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OBJECTIVES We aimed to assess the advantages of using the retrograde approach as an initial strategy rather than as a rescue strategy for complex chronic total occlusions (CTOs). BACKGROUND Even for complex CTOs where a retrograde approach is deemed necessary, an antegrade approach is frequently used as an initial strategy in real-world practice. METHODS We evaluated 352 retrograde procedures for CTO conducted at our high-volume center between January 2007 and January 2019. Procedural efficiency and safety was assessed based on the guidewire manipulation time (GWMT) and the occurrence of procedure-related adverse events for the primary retrograde approach (PRA) and the rescue retrograde approach (RRA). RESULTS PRA and RRA were used in 191 (54.3%) and 161 (45.7%) of the CTO procedures, respectively. The complexity of the CTO lesion was significantly higher in the PRA group than in the RRA group (Japanese-CTO score, 2.62 ± 1.07 vs. 2.38 ± 1.06, p = 0.037). The technical success rate of two groups was similar (p = 0.47). The median GWMT required for PRA was significantly shorter than that for RRA (85 [interquartile range, 55-126] vs. 120 [85-157] min, p

BACKGROUND: Few studies have evaluated intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) use in chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). AIMS: In CTO-PCI, we aimed to (1) evaluate the clinical benefits of performing post-stent IVUS in preventing adverse clinical events, and (2) identify IVUS parameters and cut-off values for prediction of target lesion revascularisation (TLR)/reocclusion. METHODS: A total of 1,077 patients with 1,077 CTO lesions treated with drug-eluting stents (DES) were included. Clinical outcomes during a median follow-up of 6.3 years were compared between subjects with and those without post-stent IVUS using the inverse probability weighting method. RESULTS: Of 1,077 patients, post-stent IVUS was performed in 838 (77.8%) cases while in the remaining 239 (22.2%) cases it was not. In the weighted population, the risk of TLR/reocclusion was significantly lower in subjects with post-stent IVUS (9.6% vs 18.9%, hazard ratio [HR] 0.54, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.34-0.86, p=0.01), compared with those without post-stent IVUS. Cox regression analysis showed that minimal stent area (MSA) measured by IVUS was the only parameter independently associated with TLR/reocclusion (HR 0.78, 95% CI: 0.64-0.95; p=0.01) and the optimal MSA cut-off value was 4.9 mm2 for prediction of TLR/reocclusion (area under the curve=0.632, p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In CTO-PCI with DES, post-stent IVUS evaluation was associated with a lower risk of TLR/reocclusion. The final MSA was independently associated with TLR/reocclusion with a cut-off value of 4.9 mm(2).

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of biodegradable polymer (BP) versus durable polymer (DP) drug eluting stents (DES) in patients with calcified coronary lesions who underwent rotational atherectomy (RA) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: This study was based on a multicenter registry which enrolled patients with calcified coronary artery disease who received PCI using RA during between January 2010 and October 2019 from 9 tertiary centers in Korea. The primary outcome was 3-year all-cause mortality, and the secondary outcomes were cardiovascular death and target-lesion failure. Results: A total of 540 patients who underwent PCI using RA were enrolled with a follow-up period of median 16.1 months. From this registry, 272 patients with PCI using DP-DES and 238 patients with BP-SGDES were selected for analysis. PCI with BP-DES was associated with decreased all-cause mortality after propensity score matching (HR 0.414, CI 0.174–0.988) and multivariate Cox regression analysis (HR 0.458, HR 0.224–0.940). BP-DES was also associated with decreased cardiovascular mortality, but there was no difference in TLF between the two groups. Conclusions: BP-DES were associated with favorable outcomes compared to DP-DES in patients undergoing PCI using RA for calcified coronary lesions.

