A sirolimus-eluting bioabsorbable polymer-coated stent (MiStent) versus an everolimus-eluting durable polymer stent (Xience) after percutaneous coronary intervention (DESSOLVE III): a randomised, single-blind, multicentre, non-inferiority, phase 3 trial.

Background: MiStent is a drug-eluting stent with a fully absorbable polymer coating containing and embedding a microcrystalline form of sirolimus into the vessel wall. It was developed to overcome the limitation of current durable polymer drug-eluting stents eluting amorphous sirolimus. The clinical effect of MiStent sirolimus-eluting stent compared with a durable polymer drug-eluting stents has not been investigated in a large randomised trial in an all-comer population.

Impact of diabetes on survival in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction treated by primary angioplasty: insights from the POLISH STEMI registry.

Background: It has been shown that, among patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), diabetes is associated with a significantly higher mortality. The aim of this study was to investigate in a large cohort of patients the impact of diabetes on mortality in a large cohort of patients with STEMI treated with primary angioplasty.

Methods: Our population is represented by consecutive patients with STEMI treated by primary angioplasty and enrolled in the POLISH registry in 2003.

Influence of different antiplatelet treatment regimens for primary percutaneous coronary intervention on all-cause mortality.

Aims: The aim of this analysis was to examine the influence of different in-cath-lab antiplatelet regimens for the primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on all-cause mortality.

Methods And Results: The study group consisted of 7193 patients (pts) undergoing primary PCI in 38 centres in 2003 in Poland. All patients received pretreatment with 300 mg of aspirin, 992 pts (14%) received glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibitors, 2690 pts (37%) were treated with 300 mg loading dose of clopidogrel, and 1566 (22%) received combined antiplatelet treatment with both GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors and clopidogrel.

Facilitated PCI in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

Background: We hypothesized that percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) preceded by early treatment with abciximab plus half-dose reteplase (combination-facilitated PCI) or with abciximab alone (abciximab-facilitated PCI) would improve outcomes in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, as compared with abciximab administered immediately before the procedure (primary PCI).

Methods: In this international, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, we randomly assigned patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction who presented 6 hours or less after the onset of symptoms to receive combination-facilitated PCI, abciximab-facilitated PCI, or primary PCI. All patients received unfractionated heparin or enoxaparin before PCI and a 12-hour infusion of abciximab after PCI.

Novel paclitaxel-eluting, biodegradable polymer coated stent in the treatment of de novo coronary lesions: a prospective multicenter registry.

Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a biodegradable polymer coated, paclitaxel eluting stent (Luc-Chopin(2)) based on 9-months angiographic and 12-months clinical follow-up results.

Background: First-generation drug-eluting stents utilize nonbioabsorbable polymeric coatings, whose persistent presence in the arterial wall may negatively affect long-term outcomes. Bioabsorbable coatings with a degradation period matched to that of the drug elution may be a better alternative, clinically and economically.

Acute myocardial infarction in the elderly. Is primary coronary angioplasty the treatment of choice? In-hospital follow-up results.

Background: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is one of the main causes of death in the elderly, however, the optimal therapy of AMI in this age-group has not yet been established.

Aim: To compare the early outcome of patients with AMI aged > or =75 years who underwent primary percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) or were treated conservatively.

Methods: In-hospital outcome of 180 patients aged > or =75 years, hospitalised due to AMI, was retrospectively analysed.

The impact of very late revascularization of occluded infarct-related artery on cardiac mortality and the incidence of sudden death in survivors of acute myocardial infarction - long-term observation.

Background: In survivors of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), an occluded infarct-related artery (IRA) is an important predictor of cardiac death (CD) and sudden death (SD). Early reperfusion of the IRA was associated with improved survival rate. The purpose of the present study was to assess if late IRA revascularization, performed 10-30 days after AMI, also has a beneficial effect on the incidence of CD and SD during an 18-month follow-up.