Background Elderly patients have high ischemic and bleeding rates after acute coronary syndrome; however, the occurrence of these complications over time has never been studied. This study sought to ...characterize average daily ischemic rates ( ADIRs ) and average daily bleeding rates ( ADBRs ) over 1 year in patients aged >74 years with acute coronary syndrome undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention who were randomized in the Elderly ACS 2 trial, comparing low-dose prasugrel (5 mg daily) with clopidogrel (75 mg daily). Methods and Results ADIRs and ADBRs were calculated as the total number of events, including recurrent events, divided by the number of patient-days of follow-up and assessed within different clinical phases: acute (0-3 days), subacute (4-30 days), and late (31-365 days). Generalized estimating equations were used to test the least squares mean differences for the pairwise comparisons of ADIRs and ADBRs and the pairwise comparison of clopidogrel versus prasugrel effects. Globally, ADIRs were 2.6 times (95% CI, 2.4-2.9) higher than ADBRs . ADIRs were significantly higher in the clopidogrel arm than in the low-dose prasugrel arm in the subacute phase ( P
<0.001) without a difference in ADBRs ( P
=0.35). In the late phase, ADIRs remained significantly higher with clopidogrel ( P
<0.001), whereas ADBRs were significantly higher with low-dose prasugrel ( P
<0.001). Conclusions Ischemic burden was greater than bleeding burden in all clinical phases of 1-year follow-up of elderly patients with acute coronary syndrome treated with percutaneous coronary intervention. Low-dose prasugrel reduced ischemic events in the subacute and chronic phases compared with clopidogrel, whereas bleeding burden was lower with clopidogrel in the late phase. Clinical Trial Registration URL : http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT 01777503.
Abstract Background Elderly patients display higher on clopidogrel platelet reactivity as compared to younger patients. Treatment with prasugrel 5 mg has been shown to provide more predictable and ...homogenous antiplatelet effect, as compared to clopidogrel, suggesting the possibility of reducing ischemic events after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) without increasing bleeding. Study design The Elderly-ACS 2 study is a multicenter, randomized, parallel-group, open-label trial designed to demonstrate the superiority of a strategy of dual antiplatelet treatment using a reduced 5 mg daily dose of prasugrel over a standard strategy with a daily clopidogrel dose of 75 mg in patients >74 years of age with ACS (either ST- or non ST-elevation myocardial infarction) undergoing early percutaneous revascularization. The primary endpoint is the composite of all-cause mortality, myocardial re-infarction, disabling stroke and re-hospitalization for cardiovascular causes or bleeding within one year. Taking advantage of the planned size of 2000 patients, the secondary objective is to assess the prognostic impact of selected pre-randomization variables (age, sex, diabetic status, serum creatinine level, ECG changes, abnormal troponin levels, basal and residual SYNergy between percutaneous coronary intervention with TAXus and cardiac surgery SYNTAX score). Conclusion The Elderly-ACS 2 study is a multicenter, randomized trial comparing a strategy of dual antiplatelet therapy with a reduced dose of prasugrel with a standard dose of clopidogrel in elderly patients with ACS undergoing percutaneous revascularization. (The Elderly ACS 2 trial: NCT01777503 )
Background
Slow pathway (SP) ablation is the cornerstone for atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia (AVNRT) treatment, and a low-voltage bridge offers a good target during mapping using low x-ray ...exposure. We aimed to assess a new tool to identify SP by activation mapping using the last CARTO3® version, i.e., CARTO PRIME® V7 (Biosense Webster, Diamond Bar, CA, USA)
Methods and results
Right atrial septum and triangle of Koch 3D-activation map were obtained from intracardiac contact mapping during low x-ray CARTO 3® procedure. In 60 patients (mean age 60.3 ± 14.7, 61% females) undergoing ablation for AVNRT, an automatic activation map using a DECANAV® mapping catheter and CARTO® Confidense™, Coherent, and FAM DX software modules were obtained. The SP was identified in all patients as the latest atrioventricular node activation area; RF catheter ablation (RFCA) in that region elicited junctional beats. The mean procedural time was 150.3 ± 48.3 min, the mean fluoroscopy time exposure was 2.9 ± 2 min, the mean dose-area product (DAP) was 16.5 ± 2.7 cGy/cm
2
. The mean number of RF applications was 3.9 ± 2, the mean ablation index was 428.6 ± 96.6, and the mean contact force was 8 ± 2.8 g. There were no adverse event during the procedure, and no AVNRT recurrences occurred during a mean follow-up of 14.3 ± 8.3 months.
Conclusion
Ablation of the SP by automatic mapping using Confidense™, Coherent, and FAM DX software modules is an innovative, safe, and effective approach to AVNRT ablation. The CARTO3® V7 system shows on a 3D map the latest AV node activation area during sinus rhythm allowing low fluoroscopy time and highly effective RFCA.
