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Data deriving from patients who underwent TAVR between 2007 and 2017 in 13 Italian centers were prospectively collected. Patients were stratified in those with normal LVEF and reduced LVEF. The latter was further classified according to ischemic or nonischemic etiology. The primary end point was a composite of all-cause death and rehospitalizations; the secondary end points were the isolated composers of the primary end point and cardiac death. Overall, 2,626 patients were included in the analysis: 68.1% with normal LVEF and 31.9% with reduced LVEF. At 8 years, reduced LVEF was significantly associated with the primary end point (adjusted hazard ratio 1.17, 95% confidence interval 1.06 to 1.29). Consistent findings were evident for the composite end point. No differences in these trends were found at the 30-day landmark analyses. Compared with nonischemic etiology, ischemic reduced LVEF was associated with an increased risk of cardiac death (adjusted hazard ratio 1.43, 95% confidence interval 1.02 to 2.02). In conclusion, patients with reduced LVEF who underwent TAVR are exposed to a progressively increased risk of death and rehospitalizations, even at very long-term follow-up., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest CG, MA, and MDC received speaker fees from Medtronic; FB received consultant/proctor fees from Medtronic; MM received consultant fees from Abbott, Boston, Kardia and Medtronic; TP received lectures fees from Medtronic, Edwards and Abbott. The remaining authors have no competing interest to declare., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study sought to investigate the impact of elective, uncomplicated target lesion revascularization (TLR) on long-term cardiac mortality after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) disease. Consecutive patients undergoing PCI for ULMCA disease between January 2003 and December 2015 in 1 interventional center in Northern Italy were included. Patients presenting with cardiogenic shock, ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (MI), as well as those undergoing urgent or complicated TLR were excluded. The primary endpoint of the study was cardiac mortality. Among the 418 patients fulfilling the study criteria, 79 (18.46%) underwent elective, uncomplicated TLR. After a median follow-up of 5.5 years, there were 23 cardiac deaths among patients undergoing elective, uncomplicated TLR versus 50 in patients not undergoing TLR. After adjusting for possible confounders, TLR was an independent predictor of cardiac mortality (Hazard ratio [HZ] = 1.92, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05 to 3.49; p = 0.03). Patients undergoing TLR had also significantly higher rates of the composite of cardiac death, MI and stroke compared with the no TLR group (adjusted HR = 1.76, 95% CI 1.14 to 2.72). In conclusion, elective, uncomplicated TLR after PCI of ULMCA disease is associated with increased risk of long-term cardiac mortality. Reducing the risk of TLR after PCI of ULMCA disease may potentially improve the survival of these patients., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a valid alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement for the treatment of symptomatic aortic stenosis. The EuroScore (ES) II, logistic EuroScore (log ES), and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) score are the most applied scores for surgical risk stratification. However, their predictive value for patients undergoing TAVI is still unclear., Aim: To evaluate the performance of STS, log ES and ES II as predictors of short-term and long-term mortality in patients undergoing TAVI., Methods: Between February 2008 and October 2017, a total of 384 patients underwent transfemoral TAVI at our institution and constituted the study population. Patients were divided into three groups based on the class of risk (low, intermediate, and high) calculated by each score. In-hospital complications, 30-day outcomes, and 5-year outcomes were assessed., Results: In-hospital mortality rate was 2.6% (n = 10). All scores over-estimated the risk of 30-day mortality, especially for the highest risk classes. At the end of follow-up (5 years), STS risk stratification was able to stratify all-cause and cardiovascular (CV) mortality (P<.01 and P=.02, respectively). Patients with intermediate ES II risk showed a lower survival rate (P=.04) while CV deaths did not differ between classes of risk. All-cause mortality and CV mortality curves did not diverge according to the patients' risk profiles derived from log ES., Conclusion: Conventional surgical risk scores are not appropriate to predict 30-day mortality in patients undergoing transfemoral TAVI. STS assessment was the only risk score able to stratify long-term all-cause and CV mortality.

