Ticagrelor Monotherapy After 3-Month Dual Antiplatelet Therapy in Acute Coronary Syndrome by High Bleeding Risk: The Subanalysis From the TICO Trial

Background and Objectives@#Identifying patients with high bleeding risk (HBR) is important when making decisions for antiplatelet therapy strategy. This study evaluated the impact of ticagrelor monotherapy after 3-month dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) according to HBR in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients treated with drug eluting stents (DESs). @*Methods@#In this post-hoc analysis of the TICO trial, HBR was defined by 2 approaches: meeting Academic Research Consortium for HBR (ARC-HBR) criteria or Predicting Bleeding Complications in Patients Undergoing Stent Implantation and Subsequent DAPT (PRECISEDAPT) score ≥25. The primary outcome was a 3–12 months net adverse clinical event (composite of major bleeding and adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events). @*Results@#Of the 2,980 patients without adverse events during the first 3 months after DES implantation, 453 (15.2%) were HBR by ARC-HBR criteria and 504 (16.9%) were HBR by PRECISE-DAPT score. The primary outcome rate was higher in HBR versus non-HBR patients (by ARC-HBR criteria: hazard ratio [HR], 2.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.76– 4.69; p<0.001; by PRECISE-DAPT score: HR, 3.09; 95% CI, 1.92–4.98; p<0.001). Ticagrelor monotherapy after 3-month DAPT was associated with lower primary outcome rate than ticagrelor-based 12-month DAPT regardless of HBR by ARC-HBR criteria, with similar magnitudes of therapy effect for HBR and non-HBR patients (p-interaction=0.400). Results were consistent by PRECISE-DAPT score (p-interaction=0.178). @*Conclusions@#In ACS patients treated with DESs, ticagrelor monotherapy after 3-month DAPT was associated with lower rate of adverse clinical outcomes regardless of HBR, with similar magnitudes of therapy effect between HBR and non-HBR.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02494895

Clinical Outcomes of Atherectomy Plus Drug-coated Balloon Versus Drugcoated Balloon Alone in the Treatment of Femoropopliteal Artery Disease

Background and Objectives@#Atherectomy as a pretreatment has the potential to improve the outcomes of drug-coated balloon (DCB) treatment by reducing and modifying atherosclerotic plaques. The present study investigated the outcomes of atherectomy plus DCB (A+DCB) compared with DCB alone for the treatment of femoropopliteal artery disease. @*Methods@#A total of 311 patients (348 limbs) underwent endovascular therapy using DCB for native femoropopliteal artery lesions at two endovascular centers. Of these, 82 limbs were treated with A+DCB and 266 limbs with DCB alone. After propensity score matching based on clinical and lesion characteristics, a total of 82 pairs was compared for immediate and mid-term outcomes. @*Results@#For the matched study groups, the lesion length was 172.7±111.2 mm, and severe calcification was observed in 43.3%. The technical success rate was higher in the A+DCB group than in the DCB group (80.5% vs. 62.2%, p=0.015). However, the A+DCB group showed more procedure-related minor complications (37.0% vs. 13.4%, p=0.047). At 2-year follow-up, primary clinical patency (73.8% vs. 82.6%, p=0.158) and the target lesion revascularization (TLR)-free survival (84.3% vs. 88.2%, p=0.261) did not differ between the two groups. In Cox proportional hazard analysis, atherectomy showed no significant impact on the outcome of DCB treatments. @*Conclusions@#The pretreatment with atherectomy improved technical success of DCB treatment; however, it was associated with increased minor complications. In this study, A+DCB showed no clinical benefit in terms of TLR-free survival or clinical patency compared with DCB treatment alone.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement with Minimal Contrast Dye in Patients with Renal Insufficiency

