Search

Your search keyword '"Robert P. Giugliano"' showing total 605 results
Start Over Author "Robert P. Giugliano"
605 results on '"Robert P. Giugliano"'

1. The pan-PPAR agonist lanifibranor improves cardiometabolic health in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis

Author

Michael P. Cooreman, Javed Butler, Robert P. Giugliano, Faiez Zannad, Lucile Dzen, Philippe Huot-Marchand, Martine Baudin, Daniel R. Beard, Jean-Louis Junien, Pierre Broqua, Manal F. Abdelmalek, and Sven M. Francque

Subjects
Science
Abstract

Abstract Lanifibranor, a pan-PPAR agonist, improves liver histology in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), who have poor cardiometabolic health (CMH) and cardiovascular events as major mortality cause. NATIVE trial secondary and exploratory outcomes (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03008070) were analyzed for the effect of lanifibranor on IR, lipid and glucose metabolism, systemic inflammation, blood pressure (BP), hepatic steatosis (imaging and histological grading) for all patients of the original analysis. With lanifibranor, triglycerides, HDL-C, apolipoproteins, insulin, HOMA-IR, HbA1c, fasting glucose (FG), hs-CRP, ferritin, diastolic BP and steatosis improved significantly, independent of diabetes status: most patients with prediabetes returned to normal FG levels. Significant adiponectin increases correlated with hepatic and CMH marker improvement; patients had an average weight gain of 2.5 kg, with 49% gaining ≥2.5% weight. Therapeutic benefits were similar regardless of weight change. Here, we show that effects of lanifibranor on liver histology in MASH are accompanied with CMH improvement, indicative of potential cardiovascular clinical benefits.

Published
2024
Full Text
View/download PDF

2. Residual Stroke Risk Among Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Prescribed Oral Anticoagulants: A Patient‐Level Meta‐Analysis From COMBINE AF

Author

Linda S. Johnson, Alexander P. Benz, Ashkan Shoamanesh, John W. Eikelboom, Michael Ezekowitz, Robert P. Giugliano, Lars Wallentin, Christian T. Ruff, Renato D. Lopes, Sanjit Jolly, Richard Whitlock, Christopher B. Granger, Stuart Connolly, and Jeffrey S. Healey

Subjects
anticoagulation, atrial fibrillation, stroke, Diseases of the circulatory (Cardiovascular) system, RC666-701
Abstract

Background Despite oral anticoagulation, patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) remain at risk of ischemic stroke and systemic embolism (SE) events. For patients whose residual risk is sufficiently high, additional therapies might be useful to mitigate stroke risk. Methods and Results Individual patient data from 5 landmark trials testing oral anticoagulation in AF were pooled in A Collaboration Between Multiple Institutions to Better Investigate Non‐Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulant Use in AF (COMBINE AF). We calculated the rate of ischemic stroke/SE among oral anticoagulation–treated patients with a CHA2DS2‐VASc score≥2, across strata of CHA2DS2‐VASc score, stroke history, and AF type, as either paroxysmal or nonparoxysmal. We included 71 794 patients with AF (median age 72 years, interquartile range, 13 years, 61.3% male) randomized to a direct oral anticoagulant or vitamin K antagonist, and followed for a mean of 2.1 (±0.8) years. The median CHA2DS2‐VASc score was 4 (interquartile range, 3–5), 18.8% had a prior stroke, and 76.4% had nonparoxysmal AF. The overall rate of stroke/SE was 1.33%/y (95% CI, 1.27–1.39); 1.38%/y (95% CI, 1.31–1.45) for nonparoxysmal AF, and 1.15%/y (95% CI, 1.05–1.27) for paroxysmal AF. The rate of ischemic stroke/SE increased by a rate ratio of 1.36 (95% CI, 1.32–1.41) per 1‐point increase in CHA2DS2‐VASc, reaching 1.67%/y (95% CI, 1.59–1.75) ≥4 CHA2DS2‐VASc points. Patients with both nonparoxysmal AF and CHA2DS2‐VASc ≥4 had a stroke/SE rate of 1.75%/y (95% CI, 1.66–1.85). In patients with a prior stroke, the risk was 2.51%/y (95% CI, 2.33–2.71). Conclusions AF type, CHA2DS2‐VASc score, and stroke history can identify patients with AF, who despite oral anticoagulation have a residual stroke/SE risk of 1.5% to 2.5% per year. Evaluation of additional stroke/SE prevention strategies in high‐risk patients is warranted.

Published
2024
Full Text
View/download PDF

3. Emergent Coronary Thrombectomy for Acute Myocardial Infarction Immediately Following Craniotomy with Tumor Resection

Author

Curtis R. Ginder, Giselle A. Suero-Abreu, Saad S. Ghumman, Brian A. Bergmark, Omar Arnaout, and Robert P. Giugliano

Subjects
Perioperative ACS, Aspiration thrombectomy, Staged PCI, CYP2C19 genotyping, Platelet aggregation, Diseases of the circulatory (Cardiovascular) system, RC666-701
Abstract

Abstract The management of perioperative acute myocardial infarction (AMI) following oncologic neurosurgery requires balancing competing risks of myocardial ischemia and postoperative bleeding. There are limited human data to establish the safest timing of antiplatelet or anticoagulation therapy following neurosurgical procedures. For patients with malignancy experiencing AMI in the acute postoperative period, staged percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with upfront coronary aspiration thrombectomy followed by delayed completion PCI may offer an opportunity for myocardial salvage while minimizing postoperative bleeding risks. CYP2C19 genotyping and platelet aggregation studies can help confirm adequate platelet inhibition once antiplatelet therapy is resumed.

Published
2024
Full Text
View/download PDF

5. Relationship of diabetes, heart failure, and N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide with cardiovascular outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation

Author

Felix Hofer, Ulrike Pailer, Patrick Sulzgruber, Christian Gerges, Max‐Paul Winter, Robert P. Giugliano, Michael Gottsauner‐Wolf, Martin Hülsmann, Niema Kazem, Lorenz Koller, Robert Schönbauer, Alexander Niessner, Christian Hengstenberg, and Thomas A. Zelniker

Subjects
Heart failure, Diabetes mellitus, NT‐proBNP, Atrial fibrillation, Diseases of the circulatory (Cardiovascular) system, RC666-701
Abstract

Abstract Aims We aim to explore the relationship of heart failure (HF) and diabetes with cardiovascular (CV) death or hospitalization for HF (HHF) and to study the clinical utility of N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) in an unselected patient population with atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods and results Patients with AF admitted to a tertiary academic center between January 2005 and July 2019 were identified through a search of electronic health records. We used Cox regression models adjusted for age, sex, estimated glomerular filtration rate, diabetes, HF, body mass index, prior myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease, hypertension, smoking, C‐reactive protein, and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol. To select the most informative variables, we performed a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator Cox regression with 10‐fold cross‐validation. In total, 7412 patients (median age 70 years, 39.7% female) were included in this analysis and followed over a median of 4.5 years. Both diabetes [adjusted (Adj.) HR 1.87, 95% CI 1.55–2.25] and HF (Adj. HR 2.57, 95% CI 2.22–2.98) were significantly associated with CV death/HHF after multivariable adjustment. Compared with patients with diabetes, HF patients had a higher risk of HHF but a similar risk of CV and all‐cause death. NT‐proBNP showed good discriminatory performance (area under the curve 0.78, 95% CI 0.77–0.80) and the addition of NT‐proBNP to the covariates used for adjustment resulted in a significant area under the curve improvement (Δ = 0.04, P

Published
2022
Full Text
View/download PDF

6. Event Rates and Risk Factors for Recurrent Cardiovascular Events and Mortality in a Contemporary Post Acute Coronary Syndrome Population Representing 239 234 Patients During 2005 to 2018 in the United States

Author

Dylan L. Steen, Irfan Khan, Katherine Andrade, Alexandra Koumas, and Robert P. Giugliano

Subjects
acute coronary syndrome, cardiovascular events, risk factor, risk stratification, Diseases of the circulatory (Cardiovascular) system, RC666-701
Abstract

Background Patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) are recognized by guidelines as remaining at high risk for adverse outcomes. Evidence from contemporary, representative ACS populations in a clinical practice setting is necessary to identify subgroups and strategies for improving patient outcomes. We aimed to describe event rates and risk factors in an ACS population over prolonged follow‐up for cardiovascular end points. Methods and Results We identified 239 234 patients in the Optum Research Database (57.2% men; mean [standard deviation] age, 69.2 [12.2] years) with evidence of an ACS hospitalization (index ACS) during January 1, 2005 through December 30, 2018. Subgroups were based on index ACS event (myocardial infarction/unstable angina and revascularization status) and the Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction Risk Score for Secondary Prevention. The 5‐year event rate for the primary end point representing nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal ischemic stroke, and cardiovascular death was 33.4% (95% CI, 33.1%–33.7%; P

Published
2022
Full Text
View/download PDF

7. Treatment With Icosapent Ethyl to Reduce Ischemic Events in Patients With Prior Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Insights From REDUCE‐IT PCI

Author

Benjamin E. Peterson, Deepak L. Bhatt, Ph. Gabriel Steg, Michael Miller, Eliot A. Brinton, Terry A. Jacobson, Steven B. Ketchum, Rebecca A. Juliano, Lixia Jiao, Ralph T. Doyle, Craig Granowitz, C. Michael Gibson, Duane Pinto, Robert P. Giugliano, Matthew J. Budoff, Jean‐Claude Tardif, Subodh Verma, and Christie M. Ballantyne

Subjects
eicosapentaenoic acid, icosapent ethyl, prevention, revascularization, Diseases of the circulatory (Cardiovascular) system, RC666-701
Abstract

Background Patients who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are at increased risk for recurrent cardiovascular events despite aggressive medical therapy. Methods and Results This post hoc analysis focused on the subset of patients with prior PCI enrolled in REDUCE‐IT (Reduction of Cardiovascular Events With Icosapent Ethyl–Intervention Trial), a multicenter, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial of icosapent ethyl versus placebo. Icosapent ethyl was added to statins in patients with low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol

Published
2022
Full Text
View/download PDF

8. Cardiovascular Events and Long‐Term Risk of Sudden Death Among Stabilized Patients After Acute Coronary Syndrome: Insights From IMPROVE‐IT

Author

Christopher B. Fordyce, Robert P. Giugliano, Christopher P. Cannon, Matthew T. Roe, Abhinav Sharma, Courtney Page, Jennifer A. White, Yuliya Lokhnygina, Eugene Braunwald, and Michael A. Blazing

Subjects
long‐term outcomes, myocardial infarction, sudden death, Diseases of the circulatory (Cardiovascular) system, RC666-701
Abstract

Background Unlike patients with low ejection fraction after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS), little is known about the long‐term incidence and influence of cardiovascular events before sudden death among stabilized patients after ACS. Methods and Results A total of 18 144 patients stabilized within 10 days after ACS in IMPROVE‐IT (Improved Reduction of Outcomes: Vytorin Efficacy International Trial) were studied. Cumulative incidence rates (IRs) and IRs per 100 patient‐years of sudden death were calculated. Using Cox proportional hazards, the association of ≥1 additional postrandomization cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, stroke, and hospitalization for unstable angina or heart failure) with sudden death was examined. Early (≤1 year after ACS) and late sudden deaths (>1 year) were compared. Of 2446 total deaths, 402 (16%) were sudden. The median time to sudden death was 2.7 years, with 109 early and 293 late sudden deaths. The cumulative IR was 2.47% (95% CI, 2.23%–2.73%) at 7 years of follow‐up. The risk of sudden death following a postrandomization cardiovascular event (150/402 [37%] sudden deaths; median 1.4 years) was greater (IR/100 patient‐years, 1.45 [95% CI, 1.23–1.69]) than the risk with no postrandomization cardiovascular event (IR/100 patient‐years, 0.27 [95% CI, 0.24–0.30]). Postrandomization myocardial infarction (hazard ratio [HR], 3.64 [95% CI, 2.85–4.66]) and heart failure (HR, 4.55 [95% CI, 3.33–6.22]) significantly increased future risk of sudden death. Conclusions Patients stabilized within 10 days of an ACS remain at long‐term risk of sudden death with the greatest risk in those with an additional cardiovascular event. These results refine the long‐term risk and risk effectors of sudden death, which may help clinicians identify opportunities to improve care. Registration: URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00202878.

Published
2022
Full Text
View/download PDF

9. No association between APOE genotype and lipid lowering with cognitive function in a randomized controlled trial of evolocumab

Author

Laura E. Korthauer, Robert P. Giugliano, Jianping Guo, Marc S. Sabatine, Peter Sever, Anthony Keech, Dan Atar, Christopher Kurtz, Christian T. Ruff, Francois Mach, and Brian R. Ott

Subjects
Medicine, Science
Abstract

APOE encodes a cholesterol transporter, and the ε4 allele is associated with higher circulating cholesterol levels, ß-amyloid burden, and risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Prior studies demonstrated no significant differences in objective or subjective cognitive function for patients receiving the PCSK9 inhibitor evolocumab vs. placebo added to statin therapy. There is some evidence that cholesterol-lowering medications may confer greater cognitive benefits in APOE ε4 carriers. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine whether APOE genotype moderates the relationships between evolocumab use and cognitive function. APOE-genotyped patients (N = 13,481; 28% ε4 carriers) from FOURIER, a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of evolocumab added to statin therapy in patients with stable atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease followed for a median of 2.2 years, completed the Everyday Cognition Scale (ECog) to self-report cognitive changes from the end of the trial compared to its beginning; a subset (N = 835) underwent objective cognitive testing using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery as part of the EBBINGHAUS trial. There was a dose-dependent relationship between APOE ε4 genotype and patient-reported memory decline on the ECog in the placebo arm (p = .003 for trend across genotypes; ε4/ε4 carriers vs. non-carriers: OR = 1.46, 95% CI [1.03, 2.08]) but not in the evolocumab arm (p = .50, OR = 1.18, 95% CI [.83,1.66]). However, the genotype by treatment interaction was not significant (p = .30). In the subset of participants who underwent objective cognitive testing with the CANTAB, APOE genotype did not significantly modify the relationship between treatment arm and CANTAB performance after adjustment for demographic and medical covariates, (p’s>.05). Although analyses were limited by the low population frequency of the ε4/ε4 genotype, this supports the cognitive safety of evolocumab among ε4 carriers, guiding future research on possible benefits of cholesterol-lowering medications in people at genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease.

