Efficacy and safety of moderate-intensity statin with ezetimibe combination therapy in patients after percutaneous coronary intervention: a post-hoc analysis of the RACING trial.

Background: Moderate-intensity statin role with ezetimibe combination therapy following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has not been thoroughly investigated, particularly compared to high-intensity statin monotherapy. We aimed to investigate the effect of ezetimibe combination with moderate-intensity statin in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease following PCI.

Methods: This was a post-hoc analysis of a subset of patients who underwent PCI in the RACING trial.

Clinical Implication of Hypoxic Liver Injury for Predicting Hypoxic Hepatitis and In-Hospital Mortality in ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients.

Purpose: In this study, we aimed to determine the value of hypoxic liver injury (HLI) in the emergency room (ER) for predicting hypoxic hepatitis (HH) and in-hospital mortality in ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients.

Materials And Methods: 1537 consecutive STEMI patients were enrolled. HLI in the ER was defined as a ≥2-fold increase in serum aspartate transaminase (AST).

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).

Effect of Intravascular Ultrasound-Guided Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation: 5-Year Follow-Up of the IVUS-XPL Randomized Trial.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to evaluate whether the beneficial effect of use of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is sustained for long-term follow-up.

Background: The use of IVUS promoted favorable 1-year clinical outcome in the IVUS-XPL (Impact of Intravascular Ultrasound Guidance on the Outcomes of Xience Prime Stents in Long Lesions) trial. It is not known, however, whether this effect is sustained for long-term follow-up.

Complete Versus Culprit-Only Revascularization for ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction and Multivessel Disease in the 2 Generation Drug-Eluting Stent Era: Data from the INTERSTELLAR Registry.

Background And Objectives: We aimed to compare outcomes of complete revascularization (CR) versus culprit-only revascularization for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and multivessel disease (MVD) in the 2 generation drug-eluting stent (DES) era.

Methods: From 2009 to 2014, patients with STEMI and MVD, who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using a 2 generation DES for culprit lesions were enrolled. CR was defined as PCI for a non-infarct-related artery during the index admission.

Favorable neurological outcome after ischemic cerebrovascular events in patients treated with percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion compared with warfarin.

Objectives: This study sought to investigate neurological disability after ischemic cerebrovascular events in patients treated with left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion compared with those on warfarin.

Background: Prior studies demonstrated that cerebrovascular events after LAA occlusion in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) is largely nondisabling.

Methods: From the 1,189 patients in the Korean LAA Occlusion and European Amplatzer Cardiac Plug Multi-Center Registry, 24 patients who experienced ischemic cerebrovascular events after LAA occlusion were enrolled.

Feasibility of Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion for Left Atrial Appendage Thrombus in Patients With Persistent Atrial Fibrillation.

This study sought to investigate the safety of percutaneous left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion for stroke prevention in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation who have LAA thrombus. From October 2010 to October 2016, LAA occlusions were performed in facilities within a Korean multicenter registry in patients without (n = 132) or with (n = 10) LAA thrombus (detected during preprocedural assessments). The incidences of periprocedural complications, including stroke, pericardial tamponade, major bleeding, and device embolization, were assessed and compared between the groups.

Safety of six-month dual antiplatelet therapy after second-generation drug-eluting stent implantation: OPTIMA-C Randomised Clinical Trial and OCT Substudy.

Aims: There are few randomised studies concerning the optimal duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) for patients who receive a second-generation drug-eluting stent (DES). This trial aimed to investigate the safety of six-month compared with 12-month DAPT maintenance after second-generation DES implantation.

Methods And Results: A prospective, randomised, multicentre trial was performed at 10 medical centres.

Efficacy and safety of fixed-dose combination therapy with olmesartan medoxomil and rosuvastatin in Korean patients with mild to moderate hypertension and dyslipidemia: an 8-week, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, factorial-design study (OLSTA-D RCT: OLmesartan rosuvaSTAtin from Daewoong).

The pill burden of patients with hypertension and dyslipidemia can result in poor medication compliance. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of fixed-dose combination (FDC) therapy with olmesartan medoxomil (40 mg) and rosuvastatin (20 mg) in Korean patients with mild to moderate hypertension and dyslipidemia. This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, factorial-design study included patients aged ≥20 years with mild to moderate essential hypertension and dyslipidemia.

