Cardiology

Safder, T. (2018). “The Name of the Dog.” N Engl J Med 379(14): 1299-1301.

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It was July 1, my first day of residency, and a queasy feeling lodged in my stomach as I donned my new white coat. It was different from the previous ones I’d worn — not just longer, but heavier. I was carrying in my pockets everything I thought I needed as a freshly minted doctor: my three favorite pens, a glossy Littmann Cardiology III stethoscope, copies of studies related to my patient with cirrhosis, and of course my trusty purple Sabatine’s Pocket Medicine. Before the day was over, my bodily-fluid–covered white coat would have made a fitting prop for a CSI episode, my attending physician wasn’t nearly as impressed as I’d hoped with the studies I waved in front of her, and worst of all, I had lost all three of my pens. But with the aid of my pockets, I’d gotten through. I’d played my part reasonably well most of the day, but the moment when my attending had brought me up short with a question kept replaying in my mind. During morning rounds, I had presented a patient who was admitted for chest pain after walking his dog. My attending had asked, “What was the name of his dog?” (Excerpt from text of this commentary, p. 1299-1300; no abstract available.)

Stone, G. W., J. Lindenfeld, W. T. Abraham, S. Kar, D. S. Lim, J. M. Mishell, B. Whisenant, P. A. Grayburn, M. Rinaldi, S. R. Kapadia, V. Rajagopal, I. J. Sarembock, A. Brieke, S. O. Marx, D. J. Cohen, N. J. Weissman and M. J. Mack (2018). “Transcatheter Mitral-Valve Repair in Patients with Heart Failure.” N Engl J Med Sep 23. [Epub ahead of print].

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BACKGROUND: Among patients with heart failure who have mitral regurgitation due to left ventricular dysfunction, the prognosis is poor. Transcatheter mitral-valve repair may improve their clinical outcomes. METHODS: At 78 sites in the United States and Canada, we enrolled patients with heart failure and moderate-to-severe or severe secondary mitral regurgitation who remained symptomatic despite the use of maximal doses of guideline-directed medical therapy. Patients were randomly assigned to transcatheter mitral-valve repair plus medical therapy (device group) or medical therapy alone (control group). The primary effectiveness end point was all hospitalizations for heart failure within 24 months of follow-up. The primary safety end point was freedom from device-related complications at 12 months; the rate for this end point was compared with a prespecified objective performance goal of 88.0%. RESULTS: Of the 614 patients who were enrolled in the trial, 302 were assigned to the device group and 312 to the control group. The annualized rate of all hospitalizations for heart failure within 24 months was 35.8% per patient-year in the device group as compared with 67.9% per patient-year in the control group (hazard ratio, 0.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.40 to 0.70; P<0.001). The rate of freedom from device-related complications at 12 months was 96.6% (lower 95% confidence limit, 94.8%; P<0.001 for comparison with the performance goal). Death from any cause within 24 months occurred in 29.1% of the patients in the device group as compared with 46.1% in the control group (hazard ratio, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.46 to 0.82; P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with heart failure and moderate-to-severe or severe secondary mitral regurgitation who remained symptomatic despite the use of maximal doses of guideline-directed medical therapy, transcatheter mitral-valve repair resulted in a lower rate of hospitalization for heart failure and lower all-cause mortality within 24 months of follow-up than medical therapy alone. The rate of freedom from device-related complications exceeded a prespecified safety threshold. (Funded by Abbott; COAPT ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01626079.)

Stone, G. W., S. G. Ellis, T. Gori, D. C. Metzger, B. Stein, M. Erickson, J. Torzewski, J. Williams, Jr., W. Lawson, T. M. Broderick, A. Kabour, G. Piegari, J. Cavendish, B. Bertolet, J. W. Choi, S. O. Marx, P. Genereux and D. J. Kereiakes (2018). “Blinded outcomes and angina assessment of coronary bioresorbable scaffolds: 30-day and 1-year results from the ABSORB IV randomised trial.” Lancet Sep 24. [Epub ahead of print].

