Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality across the world, warranting continuous research in this field. The elucidation of the atherogenesis ...mechanism is considered one of the most relevant scientific accomplishments of the last century. This has led to the clinical development of various novel therapeutic interventions for patients with or at risk of ASCVD, in which randomized clinical trials played a crucial role.The Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) Study Group was initially established to conduct a clinical trial studying thrombolysis for treatment of myocardial infarction. However, over the years, the TIMI Study Group has expanded their research interests to include antithrombotic therapy, lipid lowering, anti-diabetes, anti-obesity, and even heart failure. By leading large-scale, international, randomized, controlled trials of novel therapeutics, the TIMI Study Group has helped shape the very practice of cardiovascular medicine for over a quarter of a century, and decades of research continue to provide future promise for further advancement. Through a mutual goal to improve the care of ASCVD patients, the Japanese scientific community has become one of the important contributors to the TIMI Study Group’s clinical research.In this review article, the authors aim to summarize major research lead by the TIMI Study Group in the ASCVD field.
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality across the world, warranting continuous research in this field. The elucidation of the atherogenesis ...mechanism is considered one of the most relevant scientific accomplishments of the last century. This has led to the clinical development of various novel therapeutic interventions for patients with or at risk of ASCVD, in which randomized clinical trials played a crucial role. The Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) Study Group was initially established to conduct a clinical trial studying thrombolysis for treatment of myocardial infarction. However, over the years, the TIMI Study Group has expanded their research interests to include antithrombotic therapy, lipid lowering, antidiabetes, anti-obesity, and even heart failure. By leading large-scale, international, randomized, controlled trials of novel therapeutics, the TIMI Study Group has helped shape the very practice of cardiovascular medicine for over a quarter of a century, and decades of research continue to provide future promise for further advancement. Through a mutual goal to improve the care of ASCVD patients, the Japanese scientific community has become one of the important contributors to the TIMI Study Group's clinical research. In this review article, the authors aim to summarize major research lead by the TIMI Study Group in the ASCVD field.
Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are preferred over warfarin for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation. Meta-analyses using individual patient data offer substantial advantages over study-level ...data.
We used individual patient data from the COMBINE AF (A Collaboration Between Multiple Institutions to Better Investigate Non-Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulant Use in Atrial Fibrillation) database, which includes all patients randomized in the 4 pivotal trials of DOACs versus warfarin in atrial fibrillation (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), to perform network meta-analyses using a stratified Cox model with random effects comparing standard-dose DOAC, lower-dose DOAC, and warfarin. Hazard ratios (HRs 95% CIs) were calculated for efficacy and safety outcomes. Covariate-by-treatment interaction was estimated for categorical covariates and for age as a continuous covariate, stratified by sex.
A total of 71 683 patients were included (29 362 on standard-dose DOAC, 13 049 on lower-dose DOAC, and 29 272 on warfarin). Compared with warfarin, standard-dose DOACs were associated with a significantly lower hazard of stroke or systemic embolism (883/29 312 3.01% versus 1080/29 229 3.69%; HR, 0.81 95% CI, 0.74-0.89), death (2276/29 312 7.76% versus 2460/29 229 8.42%; HR, 0.92 95% CI, 0.87-0.97), and intracranial bleeding (184/29 270 0.63% versus 409/29 187 1.40%; HR, 0.45 95% CI, 0.37-0.56), but no statistically different hazard of major bleeding (1479/29 270 5.05% versus 1733/29 187 5.94%; HR, 0.86 95% CI, 0.74-1.01), whereas lower-dose DOACs were associated with no statistically different hazard of stroke or systemic embolism (531/13 049 3.96% versus 1080/29 229 3.69%; HR, 1.06 95% CI, 0.95-1.19) but a lower hazard of intracranial bleeding (55/12 985 0.42% versus 409/29 187 1.40%; HR, 0.28 95% CI, 0.21-0.37), death (1082/13 049 8.29% versus 2460/29 229 8.42%; HR, 0.90 95% CI, 0.83-0.97), and major bleeding (564/12 985 4.34% versus 1733/29 187 5.94%; HR, 0.63 95% CI, 0.45-0.88). Treatment effects for standard- and lower-dose DOACs versus warfarin were consistent across age and sex for stroke or systemic embolism and death, whereas standard-dose DOACs were favored in patients with no history of vitamin K antagonist use (
=0.01) and lower creatinine clearance (
=0.09). For major bleeding, standard-dose DOACs were favored in patients with lower body weight (
=0.02). In the continuous covariate analysis, younger patients derived greater benefits from standard-dose (interaction
=0.02) and lower-dose DOACs (interaction
=0.01) versus warfarin.
