Clinical Outcomes of Direct Oral Anticoagulants and Warfarin in Japanese Patients with Atrial Fibrillation Aged ≥ 85 Years: A Single-Center Observational Study

Background

Increasing age is associated with an increase in stroke in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Elderly patients have several comorbidities and increased bleeding risk.

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of Japanese patients with NVAF aged ≥ 85 years who were treated with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) or warfarin.

Methods

We retrospectively studied the records of 358 patients with NVAF aged ≥ 85 years who had taken DOACs or warfarin between 2014 and 2018. The primary endpoints were the first occurrences of thromboembolic and bleeding events and death. The secondary endpoint was the discontinuation of oral anticoagulation (OAC) therapy.

Results

During a median follow-up period of 17 months, 24 patients died. The incidence (per 100 patient-years [PY]) of thromboembolic events was 1.8 in patients treated with DOACs and 2.2 in those treated with warfarin (adjusted subdistribution hazard ratio [SHR] 0.69; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.23–2.12 in a competing model), and the incidence of major bleeding events was 3.1 and 4.2 in patients treated with DOACs and warfarin, respectively (adjusted SHR 0.95; 95% CI 0.32–2.86). The most common cause of bleeding events was gastrointestinal bleeding. A total of 33 patients permanently discontinued OAC therapy, at a median age of 89 years and with no differences between DOACs and warfarin. The most common reason for discontinuing OAC therapy was bleeding events.

Conclusion

Our results revealed that the incidences of thromboembolism and major bleeding among patients with NVAF aged ≥ 85 years were similar for those treated with DOACs and those treated with warfarin. Approximately 10% of patients permanently discontinued OAC therapy.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1007/s40801-020-00209-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Effect of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation on Renal Function in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) theoretically increases cardiac output and renal blood flow, and renal function (RF) recovers in patients with severe aortic valve stenosis (AS). However, procedural steps of TAVI including contrast use potentially damage RF. Data describing RF improvements after TAVI in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are lacking. We aimed to determine preoperative predictors of RF improvement after TAVI in severe AS patients with CKD. This observational study included 121 consecutive patients with severe AS and CKD (grade ≥3) who underwent TAVI. The patients were grouped according to their RF improvement after TAVI that was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) increase ≥10% at discharge from their preoperative level. Sixty-five patients' (54%) RF improved after TAVI. Patients with lower preoperative eGFR tended to achieve greater eGFR increases after TAVI (r = -0.17, p = 0.059). After adjustments for the factors that were significant in the univariate analysis, the preoperative mean transaortic pressure gradient (TAPG) (adjusted odds ratio, 1.03; 95% confidence interval, 1.00 to 1.07) and E/e' (adjusted odds ratio, 0.93; 95% confidence interval, 0.88 to 0.99) independently predicted RF improvement. The cut-off values for the preoperative mean TAPG and E/e' for an RF improvement after TAVI were 47.0 mm Hg and 13.8, respectively. In conclusion, preoperatively, a high mean TAPG and a low E/e' could predict RF improvement after TAVI in patients with CKD.

The Effects of Lipid-Lowering Therapy on Serum Eicosapentaenoic Acid to Arachidonic Acid Ratio: An HIJ-PROPER Sub-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Controversy remains regarding the influence of lipid-lowering therapy on the eicosapentaenoic acid/arachidonic acid ratio.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to clarify the effects of lipid-lowering therapy on the eicosapentaenoic acid/arachidonic acid ratio in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

METHODS

This was a post hoc sub-analysis of the Heart Institute of Japan-PRoper level of lipid-lowering with pitavastatin and ezetimibe in ACS study. We compared the eicosapentaenoic acid/arachidonic acid ratio changes from baseline to the 3-month follow-up after contemporary lipid-lowering therapy with pitavastatin + ezetimibe therapy and pitavastatin mono-therapy.

