41–0.95) and composite endpoint (HR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.47–0.90) rates. In ADCHF, adherence to ACEI or ARB was associated with only mortality and β-blockers with composite endpoint. Conclusion The prognostic implications of adherence to guideline-directed therapy at discharge were more pronounced in de novo heart failure. We recommend that guideline-directed therapy be started as early as possible in the course of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction., Graphical Abstract

Aims At present no proven standard treatment for drug-eluting stent (DES) restenosis is available, and the efficacy and safety of everolimus-eluting stent (EES) and zotarolimus-eluting stent (ZES) for DES restenosis are limited. The purpose of this prospective, randomized 9-month intracoronary ultrasound (IVUS) and 3-year clinical follow-up study was to compare the effects of EESs and ZESs on neointima volume and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) such as death, myocardial infarction (MI), target lesion revascularization (TLR) and stent thrombosis in DES restenosis patients. Methods and results Patients were eligible for this study if they were between 40 and 75 years old with in-stent restenosis >50% by quantitative coronary angiographic analysis in DES or within 5 mm of the stent edges with signs of ischaemia. Eligible patients ( n = 304, 146 women and 158 men) were randomly assigned to receive either EES (158 patients) or ZES (146 patients). The primary endpoint of the study was to compare neointima volume between the EES and ZES groups at the 9-month follow-up IVUS. MACEs, including death, non-fatal MI, stent thrombosis and the need for repeated TLR within 3 years, were noted. The 9-month angiographic and IVUS follow-up showed no significant differences in late lumen loss (0.40 ± 0.56 vs. 0.45 ± 0.61 mm, P = 0.57, respectively) and neointima volume (0.51 ± 0.48 vs. 0.56 ± 0.54 mm3/1 mm, P = 0.47, respectively) in the EES and the ZES groups. Composite MACEs such as death, MI, stent thrombosis and TLR during 3-year follow-up were comparable between the two groups [15.8% ( n = 25) in the EES group and 22.6% ( n = 33) in the ZES group, P = 0.276], independent of de novo DES type, sex, age, body mass index, presence of diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidaemia. Conclusions Patients with first- and second-generation DES restenosis, both EES and ZES implantation were effective and safe in reducing neointima volume and late loss with a comparable rate of MACEs independent of cardiovascular risk factors.

The transradial approach is increasingly used for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and we therefore aimed to compare the clinical outcomes after transradial intervention (TRI) and transfemoral intervention (TFI) in all patients undergoing PCI. Among 6,973 patients enrolled in a nationwide, prospective, multicenter registry (February 2013 to September 2013), 1,860 underwent TRI (n = 1,445, 77.7%) and TFI (n = 415, 22.3%). Bleeding and major adverse cardiac events (MACE; death, myocardial infarction, revascularization, or stent thrombosis) were compared. Bleeding occurred in 42 patients (2.3%) and was significantly less likely in the TRI versus TFI group (overall cohort: 1.5% vs 4.8%, p = 0.001; propensity score-matched: n = 728, 2.7% vs 5.2%, p = 0.048). Multivariate regression revealed that TRI was negatively associated with bleeding (odds ratio 0.42, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.83, p = 0.013). MACE occurred in 152 patients (8.2%). Kaplan-Meier estimates showed higher MACE-free survival rates in the TRI versus TFI group (overall cohort: 93.3% vs 86.7%, log-rank p = 0.026; propensity score-matched: 91.8% vs 86.5%, log-rank p = 0.04). Cox proportional analysis demonstrated that TRI independently predicted improved MACE (hazard ratio 0.64, 95% CI 0.43 to 0.91, p = 0.024). In conclusion, TRI is associated with reduced bleeding rates and better clinical outcomes than TFI in all patients undergoing PCI.

Background Higher systolic blood pressure (SBP) has been reported to be associated with a better prognosis in heart failure (HF) patients. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic impact of hypertension in patients hospitalized with systolic HF. Methods Pooled analysis of data from three Korean observational studies was performed. Patients ≥18 years hospitalized with systolic HF (ejection fraction ≤45%) ( n = 3538) were compared for the incidence of 1-year all-cause mortality according to the presence of preexisting hypertension and SBP quartiles on admission. Results Patients with hypertension (prevalence, 51.6%) presented more often with diabetes (43.9% vs. 23.0%, p p p = 0.900). Conversely, patients with higher SBP on admission had a lower incidence of all-cause death (quartile 4 vs. 1: 6.7% vs. 11.3%, p for trend = 0.004). In the multivariate analysis, an increase in SBP of 10 mmHg was associated with an 8.5% risk reduction of all-cause death (hazard ratio: 0.915, 95% confidence interval: 0.853–0.981, p = 0.013). Conclusions Higher SBP on admission was independently associated with a lower risk of 1-year all-cause mortality in systolic HF.

