Importance of diabetes mellitus and systemic hypertension rather than completeness of revascularization in determining long-term outcome after coronary balloon angioplasty (the LDCMC registry). Lady Davis Carmel Medical Center

Predictors of ten-year event-free survival in patients with acute myocardial infarction (from the Adria, Bassano, Conegliano, and Padova Hospitals [ABC] study on myocardial infarction)

The long-term event-free survival (EFS) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is largely uninvestigated. We analyzed noninvasive clinical variables in association with long-term EFS after AMI. The present prospective study included 504 consecutive patients with AMI at 3 hospitals from 1995 to 1998 (Adria, Bassano, Conegliano, and Padova Hospitals [ABC] study). Thirty-seven variables were examined, including demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, in-hospital characteristics, and blood components. The end point was 10-year EFS. Logistic and Cox regression models were used to identify the predictive factors. We compared 3 predictive models according to the goodness of fit and C-statistic analyses. At enrollment, the median age was 67 years (interquartile range 58 to 75), 29% were women, 38% had Killip class >1, and the median left ventricular ejection fraction was 51% (interquartile range 43% to 60%). The 10-year EFS rate was 19%. Both logistic and Cox analyses identified independent predictors, including young age (hazard ratio 1.2, 95% confidence interval 1.1 to 1.3, p = 0.0006), no history of angina (hazard ratio 1.4, 95% confidence interval 1.1 to 1.8, p = 0.009), no previous myocardial infarction (hazard ratio 1.4, 95% confidence interval 1.1 to 1.7, p = 0.01), high estimated glomerular filtration rate (hazard ratio 0.8, 95% confidence interval 0.7 to 0.9, p = 0.001), low albumin/creatinine excretion ratio (hazard ratio 1.2, 95% confidence interval 1.1 to 1.3, p <0.0001), and high left ventricular ejection fraction (hazard ratio 0.8, 95% confidence interval 0.7 to 0.9, p = 0.006). These variables had greater predictive power and improved the predictive power of 2 other models, including Framingham cardiovascular risk factors and the recognized predictors of acute heart damage. In conclusion, 10-year EFS was strongly associated with 4 factors (ABC model) typically neglected in studies of AMI survival, including estimated glomerular filtration rate, albumin/creatinine excretion ratio, a history of angina, and previous myocardial infarction. This model had greater predictive power and improved the power of 2 other models using traditional cardiovascular risk factors and indicators of heart damage during AMI.

Marked improvements in outcomes of contemporary percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with diabetes mellitus

We sought to determine if advances in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are associated with better outcomes among patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Patients with DM enrolled in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) early PTCA Registry (1985-1986) were compared to those in the subsequent contemporary Dynamic Registry (1999-2002) for in-hospital and one-year cardiovascular outcomes. The study population included 945 adults with DM, 325 from the PTCA Registry and 620 from the Dynamic Registry. Multivariable Cox regression models were built to estimate the risk of clinical events. Dynamic Registry patients were older, had more noncardiac comorbidities, and a lower mean ejection fraction (50.5% vs 57.8%, P < or = 0.001) compared to the PTCA Registry patients. The incidence of in-hospital mortality (1.9% vs 4.3%, P < or = 0.05), myocardial infarction (MI) (1.0% vs 7.4%, P <or = 0.001), and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) (0.8% vs 6.2%, P < or = 0.001) were all significantly lower and independent of the use of stents. One-year adverse events including MI (4.9% vs 11.0%, P < or = 0.001), CABG (6.4% vs 15.0%, P < or = 0.001), and need for repeat revascularization (18.7% vs 33.3%, P < or = 0.001) were all lower in the Dynamic Registry. The relative risk of death at 1 year was significantly less for patients in the Dynamic Registry (RR 0.56, 0.34; 0.92, P = 0.02). Although Dynamic Registry patients with diabetes had more advanced coronary disease, in-hospital and late adverse events were lower. A combination of the use of stents and an increase in adjunctive medical therapy are likely responsible for the observed improvements in outcomes in contemporary PCI.

Family history, diabetes and extension of coronary atherosclerosis are strong predictors of adverse events after PTCA: A one-year follow-up study