Purpose@#Concerns have been consistently raised in regards to the considerable amount of contrast dye used during transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in patients with renal insufficiency. In the present study, we introduced minimal contrast TAVR and compared its 30-day clinical outcomes with conventional TAVR. @*Materials and Methods@#We retrospectively investigated 369 patients who underwent TAVR between July 2011 and April 2020 in our institute. Among them, 93 patients with severe aortic stenosis and renal insufficiency (estimated glomerular filtration rate ≤50 mL/min/1.73 m2 ) were included and divided into a conventional TAVR group (n=56) and a minimal contrast TAVR group (n=37). In the minimal contrast TAVR group, the total amount of contrast was <10 mL during the entire TAVR procedure. Thirty-day major adverse clinical events (MACE), including death, stroke, implantation of permanent pacemaker, and initiation of hemodialysis, were investigated. @*Results@#The incidence of MACE was significantly lower in the minimal contrast TAVR group than the conventional TAVR group (16.2% vs. 42.9%, p=0.010). Death occurred in 9 patients (16.1%) in the conventional TAVR group and in 0 patients in the minimal contrast group (p=0.011). Hemodialysis was initiated in 2 patients (5.4%) in the minimal contrast TAVR group and in 7 patients (12.5%) in the conventional TAVR group (p=0.256). Multivariate regression analysis showed that the minimal contrast TAVR procedure was an independent predictor for reducing MACE (hazard ratio 0.208, 95% confidence interval: 0.080–0.541, p=0.001). @*Conclusion@#Minimal contrast TAVR is feasible and shows more favorable short-term clinical outcomes than conventional TAVR in patients with renal insufficiency.

Clinical Outcomes of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation for Native Aortic Valves in Patients with Low Coronary Heights

Purpose@#Acute coronary occlusion is a rare but fatal complication that may occur during trans-catheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and appears more frequently in patients with low coronary heights. We evaluated the feasibility of self-expanding valves in patients with low coronary heights undergoing TAVI. @*Materials and Methods@#TAVI for native aortic valve stenosis was conducted in 276 consecutive patients between 2015 and 2019 at our institute. Using multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT), information on the aortic valve, coronary arteries, and vascular anatomy in 269 patients was analyzed. Patients with low coronary heights were defined as those with coronary heights of 10 mm or less during MDCT analysis. @*Results@#Among the 269 patients, 29 (10.8%) patients had coronary arteries with low heights. The mean coronary height was 8.9±1.2 mm in the left coronary artery. These patients with low coronary heights were treated with self-expandable (n=28) or balloon-expandable (n=1) valves. Prophylactic coronary protection with a guidewire, balloon, or stent prepositioned down at-risk coronary arteries was not pursued in all patients. No acute coronary occlusion occurred in any of these patients during TAVI. Five patients (17.9%) died during follow-up (average of 553.8 days), including four from non-cardiogenic causes and one from a cardiogenic (aggravation of heart failure) cause. @*Conclusion@#A considerable number of patients with low coronary heights were observed among TAVI candidates in this study. Use of a self-expandable valve may be feasible for successful TAVI without acute coronary occlusion in patients with low coronary heights.

Comparison of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement between SelfExpanding versus Balloon-Expandable Valves in Patients with Small Aortic Annulus

Background and Objectives@#Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has been reported as a good alternative for surgical aortic valve replacement in patients with small aortic annulus. Head-to-head comparisons of different transcatheter aortic valves in these patients are insufficient. We compared the outcomes after TAVR between two different types of recent transcatheter aortic valves (self-expanding vs. balloon-expandable) in patients with small aortic annulus. @*Methods@#A total of 70 patients with severe aortic stenosis and small annulus (mean diameter ≤23 mm or minimal diameter ≤21 mm on computed tomography) underwent TAVR with either a self-expanding valve with supra-annular location (n=45) or a balloon-expandable valve with intra-annular location (n=25). The echocardiographic hemodynamic parameters after TAVR and 1-year follow-up were compared. @*Results@#Between the self-expanding and balloon-expandable valve-treated patients, the clinical outcomes including permanent pacemaker implantation (11.1% vs. 8.0%), acute kidney injury stage 2 or 3 (4.4% vs. 4.0%), and major vascular complication (4.4% vs. 0.0%) were similar without all-cause mortality, stroke, and life-threatening bleeding during 30-day follow-up. Compared with the balloon-expandable valve-treated patients, the self-expanding valve-treated patients presented larger effective orifice area (EOA) (1.46±0.28 vs. 1.75±0.42 cm2 , p=0.002) and indexed EOA (0.95±0.21 vs. 1.18±0.28 cm2 /m2 , p=0.001), whereas mean aortic valve gradient (11.7±2.9 vs. 8.9±5.2 mmHg, P=0.005) and incidence of ≥moderate prosthesis-patient mismatch (36.0% vs. 8.9%, p=0.009) were lower. These hemodynamic differences were maintained at 1-year follow-up. @*Conclusions@#TAVR with self-expanding valves was associated with superior hemodynamic outcomes compared with balloon-expandable valves in patients with small aortic annulus.

