Safety and efficacy of dual antiplatelet therapy after percutaneous coronary interventions in patients with end-stage liver disease

The prevalence of coronary artery disease(CAD)increases in patients with endstage liver disease,with part of them receiving the percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)as a treatment option.Dual antiplatelet therapy(DAPT),a standard of care after PCI,could result in catastrophic consequences in this population.Before PCI and the start of DAPT,it is recommended to assess patient bleeding risk.Based on novel findings,liver cirrhosis does not necessarily lead to a significant increase in bleeding complications.Furthermore,conventional methods,such as the international normalized ratio,might not be appropriate in assessing individual bleeding risk.The highest bleeding risk among cirrhotic patients has a subgroup with severe thrombocytopenia(<50×10^(9)/L)and elevated portal pressure.Therefore,every effort should be made to maintain thrombocyte count above>50×10^(9)/L and prevent variceal bleeding.There is no solid evidence for DAPT in patients with cirrhosis.However,randomized trials investigating short(one month)DAPT duration after PCI with new drug-eluting stents(DES)in a high bleeding risk patient population can be implemented in patients with cirrhosis.Based on retrospective studies(with older stents and protocols),PCI and DAPT appear to be safe but with a higher risk of bleeding complications with longer DAPT usage.Finally,novel methods in assessing CAD severity should be performed to avoid unnecessary PCI and potential risks associated with DAPT.When indicated,PCI should be performed over radial artery using contemporary DES.Complementary medical therapy,such as proton pump inhibitors and beta-blockers,should be prescribed for lower bleeding risk patients.Novel approaches,such as thromboelastography and“preventive”upper endoscopies in PCI circumstances,warn clinical confirmation.

Percutaneous coronary interventions in the elderly:a 10-year experience in Northern New England

Background There is a paucity of information available for clinical decision making applying to the elderly patient population. Therefore, data of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) including demographic information on the elderly patients, procedural practices, and outcomes are needed. Objectives and Methods From consecutive PCIs of participating institutions, demographics data, clinical, angiographic success and adverse clinical outcomes were collected. Standard statistical methods were used to compare crude differences in patient and procedural characteristics across age groups. Results At baseline, the prevalence of comorbid conditions ( renal failure and heart failure) increased with age. Unstable angina or a non-ST elevation MI were the most common indications for PCI across all age groups. Fewer patients ≥ 80 years old were undergoing primary PCI and older patients were somewhat less likely to receive a Ⅱb/Ⅲa receptor blocker. Slightly more patients ≥ 80 years old underwent a 2-vessel PCI ( consistent with them having more multivessel disease) and these patients were more likely to have an intervention on a Type C lesion. Compared to patients ＜ 50 years old, those aged ≥ 70 years old had a significantly increased risk of death, MI, stroke, or vascular complications at the access site. Conclusions This study suggests increasing age is associated with increasing risk for an adverse outcome following PCI. This is in part attributable to case-mix but likely, also related to the changing physiology of aging. Despite the increased risk of the procedure, the clinical success rate for PCI is quite high and makes it a reasonable alternative for the treatment of CAD in the elderly.

Changes in the safety paradigm with percutaneous coronary interventions in the modern era:Lessons learned from the ASCERT registry

In the past,comparative effectiveness trials evaluating percutaneous coronary interventions(PCI),using either balloon angioplasty or bare metal stent(BMS) implantation,versus coronary artery bypass surgery(CABG) found similar survival rates at long-term follow-up with both revascularization strategies.Two major meta-analyses of these trials reported 5-and 6-year comparative effectiveness between PCI and CABG:one included only four trials that compared PCI with BMS implantation versus CABG whereas the largest one also included trials using balloon angioplasty.In these studies,the authors observed no survival differences between groups although a significant survival advantage was seen in diabetics treated with CABG and this benefit was also perceived in elderly patients.In both reports,number of involved vessels,presence of left anterior descending artery stenosis or poor left ventricular ejection fraction were no predictors of poor survival with PCI.Therefore,extent of the coronary artery disease(CAD) was not associated with poor outcome after PCI in the pre-drug eluting stent(DES) era.Recently,the ASCERT(Database Collaboration on the Comparative Effectiveness of Revascularization Strategies) registry found higher mortality rate with PCI in patients ≥ 65 years old in comparison with CABG,and advantages of surgery were seen in all subgroups including those at low risk.In this registry,PCI was accomplished by implantation of the first type of DES designs in 78% of cases.The intriguing observation of high mortality rate with PCI,including for non-diabetics and patients with two-vessel CAD,meaning a lack of clinical benefit with DES implantation,had not been seen previously.The study was not randomized,although its results are largely strengthened by its sample size.In this manuscript,the authors describe other registries and randomized trials reporting similar results supporting the findings of the aforementioned study and explore the reasons for these results,while also searching for potential solutions.