Compared with warfarin, DOACs have more favorable efficacy and safety profiles among patients with atrial fibrillation.
Background:The effect of diabetes mellitus (DM) status on the long-term risk for heart failure (HF) in patients undergoing coronary revascularization has not been adequately evaluated.Methods and ...Results:In this study, 15,231 patients who underwent coronary revascularization in the CREDO-Kyoto Registry Cohort-2 were divided into 2 groups according to DM status (DM group: n=5,999; Non-DM group: n=9,232). The DM group was further divided into 2 groups according to insulin treatment (insulin-treated DM ITDM: n=1,353; non-insulin-treated DM NITDM: n=4,646). The primary outcome measure was HF hospitalization. The cumulative 5-year incidence of HF hospitalization was significantly higher in the DM than non-DM group (11.0% vs. 6.6%, respectively; log-rank P<0.0001), and in the ITDM than NITDM group (14.6% vs. 10.0%, respectively; log-rank P<0.0001). After adjusting for confounders, the increased risk of HF hospitalization with DM relative to non-DM remained significant (hazard ratio HR 1.47, 95% confidence interval CI 1.30–1.67, P<0.0001), whereas the risk associated with ITDM relative to NITDM was not significant (HR 1.17, 95% CI 0.96–1.43, P=0.12).Conclusions:The adjusted long-term risk for HF hospitalization after coronary revascularization was significantly higher in DM than non-DM patients, regardless of revascularization strategy, but did not differ between ITDM and NITDM patients.
Background
Elderly 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 Results
Twenty‐one thousand one‐hundred and five patients enrolled in the ENGAGE AF‐TIMI 48 trial were stratified into 3 prespecified age groups: <65 (n=5497), 65 to 74 (n=7134), and ≥75 (n=8474) years. Older patients were more likely to be female, with lower body weight and reduced creatinine clearance, leading to higher rates of edoxaban dose reduction (10%, 18%, and 41% for the 3 age groups, P<0.001). Stroke or systemic embolic event (1.1%, 1.8%, and 2.3%) and major bleeding (1.8%, 3.3%, and 4.8%) rates with warfarin increased across age groups (Ptrend<0.001 for both). There were no interactions between age group and randomized treatment in the primary efficacy and safety outcomes. In the elderly (≥75 years), the rates of stroke/systemic embolic event were similar with edoxaban versus warfarin (hazard ratio 0.83 0.66–1.04), while major bleeding was significantly reduced with edoxaban (hazard ratio 0.83 0.70–0.99). The absolute risk difference in major bleeding (−82 events/10 000 pt‐yrs) and in intracranial hemorrhage (−73 events/10 000 pt‐yrs) both favored edoxaban over warfarin in older patients.
Conclusions
Age has a greater influence on major bleeding than thromboembolic risk in patients with atrial fibrillation. Given the higher rates of bleeding and death with increasing age, treatment of elderly patients with edoxaban provides an even greater absolute reduction in safety events over warfarin, compared to treatment with edoxaban versus warfarin in younger patients.
Clinical Trial Registration
URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/. Unique identifier: NCT00781391.
Introduction: Radiation-induced carotid artery stenosis (RI-CS) is known as one of long-term side effects of radiotherapy for head and neck cancer (HNC). However, the clinical time course after ...irradiation has been poorly understood. We aimed to investigate the natural history of radiation-induced carotid atherosclerosis, comparing the patients who received radiotherapy for HNC with the patients who were treated without radiotherapy. Methods: The patients who received treatment of HNC at Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery of Kyoto University Hospital, from November 2012 to July 2015 were enrolled. The patients were assigned into the RT group and the control group, depending on whether radiotherapy was planned or not. Annual carotid ultrasound was performed from the enrollment to 5 years. The increase of mean intima-media thickness (IMT) at common carotid artery from the enrollment (Δmean IMT) was evaluated. Results: Fifty-six patients in the RT group and 25 patients in the control group were enrolled. From 5-year follow-up data, the significant higher increase of Δmean IMT was consistently observed in the RT group than in the control group after 2 years. The RT group presented a 7.8-fold increase of mean IMT compared to the control group (0.060 mm per year in the RT group and 0.008 mm per year in the control group). Cumulative incidence curves obtained from the analysis of all vessels revealed that the RT group presented higher incidence of Δmean IMT ≥0.25 mm than the control group (p < 0.01). In the RT group, the patients with mean IMT ≥1.0 mm at enrollment exhibited significantly higher incidence of Δmean IMT ≥0.25 mm than the patients with mean IMT <1.0 mm (p < 0.01). Discussion: Radiotherapy for HNC induces continuous carotid mean IMT progression. The irradiated carotid arteries with mean IMT ≥1.0 mm before radiotherapy presented earlier IMT progression than those with mean IMT <1.0 mm.
