Raúl Moreno

Randomized Comparison of Sirolimus-Eluting Stent Versus Standard Stent for Percutaneous Coronary Revascularization in Diabetic Patients The Diabetes and Sirolimus-Eluting Stent (DIABETES) Trial

Background— Outcomes after percutaneous coronary interventions in diabetic patients are shadowed by the increased rate of recurrence compared with nondiabetic patients. Methods and Results— We conducted a multicenter, randomized trial to demonstrate the efficacy of sirolimus-eluting stents compared with standard stents to prevent restenosis in diabetic patients with de novo lesions in native coronary arteries. The primary end point of the trial was in-segment late lumen loss as assessed by quantitative coronary angiography at 9-month follow-up. The trial was stratified by diabetes treatment status. One hundred sixty patients were randomized to sirolimus-eluting stents (80 patients; 111 lesions) or standard stent implantation (80 patients; 110 lesions). On average, reference diameter was 2.34±0.6 mm, lesion length was 15.0±8 mm, and 13.1% of lesions were chronic total occlusions. In-segment late lumen loss was reduced from 0.47±0.5 mm for standard stents to 0.06±0.4 mm for sirolimus stents (P<0.001). Target-lesion revascularization and major adverse cardiac event rates were significantly lower in the sirolimus group (31.3% versus 7.3% and 36.3% versus 11.3%, respectively; both P<0.001). Non–insulin- and insulin-requiring patients demonstrated similar reductions in angiographic and clinical parameters of restenosis after sirolimus-eluting stent implantation. During the 9-month follow-up, stent thrombosis occurred in 2 patients after standard stent implantation. Conversely, this phenomenon was not seen in the sirolimus stent group. Conclusions— This randomized trial demonstrated that sirolimus stent implantation is safe and efficacious in reducing both angiographic and clinical parameters of restenosis compared with standard stents in diabetic patients with de novo coronary stenoses.

Randomized Trial of Primary PCI with or without Routine Manual Thrombectomy

BACKGROUND During primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), manual thrombectomy may reduce distal embolization and thus improve microvascular perfusion. Small trials have suggested that thrombectomy improves surrogate and clinical outcomes, but a larger trial has reported conflicting results. METHODS We randomly assigned 10,732 patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary PCI to a strategy of routine upfront manual thrombectomy versus PCI alone. The primary outcome was a composite of death from cardiovascular causes, recurrent myocardial infarction, cardiogenic shock, or New York Heart Association (NYHA) class IV heart failure within 180 days. The key safety outcome was stroke within 30 days. RESULTS The primary outcome occurred in 347 of 5033 patients (6.9%) in the thrombectomy group versus 351 of 5030 patients (7.0%) in the PCI-alone group (hazard ratio in the thrombectomy group, 0.99; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.85 to 1.15; P=0.86). The rates of cardiovascular death (3.1% with thrombectomy vs. 3.5% with PCI alone; hazard ratio, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.73 to 1.12; P=0.34) and the primary outcome plus stent thrombosis or target-vessel revascularization (9.9% vs. 9.8%; hazard ratio, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.89 to 1.14; P=0.95) were also similar. Stroke within 30 days occurred in 33 patients (0.7%) in the thrombectomy group versus 16 patients (0.3%) in the PCI-alone group (hazard ratio, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.13 to 3.75; P=0.02). CONCLUSIONS In patients with STEMI who were undergoing primary PCI, routine manual thrombectomy, as compared with PCI alone, did not reduce the risk of cardiovascular death, recurrent myocardial infarction, cardiogenic shock, or NYHA class IV heart failure within 180 days but was associated with an increased rate of stroke within 30 days. (Funded by Medtronic and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research; TOTAL ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01149044.).

Comparison of Angioplasty With Infusion of Tirofiban or Abciximab and With Implantation of Sirolimus-Eluting or Uncoated Stents for Acute Myocardial Infarction: The MULTISTRATEGY Randomized Trial