Although inflammation is involved in the pathogenesis of acute coronary syndromes, the extent of inflammation is not routinely assessed, and its prognostic implications in patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome have not been investigated in depth. We analyzed the prognostic implications of an elevated white blood cell count (WBCc) in patients with moderate and high-risk non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome undergoing an early invasive strategy in the large-scale Acute Catheterization and Urgent Intervention Triage StrategY trial. The WBCc at admission was available for 13,678 of 13,819 patients (98.9%). The patients in the upper tertile of the WBCc had an increased risk of 30-day major bleeding, 1-year mortality, and definite/probable stent thrombosis compared to those in the mid or lower tertiles. On multivariate analysis, the WBCc was an independent predictor of 30-day major bleeding and 1-year cardiac, noncardiac, and all-cause mortality. The association between the WBCc and cardiac mortality was present in multiple prespecified subgroups, with no significant interaction between the WBCc and age, gender, diabetes, smoking, renal dysfunction, elevated baseline biomarkers, antithrombotic therapy, revascularization, and Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction risk score. The WBCc remained an independent predictor of mortality after adjusting for bleeding, C-reactive protein level, and angiographic variables, including left ventricular ejection fraction, Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction flow, and number of diseased vessels. The WBCc significantly improved the prognostic accuracy of the Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction risk score, with a net reclassification improvement of 11% (p <0.0001). In conclusion, in patients with moderate- and high-risk non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome, an elevated admission WBCc was an independent predictor of 30-day major bleeding, and 1-year cardiac, noncardiac, and all-cause mortality., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: We sought to assess the effect of a territorial system of care for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) on the outcome of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OOHCA)., Materials and Methods: We enrolled 720 patients who experienced a witnessed OOHCA of presumed cardiac origin during a four-year period in an area with a STEMI network and for whom resuscitation was attempted., Results: Overall, 242 (33.6%) patients had return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), 645 (90%) died before discharge. We observed a trend toward decreased overall mortality for OOHCA between the years 2004 and 2007, both in the entire population and in patients with ROSC (2004=94%; 2005=89%; 2006=85%; 2007=89%; P=0.064; 2004=81%; 2005=69%; 2006=65%; 2007=60%; P=0.076, respectively). On multivariable analysis, age, crew-witnessed arrest and presence of shockable rhythm were independent predictors of mortality. Patients who experienced OOHCA in the year 2006 (OR=0.47; 95% CI: 0.21-1.05; P=0.07) and 2007 (OR=0.51; 95% CI: 0.23-1.12; P=0.09) showed a strong trend toward decreased risk of mortality compared to year 2004. In patients with ROSC, the year 2007 was associated with a significant lower risk of mortality compared to year 2004 (OR=0.38; 95% CI: 0.15-0.96; P=0.04)., Conclusions: Implementation of a territorial network of care for STEMI appears to be associated with reduced mortality OOHCA patients.

Aims: Treatment delay is a powerful predictor of survival in STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI. We investigated the effectiveness of pre-hospital triage with direct referral to PCI, alongside more conventional referral strategies., Methods and Results: From January 2003 to December 2007, 1,619 STEMI patients were referred for primary PCI at our cathlab through two main triage groups: i.e., 1) following pre-hospital triage (n=524), 2) via more conventional triages (n=1,095) represented by the S. Orsola-Malpighi hospital emergency department triage (hub hospital) and local hospital triage. Pre-hospital diagnosis was associated with a 76 minute reduction in pain-to-balloon time (143 [107-216] vs. 219 [149-343], p=0.001) allowing mechanical revascularisation within 90 minutes from the first medical contact in the vast majority of the patients (>80%). Clinically, pre-hospital triage showed no significant reductions in terms of adjusted long-term mortality (HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.61-1.08; p=0.16) in the overall population. However, significant adjusted survival benefits were observed in high-risk groups (i.e., cardiogenic shock, TIMI risk score >30, diabetes mellitus)., Conclusions: This study shows that pre-hospital diagnosis allows for significant reductions in primary PCI treatment delays and suggests the hypothesis that this referral strategy might provide long-term survival benefits especially in high-risk patients.