Stent visualization methods to guide percutaneous coronary interventions and assess long-term patency

Evaluation of acute percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)results and longterm follow-up remains challenging with ongoing stent designs.Several imaging tools have been developed to assess native vessel atherosclerosis and stent expansion,improving overall PCI results and reducing adverse cardiac events.Quantitative coronary analysis has played a crucial role in quantifying the extent of coronary artery disease and stent results.Digital stent enhancement methods have been well validated and improved stent strut visualization.Intravascular imaging remains the gold standard in PCI guidance but adds costs and time to the procedure.With a recent shift towards non-invasive imaging assessment and coronary computed tomography angiography imaging have shown promising results.We hereby review novel stent visualization techniques used to guide PCI and assess stent patency in the modern PCI era.

Fundamentals of percutaneous coronary bifurcation interventions

Coronary bifurcation lesions(CBLs)account for 15%-20%of all percutaneous coronary interventions.The complex nature of these lesions is responsible for poorer procedural,early and late outcomes.This complex lesion subset has received great attention in the interventional cardiac community,and multiple stenting techniques have been developed.Of these,the provisional stenting technique is most often the default strategy;however,the elective double stenting(EDS)technique is preferred in certain subsets of complex CBLs.The double kissing crush technique may be the preferred EDS technique because of its efficacy and safety in comparative trials;however,this technique consists of many steps and requires training.Many new methods have recently been added to the EDS techniques to provide better stent scaffolding and to reduce early and late adverse outcomes.Intravascular imaging is necessary to determine the interventional strategy and postinterventional results.This review discusses the basic concepts,contemporary percutaneous interventional technical approaches,new methods,and controversial treatment issues of CBLs.

Early diagnostic value of carotid artery ultrasound parameters combined with epicardial adipose layer thickness in coronary heart disease

BACKGROUND Coronary heart disease is associated with coronary atherosclerosis indicated by carotid intima-media thickness(CIMT)thickening and altered vascular elasticity.The epicardial adipose layer can secrete proinflammatory factors that promote the formation of coronary atherosclerosis.Thus,the epicardial fat layer thickness(EAT)may also predict coronary heart disease.AIM To determine the role of common carotid artery ultrasound parameters and EAT in the early diagnosis of coronary artery disease.METHODS Based on coronary angiography,patients with newly suspected coronary heart disease were divided into case(n=107)and control(n=41)groups.The carotid ultrasound parameters,including vascular stiffness(β),elastic coefficient(EP),pulse wave conduction velocity(PWV-β),CIMT,and EAT were compared between the case and control groups and among patients with different lesion numbers in the case group.Pearson correlation was used to evaluate the early diagnostic value of EAT,common carotid artery elasticity,and CIMT for coronary heart disease.RESULTS EP,β,PWV-β,CIMT,and EAT were significantly higher in the case group compared with the levels in the control group(all P<0.001).In the case group,lesions were detected in one vessel in 34 patients,two vessels in 38 patients,and three vessels in 35 patients.Within the case group,β,EP,PWV-β,CIMT,and EAT levels significantly increased with an increased number of lesions(all P<0.001).EAT positively correlated withβ,EP,PWV-β,and CIMT(all P<0.01).The area under the curve for diagnosing coronary heart disease using EAT combined with CIMT and carotid elasticity was 0.893,and the sensitivity and specificity were 0.890 and 0.837.CONCLUSION EAT correlated well with changes in carotid artery elasticity and CIMT in patients with coronary heart disease.The combination of EAT,carotid artery elasticity,and CIMT facilitates the early diagnosis of coronary heart disease.