Percutaneous Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion Yields Favorable Neurological Outcomes in Patients with Non-Valvular Atrial Fibrillation

Background and Objectives@#Prior studies have shown that stroke patients treated with percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) for non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) experience better outcomes than similar patients treated with warfarin. We investigated the impact of percutaneous left atrial appendage closure on post-stroke neurological outcomes in NVAF patients, compared with non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC) therapy. @*Methods@#Medical records for 1,427 patients in multiple registries and for 1,792 consecutive patients at 6 Korean hospitals were reviewed with respect to LAAO or NOAC treatment.Stroke severity in patients who experienced ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack after either treatment was assessed with modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scoring at hospital discharge and at 3 and 12 months post-stroke. @*Results@#mRS scores were significantly lower in LAAO patients at 3 (p<0.01) and 12 months (p<0.01) post-stroke, despite no significant differences in scores before the ischemic cerebrovascular event (p=0.22). The occurrences of disabling ischemic stroke in the LAAO and NOAC groups were 36.7% and 44.2% at discharge (p=0.47), 23.3% and 44.2% at 3 months post-stroke (p=0.04), and 13.3% and 43.0% at 12 months post-stroke (p=0.01), respectively.Recovery rates for disabling ischemic stroke at discharge to 12 months post-stroke were significantly higher for LAAO patients (50.0%) than for NOAC patients (5.6%) (p<0.01). @*Conclusions@#Percutaneous LAAO was associated with more favorable neurological outcomes after ischemic cerebrovascular event than NOAC treatment.

An Open-label, Single-arm, Multicenter Feasibility Study Evaluating the Safety of Catheter-based Renal Denervation with DENEX™ in Patients with Uncontrolled Hypertension on Standard Medical Therapy

Background and Objectives@#DENEX™ is a novel renal sympathetic denervation (RDN) system that is equipped with 3 electrodes that deliver radiofrequency energy to the renal nerves along renal arteries. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of RDN with DENEX™ in resistant hypertension. @*Methods@#This was an open-label, single-arm, multicenter, first-in-man pilot study. Between November 2016 and May 2018, a total of 16 patients were enrolled at 4 centers in South Korea. The inclusion criteria were systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥150 mmHg and use of 3 or more antihypertensive medications, including diuretics. The primary objective was the safety outcome of RDN with the DENEX™ system. The secondary objective was efficacy outcome based on changes of office, and 24-hour ambulatory SBP from baseline to 3 months. The patients underwent abdominal computed tomography (CT) or duplex ultrasonogram before and 6 months after RDN. @*Results@#No major adverse events occurred after RDN for 6 month of follow-up period. There was no vascular complication either by CT or duplex ultrasonogram. The office SBP was significantly reduced from 164.6±11.6 mmHg at baseline to 142.0±20.4 mmHg (−24.4±24.4 mmHg, p=0.003) at 3 months. The ambulatory SBP was reduced from 151.44±12.85 mmHg at baseline to 140.0±16.5 mmHg (−13.1±18.9 mmHg, p=0.056) at 3 months. @*Conclusion@#RDN with the DENEX™ system showed a favorable safety profile in resistant hypertension. A significant reduction in office SBP and a borderline reduction in ambulatory SBP were observed.

