Publications by authors named "D Spirk"

Background: The global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted the search for strategies to improve outcomes in affected individuals, including those initially managed in outpatient settings. Thromboembolic events have been reported as a concerning complication.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate efficacy and safety of primary thromboprophylaxis in outpatients with COVID-19.

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Background: Elevated Lp(a) (lipoprotein[a]) is a risk marker for atherosclerotic disease, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. We examined the association of Lp(a) with changes in coronary atherosclerosis following intensive lipid-lowering therapy.

Methods: In the PACMAN-AMI trial (Effects of the PCSK9 Antibody Alirocumab on Coronary Atherosclerosis in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction), 300 patients with acute myocardial infarction were randomized to receive biweekly alirocumab 150 mg or placebo in addition to high-intensity statins.

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Importance: Previous studies investigated atherosclerotic changes induced by lipid-lowering therapy in extensive coronary segments irrespective of baseline disease burden (a vessel-level approach).

Objective: To investigate the effects of lipid-lowering therapy on coronary lesions with advanced atherosclerotic plaque features and presumably higher risk for future events.

Design, Setting, And Participants: The PACMAN-AMI randomized clinical trial (enrollment: May 2017 to October 2020; final follow-up: October 2021) randomized patients with acute myocardial infarction to receive alirocumab or placebo in addition to high-intensity statin therapy.

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: We aimed to study the long-term safety and efficacy of oblique venous stents for post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) with iliac vein compression. : In the multinational, prospective, single-arm TOPOS study, PTS patients scheduled for endovascular therapy with the sinus-Obliquus stent and optional distal extension with the sinus-Venous or sinus-XL Flex stent were enrolled at eight European vascular centres between October 2016 and December 2020. The primary outcome was primary stent patency at 24 months, and secondary outcomes included the clinical course of PTS (Villalta score, revised Venous Clinical Severity Score [rVCSS], Visual Analog Scale [VAS] of pain), quality of life changes (Chronic Venous Insufficiency Quality of Life Questionnaire, CIVIQ-20), and device-related complications.

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Background And Aims: The effects of protein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors on endothelial function as assessed by flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are unknown. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effects of the PCSK9 inhibitor alirocumab added to high-intensity statin on FMD, and its association with coronary atherosclerosis in non-infarct related arteries using intracoronary intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), and optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Methods: This was a pre-specified substudy among patients recruited at Bern University Hospital, Switzerland, for the randomized-controlled, double-blind, PACMAN-AMI trial, which compared the effects of biweekly alirocumab 150 mg vs.

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