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Data on Arctic and Sub-Arctic summer heat events are limited due to the sparse network of surface observation stations. Here, we analyze large heat events within 60°–80°N using land surface temperature (LST) observations from the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor aboard the Terra satellite. Our heatwave (HW) detection method uses exceedances of the climatological 90th percentile of LST across summer months, and a spatio-temporal density-based clustering algorithm to distinguish space-time coherent events across Northern Hemispheric high latitudes for the summers of 2000–2022. We find a close link between HW duration, spatial extent and amplitude across the study region (correlations ranging from 0.63 to 0.73). MODIS-derived burned area data show that wildfire seasons are significantly correlated to summer HW activity, particularly in Siberia ( r = 0.87 at p

Background: Accurate bleeding risk stratification after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is important for treatment individualization. However, there is still an unmet need for a more precise and standardized identification of high bleeding risk patients. We derived and validated a novel bleeding risk score by augmenting the PRECISE-DAPT score with the Academic Research Consortium for High Bleeding Risk (ARC-HBR) criteria., Methods: The derivation cohort comprised 29,188 patients undergoing PCI, of whom 1136 (3.9%) had a Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) 3 or 5 bleeding at 1 year, from four contemporary real-world registries and the XIENCE V USA trial. The PRECISE-DAPT score was refitted with a Fine-Gray model in the derivation cohort and extended with the ARC-HBR criteria. The primary outcome was BARC 3 or 5 bleeding within 1 year. Independent predictors of BARC 3 or 5 bleeding were selected at multivariable analysis (p<0.01). The discrimination of the score was internally assessed with apparent validation and cross-validation. The score was externally validated in 4578 patients from the MASTER DAPT trial and 5970 patients from the STOPDAPT-2 total cohort., Results: The PRECISE-HBR score (age, estimated glomerular filtration rate, hemoglobin, white-blood-cell count, previous bleeding, oral anticoagulation, and ARC-HBR criteria) showed an area under the curve (AUC) for 1-year BARC 3 or 5 bleeding of 0.73 (95% CI, 0.71-0.74) at apparent validation, 0.72 (95% CI, 0.70-0.73) at cross-validation, 0.74 (95% CI, 0.68-0.80) in the MASTER DAPT, and 0.73 (95% CI, 0.66-0.79) in the STOPDAPT-2, with superior discrimination than the PRECISE-DAPT (cross-validation: Δ AUC, 0.01; p=0.02; MASTER DAPT: Δ AUC, 0.05; p=0.004; STOPDAPT-2: Δ AUC, 0.02; p=0.20) and other risk scores. In the derivation cohort, a cut-off of 23 points identified 11,414 patients (39.1%) with a 1-year BARC 3 or 5 bleeding risk ≥4%. An alternative version of the score, including acute myocardial infarction on admission instead of white-blood-cell count, showed similar predictive ability., Conclusions: The PRECISE-HBR score is a contemporary, simple 7-item risk score to predict bleeding after PCI, offering a moderate improvement in discrimination over multiple existing scores. Further evaluation is required to assess its impact on clinical practice.

Background: Investigations of very long-term outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents (DES) according to clinical presentation are scarce. Here, we investigated the 10-year clinical outcomes of patients undergoing DES-PCI according to clinical presentation., Methods: Patient-level data from five randomized trials with 10-year follow-up after DES-PCI were pooled. Patients were dichotomized into acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) groups as per clinical presentation. The primary outcome was all-cause death. Secondary outcomes were cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction (MI), definite stent thrombosis (ST) and repeat revascularization involving the target lesion (TLR), target vessel (TVR) or non-target vessel (nTVR)., Results: Of the 9700 patients included in this analysis, 4557 presented with ACS and 5143 with CCS. Compared with CCS patients, ACS patients had a higher risk of all-cause death and nTVR in the first year, but comparable risk thereafter. In addition, ACS patients had a higher risk of MI [adjusted hazard ratio 1.21, 95% confidence interval (1.04-1.41)] and definite ST [adjusted hazard ratio 1.48, 95% confidence interval (1.14-1.92)], while the risk of TLR and TVR was not significantly different up to 10-year follow-up., Conclusions: Compared to CCS patients, ACS patients treated with PCI and DES implantation have an increased risk of all-cause death and repeat revascularization of remote vessels up to 1 year, with no significant differences thereafter and up to 10-year follow-up. ACS patients have a consistently higher risk of MI and definite ST. Whether these differences persist with current antithrombotic and secondary prevention therapies requires further investigation., (© 2024 The Author(s). European Journal of Clinical Investigation published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Stichting European Society for Clinical Investigation Journal Foundation.)

Background and Aims: The 2019 European Society of Cardiology guidelines for the management of dyslipidemia consider the use of high-dose marine omega-3 fatty acid (FA) eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) supplementation (icosapent ethyl 2 × 2g/day) to lower residual cardiovascular risk in high-risk patients with hypertriglyceridemia. This study aimed to assess the eligibility for omega-3 FA-EPA supplementation in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS)., Methods: In a prospective Swiss cohort of patients hospitalized for ACS, eligibility for marine omega-3 FA-EPA, defined as plasma triglyceride levels ranging from 1.5 to 5.6 mmol/l, was assessed at baseline and one-year follow-up and compared across subgroups. Lipid-lowering therapy intensification with statin and ezetimibe was modelled to simulate a hypothetical systematic treatment and its effect on omega-3 FA-EPA supplementation eligibility., Results: Of 2643 patients, 98 % were prescribed statin therapy at discharge, including 62 % at a high-intensity regimen; 93 % maintained it after one year, including 53 % at a high-intensity regimen. The use of ezetimibe was 3 % at discharge and 7 % at one year. Eligibility was observed in 32 % (32 % men, 29 % women) one year post-ACS. After modelling systematic treatment with statins, ezetimibe, and both, eligibility decreased to 31 %, 25 % and 24 %, respectively. Eligibility was higher in individuals aged <70 (34 vs 25 %), smokers (38 vs 28 %), diabetics (46 vs 29 %), hypertensive (35 vs 29 %), and obese patients (46 vs 22 % for normal weight), all with p-values <0.001., Conclusion: In a contemporary Swiss cohort of patients with ACS, up to 32 % would be eligible for omega-3 FA-EPA supplementation one year after ACS, highlighting an opportunity to mitigate residual cardiovascular risk in patients with ACS and hypertriglyceridemia., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Aims: Screening logs have the potential to appraise the actual prevalence and distribution of predefined patient subsets, avoiding selection biases, which are inevitably and potentially present in randomised trials and real-world registries, respectively. We aimed to assess the prevalence of high bleeding risk (HBR) characteristics in the real world and the external validity of the MASTER DAPT trial., Methods and Results: All consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for at least two consecutive weeks across 65 sites participating in the trial were entered into a screening log. Of 2,847 consecutive patients, 1,098 (38.6 %) were HBR and 109 (9.9 %) consented for trial participation. PRECISE-DAPT score ≥ 25 was the most frequent HBR feature, followed by advanced age, use of oral anticoagulation (OAC) and anaemia. Compared with consecutive HBR patients, consenting patients were older (≥ 75 years: 69 % versus 62 %, absolute standardized difference [SD] 0.16), more frequently male (78 % versus 71 %, absolute SD 0.18), had higher use of OAC (38 % versus 20 %, absolute SD 0.39), treatment with steroids or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (10 % versus 5 %, SD 0.16), and prior cerebrovascular events (10 % versus 6 %, absolute SD 0.18) but lower PRECISE DAPT score ≥ 25 (54 % versus 66 %, absolute SD 0.24)., Conclusions: The HBR criteria distribution differed between consecutive versus selectively included HBR patients, suggesting the existence of selection biases in the trial population., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Objectives: We hypothesized that ultrasound-assisted thrombolysis (USAT) is non-inferior to surgical pulmonary embolectomy (SPE) to improve right ventricular (RV) function in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE)., Methods: In a single-centre, non-inferiority trial, we randomly assigned 27 patients with intermediate-high or high-risk acute PE to undergo either USAT or SPE stratified by PE risk. Primary and secondary outcomes were the baseline-to-72-h difference in right-to-left ventricular (RV/LV) ratio and the Qanadli pulmonary occlusion score, respectively, by contrast-enhanced chest-computed tomography assessed by a blinded CoreLab., Results: The trial was prematurely terminated due to slow enrolment. Mean age was 62.6 (SD 12.4) years, 26% were women, and 15% had high-risk PE. Mean change in RV/LV ratio was -0.34 (95% CI -0.50 to -0.18) in the USAT and -0.53 (95% CI -0.68 to -0.38) in the SPE group (mean difference: 0.152; 95% CI 0.032-0.271; Pnon-inferiority = 0.80; Psuperiority = 0.013). Mean change in Qanadli pulmonary occlusion score was -7.23 (95% CI -9.58 to -4.88) in the USAT and -11.36 (95% CI -15.27 to -7.44) in the SPE group (mean difference: 5.00; 95% CI 0.44-9.56, P = 0.032). Clinical and functional outcomes were similar between the 2 groups up to 12 months., Conclusions: In patients with intermediate-high and high-risk acute PE, USAT was not non-inferior when compared with SPE in reducing RV/LV ratio within the first 72 h. In a post hoc superiority analysis, SPE resulted in greater improvement of RV overload and reduction of thrombus burden., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.)