2021 Korean Society of Myocardial Infarction Expert Consensus Document on Revascularization for Acute Myocardial Infarction

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a fatal manifestation of ischemic heart disease and remains a major public health concern worldwide despite advances in its diagnosis and management. The characteristics of patients with AMI, as well as its disease patterns,have gradually changed over time in Korea, and the outcomes of revascularization have improved dramatically. Several characteristics associated with the revascularization of Korean patients differ from those of patients in other countries. The sophisticated state of AMI revascularization in Korea has led to the need for a Korean expert consensus. The Task Force on Expert Consensus Document of the Korean Society of Myocardial Infarction has comprehensively reviewed the outcomes of large clinical trials and current practical guidelines, as well as studies on Korean patients with AMI. Based on these comprehensive reviews, the members of the task force summarize the major guidelines and recent publications, and propose an expert consensus for revascularization in patients with AMI.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement with Minimal Contrast Dye in Patients with Renal Insufficiency

Purpose@#Concerns have been consistently raised in regards to the considerable amount of contrast dye used during transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in patients with renal insufficiency. In the present study, we introduced minimal contrast TAVR and compared its 30-day clinical outcomes with conventional TAVR. @*Materials and Methods@#We retrospectively investigated 369 patients who underwent TAVR between July 2011 and April 2020 in our institute. Among them, 93 patients with severe aortic stenosis and renal insufficiency (estimated glomerular filtration rate ≤50 mL/min/1.73 m2 ) were included and divided into a conventional TAVR group (n=56) and a minimal contrast TAVR group (n=37). In the minimal contrast TAVR group, the total amount of contrast was <10 mL during the entire TAVR procedure. Thirty-day major adverse clinical events (MACE), including death, stroke, implantation of permanent pacemaker, and initiation of hemodialysis, were investigated. @*Results@#The incidence of MACE was significantly lower in the minimal contrast TAVR group than the conventional TAVR group (16.2% vs. 42.9%, p=0.010). Death occurred in 9 patients (16.1%) in the conventional TAVR group and in 0 patients in the minimal contrast group (p=0.011). Hemodialysis was initiated in 2 patients (5.4%) in the minimal contrast TAVR group and in 7 patients (12.5%) in the conventional TAVR group (p=0.256). Multivariate regression analysis showed that the minimal contrast TAVR procedure was an independent predictor for reducing MACE (hazard ratio 0.208, 95% confidence interval: 0.080–0.541, p=0.001). @*Conclusion@#Minimal contrast TAVR is feasible and shows more favorable short-term clinical outcomes than conventional TAVR in patients with renal insufficiency.

Comparison of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement between SelfExpanding versus Balloon-Expandable Valves in Patients with Small Aortic Annulus

Background and Objectives@#Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has been reported as a good alternative for surgical aortic valve replacement in patients with small aortic annulus. Head-to-head comparisons of different transcatheter aortic valves in these patients are insufficient. We compared the outcomes after TAVR between two different types of recent transcatheter aortic valves (self-expanding vs. balloon-expandable) in patients with small aortic annulus. @*Methods@#A total of 70 patients with severe aortic stenosis and small annulus (mean diameter ≤23 mm or minimal diameter ≤21 mm on computed tomography) underwent TAVR with either a self-expanding valve with supra-annular location (n=45) or a balloon-expandable valve with intra-annular location (n=25). The echocardiographic hemodynamic parameters after TAVR and 1-year follow-up were compared. @*Results@#Between the self-expanding and balloon-expandable valve-treated patients, the clinical outcomes including permanent pacemaker implantation (11.1% vs. 8.0%), acute kidney injury stage 2 or 3 (4.4% vs. 4.0%), and major vascular complication (4.4% vs. 0.0%) were similar without all-cause mortality, stroke, and life-threatening bleeding during 30-day follow-up. Compared with the balloon-expandable valve-treated patients, the self-expanding valve-treated patients presented larger effective orifice area (EOA) (1.46±0.28 vs. 1.75±0.42 cm2 , p=0.002) and indexed EOA (0.95±0.21 vs. 1.18±0.28 cm2 /m2 , p=0.001), whereas mean aortic valve gradient (11.7±2.9 vs. 8.9±5.2 mmHg, P=0.005) and incidence of ≥moderate prosthesis-patient mismatch (36.0% vs. 8.9%, p=0.009) were lower. These hemodynamic differences were maintained at 1-year follow-up. @*Conclusions@#TAVR with self-expanding valves was associated with superior hemodynamic outcomes compared with balloon-expandable valves in patients with small aortic annulus.