BACKGROUND AND AIM

In this study we addressed some open questions in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). First, we analysed which of the traditional risk factors was associated with the spreading of coronary stenosis and second, we aimed to identify if any variable was predictive of post-percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) clinical events.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We collected a consecutive series of patients with CAD (n=301) and in the subgroup of patients undergoing PTCA (n=135) we performed a prospective one-year follow-up study recording cardiovascular morbidity and total mortality. According to the extension of coronary atherosclerosis, we found a significant relationship with the prevalence of diabetes in men and with plasma HDL-cholesterol concentrations in women. The follow-up was completed in 95% of patients; we did not document any death whereas clinical events were registered in 16% of patients. At univariate analysis, we found that patients with clinical events had a higher prevalence of family history of CAD (43% vs 14%, p<0.005), diabetes (52% vs 21%, p<0.005) and multivessel disease (52% vs 35%, p<0.05). Multivariate analysis (logistic regression) confirmed that family history of CAD (OR 4.6, 95% CI 1.7-12.8, p<0.005), diabetes (OR 4.0, 95% CI 1.5-10.6, p<0.01) and multivessel disease (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.1-7.4, p<0.05) were the only variables predictive of clinical events.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, factors associated with the spreading of coronary stenosis were different according to the gender. Moreover, the presence of diabetes and multivessel disease had a negative impact on the long-term prognosis of patients undergoing PTCA. In addition, the family history of CAD represented in our study a strong predictor of clinical events. We suggest that in the management of post-PTCA patients, the role of individual baseline clinical characteristics must be taken into account and that subjects with a family history of premature CAD, diabetes and a wide extension of coronary disease represent those with the highest risk.

Sex-associated differences in clinical outcomes after coronary stenting in patients with diabetes mellitus

PURPOSE

It has been suggested that the influence of diabetes on cardiovascular mortality is sex dependent. We undertook this study to determine whether there were sex-related differences in 1-year clinical outcomes following coronary artery stenting in diabetic patients.

METHODS

The study included 4460 consecutive patients (1084 women) who underwent coronary artery stenting for stable or unstable angina, of whom 970 (22%) had diabetes. Six-month follow-up angiography was performed in 3452 patients (77.4%). The primary endpoint was the combined incidence of major adverse cardiac events (death, myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization).

RESULTS

Diabetes was associated with a significant increase in the combined incidence of death, myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization at 1 year in women; this incidence was greater in diabetic women than in nondiabetic women (26.9% [84/312] vs. 18.9% [146/772]; odds ratio [OR] = 1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.2 to 2.0; P = 0.002). The primary endpoint appeared to be similar in men regardless of diabetes status (24.6% [162/658] with diabetes vs. 23.3% [634/2718] without diabetes; OR = 1.07; 95% CI: 0.90 to 1.27; P = 0.43). There was a significant interaction between diabetes and sex in both unadjusted (P = 0.03) and adjusted (P = 0.04) analyses, with diabetes having a greater negative effect in women than in men for major adverse cardiac events after coronary stenting.

CONCLUSION

In patients who underwent coronary artery stenting, the increased risk of adverse cardiac events associated with diabetes was more pronounced in women than in men.

Balloon coronary angioplasty and long-term survival of non-diabetic patients with isolated severe left anterior descending coronary artery disease

Although long-term survival of diabetic patients with multivessel coronary disease has been reported to be better in those treated with bypass surgery than with coronary angioplasty, it is unclear if diabetic patients who undergo coronary angioplasty show better long-term survival than those treated medically. Between 1985 and 1994, 667 consecutive patients with isolated severe (> or = 90% diameter stenosis) proximal left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery disease were divided into 4 groups according to the initial therapeutic choice and their diabetic status: of 225 diabetic patients, 104 were treated medically and 121 underwent coronary angioplasty; of 442 non-diabetic patients, 215 were treated medically and 227 underwent coronary angioplasty. The primary end-point of follow-up was death from any cause, and the secondary end-point was cardiac death. Cox's proportional hazard model was used to assess the relative risk of baseline variables. The mean follow-up interval was 6.5+/-3.0 years. The relative distribution of baseline parameters of medically treated patients to those treated with coronary angioplasty was identical in diabetic and non-diabetic patients. Although non-diabetic patients who underwent coronary angioplasty showed better long-term survival than those treated medically, this survival advantage was not observed in diabetic patients. After adjustment of parameters using Cox's proportional hazard model, age over 65 years, coronary angioplasty and low left ventricular ejection fraction were independent determinants of total death. Long-term survival in non-diabetic patients with severe LAD coronary artery disease is more favorable in patients treated with coronary angioplasty than those treated medically, but this advantage is overridden when the patients are diabetic.

Six-month outcomes of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty in hypertensive patients: results from the ROSETTA registry. Routine Versus Selective Exercise Treadmill Testing After Angioplasty

PURPOSE

Hypertension is an important risk factor for coronary artery disease. However, the impact of hypertension on the outcomes of patients undergoing percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is unknown. Our purpose was to evaluate the association between hypertension and adverse outcomes and repeat cardiac procedures during the 6-month period after PTCA.

METHODS

We studied 791 patients who were enrolled in the Routine Versus Selective Exercise Treadmill Testing After Angioplasty (ROSETTA) registry. This registry is a prospective multicenter study examining the use of functional testing after a successful PTCA.

