Clinical Outcomes According to the Extent of Atherosclerotic Disease in Female Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: An Analysis From the WIN-TAVI Registry.

Background: Limited data exist on the impact of polyvascular disease (PolyVD) on clinical outcomes in female patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). We therefore sought to investigate clinical outcomes in women with versus without PolyVD undergoing TAVR.

Methods: Female participants from the multicentre Women's International Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (WIN-TAVI) registry were categorized based on the presence or absence of PolyVD.

Survival machine learning methods for mortality prediction after heart transplantation in the contemporary era.

Although prediction models for heart transplantation outcomes have been developed previously, a comprehensive benchmarking of survival machine learning methods for mortality prognosis in the most contemporary era of heart transplants following the 2018 donor heart allocation policy change is warranted. This study assessed seven statistical and machine learning algorithms-Lasso, Ridge, Elastic Net, Cox Gradient Boost, Extreme Gradient Boost Linear, Extreme Gradient Boost Tree, and Random Survival Forests in a post-policy cohort of 7,160 adult heart-only transplant recipients in the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) database who received their first transplant on or after October 18, 2018. A cross-validation framework was designed in mlr.

Direct oral anticoagulants or warfarin in patients with left ventricular thrombus after ST-elevation myocardial infarction: a pilot trial and a prespecified meta-analysis of randomised trials.

Background: The role of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in the treatment of left ventricular thrombus (LVT) after ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) remains uncertain.

Aims: We aimed to compare the effect of rivaroxaban versus warfarin in patients with STEMI complicated by LVT.

Methods: Adult patients with STEMI and two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography showing LVT were assigned to rivaroxaban (15 mg once daily) or warfarin (international normalised ratio goal of 2.

Impact of coronary artery tortuosity on outcomes following stenting with newer-generation drug-eluting stents. An analysis of the randomized BIOFLOW trials.

Introduction And Objectives: Patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention in vessels with moderate-to-severe tortuosity are at higher risk of adverse outcomes, but data are scarce in the era of newer-generation stents. We compared outcomes following percutaneous coronary intervention in vessels with moderate-to-severe tortuosity using a bioresorbable-polymer sirolimus-eluting stent (BP-SES) vs a durable-polymer everolimus-eluting stent.

Methods: A total of 2350 patients from the BIOFLOW II, IV, and V randomized trials were stratified into 2 groups based on target-vessel tortuosity: none-to-mild and moderate-to-severe.

Design and rationale of the eLym™ System for Decompensation of Excess Lymphatic Fluid via the Thoracic Duct in Acute Heart Failure (DELTA-HF).

Aims: The interstitial space is the major compartment in which the excess fluid is located, forming peripheral congestion in acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). The lymphatic system is responsible for the constant drainage of the compartment. In ADHF, the inefficiency of this system causes extravascular fluid accumulation, underscoring the crucial role of lymphatic system failure in ADHF's pathophysiology.

Drug-Coated Balloons for the Treatment of Coronary Artery Disease: A Review.

Importance: Drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty has emerged as an alternative to drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with coronary in-stent restenosis (ISR) as well as de novo coronary artery disease.

Observations: DCBs are balloons coated with antiproliferative agents and excipients, whose aim is to foster favorable vessel healing after appropriate lesion preparation. By providing homogeneous antiproliferative drug delivery in the absence of permanent foreign body implantation, DCBs offer multiple advantages over DES, including preservation of vessel anatomy and function and positive vessel remodeling.

The Role of Cardiac Computed Tomography Angiography in Risk Stratification for Coronary Artery Disease.

Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) allows the assessment of the presence and severity of obstructive and nonobstructive atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. With software developments incorporating artificial intelligence-based automated image analysis along with improved spatial resolution of CT scanners, volumetric measurements of atherosclerotic plaque, detection of high-risk plaque features, and delineation of pericoronary adipose tissue density can now be readily and accurately evaluated for a given at-risk patient. Many of these expanded diagnostic measures have been shown to be prognostically useful for prediction of major adverse cardiac events.

Clinical and Genomic Prediction of Coronary Artery Disease Subtypes.

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a complex, heterogeneous disease with distinct etiological mechanisms. These different etiologies may give rise to multiple subtypes of CAD that could benefit from alternative preventions and treatments. However, so far, there have been no systematic efforts to predict CAD subtypes using clinical and genetic factors.

Major Bleeding and Mortality After Revascularization of Left Main Disease.

Background: The incidence and prognostic impact of major bleeding (MB) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for left main coronary artery disease (LMCAD) are unknown.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to investigate the rates and outcomes of MB after LMCAD revascularization.