INTRAVASCULAR ULTRASOUND EVALUATING CORONARY STENTS FOR PATIENTS WITH CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE：COMPARED OLD WITH NEW MULTILINK STENTS

Objective.It was suggested that coronary stent design and coating may affect stent performance and hence induce varying degrees of thrombogenesis and neointimal hyperplasia.T he purpose of this study is to compare the6-month follow-up results between o ld and new Multilink stents with the method of intravascular ultrasound(IVUS)imaging.Methods.We have performed old(n =40)and new(n =35)Multilink stent implantations on 75patients with coronary artery disease.Coron ary angiography was performed before,immediately after,and 6months after the in-stent procedure respectively.Six-month follow-up IVUS imaging was performed and analyzed off-line.Results.Minimal lumen cross sectional area(CSA)of new Multilink stents was signific antly larger than that of old Multilink stents(P=0.0053).Mean stent lumen area of new Multili nk stents was significantly larger than that of old Multilink stents(P=0.040).Similarly,minimal lumen diameter(MLD)of new Multilink stents was larger than that of old Mul tilink stents(P=0.011).Old Multilink stents had a higher percentage of plaque area than new Multilink stent s.Conclusion.The new Multilink stent is obviously superior to old Multilink stents,in particular,in the stent MLD and lumen CSA---major determinants of the restenosis.

Coronary artery disease and heart failure:Late-breaking trials presented at American Heart Association scientific session 2023

The late-breaking science presented at the 2023 scientific session of the American Heart Association paves the way for future pragmatic trials and provides meaningful information to guide management strategies in coronary artery disease and heart failure(HF).The dapagliflozin in patient with acute myocardial infarction(DAPA-MI)trial showed that dapagliflozin use among patients with acute MI without a history of diabetes mellitus or chronic HF has better cardiometabolic outcomes compared with placebo,with no difference in cardiovascular outcomes.The MINT trial showed that in patients with acute MI and anemia(Hgb<10 g/dL),a liberal transfusion goal(Hgb≥10 g/dL)was not superior to a restrictive strategy(Hgb 7-8 g/dL)with respect to 30-day all-cause death and recurrent MI.The ORBITA-2 trial showed that among patients with stable angina and coronary stenoses causing ischemia on little or no antianginal therapy,percutaneous coronary intervention results in greater improvements in anginal frequency and exercise times compared with a sham procedure.The ARIES-HM3 trial showed that in patients with advanced HF who received a HeartMate 3 levitated left ventricular assist device and were anticoagulated with a vitamin K antagonist,placebo was noninferior to daily aspirin with respect to the composite endpoint of bleeding and thrombotic events at 1 year.The TEAMMATE trial showed that everolimus with low-dose tacrolimus is safe in children and young adults when given≥6 months after cardiac transplantation.Providing patients being treated for HF with reduced ejection fraction(HFrEF)with specific out-of-pocket(OOP)costs for multiple medication options at the time of the clinical encounter may reduce‘contingency planning’and increase the extent to which patients are taking the medications decided upon.The primary outcome,which was cost-informed decisionmaking,defined as the clinician or patient mentioning costs of HFrEF medication,occurred in 49%of encounters with the checklist only control group compared with 68%of encounters in the OOP cost group.

Retrospective analysis of exercise capacity in patients with coronary artery disease after percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass graft

Objectives:To describe the current state of exercise capacity as well as to identify its predictors in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) in the mainland of China.Methods:A retrospective study design was employed.We evaluated 230 CAD patients following PCI or CABG in a cardiac rehabilitation center from January 2019 to October 2019.The patients were referred to undergo incremental cardiopulmonary exercise testing with a cycle ergometer.The Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale were used to evaluate patients' mental health.Statistical analysis was performed using the chi-square test,Fisher's exact test,t-test,Mann-Whitney U test,and binary logistic regression.Results:Among the 230 patients,223 patients demonstrated reduced exercise capacity.Resutlts of the logistic regression analysis showed that anxiety (OR =1.13,95% CI 1.01-1.32,P =0.029) was an independent risk factor for reduced exercise capacity in patients following the PCI or CABG.Conclusions:Exercise capacity of Chinese CAD patients after PCI or CABG was relatively poor.Alleviating symptoms of anxiety and making exercise prescriptions according to the results of the cardiopulmonary exercise test should be considered during the intervention to improve CAD patients' exercise capacity.

