Klaus Kerschner

Carotid sinus reactions during carotid artery stenting: Predictors, incidence, and influence on clinical outcome

Carotid sinus reactions (CSR), defined as asystole ≥ 3 sec and hypotension (systolic blood pressure ≤ 90 mm Hg), are frequent events during carotid artery stenting (CAS). Factors predisposing a patient to CSR as well as the impact of CSR on periprocedural complications have not yet been investigated in a prospective manner. The relationship between various clinical, morphologic, and procedural variables and the occurrence of CSR was examined among 105 consecutive patients undergoing successful CAS. After predilatation with a compliant balloon, tubular‐slotted stents were used in all patients. No CSR occurred in 63 (60%) patients, whereas CSR developed in 42 (40%) patients. The most common type of CSR was asystole in combination with short‐term hypotension without clinical symptoms. The most important predictor of CSR was bifurcation location of carotid stenosis (bifurcation > ostial > isolated internal carotid artery; P < 0.001). The other independent predictors were presence of contralateral stenosis (P < 0.02), length of stenosis (P < 0.03), and balloon‐to‐artery ratio (P < 0.02). Occurrence of CSR was unrelated to periprocedural cerebral or cardiovascular complications (7.1% vs. 9.5%; NS). We conclude that CSR occurs frequently (40%) during CAS. Bifurcation location of stenosis is the most important predictor of CSR. CSR does not increase the risk of periprocedural complications. Cathet Cardiovasc Intervent 2003;58:516–523.

Risk Score for Peri-Interventional Complications of Carotid Artery Stenting

Background and Purpose— Routinely available independent risk factors for the peri-interventional outcome of patients undergoing elective carotid artery stenting (CAS) are lacking. The rationale of the study was to create a risk score identifying high-risk patients. Methods— We prospectively enrolled 606 consecutive patients assigned to CAS at a secondary care hospital. Various biochemical, clinical, and lesion-related risk factors were prospectively defined. The primary end point reflecting periprocedural complications encompassed minor and major stroke, nonfatal myocardial infarction and all-cause mortality within 30 days. Results— Three percent of patients (n=18) experienced a nonfatal minor (n=13) or major (n=5) stroke. 1.3% of patients (n=8) died from fatal stroke (n=4) or other causes (n=4). No myocardial infarction was observed within 30 days after stenting. Multivariable analysis revealed diabetes mellitus with inadequate glycemic control (HbA1c >7%), age ≥80 years, ulceration of the carotid artery stenosis, and a contralateral stenosis ≥50% as independent risk factors. A risk score formed with these variables showed a superior predictive value (C-statistic=0.73) compared with single risk factors. The presence of 2 or more of these risk factors identified patients with a risk of 11% for a periprocedural complication compared with 2% in patients with a score of 0 or 1. Conclusions— In patients undergoing elective CAS, a risk score based on routinely accessible variables was able to identify patients at high-risk for atherothrombotic events and all-cause death within 30 days after the intervention.

Mid‐term outcome after carotid artery stenting depends on presence of coronary artery disease

BACKGROUND. Longer‐term outcome of patients following carotid artery revascularization depends predominantly on cardiac events rather than neurological events. AIM. To assess the longer‐term outcomes of patients with known coronary artery morphology undergoing carotid artery stenting. METHOD. In a prospective observational study including 549 consecutive patients undergoing carotid artery stenting, a coronary angiography was performed in a single session unless a recent angiogram was available. Following the intervention, patients were followed prospectively to determine neurological events as well as major adverse coronary events (MACE) during long‐term follow‐up. RESULTS. Coronary artery disease was present in 378 patients including 92 patients without current significant stenosis. The MACE rate was 6.4% in patients without coronary artery disease compared to 28.3% in patients with coronary artery disease (P<0.00001). Cardiac and all‐cause mortality were statistically significantly higher in patients with a significant coronary stenosis than in patients without coronary artery disease (P<0.001 and P<0.01). Cardiac mortality and all‐cause mortality were 2.3% and 7.6% in patients without coronary artery disease (patient group I), 7.6% and 13.0% in patients with coronary artery disease but no current significant stenosis (patient group II), and 10.5% and 16.1% in patients with significant coronary stenosis (patient group III). Neurological events, however, were distributed equally among the three patient groups. CONCLUSIONS<1/emph>. In the longer term, outcomes in patients undergoing carotid artery stenting depend on concomitant coronary artery disease rather than neurological events, cardiac mortality and even all‐cause mortality depending on a significant coronary artery stenosis.