Objectives This study sought to evaluate the optimal percutaneous coronary intervention techniques using drug-eluting stents for bifurcation coronary lesions. Background The optimal bifurcation stenting technique needs to be evaluated. Methods The trial included 2 randomization studies separated by the presence of side branch (SB) stenosis for patients having non–left main bifurcation lesions. For 306 patients without SB stenosis, the routine final kissing balloon or leave-alone approaches were compared. Another randomization study compared the crush or single-stent approaches for 419 patients with SB stenosis. Results Between the routine final kissing balloon and leave-alone groups for nondiseased SB lesions, angiographic restenosis occurred in 17.9% versus 9.3% (p = 0.064), comprising 15.1% versus 3.7% for the main branch (p = 0.004) and 2.8% versus 5.6% for the SB (p = 0.50) from 214 patients (69.9%) receiving 8-month angiographic follow-up. Incidence of major adverse cardiac events including death, myocardial infarction, or target vessel revascularization over 1 year was 14.0% versus 11.6% between the routine final kissing balloon and leave-alone groups (p = 0.57). In another randomization study for diseased SB lesions, 28.2% in the single-stent group received SB stents. From 300 patients (71.6%) receiving angiographic follow-up, between the crush and single-stent groups, angiographic restenosis rate was 8.4% versus 11.0% (p = 0.44), comprising 5.2% versus 4.8% for the main branch (p = 0.90) and 3.9% versus 8.3% for the SB (p = 0.12). One-year major adverse cardiac events rate between the crush and single-stent groups was 17.9% versus 18.5% (p = 0.84). Conclusions Angiographic and clinical outcomes were excellent after percutaneous coronary intervention using drug-eluting stents with any stent technique for non–left main bifurcation lesions once the procedure was performed successfully.

Background The mechanisms of antagonism vary between the angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers (ARBs): insurmountable antagonism and surmountable antagonism. Recent retrospective observational studies suggest that ARBs may not have equivalent benefits in various clinical situations. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of two categories of ARBs on the long-term clinical outcomes of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods We analyzed the large-scale, prospective, observational Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry study, which enrolled 2740 AMI patients. They divided by the prescription of surmountable ARBs or insurmountable ARBs at discharge. Primary outcome was major adverse cardiac events (MACEs), defined as a composite of cardiac death, nonfatal MI, and re-percutaneous coronary intervention, coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Results In the overall population, the MACEs rate in 1year was significantly higher in the surmountable ARB group (14.3% vs. 11.2%, p=0.025), which was mainly due to increased cardiac death (3.3% vs. 1.9%, p=0.031). Matching by propensity-score showed consistent results (MACEs rate: 14.9% vs. 11.4%, p=0.037). In subgroup analysis, the insurmountable ARB treatment significantly reduced the incidence of MACEs in patients with left ventricular ejection fraction greater than 40%, with a low killip class, with ST segment elevation MI, and with normal renal function. Conclusions In our study, insurmountable ARBs were more effective on long-term clinical outcomes than surmountable ARBs in patients with AMI.

Background and purposeOctogenarians (age≥80 years) with coronary artery disease constitute a high-risk group. However, octogenarian patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the drug-eluting stents (DES) era have not been widely reported. We aimed to identify clinical outcomes in octogenarian compared with non-octogenarian AMI patients.Methods and subjectsWe retrospectively analyzed 9877 patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents (DES) and who were enrolled in the Korean Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry (KAMIR). They were divided into 2 groups, octogenarians (n=1494) and non-octogenarians (n=8383), in order to compare the incidence of 1-year all-cause death and 1-year major adverse cardiac events (MACE), where MACE included all-cause death, recurrent myocardial infarction, target vessel revascularization (TVR), target lesion revascularization (TLR), and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).ResultsThe clinical status was significantly inferior in octogenarians compared to non-octogenarians: Killip class≥II (34.8% vs. 22.5%, p

Objectives This study sought to test the noninferiority of triple antiplatelet therapy (TAT) versus double-dose clopidogrel dual antiplatelet therapy (DDAT) in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Background Antiplatelet regimen is an integral component of medical therapy after PCI. A 1-week duration of doubling the dose of clopidogrel was shown to improve outcome at 1 month compared with the conventional dose in patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing PCI. Yet in Asia, the addition of cilostazol is used more commonly than DDAT in high-risk patients. Methods We randomly assigned 3,755 all-comers undergoing PCI to either TAT or DDAT, which was continued for 1 month, to test the noninferiority of TAT versus DDAT. The primary outcome was the cumulative incidence of net clinical outcome at 1 month post-PCI defined as the composite of cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, stroke, and PLATO (Platelet Inhibition and Patient Outcomes) major bleeding. Results TAT was noninferior to DDAT with respect to the primary outcome, which occurred in 1.2% and 1.4% of patients, respectively (−0.22% absolute difference, 0.34% 1-sided 97.5% confidence interval, p = 0.0007 for noninferiority; hazard ratio: 0.85; 95% confidence interval: 0.49 to 1.48; p = 0.558 for superiority). The individual risks of cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, stroke, and PLATO major bleeding did not differ significantly between the 2 groups. There were no significant between-group differences in the treatment effect with regard to the rate of the primary outcome. Conclusions The adjunctive use of cilostazol was noninferior to doubling the dose of clopidogrel for 1 month in all-comers undergoing PCI with exclusively drug-eluting stents. (Harmonizing Optimal Strategy for Treatment of Coronary Artery Stenosis–SAfety & EffectiveneSS of Drug-ElUting Stents & Anti-platelet REgimen [HOST-ASSURE]; NCT01267734 )