RESULTS

Among patients with ACS and dyslipidemia, the eicosapentaenoic acid/arachidonic acid increased significantly in the pitavastatin mono-therapy group (0.40 ± 0.26 to 0.46 ± 0.34, P < .0001) but did not increase in the pitavastatin + ezetimibe group (0.37 ± 0.22 to 0.38 ± 0.27, P = .18). When the analysis was limited to patients who received 2 mg/day of pitavastatin during the follow-up period, these trends in changes of the eicosapentaenoic acid/arachidonic acid ratio remained unchanged. Multivariate analysis showed that ezetimibe use (P = .005; β = 0.09), ST-elevation myocardial infarction (P = .04; β = -0.01), and baseline low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level (P = .0003; β = 0.12) were independent predictors of the percentage change in the eicosapentaenoic acid/arachidonic acid ratio. These trends were similar even when the analysis was limited to patients who did not take statins at enrollment.

CONCLUSION

Standard lipid-lowering therapy with pitavastatin mono-therapy improved the eicosapentaenoic acid/arachidonic acid ratio for patients with ACS. Intensive lipid-lowering therapy with pitavastatin + ezetimibe did not improve the eicosapentaenoic acid/arachidonic acid ratio, although LDL-C decreased significantly. Inhibition of the improvement in the eicosapentaenoic acid/arachidonic acid ratio by adding ezetimibe may affect cardiovascular disease prognosis.

Right atrial conduction time for predicting coexistent typical atrial flutter in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation

INTRODUCTION

Screening of coexistent typical atrial flutter (AFL) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) is sometimes challenging. This study investigated whether a prolonged right atrial conduction time (RACT) estimated by tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) predicts patients with concomitant AFL and AF.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We retrospectively analyzed 398 patients (mean age: 61.6 years, 73.4% men) undergoing catheter ablation of paroxysmal AF. The patients were classified into two groups according to whether they had evidence of AFL (N = 122, 30.7%) determined by a clinical observation (N = 68), induction during procedures (N = 33), or AFL recurrence after procedures (N = 21) or not (N = 276, 69.3%). The preoperative RACT, defined as a longer duration between the onset of the P-wave and peak A'-wave on the right atrial lateral wall or septal wall, and total atrial conduction time (TACT), defined as the same time duration on the left atrial lateral wall, were evaluated in all patients. Patients with evidence of AFL had a significantly longer RACT than those without AFL (p < .001). A multiple logistic regression and receiver operator characteristics curve analysis revealed the ratio of the RACT and TACT (RACT/TACT) was the independent and most superior accurate cofounder for predicting evidence of AFL (area under the curve: 0.867). When adding a discriminator of an RACT/TACT ≧ 93% into the conventional screening, 98.4% of the patients with evidence of AFL were estimated to be treated during the initial procedures.

CONCLUSION

The estimated RACT/TACT using the TDI may be useful for predicting patients with concomitant AFL in patients with AF.

Histological features of endomyocardial biopsies in patients undergoing hemodialysis: Comparison with dilated cardiomyopathy and hypertensive heart disease

BACKGROUND

Heart failure is a frequently occurring complication in patients on maintenance hemodialysis (HD). However, the histological features of right ventricular endomyocardial biopsy (RVEMB) samples remain unclear.

METHODS

The clinical characteristics and histological findings of consecutive patients undergoing HD with available RVEMB samples (HD group; n=28) were retrospectively compared with those of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (n=56) and hypertensive heart disease (n=15).

RESULTS

The mean myocyte diameter was significantly larger in the HD group than in the other groups (P<.001), whereas the mean percent area of fibrosis did not differ among the three groups. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the capillary density was significantly lower in the HD group compared with the other groups (P<.001), and it was positively associated with left ventricular ejection fraction (P=.014). The number of CD68-positive macrophages, which was significantly higher in the HD group compared with the other two groups (P<.001), was associated with cardiovascular mortality (P=.020; log-rank test).

