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While intravascular imaging guidance during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) improves outcomes, routine intravascular imaging usage remains low, in part due to perceived inefficiency and safety concerns.The LightLab (LL) Initiative was designed to evaluate whether implementing a standardised optical coherence tomography (OCT) workflow impacts PCI safety metrics and procedural efficiency.In this multicentre, prospective, observational study, PCI procedural data were collected over 2 years from 45 physicians at 17 US centres. OCT-guided PCI incorporating the LL workflow (N=264), a structured algorithm using routine pre- and post-PCI OCT imaging, was compared with baseline angiography-only PCI (angio) (N=428). Propensity score analysis identified 207 matched procedures. Outcomes included procedure time, radiation exposure, contrast volume, device utilisation, and treatment strategy.Compared with angiography alone, LL workflow OCT-guided PCI increased the median procedural time by 9 minutes but reduced vessel preparation time (2 min LL workflow vs 3 min angio; p0.001) and resulted in less unplanned additional treatment (4% LL workflow vs 10% angio; p=0.01). With LL workflow OCT guidance, fewer cineangiography views were needed compared to angiography guidance, leading to decreased radiation exposure (1,133 mGy LL workflow vs 1,269 mGy angio; p=0.02), with no difference in contrast utilisation between groups (p=0.28). Furthermore, LL workflow OCT guidance resulted in fewer predilatation balloons and stents being used, more direct stent placement, and greater stent post-dilatation than angiography-guided PCI.The incorporation of a standardised pre- and post-PCI OCT imaging workflow improves procedural efficiency and safety metrics, at a cost of a modestly longer procedure time.

BACKGROUND The optimal duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) among patients at high bleeding risk (HBR) is unknown. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this analysis was to compare 1 vs 3 months of DAPT in HBR patients undergoing drug eluting stent implantation. METHODS The XIENCE Short DAPT program comprised 3 prospective, multicenter, single-arm studies of HBR patients treated with a short DAPT course followed by aspirin monotherapy after PCI with a cobalt-chromium everolimus-eluting stent. In this exploratory analysis, patients who received 1-month DAPT (XIENCE 28 USA and 28 Global) were compared with those on 3-month DAPT (XIENCE 90) using propensity score stratification. Ischemic and bleeding outcomes were assessed between 1 and 12 months after index PCI. RESULTS A total of 3,652 patients were enrolled and 1,392 patients after 1-month DAPT and 1,972 patients after 3 month DAPT were eligible for the analyses. The primary endpoint of all-cause mortality or myocardial infarction was similar between the 2 groups (7.3% vs 7.5%; difference-0.2%; 95% CI:-2.2% to 1.7%; P = 0.41). The key secondary endpoint of BARC (Bleeding Academic Research Consortium) type 2-5 bleeding was lower with 1-month DAPT compared with 3-month DAPT (7.6% vs 10.0%; difference-2.5%; 95% CI:-4.6% to-0.3%; P = 0.012). Major BARC type 3-5 bleeding did not differ at 12 months (3.6% vs 4.7%; difference-1.1%; 95% CI:-2.6% to 0.4%; P = 0.082), but was lower with 1-month DAPT at 90 days (1.0% vs 2.1%; P = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS Among HBR patients undergoing PCI, 1 month of DAPT, compared with 3 months of DAPT, was associated with similar ischemic outcomes and lower bleeding risk. (XIENCE 90 Study; NCT03218787; XIENCE 28 USA Study; NCT03815175; XIENCE 28 Global Study; NCT03355742) (J Am Coll Cardiol 2021;78:2060-2072) (c) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier on behalf of the American College of Cardiology Foundation. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Background Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is key for the prevention of recurrent ischemic events after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI); however, it increases the risk of bleeding complications. While new generation drug-eluting stents have been shown superior to bare-metal stents after a short DAPT course, the optimal DAPT duration in patients at high bleeding risk (HBR) remains to be determined. Trial design The XIENCE Short DAPT program consists of three prospective, single-arm studies (XIENCE 90, XIENCE 28 Global and XIENCE 28 USA) investigating 3- or 1-month DAPT durations in HBR patients undergoing PCI with the XIENCE stent. The XIENCE 90 study is being conducted in the US and enrolled 2047 subjects who discontinued DAPT at 3 months if they were free from myocardial infarction (MI), repeat coronary revascularization, stroke, or stent thrombosis. The XIENCE 28 program includes the USA study, enrolling 642 patients in US and Canada, and the Global study, enrolling 963 patients in Europe and Asia. In XIENCE 28, patients were to discontinue DAPT at 1 month post-PCI if event-free. The primary hypothesis for both XIENCE 90 and XIENCE 28 is that a short DAPT regimen will be non-inferior to a conventional DAPT duration with respect to the composite of all-cause death or MI. Patients enrolled in the prospective multicenter post-market XIENCE V USA study will be used as historical control group in a stratified propensity-adjusted analysis. Conclusions The XIENCE Short DAPT Program will provide insights into the safety and efficacy of 2 abbreviated DAPT regimens of 3- and 1-month duration in a large cohort of HBR patients undergoing PCI with the XIENCE stent.