Prognostic Impact of Combined Contrast-Induced Acute Kidney Injury and Hypoxic Liver Injury in Patients with ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Results from INTERSTELLAR Registry.

Background: Besides contrast-induced acute kidney injury(CI-AKI), adscititious vital organ damage such as hypoxic liver injury(HLI) may affect the survival in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We sought to evaluate the prognostic impact of CI-AKI and HLI in STEMI patients who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods: A total of 668 consecutive patients (77.

Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion in Non-Valvular Atrial Fibrillation in a Korean Multi-Center Registry.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical outcome after left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion in real clinical practice and compare between Amplatzer cardiac plug (ACP) and Watchman.

Methods and results: From October 2010 to February 2015, 96 successful LAA occlusion procedures were performed using either ACP (n=50) or Watchman device (n=46) in non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) patients (59 male; age, 65.1±9.

Efficacy and Safety of DP-R202 in Patients with Chronic Artery Occlusive Disease: Multicenter Randomized Double-blind Active-controlled Parallel Group Phase III Clinical Study.

Purpose: Sarpogrelate hydrochloride, a selective 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A antagonist, is a widely used antiplatelet agent for the treatment of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). DP-R202 is a new sarpogrelate hydrochloride product with an improved dosage regimen compared with the agent in current use. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety profile of DP-R202 and Anplag(⁎) Tab in patients with PAD.

Effect of Intravascular Ultrasound-Guided vs Angiography-Guided Everolimus-Eluting Stent Implantation: The IVUS-XPL Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Use of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) promotes better clinical outcomes for coronary intervention in complex coronary lesions. However, randomized data demonstrating the clinical usefulness of IVUS are limited for lesions treated with drug-eluting stents.

Objective: To determine whether the long-term clinical outcomes with IVUS-guided drug-eluting stent implantation are superior to those with angiography-guided implantation in patients with long coronary lesions.

Clinical Impact of Intravascular Ultrasound-Guided Chronic Total Occlusion Intervention With Zotarolimus-Eluting Versus Biolimus-Eluting Stent Implantation: Randomized Study.

Background: There have been no randomized studies comparing intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided versus conventional angiography-guided chronic total occlusion (CTO) intervention using new-generation drug-eluting stent Therefore, we conducted a prospective, randomized, multicenter trial designed to test the hypothesis that IVUS-guided CTO intervention is superior to angiography-guided intervention.

Methods And Results: After successful guidewire crossing, 402 patients with CTOs were randomized to the IVUS-guided group (n=201) or the angiography-guided group (n=201) and secondarily randomized to Resolute zotarolimus-eluting stents or Nobori biolimus-eluting stents. The primary and secondary end points were cardiac death and a major adverse cardiac event defined as the composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, or target-vessel revascularization, respectively.

Serum transaminase determined in the emergency room predicts outcomes in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction who undergo primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: Elevated serum aspartate and alanine aminotransferase (AST and ALT) are often observed in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and the condition is ascribed to liver hypoperfusion. We evaluated the prevalence and prognostic implication of hypoxic liver injury (HLI) in STEMI.

Methods: Patients with STEMI and no preexisting liver disease who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were enrolled.

In vivo imaging of myocardial cell death using a peptide probe and assessment of long-term heart function.

During acute myocardial infarction (AMI), both apoptosis and necrosis of myocardial cells could occur and lead to left ventricular (LV) functional decline. Here we determined whether in vivo imaging signals of myocardial cell death by ApoPep-1 (CQRPPR), a peptide probe that binds to apoptotic and necrotic cells through histone H1, at an early stage after AMI showed correlation with the long-term heart function. AMI was induced using a rat model of ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury.

A new strategy for discontinuation of dual antiplatelet therapy: the RESET Trial (REal Safety and Efficacy of 3-month dual antiplatelet Therapy following Endeavor zotarolimus-eluting stent implantation).

Objectives: The goal of this study was to evaluate shorter duration (3 months) dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation.

Background: There have been few published reports of prospective randomized clinical studies comparing the safety and efficacy of shorter duration DAPT after DES implantation.

Methods: We randomly assigned 2,117 patients with coronary artery stenosis into 2 groups according to DAPT duration and stent type: 3-month DAPT following Endeavor zotarolimus-eluting stent (E-ZES) implantation (E-ZES+3-month DAPT, n=1,059) versus 12-month DAPT following the other DES implantation (standard therapy, n=1,058).