Background: Single-shot devices are increasingly used for pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) in atrial fibrillation (AF). The Arctic Front cryoballoon is the most frequently used single-shot technology. A recently developed novel pulsed field ablation (PFA) device (FARAPULSE) has been introduced with the aim to improve procedural safety and efficacy., Objective: This study will compare the novel FARAPULSE PFA device and the Arctic Front cryoballoon for first PVI in patients with symptomatic paroxysmal AF., Methods: SINGLE SHOT CHAMPION is a multicenter, randomized controlled trial with blinded endpoint adjudication by an independent clinical events committee. Overall, 210 patients with paroxysmal AF undergoing their PVI are randomized 1:1 between PFA and cryoballoon ablation. Continuous rhythm monitoring with an implantable cardiac monitor is performed in all patients., Results: The primary endpoint is time to first recurrence of any atrial tachyarrhythmia (AF and/or organized atrial tachyarrhythmia) lasting ≥120 seconds and identified by the implantable cardiac monitor within 91 and 365 days postablation. The composite procedural safety endpoint includes cardiac tamponade requiring drainage, persistent phrenic nerve palsy, vascular complications requiring intervention, stroke/transient ischemic attack, atrioesophageal fistula, and death occurring during or up to 30 days after the procedure. Key secondary endpoints include (1) increase in high-sensitivity troponin on day 1 postablation, (2) analysis of postablation 3-dimensional electroanatomic mapping (first 25 patients per study group), (3) AF burden, and (4) quality-of-life changes., Conclusion: SINGLE SHOT CHAMPION will evaluate the efficacy and safety of PVI using the novel FARAPULSE PFA for patients with symptomatic paroxysmal AF., (© 2024 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Purpose: Our study aimed to determine whether 4D cardiac computed tomography (4DCCT) based quantitative myocardial analysis may improve risk stratification and can predict reverse remodeling (RRM) and mortality after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI)., Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing clinically indicated 4DCCT prior to TAVI were prospectively enrolled. 4DCCT-derived left- (LV) and right ventricular (RV), and left atrial (LA) dimensions, mass, ejection fraction (EF) and myocardial strain were evaluated to predict RRM and survival. RRM was defined by either relative increase in LVEF by 5% or relative decline in LV end diastolic diameter (LVEDD) by 5% assessed by transthoracic echocardiography prior TAVI, at discharge, and at 12-month follow-up compared to baseline prior to TAVI., Results: Among 608 patients included in this study (55 % males, age 81 ± 6.6 years), RRM was observed in 279 (54 %) of 519 patients at discharge and in 218 (48 %) of 453 patients at 12-month echocardiography. While no CCT based measurements predicted RRM at discharge, CCT based LV mass index and LVEF independently predicted RRM at 12-month (OR adj  = 1.012; 95 %CI:1.001-1.024; p = 0.046 and OR adj  = 0.969; 95 %CI:0.943-0.996; p = 0.024, respectively). The most pronounced changes in LVEF and LVEDD were observed in patients with impaired LV function at baseline. In multivariable analysis age (HR adj  = 1.037; 95 %CI:1.005-1.070; p = 0.022) and CCT-based LVEF (HR adj  = 0.972; 95 %CI:0.945-0.999; p = 0.048) and LAEF (HR adj  = 0.982; 95 %CI:0.968-0.996; p = 0.011) independently predicted survival., Conclusion: Comprehensive myocardial functional information derived from routine 4DCCT in patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing TAVI could predict reverse remodeling and clinical outcomes at 12-month following TAVI., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Dr. Bernhard reports a career development grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation. Dr. Dobner reports travel grants from Pfizer and Alnylam, speaking fees from Boehringer Ingelheim. D. Heg is employed by the CTU Bern, University of Bern, which has a staff policy of not accepting honoraria or consultancy fees. However, CTU Bern is involved in design, conduct, or analysis of clinical studies funded by not-for-profit and for-profit organizations. In particular, pharmaceutical and medical device companies provide direct funding to some of these studies. Dr. Stortecky reports research grants to the institution from Edwards Lifesciences, Medtronic, Boston Scientific and Abbott, as well as personal fees from Boston Scientific, Teleflex and BTG. Dr. Pilgrim reports research grants to the institution from Biotronik, Boston Scientific and Edwards Lifesciences; speaker fees from Biotronik, Boston Scientific, Abbott, and Medtronic; Clinical event committee for study sponsored by HighLifeSAS. Stephan Windecker reports research, travel or educational grants to the institution without personal remuneration from Abbott, Abiomed, Amgen, Astra Zeneca, Bayer, Braun, Biotronik, Boehringer Ingelheim, Boston Scientific, Bristol Myers Squibb, Cardinal Health, CardioValve, Cordis Medical, Corflow Therapeutics, CSL Behring, Daiichi Sankyo, Edwards Lifesciences, Farapulse Inc. Fumedica, Guerbet, Idorsia, Inari Medical, InfraRedx, Janssen-Cilag, Johnson & Johnson, Medalliance, Medicure, Medtronic, Merck Sharp & Dohm, Miracor Medical, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Organon, OrPha Suisse, Pharming Tech. Pfizer, Polares, Regeneron, Sanofi-Aventis, Servier, Sinomed, Terumo, Vifor, V-Wave. Stephan Windecker served as advisory board member and/or member of the steering/executive group of trials funded by Abbott, Abiomed, Amgen, Astra Zeneca, Bayer, Boston Scientific, Biotronik, Bristol Myers Squibb, Edwards Lifesciences, MedAlliance, Medtronic, Novartis, Polares, Recardio, Sinomed, Terumo, and V-Wave with payments to the institution but no personal payments. He is also member of the steering/executive committee group of several investigator-initiated trials that receive funding by industry without impact on his personal remuneration. Dr. Gräni further received funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation, InnoSuisse, from the Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine Research Project Fund University Bern and Gambit foundation, outside of the submitted work. All other authors report no conflicts., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aims: There is limited evidence on the prognostic significance of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with low flow, low-gradient aortic stenosis with preserved ejection fraction (LFLG-pEF AS). We aimed to evaluate the recovery of stroke volume after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and clinical outcomes in patients with LFLG-pEF AS stratified by presence or absence of AF., Methods and Results: In a prospective TAVI registry, patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF ≥ 50%) were stratified according to flow-gradient status and presence of AF. Among 2259 TAVI patients with preserved LVEF between August 2007 and June 2021, 765 had high-gradient AS (HG AS) and 444 had LFLG-pEF AS. AF was observed in 199 patients with HG AS (26.0%) and 190 patients with LFLG-pEF AS (42.8%). At 1 year, stroke volume index (SVi) was significantly improved in LFLG-pEF AS patients without AF, while SVi remained low in patients with AF (from 25.9 ± 8.5 mL/m2 to 37.2 ± 9.9 mL/m2 and from 26.8 ± 5.1 mL/m2 to 26.1 ± 9.1 mL/m2, respectively). LFLG-pEF AS patients with AF had an increased risk of 1-year all-cause mortality compared with those without AF (adjusted hazard ratio (HRadjusted) 