Effects of Renal Denervation on Ambulatory Blood Pressure Measurements in Patients With Resistant Arterial Hypertension

The sympathetic nervous system is an important factor in hypertension. In patients suffering from resistant hypertension, transfemoral renal sympathetic denervation (RDN) reduces office blood pressure (BP) values.

Simultaneous stenting of the carotid artery and other coronary or extracoronary arteries: Does a combined procedure increase the risk of interventional therapy?

Simultaneous interventions in carotid and other extracarotid arteries are not performed on a routine basis up to now. In 67 out of 295 consecutive patients (23%) undergoing elective stenting of the internal carotid artery, additional interventions in the coronary arteries (n = 65), the iliac artery (n = 3), renal artery (n = 1), left subclavian artery (n = 3), vertebral artery (n = 4), or a combination thereof were performed. Primary stenting was done in 51 (74%) out of 69 carotid arteries, in 48 (74%) of 65 coronary arteries, and in 10 (91%) of 11 other targeted vessels. Neurological complications consisted of two (2.9%) transient ischemic attacks and one (1.5%) minor stroke. In addition, one (1.5%) myocardial infarction occurred during coronary artery intervention. In comparison, 16 (6.6%) transient ischemic attacks, 1 minor stroke (0.4%), 5 (2.2%) major strokes, and 3 (1.2%) deaths were observed in 228 patients without combined procedures. Simultaneous percutaneous interventions including carotid arteries and other extracarotid arteries are feasible, relatively safe, and cost‐effective.Catheter Cardiovasc Interv 2003;60:314–319.

A Validated Risk Score to Predict Outcomes after Carotid Stenting

Background—Periprocedural outcome has been extensively investigated in patients undergoing carotid artery stenting. However, risk factors contributing to long-term mortality have not been comprehensively assessed. We aimed to establish a validated clinical risk score for long-term mortality in patients after carotid artery stenting. Methods and Results—Two independent cohorts after successful carotid artery stenting (602 and 552 patients) were prospectively investigated. Multivariable Cox regression and bootstrap variable selection were used to select the best-fitting multivariable model. The mortality rate was 35% in the derivation and 39% in the validation cohort during a median follow-up of 6.5 and 7.4 years, respectively. The following variables were identified as most robust risk factors in the derivation cohort: age, heart failure, diabetes mellitus, relative lymphocyte count, prothrombin time, peripheral artery disease, and contralateral carotid occlusion. A weighted multimarker risk score yielded an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.79 in the derivation (P<0.001) and of 0.69 (P<0.001) in the validation cohort. In comparison, the best area under the receiver operating characteristic curves for single risk factors were 0.67 and 0.63, respectively. For optimal clinical use, a simplified risk score was also developed, which discriminated very well from very low to very high risk. The risk of all-cause mortality ranged from 8% for a score of 1 to 93% for a score of 7 (P<0.001) in the derivation and from 11% to 100% in the validation cohort (P<0.001). Conclusions—A multimarker risk score outperformed the prognostic value of single risk factors for the prediction of long-term mortality.

Individual-patient visit-by-visit office and ambulatory blood pressure measurements over 24 months in patients undergoing renal denervation for hypertension☆