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of chronic total occlusion (CTO) on clinical outcomes in patients with calcified coronary lesions receiving rotational atherectomy (RA). This multi-center registry enrolled consecutive patients with calcified coronary artery disease who underwent RA during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) from 9 tertiary centers in Korea between January 2010 and October 2019. The primary outcome was target-vessel failure (TVF) which included the composite of cardiac death, target-vessel myocardial infarction (TVMI), and target-vessel revascularization (TVR). A total of 583 lesions were enrolled in this registry and classified as CTO (n = 42 lesions, 7.2%) and non-CTO (n = 541 lesions, 92.8%). The CTO group consisted of younger patients who were more likely to have a history of previous percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass graft surgery. The incidence of the primary outcome was 14.1% and 16.7% for the non-CTO group and CTO group, respectively. The primary outcomes observed in the two groups were not significantly different (log-rank p = 0.736). The 18-month clinical outcomes of the CTO group were comparable to those of the non-CTO group in multivariate analysis. About 7% of patients requiring RA have CTO lesions and these patients experience similar clinical outcomes compared with those having non-CTO lesions. Use of RA for CTO lesions was safe despite higher procedural complexity.

Background: There are limited data regarding the clinical impact of diabetes duration for patients with heavy calcified coronary lesions. We sought to determine the clinical impact of diabetes duration on clinical outcomes in patients with heavily calcified lesions required rotational atherectomy (RA) during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Methods: A total of 540 diabetic patients (583 lesions) were enrolled between January 2010 and October 2019. Patients were classified into 3 subgroups: patients with no diabetes mellitus (non-DM), shorter duration of DM (S-DM), and longer duration of DM (L-DM), of which duration was divided at 10 years. The primary outcome was target-vessel failure (TVF), a composite outcome of cardiac death, target-vessel myocardial infarction, or target-vessel revascularization.Results: During 18 months of follow-up-duration, diabetes duration was significantly associated with the primary outcome. The incidence rate of TVF, primary outcome, was significantly higher in the L-DM group compared with non-DM or S-DM groups (non-DM, 30 [12.0%] vs. S-DM, 9 [13.9%] vs. L-DM, 29 [21.6%]; p=0.039). Among secondary outcomes, any repeat revascularization was frequently observed in the L-DM compared with other groups (non-DM, 19 [7.6%] vs. S-DM, 6 [9.2%] vs. L-DM, 21 [15.7%]; p=0.042). In multivariate analysis, the risk of TVF and any RR was 1.9 times and 2.4 times higher in L-DM than in non-DM, respectively. Conclusions: This study was firstly demonstrated that the association between a longer DM duration and poor clinical outcomes in patients with severe calcified CAD after PCI. More careful monitoring for recurrence is needed during follow-up in those patients

Aims The aim of this study was to compare percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) outcomes in relation to stent optimisation profiles between in-stent chronic total occlusions (CTOs) and de novo CTOs. Methods and results We evaluated 1,516 consecutive patients who underwent PCI for 147 in-stent CTOs (9.3%) and 1,439 de novo CTOs between 2007 and 2018. The primary endpoint was target vessel failure (TVF) consisting of a composite of cardiac death, target vessel-related myocardial infarction, or target vessel revascularisation. The final post-stenting intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) images were analysed. Target lesion complexity reflected by the Japanese CTO score was similar, albeit calcification was more prevalent in de novo CTOs, whereas occlusion length >20 mm was more frequent in in-stent CTOs. The technical success (88.4% vs 87.5%, p=0.84) and in-hospital adverse event (1.4% vs 3.6%, p=0.26) rates were similar between CTO types. Among those who received drug-eluting stents, the five-year TVF (11.0% vs 10.7%, p=0.99) and target vessel revascularisation (4.2% vs 3.7%, p=0.81) rates were similar between groups. Total stent length, minimum stent area (5.4±1.8 vs 5.5±1.8 mm2, p=0.77), and maximal plaque burden of the reference segments were largely comparable between groups. Conclusions In-stent CTO PCI with drug-eluting stents optimised by IVUS guidance offers as acceptable long-term clinical results as those achieved in de novo CTOs.

