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Objective: To investigate the effect of extent of revascularization in complex high-risk indicated patients (CHIP) undergoing Impella-protected percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Background: Complete revascularization has been shown to be associated with improved outcomes. However, the impact of more complete revascularization during Impella-protected PCI in CHIP has not been reported.Methods: A total of 86 CHIP undergoing elective PCI with Impella 2.5 or Impella CP between April 2007 and December 2016 from 2 high volume Italian centers were included. Baseline, procedural, and clinical outcomes data were collected retrospectively. Completeness of coronary revascularization was assessed using the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society myocardial jeopardy score (BCIS-JS) derived revascularization index (RI). The primary end-point was all-cause mortality. A multivariate regression model was used to identify independent predictors of mortality.Results: All patients had multivessel disease and were considered unsuitable for surgery. At baseline, 44% had left main disease, 78% had LVEF ≤ 35%, and mean BCIS-JS score was 10±2. The mean BCIS-JS derived RI was 0.7±0.2 and procedural complications were uncommon. At 14-month follow-up, all-cause mortality was 10.5%. At follow-up, 67.4% of CHIP had LVEF ≥ 35% compared to 22.1% before Impella protected-PCI. Higher BCIS-JS RI was significantly associated with LVEF improvement (p=0.002). BCIS-JS RI of ≤ 0.8 (HR 0.11, 95% CI 0.01- 0.92, and p = 0.042) was an independent predictor of mortality.Conclusions: These results support the practice of percutaneous Impella use for protected PCI in CHIP. A more complete revascularization was associated with significant LVEF improvement and survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused an unprecedented change in the apparent epidemiology of acute coronary syndromes (ACS). However, the interplay between this disease, changes in pollution, climate, and aversion to activation of emergency medical services represents a challenging conundrum. We aimed at appraising the impact of COVID-19, weather, and environment features on the occurrence of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) in a large Italian region and metropolitan area. Italy was hit early on by COVID-19, such that state of emergency was declared on January 31, 2020, and national lockdown implemented on March 9, 2020, mainly because the accrual of cases in Northern Italy. In order to appraise the independent contribution on changes in STEMI and NSTEMI daily rates of COVID-19, climate and pollution, we collected data on these clinical events from tertiary care cardiovascular centers in the Lazio region and Rome metropolitan area. Multilevel Poisson modeling was used to appraise unadjusted and adjusted effect estimates for the daily incidence of STEMI and NSTEMI cases. The sample included 1448 STEMI and 2040 NSTEMI, with a total of 2882 PCI spanning 6 months. Significant reductions in STEMI and NSTEMI were evident already in early February 2020 (all p <0.05), concomitantly with COVID-19 spread and institution of national countermeasures. Changes in STEMI and NSTEMI were inversely associated with daily COVID-19 tests, cases, and/or death (p<0.05). In addition, STEMI and NSTEMI incidences were associated with daily NO2, PM10, and O3 concentrations, as well as temperature (p<0.05). Multi-stage and multiply adjusted models highlighted that reductions in STEMI were significantly associated with COVID-19 data (p <0.001), whereas changes in NSTEMI were significantly associated with both NO2 and COVID-19 data (both p<0.001). Reductions in STEMI and NSTEMI in the COVID-19 pandemic may depend on different concomitant epidemiologic and pathophysiologic mechanisms. In particular, recent changes in STEMI may depend on COVID-19 scare, leading to excess all-cause mortality, or effective reduced incidence, whereas reductions in NSTEMI may also be due to beneficial reductions in NO2 emissions in the lockdown phase. • COVID-19 has caused an unprecedented change in the epidemiology of acute coronary syndromes. • The interplay between this disease, pollution, climate, and aversion to emergency medical services represents a challenging conundrum. • Reductions in STEMI and NSTEMI in the COVID-19 pandemic may depend on different concomitant mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Myocardial bridging (MB) may represent a cause of myocardial ischemia in patients with non-obstructive coronary artery disease (NOCAD). Herein, we assessed the interplay between MB and coronary vasomotor disorders, also evaluating their prognostic relevance in patients with myocardial infarction and non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) or stable NOCAD. Methods and Results We prospectively enrolled patients with NOCAD undergoing intracoronary acetylcholine provocative test. The incidence of major adverse cardiac events, defined as the composite of cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and rehospitalization for unstable angina, was assessed at follow-up. We also assessed angina status using Seattle Angina Questionnaires summary score. We enrolled 310 patients (mean age, 60.6±11.9; 136 [43.9%] men; 169 [54.5%] stable NOCAD and 141 [45.5%] MINOCA). MB was found in 53 (17.1%) patients. MB and a positive acetylcholine test coexisted more frequently in patients with MINOCA versus stable NOCAD. MB was an independent predictor of positive acetylcholine test and MINOCA. At follow-up (median, 22 months; interquartile range, 13-32), patients with MB had a higher rate of major adverse cardiac events, mainly driven by a higher rate of hospitalization attributable to angina, and a lower Seattle Angina Questionnaires summary score (all P <0.001) compared with patients without MB. In particular, the group of patients with MB and a positive acetylcholine test had the worst prognosis. Conclusions Among patients with NOCAD, coronary spasm associated with MB may predict a worse clinical presentation with MINOCA and a higher rate of hospitalization attributable to angina at long-term follow-up with a low rate of hard events.

