Clinical Outcome after Everolimus-Eluting Stent Implantation for Small Vessel Coronary Artery Disease: XIENCE Asia Small Vessel Study.

There are limited data on outcomes after implantation of everolimus-eluting stents (EES) in East Asian patients with small vessel coronary lesions. A total of 1,600 patients treated with XIENCE EES (Abbott Vascular, CA, USA) were divided into the small vessel group treated with one ≤2.5 mm stent (n=119) and the non-small vessel group treated with one ≥2.

Effectiveness and Safety of Zotarolimus-Eluting Stent (Resolute™ Integrity) in Patients with Diffuse Long Coronary Artery Disease.

Background And Objectives: Diffuse long coronary artery disease (DLCAD) still has unfavorable clinical outcomes after successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Resolute™ zotarolimus-eluting stent (R-ZES; Resolute™ Integrity) for patients with DLCAD.

Methods: From December 2011 to December 2014, 1,011 patients who underwent PCI using R-ZES for CAD with longer than 25 mm lesion were prospectively enrolled from 21 hospitals in Korea.

Safety and Efficacy of the Endeavor Resolute® Stent in Patients with Multivessel Disease: The HEART (Honam EndeAvor ResoluTe) Prospective, Multicenter Trial.

The Endeavor Resolute® (ER) is a zotarolimus-eluting stent (ZES) with a biocompatible BioLinx polymer. This study prospectively compared the clinical outcomes of 2 versions of ZES, ER and Endeavor Sprint® (ES), in patients with multivessel disease. A total of 488 patients who underwent multivessel percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were divided into 2 groups the ER group (n=288) and the ES group (n=200).

Development of Parkinson Patient Generated Data Collection Platform Using FHIR and IoT Devices.

Internet of Things (IoT) devices can be effectively used in cases where continuous observation of patients is required, such as Parkinson's disease. This is due to the characteristics of the IoT (Internet of Things), which allows data to be measured and transmitted at any time, anywhere. In this study, we developed a health data collection platform that stores and transmits the foot pressure data of Parkinson patients using FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources).

Effectiveness and Safety of Biolimus A9™-Eluting stEnt in Patients with AcUTe Coronary sYndrome; A Multicenter, Observational Study (BEAUTY Study).

Purpose: This study sought to determine the 1-year clinical effectiveness and safety of a biodegradable, polymer-containing Biolimus A9™-eluting stent (BES) in Korean patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Materials And Methods: A total of 1000 ACS patients with 1251 lesions who underwent implantation of BESs at 22 centers in Korea were enrolled between May 2011 and July 2013. We assessed major adverse cardiac events (MACE) defined as the composite of cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), and clinical-driven target vessel revascularization at 12 months.

Early versus late thrombolysis in acute arterial occlusion of lower extremity.

Background: Acute arterial occlusion in lower extremity is an urgent condition which occurs when there is an abrupt interruption of blood flow into an extremity. Reperfusion through early intervention can increase limb salvage and decrease mortality. There was no common agreement when is the best to start thrombolysis in treating acute arterial occlusion.

The CHA2DS2VASc score can be used to stratify the prognosis of acute myocardial infarction patients irrespective of presence of atrial fibrillation.

Background: The CHA2DS2VASc score has been used to evaluate the risk of thromboembolic events in atrial fibrillation. However, because all the components of CHA2DS2VASc are important cardiovascular risk factors, we decided to evaluate the effectiveness of CHA2DS2VASc score as a long-term predictor for prognosis in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients.

Methods: We enrolled 15,681 AMI patients for the Korean Working Group in Acute Myocardial Infarction (KORMI) consecutively and analyzed retrospectively.

Everolimus-eluting Xience v/Promus versus zotarolimus-eluting resolute stents in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Objectives: This study sought to compare everolimus-eluting stents (EES) versus Resolute zotarolimus-eluting stents (ZES) in terms of patient- or stent-related clinical outcomes in an "all-comer" group of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: DM significantly increases the risk of adverse events after percutaneous coronary intervention. The efficacy and safety of second-generation drug-eluting stents, in particular EES versus ZES, in patients with DM have not been extensively evaluated.

The Impact of Ischemic Time on the Predictive Value of High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein in ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients Treated by Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Background And Objectives: The high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), a marker of inflammation, has been known to be elevated in patients with coronary artery disease. However, there is controversy about the predictive value of hs-CRP after acute myocardial infarction (MI). Therefore, we evaluated the impact of ischemic time on the predictive value of hs-CRP in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients who were treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Rosuvastatin does not affect fasting glucose, insulin resistance, or adiponectin in patients with mild to moderate hypertension.

The effects of statins on insulin resistance and new-onset diabetes are unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of rosuvastatin on insulin resistance and adiponectin in patients with mild to moderate hypertension. In a randomized, prospective, single-blind study, 53 hypertensive patients were randomly assigned to the control group (n=26) or the rosuvastatin (20 mg once daily) group (n=27) during an 8-week treatment period.