2.57; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.44-4.59). LFLG-pEF AS patients without AF had similar mortality compared with HG AS patients without AF (HRadjusted 0.85; 95% CI 0.49-1.46)., Conclusion: Patients with LFLG-pEF AS and AF experienced no relevant recovery of stroke volume after TAVI, but a more than two-fold increased risk of death compared to patients with HG AS or LFLG-pEF AS without AF., Clinical Trial Registration: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. NCT01368250., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Background: Compared with thin-strut durable-polymer drug-eluting stents (DP-DES), ultrathin-strut biodegradable-polymer sirolimus-eluting stents (BP-SES) improve stent-related clinical outcomes in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Reduced stent strut thickness is hypothesised to underlie these benefits, but this conjecture remains unproven., Aims: We aimed to assess the impact of strut thickness on stent healing and clinical outcomes between ultrathin-strut and thin-strut BP-SES., Methods: First, we performed a preclinical study of 8 rabbits implanted with non-overlapping thin-strut (diameter/thickness 3.5 mm/80 μm) and ultrathin-strut (diameter/thickness 3.0 mm/60 μm) BP-SES in the infrarenal aorta. On day 7, the rabbits underwent intravascular near-infrared fluorescence optical coherence tomography (NIRF-OCT) molecular-structural imaging of fibrin deposition and stent tissue coverage, followed by histopathological analysis. Second, we conducted an individual data pooled analysis of patients enrolled in the BIOSCIENCE and BIOSTEMI randomised PCI trials treated with ultrathin-strut (n=282) or thin-strut (n=222) BP-SES. The primary endpoint was target lesion failure (TLF) at 1-year follow-up, with a landmark analysis at 30 days., Results: NIRF-OCT image analyses revealed that ultrathin-strut and thin-strut BP-SES exhibited similar stent fibrin deposition (p=0.49) and percentage of uncovered stent struts (p=0.63). Histopathological assessments corroÂborated these findings. In 504 pooled randomised trial patients, TLF rates were similar for those treated with ultrathin-strut or thin-strut BP-SES at 30-day (2.5% vs 1.8%; p=0.62) and 1-year follow-up (4.3% vs 4.7%; p=0.88)., Conclusions: Ultrathin-strut and thin-strut BP-SES demonstrate similar early arterial healing profiles and 30-day and 1-year clinical outcomes.

Aims: To evaluate the risk of alcohol consumption after acute coronary syndromes (ACS)., Methods and Results: A total of 6557 patients hospitalized for ACS at four Swiss centres were followed over 12 months. Weekly alcohol consumption was collected at baseline and 12 months. Binge drinking was defined as consumption of ≥6 units of alcohol on one occasion. Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) were defined as a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, stroke, or clinically indicated target vessel coronary revascularization. Cox regression analysis was performed to assess the risk of MACE in patients with heavy (>14 standard units/week), moderate (7-14 standard units per week), light consumption (<1 standard unit/week), or abstinence, and with binge drinking episodes, adjusted for baseline differences. At baseline, 817 (13.4%) patients reported heavy weekly alcohol consumption. At 1-year follow-up, 695/1667 (41.6%) patients reported having at least one or more episodes of binge drinking per month. The risk for MACE was not significantly higher in those with heavy weekly consumption compared to abstinence [8.6% vs. 10.2%, hazard ratio (HR) 0.97, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.69-1.36] or light consumption (8.6% vs. 8.5%, HR 1.41, 95% CI 0.97-2.06). Compared to patients with no binge drinking, the risk of MACE was dose-dependently higher in those with binge drinking with less than one episode per month (9.2% vs. 7.8%, HR 1.61, 95% CI 1.23-2.11) or one or more episodes per month (13.6% vs. 7.8%, HR 2.17, 95% CI 1.66-2.83)., Conclusion: Binge drinking during the year following an ACS, even less than once per month, is associated with worse clinical outcomes., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: Conflicts of interest are detailed in the Declarations Form, and all authors have filled out the ICJME disclosure form., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Importance: Among patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), it remains unclear whether the treatment efficacy of P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy after a short course of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) depends on the type of P2Y12 inhibitor., Objective: To assess the risks and benefits of ticagrelor monotherapy or clopidogrel monotherapy compared with standard DAPT after PCI., Data Sources: MEDLINE, Embase, TCTMD, and the European Society of Cardiology website were searched from inception to September 10, 2023, without language restriction., Study Selection: Included studies were randomized clinical trials comparing P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy with DAPT on adjudicated end points in patients without indication to oral anticoagulation undergoing PCI., Data Extraction and Synthesis: Patient-level data provided by each trial were synthesized into a pooled dataset and analyzed using a 1-step mixed-effects model. The study is reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses of Individual Participant Data., Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary objective was to determine noninferiority of ticagrelor or clopidogrel monotherapy vs DAPT on the composite of death, myocardial infarction (MI), or stroke in the per-protocol analysis with a 1.15 margin for the hazard ratio (HR). Key secondary end points were major bleeding and net adverse clinical events (NACE), including the primary end point and major bleeding., Results: Analyses included 6 randomized trials including 25 960 patients undergoing PCI, of whom 24 394 patients (12 403 patients receiving DAPT; 8292 patients receiving ticagrelor monotherapy; 3654 patients receiving clopidogrel monotherapy; 45 patients receiving prasugrel monotherapy) were retained in the per-protocol analysis. Trials of ticagrelor monotherapy were conducted in Asia, Europe, and North America; trials of clopidogrel monotherapy were all conducted in Asia. Ticagrelor was noninferior to DAPT for the primary end point (HR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.74-1.06; P for noninferiority = .004), but clopidogrel was not noninferior (HR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.01-1.87; P for noninferiority > .99), with this finding driven by noncardiovascular death. The risk of major bleeding was lower with both ticagrelor (HR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.36-0.62; P < .001) and clopidogrel monotherapy (HR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.30-0.81; P = .006; P for interaction = 0.88). NACE were lower with ticagrelor (HR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.64-0.86, P < .001) but not with clopidogrel monotherapy (HR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.78-1.28; P = .99; P for interaction = .04)., Conclusions and Relevance: This systematic review and meta-analysis found that ticagrelor monotherapy was noninferior to DAPT for all-cause death, MI, or stroke and superior for major bleeding and NACE. Clopidogrel monotherapy was similarly associated with reduced bleeding but was not noninferior to DAPT for all-cause death, MI, or stroke, largely because of risk observed in 1 trial that exclusively included East Asian patients and a hazard that was driven by an excess of noncardiovascular death.

