European heart journal
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European heart journal · Apr 2009
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyA polymer-free dual drug-eluting stent in patients with coronary artery disease: a randomized trial vs. polymer-based drug-eluting stents.
Long-term polymer residue in the coronary milieu is a consequence of current drug-eluting stent (DES) therapy and has been implicated in late adverse events. We developed a novel polymer-free rapamycin- and probucol-eluting stent (Dual-DES) and compared its efficacy against commercially available permanent polymer-based sirolimus-eluting (SES; Cypher) and zotarolimus-eluting (ZES; Endeavor) stents. ⋯ A novel polymer-free Dual-DES is associated with high anti-restenotic efficacy without recourse to carrier polymer. Potential long-term clinical advantage of this platform remains subject to investigation. Study registered at ClinicalTrials.gov. Identifier number: NCT00332397.
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European heart journal · Mar 2009
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyDiverging associations of an intended early invasive strategy compared with actual revascularization, and outcome in patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome: the problem of treatment selection bias.
In several observational studies, revascularization is associated with substantial reduction in mortality in patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (nSTE-ACS). This has strengthened the belief that routine early angiography would lead to a reduction in mortality. We investigated the association between actual in-hospital revascularization and long-term outcome in patients with nSTE-ACS included in the ICTUS trial. ⋯ The ICTUS trial did not show that an early invasive strategy resulted in a better outcome than a selective invasive strategy in patients with nSTE-ACS. However, similar to retrospective analyses from observational studies, actual revascularization was associated with lower mortality and fewer MI. Whether an early invasive strategy leads to a better outcome than a selective invasive strategy cannot be inferred from the observation that revascularized patients have a better prognosis in non-randomized studies.
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European heart journal · Mar 2009
Multicenter StudyTemporal management patterns and outcomes of non-ST elevation acute coronary syndromes in patients with kidney dysfunction.
To examine: (i) the temporal changes in the management pattern; (ii) the reasons for any treatment disparities; (iii) the relationship between invasive treatment and outcome, among acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients with vs. without kidney dysfunction. ⋯ Despite temporal increases in invasive management of NSTE-ACS, patients with kidney dysfunction are more commonly treated conservatively, with an associated worse outcome. In-hospital revascularization was independently associated with improved survival, irrespective of eGFR. Randomized controlled trials involving patients with kidney dysfunction are needed to confirm whether more aggressive treatment will improve their poor outcome.
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European heart journal · Dec 2008
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyCulotte stenting technique in coronary bifurcation disease: angiographic follow-up using dedicated quantitative coronary angiographic analysis and 12-month clinical outcomes.
Percutaneous treatment of coronary bifurcation disease remains challenging. In patient subsets in which a two-stent strategy is necessary, the culotte technique is a widely used method. We sought to examine the clinical and angiographic outcomes of patients treated in this manner at our institution. As quantitative coronary angiographic analysis using standard measurement programmes is problematic, we used a dedicated bifurcation analysis system. ⋯ The culotte stenting technique is associated with high procedural success and a relatively low risk of angiographic restenosis. Safety results in our cohort were favourable in terms of a low risk of stent thrombosis.
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European heart journal · Aug 2008
Multicenter StudyClinical impact of an inter-hospital transfer strategy in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary angioplasty: the Emilia-Romagna ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction network.
This study sought to evaluate the impact of an inter-hospital transfer strategy on treatment times and in-hospital and 1 year cardiac mortality of patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous intervention (p-PCI) in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, where an efficient region-wide system for reperfusion has been established. ⋯ This study, concerning an established STEMI regional network, suggests that a strategy of inter-hospital transfer for p-PCI, when supported by an organized system of care, may be applied with rapid reperfusion times and favourable short- and long-term clinical outcomes.