Published
2022

10. Prospective Evaluation of Malignancy in 17,708 Patients Randomized to Ezetimibe Versus Placebo

Author

Robert P. Giugliano, MD, SM, Baris Gencer, MD, Stephen D. Wiviott, MD, Jeong-Gun Park, PHD, Charles S. Fuchs, MD, MPH, Wolfram Goessling, MD, PHD, Thomas A. Musliner, MD, Andrew M. Tershakovec, MD, MPH, Michael A. Blazing, MD, Robert Califf, MD, Christopher P. Cannon, MD, and Eugene Braunwald, MD

Subjects
acute coronary syndromes, cancer, ezetimibe, lipid-lowering therapy, lipids, malignancy, Diseases of the circulatory (Cardiovascular) system, RC666-701, Neoplasms. Tumors. Oncology. Including cancer and carcinogens, RC254-282
Abstract

Background: An increased risk of malignancy was reported with simvastatin/ezetimibe in 1,873 patients in the SEAS (Simvastatin and Ezetimibe in Aortic Stenosis) trial. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to clarify this unexpected finding in a larger sample size of patients stabilized after acute coronary syndrome, we conducted a prospective systematic analysis of malignancy events in IMPROVE-IT (Improved Reduction of Outcomes: Vytorin Efficacy International Trial). Methods: Within IMPROVE-IT, 17,708 patients post–acute coronary syndrome were randomized to either ezetimibe 10 mg or matching placebo on a background of simvastatin 40 mg who took ≥1 dose of the study drug. Suspected tumors (benign and malignant) reported by investigators or identified from a review of adverse events were adjudicated by oncologists without knowledge of drug assignment. The primary malignancy endpoint included new, relapsing, or progressive malignancies (excluding nonmelanotic skin malignancies). The secondary endpoint was death due to malignancy. Results: In this trial, 1,470 patients developed the primary malignancy endpoint during a median 6 years of follow-up. The most common malignancy locations were prostate (18.9%), lung (16.8%), and bladder (8.8%) with no differences by treatment group (p > 0.05 for each location). Kaplan-Meier 7-year rates of malignancies were similar with ezetimibe and placebo (10.2% vs. 10.3%; hazard ratio: 1.03; 95% confidence interval: 0.93 to 1.14; p = 0.56), as were the rates for malignancy death (3.8% vs. 3.6%; hazard ratio: 1.04; 95% confidence interval: 0.88 to 1.23; p = 0.68). Conclusions: Among 17,708 patients receiving simvastatin 40 mg daily, those randomized to ezetimibe 10 mg daily had a similar incidence of malignancy and deaths due to malignancy compared with those receiving placebo during a median follow-up of 6 years (96,377 patient-years). (IMPROVE-IT: Examining Outcomes in Subjects With Acute Coronary Syndrome: Vytorin [Ezetimibe/Simvastatin] vs Simvastatin [P04103]; NCT00202878)

Published
2020
Full Text
View/download PDF

11. What Lessons Have We Learned and What Remains to be Clarified for PCSK9 Inhibitors? A Review of FOURIER and ODYSSEY Outcomes Trials

Author

Remo H. M. Furtado and Robert P. Giugliano

Subjects
Alirocumab, Evolocumab, LDL-cholesterol, Lipid-lowering therapy, PCSK9 inhibitor, Secondary prevention, Diseases of the circulatory (Cardiovascular) system, RC666-701
Abstract

Abstract For more than half a century, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) has been recognized as a major risk factor for incident atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The discovery of proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9 (PCSK9) in 2003, which prevents LDL-C receptor recycling, identified a new target for drug intervention. Recently, two large-scale randomized clinical outcomes trials involving fully human anti-PCSK9 monoclonal antibodies tested the hypothesis that targeting this pathway would reduce cardiovascular events. Both the FOURIER (Further cardiovascular OUtcomes Research with PCSK9 Inhibition in subjects with Elevated Risk) and ODYSSEY OUTCOMES trials met their primary efficacy endpoints, confirming findings reported earlier that major adverse cardiovascular events can be reduced by a further lowering of LDL-C beyond that achieved with statin therapy. In both trials, there were incremental reductions in LDL-C of > 50% from baseline, with no major safety concerns, over the trials’ median follow-up time (2.2 and 2.8 years, respectively). While there were differences in design, lipid management and overall results, key messages from both studies were similar. However, post-publication, additional questions have arisen, especially regarding drug effects over the long-term, including a potential mortality benefit.

Published
2020
Full Text
View/download PDF

12. Reduction of Revascularizations in Patients with Hypertriglyceridemia with Icosapent Ethyl: Insights from REDUCE-IT REVASC

Author

Benjamin E. Peterson, M.D, Deepak L. Bhatt, M.D., M.P.H, Ph.Gabriel Steg, M.D, Michael Miller, M.D, Eliot A. Brinton, M.D, Terry A. Jacobson, M.D, Steven B. Ketchum, Rebecca A. Juliano, Ph.D., Lixia Jiao, Ph.D, Ralph T. Doyle, Jr., B.A, Craig Granowitz, M.D., Ph.D, C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D, Duane Pinto, M.D, Robert P. Giugliano, M.D., S.M, Matthew J. Budoff, M.D, Jean-Claude Tardif, M.D, Subodh Verma, M.D., Ph.D, and Christie M. Ballantyne, M.D

Subjects
Diseases of the circulatory (Cardiovascular) system, RC666-701, Public aspects of medicine, RA1-1270
Published
2020
Full Text
View/download PDF

14. Once- or twice-daily non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants in Asian patients with atrial fibrillation: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Author

Kang-Ling Wang, Chun-Chih Chiu, Doreen Su-Yin Tan, Chun-Yi Lin, En-Yu Lai, Shinya Goto, Robert P. Giugliano, and Chern-En Chiang

Subjects
Asian patients, Atrial fibrillation, Non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants, Medicine (General), R5-920
Abstract

Non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) have a half-life of around 12 h. We aimed to clarify if there was any effect modification by dosing (once- or twice-daily) regimens in Asian patients. Methods: Phase III randomized controlled trials of NOACs compared with warfarin in Asian patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) were identified and extracted from PubMed, CENTRAL, and CINAHL databases through November 2016. Outcomes were pooled by dosing regimens with the Mantel-Haenszel fixed-effects model. The risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. Effect differences between once- and twice-daily NOACs were assessed with Bucher indirect comparisons using common estimates, once heterogeneity was low, and with the Bayesian method. Results: From 6 trials, there was no effect modification by dosing regimens in the risk of stroke or systemic embolism across ethnicities (all interaction P > 0.05). Both dosing regimens were associated with a greater reduction in the risk of major bleeding in Asian patients (RR, 0.63 (95% CI, 0.47–0.85) and 0.57 (95% CI, 0.43–0.75), for once- and twice-daily NOACs, respectively). In Asian patients, risks of hemorrhagic stroke and intracranial hemorrhage were lower with once- (RR, 0.41 (95% CI, 0.21–0.80) and 0.29 (95% CI, 0.16–0.53)) and twice-daily NOACs (RR, 0.25 (95% CI, 0.12–0.51) and 0.38 (95% CI, 0.23–0.65)), compared with warfarin. There was no effect difference favoring any of NOAC regimens evaluated by Bucher and Bayesian methods. Conclusion: In Asian patients with AF, NOACs, regardless of dosing regimens, have a similar feature of preserved efficacy with improved safety compared with warfarin.

Published
2017
Full Text
View/download PDF

15. PCSK9 inhibition-mediated reduction in Lp(a) with evolocumab: an analysis of 10 clinical trials and the LDL receptor's role[S]

Author

Frederick J. Raal, Robert P. Giugliano, Marc S. Sabatine, Michael J. Koren, Dirk Blom, Nabil G. Seidah, Narimon Honarpour, Armando Lira, Allen Xue, Padmaja Chiruvolu, Simon Jackson, Mei Di, Matthew Peach, Ransi Somaratne, Scott M. Wasserman, Rob Scott, and Evan A. Stein

Subjects
lipoprotein (a), low density lipoprotein cholesterol, low density lipoprotein receptor, proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9, Biochemistry, QD415-436
Abstract

Lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] is independently associated with CVD risk. Evolocumab, a monoclonal antibody (mAb) to proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), decreases Lp(a). The potential mechanisms were assessed. A pooled analysis of Lp(a) and LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) in 3,278 patients from 10 clinical trials (eight phase 2/3; two extensions) was conducted. Within each parent study, biweekly and monthly doses of evolocumab statistically significantly reduced Lp(a) at week 12 versus control (P < 0.001 within each study); pooled median (quartile 1, quartile 3) percent reductions were 24.7% (40.0, 3.6) and 21.7% (39.9, 4.2), respectively. Reductions were maintained through week 52 of the open-label extension, and correlated with LDL-C reductions [with and without correction for Lp(a)-cholesterol] at both time points (P < 0.0001). The effect of LDL and LDL receptor (LDLR) availability on Lp(a) cell-association was measured in HepG2 cells: cell-associated LDL fluorescence was reversed by unlabeled LDL and Lp(a). Lp(a) cell-association was reduced by coincubation with LDL and PCSK9 and reversed by adding PCSK9 mAb. These studies support that reductions in Lp(a) with PCSK9 inhibition are partly due to increased LDLR-mediated uptake. In most situations, Lp(a) appears to compete poorly with LDL for LDLR binding and internalization, but when LDLR expression is increased with evolocumab, particularly in the setting of low circulating LDL, Lp(a) is reduced.

Published
2016
Full Text
View/download PDF

16. Efficacy and Safety of Edoxaban in Patients With Active Malignancy and Atrial Fibrillation: Analysis of the ENGAGE AF‐TIMI 48 Trial

Author

Christina L. Fanola, Christian T. Ruff, Sabina A. Murphy, James Jin, Anil Duggal, Noe A. Babilonia, Piyamitr Sritara, Michele F. Mercuri, Pieter W. Kamphuisen, Elliott M. Antman, Eugene Braunwald, and Robert P. Giugliano

Subjects
anticoagulants, atrial fibrillation, cancer, edoxaban, malignancy, warfarin, Diseases of the circulatory (Cardiovascular) system, RC666-701
Abstract

Background Anticoagulation in patients with malignancy and atrial fibrillation is challenging because of enhanced risks for thrombosis and bleeding and the frequent need for invasive procedures. Data on direct oral antagonists in such patients are sparse. Methods and Results The ENGAGE AF‐TIMI 48 (Effective Anticoagulation With Factor Xa Next Generation in Atrial Fibrillation–Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction Study 48) trial randomized 21 105 patients with atrial fibrillation to edoxaban or warfarin. Patients with malignancy, defined as a postrandomization new diagnosis or recurrence of remote cancer, were followed up over a median of 2.8 years. Adjusted Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate the safety and efficacy of edoxaban versus warfarin. Over a median of 495 days (interquartile range, 230–771 days), 1153 patients (5.5%) were diagnosed with new or recurrent malignancy, most commonly involving the gastrointestinal tract (20.6%), prostate (13.6%), and lung (11.1%). Malignancy was associated with increased risk of death (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 3.12; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.78–3.50) and major bleeding (adjusted HR, 2.45; 95% CI, 2.07–2.89), but not stroke/systemic embolism (adjusted HR, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.83–1.42). Relative outcomes with higher‐dose edoxaban versus warfarin were consistent regardless of malignancy status for stroke/systemic embolism (HR, 0.60 [95% CI, 0.31–1.15] for malignancy versus HR, 0.89 [95% CI, 0.76–1.05] for no malignancy; interaction P=0.25) and major bleeding (HR, 0.98 [95% CI, 0.69–1.40] for malignancy versus HR, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.69–1.05] for no malignancy; interaction P=0.31). There was, however, a significant treatment interaction for the composite ischemic end point (ischemic stroke/systemic embolism/myocardial infarction), with greater efficacy of higher‐dose edoxaban versus warfarin in patients with malignancy (HR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.31–0.93) compared with no malignancy (HR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.88–1.18; interaction P=0.026). Conclusions In patients with atrial fibrillation who develop malignancy, the efficacy and safety profile of edoxaban relative to warfarin is preserved, and it may represent a more practical alternative.

Published
2018
Full Text
View/download PDF

17. Efficacy and Safety of Adding Ezetimibe to Statin Therapy Among Women and Men: Insight From IMPROVE‐IT (Improved Reduction of Outcomes: Vytorin Efficacy International Trial)

Author

Eri Toda Kato, Christopher P. Cannon, Michael A. Blazing, Erin Bohula, Sema Guneri, Jennifer A. White, Sabina A. Murphy, Jeong‐Gun Park, Eugene Braunwald, and Robert P. Giugliano

Subjects
cholesterol, chronic ischemic heart disease, coronary artery disease, ezetimibe, lipids and lipoprotein metabolism, secondary prevention, Diseases of the circulatory (Cardiovascular) system, RC666-701
Abstract

BackgroundIMPROVE‐IT (Improved Reduction of Outcomes: Vytorin Efficacy International Trial) showed that adding the nonstatin ezetimibe to statin therapy further reduced cardiovascular events in patients after an acute coronary syndrome. In a prespecified analysis, we explore results stratified by sex. Methods and ResultsIn IMPROVE‐IT, patients with acute coronary syndrome and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol of 50 to 125 mg/dL were randomized to placebo/simvastatin 40 mg or ezetimibe/simvastatin 10/40 mg. They were followed up for a median of 6 years for the primary composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, hospitalization for unstable angina, coronary revascularization ≥30 days, and stroke. Among 18 144 patients in IMPROVE‐IT, 4416 (24%) were women. At 12 months, the addition of ezetimibe to simvastatin significantly reduced low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol from baseline compared with simvastatin monotherapy in men and women equally (absolute reduction, 16.7 mg/dL in men and 16.4 mg/dL in women). Women receiving ezetimibe/simvastatin had a 12% risk reduction over those receiving placebo/simvastatin for the primary composite end point (hazard ratio, 0.88; 95% confidence interval, 0.79–0.99) compared with a 5% reduction for men (hazard ratio, 0.95; 95% confidence interval, 0.90–1.01; P=0.26 for interaction). When the total number of primary events was considered, women had an 18% reduction with the addition of ezetimibe (relative risk, 95% confidence interval, 0.81; 0.71–0.94) and men had a 6% reduction (relative risk, 0.94; 95% confidence interval, 0.87–1.02; P=0.08 for interaction). The addition of ezetimibe did not increase the rates of safety events in either women or men. ConclusionsIMPROVE‐IT demonstrated that the benefit of adding ezetimibe to statin is present in both women and men, with a good safety profile supporting the use of intensive, combination, lipid‐lowering therapy to optimize cardiovascular outcomes. Clinical Trial RegistrationURL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00202878.