Reverse controlled antegrade and retrograde subintimal tracking in chronic total occlusion of right coronary artery.

Passage failure of guidewire is still remained most common reason for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) failure in chronic total occlusion (CTO). Intravascular ultrasound study (IVUS) and cardiac CT angiography can help identify features that most influence current success rates of PCI. We report our experience using the reverse controlled antegrade and retrograde subintimal tracking technique under the aid of IVUS, cardiac CT angiography for an ambiguous CTO of proximal right coronary artery.

Clinical outcome of veterans with acute coronary syndrome who had been exposed to agent orange.

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), one of the components of Agent Orange, has been reported to be a deadly poison despite its presence at extremely small doses. TCDD is reported to cause various kinds of cancers and other harmful effects on humans. However, a correlation between exposure to TCDD and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is not yet proven.

Effects of weight change on clinical outcomes in overweight and obese patients with acute myocardial infarction who underwent successful percutaneous coronary intervention.

Obesity is a well-established risk factor for many chronic disorders. However, the effect of weight change after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is not well known. Among consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention between November 2005 and November 2007 due to AMI, patients who were overweight (23.

Below the knee intervention using multidisciplinary methods including an antegrade, retrograde approach without the use of a sheath but with a plaque excision device.

Below the knee (BTK) interventions are increasing in patients with rest pain or critical limb ischemia, and these interventions are frequently successful in facilitating limb salvage. New intervention techniques and devices allow successful recanalization of occluded BTK arteries. Here, we report a case of successful recanalization of BTK arteries using multidisciplinary methods, including an antegrade approach and retrograde approach without the use of a sheath, but with simple balloon angioplasty, and plaque excision using Silverhawk atherectomy device.

Hypertensive heart failure associated with middle aortic syndrome reversed dramatically by endovascular management.

A 42-year-old male patient presented with refractory hypertension and congestive heart failure. He had taken hydrochlorthiazide 50 mg, carvedilol 25 mg, diltiazem 180 mg, and losartan 100 mg per day. Aortogram revealed a severe luminal narrowing in the distal thoracic aorta with a peak systolic pressure gradient of 60 mmHg across the lesion.

Effect of myocardial protection of intracoronary adenosine and nicorandil injection in patients undergoing non-urgent percutaneous coronary intervention: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Several studies have demonstrated that adenosine and nicorandil protect the myocardium against angioplasty-related myocardial injury. We conducted a prospective study to investigate the myocardial protective effects of combination therapy with intracoronary adenosine and nicorandil.

Methods: We enrolled 213 consecutive patients with stable or unstable angina who were scheduled for non-urgent PCI for de-novo coronary lesions.

Determinants of procedural success and patency following subintimal angioplasty in patients with TASC C and D femoropopliteal arterial disease.

Background: Subintimal percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (SIA) is a treatment option for long segment occlusions in the lower limb arteries. In the present study the factors influencing success and patency following SIA in patients with TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus (TASC) C and D peripheral arterial disease (PAD) were investigated.

Methods And Results: The 63 consecutive SIAs were performed in 54 consecutive patients suffering from limb ischemia with TASC C and D lesions.

Green tea consumption improves endothelial function but not circulating endothelial progenitor cells in patients with chronic renal failure.

This study was designed to determine the effect of green tea consumption in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on flow-mediated endothelium-dependent vasodilation (FMD) and the number of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). Forty patients with CKD requiring chronic dialysis were enrolled. The patients were divided into two groups: the catechin group that consumed green tea (5 g/day for 1 month) and the control group that consumed water.

The effect of telmisartan on endothelial function and arterial stiffness in patients with essential hypertension.

Background And Objectives: Several studies have shown that angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) improve endothelial function and arterial stiffness. Telmisartan is a highly selective ARB that activates peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of telmisartan, such as endothelial function, arterial stiffness, and insulin sensitivity, in patients with essential hypertension.

A comparison of clopidogrel responsiveness in patients with versus without chronic renal failure.

We sought to compare the platelet responsiveness to clopidogrel between patients with chronic renal failure and those with normal renal function. We conducted a prospective, randomized, open-label, single-center trial. A total of 23 patients with normal renal function received a usual daily dose of 75 mg of clopidogrel (group I, 61 +/- 7 years).

Dark side of drug-eluting stent: multiple stent fractures and sudden death.

Recently reported stent fractures after sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) implantation were found several months later during the follow-up of coronary angiogram (CAG) and single fracture mostly. The study reports a case of sequential, continuous, multiple coronary stent fracture and sudden death.

Usefulness of preprocedural N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in predicting angiographic no-reflow phenomenon during stent implantation in patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction.

The no-reflow phenomenon after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with larger infarct size, worse functional recovery, and higher incidence of complication after acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The aim of this study was to assess the relation between preprocedural N-terminal pro-brain-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) and angiographic no-reflow phenomenon. We measured preprocedural serum NT-pro-BNP level in 159 consecutive patients with acute STEMI (aged 63 +/- 12 years; 72% men) before PCI.