Aims : To find the optimal time to evaluate plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), which is related to post-myocardial infarction remodelling (PMIR), we measured serial plasma BNP levels according to time protocols after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Background : It has been established that plasma BNP levels can predict the development of PMIR in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). However, the time of plasma BNP sampling associated with PMIR is still controversial. Methods : We analysed 42 patients who were diagnosed as PMIR on six-month follow-up echocardiography among 131 patients with STEMI. We then compared clinical variables including plasma BNP between the remodelling group and the non-remodelling group. The plasma BNP level was obtained on hospital admission (acute phase), at two to five days (early phase), three to four weeks (late phase) and at the six-month follow up (long term). Results : Early-phase and long-term BNP levels were higher in the remodelling group. The serial plasma BNP levels, according to study protocols, showed a biphasic pattern of elevation. In multiple logistic regression analyses, early-phase BNP [odds ratio (OR): 1.013, p < 0.01] and acute-phase BNP levels (OR: 1.007, p = 0.02) were independent predictors of PMIR. However, early-phase BNP level was statistically a more powerful predictor of PMIR during follow up. Conclusion : Consecutive BNP levels after primary PCI showed a biphasic peak elevation during follow up. Early-phase plasma BNP level was an independent predictor of PMIR in patients with STEMI.

Background and Objectives: Stented segment length is a predictive factor for restenosis and stent thrombosis still in the drug-eluting stent (DES) era, and the benefit of routine intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is still unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether IVUS-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) improved the vascular outcomes as compared with conventional PCI in the treatment of diffuse coronary artery disease. Subjects and Methods: From our registry database from January 2006 to May 2009, we identified 85 consecutive patients with de novo coronary lesions treated with at least 64 mm of multiple, overlapping DES. The 2-year rate of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as the composite of cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, target lesion revascularization (TLR), or stent thrombo sis, was compared according to the use of IVUS. Results: The 2-year MACE rate was lower in the IVUS-guided group than that of the angiography-guided group (8% vs. 33.3%, p=0.005). The incidence of TLR was lower in patients with IVUS use than in those without IVUS use (0% vs. 27.8%, p

This study was designed to compare neointimal hyperplasia and peri-stent arterial remodeling after implantation of everolimus-eluting stent (EES) versus sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) using intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). The study population was a subgroup of 278 patients from the EXCELLENT trial, a randomized study comparing EES to SES in de novo coronary artery lesions (total n = 1,443, 3:1 randomization) who underwent post-PCI and 9-month follow-up IVUS evaluation. There were 209 patients in the EES group and 69 in the SES group. Baseline clinical and angiographic characteristics were similar between the two groups except for age and target lesion locations. At 9 months, percent neointimal volume obstruction did not differ between EES and SES (2.6 ± 4.0 % vs. 2.5 ± 4.8 %, p = 0.814). However, the relative change in the vessel (4.3 ± 13.7 % vs. 8.8 ± 18.6 %, p = 0.030) and plaque volume index (4.2 ± 17.4 % vs. 10.5 ± 22.3 %, p = 0.016) of the stented segment from post-intervention to follow-up was significantly less with EES than with SES. In addition, positive peri-stent vascular remodeling defined as an increase in vessel volume index >10 % (27.8 vs. 42.0 %, p = 0.027) and late acquired stent malapposition (LASM, 1.9 vs. 15.9 %, p < 0.001) were observed less frequently with EES than SES. EES and SES were similarly effective in reducing neointimal hyperplasia. However, positive peri-stent vascular remodeling and LASM occurred less frequently with EES than SES.

Patients (pts) with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are associated with a higher mortality rate and usually have higher incidence of co-morbid condition. However, long-term clinical outcomes of AMI pts with comorbidity are unclear. Among 12,431 pts enrolled in a nationwide in Korea AMI Registry (

Objectives The goal of this study was to evaluate shorter duration (3 months) dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation. Background There have been few published reports of prospective randomized clinical studies comparing the safety and efficacy of shorter duration DAPT after DES implantation. Methods We randomly assigned 2,117 patients with coronary artery stenosis into 2 groups according to DAPT duration and stent type: 3-month DAPT following Endeavor zotarolimus-eluting stent (E-ZES) implantation (E-ZES+3-month DAPT, n = 1,059) versus 12-month DAPT following the other DES implantation (standard therapy, n = 1,058). We hypothesized that the E-ZES+3-month DAPT would be noninferior to the standard therapy for the primary composite endpoint (cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, target\vessel revascularization, or bleeding) at 1 year. Results The primary endpoint occurred in 40 (4.7%) patients assigned to E-ZES+3-month DAPT compared with 41 (4.7%) patients assigned to the standard therapy (difference: 0.0%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: −2.5 to 2.5; p = 0.84; p Conclusions E-ZES+3-month DAPT was noninferior to the standard therapy with respect to the occurrence of the primary endpoint. (REal Safety and Efficacy of a 3-month dual antiplatelet Therapy following E-ZES implantation [RESET]; NCT01145079 )