Published
2017
Full Text
View/download PDF

18. Competing Risks of Cardiovascular Versus Noncardiovascular Death During Long‐Term Follow‐Up After Acute Coronary Syndromes

Author

Alexander C. Fanaroff, Matthew T. Roe, Robert M. Clare, Yuliya Lokhnygina, Ann Marie Navar, Robert P. Giugliano, Stephen D. Wiviott, Andrew M. Tershakovec, Eugene Braunwald, and Michael A. Blazing

Subjects
acute coronary syndrome, clinical trial, death, Diseases of the circulatory (Cardiovascular) system, RC666-701
Abstract

BackgroundUnderstanding the relative risk of cardiovascular versus noncardiovascular death is important for designing clinical trials. These risks may differ depending on patient age, sex, and type of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods and ResultsIMPROVE‐IT (Improved Reduction of Outcomes: Vytorin Efficacy International Trial) was a randomized controlled trial of simvastatin plus either ezetimibe or placebo following stabilized ACS. Cause of death was adjudicated by an independent committee. We compared the cumulative incidence of cardiovascular and noncardiovascular death for patients with unstable angina/non‐ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction (UA/NSTEMI) and ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), in those

Published
2017
Full Text
View/download PDF

19. Impact of Spontaneous Extracranial Bleeding Events on Health State Utility in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: Results from the ENGAGE AF‐TIMI 48 Trial

Author

Kaijun Wang, Haiyan Li, Winghan J. Kwong, Elliott M. Antman, Christian T. Ruff, Robert P. Giugliano, David J. Cohen, and Elizabeth A. Magnuson

Subjects
anticoagulation, bleeding, quality of life, utility, Diseases of the circulatory (Cardiovascular) system, RC666-701
Abstract

BackgroundThe impact of different types of extracranial bleeding events on health‐related quality of life and health‐state utility among patients with atrial fibrillation is not well understood. Methods and ResultsThe ENGAGE AF‐TIMI 48 (Effective Anticoagulation With Factor Xa Next Generation in Atrial Fibrillation–Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction 48) Trial compared edoxaban with warfarin with respect to the prevention of stroke or systemic embolism in atrial fibrillation. Data from the EuroQol‐5D (EQ‐5D‐3L) questionnaire, prospectively collected at 3‐month intervals for up to 48 months, were used to estimate the impact of different categories of bleeding events on health‐state utility over 12 months following the event. Longitudinal mixed‐effect models revealed that major gastrointestinal bleeds and major nongastrointestinal bleeds were associated with significant immediate decreases in utility scores (−0.029 [−0.044 to −0.014; P

Published
2017
Full Text
View/download PDF

20. Digoxin Use and Subsequent Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation With or Without Heart Failure in the ENGAGE AF‐TIMI 48 Trial

Author

Alon Eisen, Christian T. Ruff, Eugene Braunwald, Rose A. Hamershock, Basil S. Lewis, Christian Hassager, Tze‐Fan Chao, Jean Yves Le Heuzey, Michele Mercuri, Howard Rutman, Elliott M. Antman, and Robert P. Giugliano

Subjects
atrial fibrillation, digoxin, heart failure, mortality, sudden cardiac death, Diseases of the circulatory (Cardiovascular) system, RC666-701
Abstract

BackgroundDigoxin is widely used in patients with atrial fibrillation despite the lack of randomized controlled trials. Observational studies report conflicting results regarding its association with mortality, perhaps because of residual confounding by the presence of heart failure (HF). Methods and ResultsIn the ENGAGE AF‐TIMI 48 (Effective Anticoagulation With Factor Xa Next Generation in Atrial Fibrillation‐Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction 48) trial, clinical outcomes of patients with atrial fibrillation with and without HF were examined by baseline digoxin use during a median follow‐up of 2.8 years. HF was defined at baseline as prior or current clinical stage C or D HF. Of 21 105 patients enrolled, 6327 (30%) were treated with digoxin at baseline. Among patients without HF (n=8981), digoxin use (20%) was independently associated with sudden cardiac death (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.10–2.08), with no significant interaction by age, sex, left ventricular ejection fraction, renal function, or concomitant medications (P>0.05 for each). Consistent results were observed using propensity matching (adjusted hazard ratio for sudden cardiac death, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.36–2.65). Among patients with HF (n=12 124), digoxin use (37%) was associated with an increase in all‐cause death, cardiovascular death, sudden cardiac death, and death caused by HF/cardiogenic shock (P

Published
2017
Full Text
View/download PDF

21. Do Diabetic Patients with Acute Coronary Syndromes Have a Higher Threshold for Ischemic Pain?

Author

José Carlos Nicolau, Carlos José Dornas Gonçalves Barbosa, André Franci, Luciano Moreira Baracioli, Marcelo Franken, Felipe Gallego Lima, Roberto Rocha Giraldez, Roberto Kalil Filho, José Antônio Franchini Ramires, and Robert P. Giugliano

Subjects
Diabetes Mellitus, Síndrome Coronariana Aguda, Dor no Peito, Hiperglicemia, Diseases of the circulatory (Cardiovascular) system, RC666-701
Abstract

Background: Data from over 4 decades have reported a higher incidence of silent infarction among patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), but recent publications have shown conflicting results regarding the correlation between DM and presence of pain in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Objective: Our primary objective was to analyze the association between DM and precordial pain at hospital arrival. Secondary analyses evaluated the association between hyperglycemia and precordial pain at presentation, and the subgroup of patients presenting within 6 hours of symptom onset. Methods: We analyzed a prospectively designed registry of 3,544 patients with ACS admitted to a Coronary Care Unit of a tertiary hospital. We developed multivariable models to adjust for potential confounders. Results: Patients with precordial pain were less likely to have DM (30.3%) than those without pain (34.0%; unadjusted p = 0.029), but this difference was not significant after multivariable adjustment, for the global population (p = 0.84), and for subset of patients that presented within 6 hours from symptom onset (p = 0.51). In contrast, precordial pain was more likely among patients with hyperglycemia (41.2% vs 37.0% without hyperglycemia, p = 0.035) in the overall population and also among those who presented within 6 hours (41.6% vs. 32.3%, p = 0.001). Adjusted models showed an independent association between hyperglycemia and pain at presentation, especially among patients who presented within 6 hours (OR = 1.41, p = 0.008). Conclusion: In this non-selected ACS population, there was no correlation between DM and hospital presentation without precordial pain. Moreover, hyperglycemia correlated significantly with pain at presentation, especially in the population that arrived within 6 hours from symptom onset.

Published
2014
Full Text
View/download PDF

22. Sudden Cardiac Death in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: Insights From the ENGAGE AF‐TIMI 48 Trial

Author

Alon Eisen, Christian T. Ruff, Eugene Braunwald, Francesco Nordio, Ramón Corbalán, Anthony Dalby, Maria Dorobantu, Michele Mercuri, Hans Lanz, Howard Rutman, Stephen D. Wiviott, Elliott M. Antman, and Robert P. Giugliano

Subjects
atrial fibrillation, sudden cardiac death, Diseases of the circulatory (Cardiovascular) system, RC666-701
Abstract

BackgroundRecent findings suggest that atrial fibrillation is associated with sudden cardiac death (SCD). We examined the incidence, characteristics, and factors associated with SCD in patients with atrial fibrillation. Methods and ResultsSCD was defined as witnessed death ≤60 minutes from the onset of new symptoms or unwitnessed death 1 to 24 hours after being observed alive, without another known cause of death. Predictors of SCD were examined using multivariate competing risks models. Over 2.8 years (median), 2349 patients died (40.5 per 1000 patient‐years), of which 1668 (71%) were cardiovascular deaths. SCD was the most common cause of cardiovascular death (n=749; median age 73 years; 70.6% male). Most SCD events occurred out of hospital (92.8%) and without prior symptoms (66.0%). Predictors of SCD included low ejection fraction, heart failure, and prior myocardial infarction (P

Published
2016
Full Text
View/download PDF

23. Efficacy and Safety of Edoxaban in Elderly Patients With Atrial Fibrillation in the ENGAGE AF–TIMI 48 Trial

Author

Eri Toda Kato, Robert P. Giugliano, Christian T. Ruff, Yukihiro Koretsune, Takeshi Yamashita, Robert Gabor Kiss, Francesco Nordio, Sabina A. Murphy, Tetsuya Kimura, James Jin, Hans Lanz, Michele Mercuri, Eugene Braunwald, and Elliott M. Antman

Subjects
antithrombotic, bleeding, death, elderly, stroke, Diseases of the circulatory (Cardiovascular) system, RC666-701
Abstract

BackgroundElderly patients with atrial fibrillation are at higher risk of both ischemic and bleeding events compared to younger patients. In a prespecified analysis from the ENGAGE AF‐TIMI 48 trial, we evaluate clinical outcomes with edoxaban versus warfarin according to age. Methods and ResultsTwenty‐one thousand one‐hundred and five patients enrolled in the ENGAGE AF‐TIMI 48 trial were stratified into 3 prespecified age groups:

Published
2016
Full Text
View/download PDF

24. Concomitant Use of Single Antiplatelet Therapy With Edoxaban or Warfarin in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: Analysis From the ENGAGE AF‐TIMI48 Trial

Author

Haiyan Xu, Christian T. Ruff, Robert P. Giugliano, Sabina A. Murphy, Francesco Nordio, Indravadan Patel, Minggao Shi, Michele Mercuri, Elliott M. Antman, and Eugene Braunwald

Subjects
anticoagulant, antiplatelet, atrial fibrillation, edoxaban, Diseases of the circulatory (Cardiovascular) system, RC666-701
Abstract

BackgroundWe studied the concomitant use of single antiplatelet therapy (SAPT) on the efficacy and safety of the anti‐Xa agent edoxaban in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods and ResultsENGAGE AF‐TIMI 48 was a randomized trial that compared 2 dose regimens of edoxaban with warfarin. We studied both the approved higher‐dose edoxaban regimen (HDER; 60 mg daily reduced by one half in patients with anticipated increased drug exposure), as well as a lower‐dose edoxaban regimen (LDER; 30 mg daily, also reduced by one half in patients with anticipated increased drug regimen). SAPT (aspirin in 92.5%) was administered at the discretion of the treating physician. Cox proportional hazard regressions stratified by SAPT at 3 months with treatment as a covariate were performed. The 4912 patients who received SAPT were more frequently male, with histories of coronary artery disease and diabetes, and had higher CHADS2Vasc and HAS BLED scores than did the 14 997 patients not receiving SAPT. When compared to patients not receiving SAPT, those receiving SAPT had a higher incidence of major bleeding; (adjusted hazard ratio [HRadj]=1.46; 95% CI, 1.27–1.67, P

Published
2016
Full Text
View/download PDF

25. Association Between Achieved Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels and Long-Term Cardiovascular and Safety Outcomes: An Analysis of FOURIER-OLE

Author

Prakriti Gaba, Michelle L. O’Donoghue, Jeong-Gun Park, Stephen D. Wiviott, Dan Atar, Julia F. Kuder, KyungAh Im, Sabina A. Murphy, Gaetano M. De Ferrari, Zbigniew A. Gaciong, Kalman Toth, Ioanna Gouni-Berthold, Jose Lopez-Miranda, François Schiele, François Mach, Jose H. Flores-Arredondo, J. Antonio G. López, Mary Elliott-Davey, Bei Wang, Maria Laura Monsalvo, Siddique Abbasi, Robert P. Giugliano, and Marc S. Sabatine

Subjects
Physiology (medical), Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
Abstract

Background: Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is a well-established risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. However, the optimal achieved LDL-C level with regard to efficacy and safety in the long term remains unknown. Methods: In FOURIER (Further Cardiovascular Outcomes Research With PCSK9 Inhibition in Subjects With Elevated Risk), 27 564 patients with stable atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease were randomized to evolocumab versus placebo, with a median follow-up of 2.2 years. In the open-label extension (FOURIER-OLE), 6635 of these patients were transitioned to open-label evolocumab regardless of initial treatment allocation in the parent trial and were followed for an additional median of 5 years. In this prespecified analysis, we examined the relationship between achieved LDL-C levels (an average of the first 2 LDL-C levels measured) in FOURIER-OLE (available in 6559 patients) and the incidence of subsequent cardiovascular and safety outcomes. We also performed sensitivity analyses evaluating cardiovascular and safety outcomes in the entire FOURIER and FOURIER-OLE patient population. Multivariable modeling was used to adjust for baseline factors associated with achieved LDL-C levels. Results: In FOURIER-OLE, 1604 (24%), 2627 (40%), 1031 (16%), 486 (7%), and 811 (12%) patients achieved LDL-C levels of P trend Conclusions: In patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, long-term achievement of lower LDL-C levels, down to Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier: NCT01764633.

Published
2023

27. Association of Serial High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin T With Subsequent Cardiovascular Events in Patients Stabilized After Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Secondary Analysis From IMPROVE-IT

Author

Siddharth M. Patel, Arman Qamar, Robert P. Giugliano, Petr Jarolim, Nicholas A. Marston, Jeong-Gun Park, Michael A. Blazing, Christopher P. Cannon, Eugene Braunwald, and David A. Morrow

Subjects
Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
Abstract

ImportanceStudies have demonstrated an association between single measures of high-sensitivity troponin (hsTn) and future cardiovascular events in patients with chronic coronary syndromes. However, limited data exist regarding the association between changes in serial values of hsTn and subsequent cardiovascular events in this patient population.ObjectiveTo evaluate the association between changes in high-sensitivity troponin T (hsTnT) and subsequent cardiovascular events in patients stabilized after acute coronary syndrome (ACS).Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis is a secondary analysis from the Improved Reduction of Outcomes: Vytorin Efficacy International Trial (IMPROVE-IT), a randomized clinical trial of ezetimibe vs placebo on a background of simvastatin in 18 144 patients hospitalized for an ACS across 1147 sites in 39 countries. The current biomarker substudy includes the 6035 participants consenting to the biomarker substudy with available hsTnT at months 1 and 4. Data were collected from October 26, 2005, through July 8, 2010, with the database locked October 21, 2014. Data were analyzed from February 28, 2021, through August 14, 2022.Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe outcomes of interest were cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, or hospitalization for heart failure (HHF). Associations of absolute and relative changes in hsTnT between month 1 and month 4 as a function of the starting month 1 hsTnT and the composite outcome were examined using landmark analyses.ResultsOf 6035 patients in this analysis (median [IQR] age, 64 [57-71]), 1486 (24.6%) were female; 361 (6.0%) were Asian; 121 were (2.0%) Black; 252 (4.2%) were Spanish descent; 4959 were (82.2%) White; and 342 (5.7%) reported another race (consolidated owing to small numbers), declined to respond, or were not asked to report race owing to regulatory prohibitions. Most patients (4114 [68.2%]) had stable hsTnT values (change P P = .06) compared with stable values. There was a stepwise association moving from larger absolute decreases (aHR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.26-1.03) to larger absolute increases (aHR, 3.33; 95% CI, 1.99-5.57) in hsTnT with future risk of the composite outcome (P trend Conclusions and RelevanceAmong stable patients post-ACS, changes in hsTnT were associated with a gradient of risk of subsequent cardiovascular events across the range of starting hsTnT values. Serial assessment of hsTnT may refine risk stratification with the potential to guide therapy decisions in this patient population.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00202878

Published
2023

29. Growth differentiation factor 15 and cardiovascular risk: individual patient meta-analysis

Author

Eri Toda Kato, David A Morrow, Jianping Guo, David D Berg, Michael A Blazing, Erin A Bohula, Marc P Bonaca, Christopher P Cannon, James A de Lemos, Robert P Giugliano, Petr Jarolim, Tibor Kempf, L Kristin Newby, Michelle L O’Donoghue, Marc A Pfeffer, Nader Rifai, Stephen D Wiviott, Kai C Wollert, Eugene Braunwald, and Marc S Sabatine

Subjects
Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
Abstract

Aims Levels of growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), a cytokine secreted in response to cellular stress and inflammation, have been associated with multiple types of cardiovascular (CV) events. However, its comparative prognostic performance across different presentations of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) remains unknown. Methods and results An individual patient meta-analysis was performed using data pooled from eight trials including 53 486 patients. Baseline GDF-15 concentration was analyzed as a continuous variable and using established cutpoints ( 1800 ng/L) to evaluate its prognostic performance for CV death/hospitalization for heart failure (HHF), major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), and their components using Cox models adjusted for clinical variables and established CV biomarkers. Analyses were further stratified on ASCVD status: acute coronary syndrome (ACS), stabilized after recent ACS, and stable ASCVD. Overall, higher GDF-15 concentration was significantly and independently associated with an increased rate of CV death/HHF and MACE (P < 0.001 for each). However, while GDF-15 showed a robust and consistent independent association with CV death and HHF across all presentations of ASCVD, its prognostic association with future myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke only remained significant in patients stabilized after recent ACS or with stable ASCVD [hazard ratio (HR): 1.24, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.17–1.31 and HR: 1.16, 95% CI: 1.05–1.28 for MI and stroke, respectively] and not in ACS (HR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.90–1.06 and HR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.39–1.92, respectively). Conclusion Growth differentiation factor 15 consistently adds prognostic information for CV death and HHF across the spectrum of ASCVD. GDF-15 also adds prognostic information for MI and stroke beyond clinical risk factors and cardiac biomarkers but not in the setting of ACS.