We sought to evaluate the prognostic significance of ST-segment elevation (STE) in lead aVR in unselected patients with non-STE acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS). We enrolled 1,042 consecutive patients with NSTE-ACS. Patients were divided into 5 groups according to the following electrocardiographic (ECG) patterns on admission: (1) normal electrocardiogram or no significant ST-T changes, (2) inverted T waves, (3) isolated ST deviation (ST depression [STD] without STE in lead aVR or transient STE), (4) STD plus STE in lead aVR, and (5) ECG confounders (pacing, right or left bundle branch block). The main angiographic end point was left main coronary artery (LM) disease as the culprit artery. Clinical end points were in-hospital and 1-year cardiovascular death defined as the composite of cardiac death, fatal stroke, and fatal bleeding. Prevalence of STD plus STE in lead aVR was 13.4%. Rates of culprit LM disease and in-hospital cardiovascular death were 8.1% and 3.8%, respectively. On multivariable analysis, patients with STD plus STE in lead aVR (group 4) showed an increased risk of culprit LM disease (odds ratio 4.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.31 to 9.64, p <0.001) and in-hospital cardiovascular mortality (odds ratio 5.58, 95% CI 2.35 to 13.24, p <0.001) compared to patients without any ST deviation (pooled groups 1, 2, and 5), whereas patients with isolated ST deviation (group 3) did not. At 1-year follow-up 127 patients (12.2%) died from cardiovascular causes. On multivariable analysis, STD plus STE in lead aVR was a stronger independent predictor of cardiovascular death (hazard ratio 2.29, 95% CI 1.44 to 3.64, p <0.001) than isolated ST deviation (hazard ratio 1.52, 95% CI 0.98 to 2.36, p = 0.06). In conclusion, STD plus STE in lead aVR is associated with high-risk coronary lesions and predicts in-hospital and 1-year cardiovascular deaths in patients with NSTE-ACS. Therefore, this promptly available ECG pattern could be useful to improve risk stratification and management of patients with NSTE-ACS., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Mean platelet volume (MPV) has been proposed as a marker of platelet reactivity and cardiovascular risk. Its prognostic significance has not been thoroughly investigated in patients with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS). We included 1,041 consecutive patients with NSTE-ACS. Patients were divided in quartiles according to the MPV value on admission (fl) i.e. Q1<7.5; Q2=7.5-8.0; Q3=8.1-8.8; Q4≥8.9. The primary study endpoint was the composite of cardiovascular death and re-myocardial infarction (MI) at one year. Secondary study endpoints were individual cardiovascular death and re-MI. Patients in Q4 were older, had a higher prevalence of previous MI, peripheral artery disease and advanced Killip class compared to patients in Q1-Q3. Elevated MPV levels (Q4) was independently associated with gender, smoking status, platelet count and creatinine level. Overall, 210 patients (20.2%) reached the primary endpoint, 124 (12.1%) died from cardiovascular causes and 125 (12.0%) suffered from re-MI. On multivariable analysis patients in Q4 were at higher risk of primary endpoint (HR=1.41; 95%CI 1.06-1.89; p=0.02) whilst the association with cardiovascular death and re-MI was attenuated. MPV as continuous variable was independently associated with both primary endpoint (HR=1.19; 95%CI 1.06-1.33; p=0.003) and cardiovascular death (HR=1.23; 95%CI 1.06-1.42, p=0.006). The incorporation of MPV into a comprehensive model of risk significantly increased the likelihood ratio chi-square for prediction of both the composite endpoint (p=0.004) and cardiovascular death (p=0.009). Therefore, MPV may be useful to improve risk stratification in NSTE-ACS patients and should be included in future prospective studies evaluating the role of platelet function in promoting cardiovascular events.

Background: The purpose of this study is to present data on the effects of pre-hospital electrocardiogram (PH-ECG) on the outcome of ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients treated with percutaneous coronary angioplasty (PCI) included in a registry undertaken in the Italian region of Lombardy. Pre-hospital 12-lead electrocardiogram is recommended by current guidelines in order to achieve faster times to reperfusion in patients with STEMI., Methods: The registry includes 3901 STEMI patients who underwent primary PCI over an 18-month period., Results: Mean age was 63 ± 12 years. Admission through the emergency medical system (EMS) occurred in 1603 patients (40%): they were older, more frequently had previous MI, TIMI flow = 0 at entry and were more frequently in Killip class >1 than patients who were not admitted through the EMS. Among the patients admitted through the EMS, PH-ECG was obtained in 475 patients (12%). These patients had less frequently an anterior MI, but more frequently had absence of TIMI flow at entry than patients whose ECG was not teletransmitted. Moreover, they had a significantly shorter first medical contact-to-balloon time and a trend toward a lower 30-day death rate (5.3% vs 7.9 %, p = 0.06). However, only patients in Killip class 2-3 had a significantly lower mortality when the diagnostic ECG was transmitted, whereas no difference was found in Killip class 1 or Killip class 4 patients., Conclusions: In this registry, PH-ECG significantly decreased first medical contact-to-balloon time. Attempts to achieve faster reperfusion times should be undertaken, as this may result in improved outcome, particularly in patients with mild to moderate symptoms of heart failure.

