Improved Evaluation of Coronary Artery Diseases from Patients with Coronary Calcification Utilizing FFR: A Comparative Study against CCTA.

Objectives: This multicenter study evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) and CT-derived fractional flow reserve (FFR) in diagnosing coronary artery disease (CAD), focusing on the impact of coronary calcification, using invasive coronary angiography (ICA) as the reference.

Materials And Methods: The study analyzed 4172 patients from three centers who underwent CCTA and FFR between August 2021 and August 2022. Exclusion criteria included the absence of ICA within 90 days after CCTA, left main disease, previous coronary revascularization, or unmeasurable agatston score (AS).

Assessing the impact of evolocumab on thin-cap fibroatheroma and endothelial function in patients with very high-risk atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: The prevalence of very high-risk atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is significant in China, with suboptimal rates of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) compliance exacerbating plaque instability and causing a higher incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACEs). Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors (PCSK9i) are effective in reducing LDL-C levels, increase the stability of vulnerable plaque, and influence the progression of atherosclerosis through multiple mechanisms as demonstrated in animal studies. However, there is currently a lack of evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of high-intensity statin therapy combined with PCSK9i in the secondary prevention of ASCVD in the Chinese population.

Development and validation of a clinical diagnostic model for myocardial ischaemia in borderline coronary lesions based on optical pumped magnetometer magnetocardiography: a prospective observational cohort study.

Objectives: To develop and validate a clinical diagnostic model based on optical pumped magnetometer magnetocardiography (OPM-MCG) for the detection of myocardial ischaemia in patients with borderline coronary lesions prior to invasive coronary angiography (ICA).

Design: Prospective observational cohort study.

Setting: Single centre of the China National Clinical Research Centre for Cardiovascular Disease (NCCMRC).

3D Nanoprinting of Heterogeneous Metal Oxides with High Shape Fidelity.

3D nanoprinting can significantly enhance the performance of sensors, batteries, optoelectronic/microelectronic devices, etc. However, current 3D nanoprinting methods for metal oxides are suffering from three key issues including limited material applicability, serious shape distortion, and the difficulty of heterogeneous integration. This paper discovers a mechanism in which imidazole and acrylic acid synergistically coordinate with metal ions in water.

3D Directional Assembly of Liquid Crystal Molecules.

The precise construction of hierarchically long-range ordered structures using molecules as fundamental building blocks can fully harness their anisotropy and potential. However, the 3D, high-precision, and single-step directional assembly of molecules is a long-pending challenge. Here, a 3D directional molecular assembly strategy via femtosecond laser direct writing (FsLDW) is proposed and the feasibility of this approach using liquid crystal (LC) molecules as an illustrative example is demonstrated.

PET evaluation of myocardial perfusion function after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with chronic total occlusion: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The benefit of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in chronic complete coronary artery occlusion (CTO) remains controversial. PCI is currently indicated only for symptom and myocardial ischemia abolition, but large chronically occluded vessels with extensive afferent myocardial territories may benefit most from this procedure. The noninvasive evaluation of myocardial perfusion is critical before and after revascularization, and positron emission tomography (PET) can determine absolute myocardial perfusion.

Drug-Coated Balloon-Only Strategy for De Novo Coronary Artery Disease: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials.

Backgrounds: Many clinical trials have demonstrated the value of drug-coated balloons (DCB) for in-stent restenosis. However, their role in de novo lesions is not well documented. The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the DCB-only strategy compared to other percutaneous coronary intervention strategies for de novo coronary lesions.

Regulation of cardiovascular and cardiac functions by caveolins.

Caveolae are intracellular vesicles with diameters ranging from 50 to 100 nm. The role of caveolins in mediating oxidative stress, autophagy, apoptosis, fibrosis, and vascular remodeling has attracted increasing attention in cardiovascular therapy. Several studies have suggested that caveolin could be a therapeutic target for the treatment of cardiac and/or vascular injury via several pathophysiological mechanisms.

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Offers Clinical Benefits to Diabetic Patients With Stable Chronic Total Occlusion.

Whether percutaneous coronary intervention for chronic total occlusion (CTO-PCI) in diabetic patients offers more benefits compared with initial medical therapy (CTO-MT) is unclear. In this study, diabetic patients with one CTO (clinical manifestations: stable angina or silent ischemia) were enrolled. Consecutively, enrolled patients ( = 1605) were assigned to different groups: CTO-PCI (1044 [65.

Efficacy and safety of drug-coated balloons in the treatment of coronary lesions in very small vessels: a prospective, multicenter, single-arm trial.

Background: Evidence of the use of drug-coated balloons (DCB) in large or small coronary lesions and in-stent restenosis has accumulated over the past years. Due to their anatomical peculiarity, the treatment of very small vessels (VSV) (lumen diameter <2 mm) is still a controversial issue. Studies that examine the use of DCB in VSV are limited.