Published
2022

30. Long-Term Evolocumab in Patients With Established Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease

Author

Michelle L. O’Donoghue, Robert P. Giugliano, Stephen D. Wiviott, Dan Atar, Anthony Keech, Julia F. Kuder, KyungAh Im, Sabina A. Murphy, Jose H. Flores-Arredondo, J. Antonio G. López, Mary Elliott-Davey, Bei Wang, Maria Laura Monsalvo, Siddique Abbasi, and Marc S. Sabatine

Subjects
Anticholesteremic Agents, PCSK9 Inhibitors, Myocardial Infarction, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Cholesterol, LDL, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized, Atherosclerosis, Stroke, Treatment Outcome, Cardiovascular Diseases, Physiology (medical), Humans, Subtilisins, Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors, Proprotein Convertase 9, Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
Abstract

Background: In FOURIER (Further Cardiovascular Outcomes Research With PCSK9 Inhibition in Subjects With Elevated Risk), the proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9 inhibitor evolocumab reduced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and risk of cardiovascular events and was safe and well tolerated over a median of 2.2 years of follow-up. However, large-scale, long-term data are lacking. Methods: The parent FOURIER trial randomized 27 564 patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and LDL-C ≥70 mg/dL on statin to evolocumab versus placebo. Patients completing FOURIER at participating sites were eligible to receive evolocumab in 2 open-label extension studies (FOURIER-OLE [FOURIER Open-Label Extension]) in the United States and Europe; primary analyses were pooled across studies. The primary end point was the incidence of adverse events. Lipid values and major adverse cardiovascular events were prospectively collected. Results: A total of 6635 patients were enrolled in FOURIER-OLE (3355 randomized to evolocumab and 3280 to placebo in the parent study). Median follow-up in FOURIER-OLE was 5.0 years; maximum exposure to evolocumab in parent plus FOURIER-OLE was 8.4 years. At 12 weeks in FOURIER-OLE, median LDL-C was 30 mg/dL, and 63.2% of patients achieved LDL-C P =0.008); a 20% lower risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (hazard ratio, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.68–0.93]; P =0.003); and a 23% lower risk of cardiovascular death (hazard ratio, 0.77 [95% CI, 0.60–0.99]; P =0.04). Conclusions: Long-term LDL-C lowering with evolocumab was associated with persistently low rates of adverse events for >8 years that did not exceed those observed in the original placebo arm during the parent study and led to further reductions in cardiovascular events compared with delayed treatment initiation. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifiers: NCT02867813 and NCT03080935.

Published
2022

32. Time-averaged low-density lipoprotein cholesterol lowering with evolocumab: Pooled analysis of phase 2 trials

Author

Belinda Schludi, Robert P. Giugliano, Marc S. Sabatine, Frederick J. Raal, Tamio Teramoto, Michael J. Koren, Evan A. Stein, Huei Wang, and Maria Laura Monsalvo

Subjects
Treatment Outcome, Nutrition and Dietetics, Anticholesteremic Agents, Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Internal Medicine, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humans, Cholesterol, LDL, Proprotein Convertase 9, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized, Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
Abstract

LDL-C is the pivotal risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and the benefit from LDL-C lowering is proportional to the magnitude of reduction. Clinical trials demonstrate that evolocumab reduces LDL-C levels by approximately 60% when measured at the trough of drug effect, which may underestimate cumulative LDL-C reduction. We obtained a time-averaged estimate of LDL-C lowering that included both peaks and troughs. Pooled analysis of 5 phase 2 trials included patients with hypercholesterolemia who received placebo or evolocumab (140 mg every 2 weeks [Q2W] or 420 mg monthly [QM]). Percent changes from baseline LDL-C and free serum PCSK9 were averaged across weeks 9-12. In 372 patients, time-averaged percent reduction from baseline in LDL-C with evolocumab vs placebo was 67.6% (95% CI: 63.9-71.3) with Q2W dosing and 65.0% (95% CI: 60.7-69.3) with QM dosing. The time-averaged measure yielded LDL-C reductions for evolocumab that exceeded measurements at the end of dosing intervals and may provide a better estimate of cardiovascular benefit during long-term therapy.

Published
2022

35. Direct Oral Anticoagulants Versus Warfarin Across the Spectrum of Kidney Function: Patient-Level Network Meta-Analyses From COMBINE AF

Author

Josephine Harrington, Anthony P. Carnicelli, Kaiyuan Hua, Lars Wallentin, Manesh R. Patel, Stefan H. Hohnloser, Robert P. Giugliano, Keith A.A. Fox, Ziad Hijazi, Renato D. Lopes, Sean D. Pokorney, Hwanhee Hong, and Christopher B. Granger

Subjects
Physiology (medical), Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
Abstract

BACKGROUND: There is uncertainty surrounding the use of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in patients with kidney dysfunction. METHODS: Using the COMBINE AF (A Collaboration Between Multiple Institutions to Better Investigate Non-Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulant Use in Atrial Fibrillation) database (data from RE-LY [Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy], ROCKET AF [Rivaroxaban Once Daily Oral Direct Factor Xa Inhibition Compared With Vitamin K Antagonism for Prevention of Stroke and Embolism Trial in Atrial Fibrillation], ARISTOTLE [Apixaban for Reduction in Stroke and Other Thromboembolic Events in Atrial Fibrillation], and ENGAGE AF-TIMI 48 [Effective Anticoagulation With Factor Xa Next Generation in Atrial Fibrillation–Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction 48]), we performed an individual patient-level network meta-analysis to evaluate the safety and efficacy of DOACs versus warfarin across continuous creatinine clearance (CrCl). A multivariable Cox model including treatment-by-CrCl interaction with random effects was fitted to estimate hazard ratios for paired treatment strategies (standard-dose DOAC, lower-dose DOAC, and warfarin). Outcomes included stroke and systemic embolism (S/SE), major bleeding, intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), and death. RESULTS: Among 71 683 patients (mean age, 70.6±9.4 years; 37.3% female; median follow-up, 23.1 months), the mean CrCl was 75.5±30.5 mL/min. The incidence of S/SE, major bleeding, ICH, and death increased significantly with worsening kidney function. Across continuous CrCl values down to 25 mL/min, the hazard of major bleeding did not change for patients randomized to standard-dose DOACs compared with those randomized to warfarin ( P interaction =0.61). Compared with warfarin, standard-dose DOAC use resulted in a significantly lower hazard of ICH at CrCl values P interaction =0.08). Compared with warfarin, standard-dose DOAC use resulted in a significantly lower hazard of S/SE with CrCl P interaction =0.01). The hazard of death was significantly lower with standard-dose DOACs for patients with CrCl P interaction =0.08). Use of lower-dose rather than standard-dose DOACs was not associated with a significant difference in incident bleeding or ICH in patients with reduced kidney function but was associated with a higher incidence4 of death and S/SE. CONCLUSIONS: Standard-dose DOACs are safer and more effective than warfarin down to a CrCl of at least 25 mL/min. Lower-dose DOACs do not significantly lower the incidence of bleeding or ICH compared with standard-dose DOACs but are associated with a higher incidence of S/SE and death. These findings support the use of standard-dose DOACs over warfarin in patients with kidney dysfunction.

Published
2023

36. Assessment of Atherothrombotic Risk in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Author

David Berg, Filipe A. Moura, Minao Tang, Benjamin M. Scirica, Stephen Wiviott, David A. Morrow, Deepak L. Bhatt, Itamar Raz, Erin Ann Bohula, Robert P. Giugliano, Jeong-Gun Park, Mark William Feinberg, Eugene Braunwald, and Marc Steven Sabatine

Subjects
Other health sciences not elsewhere classified, Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
Abstract

Risk of atherothrombotic events is not uniform in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Tailored risk assessment may help guide selection of pharmacotherapies for cardiovascular primary and secondary prevention. The purpose of this study was to develop a risk model for atherothrombosis in patients with T2DM.

Published
2023
Full Text
View/download PDF

38. Non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants in older and frail patients with atrial fibrillation

Author

Robert P, Giugliano

Subjects
Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
Abstract

Elderly and frail patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) are at increased risk of thrombotic events, bleeding, and death compared to their counterparts, making their management challenging. With the introduction of non-vitamin K antagonist (VKA) oral anticoagulants (NOACs) in the past decade, the risk:benefit balance in such high-risk patients with AF has tipped in favor of treating these patients with anticoagulation, and in most cases with a NOAC instead of a VKA. In patients ≥75 years of age with AF, each of the 4 approved NOACs reduced stroke or systemic embolism and vs warfarin in their landmark clinical trial and lowered mortality. However, only apixaban and edoxaban significantly reduced major bleeding vs warfarin. A similar pattern was seen in even older cohorts (≥80 and ≥85 years). Among patients age ≥80 who are not candidates for oral anticoagulants at the approved dose, edoxaban 15 mg may be a reasonable alternative. In elderly or frail individuals who are on multiple comedications (particularly if ≥1 moderate or strong cytochrome P-450 inhibitor), only edoxaban consistently reduced major bleeding compared to warfarin. Regardless of the specific OAC selected, appropriate dosing in the elderly (who frequently qualify for dose reduction per the prescribing label) is critical. In elderly and frail patients with AF, factors that may modify the efficacy-safety profile of specific oral OACs should be carefully considered to permit the optimal selection and dosing in these vulnerable patients.

Published
2022

40. Icosapent Ethyl Reduces Ischemic Events in Patients With a History of Previous Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: REDUCE-IT CABG