Impact of baseline smoking status on long-term prognosis of patients with coronary artery disease underwent percutaneous coronary intervention:a large single-center data

Objective This study analyzed a large single-center sample in China to explain the impact of smoking state at baseline on long-term prognosis of coronary artery disease (CAD) patients who received percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Lipoprotein(a)variability is associated with mean follow-up Creactive protein in patients with coronary artery disease following percutaneous coronary intervention

BACKGROUND Increased lipoprotein(a)[lp(a)]has proinflammatory effects,which increase the risk of coronary artery disease.However,the association between lp(a)variability and follow-up C-reactive protein(CRP)level in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)has not been investigated.AIM To explore the association between lp(a)variability and mean CRP levels within the 1st year post-PCI.METHODS Results of lp(a)and CRP measurements from at least three follow-up visits of patients who had received PCI were retrospectively analyzed.Standard deviation(SD),coefficient of variation(CV),and variability independent of the mean(VIM)are presented for the variability for lp(a)and linear regression analysis was conducted to correlate lp(a)variability and mean follow-up CRP level.The relationship of lp(a)variability and inflammation status was analyzed by restricted cubic spline analysis.Finally,exploratory analysis was performed to test the consistency of results in different populations.RESULTS A total of 2712 patients were enrolled.Patients with higher variability of lp(a)had a higher level of mean follow-up CRP(P<0.001).lp(a)variability was positively correlated with the mean follow-up CRP(SD:β=0.023,P<0.001;CV:β=0.929,P<0.001;VIM:β=1.648,P<0.001)by multivariable linear regression analysis.Exploratory analysis showed that the positive association remained consistent in most subpopulations.CONCLUSION Lp(a)variability correlated with mean follow-up CRP level and high variability could be considered an independent risk factor for increased post-PCI CRP level.

Percutaneous Coronary Interventional Treatment for Coronary Artery Disease and the Role of Antiplaplatelets Therapy: A Review of the Literature

Uses of balloon catheters or BMS for the treatment of coronary artery lesions shows good short-term results but long-term follow up revealed restenosis in up to 20%-30% of patients. Thus new improvements to balloons and stents are always necessary to achieve the best results from percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Drug-eluting stents (DES) improved the principles of bare metal stents (BMS) by local drug release to inhibit neointimal growth. DES reduced the incidence of in-stent restenosis. These benefits and lower costs compared to surgical treatment make the DES an attractive alternative for the treatment of coronary artery disease. Different components of DES which include the polymers, drugs and the stents underwent progressive evolution, and these led to development of new generations of DES with variable types of drugs and polymers to fully absorbable stents. The concern of stent thrombosis still an issue and dual antiplatlets therapy (DAPT) is mandatory for variable time ranging from one month to one year. This article discusses the main available clinical trials in the developments of BMS, DES and the comparison between both with a prospective look at future technologies in the field, in addition to reviewing the current guideline in the uses of DAPT after PCI.

Feasibility of percutaneous coronary intervention via transulnar artery approachin selective patients with coronary heart disease