Background: Despite the well-known prognostic impact of systolic dysfunction in unselected patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), limited data are available on its current predictive role after PCI for unprotected left main disease (ULM). We thus appraised the prognostic role of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in patients undergoing PCI for ULM with drug-eluting stents (DES)., Methods: Consecutive eligible subjects were retrospectively enrolled in a national registry. Patients were divided into three groups: LVEF < 30%, LVEF 30-45%, and LVEF > 45%. Relevant baseline and outcome data were compared with bivariate and multivariable tests., Results: A total of 975 subjects was included (LVEF < 30%: 46, LVEF 30-45%: 208, LVEF > 45%: 721). Patients with LVEF < 30% had several other unfavorable clinical features, including older age and higher EuroSCORE. Adverse event rates were different already at 7 days (p = 0.012 for all-cause death and p = 0.015 for major adverse cardiac events [MACE]), with even more significant trends up to 30 days and at long-term (p < 0.001 for death, and p < 0.001 for MACE). After a median of 18 months, risk of death totaled 39 versus 13 versus 8% (p < 0.001) and risk of MACE 44 versus 24 versus 22% (p = 0.003). Multivariable analyses showed however that reduced LVEF was not an independent predictor of adverse events at any time-point., Conclusions: Whereas reduced LVEF is apparently a significant predictor of adverse events after PCI with DES for ULM, its prognostic impact is mostly due to clustering with other adverse features.

Objective: We sought to assess what proportion of patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis who are excluded from cardiac surgery are eligible for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI)., Methods: Between July 2007 and December 2008, 98 patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis judged inoperable were referred to our institution for percutaneous aortic balloon valvuloplasty (PABV). They entered a screening for TAVI with the CoreValve Revalving System or the Edwards-Sapien valve, comprising general clinical evaluation, echocardiogram, coronary angiography, angiography and angio-CT scan of thoracic aorta and ilio-femoral axes., Results: Mean patients' age was 82 +/- 7 years; the vast majority presented relevant comorbidities. Mortality risk predicted by the logistic European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation was on average 25.3 +/- 14.5%. Overall, 45 (45.9%) patients met the criteria for TAVI: 29.6% for percutaneous transfemoral access, 6.1% for trans-subclavian and 10.2% for transapical approaches. Reason for exclusion was severe noncardiac comorbidity in around half of the cases. PABV allowed re-classification of several patients with very poor left ejection fraction and severe mitral regurgitation. Among the 39 patients undergoing TAVI after the screening, in-hospital mortality was 3.7% for transfemoral and 0 for trans-subclavian and transapical approaches., Conclusions: TAVI represents a viable therapeutic option for elderly patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis who are not candidates for surgical aortic valve replacement. However, presently less than half of them actually fulfil the criteria for these procedures.

Introduction: Organization of regional systems of care (RSC) with an emphasis on pre-hospital triage and primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been recommended to implement guidelines and improve clinical outcome in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)., Patients and Methods: All STEMI patients (n = 1,823) admitted to any of the 13 hospitals of the province of Bologna, Italy, before (pre-RSC, n = 858) and after (RSC, n = 965) the implementation of a RSC were enrolled in the study. Primary evaluation was mortality. Secondary outcomes included death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and coronary revascularization procedures up to three-year follow-up., Results: Among patients admitted <12 h from symptom onset, reperfusion was performed in 68.7% pre-RSC versus 89.8% RSC, P <0.001. Within the RSC, primary PCI became the main reperfusion treatment (34.5% pre-RSC versus 85.9% RSC; P <0.001 for both), and one-year mortality was lower (23.9% pre-RSC versus 18.8% RSC; P = 0.0015). At three-year, this advantage was maintained and actually increased (31.7% pre-RSC versus 24.8% RSC; P = 0.0031). Independent predictors of mortality at three-years were RSC, age, heart failure, cerebrovascular disease, renal disease, shock, peripheral vascular disease, and malignancies., Conclusions: In this study, RSC for the treatment of STEMI was associated with increased rates of reperfusion and reduction of long-term mortality.