CONCLUSIONS

Myocyte hypertrophy, macrophage infiltration, and reduced capillary density were characteristic histological features of the RVEMB samples in patients undergoing HD, which may be related to the pathogenesis of cardiac dysfunction.

Heart-derived fibroblasts express LYPD-1 and negatively regulate angiogenesis in rat

Angiogenesis is regulated by a balance between promoting and inhibitory mechanisms. Although angiogenesis-promoting mechanisms have been well studied in ischemic heart diseases, angiogenesis-inhibitory mechanisms have not. Recently, we identified LYPD-1 as a novel anti-angiogenic factor derived from human heart-derived fibroblasts, which suppresses endothelial cell network formation in co-culture. However, it remains unclear whether the low angiogenicity of heart-derived fibroblasts with high expression of LYPD-1 is also observed in other mammalian species, and the properties of LYPD-1 under normal and pathological conditions remain elusive. Fibroblasts isolated from neonatal and adult rat heart also express LYPD-1 and inhibit endothelial network formation in co-culture. Moreover, immunohistochemical analysis revealed that LYPD-1 was predominantly observed in the interstitial tissues of rat heart and LYPD1 expression levels were identical from late developmental period to adult. Conversely, LYPD-1 mRNA expression was significantly downregulated temporally in myocardial infarction model rats, suggesting that angiogenesis-inhibitory mechanisms might not be sufficiently suppressed to promote angiogenesis in ischemic heart diseases. These findings suggest that heart has relatively low angiogenicity compared with other organs via the high expression of LYPD-1 by fibroblasts. Moreover, understanding the regulatory mechanisms of LYPD-1-mediated inhibition of angiogenesis might lead a novel angiogenic therapy for ischemic heart diseases and contribute to development of bioengineered cardiac tissue.

P450The difference in the prognosis among three categories of the post-procedural left ventricular ejection fraction in patients undergoing atrial fibrillation ablation

Funding Acknowledgements

None

Background

Atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation has been known to contribute to a good prognosis in heart failure patients and improve their systolic function. However, the impact of the post-procedural systolic function on the prognosis in them remains unclear. 

Purpose

To investigate the impact of the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) following AF ablation in patients with systolic dysfunction. 

Methods

Out of 1078 consecutive patients who underwent AF ablation including extensive pulmonary vein and superior vena cava isolation, 170 with an impaired pre-procedural LVEF (&lt; 50%) were evaluated. They experienced at least one echocardiographic follow-up within one year after the index procedure. The primary outcome was the composite of all-cause death or heart failure hospitalisations (HFHs). In addition, we categorised the patients into three groups according to the post-procedural LVEF within one year to evaluate the outcome: reduced LVEF (rEF, LVEF &lt; 40%), mid-range EF (mrEF, 40% ≤ LVEF &lt; 50%) and preserved LVEF (pEF, LVEF &gt; 50%). 

Results

After the index procedure, the patients’ LVEF improved with an average increase of 8%, and the post-procedural LVEF consisted of an rEF in 27 (16%), mrEF in 41 (24%), and pEF in 102 (60%) patients. During a median follow-up of 31 months, a total of 22 (13%) patients experienced the composite outcome, including 18 (11%) HFHs and 10 (6%) all-cause deaths (5 with cardiac issues, 2 any malignancies, and 3 other issues). In the Kaplan-Meier analysis using a Bonferroni correction, there was a significant difference in achieving the outcome between the rEF and mrEF, and rEF and pEF, but not between the mrEF and pEF groups (Figure). In a univariate analysis, the hazard ratio of the outcome was shown as follows: an age ≥ 65 years (hazard ratio, HR: 3.4 [95% confidence interval, CI: 1.4–8.5], p = 0.006), history of HFHs for AF (HR: 1.7 [95%CI: 0.7–4.0], p = 0.25), known underlying heart disease (HR: 1.9 [95%CI: 0.8–1.2], p = 0.13), pre-procedural LVEF &lt; 40% (HR: 3.1 [95%CI: 1.3–7.5], p = 0.009), atrial tachyarrhythmia recurrence (HR: 3.0 [95%CI: 1.2–7.8], p = 0.01), and the post-procedural LVEF category (mrEF and rEF, compared with pEF) (HR: 2.0 [95%CI: 0.4–7.7], p = 0.34; and HR: 8.6 [95%CI: 2.7–37.5], p &lt; 0.0001). Furthermore, in a multivariate analysis, patients with a rEF was the sole independent predictor of the composite outcome after adjusting for confounders including an age≥65 years and pre-procedural LVEF &lt; 40% (HR: 12.0 [95%CI: 3.9–40.0], p &lt; 0.0001), whereas those with a mrEF was not (HR: 1.8 [95%CI: 0.4–7.3], p = 0.42), as compared to those with a pEF. 