Regurgitant volume (RVol) calculated using the proximal flow convergence method (proximal isovelocity surface area [PISA]) has been accepted as a key quantitative parameter for the diagnosis of and clinical decision-making with regard to severe mitral regurgitation (MR). However, a recent prospective study showed a significant overestimation of RVol by the echocardiographic PISA method compared with the MR volume measured using magnetic resonance imaging. We aimed to evaluate the frequency of overestimation of RVol by the PISA method and the clinical conditions that require a different quantitative method to correct the overestimation.We retrospectively enrolled 166 consecutive patients with degenerative MR and chordae rupture, in whom RVol was measured using both the PISA and two-dimensional Doppler volumetric methods. The volumetric method was used to measure total stroke volume using the two-dimensional Simpson biplane method, and forward stroke volume was measured using pulsed Doppler tracing at the left ventricular (LV) outflow tract. RVol by the volumetric method was calculated using total stroke volume - forward stroke volume. Severe MR was defined as an RVol60 mL.All patients had severe MR based on RVol by the PISA method, but 68 (41.1%) showed RVol by the volumetric method values of60 mL, resulting in discordant results. The patients with discordant results were characterized by a higher prevalence of female sex, lower body surface area, smaller LV diastolic and systolic dimensions and volumes, smaller left atrial volume, smaller PISA angle, and lower frequency of flail leaflets (39.7% vs 62.2%, P = .004). Multivariate analysis revealed that LV end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) and PISA angle were independent factors, with the best cutoff LVEDV and PISA angle being 173 mL and 103°, respectively. During follow-up (median, 3.4 years; interquartile range, 2.0-4.8 years), mitral valve repair and replacement were performed in 103 and six patients, respectively. The 2-year mitral valve surgery-free survival rate was higher in the discordant group (51.8% ± 0.06% vs 31.2% ± 0.05%, P .001).Even in the patients with documented chordae rupture, the PISA method alone resulted in inappropriate overestimation of MR severity in a significant proportion of patients. Thus, an additive quantitative method is absolutely necessary in patients with a small LVEDV or narrow PISA angle.

Integration of active elements into silicon wafers is the first step towards their usage in modern electronic devices based on nanometric structures. Spintronic terahertz emitters, typically composed of nanometer-thin magnetic multilayer, have the outstanding capability of producing high-quality, broadband terahertz pulses using extremely simple heterostructures. A question remains on whether an efficient and cheap integration with other silicon-based technologies can be achieved. We show here that simply having a ferromagnetic layer on silicon produces remarkably efficient spintronic terahertz emission despite the low spin-orbit coupling of the individual components. We achieve this by leveraging on the natural formation of silicides at the interface of a transition metal and silicon. The cobalt silicide layer has good spin-to-charge conversion efficiency that reaches around 1/6 as that of the prototypical spintronics THz-emitter heterostructure cobalt/platinum. Ministry of Education (MOE) Nanyang Technological University National Research Foundation (NRF) Published version This work is supported by the Singapore Ministry of Education AcRF Tier 3 Programme “Geometrical Quantum Materials” (Grant No. MOE2018-T3-1-002), the Singapore National Research Foundation Competitive Research Programme “The Next Generation of Spintronics with 2D Heterostructures” (Grant No. NRFCRP22-2019-0004), National Research Foundation Singapore Investigatorship (Grant No. NRFI06-2020-0015) and “AME-IRG through RIE2020 funds under Grant No. A1983c0037”. The electron microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy works are performed at the Facility for Analysis, Characterization, Testing and Simulation (FACTS), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. M.B. acknowledges Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, NAP-SUG.

Little is known about the association between serial high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) measurements and long-term outcomes in post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients. We aimed to investigate the usefulness of serial hsCRP measurements for risk stratification in stabilised post-MI patients after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).A total of 1018 patients who had hsCRP values at both baseline and 1 year after MI were included. High inflammatory status was defined as hsCRP2 mg/L. Patients were classified into 4 groups: persistently low, falling (first high then low hsCRP), rising (first low then high hsCRP), and persistently high hsCRP. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE: a composite of all-cause of death, MI, and cerebrovascular accident) within 4 years after the second hsCRP measurement.At 1 year after MI, the numbers of patients in the persistently low, falling, rising, and persistently high hsCRP groups were 394 (38.7%), 358 (35.2%), 69 (6.8%), and 197 (19.4%), respectively. The incidence of MACCE was progressively elevated from the persistently low to the falling, rising, and persistently high hsCRP groups (4.8%, 8.1%, 10.1%, and 13.2%, respectively; P = 0.004). Persistently high hsCRP was an independent predictor of MACCE (adjusted hazard ratio 2.55; 95% confidence interval 1.35-4.81; P = 0.004) and provided incremental prognostic value beyond that of the baseline clinical risk model (net reclassification improvement = 0.397; integrated discrimination improvement = 0.025; all P0.001).Among stabilised post-MI patients who underwent PCI, persistently high hsCRP was frequently seen 1 year after MI and was strongly associated with long-term adverse clinical outcomes. Serial measurements of hsCRP during clinical follow-up after MI may help to identify patients at higher risk for mortality and morbidity.

