Usefulness of postmarket studies to evaluate long-term safety of coronary eluting stents (from the ENDEAVOR and PROTECT Programs).

Differences in enrollment criteria and protocol requirements are believed to affect patient representation and outcomes from premarket and postmarket surveillance (PMS) trials. These differences have not been assessed in studies evaluating coronary stenting. We aimed to assess differences in clinical profile and long-term outcomes in patients enrolled into premarket versus PMS trials assessing the Endeavor zotarolimus-eluting stent (E-ZES).

Imaging in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR): role of the radiologist.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a novel technique developed in the last decade to treat severe aortic stenosis in patients who are non-surgical candidates because of multiple comorbidities.

Methods: Since the technique is performed using a transvascular approach, pre-procedural assessment of the aortic valve apparatus, ascending aorta and vascular access is of paramount importance for both appropriate patient selection and correct device selection. This assessment is performed by a multi-disciplinary team with radiology being an integral and important part.

Risk assessment to predict arterial and venous events in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

Atherosclerosis and venous thromboembolism (VTE) share common risk factors. We set to assess the strength of the association between atherosclerosis risk factors and disease manifestation, and VTE, in patients with coronary artery disease undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. We pooled data from 6 global randomized controlled trials assessing coronary stenting (ENDEAVOR and SIRIUS programs), developed separate risk scores to predict major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs: cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and stroke) and VTE, and compared their performance.

Role of Parenteral Agents in Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Stable Patients.

Numerous agents are available for anticoagulation during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and various antiplatelet agents are also used. With all of the medications available, an assessment must be made regarding the ischemic risk and risk of bleeding for an individual patient during elective PCI when selecting the optimal medical strategy to support PCI. Whether new antiplatelet medications will enhance or reduce complications when paired with various newer anticoagulant agents requires further investigation.

Safety and efficacy metrics for primary nitinol stenting in femoropopliteal occlusive disease: a meta-analysis and critical examination of current methodologies.

Background: The efficacy and safety of primary stenting for superficial femoral artery (SFA) disease have been benchmarked against historically derived performance goals. However, contemporary evidence evaluating SFA stenting is accumulating. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to quantitatively assess outcomes after primary SFA stenting with nitinol stents in contemporary practice, to compare these rates with commonly used efficacy and safety goals, and to discuss the clinical and regulatory implications of these findings.

Long-term efficacy and safety of Zotarolimus-eluting stent in patients with diabetes mellitus: pooled 5-year results from the ENDEAVOR III and IV trials.

Objective: To assess long-term outcomes of Endeavor Zotarolimus-eluting stent (E-ZES) implantation in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM).

Background: Patients with DM and coronary artery disease have lower restenosis with drug-eluting stent (DES) compared with bare-metal stents. Recent data suggest that the E-ZES is inferior to other DES in this population.

Which antithrombin for whom? Identifying the patient population that benefits most from novel antithrombin agents.

Anticoagulation has proven to be a key component in the management of acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Pharmacological agents with various modes of action are utilized to reduce thrombus development by impairing thrombin formation, platelet activation, and platelet aggregation. The optimal management of these patients is to achieve maximal anti-ischemic benefit while avoiding bleeding complications.