Conclusions

Patients with a mrEF had a comparable prognosis to those with a pEF in a relatively long follow-up, while those with a rEF had the poorest outcome of the three categories, regardless of the pre-procedural LVEF severity.

Abstract Figure. The difference in the rate of outcome

B-type natriuretic peptide and outcome in patients with apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

BACKGROUND

Although elevated B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels predict outcome in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), the association between BNP levels and outcome in patients with the apical phenotype of HCM remains unclear. We evaluated the impact of elevated BNP levels on outcome in a cohort of apical HCM patients.

METHODS

Among 432 HCM patients, 144 with an apical phenotype were examined. Plasma BNP levels were measured at the time of the initial evaluation.

RESULTS

The median (interquartile range) BNP level at initial evaluation in these patients was 188.5 (72.0-334.4) pg/mL. During a median follow-up period of 9.5 years, 34 patients experienced HCM-related adverse outcomes, including 2 patients with sudden death, 5 with appropriate implantable defibrillator shocks, 3 with stroke-related death, 8 with non-fatal stroke, and 16 with heart failure hospitalization. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis of the prognostic value of BNP for the combined endpoint gave an area under the ROC curve of 0.756, and optimal BNP cut-off point of 226.0pg/mL. Patients with high BNP levels (≥226.0pg/mL) were at significantly greater risk of the combined endpoint (log-rank p<0.001) than patients with low BNP levels. Multivariable analysis that included BNP levels and potential confounders showed that high BNP levels were an independent determinant of the combined endpoint (adjusted hazard ratio: 3.71; p=0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

Measuring BNP may help stratify the risk of HCM-related adverse outcome in apical HCM patients.

Comparison of high-power and conventional-power radiofrequency energy deliveries in pulmonary vein isolation using unipolar signal modification as a local endpoint

Introduction

Negative component abolition of the unipolar signal (unipolar signal modification [USM]) reflects the lesion transmurality. The purpose of this study was to compare the procedural safety and outcome between high‐power and conventional‐power atrial radiofrequency applications during a pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) using USM as a local endpoint.

Methods and Results

High‐power (50 W) and conventional‐power (25‐40 W) applications were compared among 120 consecutive patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation who underwent a USM‐guided PVI. The first 60 patients were treated with conventional‐power (CP) group and last 60 with high‐power (HP) group. The atrial radiofrequency applications lasted for 5 to 10 seconds (CP group) or 3 to 5 seconds (HP group) after the USM. All procedures were performed using 3D mapping systems with image integration and esophageal temperature monitoring. The baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups. The HP group had fewer acute PV reconnections (62% vs 78%; P = .046) and a reduced procedure time (119.3 ± 28.1 vs 140.1 ± 51.2 minutes; P = .04). Freedom from recurrence after a single ablation procedure without any antiarrhythmic drugs was higher in the HP group than CP group (88.3% vs 73.3% at 12‐months after the procedure, log‐rank; P = .0423). There were no major complications that required any intervention.