Percutaneous Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion Yields Favorable Neurological Outcomes in Patients with Non-Valvular Atrial Fibrillation

Background and Objectives@#Prior studies have shown that stroke patients treated with percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) for non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) experience better outcomes than similar patients treated with warfarin. We investigated the impact of percutaneous left atrial appendage closure on post-stroke neurological outcomes in NVAF patients, compared with non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC) therapy. @*Methods@#Medical records for 1,427 patients in multiple registries and for 1,792 consecutive patients at 6 Korean hospitals were reviewed with respect to LAAO or NOAC treatment.Stroke severity in patients who experienced ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack after either treatment was assessed with modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scoring at hospital discharge and at 3 and 12 months post-stroke. @*Results@#mRS scores were significantly lower in LAAO patients at 3 (p<0.01) and 12 months (p<0.01) post-stroke, despite no significant differences in scores before the ischemic cerebrovascular event (p=0.22). The occurrences of disabling ischemic stroke in the LAAO and NOAC groups were 36.7% and 44.2% at discharge (p=0.47), 23.3% and 44.2% at 3 months post-stroke (p=0.04), and 13.3% and 43.0% at 12 months post-stroke (p=0.01), respectively.Recovery rates for disabling ischemic stroke at discharge to 12 months post-stroke were significantly higher for LAAO patients (50.0%) than for NOAC patients (5.6%) (p<0.01). @*Conclusions@#Percutaneous LAAO was associated with more favorable neurological outcomes after ischemic cerebrovascular event than NOAC treatment.

An Open-label, Single-arm, Multicenter Feasibility Study Evaluating the Safety of Catheter-based Renal Denervation with DENEX™ in Patients with Uncontrolled Hypertension on Standard Medical Therapy

Background and Objectives@#DENEX™ is a novel renal sympathetic denervation (RDN) system that is equipped with 3 electrodes that deliver radiofrequency energy to the renal nerves along renal arteries. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of RDN with DENEX™ in resistant hypertension. @*Methods@#This was an open-label, single-arm, multicenter, first-in-man pilot study. Between November 2016 and May 2018, a total of 16 patients were enrolled at 4 centers in South Korea. The inclusion criteria were systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥150 mmHg and use of 3 or more antihypertensive medications, including diuretics. The primary objective was the safety outcome of RDN with the DENEX™ system. The secondary objective was efficacy outcome based on changes of office, and 24-hour ambulatory SBP from baseline to 3 months. The patients underwent abdominal computed tomography (CT) or duplex ultrasonogram before and 6 months after RDN. @*Results@#No major adverse events occurred after RDN for 6 month of follow-up period. There was no vascular complication either by CT or duplex ultrasonogram. The office SBP was significantly reduced from 164.6±11.6 mmHg at baseline to 142.0±20.4 mmHg (−24.4±24.4 mmHg, p=0.003) at 3 months. The ambulatory SBP was reduced from 151.44±12.85 mmHg at baseline to 140.0±16.5 mmHg (−13.1±18.9 mmHg, p=0.056) at 3 months. @*Conclusion@#RDN with the DENEX™ system showed a favorable safety profile in resistant hypertension. A significant reduction in office SBP and a borderline reduction in ambulatory SBP were observed.

2021 Korean Society of Myocardial Infarction Expert Consensus Document on Revascularization for Acute Myocardial Infarction

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a fatal manifestation of ischemic heart disease and remains a major public health concern worldwide despite advances in its diagnosis and management. The characteristics of patients with AMI, as well as its disease patterns,have gradually changed over time in Korea, and the outcomes of revascularization have improved dramatically. Several characteristics associated with the revascularization of Korean patients differ from those of patients in other countries. The sophisticated state of AMI revascularization in Korea has led to the need for a Korean expert consensus. The Task Force on Expert Consensus Document of the Korean Society of Myocardial Infarction has comprehensively reviewed the outcomes of large clinical trials and current practical guidelines, as well as studies on Korean patients with AMI. Based on these comprehensive reviews, the members of the task force summarize the major guidelines and recent publications, and propose an expert consensus for revascularization in patients with AMI.