Objective: Patients with Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) present an acute microvascular dysfunction that leads to an impaired myocardial perfusion and, in more severe forms, an impaired epicardial flow. However, clinical relevance of a delayed coronary flow, the coronary slow flow (CSF), has never been investigated. We studied the prognostic value of CSF occurring in the acute phase of TTS., Methods: This cohort study prospectively evaluated patients with a diagnosis of TTS. CSF was defined as angiographically non-obstructive coronary arteries with thrombolysis in myocardial infarction-2 flow. The incidence of overall mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), defined as the composite of TTS recurrence, cardiac rehospitalisation, cerebrovascular events and mortality, was assessed at follow-up., Results: We enrolled 101 patients (mean age 71.0±11.1 years, 86 (85.1%) female); CSF occurred in 18 (17.8%) patients. At admission, patients with CSF presented more frequently with Killip class III/IV, moderate-to-severe left ventricle systolic dysfunction and right ventricle dysfunction. During the index admission, patients with CSF had a higher rate of intrahospital complications (12 (66.7%) vs 28 (33.7%), p=0.01). At long-term follow-up, patients with CSF had a significantly higher occurrence of overall mortality (9 (50%) vs 19 (22.9%), p=0.011), mainly due to non-cardiac causes (89.3%), and a higher rate of MACE (10 (55.5%) vs 27 (32.5%), p=0.06). At multivariable Cox regression, CSF was independently associated with death from any causes., Conclusions: Patients with TTS presenting with CSF have a worse clinical presentation with a higher rate of intrahospital complications and a poor long-term clinical outcome., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare optical coherence tomographic (OCT) guidance and fractional flow reserve (FFR) guidance in patients with angiographically intermediate coronary lesions (AICLs) in a single-center, prospective, 1:1 randomized trial., Background: FFR and OCT imaging may help both in the assessment of AICLs and in percutaneous coronary intervention optimization., Methods: Patients with AICLs were randomized to FFR or OCT imaging. In the FFR arm, PCI was performed if FFR was ≤0.80. In the OCT imaging arm, PCI was performed if area stenosis was ≥75% or 50% to 75% with minimal luminal area <2.5 mm 2 or plaque rupture. Angina (evaluated using the Seattle Angina Questionnaire), major adverse cardiac events, and cost were assessed at the end of follow-up. The pre-defined primary endpoint was the composite of major adverse cardiac events or significant angina (defined as Seattle Angina Questionnaire frequency scale score <90) at 13 months., Results: A total of 350 patients (with 446 AICLs) were enrolled (176 randomized to FFR and 174 to OCT imaging). The primary endpoint of major adverse cardiac events or significant angina at 13 months occurred in 14.8% of patients in the FFR arm and in 8.0% in the OCT imaging arm (p = 0.048). This result was driven by a statistically nonsignificant lower occurrence of all primary endpoint components. Up to 13 months, the rate of medically managed patients was significantly higher (p < 0.001) and total cost significantly lower (p < 0.001) with FFR in comparison with OCT imaging., Conclusions: In patients with AICLs, OCT guidance is associated with lower occurrence of the composite of major adverse cardiac events or significant angina. FFR guidance is associated with a higher rate of medical management and lower costs. FFR or OCT Guidance to Revascularize Intermediate Coronary Stenosis Using Angioplasty [FORZA]; NCT01824030)., (Copyright © 2020 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Optical-coherence-tomography (OCT) is an emerging invasive coronary imaging with still undefined clinical value. Recent data have underlined daily impact of such technique in several clinical settings such as acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) guidance. We aimed at assessing the trends and outcomes of OCT use in a high-volume percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI)-center., Methods: Over 6 years, 1025 coronary artery segments in 877 patients underwent OCT evaluation. Clinical and procedural characteristics were prospectively collected. Clinical setting for OCT was: "Diagnostic OCT" (OCT for lesion evaluation after coronary angiography without further PCI); "PCI-guidance OCT" (OCT as a guidance for complex PCI, both by intention or after diagnostic OCT). Primary study end-point was the occurrence of target-vessel-failure (TVF) during the follow-up., Results: Overall, OCT was successful in 99.1% of attempted lesions. Only one complication (coronary dissection requiring urgent PCI) occurred during OCT. After a follow-up of 695 ± 562 days, TVF occurred in 8.2% of cases. Despite similar baseline characteristics, TVF-free survival curves were different in the two