Conclusions

The high‐power PVI guided by USM decreased the procedural time and may improve the procedural outcomes without compromising the safety.

Association between myocardial hypoxia and fibrosis in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: analysis by T2* BOLD and T1 mapping MRI

OBJECTIVES

We assessed whether an association exists between myocardial oxygenation and myocardial fibrosis in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), using blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) T2* cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (T2*-CMR) and T1 mapping.

METHODS

T1 mapping and T2*-CMR data were collected from 55 HCM patients using a 3-T MR and were prospectively analyzed. T2*-CMR was conducted using the black blood, breath-hold, multi-echo, and gradient echo sequence. Over 10 min, inhalation of oxygen at the flow rate of 10 L/min, T2* for mid-septum was measured following room-air and oxygen inhalation, and ΔT2* ratio (T2*oxy-T2*air/T2*air, %) was calculated. During pre- and post-gadolinium enhancement, native T1 (ms) and extracellular volume fractions (ECV, %) were calculated at sites same as the T2* measurement. Hypoxia was defined as the segment with an absolute value of the ΔT2* ratio ≥ 10%.

RESULTS

ΔT2* ratio was significantly higher for segments with native T1 ≥ 1290 ms than those with native T1 < 1290 ms (21 ± 32% vs. 8 ± 6%, p = 0.005). ΔT2* ratio was also significantly higher for segments with ECV ≥ 28% than those with ECV < 28% (21 ± 32% vs. 8 ± 8%, p = 0.0003). ROC curve analysis revealed that ΔT2* ratio could detect segments with native T1 ≥ 1290 ms and ECV ≥ 28% and c-statistics of 0.72 and 0.79. According to the multivariate logistic regression analysis results, ECV is an independent factor in hypoxia (odds ratio, 1.47; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-2.13; p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Analysis of BOLD T2*-CMR and T1 mapping revealed that ECV is strongly associated with ΔT2* ratio, suggesting that the onset of myocardial fibrosis is related to hypoxia in HCM patients.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Our study was approved by the ethics committee of our institute (#4036, registered on 21 July 2016) KEY POINTS: • Analysis of ΔT2* ratio and ECV with BOLD-T2* and T1 mapping revealed a strong association between myocardial fibrosis and hypoxia in HCM patients.

Prognostic Implication of First-Degree Atrioventricular Block in Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Background

The association between first‐degree atrioventricular block (AVB) and life‐threatening cardiac events in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) remains unclear. This study sought to investigate whether presence of first‐degree AVB was associated with HCM‐related death in patients with HCM.

Methods and Results

We included 414 patients with HCM (mean age, 51±16 years; 64.5% men). The P‐R interval was measured at the time of the initial evaluation and patients were classified into those with and without first‐degree AVB, which was defined as a P‐R interval ≥200 ms. HCM‐related death was defined as a combined end point of sudden death or potentially lethal arrhythmic events, heart failure–related death, and stroke‐related death. First‐degree AVB was noted in 96 patients (23.2%) at time of enrollment. Over a median (interquartile range) follow‐up period of 8.8 (4.9–12.9) years, a total of 56 patients (13.5%) experienced HCM‐related deaths, including 47 (11.4%) with a combined end point of sudden death or potentially lethal arrhythmic events. In a multivariable analysis that included first‐degree AVB and risk factors for life‐threatening events, first‐degree AVB was independently associated with an HCM‐related death (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.41; 95% CI, 1.27–4.58; P=0.007), and this trend also persisted for the combined end point of sudden death or potentially lethal arrhythmic events (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.60; 95% CI, 1.28–5.27; P=0.008).

Conclusions

In this cohort of patients with HCM, first‐degree AVB may be associated with HCM‐related death, including the combined end point of sudden death or potentially lethal arrhythmic events.