Methods: In the EXCEL (Evaluation of XIENCE versus Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery for Effectiveness of Left Main Revascularization) trial, 1,905 patients with unprotected LMCAD were randomized to undergo PCI (n = 948) or CABG (n = 957) and followed up for 5 years.

International Consensus Statement on Platelet Function and Genetic Testing in Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: 2024 Update.

Current evidence indicates that dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin plus a P2Y inhibitor is essential for the prevention of thrombotic events after percutaneous coronary interventions. However, dual antiplatelet therapy is associated with increased bleeding which may outweigh the benefits. This has set the foundations for customizing antiplatelet treatments to the individual patient.

Relative Benefit of Dual Versus Single Antiplatelet Therapy Among Patients With Atrial Fibrillation on Oral Anticoagulation According to Time After ACS and PCI: Insights From the AUGUSTUS Trial.

Background: In the AUGUSTUS trial (An Open-Label, 2 x 2 Factorial, Randomized Controlled, Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Safety of Apixaban vs Vitamin K Antagonist and Aspirin vs Aspirin Placebo in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Acute Coronary Syndrome or Percutaneous Coronary Intervention), the combination of dual antiplatelet therapy plus oral anticoagulation increased the risk of bleeding without reducing ischemic events compared with a P2Y12 inhibitor plus oral anticoagulation among patients with atrial fibrillation and acute coronary syndrome or elective percutaneous coronary intervention. However, AUGUSTUS enrolled patients up to 14 days after acute coronary syndrome or percutaneous coronary intervention, and there may be a benefit to dual antiplatelet therapy plus oral anticoagulation early after an ischemic event.

Methods: In this secondary analysis of AUGUSTUS, we divided patients into groups based on whether they were enrolled <6 days (early) or ≥6 days (later) after their index acute coronary syndrome or percutaneous coronary intervention, and tested the interaction between time from the index event to enrollment and randomized treatment (apixaban versus vitamin K antagonist and aspirin versus placebo) on 30-day and 6-month clinical outcomes using Cox proportional hazards models.

Comprehensive Optical Coherence Tomography-Guided RotaTripsy for Massive Coronary Calcified Nodule: A Decision-Making Approach.

Objectives: We aim to describe the step-by-step optical coherence tomography-guided rotational atherectomy and intravascular lithotripsy for treating substantial coronary calcified nodules.

Key Steps: These include initial rotational atherectomy with a 1.5-mm burr, multiple optical coherence tomography imaging studies to assess lesion morphology, upsizing the rotational burr to 2.

IVUS-Guided vs Angiography-Guided PCI in Patients With Diabetes With Acute Coronary Syndromes: The IVUS-ACS Trial.

Background: Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) reduces the risk for clinical events in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS), compared with angiographic guidance. However, the benefits of IVUS guidance in high-risk patients with diabetes with ACS is uncertain.

Objectives: The aim of this prespecified stratified subgroup analysis from the IVUS-ACS randomized trial was to determine the effectiveness of IVUS-guided PCI vs angiography-guided PCI in patients with diabetes with ACS.

Clinical Outcomes After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Left Main Coronary Artery Disease in Patients of Diverse Race/Ethnicity.

Data on percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease in patients of diverse race/ethnicity are scant. This study aimed to assess the impact of race/ethnicity on clinical outcomes at 12-month follow-up of patients with LMCA disease who underwent PCI with drug-eluting stent implantation. All patients who underwent PCI for LMCA disease between 2010 and 2019 at a tertiary care center were prospectively enrolled.

Racial Disparities in Incident and Recurrent Cardiovascular Events: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Most prior studies of cardiovascular (CVD) events have focused on incident events. We analyzed differences by race/ethnicity in incident and recurrent CVD events in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis from baseline in 2000-2002 through 2019 using joint and multivariable adjusted Cox proportional hazards modeling. Among 6,814 men and women aged 45-85 years without known CVD at enrollment, during median follow up of 17.

Outcomes with revascularisation versus conservative management of participants with 3-vessel coronary artery disease in the ISCHEMIA trial.

Background: Whether revascularisation (REV) improves outcomes in patients with three-vessel coronary artery disease (3V-CAD) is uncertain.

Aims: Our objective was to evaluate outcomes with REV (percutaneous coronary intervention [PCI] or coronary artery bypass graft surgery [CABG]) versus medical therapy in patients with 3V-CAD.

Methods: ISCHEMIA participants with 3V-CAD on coronary computed tomography angiography without prior CABG were included.