populations (5.4% after diagnostic OCT and 9.9% after PCI-guidance OCT). Minimal-lumen-area (MLA) of target lesion was independently associated with TVF (HR 0.7, 95% CI 0.6-0.8). This was mainly driven by a significant impact of MLA in patients not revascularized (HR 0.6, 95% CI 0.4-0.9). TVF did not change according to the study period despite the selection of patients with increasing complexity., Conclusions: OCT has a good safety profile across a broad spectrum of patients encountered in daily practice. The easy-to-assess MLA parameter may help stratify prognosis of patients undergoing OCT. These data call for further evaluations of OCT clinical impact., Summary: OCT is a light-based imaging tool which had subvert the quite ordinary world of coronary imaging and the present study evaluates OCT use in a high-volume center. Our results suggest that application of OCT in "real world" patients presenting higher risk has a good safety profile. Several factors could predict a worse long-term outcome in patients undergoing OCT evaluation, mostly related to more complex clinical conditions. These findings could encourage even low-to intermediate volume centers to improve their OCT use in daily practice., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Different drug-eluting stents (DES) may have different performance in bifurcation PCI. Thus, we compared the performance of a novel zotarolimus-eluting stent (ZRS) with that obtained using two other DES in bifurcation PCI., Methods and Results: Consecutive patients with bifurcated lesions undergoing DES implantation were treated by a provisional approach with sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) or everolimus-eluting stent (EES) during a former period, and then by ZRS in a second period. The PCI procedural details were prospectively recorded and angiographic results were evaluated by a 3-dimensional quantitative coronary analysis software. Primary procedural end-point was "side-branch (SB) trouble" (occurrence, after MV stenting, of: SB TIMI flow<3 or need of specific wires for SB rewiring, or failure to re-wire/dilate the SB). Primary angiographic end-point was post-PCI minimal-lumen-diameter at SB-ostium. During the study, 225 patients were enrolled and treated by ZRS (n=75), by SES (n=75) or by EES (n=75). Among procedural characteristics, "SB trouble" occurred in 4% of patients treated by ZRS, a figure significantly lower compared to SES (16%, P=0.014) and non-significantly lower compared to EES (11%, P=0.12). At multivariable analysis, DES type, pre-PCI SB flow <3 and bifurcation complexity were the only predictors of "SB trouble". After the procedure, minimal-lumen-diameter at SB ostium was significantly larger with ZRS compared to SES (1.94 vs. 1.64 mm, P=0.008) and similar to that of EES., Conclusions: ZRS is associated to improved performance and SB angiographic results compared to SES. These results support the hypothesis that DES selection may influence the procedural course and the acute angiographic result of bifurcation PCI., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Polymer-coating represents a key component of drug-eluting stent (DES) technology and its possible impact on vessel-wall healing is a matter of debate. The clinical impact of different polymer-coating may be assessed by comparing the outcome of patients treated by DES having the same stent platform and drug, and differing in the polymer. Thus, we compared the clinical outcome of patients treated by Endeavor Zotarolimus-eluting stent (E-ZES) and Resolute Zotarolimus-eluting stent (R-ZES) as they differ in the polymer-coating only., Methods: At our Institution, E-ZES was available during a first period and then it was substituted by the R-ZES during a second period. Clinical, angiographic, and procedural data were prospectively collected. Clinical follow-up was prospectively obtained up to 1-year. Primary endpoint was the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) at 12-month., Results: A total of 467 patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention were enrolled: 233 patients treated with E-ZES and 234 with R-ZES. Patients treated by R-ZES had similar clinical characteristics and worse angiographic characteristics compared with those treated by E-ZES. At 12-month follow-up, MACE rate was significantly lower in the R-ZES group compared with E-ZES group (4.2% vs. 14.6%; P < 0.01). This difference was due to nonsignificantly lower rates of death and myocardial infarction and to significant lower rate of target-lesion-revascularization (R-ZES 3.4% vs. E-ZES 10.3%, P < 0.01)., Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that the clinical outcome of patients treated by DES differing for the polymer coating only may be different. Polymer coating is a pivotal, probably underrated, component of DES technology which may influence the clinical performance of DES., (Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)