Background— Procedural and clinical outcomes still remain unfavorable for patients with long coronary lesions who undergo stent-based coronary interventions. Therefore, we compared the relative efficacy and safety of resolute zotarolimus-eluting stents (R-ZES) and sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) for patients with de novo long coronary lesions. Methods and Results— This randomized, multicenter, prospective trial, called the Percutaneous Treatment of LONG Native Coronary Lesions With Drug-Eluting Stent-IV (LONG-DES IV) trial, compared long R-ZES and SES in 500 patients with long (≥25 mm) native coronary lesions. The primary end point of the trial was in-segment late luminal loss at 9-month angiographic follow-up. The baseline characteristics were not different between R-ZES and SES groups, including lesion lengths (32.4±13.5 mm versus 31.0±13.5 mm, P =0.27). At 9-month angiographic follow-up, the R-ZES was noninferior to the SES with respect to in-segment late luminal loss, the primary study end point (0.14±0.38 mm versus 0.12±0.43 mm, P for noninferiority=0.03, P for superiority=0.68). In addition, in-stent late luminal loss (0.26±0.36 mm versus 0.24±0.42 mm, P =0.78) and the rates of in-segment (5.2% versus 7.2%, P =0.44) and in-stent (4.0% versus 6.0%, P =0.41) binary restenosis were not significantly different between the 2 groups. There were no significant between-group differences in the rate of adverse clinical events (death, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, target-lesion revascularization, and composite outcomes). Conclusions— For patients with de novo long coronary artery disease, R-ZES implantation showed noninferior angiographic outcomes as compared with SES implantation. Clinical Trial Registration— URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT01186094.

This study is aimed at evaluating 1-year clinical outcomes and their predictors in patients with unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA)-related acute myocardial infarction (AMI). In total 248 patients diagnosed with AMI involving the ULMCA as the culprit vessel and registered in the Korean Acute Myocardial Infarction database were enrolled in this study. Patients were divided according to the absence (shock-, n = 206) or presence (shock+, n = 42) of cardiogenic shock at initial presentation. Independent risk factors of in-hospital cardiac death associated with ULMCA-related AMI were elucidated by multivariate regression analysis. In-hospital mortality rates were 8.7% in the shock- group and 47.6% in the shock+ group (p = 0.001). During 1-year follow-up after discharge, major adverse cardiac events developed in 16.3% of patients in the shock- group and 18.2% of patients in the shock+ group (p = 0.828); cardiac death, MI, and ischemia-driven target vessel revascularization were similar between the 2 groups at 1 year. On multivariate analysis, initial shock presentation (odds ratio 8.9, confidence interval 4.1 to 19.2, p = 0.004) and left ventricular ejection fraction30% (odds ratio 7.6, confidence interval 2.7 to 21.1, p = 0.001) were independent risk factors of in-hospital cardiac death associated with ULMCA-related AMI. In conclusion, almost 1/2 of patients with ULMCA-related AMI presenting with cardiogenic shock had a fatal in-hospital outcome compared to10% of those without cardiogenic shock; however, clinical outcomes after survival of the in-hospital period were not different between these groups.

ObjectivesThis study compared the prognostic role of high on-treatment platelet reactivity (HTPR) in predicting thrombotic events in a Korean population undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and non-AMI setting.BackgroundThe prognostic significance and optimal cutoff of HTPR might differ according to a given clinical condition, such as AMI and ethnicity.MethodsOn-treatment platelet reactivity was measured with a VerifyNow P2Y12 assay (Accumetrics, San Diego, California) in 1,226 patients (824 men; age 65 ± 10 years), including 413 AMI cases, 12 to 24 h after PCI between March 2008 and March 2010. The prevalence of cardiovascular (CV) events defined as a composite of death from CV causes, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or stent thrombosis at 1-year follow-up were compared according to HTPR between patients with and without AMI.ResultsThe optimal cutoff for HTPR was 272 IU of the P2Y12 reaction unit (PRU) (area under the curve: 0.708; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.607 to 0.809, p = 0.03), which was the upper-tertile threshold. Among AMI patients, 1-year CV events occurred more frequently in patients with versus without HTPR (n = 14 [8.8%] vs. n = 1 [0.4%], p < 0.001), whereas there was no difference in the composite endpoint on the basis of HTPR in patients without AMI (n = 7 [2.8%] vs. n = 8 [1.4%], p = 0.193).ConclusionsIncreased residual platelet reactivity is related to post-discharge CV events in subjects with AMI, whereas the prognostic significance of HTPR seems to be attenuated in patients with stable coronary disease after PCI.

Background: This study investigated the efficacy and the safety of the upstream glycoprotein (Gp) IIb/IIIa inhibitor (clotinab; ISU ABXIS, Seoul, Republic of Korea) under 600-mg clopidogrel pretreatment compared with provisional use in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods and Results: A total of 786 STEMI patients were randomized to upstream use in the emergency room (ER) (n=392) or provisional use during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (n=394). All patients were prescribed 600-mg clopidogrel in the ER. The primary endpoint was the 30-day incidence of composite events including death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, target vessel revascularization, and stroke. There was no significant difference in the events that occurred in 40 patients (10.2%) in the upstream arm and 55 patients (14.0%) in the provisional arm during the 30 days (odds ratio 0.70, 95% confidence interval 0.45–1.08). Major bleeding was higher in the upstream arm (1.5% vs. 0%, P=0.02). However, there was a significant reduction in 30-day composite events in the upstream arm in the high-risk population (Killip class ≥II or GRACE score >140). Conclusions: The upstream use of clotinab under a 600-mg clopidogrel loading may not significantly reduce cardiac events following primary PCI but may improve the clinical outcome in high-risk patients. (Circ J 2012; 76: 405 – 413)