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BACKGROUND: Previous studies showed more adverse events with coronary bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS) than with metallic drug-eluting stents (DES), although in one randomised trial angina was reduced with BVS. However, these early studies were unmasked, lesions smaller than intended for the scaffold were frequently enrolled, implantation technique was suboptimal, and patients with myocardial infarction, in whom BVS might be well suited, were excluded. METHODS: In the active-controlled, blinded, multicentre, randomised ABSORB IV trial, patients with stable coronary artery disease or acute coronary syndromes aged 18 years or older were recruited from 147 hospitals in five countries (the USA, Germany, Australia, Singapore, and Canada). Enrolled patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive polymeric everolimus-eluting BVS (Absorb; Abbott Vascular, Santa Clara, CA, USA) with optimised implantation technique or cobalt-chromium everolimus-eluting stents (EES; Xience; Abbott Vascular, Santa Clara, CA, USA). Randomisation was stratified by diabetic status, whether patients would have been eligible for enrolment in the previous ABSORB III trial, and site. Patients and clinical assessors were masked to randomisation. The primary endpoint was target lesion failure (cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction, or ischaemia-driven target lesion revascularisation) at 30 days, tested for non-inferiority with a 2.9% margin for the risk difference. Analysis was by intention to treat. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02173379, and is closed to accrual. FINDINGS: Between Aug 15, 2014, and March 31, 2017, we screened 18 722 patients for eligibility, 2604 of whom were enrolled. 1296 patients were assigned to BVS, and 1308 patients were assigned to EES. Follow-up data at 30 days and 1 year, respectively, were available for 1288 and 1254 patients with BVS and for 1303 and 1272 patients with EES. Biomarker-positive acute coronary syndromes were present in 622 (24%) of 2602 patients, and, by angiographic core laboratory analysis, 78 (3%) of 2893 of lesions were in very small vessels. Target lesion failure at 30 days occurred in 64 (5.0%) patients assigned to BVS and 48 (3.7%) patients assigned to EES (difference 1.3%, upper 97.5% confidence limit 2.89; one-sided pnon-inferiority=0.0244). Target lesion failure at 1 year occurred in 98 (7.8%) patients assigned to BVS and 82 (6.4%) patients assigned to EES (difference 1.4%, upper 97.5% confidence limit 3.4; one-sided pnon-inferiority=0.0006). Angina, adjudicated by a central events committee at 1 year, occurred in 270 (20.3%) patients assigned to BVS and 274 (20.5%) patients assigned to EES (difference -0.3%, 95% CI -3.4% to 2.9%; one-sided pnon-inferiority=0.0008; two-sided psuperiority=0.8603). Device thrombosis within 1 year occurred in nine (0.7%) patients assigned to BVS and four (0.3%) patients assigned to EES (p=0.1586). INTERPRETATION: Polymeric BVS implanted with optimised technique in an expanded patient population resulted in non-inferior 30-day and 1-year rates of target lesion failure and angina compared with metallic DES. FUNDING: Abbott Vascular.

Yarlagadda, B., T. Deneke, M. Turagam, T. Dar, S. Paleti, V. Parikh, L. DiBiase, P. Halfbass, P. Santangeli, S. Mahapatra, J. Cheng, A. Russo, J. Edgerton, M. Mansour, J. Ruskin, S. Dukkipati, D. Wilber, V. Reddy, D. Packer, A. Natale and D. Lakkireddy (2018). “Temporal Relationships between Esophageal Injury Type and Progression in Patients Undergoing Atrial Fibrillation Catheter Ablation.” Heart Rhythm Sep 28. [Epub ahead of print].