Background: Extravalvular cardiac damage caused by aortic stenosis affects prognosis after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). The long-term impact of changes in cardiac damage in response to relief from mechanical obstruction has not been fully investigated., Objectives: The authors aimed to investigate changes in cardiac damage early after TAVR and the prognostic impact of the cardiac damage classification after TAVR., Methods: In this single-center observational study, patients undergoing transfemoral TAVR were retrospectively evaluated for cardiac damage before and after TAVR and classified into 5 stages of cardiac damage (0-4)., Results: Among 1,863 patients undergoing TAVR between January 2007 and June 2022, 56 patients (3.0%) were classified as stage 0, 225 (12.1%) as stage 1, 729 (39.1%) as stage 2, 388 (20.8%) as stage 3, and 465 (25.0%) as stage 4. Cardiac stage changed in 47.7% of patients (improved: 30.1% in stages 1-4 and deteriorated: 24.7% in stages 0-3) early after TAVR. Five-year all-cause mortality was associated with cardiac damage both at baseline (HR adjusted : 1.34; 95% CI: 1.24-1.44; P < 0.001 for linear trend) and after TAVR (HR adjusted : 1.40; 95% CI: 1.30-1.51; P < 0.001 for linear trend). Five-year all-cause mortality was stratified by changes in cardiac damage (improved, unchanged, or worsened) in patients with cardiac stage 2, 3, and 4 (log-rank P < 0.001 for stage 2, 0.005 for stage 3, and <0.001 for stage 4)., Conclusions: The extent of extra-aortic valve cardiac damage before and after TAVR and changes in cardiac stage early after TAVR have important prognostic implications during long-term follow-up. (SwissTAVI Registry; NCT01368250)., Competing Interests: Funding Support and Author Disclosures Dr Heg has no personal conflicts; his employer, Clinical Trials Unit Bern, University of Bern, has a staff policy of not accepting honoraria or consultancy fees. However, Clinical Trials Unit Bern is involved in the design, conduct, or analysis of clinical studies funded by not-for-profit and for-profit organizations. In particular, pharmaceutical and medical device companies provide direct funding to some of these studies. Dr Praz has received travel expenses from Abbott, Edwards Lifesciences, and Polares Medical. Dr Stortecky has reported research grants to the institution from Edwards Lifesciences and Medtronic; and has received personal fees from Boston Scientific, Teleflex, and BTG. Dr Samim has received funding for an online course from Edwards Lifesciences. Dr Windecker has reported research, travel, or educational grants to the institution without personal remuneration from Abbott, Abiomed, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Braun, Biotronik, Boehringer Ingelheim, Boston Scientific, Bristol Myers Squibb, Cardinal Health, CardioValve, Cordis Medical, Corflow Therapeutics, CSL Behring, Daiichi-Sankyo, Edwards Lifesciences, Farapulse Inc, Fumedica, Guerbet, Idorsia, Inari Medical, InfraRedx, Janssen-Cilag, Johnson & Johnson, Medalliance, Medicure, Medtronic, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Miracor Medical, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Organon, OrPha Suisse, Pharming Tech, Pfizer, Polares, Regeneron, Sanofi-Aventis, Servier, Sinomed, Terumo, Vifor, and V-Wave. Dr Windecker has served as an Advisory Board member and/or member of the Steering/Executive Group of trials funded by Abbott, Abiomed, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boston Scientific, Biotronik, Bristol Myers Squibb, Edwards Lifesciences, MedAlliance, Medtronic, Novartis, Polares, Recardio, Sinomed, Terumo, and V-Wave with payments to the institution but no personal payments; and is a member of the Steering/Executive Committee group of several investigator-initiated trials that receive funding by industry without impact on his personal remuneration. Dr Pilgrim has reported research grants to the institution from Edwards Lifesciences, Boston Scientific, and Biotronik; and has received speaker fees/consultancy from Biotronik, Medtronic, Abbott, Edwards Lifesciences, and HighLife SAS. All other authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: Disclosures Dr Meneveau reports grants and personal fees from Bayer Healthcare, BMS Pfizer, and Abbott, as well as personal fees from Astra Zeneca and Terumo, outside the submitted work. Dr De Marco reports consultancies and paid expert testimonies from Abbott and Boston-Scientific. Dr Aminian is a proctor and consultant for Abbott and Boston-Scientific. Dr Chalkou reports a research grant from Janssen Switzerland (Johnson & Johnson). Dr Gräni reports funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation, InnoSuisse, CAIM foundation, GAMBIT foundation and Novartis foundation, outside of the submitted work. Dr Vranckx reports personal fees from AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb-Janssen, Bristol Myers Squibb-Pfizer, CSL Behring, and Daiichi-Sankyo, outside the submitted work. Dr Fischer reports grants from Medtronic and other from Medtronic, Stryker, and CSL-Behring, outside the submitted work. Dr Bedogni is a proctor for Abbott, Boston-Scientific, and Medtronic; he reports consultancies from Terumo and Meril. Dr Räber reports research grants to his institution from Abbott-Vascular, Boston-Scientific, Biotronik, Heartflow, and Sanofi, Regeneron. He reports speaker/consultation fees from Abbott-Vascular, Amgen, AstraZeneca, CSL-Behring, Canon, Occlutech, Sanofi, and Vifor. Dr Valgimigli has received grants and/or personal fees from AstraZeneca, Terumo, Alvimedica/CID, Abbott-Vascular, Daiichi-Sankyo, Opsens, Bayer, CoreFLOW, Idorsia-Pharmaceuticals-Ltd, Universität Basel Department Klinische Forschung, Vifor, Bristol-Myers-Squibb-SA, iVascular, and Medscape. The other authors report no conflicts.