Author

Subodh Verma, Deepak L. Bhatt, Ph. Gabriel Steg, Michael Miller, Eliot A. Brinton, Terry A. Jacobson, Nitish K. Dhingra, Steven B. Ketchum, Rebecca A. Juliano, Lixia Jiao, Ralph T. Doyle, Craig Granowitz, C. Michael Gibson, Duane Pinto, Robert P. Giugliano, Matthew J. Budoff, R. Preston Mason, Jean-Claude Tardif, Christie M. Ballantyne, Fabrice M.A.C. Martens, Astrid Schut, Brian Olshansky, Mina Chung, Al Hallstrom, Lesly Pearce, Cyrus Mehta, Rajat Mukherjee, Anjan K. Chakrabarti, Eli V. Gelfand, Megan Carroll Leary, Duane S. Pinto, Yuri B. Pride, Steven Ketchum, Ramakrishna Bhavanthula, Gertrude Chester, Christina Copland, Katelyn Diffin, Ralph Doyle, Kurt Erz, Alex Giaquinto, Paula Glanton, Angela Granger, Richard H. Iroudayassamy, Rebecca Juliano, James Jin, Dimitry Klevak, Hardik Panchal, Robert Wang, Shin-Ru Wang, Gerard Abate, Peggy J. Berry, Rene Braeckman, Declan Doogan, Anne Elson, Amy HauptmannBaker, Isabel Lamela, Catherine Lubeck, Mehar Manku, Sabina Murphy, Monica Sanford, William Stirtan, Paresh Soni, Arnaud Bastien, Demetria Foster, Evangelito Gascon, Judith Johnson, Lasbert Latona, Gang Liu, Sandra Palleja, Nelly Sanjuan, Jimmy Shi, William Stager, Mukund Venkatakrishnan, Ahmed Youssef-Agha, Julie Zhu, Leela Aertker, Suresh Ankolekar, Lisa Goldberg, Natasa Rajicic, Jianfen Shu, Heng Zou, Magdy Mikhail, Gamil Dawood, N. Mathew Koshy, Sandip K. Mukherjee, Rafik Abadier, Andrea L. Lawless, William P. McGuinn, Howard Weintraub, Kathryn Rohr, Edmund Claxton, Robert J. Weiss, Terry D. Klein, Mani Nallasivan, Stephen Crowley, Marilyn King, Anthony D. Alfieri, David Fitz-Patrick, Irving Loh, Nolan J. Mayer, Rakesh Prashad, Samuel Lederman, Debra Weinstein, Harold E. Bays, Keith Chu, Alireza Maghsoudi, Paul D. Thompson, Jeff Carstens, Anna Chang, Kenneth R. Cohen, Julius Dean, Howard S. Ellison, Bernard Erickson, Enrique A. Flores, Daniel W. Gottlieb, Paul Grena, John R. Guyton, Peter H. Jones, John M. Joseph, Norman E. Lepor, Sam Lerman, Robert D. Matheney, Theodore R. Pacheco, Michael B. Russo, John Rubino, Edward S. Pereira, Albert A. Seals, Eduardo Viera, Alan D. Steljes, Jason Thompson, Shaival Kapadia, Michael McIvor, Jorge E. Salazar, Jose O. Santiago, Ralph Vicari, Martin R. Berk, William A. Kaye, Marcus McKenzie, David Podlecki, Brian D. Snyder, Stephen Nash, David M. Herrington, Wallace Johnson, Joseph R. Lee, Ronald Blonder, Alpa M. Patel, Ramon Castello, Susan Greco, Dean J. Kereiakes, Venkatesh K. Nadar, Mark Nathan, Ranganatha P. Potu, Robert Sangrigoli, Richard Smalling, Mitchell Davis, Robert Braastad, James McCriskin, Kunal Bodiwala, Joe L. Hargrove, Mark W. Graves, George Emlein, Raegan W. Durant, James W. Clower, Rohit Arora, Narendra Singh, Lisa Warsinger Martin, W Herbert Haught, Marc P. Litt, Michael D. Klein, Peter Hoagland, Michael Goldstein, Marco S. Mazzella, Daniel H. Dunker, Brian H. Kahn, Carlos S. Ince, Frank A. McGrew, Jay Lee, David Pan, Salman A. Khan, Uri Elkayam, Wasim Deeb, Anne C. Goldberg, Christopher S. Brown, Wayne N. Leimbach, Thomas S. Backer, David R. Sutton, Joel Gellman, Anu R. George, Alan S. Hoffman, Mark Kates, Kishlay Anand, Robert Bear, Brendan J. Cavanaugh, Ramon G. Reyes, Rodolfo Sotolongo, Kenneth Sabatino, Kevin Gallagher, Ehab Sorial, Chris Geohas, Kathleen E. Magness, Bernard P. Grunstra, Frederik A. Martin, William S. Knapp, Mel E. Lucas, John J. Champlin, Jason Demattia, Patrick H. Peters, Judith Kirstein, William J. Randall, Cezar S. Staniloae, Jennifer G. Robinson, Alexander Adler, Christopher Case, Andrew J. Kaplan, Gregory F. Lakin, Krishan K. Goyle, Michael J. DiGiovanna, Chester L. Fisher, Michael Lillestol, Michael Robinson, Robert G. Perry, Lawrence S. Levinson, Brian G. Everhart, Robert D. Madder, Earl F. Martin, Earl E. Martin, Imtiaz Alam, Jose Mari L. Elacion, Robina Poonawala, Taddese T. Desta, Jerome A. Robinson, Gilbert J. Martinez, Jakkidi S. Reddy, Jeffrey D. Wayne, Samuel Mujica Trenche, Westbrook I. Kaplan, Rubin H. Saavedra, Michael D. DiGregorio, Barry D. Bertolet, Neil J. Fraser, Terence T. Hart, Ronald J. Graf, David A. Jasper, Michael Dunn, Dan A. Streja, David J. Strobl, Nan Jiang, Vicki Kalen, Richard Mascolo, Mercedes B. Samson, Michael Stephens, Bret M. Bellard, Mario Juarez, Patrick J. McCarthy, John B. Checton, Michael Stillabower, Edward Goldenberg, Amin H. Karim, Naseem Jaffrani, Robert C. Touchon, Erich R. Fruehling, Clayton J. Friesen, Pradipta Chaudhuri, Frank H. Morris, Robert E. Broker, Rajesh J. Patel, Susan Hole, Randall P. Miller, Francisco G. Miranda, Sadia Dar, Shawn N. Gentry, Paul Hermany, Charles B. Treasure, Miguel E. Trevino, Raimundo Acosta, Anthony Japour, Samuel J. Durr, Thomas Wang, Om P. Ganda, Perry Krichmar, James L. Arter, Douglas Jacoby, Michael A. Schwartz, Amer Al-Karadsheh, Nelson E. Gencheff, John A. Pasquini, Richard Dunbar, Sarah Kohnstamm, Hector F. Lozano, Francine K. Welty, Thomas L. Pitts, Brian Zehnder, Salah El Hafi, Mark A. King, Arnold Ghitis, Marwan M. Bahu, Hooman Ranjbaran Jahromi, Ronald P. Caputo, Robert S. Busch, Michael D. Shapiro, Suhail Zavaro, Munib Daudjee, Shahram Jacobs, Vipul B. Shah, Frank Rubalcava, Mohsin T. Alhaddad, Henry Lui, Raj T. Rajan, Fadi E. Saba, Mahendra Pai N Gunapooti, Tshiswaka B. Kayembe, Timothy Jennings, Robert A. Strzinek, Michael H. Shanik, Pradeep K. Singh, Alastair C. Kennedy, Howard Rubenstein, Ramin Manshadi, Joanne Ladner, Lily Kakish, Ashley Kakish, Amy L. Little, Jaime Gerber, Nancy J. Hinchion, Janet Guarino, Denise Raychok, Susan Budzinski, Kathleen Kelley-Garvin, April Beckord, Jessica Schlinder, Arthur Schwartzbard, Stanley Cobos, Deborah Freeman, David Abisalih, Dervilla McCann, Kylie Guy, Jennifer Chase, Stacey Samuelson, Madeline Cassidy, Marissa Tardif, Jaime Smith, Brenna Sprout, Nanette Riedeman, Julie Goza, Lori Johnson, Chad Kraske, Sheila Hastings, Chris Dutka, Stephanie Smith, Toni McCabe, Kathleen Maloney, Paul Alfieri, Vinay Hosemane, Chanhsamone Syravanh, Cindy Pau, April Limcoiloc, Tabitha Carreira, Taryn S. Kurosawa, Razmig Krumian, Krista Preston, Ashraf Nashed, Daria Schneidman-Fernandez, Jack Patterson, John Tsakonas, Jennifer Esaki, Lynn Sprafka, Porous Patel, Brian Mitchell, Erin M. Ross, Donna Miller, Akash Prashad, Kristina M. Feyler, Natasha Juarbe, Sandra Herrera, Sarah M. Keiran, Becky Whitehead, Whitney Asher, Coury Hobbs, Abbey Elie, Jean Brooks, Amanda L. Zaleski, Brenda Foxen, Barb Lapke, Philippa Wright, Bristol Pavol, Gwen Carangi, Marla Turner, Katharine W. Sanders, Rikita S. Delamar, Virginia L. Wilson, Sarah M. Harvel, Alison M. Cartledge, Kaitlyn R. Bailey, Kathleen Mahon, Timothy Schuchard, Jen Humbert, Mark C. Hanson, Michael P. Cecil, James S. Abraham, Lorie Benedict, Claudia Slayton, Curtis S. Burnett, Rachel W. Ono-Lim, Sharon Budzinski, Shubi A. Khan, Sharon Goss, Terry Techmanski, Farida Valliani, Rimla Joseph, Edith Flores, Laurn Contreras, Ana Aguillon, Carrie-Ann Silvia, Maria Martin, Edmund K. Kerut, Leslie W. Levenson, Louis B. Glade, Brian J. Cospolich, Maureen W. Stein, Stephen P. LaGuardia, Thelma L. Sonza, Tracy M. Fife, Melissa Forschler, Jasmyne Watts, Judy Fritsch, Emese Futchko, Sarah Utech, Scott B. Baker, Miguel F. Roura, Scott A. Segel, James S. Magee, Cathy Jackson, Rebecca F. Goldfaden, Liudmila Quas, Elizabeth C. Ortiz, Michael Simpson, Robert Foster, Christopher Brian, James Trimm, Michael Bailey, Brian Snoddy, Van Reeder, Rachel Wilkinson, Harold Settle, Cynthia Massey, Angela Maiola, Michele Hall, Shelly Hall, Wanda Hall, Mark Xenakis, Janet Barrett, Giovanni Campanile, David Anthou, Susan F. Neill, Steven Karas, Enrique Polanco, Norberto Schechtman, Grace Tischner, Kay Warren, Cynthia St Cyr, Menna Kuczinski, Latrina Alexander, Maricruz Ibarra, Barry S. Horowitz, Jaime Steinsapir, Jeanette Mangual-Coughlin, Brittany Mooney, Precilia Vasquez, Kathleen Rodkey, Alexandria Biberstein, Christine Ignacio, Irina Robinson, Marcia Hibberd, Lisa B. Hoffman, Daniel J. Murak, Raghupathy Varavenkataraman, Theresa M. Ohlson Elliott, Linda A. Cunningham, Heather L. Palmerton, Sheri Poole, Jeannine Moore, Helene Wallace, Ted Chandler, Robert Riley, Farah Dawood, Amir Azeem, Michael Cammarata, Ashleigh Owen, Shivani Aggarwal, Waqas Qureshi, Mohamed Almahmoud, Abdullahi Oseni, Adam Leigh, Erin Barnes, Adam Pflum, Amer Aladin, Karen Blinson, Vickie Wayne, Lynda Doomy, Michele Wall, Valerie Bitterman, Cindi Young, Rachel Grice, Lioubov Poliakova, Jorge Davalos, David Rosenbaum, Mark Boulware, Heather Mazzola, J. Russell Strader, Russell Linsky, David Schwartz, Elizabeth Graf, Alicia Gneiting, Melissa Palmblad, Ashley Donlin, Emily Ensminger, Hillary Garcia, Dawn Robinson, Carolyn Tran, Jeffrey Jacqmein, Darlene Bartilucci, Michael Koren, Barbara Maluchnik, Melissa Parks, Jennifer Miller, Cynthia DeFosse, Albert B. Knouse, Amy Delancey, Stephanie Chin, Thomas Stephens, Mag Sohal, Juana Ingram, Swarooparani Kumar, Heather Foley, Nina Smith, Vera McKinney, Linda Schwarz, Judith Moore, Hildreth Vernon Anderson, Stefano Sdringola-Maranga, Ali Denktas, Elizabeth Turrentine, Rhonda Patterson, John Marshall, Terri Tolar, Donna Patrick, Pamela Schwartzkopf, Anthony M. Fletcher, Frances R. Harris, Sherry Clements, Tiffany Brown, William Smith, Stacey J. Baehl, Robin Fluty, Daniel VanHamersveld, Dennis Breen, Nancy Bender, Beverly Stafford, Tamika Washington, Margaret N. Pike, Mark A. Stich, Evyan Jawad, Amin Nadeem, Jill Nyland, Rhonda Hamer, Kendra Calhoun, Charlotte Mall, Samuel Cadogan, Kati Raynes, Richard Katz, Lorraine Marshall, Rashida Abbas, Jay L. Dinerman, John T. Hartley, Beth Lamb, Lisa Eskridge, Donna Raymond, Kristy Clemmer, Denise M. Fine, Paula Beardsley, Janet Werner, Bette Mahan, Courtney VanTol, Robert Herman, Christine Raiser-Vignola, Felicia McShan, Stefanie A. Neill, David R. Blick, Michael J. Liston, Denetta K. Nelson, Sandra K. Dorrell, Patricia Wyman, Ambereen Quraishi, Fernando Ferro, Frank Morris, Vicki J. Coombs, Autumn M. Mains, Austin A. Campbell, Jeanne Phelps, Cheryl A. Geary, Ellen G. Sheridan, Jean M. Downing, Arie Swatkowski, Tish Redden, Brian Dragutsky, Susan Thomas, Candace Mitchell, Diana Barker, Elanie Turcotte, Deborah Segerson, Jill Guy, Karena De La Mora, Jennifer Hong, Dennis Do, Rose Norris, Faisal Khan, Hector Montero, Stacy Kelly-White, Alan Cleland, Rosalyn Alcalde-Crawford, Melissa Morgan, Brijmohan Sarabu, Megan Minor, Shweta Kamat, Stephanie M. Estes, Nancee Harless, Alicia Disney, Jodi L. Pagano, Chad M. Alford, Noel W. Bedwell, Warren D. Hardy, Kevin DeAndrade, Jessica G. Elmore, Eric Auerbach, Anthony W. Haney, Miriam H. Brooks, Jose Torres, Lois Roper, Terry Backer, Katie Backer, John G. Evans, Ricardo A. Silva, Lorraine H. Dajani, Veronica Yousif, Tammy Ross, Sion K. Roy, Ronald Oudiz, Sajad Hamal, Ferdinand Flores, Amor Leahy, Debra Ayer, Swapna George, Chrisi Carine Stewart, Elvira Orellana, Cristina Boccalandro, Mary Rangel, Suzanne Hennings, Carl Vanselow, Teri Victor, Darlene Birdwell, Paul Haas, Anthony Sandoval, Gina Ciavarella, Caroline Saglam, Amy Bird, Keith Beck, Brian Poliquin, David Dominguez, Brittany Tenorio, Harvonya Perkins, Esther San Roman, Paris Bransford, Christy Lowrance, Marcy Broussard, Mary Ellis, Bobbi Skiles, Jessica Hamilton, Kathryn Hall, Diego Olvera, Julee A. Hartwell, Nevien Sorial, Mary Rickman, Kevin Berman, Nirav Mehta, Annie Laborin, Rodger Rothenberger, Sarah Beauvilliers, Kathy Morrell, Michael P. Schachter, Cindy L. Perkins, Elizabeth A. Gordon, Jennifer Lauer, Kim Bichsel, Kelly Oliver, Leslie J. Mellor, Candice Demattia, Jennifer Schomburg, Yenniffer Moreno, Eduardo Mansur-Garza, Lena Rippstein, Lorie Chacon, Andrea Pena, Michelle King, Susan Richardson, Annette Jessop, Nicole Tucker, Whitney Royer, Gilbert Templeton, Ann Moell, Christine Weller, Melissa J. Botts, Gretel Hollon, Elsa Homberg-Pinassi, Paula Forest, Aref Bin Abhulhak, Devona Chun-Furlong, Deborah Harrington, Emily Harlynn, Marjorie Schmitt, Constance Shelsky, Patricia Feldick, Mary Cherrico, Courtney Jagle, Nicholas Warnecke, Debra Myer, Deanna J. Ruder, Albina Underwood, Alan Rauba, George Carr, Barbara Oberhaus, Jessica Vanderfeltz, Mary Jo Stucky-Heil, Dale R. Gibson, Vonnie Fuentes, Kimberly L. Talbot, William C. Simon, Katlyn J. Grimes, Christina R. Wheeler, Cassaundra Shultz, Rhonda A. Metcalf, Jennifer L. Hill, Michelle R. Oliver, Basharat Ahmad, Fouzal Azeem, Abdul Rahim, George H. Freeman, Dawn Bloch, Heather Freeman, Jamie Brown, Sarah Rosbach, Pamela Melander, Nick Taralson, Alex Liu, Katlyn Harms, Mahfouz Michale, Jose Lopez, Maria Revoredo, Shari Edevane, Sarah Shawley, Timothy L. Jackson, Michael J. Oliver, Dina DeSalle, Patricia J. Matlock, Ionna M. Beraun, Heather Hendrix, Garrett Bromley, Ashley Niemerski, Gabby Teran, Sonia Guerrero, Murtaza Marvi, Zehra Palanpurwala, Andrea Torres, Patty Gloyd, Michelle Conger, Aziz Laurent, Olia Nayor, Catalina S. Villanueva, Munira Khambati, Tabetha J. Mumford, Melanie J. Castillo, Taddese Desta, Jerome Robinson, La Shawn Woods, Anita Bahri, Nancy Herrera, Cecilia Casaclang, Jeffrey R. Unger, Geraldine Martinez, Mia K. Moon, Stephen M. Mohaupt, Larry Sandoval, Louisito Valenzuela, Victora Ramirez, Nelly Mata, Veronica Avila, Marisol Patino, Cynthia Montano-Pereira, Omar Barnett, William M. Webster, Lorraine M. Christensen, Leighna Bofman, Melanie Livingston, Stacey Adams, Joseph Hobbs, Leesa Koskela, Mia Katz, Samuel Mujica-Trenche, Franklin Cala, Noreen T. Rana, Jennifer Scarlett, Milagros Cala Anaya, Marsha R. Jones, Kelly D. Hollis, Debbie Roth, Kristin Eads, Tina Watts, Judy Perkins, Alice Arnold, Daniel C. Ginsberg, Denise Quinn, Nicole Cureton, David B. Fittingoff, Mohammed I. Iqbal, Stephen R. White, Edith Sisneros, Michelle Ducca, David Streja, Danny Campos, Jennifer L. Boak, Farzeen Amir, Felice Anderson, James J. Kmetzo, Mary O. Bongarzone, Dawn Scott, Mary Grace De Leon, Cynthia Buda, William Graettinger, Michelle Alex, Erika Hess, James Govoni, Melissa Bartel, Travis L. Monchamp, Julie S. Roach, Sara Gibson, Amy M. Allfrey, Kristen Timpy, Kathy Bott, Karin A. Soucy, Jean Willis, Cecilia A. Valerio, Anusha Chunduri, Rebecca Coker, Nicole Vidrine, Ellen A. Thompson, Mark A. Studeny, Melissa K. Marcum, Tammy S. Monway, Douglas L. Kosmicki, Melissa J. Kelley, Corey M. Godfrey, Susan L. Krenk, Randy R. Holcomb, Deb K. Baehr, Mary K. Trauernicht, David Rowland Lowry, Betty Bondy Herts, Jeanne E Phelps, Jean-Marie Downing, Carol Gamer Dignon, Elisabeth S. Cockrill, Pravinchandra G. Chapla, Diane Fera, Margaret Chang, Patricia Fredette, Tamie Ashby, Renee Bergin, Zebediah A. Stearns, David B. Ware, Rachael M. Boudreaux, Joanna Rodriguez, Robert McKenzie, Amanda Huber, Rebecca Sommers, Heather Rowe, Stacy McLallen, Michale Haynes, Ashley Adamson, Janice Henderson, Lori McClure, Beverly A. Harris, Laura Ference, Sue Meissner-Dengler, Lisa Treasure, Doreen Nicely, Timothy L. Light, Tracey A. Osborn, Kimberly J. Mai, Pablo Vivas, Jose Rios, Dunia Rodriguez, Roger DeRaad, James Walder, Oscar Bailon, Denice Hockett, Debbie Anderson, Kelli McIntosh, Amber Odegard, Andrew Shepherd, Mary Seifert, Laurence Kelley, Rajendra Shetty, Michael Castine, David Brill, Gregory Fisher, Nicole Richmond, Kathleen Gray, Patricia Miller, Charlene Coneys, Yarixa Chanza, Monica Sumoza, Victoria M. Caudill, Kelly D. Harris, Courtney A. Manion, Melody J. Lineberger-Moore, Julie J. Wolfe, Barbara J. Rosen, Patricia DiVito, Janet L. Moffat, Christina Michaelis, Prashant Koshy, Diana Perea, Ghaith Al Yacoub, Stephanie Sadeghi, Thomas D. LeGalley, Rudolph F. Evonich, William J. Jean, Gary M. Friesen, John M. Pap, David A. Pesola, Mark D. Cowan, Kristofer M. Dosh, Dianna Larson, Adele M. Price, Jodi A. Nease, Jane E. Anderson, Lori A. Piggott, Robert Iwaoka, Kevin Sharkey, Edward McMillan, Laurie Lowder, Latisha Morgan, Kyle Davis, Tara Caldwell, Erica Breglio, Jasmine Summers, Rachel Poulimas, Muhammad Zahid, Hamid Syed, Maria Escobar, Jacob Levy, Rahma Warsi, Carol Ma, Puxiao Cen, Kimberly A. Cawthon, Delores B. Barnes, Deanna G. Allen, Margaret L. Warrington, Carol R. Stastny, Robin J. Michaels, Mohamad Saleh, John Sorin, Sunny Rathod, Urakay Juett, Steven Spencer, Aziza Keval, Jill McBride, Shane Young, Catherine Baxter, Carol Rasmussen, Shari L. Coxe, Luis Campos, Shahin Tavackoli, Diana Beckham, Darlynee Sanchez, Karanjit Basrai, Dorian Helms, Erica Clinton, Kasie Smith, Henry Cusnir, Mary Klaus Clark, Madhavagopal V. Cherukuri, Ameta Scarfaru, Stephen D. Nash, Loretta C. Grimm, Anna Grace, Kylie McElheran, Dino Subasic, Zedrick Buhay, Janet Litvinoff, Deepak Shah, Shannon Cervantes, Freda Usher, Farra Yasser, Theodore Trusevich, Ronnie L. Garcia, Jamison Wyatt, Rahul Bose, Holllilyn Miska, Traci Spivey, Amy B. Wren, Katie E. Vance, Lani L. Holman, Pam Gibbons, Elaine Eby, Sandra Shepard, Soratree Charoenthongtrakul, Brett Snodgrass, Mohammed Nazem, Shelly Keteenburg, Prathima Murthy, Frederic Prater, Ashley Rumfelt, Christina Eizensmits, Lisa Iannuzzi, Pourus R. Patel, Clellia Bergamino, Elizabeth McFeaters, Botros Rizk, Emiljia Pflaum, Danny Kalish, Rex Ambatali, Mona Ameli, Delaina Sanguinetti, Rakesh Vaidya, Martinus A.W. Broeders, Dorman Henrikus, Adrianus F.M. Kuijper, Nadea Al-Windy, Michael Magro, Karim Hamraoui, Ismail Aksoy, Guy L.J. Vermeiren, H.W.O. Roeters van Lennep, Gerard Hoedemaker, Johannes