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BACKGROUND: Currently very little is known about the onset, natural progression and management of esophageal injuries after atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. OBJECTIVES: We sought to provide a systematic review on esophageal injury after AF ablation and identify temporal relationships between various types of esophageal lesions, their progression and outcomes. METHODS: A comprehensive search of PubMed and Web of science was conducted until September 21st, 2017. All AF ablation patients who underwent upper gastro-intestinal endoscopy within 1 week of the procedure were included. Patients with esophageal lesions were reclassified into 3 types using our novel Kansas City Classification. (Type 1: Erythema; Type 2a: Superficial ulcers; Type 2b: Deep ulcers; Type 3a: perforation without communication with the atria; Type 3b: perforation with Atrio-esophageal fistula). RESULTS: Thirty studies met our inclusion criteria. Of the 4,473 patients, 3921 underwent upper GI evaluation. The overall incidence of esophageal injuries was 15%. There were 206 (36%) type 1, 222 (39%) type 2a and 142 (25 %) type 2b lesions. Six type 2b lesions (6/142, 4.2%) progressed further to type 3, of which, 5 were type 3a and 1 was type 3b. All type 1, type 2a and most type 2b lesions resolved with conservative management. One type 3a and one 3b lesions were fatal. CONCLUSION: Based on our classification, all type 1 and most type 2 lesions resolved with conservative management. A small percentage (6/142, 4.2%) of type 2b lesions progressed to perforation and/or fistula formation and these patients need to be followed closely.

Tajti, P., M. N. Burke, D. Karmpaliotis, K. Alaswad, F. A. Jaffer, R. W. Yeh, M. Patel, E. Mahmud, J. W. Choi, A. H. Doing, P. Datilo, C. Toma, A. J. C. Smith, B. Uretsky, E. Holper, S. Garcia, O. Krestyaninov, D. Khelimskii, M. Koutouzis, I. Tsiafoutis, J. W. Moses, N. J. Lembo, M. Parikh, A. J. Kirtane, Z. A. Ali, D. Doshi, W. Jaber, H. Samady, B. V. Rangan, I. Xenogiannis, I. Ungi, S. Banerjee and E. S. Brilakis (2018). “Prevalence and Outcomes of Percutaneous Coronary Interventions for Ostial Chronic Total Occlusions: Insights From a Multicenter Chronic Total Occlusion Registry.” Can J Cardiol 34(10): 1264-1274.

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BACKGROUND: Ostial chronic total occlusions (CTOs) can be challenging to recanalize. METHODS: We sought to examine the prevalence, angiographic presentation, and procedural outcomes of ostial (side-branch ostial and aorto-ostial) CTOs among 1000 CTO percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) performed in 971 patients between 2015 and 2017 at 14 centres in the US, Europe, and Russia. RESULTS: Ostial CTOs represented 16.9% of all CTO PCIs: 9.6% were aorto-ostial, and 7.3% were side-branch ostial occlusions. Compared with nonostial CTOs, ostial CTOs were longer (44 +/- 33 vs 29 +/- 19 mm, P < 0.001) and more likely to have proximal-cap ambiguity (55% vs 33%, P < 0.001), moderate/severe calcification (67% vs 45%, P < 0.001), a diffusely diseased distal vessel (41% vs 26%, P < 0.001), interventional collaterals (64% vs 53%, P = 0.012), and previous coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) (51% vs 27%, P < 0.001). The retrograde approach was used more often in ostial CTOs (54% vs 29%, P < 0.001) and was more often the final successful crossing strategy (30% vs 18%, P = 0.003). Technical (81% vs 84%, P = 0.280), and procedural (77% vs 83%, P = 0.112) success rates and the incidence of in-hospital major complication were similar (4.8% vs 2.2%, P = 0.108), yet in-hospital mortality (3.0% vs 0.5%, P = 0.010) and stroke (1.2% vs 0.0%, P = 0.030) were higher in the ostial CTO PCI group. In multivariable analysis, ostial CTO location was not independently associated with higher risk for in-hospital major complications (adjusted odds ratio 1.27, 95% confidence intervals 0.37 to 4.51, P = 0.694). CONCLUSIONS: Ostial CTOs can be recanalized with similar rates of success as nonostial CTOs but are more complex, more likely to require retrograde crossing and may be associated with numerically higher risk for major in-hospital complications.