Age and sex contribute to determining coronary revascularization strategies for patients with left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease. We examined age- and sex-related differences in comparative outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary-artery bypass grafting (CABG) for LMCA disease. A total of 4,001 patients with LMCA disease (men, n = 3,100, women, n = 901) who underwent PCI (n = 2,615) or CABG (n = 1,386) from the Interventional Research Incorporation Society-Left MAIN Revascularization registry were analyzed. Patients were stratified into subgroups according to the tertiles of age (60 years, 60 to 69 years, and ≥70 years) and sex. The primary outcome was the composite of death from any cause, myocardial infarction, or stroke. During the median 6.3 years of follow-up, the adjusted risks for primary outcome after PCI relative to CABG were similar in patients aged60 years (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.64, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.35 to 1.16), 60 to 69 years (HR: 1.21; 95% CI: 0.82 to 1.80), and ≥70 years (HR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.66 to 1.22) with no significant age-related interactions (P

PURPOSE The three-dimensional (3D) principal strain represents the major direction and magnitude of the deformation by its definition and can be measured using 3D echocardiography. We aimed to validate 3D echocardiographic left ventricular (LV) global principal strains as an assessment of LV contractility by comparison with gold standard invasive measurements. METHODS In 14 beagles, the LV pressure-volume loop was recorded to invasively measure the end-systolic pressure-volume relationship (ESPVR) and dP/dt as reference indicators representing LV contractility. The echocardiographic image was obtained simultaneously, and endocardial motions and volume changes were extracted in the form of speckle-tracking point grids to calculate strains. High or low inotropic states were induced pharmacologically by using an intravenous infusion of dobutamine and esmolol, respectively. RESULTS The direction of 3D endocardial global principal strain (GP1S) appeared to be circumferential. The dP/dt showed the highest Pearson's correlation coefficients with GP1S (r = -0.845, P < 0.001), whereas ESPVR showed the best correlation with global secondary strain (GP2S; r = -0.819, P < 0.001). In comparison with GP1S and GP2S, global circumferential (GCS) and longitudinal strains (GLS) tended to correlate less with invasive measurements, respectively. LV ejection fraction showed excellent correlations with GP1S or GCS, but the correlation with GLS was relatively weak. The correlations between invasive measurements and GP2S or GLS were strengthened when strains were corrected by the LV residual volume ratio, whereas those of GP1S or GCS were weakened after correction. CONCLUSIONS The principal direction of the LV endocardial contraction presents circumferential behavior reflecting LV volume change. The 3D principal strains derived from 3D echocardiography are reliable indicators for LV contractility and seem better than conventional strains.

BACKGROUND Little is known about how the relative treatment effect of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary-artery bypass grafting (CABG) on clinical outcomes in ostial or shaft left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease has evolved over time. METHODS This study included 2,112 patients with ostial or shaft LMCA disease from IRIS-MAIN registry who underwent PCI (n = 1,329) or CABG (n = 783). Patients were stratified by time period based on stent type availability: wave 1 (1995-2002, bare-metal stent [BMS] era); wave 2 (2003-2006, first-generation drug-eluting stent [DES] era); and wave 3 (2007-2014, second-generation DES era). RESULTS Compared to CABG, PCI has been used more frequently from wave 1 to wave 3. PCI showed substantial improvements over time with respect to death (P for trend = 0.012); the composite of death, myocardial infarction (MI), or stroke (P for trend = 0.047); repeat revascularization (P for trend