The detailed causes of death in non-ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) have not been adequately evaluated compared to those in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).
The ...study population was 6,228 AMI patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (STEMI: 4,625 patients and NSTEMI: 1,603 patients). The primary outcome was all-cause death.
Within 6 months after AMI, the adjusted mortality risk was not significantly different between NSTEMI patients and STEMI patients (HR: 0.83, 95%CI: 0.67-1.03, P = 0.09). Regarding the causes of death within 6 months after AMI, mechanical complications more frequently occurred in STEMI patients than in NSTEMI patients, while proportions of post resuscitation status on arrival and heart failure were higher in in NSTEMI patients than in STEMI patients. Beyond 6 months after AMI, the adjusted mortality risk of NSTEMI relative to STEMI was not significantly different. (HR: 1.04, 95%CI: 0.90-1.20, P = 0.59). Regarding causes of death beyond 6 months after AMI, almost half of deaths were cardiovascular causes in both groups, and breakdown of causes of death was similar between NSTEMI and STEMI.
The mortality risk within and beyond 6 months after AMI were not significantly different between STEMI patients and NSTEMI patients after adjusting confounders. Deaths due to post resuscitation status and heart failure were more frequent in NSTEMI within 6 months after AMI.
Anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) antibody, a dermatomyositis (DM)-specific antibody, is strongly associated with interstitial lung disease (ILD). Patients with idiopathic ...inflammatory myopathy (IIM) who are anti-MDA5 antibody positive anti-MDA5 (+) often experience chest symptoms during the active disease phase. These symptoms are primarily explained by respiratory failure; nevertheless, cardiac involvement can also be symptomatic. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate cardiac involvement in anti-MDA5 (+) DM. A total of 63 patients with IIM who underwent electrocardiography (ECG) and ultrasound cardiography (UCG) during the active disease phase from 2016 to 2021 anti-MDA5 (+) group, n = 21; anti-MDA5-negative (-) group, n = 42 were enrolled in the study, and their clinical charts were retrospectively reviewed. The ECG and UCG findings were compared between the anti-MDA5 (+) and anti-MDA5 (-) groups. All anti-MDA5 (+) patients had DM with ILD. The anti-MDA5 (+) group showed more frequent skin ulcerations and lower levels of leukocytes, muscle enzymes, and electrolytes (Na, K, Cl, and Ca) than the anti-MDA5 (-) group. According to the ECG findings obtained during the active disease phase, the T wave amplitudes were significantly lower for the anti-MDA5 (+) group than for the anti-MDA5 (-) group (I, II, and V4-6 lead;
< 0.01; aVF and V3, p < 0.05). However, the lower amplitudes were restored during the remission phase. Except for the E wave, A wave and Sep e', the UCG results showed no significant differences between the groups. Four patients with anti-MDA5 (+) DM had many leads with lower T wave and cardiac abnormalities (heart failure, diastolic dysfunction, myocarditis) on and after admission. Though anti-MDA5 (+) patients clinically improved after immunosuppressive therapy, some of their ECG findings did not fully recover in remission phase. In conclusion, anti-MDA5 (+) DM appears to show cardiac involvement (electrical activity and function) during the active phase. Further studies are necessary to clarify the actual cardiac condition and mechanism of these findings in patients with anti-MDA5 (+) DM.
Background
IMPROVE‐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 Results
In 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.
Conclusions
IMPROVE‐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 Registration
URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00202878.
Heart failure (HF) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are progressive chronic diseases that increase the risk of mortality and have worse outcomes when they coexist. There has been a paucity of data ...on effective therapeutic measures that reduce the risk of HF in patients with T2DM. However, the issuance of the Food and Drug Administration guidance in 2008 generated data on several antihyperglycemic agents that show cardiovascular (CV) benefits beyond glucose lowering. Among them, sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have emerged as a class of drug with proven robust benefits in modulating HF and kidney diseases in patients with T2DM. In this article, we reviewed the epidemiology, pathophysiology, prognosis, lifestyle management, and therapeutic options, especially SGLT2 inhibitors, for HF and T2DM.
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