Clinical Implications of Thrombocytopenia at Cardiogenic Shock Presentation: Data from a Multicenter Registry

Purpose@#Thrombocytopenia (platelet count <150×103 /μL) is associated with poor outcomes in various critical illness settings. However, the prognostic value of platelet count in patients with cardiogenic shock (CS) remains unclear. @*Materials and Methods@#We enrolled 1202 patients between January 2014 and December 2018 from a multicenter retrospective– prospective cohort registry of CS. Clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes were compared between the patients with and without thrombocytopenia. @*Results@#At presentation with CS, 244 (20.3%) patients had thrombocytopenia. The patients with thrombocytopenia had lower blood pressure, hemoglobin level, and worse liver and renal functions compared to the patients without. During hospitalization, the patients with thrombocytopenia had more frequent gastrointestinal bleeding (10.5% vs. 3.8%, p=0.009), sepsis (8.3% vs. 2.6%, p=0.013), requirement of renal replacement therapy (36.5% vs. 18.9%, p<0.001), requirement of mechanical ventilation (65.2% vs.54.4%, p=0.003), longer intensive care unit stay (8 days vs. 4 days, p<0.001), and thirty-day mortality (40.2% vs. 28.5%, p<0.001) compared to those without. In addition, the platelet count was an independent predictor of 30-day mortality (per 103 /µL decrease; adjusted hazard ratio: 1.002, 95% confidence interval: 1.000–1.003, p=0.021). @*Conclusion@#Thrombocytopenia at CS presentation was associated with worse clinical findings, higher frequencies of complications, and longer stay at the intensive care unit. Also, thrombocytopenia was independently associated with increased 30-day mortality.(Clinical trial registration No. NCT02985008).

Determinants and Clinical Outcomes of Extended Dual Antiplatelet Therapy over 3 Years after Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation: A Retrospective Analysis

Purpose@#Although current guidelines recommend the administration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) for up to 12 months after the implantation of a drug-eluting stent (DES), extended DAPT is frequently used in real-world practice. @*Materials and Methods@#From the Korean Multicenter Angioplasty Team registry, we identified a total of 1414 patients who used DAPT for >3 years after DES implantation (extended-DAPT group) and conducted a landmark analysis at 36 months after the index procedure. We evaluated the determinants for and long-term outcomes of extended DAPT and compared the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), defined as the composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, and stroke, between the extended-DAPT group and the guideline-DAPT group [DAPT <1 year after DES implantation (n=1273)]. @*Results@#Multivariate analysis indicated the occurrence of acute coronary syndrome as the most significant clinical determinant of the use of extended DAPT. Bifurcation, stent diameter ≤3.0 mm, total stented length ≥28 mm, and use of first-generation DESs were also significant angiographic and procedural determinants. MACCE rates were similar between the extended-DAPT group and the guideline-DAPT group in crude analysis [hazard ratio (HR), 1.08; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.69–1.68; p=0.739] and after propensity matching (HR, 1.22; 95% CI, 0.72–2.07; p=0.453). Major bleeding rates were comparable between the two groups. @*Conclusion@#In patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, indefinite use of DAPT does not show superior outcomes to those of guideline-DAPT. Major bleeding rates are also similar.

Long-term Clinical Outcomes of DrugEluting Stent Malapposition

Previous pathologic, intravascular imaging, and clinical studies have investigated the association between adverse cardiac events and stent malapposition, including acute stent malapposition (ASM, that is detected at index procedure) and late stent malapposition (LSM, that is detected during follow-up) that can be further classified into late-persistent stent malapposition (LPSM, ASM that remains at follow-up) or late-acquired stent malapposition (LASM, newly developed stent malapposition at follow-up that was not present immediately after index stent implantation). ASM has not been associated with adverse cardiac events compared with non-ASM, even in lesions with large-sized malapposition. The clinical outcomes of LSM may depend on its subtype. The recent intravascular ultrasound studies with long-term follow-up have consistently demonstrated that LASM steadily increased the risk of thrombotic events in patients with first-generation drug-eluting stents (DESs). This association has not yet been identified in LPSM. Accordingly, it is reasonable that approaches to stent malapposition should be based on its relationship with clinical outcomes. ASM may be tolerable after successful stent implantation, whereas prolonged anti-thrombotic medications and/or percutaneous interventions to modify LASM may be considered in selected patients with first-generation DESs. However, these treatments are still questionable due to lack of firm evidences.