Anemia is an independent predictor of bleeding complications and poor clinical outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention. Percutaneous coronary transradial intervention (TRI) is better than percutaneous coronary transfemoral intervention (TFI) in terms of reducing bleeding complications that can affect the prognosis. This study aims to investigate the clinical outcomes between TRI and TFI for patients with anemia. We analyzed periprocedure complications, in-hospital mortality, and major adverse cardiac events for one year in the Korean TRI registry from January 2013 to April 2014. Patients with chronic kidney disease for whom TFI is preferred were excluded. Anemia was defined as hemoglobin13 g/dl for men and12 g/dl for women. A total of 1,279 patients were finally enrolled. Of these, 348 patients had anemia. Among them, 253 patients (72.7%) underwent TRI and 95 patients (27.3%) underwent TFI. There were no significant differences of baseline demographic characteristics between the TRI and TFI groups, except for the incidence of dyslipidemia (TRI 23.7% vs TFI 12.6%, p = 0.023). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed lower incidence of composite severe bleeding complications (hazard ratio 0.34, 95% CI 0.12 to 0.99, p = 0.049) and lower incidence of in-hospital mortality than TFI group (hazard ratio 0.74, 95% CI 0.62 to 0.88, p = 0.042). In conclusion, this study suggests that the TRI for patients with anemia may be translated into better prognosis in terms of lower rates of bleeding complications and in-hospital mortality.

Background: Studies investigating the clinical outcome of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) show conflicting results. The aim of our study was to evaluate whether IVUS-guidedPPCI with drug-eluting stents (DESs) in STEMI patients improves clinical outcome. Hypothesis: IVUS-guided PPCI is superior to angio-guided PPCI. Methods: Three hundred forty-one patients who underwent PPCI for STEMI and survived the hospitalization were enrolled in this study. Two hundred sixteen (63.3%) patients were treated with angio-guided PPCI and 125 (36.7%) patients were treated with IVUS-guided PPCI. The primary endpoint was defined as the composite of death, myocardial infarction, target vessel revascularization, and target lesion revascularization at the 3-year follow-up visit. Results: Male gender, dyslipidemia, and smoking were frequent in the IVUS-guided PPCI group. These patients had a higher rate of radial approach, adjunctive ballooning, thrombectomy, and the use of a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor. The number and length of implanted stents were higher in the IVUS-guided PPCI group. The primary end point (18.1% vs 12.8%, P = 0.22) and stent thrombosis (2.8% vs 2.4%, P = 1.00) was not different between the groups. Conclusions: In our observational study, IVUS-guided PPCI with DESs in patients with STEMI did not improve clinical outcome or stent thrombosis. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. The authors have no funding, financial relationships, or conflicts of interest to disclose.

BACKGROUND The purpose of the present study was to compare the efficacy and safety of paclitaxel-eluting stent (PES), sirolimus-eluting stent (SES), and zotarolimus-eluting stent (ZES) in primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) with metabolic syndrome (MS). METHODS AND RESULTS Using data from Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry (KAMIR; November 2005-December 2007), a total of 1,768 MS patients with STEMI who underwent primary PCI were enrolled: The PES group was 634, SES group, 906, and ZES group, 228. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac event (all-cause death, re-myocardial infarction, target lesion revascularization) during 12 months follow-up. At 12 months, the cumulative incidence of primary endpoint in the PES, SES, and ZES groups was 10.9%, 9.1%, and 11.0%, respectively (P=0.086). Incidence of death, recurrent myocardial infarction, or target lesion revascularization did not differ among the 3 groups. There were 7 episodes of acute (0.3% in PES group, 0.4% in SES group, and 0.4% in ZES group, respectively, P=0.773) and 18 episodes of cumulative stent thrombosis including late stent thrombosis (0.9% in PES group, 1.0% in SES group, and 1.3% in ZES group, respectively, P=0.448). CONCLUSIONS Implantation of SES, PES, and ZES in MS patients with STEMI undergoing primary PCI provided comparable clinical outcomes in patients enrolled in KAMIR.

Background: Inflammation might contribute to the development of stent thrombosis (ST). The association between inflammatory cytokine concentrations and drug-eluting ST were evaluated. Methods and Results: Among the 123 ST patients enrolled in the multicenter Korea Stent Thrombosis registry, plasma samples were available in 41 patients. The patients' clinical characteristics and plasma concentrations of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin (IL)-6 were compared with 81 matched controls. Although the concentrations of 3 cytokines were higher in the ST group, they did not have significant differences. When divided into quartiles, the proportion of patients with the highest quartile of IL-6 was higher in the ST group than in the control group (44% vs. 16%, P=0.001), and the highest IL-6 quartile was an independent predictor of ST for both early (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 6.96; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.75-27.66) and late ST (adjusted HR 4.71; 95%CI 1.06-20.92). In addition, the highest IL-6 quartile was an independent predictor of ST in those on clopidogrel (adjusted HR 7.70; 95%CI 1.97-30.13) but not in those who were off clopidogrel. Conclusions: Highest IL-6 quartile was associated with ST, especially in clopidogrel users regardless of the time of ST, suggesting the involvement of inflammatory cytokines in ST. (Circ J 2011; 75: 1350-1357)