Multivessel coronary disease is frequent in older patients who underwent coronary angiography for acute coronary syndrome. Whether a complete revascularization or a culprit-only approach is ...preferable in these patients is still debated. We included consecutive patients aged ≥85 years, presenting with acute coronary syndrome and showing multivessel coronary disease at coronary angiography. Patients were grouped according to complete (residual SYNTAX score RSS 0 to 8) or incomplete (RSS >8) revascularization. Primary end point was the rate of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs, the composite of cardiovascular death, re-myocardial infarction re-MI, clinically driven percutaneous coronary intervention, and rehospitalization because of cardiac disease) at 2 years follow-up. A total of 166 patients met the criteria for enrollment; 108 patients had a final RSS 0 to 8 (complete revascularization) and 58 patients had a final RSS >8 (incomplete revascularization). The rate of MACE was reduced in patients who underwent complete revascularization (35.2% vs 51.7%, p = 0.039, adjusted hazard ratio 0.60, 95% confidence interval 0.37 to 0.98, p = 0.04), a difference mainly driven by a reduction in re-MI (8.3% vs 19.0%, p = 0.045), clinically driven percutaneous coronary intervention (2.8% vs 19.0%, p <0.001), and rehospitalization for cardiac disease (9.3% vs 24.1%, p = 0.009). Other independent predictors of MACE were active malignancy, previous MI, left ventricle ejection fraction <35% (increasing risk of events), and radial access (reducing risk of events). In conclusion, in patients aged ≥85 years, a complete revascularization is associated with a better prognosis, especially in terms of nonfatal events.
BACKGROUND—Elderly patients are at elevated risk of both ischemic and bleeding complications after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS), and display higher on-clopidogrel platelet reactivity as compared ...to younger patients. Prasugrel 5 mg provides more predictable platelet inhibition, as compared to clopidogrel, in the elderly, suggesting the possibility of reducing ischemic events without increasing bleeding.
METHODS—In a multicenter, randomized, open-label, blinded-endpoint trial, we compared a once daily maintenance dose of prasugrel 5 mg with the standard clopidogrel 75 mg in patients >74 years with ACS undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The primary endpoint was the composite of mortality, myocardial infarction, disabling stroke and re-hospitalization for cardiovascular causes or bleeding within one year. The study was designed to demonstrate superiority of prasugrel 5 mg over clopidogrel 75 mg.
RESULTS—Enrolment was interrupted, according to pre-specified criteria, after a planned interim analysis, when 1443 patients (40% women, mean age 80 years) had been enrolled, with a median follow-up of 12 months, due to futility for efficacy. The primary endpoint occurred in 121 patients (17%) with prasugrel and 121 (16.6%) with clopidogrel (HR 1.007, 95% CI, 0.78-1.30; P =0.955). Definite/probable stent thrombosis rates were 0.7% with prasugrel vs 1.9% with clopidogrel (OR 0.36, C.I. 0.13-1.00, p=0.06). Bleeding Academic Research Consortium types ≥2 were 4.1% with prasugrel vs 2.7% with clopidogrel (OR 1.52, C.I. 0.85-3.16, P= 0.18).
CONCLUSIONS—The present study in elderly ACS patients showed no difference in the primary endpoint between reduced-dose prasugrel and standard-dose clopidogrel. However, the study should be interpreted in the light of premature termination of the trial.
CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION—URLhttps://clinicaltrials.gov/ Unique IdentifierNCT01777503
Drug-coated balloons (DCB) represent 1 of the most promising innovations in interventional cardiology and may represent a valid alternative to drug-eluting stents. Currently, some sirolimus-coated ...balloons (SCB) are being investigated for several coronary artery disease applications.
This study sought to understand the role of a novel SCB for the treatment of coronary artery disease.
EASTBOURNE (All-Comers Sirolimus-Coated Balloon European Registry) is a prospective, multicenter, investigator-driven clinical study that enrolled real-world patients treated with SCB. Primary endpoint was target lesion revascularization (TLR) at 12 months. Secondary endpoints were procedural success, myocardial infarction (MI), all-cause death, and major adverse clinical events (a composite of death, MI, and TLR). All adverse events were censored and adjudicated by an independent clinical events committee.
A total population of 2,123 patients (2,440 lesions) was enrolled at 38 study centers in Europe and Asia. The average age was 66.6 ± 11.3 years, and diabetic patients were 41.5%. De novo lesions (small vessels) were 56%, in-stent restenosis (ISR) 44%, and bailout stenting occurred in 7.7% of the patients. After 12 months, TLR occurred in 5.9% of the lesions, major adverse clinical events in 9.9%, and spontaneous MI in 2.4% of the patients. The rates of cardiac/all-cause death were 1.5% and 2.5%, respectively. The primary outcome occurred more frequently in the ISR cohort (10.5% vs 2.0%; risk ratio: 1.90; 95% CI: 1.13-3.19). After multivariate Cox regression model, the main determinant for occurrence of the primary endpoint was ISR (OR: 5.5; 95% CI: 3.382-8.881).
EASTBOURNE, the largest DCB study in the coronary field, shows the safety and efficacy of a novel SCB in a broad population of coronary artery disease including small vessels and ISR patients at mid-term follow-up. (The All-Comers Sirolimus-Coated Balloon European Registry EASTBOURNE; NCT03085823).