Vasa-european Journal of Vascular Medicine最新文献

Background: Our aim was to evaluate the prognostic value of detectable high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) and ischaemia-modified albumin (IMA) in predicting all-cause death or non-fatal ischaemic events in patients with PAD after endovascular revascularisation of the lower limbs. Patients and methods: Patients who underwent successful endovascular revascularisation for chronic limb-threatening ischaemia (CLTI) or disabling intermittent claudication (IC) were prospectively included. Pre-procedural levels of hs-cTnI and IMA were measured, and patients were followed for one year for the occurrence of the composite outcome of all-cause death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, new-onset angina, non-fatal ischaemic stroke, transient ischaemic attack, or progression of PAD. Outcomes were evaluated using survival analyses. Results: A total of 487 patients concluded the study, of whom 175 (35.9%) experienced the composite outcome. When considering only the clinical presentation of PAD and biomarker values, in patients with CLTI, hs-cTnI above the limit of detection (LoD) conferred an increased risk of the composite outcome compared to hs-cTnI below the LoD (p=0.004), while for IMA we found no significant difference. Outcomes of patients with CLTI and hs-cTnI or IMA below the LoD did not differ from those of patients with IC (p=0.07 and p=0.462, respectively). When adjusting for clinical characteristics and common cardiovascular risk factors in multivariate Cox survival analysis, neither biomarker improved prognostic performance, however IMA emerged as an independent predictor of the composite outcome in patients with CLTI. Conclusions: In patients with PAD who underwent successful endovascular procedure, neither IMA nor hs-cTnI improved risk stratification beyond clinical determinants. However, detection of IMA was an independent predictor of major cardiovascular events or death in patients with CLTI.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) via transfemoral (TF) access is increasingly integral to aortic valve disease treatment, expanding beyond high-risk patients. Despite technical advancements, access-related vascular complications, occurring in approximately 10% of TAVI procedures, remain a substantial challenge. Objective: This study investigated the clinical and morphological characteristics of percutaneous TF-TAVI patients experiencing occlusive (OC) and hemorrhagic (HC) complications managed with surgical or endovascular reintervention. Methods: The cohort included patients from a Dutch and a German tertiary referral hospital, managed with TF-TAVI procedures between 2017 and 2021 that required reintervention for OC or HC. Demographics, comorbidities, procedural details, and preoperative imaging data were collected and compared between groups. Results: Among 109 TF-TAVI patients, 32 with OC and 77 with HC required reintervention. The OC group presented significantly smaller access arterial diameters (common femoral artery: OC 6.7 mm vs. HC 8.9 mm, p<.001; external iliac artery: OC 7.2 mm vs. HC 8.3 mm, p<.001; common iliac artery: OC 9.4 mm vs. HC 10.5 mm, p=.012) while the HC group presented higher tortuosity index (TI) (OC 1.24 vs. HC 1.30; p=.017). No differences were observed regarding baseline characteristics, vessel calcification or vascular closure device use. Conclusions: In patients requiring reintervention following TF-TAVI, smaller arterial diameters were associated with OC, while higher TI was linked to HC. These findings emphasize the importance of preoperative imaging in developing individualized prevention strategies.

Background: Dual-pathway inhibition (DPI) with aspirin and rivaroxaban exhibited a net clinical benefit for patients with cardiovascular disease in the randomized COMPASS trial. The non-observational, international XATOA registry showed that the COMPASS results can be reproduced in clinical practice in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and peripheral artery disease (PAD). Here we report patient characteristics and clinical outcomes for the subgroup of German PAD patients of the XATOA registry and compare them to COMPASS PAD patients. Patients and methods: XATOA was an international prospective registry of patients receiving DPI with a mean follow-up period of 15 months. The subgroup of German patients with PAD in XATOA comprised 1,819 patients, of which 925 patients (50.9%) had only PAD and 894 patients (49.1%) had both CAD and PAD. Patient characteristics such as prior medical history and prior medications as well as clinical outcomes such as incidences of major adverse limb events (MALE), major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and major bleeding events were assessed. Results: DPI was well-tolerated in clinical practice. Patient characteristics and clinical outcomes especially for patients with only PAD differed from characteristics and outcomes of the overall German XATOA population as well as the PAD subgroup of COMPASS. Patients with only PAD were markedly less supplied with lipid-lowering agents and betablockers. Incidences of MALE were high in German PAD patients of XATOA (9.0%) and markedly higher than in the PAD subgroup of COMPASS (1.2%). Incidences of MACE and major bleeding events were lower in German PAD patients of XATOA (MACE: 2.9%, major bleeding: 1.4%) than in PAD patients of COMPASS (MACE: 5.1%, major bleeding: 3.1%). Conclusions: DPI with rivaroxaban and aspirin is well-tolerated by PAD patients in German clinical practice. PAD patients in Germany exhibit different characteristics and show a different clinical outcome profile than PAD patients in COMPASS.