Objective To probe the clinic feasibility of percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI) via transulnar artery approach (PCI TRU).Methods Fourty patients with unstable ischemic manifestation(male 34,female 6;age 59.3 ±9.10 years)whose radial artery of right hand was thin with a weak pulse that was not suitable to transradial artery PCI while whose ulnar artery was thick with a strong pulse based on their larger diameter in ulnar artery as compared with those in radial artery ( 3.30 ±0.22mm vs 2.43 ±0.33 mm, P <0.05 ) by the investigation of vessel echography,but revesered Allen’s test for radial and ulnar artery was positive,were selected as the subjects for PCI TRU. The radio of ulnar artery versus radial artery was 1.35:1.00 and the time of Allen’s test in ulnar artery side was shorter than that in radial artery side ( 2.70 ±0.36 s vs 4.68 ±0.52s , P <0.05 ) before PCI. The efficiency of PCI TRU was evaluated. The time of manipulative duration for each procedure of PCI TRU was recorded. The time of Allen’s test, luminal diameter (mm) , cross area of vessel lumin (mm 2), blood velocity (Vs max), blood resistance (RI) in ulnar artery and radial artery and the level of blood oxygen in finger (PaO 2、SatO 2) were measured and recorded , respectively , as well were compared quantitatively before and after 1 month of procedure . Results Fourty eight lesion segments of 42 vessels in all patients were angioplasticized successfully via TRU by 6F guiding catheter including 23 segments of type B1 , 14 segments of type B2 and 11 segments of type C. PCI TRU in all of 40 patients was performed successfully. Fourty eight stents were implanted including 2 lesions of intrastent restenosis angioplasticized with cutting balloon technique before re stenting . The average time of manipulative duration of guiding catheters engaging in osicum of target coronary, crossing the vessel lesions of guidewire, dilatation and implantation of stents,and under X ray fluoroscopy were 4.30 ±0.59 min , 2.52 ±0.40min , 2.66 ±0.40 min ,and 25.9 ±0.49 min , respectively, and the total time of the whole procedure was 56.6 ±14.8 min . When the ulnar introducer was taken off, the access site in ulnar artery was suppressed by tourniquet with no bleeding in the access site and no limitation of physical activation under maintaining infusion of heparin immediately after procedure . There was no significant change in the diameter of ulnar artery and the time of Allen’s test after 1 month of PCI procedure as compared with those before procedure ( 3.22 ±0.48mm vs 3.26 ±0.22 mm , P >0.05 ; 2.96 ±0.98 s vs 2.72 ±0.47 s , P >0.05 ). No significant change was found in the parameters of blood velocity , cross area of vessel lumin, blood resistance and the level of blood oxygen in finger after 1 month of PCI procedure. The average total hospital stay was 5.21 ±0.43 days. Following up 1 month, no complications such as occlusion of ulnar artery, abnormal sensitivity and movement disability were found in right hands in all patients.Conclusions The ulnar artery might be selected as one approach of antebrachial artery for PCI in the patients with coronary heart disease whose radial artery was difficulty as access vessels of PCI, while reversed Allen’s test for radial and ulnar artery are positive and the luminal diameter of ulnar artery was larger than that of radial artery.

Twelve Months Clinical Outcomes after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with Bare Metal Stents in Unselected Real-Life Patients with Coronary Artery Disease: Results from FLEXUS Study

Background: Though drug-eluting stent is widely used during coronary angioplasty, still there are conditions in which bare metal stents possess a priority role. Objectives: The aim of FLEXUS study is to investigate the safety and efficacy of Flexinnium stent in unselected real-life patients. Methods: The FLEXUS is a single-centric, observational, non-randomized, retrospective study performed from January to August 2014 in 216 patients who received Flexinnium stent. The end-point of study included device-oriented and patient-oriented clinical outcomes as per Academic Research Consortium consensus. These end-points were observed at in-hospital stay and 12-month follow-up. Results: Of 216 patients, 174 (80.6%) patients were male;there were 76 (35.2%) and 84 (38.9%) patients of diabetes and hypertension, respectively. Type B2 and C lesions accounted for 27 (11.3%) and 122 (50.8%), respectively. A total of 241 Flexinnium stents were implanted with an average diameter and length of 2.7 ± 0.2 mm and 21.6 ± 8.0 mm, respectively. The cumulative device-oriented composite at 12-month follow-up included 2.31% cardiac death, 1.39% myocardial infarction (MI) attributed to the target vessel, and 3.70% target lesion revascularization (TLR). Conclusion: FLEXUS study gives an idea about favorable safety and efficacy of the Flexinnium in unselected real-life patients with both simple and complex coronary lesions.

