Double kissing crush versus culotte for bifurcation percutaneous coronary interventions: insights from the PROGRESS-BIFURCATION registry.

Background: Upfront 2-stent techniques are often used in bifurcation percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI), but there is controversy about optimal strategy selection.

Methods: The authors examined the clinical and angiographic characteristics and long-term outcomes of 232 bifurcation PCIs that were performed using the double kissing (DK) crush or culotte technique in 216 patients between 2014 and 2023 using data from the Prospective Global Registry for the Study of Bifurcation Lesion Interventions (NCT05100992). The inverse probability of treatment weighted (IPTW) Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess long-term outcomes.

Bifurcation Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Patients Aged ≥80 Years: Insights from the Prospective Global Registry for the Study of Bifurcation Lesion Interventions Registry.

The outcomes of bifurcation percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients aged ≥80 and ≥90 years have received limited study. We compared the procedural characteristics and outcomes of bifurcation PCIs in patients aged ≥80 years and those aged <80 years in a multicenter registry. Of 1,253 patients who underwent 1,262 bifurcation PCIs between 2014 and 2024 at 6 centers, 194 (15%) were aged ≥80 and ≥90 years.

Impact of Diabetes Mellitus on Bifurcation Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Insights from the Prospective Global Registry for the Study of Bifurcation Lesion Interventions Registry.

The impact of diabetes mellitus (DM) on the outcomes of bifurcation percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has received limited study. We compared the procedural characteristics and outcomes of patients with and without DM in 1,302 bifurcation PCIs (1,147 patients) performed at 5 centers between 2013 and 2024. The prevalence of DM was 33.

Predictors of Length of Stay after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation: Impact of Prognostic Nutritional Index.

Background: Pre-transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) nutritional status can potentially affect the length of hospital stay (LoS) after TAVR. The Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI) is a widely recognised nutritional index. We aimed to determine the effect of PNI on LoS in patients undergoing TAVR.

Evaluation of silent brain injury in patients undergoing aorto-ostial coronary stent implantation.

Background: Aorto-ostial (AO) coronary interventions may be associated with multiple problems, including the potential embolization of atherothrombotic debris into the aorta and systemic circulation. Such embolization could theoretically lead to stroke or silent brain injury (SBI). In this study, we aimed to investigate whether there is an increased risk of SBI in patients undergoing AO stent implantation.

Comparative Analysis of Right vs. Left Radial Access in Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Impact on Silent Cerebral Ischemia.

: Silent cerebral ischemia (SCI) is defined as a condition that can be detected by biochemical markers or cranial imaging methods but does not produce clinical symptom. This study aims both to compare the frequency of SCI in PCIs performed with right transradial access and left transradial access and to evaluate the influencing factors. : A prospective, single-center study included 197 patients undergoing PCI via transradial access between November 2020 and July 2022.

Optimising Percutaneous Coronary Interventions: The Impact of Stent Type and Diameter on Long-Term Clinical Outcomes in Large Coronary Arteries.

Our study aimed to reveal the effect of using 4 mm bare-metal stents (BMS), 4 mm drug-eluting stents (DES), or 3 mm DES with 4 mm diameter balloon post-dilation strategies on long-term clinical outcomes and endpoints for large-diameter coronary artery percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). In our study, patients who had undergone PCI were retrospectively screened between January 2014 and July 2020. The study included 350 patients and was divided into three groups; Group I ( = 134) included patients with direct 4.

Contemporary In-Hospital Outcomes of Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Interventions: Insights from the MENATA (Middle East, North Africa, Turkey, and Asia) Chapter of the PROGRESS-CTO Registry.

Chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been rapidly evolving in different parts of the world. We examined the clinical and angiographic characteristics and procedural outcomes of 1,079 consecutive CTO PCIs performed in 1,063 patients at 10 centers in the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey, and Asia regions between 2018 and 2022. The mean age was 61 ± 10 years and 82% of the patients were men.

Impact of calcium on the procedural techniques and outcomes of chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: Coronary calcification is common and increases the difficulty of chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods: We examined the impact of calcium on procedural outcomes of 13,079 CTO PCIs performed in 12,799 patients at 46 US and non-US centers between 2012 and 2023.

Results: Moderate or severe calcification was present in 46.

Procedural Time and Outcomes of Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) can be lengthy procedures. We sought to investigate the effect of procedural time on CTO PCI outcomes. We examined the procedural time required for the various steps of CTO PCI in 6,442 CTO PCIs at 40 US and non-US centers between 2012 and 2022.

Outcomes of Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Intervention After a Previous Failed Attempt.

The impact of a previous failure on procedural techniques and outcomes of chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has received limited study. We examined the clinical and angiographic characteristics and procedural outcomes of 9,393 patients who underwent 9,560 CTO PCIs at 42 United States and non-United States centers between 2012 and 2022. A total of 1,904 CTO lesions (20%) had a previous failed PCI attempt.

Importance of Pericytes in the Pathophysiology of Cerebral Ischemia.

Various cell types contribute to pathological changes observed in the brain following cerebral ischemia. Pericytes, as a component of neurovascular unit (NVU) and blood brain barrier (BBB), play a key role for cerebral blood flow control and regulation of vessel permeability. It was shown that pericytes can control cerebral blood flow at the level of capillaries, by their contractile property.