Comparison of successful versus failed percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with chronic total occlusion: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The optimal treatment strategy of chronic total occlusion (CTO) is currently debated. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the long-term clinical outcomes of successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of CTO.

Methods: Electronic databases were searched for studies comparing long-term outcomes between successful PCI in patients with CTO using drug-eluting stents and failed procedures.

Coronary artery bypass graft surgery stenting for patients with chronic kidney disease and complex coronary artery disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The relative role of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stent implantation in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and complex coronary artery disease (CAD) remains debatable due to the lack of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We therefore performed this meta-analysis to compare the outcomes of the two strategies in CKD patients with multivessel and/or left main disease.

Methods: Electronic databases including PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library were comprehensively searched to identify the eligible subgroup analysis of RCTs and propensity-matched registries.

Revascularization or medical therapy for stable coronary artery disease patients with different degrees of ischemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the role of myocardial perfusion.

Objective: This study explored the best treatment strategies for stable coronary artery disease (SCAD) patients with differing levels of ischemic severity.

Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search of the PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases - searching for relevant articles through 4 February 2021. We selected studies comparing different treatments for patients with SCAD who had received ischemia assessments.

Interaction of graphene oxide with lysozyme:Insights from conformational structure and surface charge investigations.

Lysozyme (Lyz) is an important antibacterial protein that exists widely in nature. In recent years, the application of graphene oxide (GO) in the field of biotechnology electronics, optics, chemistry and energy storage has been extensively studied. However, due to the unique properties of GO, the mechanism of its interaction with biomacromolecule proteins is very complex.

The success of opening concurrent chronic total occlusion lesion to improve cardiac function trial in patients with multi-vessel disease (SOS-moral): Study protocol of a prospective multicenter study.

Aims: The purpose of the present trial is to determine whether opening co-existing chronic total occlusions (CTOs) using percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) improves cardiac function in patients with multi-vessel disease (MVD). Patients with MVD are defined as having at least one additional major vessel exhibiting no less than 75% stenosis combined with the presence of a CTO artery.

Methods And Results: Patients will be prospectively recruited who meet the following criteria:Patients presenting with no necrosis of myocardial tissue in the territory of the CTO will be excluded.

Caveolin as a Novel Potential Therapeutic Target in Cardiac and Vascular Diseases: A Mini Review.

Caveolin, a structural protein of caveolae, play roles in the regulation of endothelial function, cellular lipid homeostasis, and cardiac function by affecting the activity and biogenesis of nitric oxide, and by modulating signal transduction pathways that mediate inflammatory responses and oxidative stress. In this review, we present the role of caveolin in cardiac and vascular diseases and the relevant signaling pathways involved. Furthermore, we discuss a novel therapeutic perspective comprising crosstalk between caveolin and autophagy.

Long-term outcomes of staged recanalization for concurrent chronic total occlusion in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction after primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: In patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who undergo primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), approximately 10% are concomitant with a chronic total occlusion (CTO) in a non-culprit vessel. However, the impact of staged CTO recanalization on prognosis in this cohort remains disputable. This study aimed to compare the long-term outcomes of staged CTO recanalization versus medical therapy in patients with STEMI after primary PCI.

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Offers Survival Benefit to Stable Patients With One Single Chronic Total Occlusion and Diabetes: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis.

Studies on chronic total occlusion (CTO) treatment strategy in stable patients have reported conflicting results. We focused on stable diabetic patients with a single CTO (other vessels have been successfully treated before). We attempted to identify which strategy (percutaneous coronary intervention [PCI] or medical therapy [MT]) is optimal; 545 patients were selected from a total of 39 952 patients.

Staged complete revascularization or culprit-only percutaneous coronary intervention for multivessel coronary artery disease in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and diabetes.

Background: Recently, several randomized trials have noted improved outcomes with staged percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of nonculprit vessels in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and multivessel disease. However, it remains unclear whether diabetes status affects the outcomes after different revascularization strategies. This study thus compared the impact of diabetes status on long-term outcomes after staged complete revascularization with that after culprit-only PCI.

Timing of initiation of intra-aortic balloon pump in patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock: A meta-analysis.

Background: For patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complicated by cardiogenic shock (CS) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), the optimal timing of the initiation of intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) therapy remains unclear. Therefore, we performed the first meta-analysis to compare the outcomes of IABP insertion before vs after primary PCI in this population.

Methods: Electronic databases of PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were comprehensively searched from inception to April 1, 2019, to identify the eligible studies.

Successful revascularization versus medical therapy in diabetic patients with stable right coronary artery chronic total occlusion: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: The territory of the right coronary artery (RCA) is smaller than that of the left anterior descending artery. Previous studies have reported conflicting results when considering whether stable RCA-chronic total occlusion (CTO) should be reopened. The coexistence of diabetic and coronary artery diseases represents a severe situation.