Obesity and overweight have been associated with better clinical outcomes in different populations with a diverse spectrum of cardiovascular disease (obesity paradox). However, conflicting data exist about the relation between body mass index (BMI) and outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). The aim of this study is to evaluate the association of body mass index with clinical outcomes in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) who underwent TAVI. The study cohort included 379 consecutive patients with symptomatic severe AS who underwent TAVI between March 2010 and February 2017 in 3 centers in East Asia. Patients were grouped into tertiles of baseline BMI (first tertile: ≤22.3 kg/m2, second tertile: 22.4 to 24.8 kg/m2, and third tertile: ≥24.9 kg/m2). The primary outcome was a composite of death from any causes or stroke at 1 year. The median (interquartile range) BMI was 23.5 (21.8 to 26.1) kg/m2. During the median follow-up of 18.4 months, there were 69 deaths and 23 strokes. At 1 year, the primary outcome occurred in 21.9% in the first tertile, 18.7% in the second tertile, and 7.8% in the third tertile, respectively (p = 0.009). After adjustment for confounding variables, an inverse relation was observed between BMI and primary outcome: with the third BMI tertile as the reference category, the adjusted hazard ratios were 2.51 (95% confidence interval, 1.20 to 5.26) for the second BMI tertile and 2.61 (95% confidence interval, 1.20 to 5.66) for the first BMI tertile. In conclusion, in patients with severe AS who underwent TAVI, an inverse association between BMI and the risk of death or stroke was observed.

A prognostic value of right ventricular (RV) systolic function assessed by echocardiography in patients with acute non-massive pulmonary embolism (PE) remains controversial. The hypothesis was RV free wall strain measured using speckle-tracking echocardiography might be a powerful prognostic factor in those patients. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of echocardiographic measurements of RV systolic function for clinical outcomes and to assess the correlation between the echocardiographic RV function parameters in patients with acute non-massive PE. Between November 2013 and September 2016, 144 consecutive patients diagnosed as acute non-massive pulmonary embolism were prospectively enrolled and echocardiographic evaluations were performed within 1 week of diagnosis to measure various parameters of RV systolic function. The primary endpoint was in-hospital events, the composite of in-hospital PE-related death, need of additive treatments such as thrombolysis or pulmonary artery thromboembolectomy, and need of inotropics due to unstable vital sign. Among patients (mean age 60.3 ± 14.7 years, 50% female) with acute non-massive PE, the in-hospital event rate was 11.1% (16 of 144 patients). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, after adjustment of confounding factors such as age, gender, and diabetes mellitus, RV free wall strain [odd ratio (OR) 1.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04–1.21, p = 0.002] and RV global wall strain (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.07–1.35, p = 0.002) were independent predictors for in-hospital events. The event rates were significantly different between groups classified based on RV free wall strain with cut-off value of − 15.85% (p

Background and Objectives: Data is still limited regarding clinical outcomes of rotational atherectomy (RA) after percutaneous coronary intervention. We sought to evaluate clinical outcomes of RA. Materials and Methods: This multi-center registry enrolled patients who underwent RA during PCI from nine tertiary centers in Korea between January 2010 and October 2019. The primary endpoint was target-vessel failure (TVF, the composite outcome of cardiac death, target-vessel spontaneous myocardial infarction, or target-vessel revascularization). Results: Of 540 patients (583 lesions), the mean patient age was 71.4 ± 0.4 years, 323 patients (59.8%) were men, and 305 patients (56.5%) had diabetes mellitus. Technical success rate was 96.4%. In-hospital major adverse cerebral and cardiac events occurred in 63 cases (10.8%). At 1.5 years, 72 (16.0%) of TVFs were occurred. We evaluated independent predictors of TVF, which included current smoker (hazard ratio (HR), 1.92, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.17–3.16, p = 0.01), chronic renal disease (HR, 1.87, 95% CI, 1.14–3.08, p = 0.013), history of cerebrovascular attack (HR, 2.14, 95% CI, 1.24-3.68, p = 0.006), left ventricle ejection fraction (HR, 0.98, 95% CI, 0.97–0.999, p = 0.037), and left main disease (HR, 1.94, 95% CI, 1.11–3.37, p = 0.019). Conclusions: From this registry, we demonstrated acceptable success rates, in-hospital and mid-term clinical outcomes of RA in the DES era.