Recurrent takotsubo syndrome with worsening of left ventricular outflow obstruction during haemodialysis: a case report

Background

The recurrence rate of takotsubo syndrome (TS) has been reported as 1.8% per patient-year while left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction is comorbid in 10–25% of all instances of TS. The clinical course of recurrent TS with associated LVOT while on haemodialysis has rarely been reported.

Case summary

This case report involves a 60-year-old female patient receiving regular haemodialysis who was admitted for chest pain during ballroom dancing. Four years prior, she had suffered TS, and fully recovered after the hospitalization. An emergent coronary angiogram done during the second hospitalization showed no significant stenosis, and left ventriculography demonstrated mid-apical akinesia and basal hyperkinesia. Based on these findings, we diagnosed the recurrence of TS. Later in the admission, chest pain reappeared with the start of haemodialysis. A transthoracic echocardiogram demonstrated mean pressure gradient (PG) of LVOT was 58 mmHg, with systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve and basal-wall hyperkinesia. The main aetiology for her symptoms was considered as an exacerbation of LVOT obstruction due to removing intravascular volume by haemodialysis. After starting landiolol at 3 μg/kg/min, PG of LVOT and symptoms gradually improved with uptitration of landiolol. Finally, her chest pain resolved when mean PG of LVOT was down to 38 mmHg using 10 μg/kg/min of landiolol.

Discussion

To our knowledge, this is the first report of a recurrent TS case comorbid with LVOT obstruction while on regular haemodialysis. Landiolol, the ultrashort-acting beta-blocker, may be a promising therapeutic option for rapid recovery of increased PG due to LVOT obstruction.

Association of Genetic and Clinical Aspects of Congenital Long QT Syndrome With Life-Threatening Arrhythmias in Japanese Patients

Importance

Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is caused by several ion channel genes, yet risk of arrhythmic events is not determined solely by the responsible gene pathogenic variants. Female sex after adolescence is associated with a higher risk of arrhythmic events in individuals with congenital LQTS, but the association between sex and genotype-based risk of LQTS is still unclear.

Objective

To examine the association between sex and location of the LQTS-related pathogenic variant as it pertains to the risk of life-threatening arrhythmias.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This retrospective observational study enrolled 1124 genotype-positive patients from 11 Japanese institutions from March 1, 2006, to February 28, 2013. Patients had LQTS type 1 (LQT1), type 2 (LQT2), and type 3 (LQT3) (616 probands and 508 family members), with KCNQ1 (n = 521), KCNH2 (n = 487) and SCN5A (n = 116) genes. Clinical characteristics such as age at the time of diagnosis, sex, family history, cardiac events, and several electrocardiographic measures were collected. Statistical analysis was conducted from January 18 to October 10, 2018.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Sex difference in the genotype-specific risk of congenital LQTS.

Results

Among the 1124 patients (663 females and 461 males; mean [SD] age, 20 [15] years) no sex difference was observed in risk for arrhythmic events among those younger than 15 years; in contrast, female sex was associated with a higher risk for LQT1 and LQT2 among those older than 15 years. In patients with LQT1, the pathogenic variant of the membrane-spanning site was associated with higher risk of arrhythmic events than was the pathogenic variant of the C-terminus of KCNQ1 (HR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.19-2.17; P = .002), although this site-specific difference in the incidence of arrhythmic events was observed in female patients only. In patients with LQT2, those with S5-pore-S6 pathogenic variants in KCNH2 had a higher risk of arrhythmic events than did those with others (HR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.44-2.44; P < .001). This site-specific difference in incidence, however, was observed in both sexes. Regardless of the QTc interval, however, female sex itself was associated with a significantly higher risk of arrhythmic events in patients with LQT2 after puberty (106 of 192 [55.2%] vs 19 of 94 [20.2%]; P < .001). In patients with LQT3, pathogenic variants in the S5-pore-S6 segment of the Nav1.5 channel were associated with lethal arrhythmic events compared with others (HR, 4.2; 95% CI, 2.09-8.36; P < .001), but no sex difference was seen.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this retrospective analysis, pathogenic variants in the pore areas of the channels were associated with higher risk of arrhythmic events than were other variants in each genotype, while sex-associated differences were observed in patients with LQT1 and LQT2 but not in those with LQT3. The findings of this study suggest that risk for cardiac events in LQTS varies according to genotype, variant site, age, and sex.

