Ischemic and bleeding risk after complex percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with or without high bleeding risk

An Aspirin-Free Strategy for Immediate Treatment Following Complex Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

BACKGROUND

There was no study evaluating the effects of an aspirin-free strategy in patients undergoing complex percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

OBJECTIVES

The authors aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of an aspirin-free strategy in patients undergoing complex PCI.

METHODS

We conducted the prespecified subgroup analysis based on complex PCI in the STOPDAPT-3 (ShorT and OPtimal duration of Dual AntiPlatelet Therapy after everolimus-eluting cobalt-chromium stent-3), which randomly compared low-dose prasugrel (3.75 mg/d) monotherapy to dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with low-dose prasugrel and aspirin in patients with acute coronary syndrome or high bleeding risk. Complex PCI was defined as any of the following 6 criteria: 3 vessels treated, ≥3 stents implanted, ≥3 lesions treated, bifurcation with 2 stents implanted, total stent length >60 mm, or a target of chronic total occlusion. The coprimary endpoints were major bleeding events (Bleeding Academic Research Consortium 3 or 5) and cardiovascular events (a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, definite stent thrombosis, or ischemic stroke) at 1 month.

RESULTS

Of the 5,966 study patients, there were 1,230 patients (20.6%) with complex PCI. Regardless of complex PCI, the effects of no aspirin relative to DAPT were not significant for the coprimary bleeding (complex PCI: 5.30% vs 3.70%; HR: 1.44; 95% CI: 0.84-2.47; P = 0.18 and noncomplex PCI: 4.26% vs 4.97%; HR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.65-1.11; P = 0.24; P for interaction = 0.08) and cardiovascular (complex PCI: 5.78% vs 5.93%; HR: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.62-1.55; P = 0.92 and noncomplex PCI: 3.70% vs 3.10%; HR: 1.20; 95% CI: 0.88-1.63; P = 0.25; P for interaction = 0.48) endpoints without significant interactions.

CONCLUSIONS

The effects of the aspirin-free strategy relative to standard DAPT for the cardiovascular and major bleeding events were not different regardless of complex PCI. (ShorT and OPtimal duration of Dual AntiPlatelet Therapy after everolimus-eluting cobalt-chromium stent-3 [STOPDAPT-3]; NCT04609111).

Personalized Approaches to Antiplatelet Treatment for Cardiovascular Diseases: An Umbrella Review

Antiplatelet therapy is the cornerstone of antithrombotic prevention in patients with established atherosclerosis, since it has been proven to reduce coronary, cerebrovascular, and peripheral thrombotic events. However, the protective effect of antiplatelet agents is counterbalanced by an increase of bleeding events that impacts on patients' mortality and morbidity. Over the last years, great efforts have been made toward personalized antithrombotic strategies according to the individual bleeding and ischemic risk profile, aiming to maximizing the net clinical benefit. The development of risk scores, consensus definitions, and the new promising artificial intelligence tools, as well as the assessment of platelet responsiveness using platelet function and genetic testing, are now part of an integrated approach to tailored antithrombotic management. Moreover, novel strategies are available including dual antiplatelet therapy intensity and length modulation in patients undergoing myocardial revascularization, the use of P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy for long-term secondary prevention, the implementation of parenteral antiplatelet agents in high-ischemic risk clinical settings, and combination of antiplatelet agents with low-dose factor Xa inhibitors (dual pathway inhibition) in patients suffering from polyvascular disease. This review summarizes the currently available evidence and provides an overview of the principal risk-stratification tools and antiplatelet strategies to inform treatment decisions in patients with cardiovascular disease.

Impact of complex percutaneous coronary intervention features on clinical outcomes in patients with or without chronic kidney disease

BACKGROUND

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at higher risk of ischemic and bleeding events after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Complex PCI (CPCI) is associated with higher rates of ischemic complications. Whether CPCI confers an additive risk of adverse events in CKD patients is unclear.

METHODS

Patients who underwent PCI at a single tertiary-care-center between 2012 and 2019 were stratified by CKD status and CPCI. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiac events (MACE), a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), and target-vessel revascularization (TVR) at 1-year follow-up. Secondary outcomes included the individual components of the primary outcome and major bleeding.

RESULTS

Out of 15,071 patients, 4537 (30.1%) had CKD and 10,534 (69.9%) had no CKD. Patients undergoing CPCI were 1151 (25.4%) and 2983 (28.3%) in the two cohorts, respectively. At one year, CPCI compared with no CPCI was associated with higher risk of MACE in both CKD (Adj. HR 1.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.45-2.06, p < 0.001) and no-CKD patients (Adj. hazard ratios [HR] 2.19, 95% CI 1.91-2.51, p < 0.001; p of interaction 0.057), determined by an excess of death, MI and TVR in CKD patients and of TVR and MI only in no-CKD. CPCI was related with a consistent increase of major bleeding in the CKD (Adj. HR 1.49, 95% CI 1.18-1.87, p < 0.001) and no-CKD group (Adj. HR 1.23, 95% CI 0.98-1.54, p = 0.071, p of interaction 0.206).