Background The available data are not sufficient to understand the clinical impact of statin intensity in elderly patients who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) due to acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods Using the COREA-AMI registry, we sought to compare the clinical impact of high- versus low-to-moderate-intensity statin in younger ( Results In younger patients, high-intensity statin showed the better clinical outcomes than low-to-moderate-intensity statin (TVF: 79 [5.4%] vs. 329 [6.8%], adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.59–0.99; P = 0.038). However, in elderly patients, the incidence rates of the adverse clinical outcomes were similar between two statin-intensity groups (TVF: 38 [11.4%] vs. 131 [10.6%], aHR 1.1; 95% CI 0.76–1.59; P = 0.63). Conclusions In this AMI cohort underwent PCI, high-intensity statin showed the better 1-year clinical outcomes than low-to-moderate-intensity statin in younger patients. Meanwhile, the incidence rates of adverse clinical events between high- and low-to-moderate-intensity statin were not statistically different in elderly patients. Further randomized study with large elderly population is warranted.

BackgroundA substantial number of patients presenting with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and multivessel disease (MVD) have severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) (left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) less than 35%). But data are lacking regarding optimal percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) strategy for these patients. The aim of this study was to compare the long-term outcomes of IRA (infarct-related artery)-only and multivessel PCI in patients with NSTEMI and MVD complicated by severe LVSD.MethodsAmong 13,104 patients enrolled in the PCI registry from November 2011 to December 2015, patients with NSTEMI and MVD with severe LVSD who underwent successful PCI were screened. The primary outcome was 3-year major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), defined as all-cause death, any myocardial infarction, stroke, and any revascularization.ResultsOverall, 228 patients were treated with IRA-only PCI (n = 104) or MV-PCI (n = 124). The MACE risk was significantly lower in the MV-PCI group than in the IRA-only PCI group (35.5% vs. 54.8%; hazard ratio [HR] 0.561; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.378–0.832; p = 0.04). This result was mainly driven by a significantly lower risk of all-cause death (23.4% vs. 41.4%; hazard ratio [HR] 0.503; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.314–0.806; p = 0.004). The results were consistent after multivariate regression, propensity-score matching, and inverse probability weighting to adjust for baseline differences.ConclusionsAmong patients with NSTEMI and MVD complicated with severe LVSD, multivessel PCI was associated with a significantly lower MACE risk. The findings may provide valuable information to physicians who are involved in decision-making for these patients.

Magnon-mediated angular-momentum flow in antiferromagnets may become a design element for energy-efficient, low-dissipation and high-speed spintronic devices

Background Data are still limited regarding whether there are differential long‐term outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention versus coronary artery bypass grafting ( CABG ) for left main coronary artery disease with or without diabetes mellitus ( DM ). Methods and Results Using the 10‐year data from the MAIN ‐ COMPARE (Revascularization for Unprotected Left Main Coronary Artery Stenosis: Comparison of Percutaneous Coronary Angioplasty Versus Surgical Revascularization) registry, we sought to examine the effect of DM on comparative outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention or CABG in patients with unprotected left main coronary artery disease. The outcomes of interest were all‐cause mortality; a composite of death, Q‐wave myocardial infarction, or stroke; and target‐vessel revascularization. The primary adjusted analyses were performed with the use of propensity scores and inverse‐probability weighting. Of 2240 patients with left main coronary artery revascularization, 722 (32%) had DM . In the overall population, the adjusted 10‐year risks of death and composite outcome were similar between percutaneous coronary intervention and CABG , irrespective of DM status ( P interaction : 0.41, mortality; 0.40, composite outcome). However, in the cohort of bare‐metal stents and concurrent CABG , we observed differential outcomes after stenting and CABG by DM status ( P interaction : 0.09, mortality; 0.04, composite outcome), favoring CABG in patients with DM. In the cohort of drug‐eluting stents and concurrent CABG , the better effect of CABG over stenting was narrowed in patients with DM without a significant interaction ( P interaction : 0.63, mortality; 0.47, composite outcome). Conclusions In this cohort of patients with longest follow‐up who underwent left main coronary artery revascularization, the clinical impact of DM favoring CABG over percutaneous coronary intervention has diminished over time from the bare‐metal stent to the drug‐eluting stent era. Registration URL : http://www.clini​caltr​ials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT 02791412.