Scant data are available on the relation between ST-segment elevation (STE) resolution and 30-day mortality in patients with STE acute myocardial infarction treated with percutaneous coronary intervention in contemporary, real world, clinical practice. Furthermore, whether the prognostic value of STE resolution is influenced by the patient clinical risk profile or postprocedural Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow has never been investigated. Lombardima was an observational registry implemented in Lombardy, a Northern Italian region. The clinical characteristics, electorcardiographic parameters, and procedural data were prospectively entered into a Web-based database. In the present study, we enrolled 3,403 patients. STE resolution occurred in 2,452 patients (group 1) and did not in 951 patients (group 2). The mortality rate was 2.4% in group 1 and 11.3% in group 2 (p <0.001). After stratifying patients according to their TIMI risk index, we observed that STE resolution was an independent predictor of 30-day mortality across all spectrum of clinical risk. Furthermore, in patients with TIMI 3 flow, STE resolution remained an independent predictor of 30-day mortality (p <0.0001). In conclusion, STE resolution was a strong and independent predictor of 30-day mortality in patients with STE acute myocardial infarction undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention across all spectrum of clinical risk., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aims: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is increasingly being used for unprotected left main (ULM) disease. Limited data are available on sex-related differences in this setting. We investigated gender-associated differences in patients undergoing stent-based PCI for ULM., Methods and Results: We analysed baseline, procedural and long-term data of patients with ULM undergoing stent-based PCI at participating centres. The primary end-point was the long-term rate of major cardiovascular events rate (MACE, i.e., the composite of death, myocardial infarction, or target lesion revascularisation). The study population included 1,452 cases, with 27.8% females and 72.2% males. Women were older, more frequently diabetic, hypertensive or presenting with an acute coronary syndrome, and thus with a higher EuroSCORE, but were less commonly treated with drug-eluting stents (DES), in comparison to men (all p<0.01). After a median follow-up of 18 months, women showed an unadjusted higher risk of death (p=0.040), cardiac death (p=0.033), and the death/myocardial infarction (p=0.012). However, after multivariable adjustment, gender was no longer an independent predictor of death (hazard ratio=1.119 [0.804-1.558]), cardiac death (hazard ratio=1.045 [0.697-1.567]), or death/myocardial infarction (hazard ratio=0.531 [0.192-1.465]), given the predominant role of age, diabetes and EuroSCORE as independent predictors and confounders of the gender-based comparison., Conclusions: Women undergoing PCI for ULM present more often with an acute coronary syndrome, are treated less frequently with DES, and have more adverse events, but these gender biases are not confirmed after adjusting for confounders. Thus, stent-based PCI for ULM offers similarly favourable clinical results in women as well as in men.

Aims: In this study, we compared the cumulative risk of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) of patients with distal unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) stenosis with those of patients with ostial and midshaft lesions treated with drug-eluting stent (DES)., Methods and Results: The survey promoted by the Italian Society of Invasive Cardiology on ULMCA stenosis was an observational study involving 19 high-volume Italian centres. We enrolled 1111 patients with ULMCA stenosis treated with DES. Major adverse cardiac events were defined as death, myocardial infarction, and target lesion revascularization. Three hundred and thirty-four patients had ostial or midshaft lesions (group 1) and 777 bifurcations (group 2). The adjusted hazards ratio of the risk of 2 year MACE of patients in group 2 vs. patients in group 1 was 1.50 (P = 0.024). However, we observed that there was a significant difference between patients with bifurcations treated with two stents and those in group 1 (P = 0.001), but not between patients with bifurcations treated with one stent and those in group 1 (P = 0.38)., Conclusion: Patients with bifurcations have a worse outcome than patients with ostial and midshaft lesions. However, the technique used to treat bifurcations has a significant impact on clinical outcomes.

The aim of this study was to compare long term clinical outcome after left main stenting in a large real world population of patients treated with drug-eluting stents (DES) or bare-metal stents (BMS) in the setting of acute coronary syndromes. The advent of DES decreased the risk of unprotected left main coronary artery restenosis as compared with BMS, but safety concerns still exist, especially when high-risk patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes are considered. The Gruppo Italiano Studi Emodinamici-Societa' Italiana di Cardiologia Invasiva (GISE-SICI) registry is a retrospective, observational multicenter registry promoted by the Italian Society of Invasive Cardiology in which 19 high-volume participating centers enrolled 1,453 consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention on unprotected left main coronary artery between January 2002 and December 2006. From the registry, a total of 849 consecutive patients presenting with unstable angina or non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction who underwent DES (n=611) or BMS (n=238) implantation were analyzed with extensive multivariable and propensity-score adjustments. At 3-year follow-up, the adjusted hazard ratio for the risk of mortality after DES implantation relative to BMS implantation was 0.90 (95% confidence intervals [CI] 0.59 to 1.38, p=0.617), and the adjusted hazard ratio for the risk of cardiac mortality was 0.75 (95% CI 0.45 to 1.27, p=0.287). DES were associated with significant reduction of myocardial infarction (hazard ratio 0.37, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.81, p=0.009) and target lesion revascularization rates (hazard ratio 0.38, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.69, p=0.001). Younger age, low ejection fraction, an increase in the cardiac biomarkers, absence of diabetes, and bifurcations showed a significant interaction with assigned treatment regarding myocardial infarction. The treatment effects on target lesion revascularization were consistent across multiple subgroups, with the possible exception of patients with nonbifurcational lesions. In conclusion, in a large population of patients with acute coronary syndromes and unprotected left main coronary artery disease DES were more effective than BMS in reducing myocardial infarction and target lesion revascularization. There was no evidence of a significant reduction in mortality with DES versus BMS.