CONCLUSION

At 1-year follow-up, CPCI was associated with higher risk of MACE and major bleeding irrespective of concomitant CKD. CPCI predicted mortality in CKD patients only.

Clopidogrel Monotherapy After 1-Month DAPT in Patients With High Bleeding Risk or Complex PCI

Background

High bleeding risk (HBR) and complex percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are major determinants for dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) duration.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of HBR and complex PCI on short vs standard DAPT.

Methods

Subgroup analyses were conducted on the basis of Academic Research Consortium-defined HBR and complex PCI in the STOPDAPT-2 (Short and Optimal Duration of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy After Verulam's-Eluting Cobalt-Chromium Stent-2) Total Cohort, which randomly compared clopidogrel monotherapy after 1-month DAPT with 12-month DAPT with aspirin and clopidogrel after PCI. The primary endpoint was the composite of cardiovascular (cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, definite stent thrombosis, or stroke) or bleeding (Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction [TIMI] major or minor) endpoints at 1 year.

Results

Regardless of HBR (n = 1,893 [31.6%]) and complex PCI (n = 999 [16.7%]), the risk of 1-month DAPT relative to 12-month DAPT was not significant for the primary endpoint (HBR, 5.01% vs 5.14%; non-HBR, 1.90% vs 2.02%; P _interaction = 0.95) (complex PCI, 3.15% vs 4.07%; noncomplex PCI, 2.78% vs 2.82%; P _interaction = 0.48) and for the cardiovascular endpoint (HBR, 4.35% vs 3.52%; and non-HBR, 1.56% vs 1.22%; P _interaction = 0.90) (complex PCI, 2.53% vs 2.52%; noncomplex PCI, 2.38% vs 1.86%; P _interaction = 0.53), while it was lower for the bleeding endpoint (HBR, 0.66% vs 2.27%; non-HBR, 0.43% vs 0.85%; P _interaction = 0.36) (complex PCI, 0.63% vs 1.75%; noncomplex PCI, 0.48% vs 1.22%; P _interaction = 0.90). The absolute difference in the bleeding between 1- and 12-month DAPT was numerically greater in patients with HBR than in those without HBR (-1.61% vs -0.42%).

Conclusions

The effects of 1-month DAPT relative to 12-month DAPT were consistent regardless of HBR and complex PCI. The absolute benefit of 1-month DAPT over 12-month DAPT in reducing major bleeding was numerically greater in patients with HBR than in those without HBR. Complex PCI might not be an appropriate determinant for DAPT durations after PCI. (Short and Optimal Duration of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy After Everolimus-Eluting Cobalt-Chromium Stent-2 [STOPDAPT-2], NCT02619760; Short and Optimal Duration of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy After Everolimus-Eluting Cobalt-Chromium Stent-2 for the Patients With ACS [STOPDAPT-2 ACS], NCT03462498).

Prognostic and Practical Validation of ESC/EACTS High Ischemic Risk Definition on Long-Term Thrombotic and Bleeding Events in Contemporary PCI Patients

AIMS

The ESC/EACTS myocardial revascularization guidelines recently standardized the definition of patients at high ischemic risk (HIR). However, the ability of ESC/EACTS-HIR criteria to stratify ischemic and bleeding risk in a contemporary real-world East Asian cohort remains unexplored.

METHODS

A total of 10,167 consecutive patients undergoing PCI from prospective Fuwai PCI Registry (January 2013 to December 2013) were reviewed. ESC/EACTS-HIR features was defined as having at least one of the eight clinical and angiographic characteristics. The primary ischemic endpoint was target vessel failure (cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction [MI], or target vessel revascularization [TVR]); bleeding outcome was assessed using the BARC type 2, 3, or 5 bleeding. Median follow-up was 29 months.

RESULTS

Compared with non-HIR patients, HIR patients (n=5,149, 50.6%) were associated with increased risk for target vessel failure (adjusted hazard ratio [HRadjust]: 1.48 [1.25-1.74]) and patient-oriented composite outcome (HRadjust: 1.44 [1.28-1.63]), as well as cardiac death, MI, and TVR. By contrast, the risk of clinically relevant bleeding was not significantly different between the two groups. (HRadjust: 0.84 [0.66-1.06]). Greater than or equal to three implanted stents and diabetic patients with diffuse multivessel coronary disease emerged as independent predictors for long-term adverse outcomes. There was no significant interaction between high bleeding risk (HBR) status and clinical outcomes associated with ESC/EACTS-HIR criteria (all Pinteraction ＞0.05).

CONCLUSION

The ESC/EACTS-HIR features identified patients at increased risk of thrombotic events, including cardiac death, but not for clinically relevant bleeding. Importantly, HBR did not modify cardiovascular risk subsequent to patients with ESC/EACTS-HIR features, suggesting its potential clinical applicability in tailoring antithrombotic therapy.