BACKGROUND Renal denervation (RDN) is a promising treatment option in addition to medical antihypertensive treatment in patients suffering from resistant hypertension. Despite the growing interest in RDN, only few long-term results are published so far. METHODS We systematically investigated the effects of RDN on ABPM in a consecutive series of patients with resistant hypertension out to 24 months. Office BP measurements and ABPM assessment were offered at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months. The patients with an average systolic BP reduction of more than 10 mmHg in office BP 6months after RDN were classified as responders. Additional to this classical responder concept, we categorized response to RDN by an individual-patient visit-by-visit evaluation of office BP and 24-hour-BP, separately. RESULTS We included 32 patients. In 21 patients (65.6%) we found a mean systolic BP reduction >10 mmHg in office BP six months after RDN. These patients were classified as responders. In responders, mean office BP dropped from 175.3 ± 15.9/96 ± 14.2 mmHg to 164.8 ± 24.4/93.2 ± 10.4 mmHg (p=0.040/p=0.323) and mean 24-h BP in ABPM decreased from 146.8 ± 17.0/89.1 ± 11 mmHg to 136.8 ± 15.0/83.2 ± 10.7 mmHg after 24 months (p=0.034/p=0.014). Additionally, we performed a visit-by-visit evaluation of all patients and results were divided in larger-than-median and smaller-than-median response. By this evaluation, we found a high variation of office BP reductions and the 24-hour BP results demonstrated a significant BP reduction in patients with larger-than-median response, which sustained over the 24 months of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS In contrast to the observed variation of office BP measurements, ABPM demonstrated a reproducible and sustained significant BP reduction in patients with larger-than-median response to RDN.

Incidence of stent thrombosis in patients with drug eluting stents and short-term dual antiplatelet therapy

AIMS This study sought to investigate the incidence of stent thrombosis (ST) in patients treated with drug-eluting stents (DES) and clearly defined short-term dual antiplatelet therapy (DAT) for three or six months for sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) or paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES), respectively. METHODS AND RESULTS A series of 1023 consecutive patients with 1,414 stented lesions and prescribed short-term DAT were followed for at least two years after DES implantation. The individual durations of DAT, the rate of ischaemic events, and survival status were assessed. Follow-up was completed for 1017 patients (99.4%) with a mean follow-up of 3.0 +/- 0.7 years. DAT duration was 2.8 +/- 0.4 and 5.9 +/- 0.8 months in patients with SES and PES, respectively. Adherence to continued single antiplatelet therapy was 98.4%. We identified 14 patients with definite ST (1.4%) and no patients with probable ST with a cumulative incidence of 0.6% at 30 days, of 0.8% at one year, of 1.2% at 2 years, and of 1.4% at three years. CONCLUSIONS Definite or probable ST after DES implantation and short DAT occurs with a cumulative incidence of 1.4% at 3 years if excellent patient adherence to the continued single antiplatelet therapy can be achieved.

In‐stent Restenosis in Bare Metal Stents Versus Sirolimus‐eluting Stents After Primary Coronary Intervention for Acute Myocardial Infarction and Subsequent Transcoronary Transplantation of Autologous Stem Cells

Following stenting for acute myocardial infarction, transcoronary transplantation of granulocyte‐colony stimulating factor (G‐CSF) mobilized autologous stem cells (ASC) has been shown to result in an increased in‐stent restenosis rate of bare metal stents (BMS).

Incidence of spontaneous and provoked coronary spasms after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty

We studied the incidence of spontaneous and ergonovine-induced coronary arterial spasm during repeat coronary angiography in 96 consecutive patients with single-vessel disease who had undergone successful angioplasty. Follow-up angiography was performed after a mean of 6 months (1-8 months). Sixty patients demonstrated no restenosis and in 36 patients restenosis (greater than 50% restenosis) occurred. Spasms of the arteries at the site of dilatation were significantly (P less than 0.001) more frequent in patients with restenosis (18/36; 50%) than in patients without restenosis (4/60; 7%). Before angioplasty, no differences were found in the clinical characteristics between the two groups. Likewise, the morphologic results of angioplasty were identical. Despite long-term treatment with nifedipine (30-60 mg daily) and aspirin (0.5 g daily), 14 of 18 patients with restenosis and coronary spasm suffered from spontaneous angina, as compared to only 3 of 18 patients with restenosis without demonstrable spasm. Three of the 4 patients without restenosis but with detectable spasm were also symptomatic. Thus our findings suggest that spasm of the coronary arteries achieves some importance as a pathophysiological factor for recurrence following coronary angioplasty.