2020 Korean Society of Myocardial Infarction Expert Consensus Document on Pharmacotherapy for Acute Myocardial Infarction

Clinical practice guidelines published by the European Society of Cardiology and the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association summarize the available evidence and provide recommendations for health professionals to enable appropriate clinical decisions and improve clinical outcomes for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, most current guidelines are based on studies in non-Asian populations in the pre-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) era. The Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry is the first nationwide registry to document many aspects of AMI from baseline characteristics to treatment strategies. There are well-organized ongoing and published randomized control trials especially for antiplatelet therapy among Korean patients with AMI. Here, members of the Task Force of the Korean Society of Myocardial Infarction review recent published studies during the current PCI era, and have summarized the expert consensus for the pharmacotherapy of AMI.

Mitochondrial Quality Control in the Heart: New Drug Targets for Cardiovascular Disease

Despite considerable efforts to prevent and treat cardiovascular disease (CVD), it has become the leading cause of death worldwide. Cardiac mitochondria are crucial cell organelles responsible for creating energy-rich ATP and mitochondrial dysfunction is the root cause for developing heart failure. Therefore, maintenance of mitochondrial quality control (MQC) is an essential process for cardiovascular homeostasis and cardiac health. In this review, we describe the major mechanisms of MQC system, such as mitochondrial unfolded protein response and mitophagy. Moreover, we describe the results of MQC failure in cardiac mitochondria. Furthermore, we discuss the prospects of 2 drug candidates, urolithin A and spermidine, for restoring mitochondrial homeostasis to treat CVD.

Mitochondrial Quality Control in the Heart: New Drug Targets for Cardiovascular Disease

Despite considerable efforts to prevent and treat cardiovascular disease (CVD), it has become the leading cause of death worldwide. Cardiac mitochondria are crucial cell organelles responsible for creating energy-rich ATP and mitochondrial dysfunction is the root cause for developing heart failure. Therefore, maintenance of mitochondrial quality control (MQC) is an essential process for cardiovascular homeostasis and cardiac health. In this review, we describe the major mechanisms of MQC system, such as mitochondrial unfolded protein response and mitophagy. Moreover, we describe the results of MQC failure in cardiac mitochondria. Furthermore, we discuss the prospects of 2 drug candidates, urolithin A and spermidine, for restoring mitochondrial homeostasis to treat CVD.

Coronary Artery Aneurysm after Second-Generation Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation

PURPOSE: We evaluated the incidence, predictors, and prognosis of coronary artery aneurysm (CAA) after second-generation drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 976 consecutive patients (1245 lesions) who underwent follow-up angiography after second-generation DES implantation were analyzed. Incidence and predictors of CAA were assessed, and clinical prognosis was compared with 34 cases of CAA after first-generation DES implantation using previous CAA registry data. RESULTS: All 10 cases of CAA (0.80% per lesion) in 10 patients (1.02% per patient) were detected at follow up. Compared to lesions without CAA, those with CAA had greater involvement of the proximal segment (90% vs. 51%, p=0.014), a higher proportion of pre-intervention, a Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction score of 0 or 1 flow (80% vs. 16%, p<0.001), more chronic total occlusions (40% vs. 10%, p<0.001), and longer implanted stents (41.9±23.2 mm vs. 28.8±14.8 mm, p=0.006). As for CAA morphology, instances of CAA after second-generation DES were predominantly the single fusiform type (90%), whereas instances of CAA after first-generation DES were multiple saccular (47%) and single saccular (35%) types (p<0.001). Myocardial infarction with stent thrombosis occurred in 5 patients with CAA after first-generation DES (15%), and no adverse events were observed in patients with CAA after second-generation DES over a median follow-up duration of 4.3 years (p=0.047, log-rank). CONCLUSION: Although CAAs after second-generation DES implantation were detected at a similar incidence to that for CAAs after first-generation DES implantation, second-generation DES-related CAAs had different morphologies and more benign clinical outcomes versus first-generation DES-related CAAs.