BackgroundIn clinical practice, a risk prediction model is an effective solitary program to predict prognosis in particular patient groups. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP)and N-terminal pro-b-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) are widely recognized outcome-predicting factors for patients with heart failure (HF).This study derived external validation of a risk score to predict 1-year mortality after discharge in hospitalized patients with HF using the Meta-analysis Global Group in Chronic Heart Failure (MAGGIC)program data. We also assessed the effect of adding BNP or NT-proBNP to this risk score model in a Korean HF registry population.Method and resultsWe included 5625 patients from the Korean acute heart failure registry (KorAHF) and excluded those who died in hospital. The MAGGIC constructed a risk score to predict mortality in patients with HF by using 13 routinely available patient characteristics (age, gender, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), HF diagnosed within the last 18 months, current smoker, NYHA class, use of beta blocker, ACEI or ARB, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, creatinine, and EF). We added BNP or NT-proBNP, which are the most important biomarkers, to the MAGGIC risk scoring system in patients with HF. The outcome measure was 1-year mortality. In multivariable analysis, BNP or NT-proBNP independently predicted death. The risk score was significantly varied between alive and dead groups (30.61 ± 6.32 vs. 24.80 ± 6.81, p < 0.001). After the conjoint use of BNP or NT-proBNP and MAGGIC risk score in patients with HF, a significant difference in risk score was noted (31.23 ± 6.46 vs. 25.25 ± 6.96, p < 0.001).The discrimination abilities of the risk score model with and without biomarker showed minimal improvement (C index of 0.734 for MAGGIC risk score and 0.736 for MAGGIC risk score plus BNP or NT-proBNP, p = 0.0502) and the calibration was found good. However, we achieved a significant improvement in net reclassification and integrated discrimination for mortality (NRI of 33.4%,p < 0.0001 and IDI of 0.002, p < 0.0001).ConclusionIn the KorAHF, the MAGGIC project HF risk score performed well in a large nationwide contemporary external validation cohort. Furthermore, the addition of BNP or NT-proBNPto the MAGGIC risk score was beneficial in predicting more death in hospitalized patients with HF.

Background Albuminuria is a surrogate marker of endothelial dysfunction and a predictor of cardiovascular events. Data are limited with regard to the relationship between albuminuria and subclinical atherosclerosis in a community-based cohort. We determined the association between albuminuria measured by the urine albumin creatinine ratio (UACR) and carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) in a Korean rural population. Methods We enrolled 1,369 healthy subjects older than 40 years (857 males and 518 females) with normal renal function and measured the CIMT. We excluded subjects with overt proteinuria (> 300 mg/day) or with treatment of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and any cardiovascular disease. The subjects were stratified into the quartile value of the UACR (lowest quartile: UACR < 4.8 and highest quartile: UACR > 17.7). And we evaluate the relationship between UACR and CIMT by linear regression and logistic regression analysis. Results Increasing quartile of the UACR had a stepwise increase in body mass index, blood pressure, cholesterol profile [low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol and triglyceride], glucose, homeostratic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and C-reactive protein (all p values < 0.001). Maximal CIMT from the 1st to the 4th quartile values of the UACR were 0.74 ± 0.17, 0.77 ± 0.18, 0.78 ± 0.18, and 0.82 ± 0.21 mm, respectively (p < 0.001). In a multivariate regression model adjusted for age, sex, systolic blood pressure, triglyceride, LDL-cholesterol, fasting blood sugar, waist circumference, adiponectin, HOMA-IR, high sensitive C-reactive protein, smoking, UACR showed a significant association with maximal CIMT (B = 0.014, R2 = 0.145, p = 0.002). Conclusion Albuminuria measured by the UACR was significantly associated with both CIMT and traditional risk factors of atherosclerosis except for smoking in healthy Koreans.

We sought to compare the angiographic findings and mortality in patients with non-ST-segment elevation (NSTEMI) versus ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing early invasive intervention. Of 11,872 patients enrolled in the Korean Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry from November 2005 to January 2008, we studied patients with NSTEMI undergoing early invasive intervention (n = 1,486) and those with STEMI undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (n = 4,392). Multivessel coronary disease, baseline Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow grade 3, and the left circumflex artery as a culprit lesion occurred more frequently in patients with NSTEMI than in those with STEMI. Those with NSTEMI had a significantly lower mortality rate than those with STEMI during a median follow-up of about 12 months (3.8% vs 6.7%, p

Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate the relative efficacy and safety of zotarolimus-eluting stents (ZES) in comparison with the established and widely used sirolimus- (SES) and paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES) in routine clinical practice. Background Whether ZES might provide similar clinical and angiographic outcomes in a broad spectrum of patients compared with SES or PES is undetermined. Methods We performed a single-blind, multicenter, prospectively randomized trial to compare ZES with SES and PES in 2,645 patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. The primary end point was a composite of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) (death, myocardial infarction, and ischemia-driven target vessel revascularization) at 12 months. A noninferiority comparison (ZES vs. SES) and a superiority comparison (ZES vs. PES) were performed for the primary end point. Results Baseline clinical and angiographic characteristics were similar in the 3 groups. At 12 months, the ZES group showed noninferior rates of MACE compared with the SES group (10.2% vs. 8.3%, p for noninferiority = 0.01, p for superiority = 0.17) and significantly fewer MACE than the PES group (10.2% vs. 14.1%, p for superiority = 0.01). The incidence of death or myocardial infarction was similar among the groups (ZES vs. SES vs. PES, 5.8% vs. 6.9% vs. 7.6%, respectively, p = 0.31). The incidence of stent thrombosis was significantly lower in the SES group (ZES vs. SES vs. PES, 0.7% vs. 0% vs. 0.8%, respectively, p = 0.02). Conclusions In this large-scale, practical randomized trial, the use of ZES resulted in similar rates of MACE compared with SES and in fewer MACE compared with PES at 12 months. (Comparison of the Efficacy and the Safety of Zotarolimus-Eluting Stent Versus Sirolimus-Eluting Stent and PacliTaxel-Eluting Stent for Coronary Lesions; NCT00418067 )