Jacobus Remmen, Kjell Bogaard, Dirk van der Heijden, Nicole MJ Knufman, Joost Frederiks, Johannes Willem Louwerenburg, Piet van Rossum, Johannes Milhous, Peter van der Meer, Arno van der Weerdt, Rob Breedveld, Mitran Keijzers, Walter Hermans, Ruud van de Wal, Peter A.G. Zwart, Marc M.J.M. van der Linden, Gerardus Zwiers, Dirk J. Boswijk, Jan Geert Tans, Jacob van Eck, Maarten V. Hessen, Barnabas J.B. Hamer, Stieneke Zoet-Nugteren, Lucien Theunissen, E.A. van Beek, Remco Nijmeijer, Pieter R. Nierop, Gerard Linssen, H.P. Swart, Timo Lenderink, Gerard L. Bartels, Frank den Hartog, Brian J. Berg van den, Wouter van Kempen, Susanne Kentgens, Gloria M. Rojas Lingan, Martinus M. Peeters, Hilligje Keterberg, Melchior Nierman, Annemieke K. den Hollander, Jacqueline Hoogendijk, Christine Voors-Pette, Vicdan Kose, Peter Viergever, Larysa Yena, Viktor Syvolap, Mykola P. Kopytsya, Olga Barna, Svitlana S. Panina, Mykhailo I. Lutai, Oxana V. Shershnyova, Iryna Luzkiv, Larysa S. Bula, Sergii Zotov, Ivan Vyjhovaniuk, Olena Lysunets, Volodymyr I. Koshlia, Nataliya Sydor, Myroslava F. Vayda, Olexiy Ushakov, Mykola Rishko, Viktor P. Shcherbak, Yevgeniya Svyshchenko, Vira Tseluyko, Andriy Yagensky, Viktoriia I. Zolotaikina, Olga Godlevska, Larysa Ivanova, Olena Koval, Olena I. Mitchenko, Galyna Y. Kardash, Yurii S. Rudyk, Mykola Stanislavchuk, Volodymyr Ivanovych Volkov, Olena G. Karlinskaya, Susanna A. Tykhonova, Nikolay Vatutin, Ganna Smirnova, Volodymyr M. Kovalenko, Viktor Lizogub, Denys Sebov, Oleksandr Dyadyk, Svetlana Andrievskaya, Mykola P. Krasko, Alexander N. Parkhomenko, Lidiya Horbach, Iryna G. Kupnovytska, Tetyana Pertseva, Oleksandr Karpenko, Dmytro Reshotko, Svitlana V. Zhurba, Leonid Rudenko, Viktoriia Yu Zharinova, Valerii B. Shatylo, Yuriy I. Karpenko, Mariya A. Orynchak, Tatiana R. Kameneva, Elena Zherlitsina, Diana N. Alpenidze, Grigoriy P. Arutyunov, Elena Baranova, Boris Bart, Dmitriy I. Belenkiy, Svetlana A. Boldueva, Elena A. Demchenko, Vera V. Eltishcheva, Alexander M. Gofman, Boris M. Goloshchekin, Ivan Gennadyevich Gordeev, Nikolay Gratsianskiy, Gadel Kamalov, Niyaz R. Khasanov, Irina M. Kholina, Zhanna D. Kobalava, Elena V. Kobeleva, Alexandra O. Konradi, Victor A. Kostenko, Andrey Dmitrievich Kuimov, Polina Y. Ermakova, Sofia K. Malyutina, Alexey V. Panov, Natalia V. Polezhaeva, Olga Reshetko, Nataliya P. Shilkina, Sergey B. Shustov, Elena A. Smolyarchuk, Raisa I. Stryuk, Elena Yurievnar Solovieva, Andrey V. Susekov, Natalia Vezikova, Svetlana N. Ivanova, Alexander A. Petrov, Vladimir O. Konstantinov, Alina S. Agafina, Victor Gurevich, Konstantin N. Zrazhevskiy, Tatiana V. Supryadkina, Nikita B. Perepech, Vadim L. Arkhipovskiy, Dmitry Yu Butko, Irina A. Zobenko, Olga V. Orlikova, Viktor Mordovin, Olga L. Barbarash, Anastasiya Lebedeva, Vladimir Nosov, Oleg V. Averkov, Elena P. Pavlikova, Yuri B. Karpov, Marina Lvovna Giorgadze, Oleg A. Khrustalev, Mikhail Arkhipov, Tatiana A. Raskina, Julia V. Shilko, Yulia Samoilova, Elena D. Kosmacheva, Sergey V. Nedogoda, Kathleen Coetzee, Lesley J. Burgess, F.C.R. Theron, Iftikhar O. Ebrahim, Gerbrand A. Haasbroek, Maria Pretorius, Julien S. Trokis, Dorothea V. Urbach, Mark J. Abelson, Adrian R. Horak, Aysha E. Badat, Ellen M. Makotoko, Hendrik Du Toit Theron, Padaruth Ramlachan, Clive H. Corbett, Ismail H. Mitha, Hendrik F.M. Nortje, Dirkie J. Jansen van Rensburg, Peter J. Sebastian, F.C.J. Bester, Louis J. van Zyl, Brian L. Rayner, Elżbieta Błach, Magda Dąbrowska, Grzegorz Kania, Agata E. Kelm-Warchol, Leszek P. Kinasz, Janusz Korecki, Mariusz Kruk, Ewa Laskowska-Derlaga, Andrzej Madej, Krzysztof Saminski, Katarzyna Wasilewska, Katarzyna Szymkowiak, Małgorzata Wojciechowska, Natalia Piorowska, Andrzej Dyczek, Rajpal K. Abhaichand, Ramesh B. Byrapaneni, Basavanagowdappa Hattur, Malipeddi Bhaskara Rao, Nitin Ghaisas, Sujit Shankar Kadam, Jugal B. Gupta, Santhosh M. Jayadev, V.A. Kothiwale, Atul Mathur, Vijay Bhaskar, Ravi K. Aluri, Udaya P. Ponangi, Mukesh K. Sarna, Sunil Sathe, Manish K. Sharma, Jilendra Pal Singh Sawhney, Chakrabhavi B. Keshavamurthy, Arun Srinivas, Hemant P. Thacker, A. Sharda, Johny Joseph, Sunil Dwivedi, Viswanathan Mohan, Rajendra K. Premchand, Jacques Bedard, Jean Bergeron, Ronald Collette, David Crowley, Richard Dumas, Sam Henein, Geoff Moran, William F. O’Mahony, Michael O’Mahony, Sammy Chan, Mark H. Sherman, Graham C. Wong, Brian D. Carlson, Milan K. Gupta, David Borts, Sean R. Peterson, Martyn Chilvers, Allan J. Kelly, Jean C. Gregoire, Simon Kouz, Josep Rodés Cabau, Minodora Andor, Mircea Cinteza, Radu Ciudin, Radu I. Cojan, Roxana O. Darabont, Dan-Lucian Dumitrascu, Carmen Fierbinteanu-Braticievici, Ana Gabriela Fruntelata, Constantin Militaru, Bogdon E. Minescu, Doina Luminita Serban, Florin Mitu, Dorel Nastase Melicovici, Ovidiu Petrascu, Octavian M. Pirvu, Cristian Podoleanu, Calin Pop, Rodica-Valentina V. Stanescu-Cioranu, Adrian Tase, Cristina Voiculet, Constantine N. Aroney, Anthony M. Dart, Timothy Davis, Karam Kostner, David N. O’Neal, Peter W. Purnell, Bhuwanendu B. Singh, David R. Sullivan, Peter Thompson, Gerald F. Watts, Adam F. Blenkhorn, John V. Amerena, Rafeeq Samie, Randall Hendriks, Joseph Proietto, Nikolai Petrovsky, Alan Whelan, David Colquhoun, Russell S. Scott, Simon C. Young, Tammy Pegg, Samuel JS Wilson, Andrew W. Hamer, Richard A. Luke, Hamish H. Hart, Gerard P. Devlin, Gerard T. Wilkins, Ian F. Ternouth, Samraj Nandra, Bruno S. Loeprich, Nicole McGrath, Stuart L. Tie, Rob J. Bos, Alexandra Wils, Tamara Jacobs, Erik A. Badings, Lillian A. Ebels-Tuinbeek, Mayke L. Scholten, Esther Bayraktar-Verver, Debby Zweers, Manoek Schiks, Carolien Kalkman, Tineke Tiemes, Jeanette Mulderij, Katarzyna Dabrowska, Wilma Wijnakker, Riny Van de Loo, Jeanne de Graauw, Giny Reijnierse, Mirjam van der Zeijst, Mariska Scholten, Henk R. Hofmeijer, Antoinette van Dijk-van der Zanden, Dineke J. van Belle, Jan Van Es, Gera Van Buchem, Wendy Zijda, Harald Verheij, Linnea Oldenhof-Janssen, Martina Bader, Marije Löwik, Sandra Stuij, Pascal Vantrimpont, Krista van Aken, Karen Hamilton, Han Blömer, Gabriela van Laerhoven, Raymond Tukkie, Maarten Janssen, Gerard Verdel, Jon Funke Küpper, Bob van Vlies, Caroline Kalkman, Joke Vooges, Marinella Vermaas, Rachel Langenberg, Niek Haenen, Frans Smeets, Arko Scheepmaker, Marcel Grosfeld, Ilvy Van Lieshout, Marleen van den Berg, Marian Wittekoek, Petra Mol, Antionette Stapel, Margaretha Sierevogel, Nancy van der Ven, Annemiek Berkelmans, Eric Viergever, Hanneke Kramer, Wilma Engelen, Karen V. Houwelingen, Thierry X. Wildbergh, Arend Mosterd, Coriet Hobé-Rap, Marjan van Doorn, Petra Bunschoten, Michel Freericks, Mireille Emans, Petra Den Boer-Penning, Els Verlek, Christine Freericks, Cornelis de Nooijer, Christina Welten, Ingrid Groenenberg, Claudia van der Horst, Esther Vonk, Geert Tjeerdsma, Gerard M. Jochemsen, Corinne van Daalen, Ingrid Y. Danse, Lucy Kuipers, Anke Pieterse, Antonius Oomen, Daan de Waard, Willem Jan Flu, Zusan Kromhout, Petra Van der Bij, Rob Feld, Brigitta Hessels-Linnemeijer, Rob Lardinois, Jan L. Posma, Zwanette R. Aukema-Wouda, Marjolijn Hendriks-van Woerden, Desiree van Wijk, Driek P. Beelen, Ingrid H. Hendriks, Jan J. Jonker, Stefanie Schipperen, Vicdan Köse, Gloria Rojas, Linda Goedhart, Hanneke van Meurs, Jacqueline Rijssemus, Lindy Swinkels-Diepenmaat, Marloes de Louw-Jansen, Dominique Bierens-Peters, Willem W. van Kempen, Marianne E. Wittekoek, Irmaina Agous, Geert Schenk, Janneke Wittekoek, Kevin Cox, Deborah F. Julia, Jan J.C. Jonker, Roel Janssen, Melchor Nierman, Hilligje Katerberg, Irene van der Haar, Willem W. Van Kempen, Taco van Mesdag, Leyda M. Alvarez Costa, Manon Schensema, Salomé Zweekhorst, Deborah Font Julia, Lauri Hanewinckel, Joyce Olsthoorn, Johan C. Berends, Arie C. van der Spek, Roy van der Berg, Rob J. Timmermann, Ingrid Boerema, Iryna Mudruk, Anna Khrystoforova, Serhii Kyselov, Yaroslava V. Hilova, Pavlo Logoida, Nataliia A. Sanina, Ilona P. Golikova, Olena O. Nemchyna, Ivan I. Isaichikov, Olga B. Potapova, Iurii V. Gura, Larysa Berestetska, Olena O. Kulianda, Oleksandr Tantsura, Oleksandr S. Kulbachuk, Volodymyr Petsentiy, Ihor Biskub, Tetyana Handych, Oleg Lagkuti, Alyna Gagarina, Taras Chendey, Oksana F. Bilonko, Olena Matova, Larysa Bezrodna, Olena Yarynkina, Tetiana Ovdiienko, Volodymyr Randchenko, Maryna Mospan, Olena Butko, Olga Romanenko, Mykhailo Pavelko, Iryna Sichkaruk, Svitlana O. Lazareva, Olena A. Kudryk, Inessa M. Koltsun, Tetiana Magdalits, Sergei Zadorozhniy, Kira Kompaniiets, Andrii Ivanov, Sergiy Romanenko, Pavlo Kaplan, Vadym Y. Romanov, Oksana P. Mykytyuk, Nataliia S. Zaitseva, Sergiy N. Pyvovar, Lyudmyla Burdeuna, Emerita Serdobinska, Tatiana I. Shevchenko, Igor I. Ivanytskyi, Olena V. Khyzhnyak, Nataliya Kalinkina, Olena Keting, Olena Sklyanna, Olga Kashanska, Anna Shevelok, Marina Khristichenko, Ievgenii Y. Titov, Danilenko O. Oleksander, Nataliia S. Polenova, Nataliia Altunina, Viktoriia Kororaieva, Stanislav Zborovskiy, Leonid Kholopov, Iurii Suliman, Lanna Lukashenko, Stanislav Shvaykin, Olexandr M. Glavatskiy, Roman O. Sychov, Roman L. Kulynych, Oleksandr A. Skarzhevskyi, Nataliia V. Dovgan, Marta Horbach, Olga Cherkasova, Iryna Tyshchenko, Liudmyla Todoriuk, Svitlana Kizim, Nataliia Brodi, Oleksandr Ivanko, Olga Garbarchuk, Liudmyla Alieksieieva, Tetiana L. Shandra, Olena Beregova, Larisa An Bodretska, Svitlana S. Naskalova, Ivanna A. Antoniuk-Shcheglova, Olena V. Bondarenko, Natalia G. Andreeva, Iryna I. Vakalyuk, Olha S. Chovganyuk, Nataliya R. Artemenko, Kiril A. Maltsev, Natalia Kalishevich, Natalia G. Kondratyeva, Svetlana A. Nikitina, Maria V. Martjanova, Anna V. Sokolova, Dmitrii O. Dragunov, Olga Kolesnik, Vera Larina, Oxana V. Tsygankova, Maria Ivanova, Illia A. Karpov, Elena M. Aronova, Ekaterina S. Vedernikova, Ekaterina I. Lubinskaya, Taras Y. Burak, Sergey I. Skichko, Farhad Rasulev, Ekaterina B. Soldatova, Alexander L. Fenin, Ilya I. Laptev, Elena E. Luchinkina, Alexandr Akatov, Natalia V. Polenova, Natalia N. Slavina, Irina N. Korovnika, Marina Yu Prochorova, Regina Shakirova, Elena N. Andreicheva, Olga A. Krasnova, Tinatin V. Lobzhanidze, Tatiana B. Dmitrova, Viktoriya V. Stakhiv, Maria I. Pechatnikova, Alexandra V. Panova, Maria Y. Tipikina, Oxana P. Rotar, Nikolay A. Bokovin, Saule K. Karabalieva, Farid Y. Tumarov, Elena V. Vasileva, Natalya Gennadevna Lozhkina, Ekaterina V. Filippova, Alisa I. Sharkaeva, Ekanerina V. Filippova Deilik, Natalia Yu Tolkacheva, Elena N. Domracheva, Andrey N. Ryabikov, Inga T. Abesadze, Marianna Z. Alugishvili, Elena P. Nikolaeva, Nadezda V. Smirnova, Valentina I. Rodionova, Polina V. Dolovstaya, Igor E. Yunonin, Sergey V. Kadin, Tatyana S. Sveklina, Anna V. Bushmanova, Elena L. Barkova, Irina S. Gomova, Yana V. Brytkova, Tatiana B. Ivanova, Marina Y. Zubareva, Inga Skopets, Lybov A. Galashevskaya, Emilia D. Butinskaya, Olga G. Gusarova, Natalia B. Kalishevich, Yana R. Pavlova, Marianna P Serebrenitskaya, Vitalina F. Grygorieva, Gulnara R. Kuchaeva, Inna A. Vasileva, Gulnara I. Ospanova, Yulia V. Vahrusheva, Irina A. Semenova, Irina E.E. Mikhailova, Olga O. Kvasova, Valeria D. Shurygina, Alexey E. Rivin, Alexey O. Savelyev, Alexey A. Savelyev, Olesya O. Milyaeva, Nadezhda N. Lapshina, Ninel A. Lantsova, Pavel V. Alexandrov, Evgeniy A. Orlikov, Alla Falkovskaya, Tatiana Ripp, Sergei Triss, Stanislav Pekarskiy, Sitkova Ekaterina, Evgeniya N. Zhuravleva, Olga Perova, Galina Kovaleva, Liubov Koroleva, Lydia Mishchenko, Boris P. Garshin, Svetlana A. Kutuzova, Lyudmila I. Provotorova, Igor P. Zadvorny, Olga V. Okhapkina, Anatoly O. Khrustalev, Tatiana Suvorova, Elena S. Shaf, Varvara A. Vershinina, Andrey A. Kozulin, Oxana A. Oleynik, Irina Y. Martynova, Natalia V. Kizhvatova, Alla S. Salasyuk, Vera V. Tsoma, Alla A. Ledyaeva, Elena V. Chumachek, S.C. Blignaut, Tersia Y. Alexander, Chano Du Plessis, Thirumani Govender, Samatha M. Du Toit, Leya Motala, Areesh Gassiep, Christina Naude (Smit), Marli Terblanche, Marlien Snoer (Kruger), Berenice Pillay, De Vries Basson, Marisa E. Theron, Bianca Fouche, Mareli E. Coetzee, Pieter Odendall, Frederik H. Van Wijk, Anna-Mari Conradie, Trudie Van der Westhuizen, Carine Tredoux, Mohamed S. Mookdam, Andie J. Van der Merwe, Karin Snyman, Gerda Smal, Yvonne De Jager, Thomas A. Mabin, Annusca King, Lindy L. Henley, Brenda M. Zwane, Jane Robinson, Marinda Karsten, Andonia M. Page, Valerie Nsabiyumva, Charmaine Krahenbuhl, Jaiprakash D. Patel, Yunus E. Motala, Ayesha Dawood, Nondumiso B. Koza, Lenore M.S. Peters, Shavashni Ramlachan, Wilhelm J. Bodenstein, Pierre Roux, Lizelle Fouche, Cecilia M. Boshoff, Haroon M. Mitha, Fathima Khan, Henry P. Cyster, Helen Cyster, E. C. Wessels, Florence J. Jacobs, Melanie A. Sebastian, Deborah A. Sebastian, Nadia Mahomed, Ignatius P. Immink, Celia Cotzee, Tanja Cronje, Madele Roscher, Maria Le Roux, Yvonne A. Trinder, Renata Wnętrzak-Michalska, Magdalena Piszczek, Andrzej Piela, Ewa Czernecka, Dorota Knychas, Alina Walczak, Izabella Gładysz, Katarzyna Filas, Ewelina Kiluk, Krzysztof Świgło, Iwona Jędrzejczyk, Kamila Łuczyńska, Katarzyna Tymendorf, Wojciech Piesiewicz, Wojciech L. Kinasz, Stefan Samborski, Ilona Bartuś, Gramzyna Latocha Korecka, Ewa Gulaj, Jolanta Sopa, Bogusław Derlaga, Marcin Baisiak, Allicia Kowalisko, Edyta Stainszewska-Marasazlek, Bartosz Szafran, Malgorzata Swiatkiewicz, Artur Racewicz, Sławomir Grycel, Jerzy Supronik, Sylwia Walendziuk, Magdalena Tarantowicz, Agata Stasiak, Anna Sidorowicz-Białynicka, Marek Dwojak, Ewa Jaźwińska-Tarnawska, Katarzyna Kupczyk, Kamila Martowska, Kamila Kulon, Katarzyna Gajda, Bivin Wilson, Krithika Velusamy, Swaidha S. Sadhiq, Bhavani Siddeshi, M. Bhanukumar, Abhishek Srivatsav, Madhan Ramesh, Sri Harsha Chalasani, Mini Johnson, Prashanth Gopu, Jeesa George, Sowmya Reddy, Swetha Tessy Thara Eleena, Damodara Rao Kodem, Haritha N. Nakkella, Padma Kumari Mandula, Anjan Kumar Vuriya, Syamala Rajana, Aruna Kale, Tiwari Rajeev, Raina Jain, Vipin Jain, Srilakshmi Mandayam Adhyapak, Lumin Sheeba, Uma C R, Ramya R, Aditya V. Kulkarni, M.S. Ganachari, Ruma Sambrekar, Mohammad Bilal, Kalyan Chakravarthy, Ravi Badhavath, Sravan Kumar, Meenakshi Simhadri, Farooque Salamuddin, Venkat Prasad, Vivek Dwivedi, Sudha Sarna, Tilak Arora, Deepak Chawla, Archana Sathe, Chaware Gayatree, Ajeet Nanda, Ram Avtar, Jyoti Sharma, Vaibhavi P S, Sasirekha D, Deepthi Kobbajji, Ramya Ningappa, Shwetha Shree, Chandrashekar K, Nandini M R, Sowjanya S, Devika I G, Yashaswini N, Sonika G, Rathna L, Priyanka R, Rupal J. Shrimanker, Lakshmi Vinutha Reddy, K. Sumathi, Babitha Devi, Bina N. Naik, Rohini Manjunath, Rajeshwari Ashok, Tony V. Kunjumon, Jesline Thomas, Shaik Samdhani, Kasthuri Selvam, Poongothai Subramani, Nandakumar Parthasarathy, Nirmal K. Bohra, Anvesh K. Gatla, Cheryl Horbatuk, Julie Sills, E B. Davey, Liz Paramonczyk, Olga Racanelli, Sandy Strybosch, Andre Belanger, Jean Palardy, Alicia Schiffrin, Sylvie Gauthier, Norman Kalyniuk, Shawn D. Whatley, Heather Lappala, Grishma Patel, Matthew Reeve, Catherine Moran, Jody Everitt, Teresa Ferrari, Christine Bouffard, Jirir Frohlich, Gordon Francis, John Mancini, Gregory Bondy, Debbie DeAngelis, Patricia Fulton, David W. Blank, Angela Lombardo, Mylène Roy, Jackie Chow, Hyman Fox, William J. Grootendorst, Angela Hutchinson, Sharon M. Chan, Christie Fitzgerald, Lynn Wilkins, Rebecca L. Raymond, Arlene Reyes, Lavoie Marc André, Denis Fortin, Hélène Ouimet, Thanh-Thao Tôn-Nu, Martine Dussureault, Marie-Hélène Blain, Madeleine Roy, Nathalie Kopajko, Chantal Fleury, Karine Maheux, Gabriela Valentina Ciobotaru, Maria C. Constantinescu, Carmen-Lucia Gherghinescu, Ana-Maria Avram, Ioan Manitiu, Aura Sinpetrean, Lucian Pop, Delia Lupu, Radu Usvat, Ana Petrisor, Nicoleta Dumitru, Camelia Moruju, Adelina Gheorghita, Magda V. Mitu, Cosmin Macarie, Ana Maria Pop, Maria-Catalina Diaconu, Iulia Grancea, Mihaela Cosma, Mihaela Crisan, Elizabeth Herron, Paul Nestel, Sally B. Kay, Kaye S. Carter, Imran Badshah, Ashley Makepeace, Jocelyn Drinkwater, Michelle England, Azette Rafei, Kylie Patterson, Alicia Jenkins, Sybil McAuley, Sue M. Kent, Joy E. Vibert, Leonie Perrett, Thomas David, Samantha L. Kaye, Monika O’Connor, Nimalie J. Perera, Nicole T. Lai, Kerry A. Kearins, Christinia Dicamillo, Heather Anderson, Louise Ferguson, Sharon D. Radtke, Charles T. Thamarappillil, Janice M. Boys, Anita K. Long, Toni Shanahan, Michael Nyguyen, Nicole Forrest, Gill Tulloch, Della Greenwell, Sarah L. Price, Aye N. Tint, Priya K. Sumithran, Tamara L. Debreceni, Lisa Walker, Mary Caruana, Kira Edwards, Maria Stathopoulos, Cilla Haywood, Dimitar Sajkov, Sharen Pringle, Anne Tabner, Kathrina Bartolay, Chamindi Abeyratne, Kylie Bragg, Patrick Mulhern, Peter Purnell, Lyn Williams, Jane Hamlyn, Aurelia Connelly, Jan Hoffman, Samantha Bailey, Jane Kerr, Zarnia Morrison, Sarah Maeder, Roberta McEwan, Prasanna Kunasekera, Patrice McGregor, Jo Young, Sharon Berry, Rick Cutfield, Michelle Choe, Catherine McNamara, Narrinder K. Shergill, Petra Crone, Miles G. Williams, Keith Dyson, Diana H. Schmid, Audrey C. Doak, Melissa Spooner, Colin Edwards, Anne Turner, Grainne M. McAnnalley, Raewyn A. Fisher, Fraser B. Hamilton, Denis H. Friedlander, Melissa R. Kirk, Jayne E. Scales, Marguerite A. McLelland, Neelam A. Dalman, Cathy E. Vickers, Carolyn Jackson, Wendy Coleman, Phillip I. Garden, and Wendy F. Arnold