Significant progress has been made in the percutaneous coronary intervention technique from the days of balloon angioplasty to modern-day metallic drug-eluting stents (DES). Although metallic stents solve a temporary problem of acute recoil following balloon angioplasty, they leave behind a permanent problem implicated in very late events (in addition to neoatherosclerosis). BRS were developed as a potential solution to this permanent problem, but the promise of these devices has been tempered by clinical trials showing increased risk of safety outcomes, both early and late. This is not too dissimilar to the challenges seen with first-generation DES in which refinement of deployment technique, prolongation of dual antiplatelet therapy, and technical iteration mitigated excess risk of very late stent thrombosis, making DES the treatment of choice for coronary artery disease. This white paper discusses the factors potentially implicated in the excess risks, including the scaffold consideration and deployment technique, and outlines patient and lesion selection, implantation technique, and dual antiplatelet therapy considerations to potentially mitigate this excess risk with the first-generation thick strut Absorb scaffold (Abbott Vascular, Abbott Park, Illinois). It remains to be seen whether these considerations together with technical iterations will ultimately close the gap between scaffolds and metal stents for short-term events while at the same time preserving options for future revascularization once the scaffold bioresorbs.

Significant progress has been made in the percutaneous coronary intervention technique from the days of balloon angioplasty to modern-day metallic drug-eluting stents (DES). Although metallic stents solve a temporary problem of acute recoil following balloon angioplasty, they leave behind a permanent problem implicated in very late events (in addition to neoatherosclerosis). BRS were developed as a potential solution to this permanent problem, but the promise of these devices has been tempered by clinical trials showing increased risk of safety outcomes, both early and late. This is not too dissimilar to the challenges seen with first-generation DES in which refinement of deployment technique, prolongation of dual antiplatelet therapy, and technical iteration mitigated excess risk of very late stent thrombosis, making DES the treatment of choice for coronary artery disease. This white paper discusses the factors potentially implicated in the excess risks, including the scaffold consideration and deployment technique, and outlines patient and lesion selection, implantation technique, and dual antiplatelet therapy considerations to potentially mitigate this excess risk with the first-generation thick strut Absorb scaffold (Abbott Vascular, Abbott Park, Illinois). It remains to be seen whether these considerations together with technical iterations will ultimately close the gap between scaffolds and metal stents for short-term events while at the same time preserving options for future revascularization once the scaffold bioresorbs.

Oral antiplatelet therapy is a key element of the continuously evolving treatment of acute coronary syndromes. As part of this evolution, resistance to oral antiplatelet therapy has emerged as a new challenge adversely affecting patients’ clinical risk and outcome. This review addresses the role of two oral antiplatelet therapy agents, aspirin and clopidogrel, their mechanism of action, and the evidence supporting their use in the setting of coronary artery disease. Unfortunately, clinically relevant resistance to aspirin and clopidogrel exists. Resistance may indicate a higher risk for major adverse events. An established safe and reliable treatment alternative is lacking at this point; further research is needed to evaluate the efficacy of any alternative treatments that can be offered to decrease cardiovascular risk and improve clinical outcomes.

Background Expert physicians disagree on the usefulness of the fourth heart sound (S4) as an indicator of left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction. Methods We correlated prevalence of the S4 with level of severity of LV diastolic dysfunction. From 551 consecutive echocardiography and Doppler studies, 106 patients in sinus rhythm but without cardiac conduction abnormalities, prosthetic or abnormal valves, or high blood flow states were auscultated by 3 investigators blinded to the participants’ diastolic function as determined by 3 other cardiologists using mitral inflow, tissue, and pulmonary vein Doppler interrogation. Results Diastolic function was normal in 46 participants, 45 had mild, 10 had moderate, and 5 had severe diastolic dysfunction. S4 was audible in 35% with normal function, 42% with mild, 70% with moderate, and none with severe dysfunction ( P = 0.052). Sensitivity was 43%, specificity 65%, and accuracy of 53% for discriminating normal from abnormal function. S4 is neither sensitive nor specific, is common but not normal in the elderly, may be absent with severe diastolic dysfunction, and therefore is not a useful indicator of LV diastolic dysfunction. Conclusions The S4 is not an accurate indicator of diastolic dysfunction, as it is present in many persons with normal LV function and is absent in those with severe LV dysfunction.

Purpose To determine the frequency and severity of left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction with increasing age. Methods 103 consecutive patients (55 females and 48 males) referred for echocardiography who had sinus rhythm and no mitral stenosis or severe regurgitation, AV block, intraventricular conduction delay, anemia, thyrotoxicosis, AV shunt, or electronic pacemaker had Doppler interrogation of mitral, pulmonary vein diastolic flows and mitral annulus motion (tissue Doppler), and measurement of ejection fraction (EF) by standard protocol. Diastolic function was graded as normal or abnormal (mild, moderate, severe) by the consensus of three observers using predetermined criteria. Presence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) was defined as the patient-recalled history of myocardial infarction, valvular disease, or hypertension; the current use of antihypertensive agents; or investigator-determined blood pressure > 140/90 mm Hg. Results The older the patient, the more advanced the diastolic dysfunction (p