Background: Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) occurring on rest days have been associated with higher mortality, but the current literature remains inconsistent in this regard. This study included ACS patients presenting with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) investigating the relationship between time of coronary catheterization and outcomes., Methods: Analyses were performed from the prospective, multicentric Special Program University Medicine Acute Coronary Syndromes and Inflammation (SPUM-ACS) Cohort. Patients were divided into two groups according to time of coronary catheterization on either workdays (Monday, 00:00 to Friday, 23:59) or rest days (Saturday, 00:00 to Sunday, 23:59 and public holidays). ADHF was defined by Killip Class III or IV upon presentation. Patients were followed over 1 year., Results: Out of 4787 ACS patients enrolled in the SPUM-ACS Cohort, 207 (4.3%) presented with ADHF. 52 (25.1%) and 155 (74.9%) patients underwent coronary angiography on rest days or workdays, respectively. Baseline characteristics were similar among these groups. ACS patients with ADHF showed increased 1-year mortality on rest days (34.6% vs. 17.4%, p-value = 0.009). After correction for baseline characteristics, including the GRACE 2.0 Score, rest day presentation remained a significant predictor for 1-year mortality (adjusted hazard ratio = 2.42 [95% confidence interval: 1.14-5.17], p-value = 0.022)., Conclusions: One-year all-cause mortality was high in ACS patients with ADHF and doubled for patients admitted on rest days. The present data support the association of a rest day effect and long-term patient survival and indicate a need for further investigations., (© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: A substantial fraction of dizzy patients are assessed by neurologists and ear-nose-throat (ENT) physicians. With the differential diagnosis being broad and often different specialties involved, we aimed to assess the interaction with generalists from the specialists' perspective to identify limitations and needs and to define strategies for improvement in patient care and education by the specialist., Methods: One hundred eleven board-certified neurologists ( n  = 62) and ENT physicians ( n  = 49) working in Switzerland participated in an online survey. Here, we focused on limitations faced in the diagnostic workup and treatment of the dizzy patient and potential strategies to improve the standard of care and the interaction between generalists and specialists. Descriptive statistical analyses were performed. We hypothesized that those specialists applying modern concepts in history-taking and bedside examination techniques reach a specific diagnosis more often and request fewer referrals., Results: Specialists indicated higher confidence in reaching a specific diagnosis for patients presenting with acute dizziness than episodic/chronic dizziness (80% vs. 60%) at the first consultation. Knowledge of the timing-and-trigger concept [odds ratio (OR) = 0.81 (0.67-0.98), p  = 0.034], as well as of subtle oculomotor/vestibular signs [OR = 0.80 (0.68-0.94), p  = 0.007] was predictive of the self-reported probability of reaching a specific diagnosis in patients with episodic/chronic dizziness, while no such differences were observed in the care of acutely dizzy patients. Further referrals of acutely dizzy patients were significantly higher in neurologists than in ENT physicians (17% vs. 10%, p  < 0.001) and in specialists located in the Latin part of Switzerland [OR = 2.84 (1.63-4.93), p  < 0.001], while this was not the case for patients with episodic/chronic dizziness. Identified unmet needs included regular communication between physicians (27%/53%; always/often true) and sufficiently detailed information on the previous workup from the referrals (27%/53%). Specialists expressed most interest in hands-on courses/workshops, webinars, and practical guidelines for education., Conclusion: In our survey, bedside state-of-the-art assessments were key in reducing the fraction of unclear dizzy cases. Several gaps were identified that should be addressed. Specifically, referring physicians should provide more comprehensive details regarding urgency, prior diagnostics, and treatment. Specifically, when promoting the knowledge of neurologists and ENT physicians, this should be preferentially done by offering a combination of hands-on courses and webinars., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision., (Copyright © 2024 Mantokoudis, Zwergal, Heg, Kerkeni, Diener, Kalla, Korda, Candreia, Welge-Lüssen and Tarnutzer.)

Importance: Abbreviated dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) reduces bleeding with no increase in ischemic events in patients at high bleeding risk (HBR) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)., Objectives: To evaluate the association of sex with the comparative effectiveness of abbreviated vs standard DAPT in patients with HBR., Design, Setting, and Patients: This prespecified subgroup comparative effectiveness analysis followed the Management of High Bleeding Risk Patients Post Bioresorbable Polymer Coated Stent Implantation With an Abbreviated vs Standard DAPT Regimen (MASTER DAPT) trial, a multicenter, randomized, open-label clinical trial conducted at 140 sites in 30 countries and performed from February 28, 2017, to December 5, 2019. A total of 4579 patients with HBR were randomized at 1 month after PCI to abbreviated or standard DAPT. Data were analyzed from July 1 to October 31, 2022., Interventions: Abbreviated (immediate DAPT discontinuation, followed by single APT for ≥6 months) or standard (DAPT for ≥2 additional months, followed by single APT for 11 months) treatment groups., Main Outcomes and Measures: One-year net adverse clinical events (NACEs) (a composite of death due to any cause, myocardial infarction, stroke, or major bleeding), major adverse cardiac or cerebral events (MACCEs) (a composite of death due to any cause, myocardial infarction, or stroke), and major or clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding (MCB)., Results: Of the 4579 patients included in the analysis, 1408 (30.7%) were women and 3171 (69.3%) were men (mean [SD] age, 76.0 [8.7] years). Ischemic and bleeding events were similar between sexes. Abbreviated DAPT was associated with comparable NACE rates in men (hazard ratio [HR], 0.97 [95% CI, 0.75-1.24]) and women (HR, 0.87 [95% CI, 0.60-1.26]; P = .65 for interaction). There was evidence of heterogeneity of treatment effect by sex for MACCEs, with a trend toward benefit in women (HR, 0.68 [95% CI, 0.44-1.05]) but not in men (HR, 1.17 [95% CI, 0.88-1.55]; P = .04 for interaction). There was no significant interaction for MCB across sex, although the benefit with abbreviated DAPT was relatively greater in men (HR, 0.65 [95% CI, 0.50-0.84]) than in women (HR, 0.77 [95% CI, 0.53-1.12]; P = .46 for interaction). Results remained consistent in patients with acute coronary syndrome and/or complex PCI., Conclusions and Relevance: These findings suggest that women with HBR did not experience higher rates of ischemic or bleeding events compared with men and may derive particular benefit from abbreviated compared with standard DAPT owing to these numerically lower rates of events., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03023020.

Background: Vertigo and dizziness are frequent presenting symptoms in the emergency department and in outpatient centers. While the majority of dizzy patients are evaluated by primary care physicians, specialists are often involved in the diagnostic workup. We aimed to gain more insights into the role of specialists in the care of dizzy patients., Materials and Methods: Board-certified neurologists and ear-nose-throat (ENT) physicians working in Switzerland were invited to participate in an online survey. Descriptive statistical analyses were performed, and prospectively defined hypotheses were assessed using correlation analyses., Results: All 111 participating specialists (neurologists = 62; ENT specialists = 49) were familiar with testing for posterior canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), and 66% regularly applied provocation maneuvers for suspected lateral canal BPPV. Reposition maneuvers for posterior (99%) and lateral (68%) canals were frequently performed. ENT physicians were familiar with lateral canal BPPV repositioning maneuvers significantly more often than neurologists (84 vs. 56%, p ≤ 0.012). Specialists strongly agreed that performing the head impulse test (86%) and looking for deficient eccentric gaze holding (82%) are important. Compared to neurologists, significantly fewer ENT physicians indicated ordering brain MRI in acutely dizzy patients (OR = 0.33 [0.16-0.067], p = 0.002) and physical therapy in patients with acute (50 vs. 20%, p = 0.005) or episodic/chronic dizziness (78 vs. 50%, p = 0.003)., Conclusion: We found substantial differences in the care of dizzy patients by neurologists and ENT physicians. This underlines the need for a standardized, guideline-oriented diagnostic workup and treatment across specialties. Dedicated training for performing lateral canal BPPV repositioning maneuvers should be prioritized for neurologists. Similarly, physical therapy should be considered more often by ENT physicians., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision., (Copyright © 2023 Zwergal, Mantokoudis, Heg, Kerkeni, Diener, Kalla, Korda, Candreia, Welge-Lüssen and Tarnutzer.)