Subjects
Male, medicine.medical_specialty, Rate ratio, Double-Blind Method, Ischemia, Risk Factors, Physiology (medical), Internal medicine, medicine, Clinical endpoint, Humans, Myocardial infarction, Coronary Artery Bypass, Stroke, Aged, business.industry, Unstable angina, Hazard ratio, Absolute risk reduction, Middle Aged, medicine.disease, Eicosapentaenoic Acid, Number needed to treat, Cardiology, Female, Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine, business
Abstract

Background: Despite advances in surgery and pharmacotherapy, there remains significant residual ischemic risk after coronary artery bypass grafting surgery. Methods: In REDUCE-IT (Reduction of Cardiovascular Events With Icosapent Ethyl–Intervention Trial), a multicenter, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial, statin-treated patients with controlled low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and mild to moderate hypertriglyceridemia were randomized to 4 g daily of icosapent ethyl or placebo. They experienced a 25% reduction in risk of a primary efficacy end point (composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, coronary revascularization, or hospitalization for unstable angina) and a 26% reduction in risk of a key secondary efficacy end point (composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke) when compared with placebo. The current analysis reports on the subgroup of patients from the trial with a history of coronary artery bypass grafting. Results: Of the 8179 patients randomized in REDUCE-IT, a total of 1837 (22.5%) had a history of coronary artery bypass grafting, with 897 patients randomized to icosapent ethyl and 940 to placebo. Baseline characteristics were similar between treatment groups. Randomization to icosapent ethyl was associated with a significant reduction in the primary end point (hazard ratio [HR], 0.76 [95% CI, 0.63–0.92]; P =0.004), in the key secondary end point (HR, 0.69 [95% CI, 0.56–0.87]; P =0.001), and in total (first plus subsequent or recurrent) ischemic events (rate ratio, 0.64 [95% CI, 0.50–0.81]; P =0.0002) compared with placebo. This yielded an absolute risk reduction of 6.2% (95% CI, 2.3%–10.2%) in first events, with a number needed to treat of 16 (95% CI, 10–44) during a median follow-up time of 4.8 years. Safety findings were similar to the overall study: beyond an increased rate of atrial fibrillation/flutter requiring hospitalization for at least 24 hours (5.0% vs 3.1%; P =0.03) and a nonsignificant increase in bleeding, occurrences of adverse events were comparable between groups. Conclusions: In REDUCE-IT patients with a history of coronary artery bypass grafting, treatment with icosapent ethyl was associated with significant reductions in first and recurrent ischemic events. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier: NCT01492361.

Published
2021

41. Can machine learning bring cardiovascular risk assessment to the next level? A methodological study using FOURIER trial data

Author

Mikhail Zaslavskiy, Armando Lira Pineda, David Dellamonica, Adrien Rousset, Robert P. Giugliano, Marc S. Sabatine, Romuald Menuet, Paul Trichelair, and L. Ricci

Subjects
Risk analysis (engineering), Computer science, Risk assessment
Abstract

Aims Through this proof of concept, we studied the potential added value of machine learning (ML) methods in building cardiovascular risk scores from structured data and the conditions under which they outperform linear statistical models. Methods and results Relying on extensive cardiovascular clinical data from FOURIER, a randomized clinical trial to test for evolocumab efficacy, we compared linear models, neural networks, random forest, and gradient boosting machines for predicting the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events. To study the relative strengths of each method, we extended the comparison to restricted subsets of the full FOURIER dataset, limiting either the number of available patients or the number of their characteristics. When using all the 428 covariates available in the dataset, ML methods significantly (c-index 0.67, P-value 2e−5) outperformed linear models built from the same variables (c-index 0.62), as well as a reference cardiovascular risk score based on only 10 variables (c-index 0.60). We showed that gradient boosting—the best performing model in our setting—requires fewer patients and significantly outperforms linear models when using large numbers of variables. On the other hand, we illustrate how linear models suffer from being trained on too many variables, thus requiring a more careful prior selection. These ML methods proved to consistently improve risk assessment, to be interpretable despite their complexity and to help identify the minimal set of covariates necessary to achieve top performance. Conclusion In the field of secondary cardiovascular events prevention, given the increased availability of extensive electronic health records, ML methods could open the door to more powerful tools for patient risk stratification and treatment allocation strategies.