Data are limited about the relative efficacy of drug-eluting stents (DESs) versus bare-metal stents (BMSs) for the treatment of unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) stenosis. The survey promoted by the Italian Society of Invasive Cardiology on ULMCA stenosis was an observational study involving 19 high-volume Italian centers of patients with ULMCA stenosis treated using percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). From January 2002 to December 2006, of 1,453 patients identified with ULMCA stenosis treated with PCI, 1,111 were treated with DESs and 342 were treated with BMSs. During a 2-year follow-up, risk-adjusted survival free from cardiac death was significantly higher in patients treated with DESs than in those treated with BMSs. The propensity-adjusted hazard ratio for risk of 2-year cardiac mortality after DES versus BMS implantation was 0.49 (95% confidence interval 0.32 to 0.77). The benefit of DESs in reducing cardiac mortality was obtained in the period from 3 to 6 months and maintained up to 2 years. In conclusion, for patients with ULMCA stenosis undergoing PCI, DES implantation was associated with higher adjusted rates of 2-year survival free from cardiac death. The benefit of DESs in reducing cardiac mortality was obtained in the period in which clinical manifestations of restenosis usually peak.

Background: We prospectively investigated whether plasma homocysteine (HCY) concentrations are related to target lesion revascularization (TLR) rates in patients with unstable angina undergoing stenting., Methods: We enrolled 196 consecutive patients with at least one successful coronary stent implantation for unstable angina., Results: The mean vessel diameter was 3.1 +/- 0.5 mm. At follow-up (17.8 +/- 7.5 months), patients with higher HCY levels (> 17 micromol/l, 4th quartile) had similar TLR rates to the rest of the sample (11.1 vs 13.2%, p = 0.90). On the other hand, high HCY levels did seem to be associated with higher total (13.3 vs 0.7%, p = 0.001) and cardiac (6.7 vs 0%, p = 0.01) mortality rates. At multivariate analysis, only target vessel diameter independently predicted TLR, while both HCY levels and target vessel size predicted late total mortality., Conclusions: At least in patients with a mean vessel diameter > 3 mm, HCY levels cannot be taken as a prognostic indicator of in-stent restenosis for patients with unstable angina. However, in spite of successful percutaneous revascularization, HCY values do seem to strongly influence late mortality.

Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is performed in patients with prior aortocoronary bypass grafting (CABG) with good results in native vessels and in the coronary graft anastomoses, but with high percentage of restenosis in the body and in the proximal portion of the grafts. The use of intracoronary stents is now spreading, their implantation can improve the immediate outcome and may decrease the incidence of restenosis, mostly in the body of the graft. In order to evaluate PTCA in CABG patients as to numbers and short-term results, the data regarding the year 1993 of 10 Italian Centers are presented. In these Centers 3,519 PTCA were performed, 233 (6.6%) of which on CABG patients. PTCA has been performed in native vessels in 136 patients and in CABG in 126 patients, with 29 patients treated in native vessels as well as in CABG. An angiographic and clinical success was obtained in 215 patients (92%). A major complication occurred in 11 (4.7%) patients with 8 (3.4%) myocardial infarctions, and 3 (1.3%) deaths. Forty-five (19.3%) stents were implanted with considerable differences among the Centers. One hundred seventy-three patients were followed up for 6 months: 110 (63.6%) were asymptomatic and 57 (32.9%) had complained angina; 27 (15.6%) had a second PTCA and 6 (3.5%) had CABG surgery; 1 patient (0.6%) suffered a myocardial infarction and 7 (4%) died (3 due to CABG reinterventions). To evaluate the long-term follow-up, data regarding 58 patients submitted to PTCA in the Institute of Cardiology of Bologna since 1985 to 1993 are showed, with a 3-year follow-up (36 +/- 26 months).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)