Background: Biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stents improve early stent-related clinical outcomes compared to durable polymer everolimus-eluting stents in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention. The long-term advantages of biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stents after complete degradation of its polymer coating in patients with STEMI remains however uncertain., Methods: BIOSTEMI Extended Survival (BIOSTEMI ES) was an investigator-initiated, follow-up extension study of the BIOSTEMI prospective, multicentre, single-blind, randomised superiority trial that compared biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stents with durable polymer everolimus-eluting stents in patients with STEMI undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention at ten hospitals in Switzerland. All individuals who had provided written informed consent for participation in the BIOSTEMI trial were eligible for this follow-up study. The primary endpoint was target lesion failure, defined as a composite of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial re-infarction, or clinically indicated target lesion revascularisation, at 5 years. Superiority of biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stents over durable polymer everolimus-eluting stents was declared if the Bayesian posterior probability for a rate ratio (RR) of less than 1 was greater than 0·975. Analyses were performed according to the intention-to-treat principle. The study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05484310., Findings: Between April 26, 2016, and March 9, 2018, 1300 patients with STEMI (1622 lesions) were randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to treatment with biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stents (649 patients, 816 lesions) or durable polymer everolimus-eluting stents (651 patients, 806 lesions). At 5 years, the primary composite endpoint of target lesion failure occurred in 50 (8%) patients treated with biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stents and in 72 (11%) patients treated with durable polymer everolimus-eluting stents (difference of -3%; RR 0·70, 95% Bayesian credible interval 0·51-0·95; Bayesian posterior probability for superiority 0·988)., Interpretation: In patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention for STEMI, biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stents were superior to durable polymer everolimus-eluting stents with respect to target lesion failure at 5 years of follow-up. The difference was driven by a numerically lower risk for ischaemia-driven target lesion revascularisation., Funding: Biotronik., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests JFI reports a research grant to their institution, speaker fees, and support for attending meetings from Biotronik; research grants to their institution from Abbott Vascular, Astra Zeneca, Biosensors, Concept Medical, Philips, and Terumo Corporation, outside the submitted work; and speaker fees from AstraZeneca, Biosensors, Biotronik, Bristol Myers Squibb, Cordis, Concept Medical, Medalliance, Medtronic, Novartis, Terumo Corporation, Pfizer, and Philips, outside the submitted work. MR reports research grants to the institution from Biotronik, Boston Scientific, Cordis, Medtronic, and Terumo Corporation, outside the submitted work. SL and DH are employed by the CTU Bern, University of Bern, which has a staff policy of not accepting honoraria or consultancy fees. However, CTU Bern is involved in design, conduct, or analysis of clinical studies funded by not-for-profit and for-profit organisations. In particular, pharmaceutical and medical device companies provide direct funding to some of these studies. An up-to-date list of CTU Bern's conflicts of interest can be found online. OM reports a research grant to their institution, and speaker and personal fees from Edwards Lifesciences, outside the submitted work; and speaker fees from Abbott Vascular, outside the submitted work. SD reports research grants to their institution from Abbott Vascular and Biotronik, outside the submitted work; and speaker fees from Biotronik, Medalliance, and Medtronic, outside the submitted work. LH reports research grants to their institution from Abbott Vascular, Abiomed, Amarin, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Biosense Webster, Biotronik, Boston Scientific, Bracco, Bristol Myers Squibb, B-Braun, Daiichi-Sankyo, Edwards Lifesciences, GE HealthCare, Medtronic, Microport, Novartis, Pfizer, Vascular Medical, and Zoll, outside the submitted work; speaker fees from Medtronic, outside the submitted work; and support for attending meetings from Daiichi-Sankyo and Biotronik. CK reports consulting fees to the institution from Unimedtec Switzerland; and support for attending meetings from Medtronic, outside the submitted work. SW reports research, travel, or educational grants to their institution from Abbott, Abiomed, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Bbraun, Biotronik, Boehringer Ingelheim, Boston Scientific, Bristol Myers Squibb, Cardinal Health, CardioValve, Cordis Medical, Corflow Therapeutics, CSL Behring, Daiichi Sankyo, Edwards Lifesciences, Farapulse, Fumedica, Guerbet, Idorsia, Inari Medical, InfraRedx, Janssen-Cilag, Johnson & Johnson, Medalliance, Medicure, Medtronic, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Miracor Medical, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Organon, OrPha Suisse, Pharming Tech, Pfizer, Polares, Regeneron, Sanofi-Aventis, Servier, Sinomed, Terumo Corporation, Vifor, and V-Wave; and served as an advisory board member or member of the steering or executive group of trials funded by Abbott, Abiomed, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boston Scientific, Biotronik, Bristol Myers Squibb, Edwards Lifesciences, MedAlliance, Medtronic, Novartis, Polares, Recardio, Sinomed, Terumo Corporation, and V-Wave, with payments to the institution but no personal payments. He is also a member of the steering or executive committee group of several investigator-initiated trials that receive funding by industry without impact on his personal remuneration. TP reports a research grant to their institution from Biotronik; research, travel, or educational grants to their institution without personal remuneration from Biotronik, Boston Scientific, Edwards Lifesciences, and ATSens, outside the submitted work; and speaker fees and consultancy fees to their institution from Abbott Vascular, Biotronik, Biosensors, Boston Scientific, Edwards Lifesciences, Highlife, and Medtronic, outside the submitted work. All other authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Both measured and predicted effective orifice area (EOA) indexed to the body surface area (EOAi) have been suggested to define prosthesis-patient mismatch (PPM) in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). The impact of PPM on clinical outcomes may accumulate with extended follow-up and vary according to the definition used., Aims: We aimed to investigate the long-term clinical impact of PPM in patients undergoing TAVR., Methods: Patients in a prospective TAVR registry were stratified by the presence of moderate (0.65-0.85 or 0.55-0.70 cm 2 /m 2 if obese) or severe (≤0.65 or ≤0.55 cm 2 /m 2 if obese) PPM according to echocardiographically measured EOAi (measured PPM), predicted EOAi based on published EOA reference values for each valve model and size (predicted PPM THV ), or predicted EOAi based on EOA reference values derived from computed tomography measurements of aortic annulus dimensions (predicted PPM CT )., Results: In an analysis of 2,463 patients, the frequency of measured PPM (moderate: 27.0%; severe: 8.7%) was higher than the frequency of predicted PPM THV (moderate: 11.3%; severe: 1.2%) or predicted PPM CT (moderate: 12.0%; severe: 0.1%). During a median follow-up of 429 days, 10-year mortality was comparable in patients with versus without measured PPM or predicted PPM CT . In contrast, patients with moderate predicted PPM THV had a lower risk of 10-year all-cause mortality compared with those without PPM (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.73, 95% confidence interval: 0.55-0.96)., Conclusions: The use of predicted versus measured EOAi results in a lower estimate of PPM severity. We observed no increased risk of death in patients with PPM over a median follow-up time of 429 days., Clinicaltrials: gov: NCT01368250.