CONTEXT Abciximab infusion and uncoated-stent implantation is a complementary treatment strategy to reduce major adverse cardiac events in patients undergoing angioplasty for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). It is uncertain whether there may be similar benefits in replacing abciximab with high-dose bolus tirofiban. Similarly, the use of drug-eluting stents in this patient population is currently discouraged because of conflicting results on efficacy reported in randomized trials and safety concerns reported by registries. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of high-dose bolus tirofiban and of sirolimus-eluting stents as compared with abciximab infusion and uncoated-stent implantation in patients with STEMI undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS An open-label, 2 x 2 factorial trial of 745 patients presenting with STEMI or new left bundle-branch block at 16 referral centers in Italy, Spain, and Argentina between October 2004 and April 2007. INTERVENTIONS High-dose bolus tirofiban vs abciximab infusion and sirolimus-eluting stent vs uncoated stent implantation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES For drug comparison, at least 50% ST-segment elevation resolution at 90 minutes postintervention with a prespecified noninferiority margin of 9% difference (relative risk, 0.89); for stent comparison, the rate of major adverse cardiac events, defined as the composite of death from any cause, reinfarction, and clinically driven target-vessel revascularization within 8 months. RESULTS ST-segment resolution occurred in 302 of 361 patients (83.6%) who had received abciximab infusion and 308 of 361 (85.3%) who had received tirofiban infusion (relative risk, 1.020; 97.5% confidence interval, 0.958-1.086; P < .001 for noninferiority). Ischemic and hemorrhagic outcomes were similar in the tirofiban and abciximab groups. At 8 months, major adverse cardiac events occurred in 54 patients (14.5%) with uncoated stents and 29 (7.8%) with sirolimus stents (P = .004), predominantly reflecting a reduction of revascularization rates (10.2% vs 3.2%). The incidence of stent thrombosis was similar in the 2 stent groups. CONCLUSIONS In patients with STEMI undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, compared with abciximab, tirofiban therapy was associated with noninferior resolution of ST-segment elevation at 90 minutes following coronary intervention, whereas sirolimus-eluting stent implantation was associated with a significantly lower risk of major adverse cardiac events than uncoated stents within 8 months after intervention. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00229515.

Predictive factors, management, and clinical outcomes of coronary obstruction following transcatheter aortic valve implantation: Insights from a large multicenter registry

OBJECTIVES This study sought to evaluate the main baseline and procedural characteristics, management, and clinical outcomes of patients from a large cohort of patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) who suffered coronary obstruction (CO). BACKGROUND Very little data exist on CO following TAVI. METHODS This multicenter registry included 44 patients who suffered symptomatic CO following TAVI of 6,688 patients (0.66%). Pre-TAVI computed tomography data was available in 28 CO patients and in a control group of 345 patients (comparisons were performed including all patients and a cohort matched 1:1 by age, sex, previous coronary artery bypass graft, transcatheter valve type, and size). RESULTS Baseline and procedural variables associated with CO were older age (p < 0.001), female sex (p < 0.001), no previous coronary artery bypass graft (p = 0.043), the use of a balloon-expandable valve (p = 0.023), and previous surgical aortic bioprosthesis (p = 0.045). The left coronary artery was the most commonly involved (88.6%). The mean left coronary artery ostia height and sinus of Valsalva diameters were lower in patients with obstruction than in control subjects (10.6 ± 2.1 mm vs. 13.4 ± 2.1 mm, p < 0.001; 28.1 ± 3.8 mm vs. 31.9 ± 4.1 mm, p < 0.001). Differences between groups remained significant after the case-matched analysis (p < 0.001 for coronary height; p = 0.01 for sinus of Valsalva diameter). Most patients presented with persistent severe hypotension (68.2%) and electrocardiographic changes (56.8%). Percutaneous coronary intervention was attempted in 75% of the cases and was successful in 81.8%. Thirty-day mortality was 40.9%. After a median follow-up of 12 (2 to 18) months, the cumulative mortality rate was 45.5%, and there were no cases of stent thrombosis or reintervention. CONCLUSIONS Symptomatic CO following TAVI was a rare but life-threatening complication that occurred more frequently in women, in patients receiving a balloon-expandable valve, and in those with a previous surgical bioprosthesis. Lower-lying coronary ostium and shallow sinus of Valsalva were associated anatomic factors, and despite successful treatment, acute and late mortality remained very high, highlighting the importance of anticipating and preventing the occurrence of this complication.

Primary endpoint results of the EVOLVE trial: a randomized evaluation of a novel bioabsorbable polymer-coated, everolimus-eluting coronary stent.