Assessment of silent brain injury in patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention due to chronic total occlusion.

: Silent brain infarcts (SBI) are thromboembolic complications associated with cardiac surgery, diagnostic angiography, and percutaneous interventions. Serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE) is the proven biomarker for measuring neuronal damage. This study aimed to evaluate the incidence of SBI, defined as elevated NSE after coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) intervention and elective coronary stenting.

Preprocedural coronary computed tomography angiography in chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention: Insights from the PROGRESS-CTO registry.

Background: Preprocedural coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) can be useful in procedural planning for chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods: We examined the clinical, angiographic and procedural characteristics and outcomes of cases with vs. without preprocedural CCTA in PROGRESS-CTO (NCT02061436).

Evaluation of Long-Term Outcomes of Crossover or Focal Ostial Stenting of Left Anterior Descending Artery Ostial Stenosis.

Background: Optimal management of patients with ostial left anterior descending artery stenosis remains an unresolved issue.

Methods: Patients with ostial left anterior descending stenosis who underwent stent implantation were included in this study. Coronary records of all patients were monitored, and long-term clinical outcomes were recorded.

The predictive value of galectin-3 levels on left atrial low voltage areas assessed by high-density mapping in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

Aims: Galectin-3 is an inflammation biomarker that is associated with atrial fibrosis and plays a role in the development of atrial fibrillation (AF). Low voltage areas (LVAs) identified using an electroanatomical mapping system represent the presence of fibrotic tissue. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between coronary sinus (CS) serum sampling of galectin-3 levels and the presence and extent of LVA in patients with paroxysmal AF.

Low-Dose Slow Infusion Tissue Plasminogen Activator (tPA) in Treatment of Thrombotic Coronary Artery Occlusions: Case Series and Literature Review.

Thrombotic coronary artery occlusions usually manifest as acute coronary syndrome with cardiogenic shock, acute pulmonary edema, cardiac arrest, fatal arrhythmias, or sudden cardiac death. Although it usually occurs based on atherosclerosis, it can also occur without atherosclerosis. There is no predictor of coronary artery thrombosis clinically and no consensus regarding the optimal treatment.

Eosinophil cationic protein: A new diagnostic biomarker in coronary slow flow phenomenon.

Aim: This study has investigated the role of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), released by eosinophils, in the coronary slow flow phenomenon.

Methods: This study included sixty patients with coronary slow flow (CSF) and sixty patients with normal coronary flow. The coronary flow rate was evaluated with TIMI frame count (TFC).

Evaluation of mesenteric artery disease in patients with severe aortic valve stenosis.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the mesenteric artery stenosis (MAS) in routinely performed CT angiography (CTA) of patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) planned for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) before the procedure. Patients with AS (AS group) who routinely underwent CTA before the TAVI procedure due to severe AS and patients who had CTA for other indications (control group) were retrospectively and sequentially scanned. The demographic characteristics of the patients in both groups were similar.

Effect of Covid-19 pandemic process on STEMI patients timeline.

Objective: Delayed revascularisation in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is associated with poor prognosis. The aim of this study is to investigate how the timeline in STEMI treatment was affected during the Covid-19 outbreak.

Method: Consecutive 165 STEMI patients were enrolled in the study during the Covid-19 pandemic period (Pandemic period) and the prepandemic period (Control period).

Galectin-3 levels and the prediction of atrial high-rate episodes in patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Galectin-3 is an inflammation biomarker associated with atrial remodeling which plays a role in the development of atrial fibrillation (AF). Atrial high-rate episode (AHRE) is related to development of clinically documented AF and stroke. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between the presence of AHRE and the coronary sinus (CS) serum sampling of galectin-3 levels in the long-term follow-up of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) patients.

Evaluation of ivabradine in left ventricular dyssynchrony and reverse remodeling in patients with chronic heart failure.

Objectives: Ivabradine is a pharmacological agent used in patients with heart failure and sinus rhythm. Its only known pharmacological effect is to slow the heart rate. In this study, we investigated the impact of ivabradine on dyssynchrony parameters in heart failure patients.

Echocardiographic assessment of pulmonary arterial stiffness in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients.

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is one of the complications of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Despite the emergence of effective therapies, pulmonary arterial hypertension is commonly seen, especially at advanced stages. At the time of diagnosis, a majority of patients are at New York Heart Association-Functional Class III or IV.

Microvascular abnormalities in asymptomatic chronic smokers: A videocapillaroscopic study.

Cigarette smoking is reportedly associated with coronary, cerebral, and peripheral vascular diseases. Nailfold videocapillaroscopy is a noninvasive imaging technique used to examine the microvasculature. In this study we aim to investigate the capillaroscopic abnormalities of asymptomatic chronic smokers (N = 30), and compare findings to those of healthy nonsmokers (N = 30).

An unusual thrombosis of an ostial left internal mammary artery graft causing acute coronary syndrome five years after coronary bypass surgery.

For long-term patency, a left internal mammary artery (LIMA) graft is considered the gold standard for left anterior descending artery (LAD) revascularization. Subsequent occlusion of a LIMA graft may be related to atherosclerosis, narrowing at anastomotic locations, fixed torsions within the graft, straight tubular stenosis, dissection, or vasospasm. Late thrombotic occlusion of a LIMA, however, is rare, and the cause is not known, though case reports can be found in the literature.