Effect of Aggressive Lipid-Lowering Therapy in Single-Vessel vs. Multivessel Coronary Artery Disease Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome - Heart Institute of Japan-Proper Level of Lipid Lowering With Pitavastatin and Ezetimibe in Acute Coronary Syndrome (HIJ-PROPER) Substudy

Background: The effects of aggressive lipid-lowering therapy according to the number of diseased coronary arteries in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) are still controversial. This study investigated the efficacy of this therapy in ACS patients with multivessel disease (MVD) and single-vessel disease (SVD).

Methods and Results: The subjects were derived from the HIJ-PROPER study, in which ACS patients with dyslipidemia were randomized to receive either pitavastatin+ezetimibe (targeting low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C] <70 mg/dL) or pitavastatin monotherapy (targeting LDL-C <90 mg/dL). In this study, treatment efficacy was compared between patients with MVD and SVD. The primary endpoint was a composite of major advanced cardiovascular events (MACE; all-cause death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke, and ischemia-driven revascularization). We identified 1,702 eligible patients (MVD, n=869; SVD, n=833; mean age, 65.6 years; male, 75.6%; acute revascularization, 96.2%). MACE incidence was significantly higher in the MVD group than in the SVD group (43.7% vs. 25.9%, HR, 1.95; 95% CI: 1.65–2.31, P<0.001). In the SVD group, pitavastatin+ezetimibe had significantly fewer MACE than pitavastatin monotherapy (34.6% vs. 47.4%, HR, 0.72; 95% CI: 0.55–0.94, P=0.02).

Conclusions: The benefits of aggressive lipid-lowering therapy, with the addition of ezetimibe to statins, were enhanced in ACS patients with SVD, but not with MVD, in the early invasive strategy era.

Impedance drop predicts acute electrical reconnection of the pulmonary vein-left atrium after pulmonary vein isolation using short-duration high-power exposure

PURPOSE

To determine the efficacy and identify the relevant factors for durable lesion creation in pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) using a high-power short-duration (HPSD) strategy.

METHODS

Thirty-two consecutive patients who underwent PVI using HPSD (50 W) (HP group: HP-G) were compared with 32 controls using normal power (25-40 W) (conventional group: C-G). The segments were divided into 12 segments per group; thus, there were 768 segments for analysis. Radiofrequency (RF) ablation (RFA) was mainly performed under guidance with a unipolar electrogram at the distal tip of the ablation catheter in both groups. The high-power strategy reduced radiofrequency energy (P < 0.0001), RFA time (P < 0.0001), acute pulmonary vein reconnection (PVR) segments (P = 0.02), and several three-dimensional-mapping-related indices except for minimum impedance drop (Imp-min).

RESULTS

There was a significant difference only in Imp-min between the subjects with acute PVR and those without in the HP-G (P = 0.002). Multivariate analysis revealed Imp-min to be the only independent predictor of the absence of PVR after adjusting for maximum inter-lesion distance and minimum ablation index (odds ratio [OR] 1.22, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07-1.39, P = 0.001). In the region-specific analysis, this was attenuated in posterior segments, where the HP strategy independently predicted the absence of PVR (OR 2.80 [95% CI 1.32-6.30], P = 0.007).

CONCLUSION

The HPSD strategy reduced RF time, RF energy, and three-dimensional mapping-related indices but also improved the acute outcome. The HP strategy may be a sophisticated strategy under guidance with the impedance drop rather than the ablation index.