OBJECTIVES This study sought to compare the safety and efficacy of 2 dose formulations of SYNERGY, a novel bioabsorbable polymer everolimus-eluting stent (EES) (Boston Scientific Corp., Natick, Massachusetts) compared with the durable polymer PROMUS Element EES (Boston Scientific Corp.). BACKGROUND Durable polymer coatings on drug-eluting stents have been associated with chronic inflammation and impaired healing. Bioabsorbable polymer-coated drug-delivery systems may reduce the risk of late adverse events, including stent thrombosis, and thus the need for prolonged dual-antiplatelet therapy. METHODS A total of 291 patients with a de novo lesion ≤28 mm in length, in a coronary artery of ≥2.25 to ≤3.5 mm diameter, were enrolled in the EVOLVE study, a prospective, randomized, single-blind, noninferiority trial. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to PROMUS Element, SYNERGY, or SYNERGY half dose. The primary clinical endpoint was the 30-day rate of target lesion failure, defined as cardiac death or myocardial infarction related to the target vessel, or target lesion revascularization. The primary angiographic endpoint was 6-month in-stent late loss measured by quantitative coronary angiography. RESULTS The 30-day primary clinical endpoint of target lesion failure occurred in 0%, 1.1%, and 3.1% of patients in the PROMUS Element, SYNERGY, and SYNERGY half dose groups, respectively. The 6-month in-stent late loss was 0.15 ± 0.34 mm for PROMUS Element, 0.10 ± 0.25 mm for SYNERGY, and 0.13 ± 0.26 mm for SYNERGY half dose (SYNERGY, difference -0.06, upper 95.2% confidence limit: 0.02, p for noninferiority <0.001; SYNERGY half dose, difference -0.03, upper 95.2% confidence limit: 0.05, p for noninferiority <0.001). Clinical event rates remained low and comparable between groups, with no stent thromboses in any group at 6 months. CONCLUSIONS The EVOLVE trial confirms the effective delivery of everolimus by a unique directional bioabsorbable polymer system utilizing the SYNERGY stent. (A Prospective Randomized Multicenter Single-Blind Noninferiority Trial to Assess the Safety and Performance of the Evolution Everolimus-Eluting Monorail Coronary Stent System [Evolution Stent System] for the Treatment of a De Novo Atherosclerotic Lesion [EVOLVE]; NCT01135225).

A Prospective Randomized Trial of Drug-Eluting Balloons Versus Everolimus-Eluting Stents in Patients With In-Stent Restenosis of Drug-Eluting Stents: The RIBS IV Randomized Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND Treatment of patients with drug-eluting stent (DES) in-stent restenosis (ISR) remains a major challenge. OBJECTIVES This study evaluated the comparative efficacy of drug-eluting balloons (DEB) and everolimus-eluting stents (EES) in patients presenting with DES-ISR. METHODS The study design of this multicenter randomized clinical trial assumed superiority of EES for the primary endpoint, in-segment minimal lumen diameter at the 6- to 9-month angiographic follow-up. RESULTS A total of 309 patients with DES-ISR from 23 Spanish university hospitals were randomly allocated to DEB (n = 154) or EES (n = 155). At late angiography (median 247 days; 90% of eligible patients), patients in the EES arm had a significantly larger minimal lumen diameter (2.03 ± 0.7 mm vs. 1.80 ± 0.6 mm; p < 0.01) (absolute mean difference: 0.23 mm; 95% CI: 0.07 to 0.38) [corrected], net lumen gain (1.28 ± 0.7 mm vs. 1.01 ± 0.7 mm; p < 0.01), and lower percent diameter stenosis (23 ± 22% vs. 30 ± 22%; p < 0.01) and binary restenosis rate (11% vs. 19%; p = 0.06), compared with patients in the DEB arm. Consistent results were observed in the in-lesion analysis. At the 1-year clinical follow-up (100% of patients), the main clinical outcome measure (composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization) was significantly reduced in the EES arm (10% vs. 18%; p = 0.04; hazard ratio: 0.58; 95% CI: 0.35 to 0.98), mainly driven by a lower need for target vessel revascularization (8% vs. 16%; p = 0.035). CONCLUSIONS In patients with DES-ISR, EES provided superior long-term clinical and angiographic results compared with DEB. (Restenosis Intra-Stent of Drug-Eluting Stents: Drug-Eluting Balloon vs Everolimus-Eluting Stent [RIBS IV]; NCT01239940).