RESULTS

We compared 411 hypertensive patients (mean age 60.1 +/- 10 years, 31.1% female) with 380 normotensive patients (mean age 59.1 +/- 12 years, 16.2% female). Patients with hypertension had a higher 6-month rate of composite clinical events (unstable angina, myocardial infarction, death) than did normotensive patients (16.5% vs 10.5%, P =.017). In addition, there was a trend for hypertensive patients to have higher rates of cardiac procedures (angiography, repeat PTCA, coronary artery bypass graft surgery) compared with normotensive patients (19.8% vs 14.9%, P =.074). However, functional testing after PTCA was lower among hypertensive subjects (44.4% vs 54.0%, P =.008). Among the 411 hypertensive patients, a regression analysis showed that several variables were independently associated with increased 6-month adverse event rates, including pre-PTCA Killip class III-IV (odds ratio [OR] 5.7, 95% CI 1.7-19.0), Canadian Cardiovascular Society angina class III-IV (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.1-4.2), unstable angina as the reason for PTCA (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.2-4.3), peripheral vascular disease (OR 3.2, 95% CI 1.5-6.4), PTCA of a bypass graft (OR 3.1, 95% CI 1.2-7.6), and calcium antagonist usage at admission for the index PTCA (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.1-3.4).

CONCLUSIONS

During the 6-month period after a successful PTCA, patients with hypertension have significantly higher adverse event rates than do those without hypertension. Several clinical variables may help identify which hypertensive patients are at higher risk for clinical events.

Similar late revascularization rates 10 to 12 years after angioplasty or bypass surgery for multivessel coronary artery disease: a report from the Lady Davis Carmel Medical Center (LDCMC) Registry

We compared completed long-term outcome and late repeat revascularization rates in 272 consecutive patients with multivessel coronary disease who underwent revascularization (95 angioplasty cohort, 177 surgical cohort) between 1984 and 1986. Long-term survival was similar at 12 years in the angioplasty (70%) and surgical (74%) cohorts (p = NS), and repeat revascularization, although more frequent in the angioplasty patients during the first 5 years of follow-up, was performed equally in the 2 patient cohorts after 10 to 12 years of follow-up.

Late-onset heart failure as a mechanism for adverse long-term outcome in diabetic patients undergoing revascularization (a 13-year report from the Lady Davis Carmel Medical Center registry)

The adverse long-term prognosis following myocardial revascularization in diabetic patients has been ascribed to accelerated coronary disease, a higher incidence of late coronary restenosis after revascularization, and myocardial dysfunction. To examine the development of heart failure and its prognostic implications in diabetic patients, we analyzed the long-term (13-year) follow-up data of 363 patients-193 percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasties and 170 coronary artery bypass operations-revascularized in a single cardiovascular center from 1984 to 1986. Baseline characteristics (age, previous infarction, baseline ventricular function) were similar in the 80 diabetic and 283 nondiabetic patients; multivessel disease and hypertension were marginally more common in diabetics (p = NS). Cumulative incidence of hospitalization for heart failure was high in the diabetic cohort (25% vs 11%, p = 0.001), with a rapidly increasing incidence after 5 years. Survival after first hospitalization for heart failure was markedly reduced in diabetics (11 of 20 [55%] vs 25 of 31 [81%] at 3 years; p = 0.04), as was survival free of further hospitalization for heart failure (5 of 20 [25%] vs 20 of 30 [63%]; p <0.005). Long-term 13-year survival (43% vs 78%, p <0.0001) and survival free of heart failure (33% vs 71%, p <0.0001) were decreased in diabetics, especially those with reduced ventricular function at baseline (17% vs 42%, p = 0.07). Multivariate analysis showed diabetes to be the strongest independent predictor of decreased survival (odds ratio 3. 6, 95% confidence interval 2.0 to 6.2; p <0.0001) and survival free of heart failure (odds ratio 4.0, 95% confidence interval 2.2 to 7. 1; p <0.0001) in patients undergoing revascularization. In summary, late-onset heart failure was frequent in diabetic patients after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty or coronary artery bypass grafting, and once present heralded an unrelenting progressive downhill clinical course.

Current perspectives on interventional treatment strategies in diabetic patients with coronary artery disease

Diabetes mellitus has a negative impact on mortality and morbidity following catheter-based coronary procedures as well as coronary artery bypass surgery. Increased restenosis remains the main limitation of catheter-based coronary intervention among diabetes mellitus in addition to accelerated atherosclerosis lesion progression in other untreated coronary sites. Determinants such as excess restenosis, high atherosclerosis burden, lesion complexity, small target vessel size, and accelerated coronary atherosclerosis in remote sites may favor the surgical strategy in most cases of diabetic multivessel disease. The importance of periprocedural adjunctive pharmacotherapy, specifically with the use of antiplatelet and long-term antilipidemic treatment, was shown to improve outcomes in diabetics undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions. The purpose of the review is to examine potential mechanisms causing more restenosis in diabetics, the clinical outcomes of patients with diabetes after coronary interventions including stenting, the treatment alternatives of diabetic patients with diffuse coronary artery disease, including coronary bypass surgery, and current understanding of the benefit of adjunctive pharmacology on clinical outcomes after coronary interventions among diabetics.