Published
2021

42. Efficacy and Safety of Long-Term Evolocumab Use Among Asian Subjects ― A Subgroup Analysis of the Further Cardiovascular Outcomes Research With PCSK9 Inhibition in Subjects With Elevated Risk (FOURIER) Trial ―

Author

Chung-Wah Siu, Peter S. Sever, Robert P. Giugliano, John Amerena, Donghoon Choi, Armando Lira Pineda, Prakash Deedwania, Min-Ji Charng, Terje R. Pedersen, Anthony C Keech, Leslie Tay, Marc S. Sabatine, Vijay K. Chopra, Chen Lu, Kazuma Oyama, Atsushi Hirayama, Wan Azman Wan Ahmad, Sabina A. Murphy, and Minao Tang

Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty, Statin, medicine.drug_class, Subgroup analysis, 030204 cardiovascular system & hematology, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized, Placebo, 03 medical and health sciences, 0302 clinical medicine, Asian People, Internal medicine, Clinical endpoint, medicine, Humans, 030212 general & internal medicine, Adverse effect, Unstable angina, business.industry, PCSK9, PCSK9 Inhibitors, Cholesterol, LDL, General Medicine, Atherosclerosis, medicine.disease, Evolocumab, Treatment Outcome, Heart Disease Risk Factors, Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors, Proprotein Convertase 9, Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine, business
Abstract

BACKGROUND There are concerns that Asian patients respond differently to some medications. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of evolocumab among Asian vs. other subjects in the FOURIER trial, which randomized stable atherosclerosis patients to receive either evolocumab or placebo.Methods and Results:Effects of adding evolocumab vs. placebo to background statin therapy on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) reductions, cardiovascular outcomes, and adverse events were compared among 27,564 participants with atherosclerotic disease, according to self-reported Asian (n=2,723) vs. other (n=24,841) races followed for a median of 2.2 years in the FOURIER trial. The primary endpoint was a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, hospitalization for unstable angina, or coronary revascularization. At randomization, Asians had slightly lower LDL-C (median 89 [IQR 78-104] mg/dL vs. 92 [80-109] mg/dL; P

Published
2021

43. Baseline Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Clinical Outcomes of Combining Ezetimibe With Statin Therapy in IMPROVE-IT

Author

Marc S. Sabatine, Robert P. Giugliano, Jeong-Gun Park, Christopher P. Cannon, Michael A. Blazing, Andrew M. Tershakovec, Eugene Braunwald, and Kazuma Oyama

Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty, Acute coronary syndrome, Statin, business.industry, medicine.drug_class, Low density lipoprotein cholesterol, Guideline, medicine.disease, Ezetimibe, Internal medicine, medicine, lipids (amino acids, peptides, and proteins), Statin therapy, Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine, business, Baseline (configuration management), medicine.drug, Cholesterol management
Abstract

Background The 2018 U.S. cholesterol management guideline recommends additional lipid-lowering therapy with ezetimibe for secondary prevention in very high-risk patients with low-density l...

Published
2021

44. Effect of evolocumab on acute arterial events across all vascular territories : results from the FOURIER trial

Author

Anthony C Keech, Sabina A. Murphy, Minao Tang, Kazuma Oyama, Brian A. Bergmark, Jeffrey L. Saver, Marc S. Sabatine, Robert P. Giugliano, Andrea Ruzza, Peter S. Sever, and Marc P. Bonaca

Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty, Acute limb ischaemia, business.industry, PCSK9, medicine.medical_treatment, Hazard ratio, Cerebral Revascularization, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized, Revascularization, medicine.disease, Rate ratio, Brain Ischemia, Stroke, Evolocumab, Internal medicine, Cardiology, Humans, Medicine, Myocardial infarction, Proprotein Convertase 9, Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine, business
Abstract

Aims We assessed the impact of the proprotein convertase subtilisin–kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitor evolocumab on acute arterial events across all vascular territories, including coronary, cerebrovascular, and peripheral vascular beds, in patients with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Methods and results In the FOURIER trial, 27 564 patients with stable ASCVD on statin therapy were randomly assigned to evolocumab or placebo. Acute arterial events were a composite of acute coronary (coronary heart disease death, myocardial infarction, or urgent coronary revascularization), cerebrovascular (ischaemic stroke, transient ischaemic attack, or urgent cerebral revascularization), or peripheral vascular (acute limb ischaemia, major amputation, or urgent peripheral revascularization) events. Of the 2210 first acute arterial events, 74% were coronary, 22% were cerebrovascular, and 4% were peripheral vascular. Evolocumab reduced first acute arterial events by 19% (hazard ratio [HR] 0.81 [95% confidence interval 0.74–0.88]; P Conclusion The addition of the PCSK9 inhibitor evolocumab to statin therapy reduced acute arterial events across all vascular territories with a robust effect over time, indicating a pan-vascular impact of aggressive lipid-lowering therapy on these acute and clinically meaningful events. Clinical Trial Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01764633.

Published
2021

45. A polygenic risk score predicts atrial fibrillation in cardiovascular disease

Author

Nicholas A Marston, Amanda C Garfinkel, Frederick K Kamanu, Giorgio M Melloni, Carolina Roselli, Petr Jarolim, David D Berg, Deepak L Bhatt, Marc P Bonaca, Christopher P Cannon, Robert P Giugliano, Michelle L O’Donoghue, Itamar Raz, Benjamin M Scirica, Eugene Braunwald, David A Morrow, Patrick T Ellinor, Steven A Lubitz, Marc S Sabatine, and Christian T Ruff

Subjects
Clinical Research, Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
Abstract

Aims Interest in targeted screening programmes for atrial fibrillation (AF) has increased, yet the role of genetics in identifying patients at highest risk of developing AF is unclear. Methods and results A total of 36,662 subjects without prior AF were analyzed from four TIMI trials. Subjects were divided into quintiles using a validated polygenic risk score (PRS) for AF. Clinical risk for AF was calculated using the CHARGE-AF model. Kaplan–Meier event rates, adjusted hazard ratios (HRs), C-indices, and net reclassification improvement were used to determine if the addition of the PRS improved prediction compared with clinical risk and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). Over 2.3 years, 1018 new AF cases developed. AF PRS predicted a significant risk gradient for AF with a 40% increased risk per 1-SD increase in PRS [HR: 1.40 (1.32–1.49); P < 0.001]. Those with high AF PRS (top 20%) were more than two-fold more likely to develop AF [HR 2.45 (1.99–3.03), P < 0.001] compared with low PRS (bottom 20%). Furthermore, PRS provided an additional gradient of risk stratification on top of the CHARGE-AF clinical risk score, ranging from a 3-year incidence of 1.3% in patients with low clinical and genetic risk to 8.7% in patients with high clinical and genetic risk. The subgroup of patients with high clinical risk, high PRS, and elevated NT-proBNP had an AF risk of 16.7% over 3 years. The C-index with the CHARGE-AF clinical risk score alone was 0.65, which improved to 0.67 (P < 0.001) with the addition of NT-proBNP, and increased further to 0.70 (P < 0.001) with the addition of the PRS. Conclusion In patients with cardiovascular conditions, AF PRS is a strong independent predictor of incident AF that provides complementary predictive value when added to a validated clinical risk score and NT-proBNP.

Published
2022

46. Platelet Reactivity and Coagulation Markers in Patients with COVID-19

Author

Rinaldo Focaccia Siciliano, Adriadne Justi Bertolin, Felipe G. Lima, Ludhmila Abrahão Hajjar, Roberto R. Giraldez, Rocio Salsoso, Jose C. Nicolau, Alexandra Vieira, Talia Dalcoquio, Cyrillo Cavalheiro-Filho, Remo H.M. Furtado, Esper G. Kallas, Luciano Moreira Baracioli, Celia Maria Cassaro Strunz, Robert P. Giugliano, Roberto Kalil-Filho, Paul A. Gurbel, and Udaya S. Tantry

Subjects
Blood Platelets, medicine.medical_specialty, Platelet Aggregation, Fibrinogen, Gastroenterology, chemistry.chemical_compound, Internal medicine, medicine, Humans, Pharmacology (medical), Platelet, Original Research, business.industry, SARS-CoV-2, Thromboelastometry, Case-control study, COVID-19, General Medicine, Rheumatology, chemistry, Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, Case-Control Studies, Etiology, Platelet aggregation inhibitor, Multiplate electrode aggregometry, business, Platelet reactivity, Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors, medicine.drug
Abstract

Introdution COVID-19 is associated with an increased risk of thrombotic events. However, the contribution of platelet reactivity (PR) to the aetiology of the increased thrombotic risk associated with COVID-19 remains unclear. Our aim was to evaluate PR in stable patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and hospitalized with respiratory symptoms (mainly dyspnoea and dry cough), in comparison with a control group comprised of non-hospitalized healthy controls. Methods Observational, case control study that included patients with confirmed COVID-19 (COVID-19 group, n = 60) and healthy individuals matched by age and sex (control group, n = 60). Multiplate electrode aggregometry (MEA) tests were used to assess PR with adenosine diphosphate (MEA-ADP, low PR defined as

Published
2021

47. Cardiovascular Benefit of Lowering Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Below 40 mg/dL

Author

Anthony C Keech, Peter S. Sever, Andrea Ruzza, Robert P. Giugliano, Jeong-Gun Park, Nicholas A Marston, and Marc S. Sabatine

Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty, Cholesterol, business.industry, Low density lipoprotein cholesterol, Cholesterol, LDL, medicine.disease, Cardiovascular System, Article, Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena, Coronary artery disease, chemistry.chemical_compound, Endocrinology, chemistry, Cardiovascular Diseases, Physiology (medical), Internal medicine, medicine, Humans, Public Health Surveillance, Health Impact Assessment, Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine, business, Biomarkers
Published
2021

48. Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibition after acute coronary syndrome or prior myocardial infarction

Author

Gregory G. Schwartz and Robert P. Giugliano

Subjects
Nutrition and Dietetics, Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Anticholesteremic Agents, PCSK9 Inhibitors, Myocardial Infarction, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Cell Biology, Cholesterol, LDL, Atherosclerosis, Risk Factors, Genetics, Humans, Subtilisins, Acute Coronary Syndrome, Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors, Proprotein Convertase 9, Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine, Molecular Biology
Abstract

Lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) with statins or ezetimibe reduces major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with coronary heart disease. Additional treatment with proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors may lower LDL-C to levels not achievable with conventional lipid-lowering agents. This review summarizes findings from two large, placebo-controlled trials that evaluated the cardiovascular efficacy of monoclonal antibodies directed against PCSK9, added to background statin therapy, in patients with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) or recent acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and persistent elevation of atherogenic lipoproteins despite statin treatment.The FOURIER trial with evolocumab and the ODYSSEY OUTCOMES trial with alirocumab demonstrated 15% overall reductions in MACE compared to placebo, associated with average achieved LDL-C levels as low as 30-40 mg/dl. Alirocumab treatment was associated with fewer deaths after ACS. Subgroups with large absolute treatment benefit included those with baseline LDL-C ≥100 mg/dl, diabetes, polyvascular or peripheral artery disease, prior coronary bypass surgery, statin intolerance, or elevated lipoprotein(a) levels. No safety concerns arose with use of PCSK9 monoclonal antibodies, even in patients who achieved LDL-C levels below 20 mg/dl.In selected patients with established ASCVD or recent ACS, PCSK9 inhibitors can play an important role in reducing the risk of MACE, and may also reduce the risk of death after ACS.

Published
2022

49. Lipoprotein(a) and its Significance in Cardiovascular Disease: A Review

Author

Freddy Duarte Lau and Robert P. Giugliano

Subjects
Cardiovascular Diseases, Nucleic Acids, Humans, Correction, Aortic Valve Stenosis, Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors, Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine, Atherosclerosis, Lipoprotein(a)
Abstract

Lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) is a low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol-like particle bound to apolipoprotein(a). This novel marker of cardiovascular disease acts through induction of vascular inflammation, atherogenesis, calcification, and thrombosis. While an absolute risk threshold remains to be universally accepted, an estimated 20% to 25% of the global population have Lp(a) levels of 50 mg/dL or higher, a level noted by the European Atherosclerosis Society to confer increased cardiovascular risk.Compelling evidence from pathophysiological, observational, and genetic studies suggest a potentially causal association between high Lp(a) levels, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and calcific aortic valve stenosis. Additional evidence has demonstrated that elevated Lp(a) levels are associated with a residual cardiovascular risk despite traditional risk factor optimization, including LDL cholesterol reduction. These findings have led to the formulation of the Lp(a) hypothesis, namely that Lp(a) lowering leads to cardiovascular risk reduction, intensifying the search for Lp(a)-reducing therapies. The ineffectiveness of lifestyle modification, statins, and ezetimibe to lower Lp(a); the modest Lp(a) reduction with proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors; the adverse effect profile and unclear cardiovascular benefit of pharmacotherapies such as niacin and mipomersen; and the impracticality of regular lipoprotein apheresis represent major challenges to currently available therapies. Nevertheless, emerging nucleic acid-based therapies, such as the antisense oligonucleotide pelacarsen and the small interfering RNA olpasiran, are generating interest because of their potent Lp(a)-lowering effects. Assessment of new-onset diabetes in patients achieving very low Lp(a) levels will be important in future trials.Epidemiologic and genetic studies suggest a potentially causal association between elevated Lp(a) levels, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and aortic valve stenosis. Emerging nucleic acid-based therapies have potent Lp(a)-lowering effects and appear safe; phase 3 trials will establish whether they improve cardiovascular outcomes.

Published
2022

50. Edoxaban vs. Warfarin in High-risk Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: A Comprehensive Analysis of High-Risk Subgroups

Author

Baris Gencer, Alon Eisen, David Berger, Francesco Nordio, Sabina A. Murphy, Laura T. Grip, Cathy Chen, Hans Lanz, Christian T. Ruff, Elliott M Antman, Eugene Braunwald, and Robert P Giugliano

Subjects
Pyridines, Body Weight, Anticoagulants, 610 Medicine & health, Stroke, Thiazoles, Treatment Outcome, 360 Social problems & social services, Atrial Fibrillation, Humans, Warfarin, cardiovascular diseases, Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine, Aged, Factor Xa Inhibitors
Abstract

BACKGROUND To compare the efficacy and safety of edoxaban vs. warfarin in high-risk subgroups. Methods ENGAGE AF-TIMI 48 was a multicenter randomized, double-blind, controlled trial in 21,105 patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) within 12 months and CHADS2 score >2 randomized to higher-dose edoxaban regimen (HDER) 60 mg/reduced 30 mg, lower-dose edoxaban regimen (LDER) 30 mg/reduced 15 mg, or warfarin and followed for 2.8 years (median). The primary outcome for this analysis was the net clinical outcome (NCO), a composite of stroke/systemic embolism events, major bleeding, or death. Multivariable risk-stratification analysis was used to categorize patients by the number of high-risk features. RESULTS The annualized NCO rates in the warfarin arm were the highest in patients with malignancy (19.2%), increased fall risk (14.0%), and very-low body weight (13.5%). The NCO rates increased with numbers of high-risk factors in the warfarin arm: 4.5%, 7.2%, 9.9% and 14.6% in patients with 0-1, 2, 3, and >4 risk factors, respectively (Ptrend 4+), the absolute risk reductions favoring edoxaban over warfarin increased: 0.3%->2.0% for HDER; 0.4%->3.4% for LDER vs warfarin (P=0.065 and P

Published
2022

Catalog

Books, media, physical & digital resources
See catalog results