Renal dysfunction and high levels of hsCRP are additively associated with hard endpoints after percutaneous coronary intervention with drug eluting stents.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and high C-reactive protein (CRP) are known risk factors of cardiovascular disease. In the drug eluting stent (DES) era, the relationship among CKD, CRP, and long-term outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has not yet been demonstrated. We investigated the combined effects of renal dysfunction and CRP on outcomes in patients who underwent PCI using DES.

Physiologic assessment of jailed side branch lesions using fractional flow reserve.

Objectives: This study was performed to evaluate the feasibility of the physiologic assessment of jailed side branches using fractional flow reserve (FFR) and to compare the measured FFR with the stenosis severity assessed by quantitative coronary angiography (QCA).

Background: It is not well-known which side branches should be treated after stent implantation at main branches and how to assess the functional significance of these lesions.

Methods: Ninety-seven jailed side branch lesions (vessel size > 2.