Comparative assessment of clinical profile and outcomes after primary percutaneous coronary intervention in young patients with single vs multivessel disease

BACKGROUND Even though percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)improved the survival of patients with acute myocardial infarction,still multivessel coronary artery disease remains an important factor burdening prognosis and it is being associated with a worse prognosis compared to single-vessel disease(SVD).AIM To compare the clinical profile and outcomes after the primary PCI in young patients with SVD vs multivessel disease(MVD).METHODS The retrospective cohort of patients were divided into two groups:SVD and MVD group.The study population consisted of both male and female young(≤45 years)patients presented with ST-elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI)at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Disease,Karachi,Pakistan and undergone primary PCI from 1 st July 2017 to 31 st March 2018.Pre and postprocedure management of the patients was as per the guidelines and institutional protocols.RESULTS A total of 571 patients with STEMI,≤45 years were stratified into two groups by the number of vessels involved,342(59.9%)with SVD and 229(40.1%)with MVD.The average age of these patients was 39.04±4.86 years.A lower prevalence of hypertension and diabetes was observed in SVD as compare to MVD group(25.1%vs 38%,P<0.01;11.7%vs 27.5%,P<0.001)respectively.While,smoking was more prevalent among the SVD group as compare to MVD group(36.3%vs 28.4%,P=0.05).The high-C Lesion was observed in a significantly higher number of younger patients with MVD as compared to SVD group(48.8%vs 39.2%,P=0.021).Post-procedure thrombolysis in myocardial infarction flow grade was found to be not associated with the number of diseased vessels with a P value of 0.426 and thrombolysis in myocardial infarction flow grade III was observed in 98%vs 96.5%of the patients is SVD vs MVD group.CONCLUSION The MVD comprised of around 40%of the young patients presented with STEMI.Also,this study shows that diabetes and hypertension have a certain role in the pathogenesis of multivessel diseases,therefore,preventive measures for diabetes and hypertension can be effective strategies in reducing the burden of premature STEMI.

Quantitative flow ratio and intravascular ultrasound guided percutaneous coronary intervention of left anterior descending lesion concomitant with severe coronary myocardial bridge

Severe coronary stenosis concomitant with congenital coronary myocardial bridge(MB)is a tough scenario for cardiologist to perform revascularization,for which the complication rates including in-stent restenosis,stent fracture,stent thrombosis and even coronary perforation are still high.[1,2]Meanwhile,the necessity of revascularization in such patients is worth prudent evaluation.Cardiac imaging modalities are crucial and helpful in making revascularized decisions and strategies.Herein,we report a case using quantitative flow ratio(QFR)and intravascular ultrasound(IVUS)to facilitate accurate revascularization in a patient with both severe coronary stenosis and deep coronary MB.

Intravascular Ultrasound– Guided Percutaneous Coronary Intervention:An Updated Review

Common practice dictates the performance of percutaneous coronary intervention under conventional angiographic guidance.With studies suggesting the high incidence of intraobserver variability,especially in angiographic borderline lesions,new modalities such as intravascular ultrasound(IVUS)guidance during percutaneous coronary intervention have surfaced.Multiple studies have shown improved outcomes with IVUS guidance,mainly driven by a decrease in ischemia-driven target lesion revascularization.In the past two decades,a multitude of studies have investigated the uses and clinical outcomes associated with this technology.In this review,we highlight the utility,advantages,economic implications,and clinical outcomes of IVUS guidance over standard angiographic guidance,with emphasis on data as they pertain to IVUS-guided stent implantation.