Background: Peripheral artery disease (PAD) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are inflammatory diseases. These two entities often co-exist, but little is known about the prevalence of this phenomenon in patients with PAD. The objectives of this prospective cross-sectional study were to determine the prevalence of COPD in patients with PAD and to assess the frequency of COPD underdiagnosis in this group of patients. Patients and methods: Consecutive patients admitted to angiology department were evaluated. Measurements of ankle-brachial and toe-brachial index as well as peripheral arteriography were performed in all participants to confirm PAD. In tobacco smokers with PAD spirometry was performed to identified patients with COPD. Clinical information was obtained from the patients on the basis of questionnaires. Results: Eighty-eight out of 300 consecutive patients were included and assessed. COPD was diagnosed in 33 (37.5%) hospitalized smokers with PAD. COPD has not previously been diagnosed in 28 (84.8%) patients who met the criteria of the disease. Conclusions: There was high prevalence of COPD among tobacco smokers hospitalized in the angiology department. Most of them had never had spirometry performed before. The underdiagnosis rate is relatively high; therefore, all patients with PAD who smoke tobacco should have a spirometry performed, as a screening for COPD.

Background: Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) is the conventional imaging method for peripheral arterial disease (PAD) assessment but poses limitations for the estimation of the true vessel diameter, especially in diffuse disease. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is used in coronary interventions, offering detailed insights. While IVUS is proven beneficial in coronary interventions, its role in peripheral arterial interventions is less well established. This meta-analysis aims to compare outcomes of peripheral percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) using angiography only (AO-PTA) versus angiography with IVUS (IVUS-PTA) in PAD. Materials and methods: A systematic review of PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, Scopus, and Web of Science databases from January 1996 to August 2024 was conducted. 13 studies met inclusion criteria, including RCTs, observational, and propensity-matched studies. Data extraction, quality assessment, and analyses were performed following PRISMA guidelines. Primary endpoint: freedom from target lesion reintervention (F-TLR) at 12 months. Secondary endpoints: bailout stenting, technical success, and freedom from major amputation (F-MA). Results: A total of 246,418 patients from 13 studies were included. F-TLR at 12-month follow-up was reported in 51,850 procedures. F-MA was reported in 155,933 procedures. IVUS-PTA showed significantly better F-MA and higher bailout stenting, but inferior F-TLR compared to AO-PTA. Technical success was reported in 555 procedures across 5 studies (0.2%). It trended higher with IVUS-PTA but with no statistical significance. Conclusions: IVUS-PTA is associated with superior F-MA and bailout stenting, but inferior F-TLR compared to AO-PTA. Further well-designed RCTs are needed to better support the use of IVUS's role PAD.