BACKGROUND Restoration of anterograde blood flow leads to alterations in vascular wall stress that may influence lumen size distal to chronic total occlusion (CTO) lesions. We sought to assess changes in lumen diameter of segments distal to the stent segment of successfully recanalized CTO. METHODS We analyzed 507 consecutive CTO cases with stent implantation that underwent follow-up angiography at a single high-volume center (mean follow-up of 13.5 months). Segments ≤40 mm distal to the stent edge were analyzed using quantitative coronary angiography. RESULTS At follow-up, lumen diameters significantly increased; diameter changes of 0.26 ± 0.47 (percent diameter change of 18.2%) at 5 mm distal, mean lumen diameter changes of 0.23 ± 0.35 (14.3%) and minimal lumen diameter changes of 0.22 ± 0.80 (24.7%) (all p

The generation and detection of ultrafast spin current, preferably reaching a frequency up to terahertz, is the core of spintronics. Studies have shown that the Weyl semimetal WTe

Studies evaluating the nature of ischemic burden of chronic total occlusion (CTO) vessels are still lacking.A total of 165 patients with single vessel CTO2.5 mm in an epicardial coronary artery who underwent single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) were enrolled in the study. Ischemic burden was calculated with the use of semi-quantitative SPECT analysis, and was defined as the summed difference score (SDS) divided by the maximal limit of the score (=SDS/68).The mean age of the participants was 59.5 years and the CTO of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), left circumplex coronary artery (LCX), and right coronary artery (RCA) accounted for 93 (56.4%), 18 (10.9%), and 54 (32.7%) patients, respectively. The median ischemic burden of the total population was 8.8%, and it was highest in the LAD CTO (10.3%) compared with the LCX (5.9%) and RCA CTO (5.9%, p0.001). High-ischemic burden (ischemic burden10%) was observed in 66 patients (40.0%), and in 47 patients (50.5%) of the LAD CTO. Ischemic burden was different according to the CTO location only in LAD CTO. The statistically significant predictors for high-ischemic burden were hypertension, baseline ejection fraction45%, LAD CTO, proximal CTO location, and de novo CTO. Japanese-CTO score and Rentrop scale collateral grade were not associated with high-ischemic burden.Only 40% of patients with single vessel CTO had ischemic burden10%. For CTO vessels, measurement of ischemic burden using SPECT prior to revascularization may be helpful in identifying beneficial subjects.

Demonstration of van der Waals (vdW) semiconductor/metal heterostructures (SMHs) based on transition metal dichalcogenides has been a central approach in high-speed electronics by introducing ultrafast carrier dynamics. In this regard, a Weyl semimetal WTe

Background Acuity of clinical presentation may influence decision-making of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary-artery bypass grafting (CABG) for left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease. However, it is undetermined whether clinical indication for myocardial revascularization may affect the relative long-term effect after PCI and CABG. Methods In the MAIN-COMPARE study including 2240 patients with LMCA disease treated with PCI (n = 1102) or CABG (n = 1138), we examined interaction between acuity of clinical presentation (acute coronary syndromes [ACS] or non-ACS) and revascularization strategy on 10-year outcomes. Primary outcome was a composite of all-cause death, Q-wave myocardial infarction (MI), or stroke. Secondary outcomes were all-cause death or target-vessel revascularization (TVR). Results In overall patients, 1,603 patients (71.6%) presented with ACS and 637 patients (28.4%) presented with non-ACS. The 10-year adjusted risks for primary composite outcome were similar after PCI and CABG among patients presented with non-ACS (hazard ratio [HR] 1.07; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.71–1.61) and those presented with ACS (HR 1.00; 95% CI 0.81–1.24) (P-for-interaction=0.29). The adjusted risks of death were also similar between 2 groups in non-ACS (HR 0.98; 95% CI 0.63–1.51) and ACS (HR 1.02; 95% CI 0.81–1.28) patients (P-for-interaction=0.62). The adjusted risks of TVR were consistently higher after PCI in in non-ACS (HR 6.38; 95% CI 3.14–12.96) and ACS (HR 3.96; 95% CI 2.80–5.60) patients (P-for-interaction=0.39). Conclusions In patients with LMCA disease, we have identified no significant interaction between the acuity of clinical indication and the relative treatment effect of PCI versus CABG on 10-year clinical outcomes.