Aims: The role of coronary calcification on clinical outcomes among different revascularization strategies in patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes (ACSs) has been rarely investigated. The aim of this investigation is to evaluate the role of coronary calcification, detected by coronary angiography, in the whole spectrum of patients presenting with acute ACS., Methods and Results: The present study was a post hoc analysis of the MATRIX programme. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as the composite of all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), or stroke up to 365 days. Among the 8404 patients randomized in the MATRIX trial, data about coronary calcification were available in 7446 (88.6%) and therefore were included in this post hoc analysis. Overall, 875 patients (11.7%) presented with severe coronary calcification, while 6571 patients (88.3%) did not present severe coronary calcification on coronary angiography. Fewer patients with severe coronary calcification underwent percutaneous coronary intervention whereas coronary artery bypass grafting or medical therapy-only was more frequent compared with patients without severe calcification. At 1-year follow-up, MACE occurred in 237 (27.1%) patients with severe calcified coronary lesions and 985 (15%) patients without severe coronary calcified lesions [hazard ratio (HR) 1.91; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.66-2.20, P < 0.001]. All-cause mortality was 8.6% in patients presenting with and 3.7% in those without severe coronary calcification (HR 2.38, 1.84-3.09, P < 0.001). Patients with severe coronary calcification incurred higher rate of MI (20.1% vs. 11.5%, HR 1.81; 95% CI 1.53-2.1, P < 0.001) and similar rate of stroke (0.8% vs. 0.6%, HR 1.35; 95% CI 0.61-3.02, P = 0.46)., Conclusion: Patients with ACS and severe coronary calcification, as compared to those without, are associated with worse clinical outcomes irrespective of the management strategy., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: J.S.S. has received minor speaking honoraria from Terumo, Cordis, Biotronik, and Medtronic. H.M.G.-G. reports the following institutional grant support: Biotronik, Boston Scientific, Medtronic, Abbott, Neovasc, Shockwave, Phillips, and Corflow. G.A. reports minor speaking honoraria from Chiesi, Daiichi Sankyo, Boeringer Ingelheim, Bayer, Pfizer, and Biosensors. D.H. has participated on data safety monitoring board or advisory board of switch. S.L. has received consulting fees from AstraZeneca, Bayer, BMS/Pfizer, Chiesi, Daiichi-Sankyo, Icon, and Novonordisk. M.S. has received consulting fees from Abbott Vascular and iVascular. A.v.H. reports unrestricted grants from Medtronic, Abbott Vascular, and Boehringer Ingelheim and consulting fees from Celecor Therapeutics. P.V. reports consulting fees from Daiichi Sankyo, CSL Behring, Pfizer/Bristol Meyers Squibb alliance, Bayer AG, and Novartis; minor speaking honoraria from Daicchi Sankyo and Pfizer/Bristol Meyers Squibb alliance. M.V. reports consulting fees from Abbott, Alvimedica, Bayer Healthcare, Biotronik, Boston Scientific Corporation, Chiesi Farmaceutici, CoreFlow, Daiichi Sankyo, Idorsia, Medtronic, Novartis Pharma, PHASEBIO, Terumo, University of Basel, Vesalio, and Vifor Pharma. The rest of authors have no disclosures to declare., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Over the past few decades, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has undergone significant advancements as a result of the combination of device-based and drug-based therapies. These iterations have led to the development of polymer-free drug-eluting stents. However, there is a scarcity of data regarding their clinical performance. Furthermore, while various risk scores have been proposed to determine the optimal duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), none of them have undergone prospective validation within the context of randomized trials., Design: The PARTHENOPE trial is a phase IV, prospective, randomized, multicenter, investigator-initiated, assessor-blind study being conducted at 14 centers in Italy (NCT04135989). It includes 2,107 all-comers patients with minimal exclusion criteria, randomly assigned in a 2-by-2 design to receive either the Cre8 amphilimus-eluting stent or the SYNERGY everolimus-eluting stent, along with either a personalized or standard duration of DAPT. Personalized DAPT duration is determined by the DAPT score, which accounts for both bleeding and ischemic risks. Patients with a DAPT score <2 (indicating higher bleeding than ischemic risk) receive DAPT for 3 or 6 months for chronic or acute coronary syndrome, respectively, while patients with a DAPT score ≥2 (indicating higher ischemic than bleeding risk) receive DAPT for 24 months. Patients in the standard DAPT group receive DAPT for 12 months. The trial aims to establish the noninferiority between stents with respect to a device-oriented composite end point of cardiovascular death, target-vessel myocardial infarction, or clinically-driven target-lesion revascularization at 12 months after PCI. Additionally, the trial aims to demonstrate the superiority of personalized DAPT compared to a standard approach with respect to a net clinical composite of all-cause death, any myocardial infarction, stroke, urgent target-vessel revascularization, or type 2 to 5 bleeding according to the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium criteria at 24-months after PCI., Summary: The PARTHENOPE trial is the largest randomized trial investigating the efficacy and safety of a polymer-free DES with a reservoir technology for drug-release and the first trial evaluating a personalized duration of DAPT based on the DAPT score. The study results will provide novel insights into the optimizing the use of drug-eluting stents and DAPT in patients undergoing PCI., Competing Interests: Disclosures Dr Piccolo reports personal fees from Abbott Vascular, Biotronik, Terumo, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Daiichi-Sankyo, outside the submitted work. Dr Esposito reports personal fees from Abbott Vascular, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Edwards Lifesciences, Terumo, and Sanofi, outside the submitted work and research grants to the institution from Alvimedica, Boston Scientific, and Medtronic, outside the submitted work., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aims: The interplay between pulmonary hypertension (PH) and right ventricular (RV) function is reflected in an index of RV function to pulmonary artery (PA) systolic pressure (PASP). The present study aimed to assess the importance of RV-PA coupling on clinical outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI)., Methods and Results: In a prospective TAVI registry, clinical outcomes of TAVI patients with RV dysfunction or PH were stratified according to coupling or uncoupling of tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) to PASP, and compared to those of patients with normal RV function and absence of PH. The median TAPSE/PASP ratio was used to differentiate uncoupling (>0.39) from coupling (<0.39). Among 404 TAVI patients, 201 patients (49.8 %) had RVD or PH at baseline: 174 patients had RV-PA uncoupling, and 27 had coupling at baseline. RV-PA hemodynamics normalized in 55.6 % of patients with RV-PA coupling and in 28.2 % of patients with RV-PA uncoupling, and deteriorated in 33.3 % of patients with RV-PA coupling and in 17.8 % of patients with no RVD, respectively, at discharge. Patients with RV-PA uncoupling after TAVI showed a trend towards an increased risk of cardiovascular death at 1 year as compared to patients with normal RV-function (HR adjusted 2.06, 95 % CI 0.97-4.37)., Conclusion: After TAVI, RV-PA coupling changed in a significant proportion of patients and is a potentially important metric for risk stratification of TAVI patients with RVD or PH. TWEET: "Patients with right ventricular dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension are at increased risk of death after TAVI. Integrated right ventricular to pulmonary artery hemodynamics change after TAVI in a significant proportion of patients and is instrumental to refine risk stratification.", Clinical Trial Registration: https://www., Clinicaltrials: gov: NCT01368250., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Dr. Windecker reports research, travel or educational grants to the institution from Abbott, Abiomed, Amgen, Astra Zeneca, Bayer, Biotronik, Boehringer