Is the advantage of coronary bypass graft surgery over percutaneous coronary intervention in diabetic patients with severe multivessel disease influenced by the status of insulin requirement？

Several studies have shown that coronary artery bypass graft surgery （CABG） is superior to percutaneous coronary intervention （PCI） in patients with diabetes and multi-vessel disease. Whether this advantage of CABG over PCI is confined to diabetics who require insulin is unknown. We review the published literature comparing CABG with PCI in diabetics including 8 cohorts and 4,786 patients. There was a lower rate for all-cause mortality （Relative risk （RR）： 0.78, 95% confidence interval （CI）： 0.62-0.99）, and for major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events （MACCE, RR： 0.59, 95% CI： 0.47-0.75） for CABG compared to PCI. Composite outcome of mortality, myocardial infarction and stoke was similar between CABG and PCI （RR： 0.87, 95% CI： 0.54-1.42）. Visual inspection of the forest plots showed that in most analyses, the point estimates of the RR are similar between the insulin requiring group and non-insulin requiring group. On meta-regression, there was no interaction between status of insulin requirement and revascularization strategies （P 〉 0.05 for all）. The pre- sented data on the still unpublished analysis of the FREEDOM trial showed similar results. Thus, in the current era, CABG is superior to PCI with lower mortality and MACCE rates, but the state of insulin requirement had no effect on the outcomes from the two revascularization strategies.

Spontaneous multivessel coronary artery spasm diagnosed with intravascular ultrasound imaging:A case report

BACKGROUND Coronary artery spasm is a major cause of myocardial ischemia.Although coronary artery spasm has been known for a long time,its mechanism has not yet been identified.Many clinicians,especially young clinicians pay less attention to coronary artery spasm,which may lead to some patients not being appropriately diagnosed and treated in time.We report a patient with spontaneous multivessel coronary artery spasm for more than 30 years diagnosed with intravascular ultrasound(IVUS)imaging.CASE SUMMARY A 66-year-old Chinese male patient had chest squeezing at rest for more than 30 years.He had a history of cigarette smoking for more than 40 years and hypertension for 10 years.Before presenting at our institution,the patient had undergone coronary angiography 4 times and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty procedures twice at other hospitals without a diagnosis of coronary artery spasm.However,his chest symptoms worsened.Spontaneous multivessel coronary artery spasm occurred during IVUS without provocation testing,and the IVUS image was recorded.Thus,the diagnosis of multifocal spontaneous coronary artery spasm was confirmed.The patient was placed on oral diltiazem,isosorbide mononitrate,and nicorandil to suppress coronary artery spasms.All medications were given at the maximum dosages tolerated by the patient.He was discharged after 5 d without complications.During the six-month follow-up period,the patient was symptom-free.CONCLUSION Coronary artery spasm is still prevalent in Eastern countries.It is essential for clinicians to be aware of coronary artery spasm,which may be hard to detect and can be lethal,in order to diagnose and treat patients appropriately.

Long-term effect of stenting in unprotected left main coronary artery disease in the elderly

Objective To evaluate the feasibility,safety and efficacy of percutaneous stent implantation for treating left main coronary artery(LMCA)stenosis.Methods Consecutive patients with unprotected left main coronary artery disease treated by stent-based percutaneous intervention(PCI)at 6 medical centers in China were enrolled.Procedural data and clinical outcomes were obtained from all patients.Results From January 2001 to December 2004,138 patients(79 males and 59 females;mean age:69.7±5.8 years)underwent PCI for LMCA stenosis.Bare metal stents(BMS)were implanted in 51 patients with non-bifurcational lesions and in 5 patients with bifurcational lesions from January of 2001 to June of 2003(BMS group);.Drug eluting stents(DES)were used unselectively to cover both bifurcational and non-bifurcational lesions in 86 patients from July of 2003 to December of 2004(DES group).Procedural success rate of the 138 cases was 98%(135/138).One patient(0.7%)with bifurcation lesion who was treated with DES died from severe heart failure 2 weeks after the procedure.During a mean follow up period of 21.3±5.6 months,one patient died from renal failure,one from sudden cardiac death,4 underwent target lesion revascularization(TLR)in the BMS group,which all occurred in patients with bifurcational lesions;whereas in the DES group no deaths occurred and only one patient with bifurcational lesion had TLR.Conclusions(1)PCI is feasible and relatively safe to treat unprotected left main coronary artery disease in elderly patients at medical centers with experienced professionals.(2)BMS and DES have similar immediate and long-term efficacy in the treatment of ostium and shaft lesions of the LMCA.(3)DES are strongly suggested in the therapy of distal bifurcation lesion of unprotected LMCA.