Cardiology journal最新文献

Background: Current guidelines recommend electrical cardioversion (ECV) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) after at least 3 weeks of adequate non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC) treatment without prior transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). However, in clinical practice in some centres, TEE is performed before ECV in patients with AF. The aim of the study was to evaluate prevalence of thromboembolic and hemorrhagic complications in patients with AF treated with NOACs and undergoing ECV without prior TEE.

Methods: This observational, multicentre study included consecutive patients with AF treated with NOACs who were admitted for ECV without prior TEE. Thromboembolic events and major bleeding complications were investigated during a 30-day follow-up.

Results: In the study group there were 611 patients, mean age was 66.3 ± 9.2 years, 40% were women. 52 (8.5%) patients had a low thromboembolic risk, 148 (24.2%) patients had an intermediate thromboembolic risk and 411 (67.2%) patients had a high thromboembolic risk. In the study group 253 (41.4%) patients were treated with rivaroxaban, 252 (41.2%) patients were treated with dabigatran and 106 (17.3%) patients were treated with apixaban. Reduced doses of NOACs were administered to 113 (18.9%) patients. In the entire study group, there were no thromboembolic events or major bleeding complications during the in-hospital stay and the 30-day follow-up.

Conclusions: In this "real-world" study of AF patients treated with NOACs, it was proved that ECV is safe without a preceding TEE, regardless of the risk of thromboembolic complications and of the type of NOAC used.

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of chronic total occlusions (CTO) in coronary bifurcation lesions (CBL) is undergoing substantial technical progress and standardization, paralleling the evolution of dedicated devices, tools, and techniques. A standard consensus to classify CTO-CBL might be instrumental to homogenize data collection and description of procedures for scientific and educational purposes. The Medina-CTO classification replicates the classical three digits in Medina classification for bifurcations, representing the proximal main vessel, distal main vessel, and side branch, respectively. Each digit can take a value of 1 if it concerns atherosclerosis and is anatomically stenosed, or 0 if it is not. In addition, the occluded segment(s) of the bifurcation are noted by a subscript, which describes key interventional features of the cap: t (tapered), b (blunt), or a (ambiguous). This approach results in 56 basic categories that can be grouped by means of different elements, depending on the specific needs of each study. Medina-CTO classification, consisting of adding a subscript describing the basic cap characteristics to the totally occluded segment(s) of the standard Medina triplet, might be a useful methodological tool to standardize percutaneous intervention of bifurcational CTO lesions, with interesting scientific and educational applications.

Background: With the advent of novel recanalization techniques and emerging devices, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has become a promising leading treatment option for patients with chronic total occlusions (CTO). The present study aims to evaluate the acute outcomes of PCI in previously failed re-attempted vs. first-attempted CTO-lesions.

Methods: Between 2012 and 2019, 619 patients were included and treated with PCI of at least one CTO. 253 patients were re-attempted lesions, while 366 were initially attempted lesions.

Results: Re-attempted lesions were more complex, including higher Japanese-CTO (J-CTO) score and the need for a retrograde approach. The procedure time and fluoroscopy time were longer in this group. Nevertheless, overall success rates were comparable between both groups of patients. In-hospital events were rare and without significant differences.

Conclusions: Re-attempted CTO lesions are more complex than first-attempt lesions and are associated with longer procedural times. However, they can be safely intervened by experienced operators with a similar success rate.

Background: Previous work has highlighted the importance of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the difference in the ward-to-catheterization laboratory systolic blood pressure (ΔSBP) in prognostic stratification after acute coronary syndrome. However, there is paucity of data regarding the added value of combining these two variables to predict 5-year major clinical outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention.

Methods: A total of 1188 patients were classified into four groups according to the NLR andΔSBP (high vs. low) using cutoffs derived from an analysis of receiver operating characteristic curves. A NLR > 3.0 and aΔSBP > 25 mmHg were considered high values. The primary endpoint was the composite of all-cause death, cardiac death, and non-fatal myocardial infarction. The secondary endpoint was the composite of target lesion revascularization, target vessel revascularization, and incidence of cerebrovascular accidents.