Ingelheim, Boston Scientific, Bristol Myers Squibb, Cardinal Health, CardioValve, Corflow Therapeutics, CSL Behring, Daiichi Sankyo, Edwards Lifesciences, Guerbet, InfraRedx, Janssen-Cilag, Johnson & Johnson, Medicure, Medtronic, Merck Sharp & Dohm, Miracor Medical, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Organon, OrPha Suisse, Pfizer, Polares, Regeneron, Sanofi-Aventis, Servier, Sinomed, Terumo, Vifor, V-Wave. Dr. Windecker serves as unpaid advisory board member and/or unpaid member of the steering/executive group of trials funded by Abbott, Abiomed, Amgen, Astra Zeneca, Bayer, Boston Scientific, Biotronik, Bristol Myers Squibb, Edwards Lifesciences, Janssen, MedAlliance, Medtronic, Novartis, Polares, Recardio, Sinomed, Terumo, V-Wave and Xeltis, but has not received personal payments by pharmaceutical companies or device manufacturers. He is also member of the steering/executive committee group of several investigator-initiated trials that receive funding by industry without impact on his personal remuneration. Dr. Pilgrim reports research grants to the institution from Edwards Lifesciences, Boston Scientifc and Biotronik, personal fees from Biotronik, Boston Scientific, Metronic, Abbott, and HighLife SAS. Dr. Reineke reports travel expenses from Abbott, Edwards Lifesciences and Medtronic. Dr. Stortecky reports research grants to the institution from Edwards Lifesciences, Medtronic, Boston Scientific and Abbott and personal fees from Boston Scientific, Teleflex, and BTG. Dr. Praz reports travel expenses from Abbott, Edwards Lifesciences, and Polares Medical. Dr. Okuno reports speaker fees from Abbott. All other authors have no relationships relevant to the contents of this article to disclose., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: The frequency, characteristics, and outcomes of patients treated with high-intensity lipid-lowering therapy and showing concomitant atheroma volume reduction, lipid content reduction, and increase in fibrous cap thickness (ie, triple regression) are unknown., Objectives: This study was designed to investigate rates, determinants, and prognostic implications of triple regression in patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction and treated with high-intensity lipid-lowering therapy., Methods: The PACMAN-AMI (Effects of the PCSK9 Antibody Alirocumab on Coronary Atherosclerosis in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction) trial used serial intravascular ultrasound, near-infrared spectroscopy, and optical coherence tomography to compare the effects of alirocumab vs placebo in patients receiving high-intensity statin therapy. Triple regression was defined by the combined presence of percentage of atheroma volume reduction, maximum lipid core burden index within 4 mm reduction, and minimal fibrous cap thickness increase. Clinical outcomes at 1-year follow-up were assessed., Results: Overall, 84 patients (31.7%) showed triple regression (40.8% in the alirocumab group vs 23.0% in the placebo group; P = 0.002). On-treatment low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were lower in patients with vs without triple regression (between-group difference: -27.1 mg/dL; 95% CI: -37.7 to -16.6 mg/dL; P < 0.001). Triple regression was independently predicted by alirocumab treatment (OR: 2.83; 95% CI: 1.57-5.16; P = 0.001) and a higher baseline maximum lipid core burden index within 4 mm (OR: 1.03; 95% CI: 1.01-1.06; P = 0.013). The composite clinical endpoint of death, myocardial infarction, and ischemia-driven revascularization occurred less frequently in patients with vs without triple regression (8.3% vs 18.2%; P = 0.04)., Conclusions: Triple regression occurred in one-third of patients with acute myocardial infarction who were receiving high-intensity lipid-lowering therapy and was associated with alirocumab treatment, higher baseline lipid content, and reduced cardiovascular events. (Vascular Effects of Alirocumab in Acute MI-Patients [PACMAN-AMI]; NCT03067844)., Competing Interests: Funding Support and Author Disclosures This study was conducted in an independent academic setting and funded by Bern University Hospital. Dr Ueki has received personal fees and nonfinancial support from NIPRO; and has received personal fees from Amgen, Daiichi-Sankyo, Abbott Vascular, Kowa, and Novartis, outside the submitted work. Dr Kakizaki has received speaker fees from Abbott Medical Japan, Philips Japan, Mochida Pharmaceutical Japan, Novartis Japan, Kowa Japan, Takeda Pharmaceuticals Japan, Ono Pharmaceutical Japan, Boehringer Ingelheim Japan, Daiichi-Sankyo Japan, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Japan, and Eli Lilly Japan, outside the submitted work. Dr Hofbauer has received speaker fees from Sanofi. Dr Stortecky has received research grants paid to the institution from Edwards Lifesciences, Medtronic, Abbott Vascular, and Boston Scientific; and has received speaker fees from Boston Scientific. Dr Bär has received research grants paid to the institution from Medis Medical Imaging, Abbott, and Bangerter-Rhyner Stiftung, outside the submitted work; and has received a personal research grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation, outside the submitted work. Dr Spirk has received personal fees from Sanofi (Suisse), outside the submitted work. Dr Räber has received grants from Sanofi, Regeneron, and Infraredx paid to Inselspital; has received speaker fees from Sanofi during the conduct of the study; has received grants from Abbott, Heartflow, Boston Scientific, and Biotronik paid to Inselspital; and has received grants from Abbott, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Occlutech, Sanofi, Canon, and Medtronic for speaker and consultation fees outside the submitted work. All other authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Although the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) primarily affects the respiratory system, the disease entity has been associated with cardiovascular complications. This study sought to assess the effect of concomitant SARS-COV-2 infection on clinical outcomes of patients hospitalized primarily for acute cardiac conditions on cardiology wards in Switzerland., Methods: In this prospective, observational study conducted in 5 Swiss cardiology centers during the COVID-19 pandemic, patients hospitalized due to acute cardiac conditions underwent a reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction test at the time of admission and were categorized as SARS-COV-2 positive (cases) or negative (controls). Patients hospitalized on cardiology wards underwent treatment for the principal acute cardiac condition according to local practice. Clinical outcomes were recorded in-hospital, at 30 days, and after 1 year and compared between cases and controls. To adjust for imbalanced baseline characteristics, a subgroup of patients derived by propensity matching was analyzed., Results: Between March 2020 and February 2022, 538 patients were enrolled including 122 cases and 416 controls. Mean age was 68.0 ± 14.7 years, and 75% were men. Compared with controls, SARS-COV-2-positive patients more commonly presented with acute heart failure (35% vs. 17%) or major arrhythmia (31% vs. 9%), but less commonly with acute coronary syndrome (26% vs. 53%) or severe aortic stenosis (4% vs. 18%). Mortality was significantly higher in cases vs. controls in-hospital (16% vs. 1%), at 30 days (19.0% vs. 2.2%), and at 1 year (28.7% vs. 7.6%: p  < 0.001 for all); this was driven primarily (up to 30 days) and exclusively (at one-year follow-up) by higher non-cardiovascular mortality, and was accompanied by a greater incidence of worsening renal function in cases vs. controls. These findings were maintained in a propensity-matched subgroup of 186 patients (93 cases and 93 controls) with balanced clinical presentation and baseline characteristics., Conclusions: In this observational study of patients hospitalized for acute cardiac conditions, SARS-COV-2 infection at index hospitalization was associated with markedly higher all-cause and non-cardiovascular mortality throughout one-year follow-up. These findings highlight the need for effective, multifaceted management of both cardiac and non-cardiac morbidities and prolonged surveillance in patients with acute cardiac conditions complicated by SARS-COV-2 infection., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2023 Koskinas, Twerenbold, Carballo, Matter, Cook, Heg, Frenk, Windecker, Osswald, Lüscher and Mach.)