Background The potential benefits and risks of the use of dual antiplatelet therapy beyond a 12-month period in patients receiving drug-eluting stents have not been clearly established. Methods In two trials, we randomly assigned a total of 2701 patients who had received drugeluting stents and had been free of major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events and major bleeding for a period of at least 12 months to receive clopidogrel plus aspirin or aspirin alone. The primary end point was a composite of myocardial infarction or death from cardiac causes. Data from the two trials were merged for analysis. Results The median duration of follow-up was 19.2 months. The cumulative risk of the primary outcome at 2 years was 1.8% with dual antiplatelet therapy, as compared with 1.2% with aspirin monotherapy (hazard ratio, 1.65; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80 to 3.36; P = 0.17). The individual risks of myocardial infarction, stroke, stent thrombosis, need for repeat revascularization, major bleeding, and death from any cause did not differ significantly between the two groups. However, in the dual-therapy group as compared with the aspirin-alone group, there was a nonsignificant increase in the composite risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, or death from any cause (hazard ratio, 1.73; 95% CI, 0.99 to 3.00; P = 0.051) and in the composite risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, or death from cardiac causes (hazard ratio, 1.84; 95% CI, 0.99 to 3.45; P = 0.06). CONCLUSIONS The use of dual antiplatelet therapy for a period longer than 12 months in patients who had received drug-eluting stents was not significantly more effective than aspirin monotherapy in reducing the rate of myocardial infarction or death from cardiac causes. These findings should be confirmed or refuted through larger, randomized clinical trials with longer-term follow-up. (ClinicalTrials.gov numbers, NCT00484926 and NCT00590174.)

Background: The optimal duration of dual antiplatelet therapy remains controversial. Methods and Results: Between December 2006 and March 2008, 823 patients were enrolled in a prospective multicenter registry for 3-month dual antiplatelet therapy (aspirin 100-200mg+clopidogrel 75mg daily) followed by aspirin mono-therapy after zotarolimus-eluting stents (ZES). Major exclusion criteria were: cardiogenic shock, stent thrombosis (ST)-segment elevation myocardial infarction (MI) within 48h, previous drug-eluting stent implantation, severe left ventricular dysfunction, bifurcation lesions requiring 2-stenting, left main and graft lesions. The primary outcome was a composite of cardiac death, MI, or ST at 1 year. The median duration of dual antiplatelet therapy was 95 days (interquartile range 90-101). At 1 year, 3 patients (0.4%) had cardiac deaths, 3 patients (0.4%) had MI, and 4 patients (0.5%) had definite or probable ST, leading to the primary outcome in 5 patients (0.6%). Death, MI, or any revascularization occurred in 68 patients (8.3%). Among patients who were event-free at 3 months (n=812), clopidogrel was discontinued at 3 months in 661 patients and was continued for longer than 3 months in 151 patients. Discontinuation of clopidogrel at 3 months did not increase the primary outcome (HR 0.90; 95%CI, 0.09-9.02), death, MI, or any revascularization (HR 0.89; 95%CI, 0.48-1.67) after adjustment for the propensity score. Conclusions: Three-month dual antiplatelet therapy seems to be feasible after ZES implantation in relatively low-risk patients. (Circ J 2010; 74: 2314-2321)

Drug-eluting stents (DESs) are increasingly used for treatment of acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), but there are few comparisons of outcomes of various types of DES. We compared the efficacy and safety of zotarolimus-eluting stents (ZESs), sirolimus-eluting stents (SESs), and paclitaxel-eluting stents (PESs) in primary intervention for STEMI. This multicenter, prospectively randomized ZEST-AMI trial included 328 patients at 12 medical centers who were randomly assigned to ZES (n = 108), SES (n = 110), or PES (n = 110) deployment. The primary end point was major adverse cardiac events (death, MI, and ischemia-driven target vessel revascularization) at 12 months. Secondary end points included the individual components of the primary end point, late loss, angiographic restenosis, and stent thrombosis. Baseline clinical and angiographic characteristics were well matched. In-segment late loss (0.28 +/- 0.42 vs 0.46 +/- 0.48 vs 0.47 +/- 0.50 mm, respectively, p = 0.029) and restenosis rate (2.7% vs 15.9% vs 12.3%, respectively, p = 0.027) at 8 months were lowest in the SES group compared to the ZES and PES groups. At 12 months, cumulative incidence rates of primary end points in the ZES, SES, and PES groups were 11.3%, 8.2%, and 8.2%, respectively (p = 0.834). There were 2 acute (in the SES group) and 5 subacute (2 in the SES group and 3 in the PES group) stent thromboses. Incidence of death, recurrent MI, or ischemia-driven target vessel revascularization did not differ among the 3 groups. In conclusion, despite the difference in restenosis rate, the efficacy and safety of the 3 different DESs showed similar, acceptable results in the treatment of STEMI.