Primary Angioplasty Reduces the Risk of Left Ventricular Free Wall Rupture Compared With Thrombolysis in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to evaluate the effect of primary angioplasty (PA) over the risk of free wall rupture (FWR) in reperfused acute myocardial infarction (AMI). BACKGROUND It has been suggested that PA reduces the risk of FWR compared with thrombolysis. However, few studies have evaluated this issue, and there are no data demonstrating this hypothesis. METHODS A total of 1,375 patients with AMI treated with PA (n = 762, 55.4%) or thrombolysis (n = 613, 44.6%) within 12 h after symptoms onset were included. The diagnosis of FWR was made either in the presence of sudden death due to electromechanical dissociation with large pericardial effusion on an echocardiogram or when demonstrated post mortem or at surgery. A multivariable analysis was performed including type of reperfusion strategy. RESULTS The overall incidence of FWR was 2.5% (n = 34): 1.8% and 3.3% in patients treated with PA and with thrombolysis, respectively (p = 0.686). The following characteristics were associated with a higher rate of FWR in the univariable analysis: age >70 (5.2% vs. 1.2%, p < 0.001), female gender (5.1% vs. 1.8%, p = 0.006), anterior location (3.3% vs. 1.4%, p = 0.020) and treatment >2 h after symptoms onset (3.6% vs. 1.7%, p = 0.043). In the multivariable analysis, age >70 (odds ratio [OR]: 4.12, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.04 to 8.62, p < 0.001) and anterior location (OR: 2.91, 95% CI: 1.36 to 6.63, p = 0.008) were independent risk factors of FWR, whereas treatment with PA was an independent protective factor (OR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.22 to 0.96, p = 0.0371). CONCLUSIONS In patients with AMI, PA reduces the risk of FWR in comparison with thrombolysis.

Prediction of 1-year clinical outcomes using the SYNTAX score in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention

OBJECTIVES This study sought to evaluate the impact of SYNTAX score (SXscore), and compare its performance in isolation and combination with the PAMI (The Primary Angioplasty in Myocardial Infarction Study) score, for the prediction of 1-year clinical outcomes in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention. BACKGROUND Patients with STEMI were excluded from the original SYNTAX score (SXscore) algorithm. Therefore, the utility of using the SXscore in this patient group remains undefined. METHODS SXscore was calculated retrospectively in 807 patients with STEMI enrolled in the randomized STRATEGY (Single High-Dose Bolus Tirofiban and Sirolimus-Eluting Stent Versus Abciximab and Bare-Metal Stent in Acute Myocardial Infarction) and MULTISTRATEGY (Multicenter Evaluation of Single High-Dose Bolus Tirofiban Versus Abciximab With Sirolimus-Eluting Stent or Bare-Metal Stent in Acute Myocardial Infarction Study) clinical trials. Clinical outcomes of all-cause death, reinfarction, and clinically driven target vessel revascularization were subsequently stratified according to SXscore tertiles: SX(LOW) ≤ 9 (n = 311), 9 < SX(MID) ≤ 16 (n = 234), SX(HIGH) >16 (n = 262). RESULTS At 1-year follow-up, all clinical outcomes including mortality, mortality/reinfarction, major adverse cardiac events (MACE) (a composite of all-cause death, reinfarction and target vessel revascularization), and definite, definite/probable, and any stent thrombosis were all significantly higher in patients in the highest SXscore tertile. SXscore was identified as an independent predictor of mortality, MACE, and stent thrombosis out to 1-year follow-up. The combination SYNTAX-PAMI score led to a net reclassification improvement of 15.7% and 4.6% for mortality and MACE, respectively. The C-statistics for the SXscore, PAMI score, and the combined SYNTAX-PAMI score were 0.65, 0.81, and 0.73 for 1-year mortality, and 0.68, 0.64, and 0.69 for 1-year MACE, respectively. CONCLUSIONS SXscore does have a role in the risk stratification of patients with STEMI having primary percutaneous coronary intervention; however, this ability can be improved through a combination with clinical variables. (Multicentre 2×2 Factorial Randomised Study Comparing Tirofiban Versus Abciximab and SES Versus BMS in AMI; NCT00229515).