Results: The incidence of the primary endpoint was significantly higher in the high NLR and ΔSBP group than in the other three groups (2.2% vs. 4.7% vs. 4.3% vs. 13.2%, p < 0.001). The incidence of the secondary endpoint was similar among the four groups. Incorporation of high NLR and high ΔSBP into a model with conventional and meaningful clinical and procedural risk factors increased the C-statistics in predicting the primary endpoint (0.575 to 0.635, p = 0.002).

Conclusions: The power to predict the primary endpoint after drug-eluting stent implantation at the 5-year follow-up was improved by combining NLR and ΔSBP.

Background: Early readmission (< 30 days) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with a worse prognosis, but little is known regarding the causes and consequences of late readmission. The aim of the present study was to determine the incidence, causes, and prognosis of patients readmitted > 1 < 12-months after PCI (late readmission).

Methods: Single-center retrospective cohort study of 743 consecutive post-PCI patients. Patient characteristics and follow-up data were collected by reviewing their electronic medical records and from standardized telephone interviews performed at 1 year and at the end of follow-up.

Results: Of the 743 patients, 224 (30.14%) were readmitted 1-12 months after PCI, 109 due to chest pain (48.66%), and 115 for other reasons (51.34%). Hospital readmission was associated with lower survival rates of 77.6% vs. 98.3% at 24 months and 73.5% vs. 97.6% at 36 months (p < 0.001). Univariate predictors for late readmission were hypertension, older age, chronic kidney disease, lower left ventricular ejection fraction, and lower baseline hemoglobin concentration. Only baseline hemoglobin concentration was an independent predictor of late readmission (odds ratio: 0.867, 95% confidence interval: 0.778-0.966, p = 0.01). Readmission for chest pain portrayed a lower mortality rate compared to other causes, with survival rates of 90.2% vs. 50% at 36 months (p < 0.001).

Conclusions: Late hospital readmission after PCI is associated with a worse prognosis and is related to patient comorbidities. Readmission for chest pain is common and portrayed a more favorable prognosis, similar to patients not readmitted. A readily available parameter, baseline anemia, was the main predictor of late readmission.

Background: To date, it has not been ascertained whether shortening the duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) can benefit high bleeding risk (HBR) patients. This systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to investigate the safety and efficacy of short (≤ 3 months) DAPT in HBR patients after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods: The PubMed, Embase, and Clinical Trials databases were searched from inception until November 2021 to identify studies that evaluated the safety and efficacy of short DAPT in HBR patients implanted with new-generation drug-eluting stents (DES). Primary endpoints included major bleeding, definite or probable stent thrombosis (ST), and myocardial infarction (MI), while secondary endpoints included all-cause death and ischemic stroke. Based on the fixed and random effect model, the risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval of each endpoint were measured.

Results: Five observational studies and one randomized controlled trial were included, involving 15,432 HBR patients. Short DAPT for HBR patients undergoing PCI had a lower incidence of major bleeding in comparison with standard (> 3 months) DAPT (2.3% vs. 3.2%, RR 0.64 [0.44, 0.95], p = 0.03), while short DAPT was comparable to standard DAPT with regard to definite or probable ST (0.4% vs. 0.3%, RR 1.31 [0.77, 2.23], p = 0.32) and MI (2.4% vs. 2.0%, RR 1.17 [0.95, 1.45], p = 0.14).

Conclusions: Among HBR patients implanted with new-generation DES, short DAPT was associated with reduced risk of major bleeding without significantly increasing the risk of definite or probable ST and MI in comparison with standard DAPT.

Background: Transfemoral approach (TFA) is the most common access route for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Percutaneous femoral access (PA) is preferred over the surgical approach (SA), however, may be associated with a higher risk of access site complications. Thus, we aimed to assess outcomes of computed tomography-guided tailored approach to percutaneous and surgical TFA in patients undergoing TAVI.

Methods: We evaluated data of 158 patients, who underwent TAVI via femoral route between January 2017 and December 2018. In the PA group, vascular closure was performed with the use of two percutaneous suture devices and an additional mechanical seal device. We compared complications rate and outcomes.

