Extremely Low Activity of Serum Alanine Aminotransferase Is Associated with Long-Term Overall-Cause Mortality in the Elderly Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention after Acute Coronary Syndrome.

: Recent studies revealed that the extremely low activity of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is associated with frailty and contributes to increased mortality after acute physical stress. We aimed to investigate whether the extremely low activity of serum ALT (<10 U/L) at the time of diagnosis can be used to predict overall-cause mortality in elderly patients that underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) after acute coronary syndrome (ACS) diagnosis. : A retrospective medical record review was performed on 1597 patients diagnosed with ACS who underwent PCI at a single university hospital from February 2014 to March 2020.

BioMatrix Versus Orsiro Stents for Coronary Artery Disease: A Multicenter, Randomized, Open-Label Study.

Background: Comparative studies of ultrathin-strut biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stent (BP-SES) have reported promising results and validated its excellent outcomes in terms of safety and efficacy. However, there are limited studies comparing BP drug-eluting stents with struts of different thicknesses. We compared the long-term clinical outcomes of patients treated with an ultrathin-strut BP-SES or a thick-strut biodegradable polymer biolimus-eluting stent (BP-BES).

BioMatrix versus Orsiro biodegradable polymer stents in all-comer patients with coronary artery disease: the multicentre, randomised BIODEGRADE trial.

Aims: The aim of this trial was to compare the safety and efficacy of a thin-strut biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting cobalt-chromium stent (Orsiro) to a thick-strut biodegradable polymer biolimus-eluting stent (BioMatrix).

Methods And Results: This randomised, open-label, non-inferiority trial was conducted among patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. The primary endpoint was target lesion failure (TLF).

Valsartan 160 mg/Amlodipine 5 mg Combination Therapy versus Amlodipine 10 mg in Hypertensive Patients with Inadequate Response to Amlodipine 5 mg Monotherapy.

Background And Objectives: When monotherapy is inadequate for blood pressure control, the next step is either to continue monotherapy in increased doses or to add another antihypertensive agent. However, direct comparison of double-dose monotherapy versus combination therapy has rarely been done. The objective of this study is to compare 10 mg of amlodipine with an amlodipine/valsartan 5/160 mg combination in patients whose blood pressure control is inadequate with amlodipine 5 mg.

Effect of cilostazol addition or clopidogrel doubling on platelet function profiles in diabetic patients undergoing a percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: We investigated the pharmacodynamic effect of cilostazol addition (100 mg twice, Triple) or clopidogrel doubling (150 mg daily, Double) on standard dual antiplatelet therapy in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with clopidogrel resistance undergoing a percutaneous coronary intervention.

Methods And Results: This was a prospective, randomized, cross-over platelet function study. Percent inhibition less than 20% was used as the cutoff value of clopidogrel resistance.

Comparison of resolute zotarolimus-eluting stents and sirolimus-eluting stents in patients with de novo long coronary artery lesions: a randomized LONG-DES IV trial.

Background: Procedural and clinical outcomes still remain unfavorable for patients with long coronary lesions who undergo stent-based coronary interventions. Therefore, we compared the relative efficacy and safety of resolute zotarolimus-eluting stents (R-ZES) and sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) for patients with de novo long coronary lesions.

Methods And Results: This randomized, multicenter, prospective trial, called the Percutaneous Treatment of LONG Native Coronary Lesions With Drug-Eluting Stent-IV (LONG-DES IV) trial, compared long R-ZES and SES in 500 patients with long (≥25 mm) native coronary lesions.

Outcomes after unrestricted use of everolimus-eluting and sirolimus-eluting stents in routine clinical practice: a multicenter, prospective cohort study.

Background: It remains unclear whether there are differences in the safety and efficacy outcomes between everolimus-eluting stents (EES) and sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) in contemporary practice.

Methods And Results: We prospectively enrolled 6166 consecutive patients who received EES (3081 patients) and SES (3085 patients) between April 2008 and June 2010, using data from the Interventional Cardiology Research In-Cooperation Society-Drug-Eluting Stents Registry. The primary end point was a composite of death, nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), or target-vessel revascularization (TVR).

Preventive effects of exenatide on endothelial dysfunction induced by ischemia-reperfusion injury via KATP channels.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether exenatide administration can prevent impairment in endothelium-dependent vasodilatation induced by ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury and whether this effect is mediated by K(ATP) channel opening.

Methods And Results: In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design, 20 volunteers were randomly assigned to 2 groups: subcutaneous exenatide (10 μg) or placebo administration. At 30 minutes after the study drug administration, endothelium-dependent flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) of the radial artery was measured before and after IR (15 minutes of ischemia at the level of the brachial artery followed by 15 minutes of reperfusion) injury.

Combined Assessments of Biochemical Markers and ST-Segment Resolution Provide Additional Prognostic Information for Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

Background And Objectives: The prognostic value of biochemical markers and the resolution of ST-segment elevation on electrocardiogram are well established. However, how a combination of these two tools affects the evaluation of risk stratification has not yet been evaluated.

Subjects And Methods: Between January 2006 and June 2008, 178 consecutive patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary interventions after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarctions (STEMI) were analyzed at two coronary care units.

Quantification of regional calcium burden in chronic total occlusion by 64-slice multi-detector computed tomography and procedural outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: One of the most important reasons for failure of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in chronic total occlusion (CTO) is calcified plaque, which either prevents passage of guide wire or ruptures after balloon inflation. We sought to evaluate whether quantified calcium contents of CTO on multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) correlate with immediate procedural outcomes.

Methods: Sixty-four patients with 72 CTO lesions who underwent 64-slice MDCT prior to PCI were investigated.

Estrogen receptors alpha and beta mediate contribution of bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells to functional recovery after myocardial infarction.

Background: Estradiol (E2) modulates the kinetics of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and favorably affects neovascularization after ischemic injury. However, the roles of estrogen receptors alpha (ER alpha) and beta (ER beta) in EPC biology are largely unknown.

Methods And Results: In response to E2, migration, tube formation, adhesion, and estrogen-responsive element-dependent gene transcription activities were severely impaired in EPCs obtained from ER alpha-knockout mice (ER alphaKO) and moderately impaired in ER betaKO EPCs.