Background Distal protection during primary angioplasty in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is the subject of recent controversy. The present study was designed to determine whether the distal embolic protection preserves myocardial microvascular integrity and improves clinical outcomes in patients with AMI. Methods A total of 116 AMI patients presenting within 12 h of onset of symptoms were enrolled at 7 angioplasty centers. They were randomly assigned to either primary angioplasty with distal protection group (DP; n =60) or angioplasty alone group (Controls; n =56). Results After primary angioplasty, achievement of final Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) grade 3 and TIMI Myocardial Perfusion (TMP) grade 3 were more frequent in the DP group than in the control group [58/60 (96%) vs. 43/56 (81%), p =0.016; and 39/60 (65%) vs. 20/56 (38%), p =0.001, respectively]. After primary angioplasty, the baseline and hyperemic averaged peak velocities were significantly higher (23.2±11.5 vs. 18.0±6.9 cm/s, p =0.029; and 39.2±16.7 vs. 30.6±10.8 cm/s, p =0.014, respectively) and the baseline and hyperemic microvascular resistance indices were significantly lower (4.18±2.22 vs. 5.34±2.25 mm Hg cm −1 s, p =0.036; and 2.38±1.39 vs. 3.11±1.32 mm Hg cm −1 s, p =0.030, respectively) in the DP group. Patients in the DP group showed more favorable phasic coronary flow pattern in diastolic deceleration time (679±262 vs. 519±289 ms, p =0.035; and 751±246 vs. 616±269 ms, p =0.035, respectively). Major adverse cardiac events at 6 months occurred with similar frequency in both groups (8.7% vs. 11.1%, p =0.400). Conclusions Distal protection device effectively preserves microvascular integrity during primary angioplasty in AMI. Distal protection, however, did not improve clinical outcomes.

Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive accuracy of invasive coronary microvascular indexes for identifying microvascular obstruction (MVO) on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) in patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Background We hypothesized that a combination of the index of microcirculatory resistance (IMR) and the thermodilution-derived coronary flow reserve (CFRthermo) will enhance the predictive accuracy of detecting MVO compared with either index alone. Methods The IMR and CFRthermo were measured using a single pressure sensor/thermistor-tipped guidewire in 40 STEMI patients immediately after PCI and related to MVO assessed by CMR day 7. The primary endpoint was the predictive accuracy of the IMR for detecting MVO. Results Patients with an IMR >36 (upper tertile) had a higher rate of MVO compared with those with an IMR ≤36 (93% vs. 39%; p = 0.001). MVO occurred in all patients with an IMR >36 and a CFRthermo ≤1.7 and in no patients with an IMR ≤36 and a CFRthermo >1.7. The IMR remained an independent predictor of MVO (odds ratio: 1.212, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.004 to 1.464; p = 0.045) after adjustment for age, creatine kinase-myocardial band, myocardial blush grade, thrombus burden, and CFRthermo. Both the IMR (area under the curve, 0.868, 95% CI: 0.719 to 0.956; p = 0.001) and the CFRthermo (area under the curve, 0.706, 95% CI: 0.536 to 0.842; p = 0.03) were predictive of MVO. Combined IMR and CFRthermo increased the area under the curve for MVO to 0.941. Conclusions In patients who underwent primary PCI for STEMI, an increased IMR has an independent predictive value for MVO detection, and combined high IMR and low CFRthermo are highly predictive of MVO. These indexes could be used to further risk-stratify patients and guide regional and systemic therapies.

Objective: This study compared the efficacy of the sirolimus-eluting stent (SES), the paclitaxel-eluting stent (PES), and the bare metal stent (BMS) for long coronary lesions. Background: The outcome of drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation in long coronary lesions remains unclear. Methods: The study involved 527 patients with de novo long coronary lesions (≥24 mm), which were treated with long (≥28 mm) SESs (223 lesions), PESs (194 lesions), or BMSs (201 lesions). Results: Lesions in the SES (36.0 ± 14.9 mm, P < 0.001) and PES (36.3 ± 14.5 mm, P < 0.001) groups were longer than those in the BMS group (32.0 ± 12.3 mm), meaning the two DES groups had longer stented segments than did the BMS group. Six-month angiographic follow-up showed the SES (9.3%, P < 0.001) and PES (21.3%, P < 0.001) groups had lower in-segment restenosis rates than that of the BMS group (42.5%). The rate of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) including death, myocardial infarction, and target lesion revascularization at 9 months was higher in the BMS group (26.6%) than that in the SES (13.0%, P < 0.001) and PES (15.7%, P < 0.001) groups. Posthoc analysis of the two DES groups showed that the in-segment restenosis rate was lower for the SES than that for the PES group (P = 0.002), while the MACE rate was similar. Conclusions: The use of DESs for long coronary lesions appears to be safe and more effective than the use of BMSs in terms of restenosis and adverse clinical events. SES use was associated with lower late luminal loss and a lower angiographic restenosis rate compared with PES use. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.