Chronic venous disease (CVD) is a prevalent condition leading to significant morbidity and affecting quality of life. Among conservative treatment strategies, venoactive drugs are often recommended by major guidelines for the management of CVD. Bromelain and vitamin C are now emerging as promising options in the management of several chronic diseases owing to their anti-inflammatory, immunoregulatory, and antioxidant properties, though evidence remains scarce in this setting. This systematic review of the literature, endorsed by the Italian Society of Angiology and Vascular Medicine (Societa Italiana di Angiologia e Patologia Vascolare, SIAPAV), aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of these compounds in the treatment of CVD. A comprehensive search yielded nine studies, two on bromelain and seven on vitamin C. No studies have evaluated the effects of bromelain and vitamin C alone or in combination, whereas both molecules were administered in combination with other nutritional supplements. Overall, CVD-related symptoms and edema seem to improve with dietary supplement containing these two compounds, with no major safety issues reported. Bromelain and vitamin C may thus represent attractive options in the management of patients with symptomatic CVD and/or presence of venous edema, provided optimal conservative treatment is in place. Dedicated clinical studies are needed to clarify the efficacy and safety of a combination of these molecules in CVD management.

Background: Older patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) encounter an increased risk of in-hospital mortality. Accurate risk scoring methods are crucial for assessing the likelihood of cardiovascular events in these patients. However, a comprehensive comparison of these scoring methods for predicting in-hospital mortality in PAD patients has not yet been conducted. Patients and methods: This study analyzed 173,075 patients hospitalized with PAD in the year 2020 from a German nationwide registry. We assessed five risk scores: the Elixhauser Comorbidity Index, the Charlson Comorbidity Index, the CHA₂DS₂-VA Score, the EuroSCORE, and the Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS). The average patient age was 72 ± 10.94 years, with 36.82% female and 35.27% also diagnosed with diabetes mellitus. The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 2.68%. Mean scores were 7.12±6.55 for the Elixhauser Comorbidity Index, 2.66±1.72 for the Charlson Comorbidity Index, 3.85±1.43 for the CHA₂DS₂-VA Score, 8.96%±8.85% for the EuroSCORE, and 3.53±5 for the HFRS. The HFRS showed the highest predictive potential for in-hospital mortality with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.86 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.86-0.87) but had the worst calibration for high-risk patients. The CHA₂DS₂-VA Score had the lowest AUC 0.69 (95% CI: 0.68-0.70) but was the most consistent prediction model regarding calibration. Conclusions: HFRS was the most effective overall predictor of in-hospital mortality, but did not detect those patients with a very high risk of mortality. The CHA₂DS₂-VA Score was the most robust predictor of increasing score points but had the lowest sensitivity. Therefore, use of the HFRS combined with application of the CHA₂DS₂-VA Score appears to be most appropriate in identifying older PAD patients at risk of in-hospital mortality.

Background: This prospective, single center, exploratory study assessed primary patency, clinical performance, and adverse events associated with the DUO-HYBRID Venous Stent used to treat iliac vein obstruction. Materials and methods: Twenty-one patients with symptomatic obstructions were treated with the self-expanding stent designed with varying zones of fatigue and crush resistance to adapt to the challenging iliac vein anatomy. The primary outcome measure was 12-month primary patency, defined as ≤ 50% residual stenosis, the absence of re-thrombosis or reintervention, and the absence of major adverse events from treatment to discharge. Secondary clinical measures included the Villalta score to assess the symptoms of post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS), and the revised Venous Clinical Severity Score (rVCSS) and Clinical, Etiological, Anatomical, and Pathophysiological (CEAP) score, both used to measure the severity of venous disease. Finally, the number of device- or procedure-related adverse events were recorded. Results: Primary patency was 92.9% at 12 months: one patient exhibited restenosis greater than 50% at 12 months. CEAP scores at baseline were predominantly C3 - C5 (78.9%) while at 12 months, 78.6% of scores were C1 - C2 and 14.3% were C0. The mean rVCSS score was 5.5 ± 2.7 at baseline and 1.1 ± 1.0 at 12 months, an 80% reduction in the mean score from baseline. Pre-procedure, 14.3% of patients had a Villalta score of 0-4 while at 12 months, 100% had scores of 0-4 (i.e., no clinically meaningful signs of post-thrombotic syndrome). Two adverse events were reported as possibly related to the device but neither case required revascularization. Conclusions: Observations from this exploratory study demonstrated a primary patency rate of 92.9%, improvements in rVCSS, CEAP, and Villalta scores from baseline, and no cases of target lesion or vessel revascularization at 12 months. The DUO-HYBRID Venous Stent performed appropriately when used for its intended indication.