Outcomes after thrombus aspiration for ST elevation myocardial infarction: 1-year follow-up of the prospective randomised TOTAL trial

BACKGROUND Two large trials have reported contradictory results at 1 year after thrombus aspiration in ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). In a 1-year follow-up of the largest randomised trial of thrombus aspiration, we aimed to clarify the longer-term benefits, to help guide clinical practice. METHODS The trial of routine aspiration ThrOmbecTomy with PCI versus PCI ALone in Patients with STEMI (TOTAL) was a prospective, randomised, investigator-initiated trial of routine manual thrombectomy versus percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) alone in 10,732 patients with STEMI. Eligible adult patients (aged ≥18 years) from 87 hospitals in 20 countries were enrolled and randomly assigned (1:1) within 12 h of symptom onset to receive routine manual thrombectomy with PCI or PCI alone. Permuted block randomisation (with variable block size) was done by a 24 h computerised central system, and was stratified by centre. Participants and investigators were not masked to treatment assignment. The trial did not show a difference at 180 days in the primary outcome of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, cardiogenic shock, or heart failure. However, the results showed improvements in the surrogate outcomes of ST segment resolution and distal embolisation, but whether or not this finding would translate into a longer term benefit remained unclear. In this longer-term follow-up of the TOTAL study, we report the results on the primary outcome (cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, cardiogenic shock, or heart failure) and secondary outcomes at 1 year. Analyses of the primary outcome were by modified intention to treat and only included patients who underwent index PCI. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01149044. FINDINGS Between Aug 5, 2010, and July 25, 2014, 10,732 eligible patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to thrombectomy followed by PCI (n=5372) or to PCI alone (n=5360). After exclusions of patients who did not undergo PCI in each group (337 in the PCI and thrombectomy group and 331 in the PCI alone group), the final study population comprised 10,064 patients (5035 thrombectomy and 5029 PCI alone). The primary outcome at 1 year occurred in 395 (8%) of 5035 patients in the thrombectomy group compared with 394 (8%) of 5029 in the PCI alone group (hazard ratio [HR] 1·00 [95% CI 0·87-1·15], p=0·99). Cardiovascular death within 1 year occurred in 179 (4%) of the thrombectomy group and in 192 (4%) of 5029 in the PCI alone group (HR 0·93 [95% CI 0·76-1·14], p=0·48). The key safety outcome, stroke within 1 year, occurred in 60 patients (1·2%) in the thrombectomy group compared with 36 (0·7%) in the PCI alone group (HR 1·66 [95% CI 1·10-2·51], p=0·015). INTERPRETATION Routine thrombus aspiration during PCI for STEMI did not reduce longer-term clinical outcomes and might be associated with an increase in stroke. As a result, thrombus aspiration can no longer be recommended as a routine strategy in STEMI. FUNDING Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Canadian Network and Centre for Trials Internationally, and Medtronic Inc.

A randomized, prospective, intercontinental evaluation of a bioresorbable polymer sirolimus-eluting coronary stent system: the CENTURY II (Clinical Evaluation of New Terumo Drug-Eluting Coronary Stent System in the Treatment of Patients with Coronary Artery Disease) trial

Aim The aim of this study was to establish safety and efficacy of a new sirolimus-eluting stent with bioresorbable polymer, Ultimaster (BP-SES). Sirolimus-eluting stent with bioresorbable polymer was compared with everolimus-eluting, permanent polymer, Xience stent (PP-EES) in the frame of a CENTURY II clinical trial designed to make global clinical data compliant with regulatory requirements in Europe and Japan. Methods and results The CENTURY II is a prospective, multicentre, randomized (1 : 1), single blind, controlled, non-inferiority clinical trial conducted at 58 study sites in Japan, Europe, and Korea. A total of 1123 patients requiring a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedure, with implantation of drug-eluting stent (DES), were enrolled [total population (TP)]. Randomization of patients was stratified for the subset of patients matching requirements for DES in Japan (Cohort JR, n = 722). Baseline patient demographic and angiographic characteristics were similar in both study arms, with minimal differences between the TP and Cohort JR. The primary endpoint, freedom from target lesion failure (TLF) at 9 months—TLF [composite of cardiac death, target-vessel-related myocardial infarction (MI) and target lesion revascularization]—was 95.6% with BP-SES and 95.1% with PP-EES (Pnon-inferiority<0.0001). Composite of cardiac death and MI rate was 2.9 and 3.8% (P = 0.40) and target vessel revascularization was 4.5% with BP-SES and 4.2% with PP-EES (P = 0.77). The stent thrombosis rate was 0.9% in both arms. In Cohort JR, freedom from TLF was 95.9 and 94.6% (Pnon-inferiority < 0.0005) with BP-SES and PP-EES, respectively. Conclusion The new bioresorbable polymer sirolimus-eluting stent showed safety and efficacy profiles similar to durable polymer everolimus-eluting stent at 9-month follow-up. Study registration number UMIN000006940.