Results: Of the 158 patients (92%; mean age 79.6 years, 60.8% female), in 92 (61%) patients PA was performed and in 66 (39%) patients SA was used. Median (interquartile range) radiation exposure as well as contrast volume dose was higher in the PA group compared to the SA group 614.0 (410.0; 1104.0) mGy vs. 405 (240.5; 658.0) mGy (p < 0.001) and 150.0 (120.0; 180.7) mL vs. 130.0 (100.0; 160.0) mL (p = 0.04), respectively. Bleeding complications were similar in the PA group 11 (12.2%) compared to 5 (8.62%) in the SA group (p = 0.48). Median length of hospital stay was also similar in the PA and the SA group 6.00 (5.00; 8.00) days vs. 6.00 (4.00; 8.00) days, respectively (p = 0.31).

Conclusions: Computed tomography-guided PA in TAVI may provide comparable procedural outcomes compared to the SA, despite a higher radiation dose and the use of contrast dye, while being less invasive.

Background: The contribution of sex and initial clinical presentation to the long-term outcomes in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is still debated.

Methods: Individual patient data from 5 Korean-multicenter drug-eluting stent (DES) registries (The GRAND-DES) were pooled. A total of 17,286 patients completed 3-year follow-up (5216 women and 12,070 men). The median follow-up duration was 1125 days (interquartile range 1097-1140 days), and the primary endpoint was cardiac death at 3 years.

Results: The clinical indication for PCI was stable angina pectoris (SAP) in 36.8%, unstable angina pectoris (UAP) or non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) in 47.4%, and ST-segment elevation myocardial (STEMI) in 15.8%. In all groups, women were older and had a higher proportion of hypertension and diabetes mellitus compared with men. Women presenting with STEMI were older than women with SAP, with the opposite seen in men. There was no sex difference in cardiac death for SAP or UAP/NSTEMI. In STEMI patients, the incidence of cardiac death (7.9% vs. 4.4%, p = 0.001), all-cause mortality (11.1% vs. 6.9%, p = 0.001), and minor bleeding (2.2% vs. 1.2%, p = 0.043) was significantly higher in women. After multivariable adjustment, cardiac death was lower in women for UAP/NSTEMI (HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.53-0.89, p = 0.005), while it was similar for STEMI (HR 0.97, 95% CI 0.65-1.44, p = 0.884).

Conclusions: There was no sex difference in cardiac death after PCI with DES for SAP and UAP/NSTEMI patients. In STEMI patients, women had worse outcomes compared with men; however, after the adjustment of confounders, female sex was not an independent predictor of mortality.

Background: Severe aortic valve stenosis inhibits renal perfusion, thereby potentially worsening renal function, in particular in elderly patients most often assigned to transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Pre-TAVI diagnostics and the procedure itself may adversely impact renal function, however renal perfusion and function may also improve post-procedure. This study aimed to clarify the impact of TAVI planning and procedure on kidney function METHODS: In this retrospective study, kidney function of patients who underwent transfemoral TAVI at a tertiary university hospital between 2016 and 2019 was analyzed. The present study investigated kidney function at baseline, after computed tomography (CT) was performed for evaluation of TAVI, after TAVI, at discharge and at follow-up.

Results: Among 366 patients, the prevalence of acute kidney injury (AKI) was 14.5% after TAVI. Independent predictors of AKI were arterial hypertension, baseline creatinine, AKI post CT and coronary intervention during pre-procedural diagnostics. At discharge and follow-up, 2.1% and 3.4%, respectively had sustained relevant impairment of kidney function (defined as creatinine/baseline creatinine > 1.5 or renal replacement therapy). Patients with known chronic kidney disease showed no higher rates of short- and long-term impairment, but higher rates of improvement of renal function after TAVI.

Conclusions: In most cases TAVI does not worsen renal function. A sustained impairment after TAVI was found in only a few cases. This was independent of reduced baseline kidney function. Transfemoral TAVI can thus be planned and performed even in patients with higher stages of chronic kidney disease.