Impact of periprocedural myocardial injury after transcatheter aortic valve implantation on long-term mortality: a meta-analysis of Kaplan-Meier derived individual patient data

Assessment of the Impact of Dexmedetomidine on Myocardial Injury in TAVI Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study Utilizing PSM-DID

Background

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) is a minimally invasive procedure for treating severe aortic valve diseases but can lead to perioperative myocardial damage (PMD). Dexmedetomidine (DEX), an α2-adrenergic receptor agonist, has shown potential to reduce myocardial injury in other cardiac procedures. This effect is attributed to its anti-inflammatory properties, which help reduce the inflammatory response associated with myocardial damage, and its antioxidant properties, which combat oxidative stress that contributes to cell injury. But its effectiveness during TAVI remains unclear.

Objective

To assess the impact of DEX on myocardial injury in patients undergoing TAVI under general anesthesia.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study of 159 patients (after exclusions) who underwent TAVI from January 2022 to August 2024. Patients were divided into DEX and control groups. Primary outcomes were peak levels of cardiac troponin I and CK-MB within 48 hours postoperatively. Secondary outcomes included IL-6, PCT, and NT-proBNP levels. Propensity score matching (PSM) and Differences-in-Differences (DID) method were used for analysis.

Results

After PSM, the DEX group exhibited significantly lower peak values of troponin I (P < 0.001) and CK-MB (P < 0.001) compared to the control group, indicating reduced myocardial injury. No significant differences were observed in IL-6, PCT, and NT-proBNP levels between the groups. The DID analysis suggested a negative correlation between DEX use and major adverse postoperative events, highlighting DEX as a potential protective factor.

Conclusion

Dexmedetomidine administration during TAVI was associated with reduced levels of myocardial injury markers, indicating a potential cardioprotective role. By reducing myocardial injury, DEX may contribute to improved perioperative outcomes, including a decreased risk of major adverse postoperative events. These results highlight the potential clinical utility of DEX in the perioperative management of TAVI patients, suggesting that its inclusion in anesthetic protocols could enhance patient care and recovery.

Efficacy of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors vs. Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors/Everolimus in Adjuvant Renal Cell Carcinoma: Indirect Comparison of Disease-Free Survival

BACKGROUND

The proven efficacy of mTOR inhibitors (mTORIs), tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) or immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) suggests that these agents should be investigated as adjuvant therapy with the aim of eliminating undetectable microscopic residual disease after curative resection. The aim of our study was to compare the efficacy of these treatments using an innovative method of reconstructing individual patient data.

METHODS

Nine phase III trials describing adjuvant RCC treatments were selected. The IPDfromKM method was used to reconstruct individual patient data from Kaplan-Meier (KM) curves. The combination treatments were compared with the control arm (placebo) for disease-free survival (DFS). Multi-treatment KM curves were used to summarize the results. Standard statistical tests were performed. These included hazard ratio and likelihood ratio tests for heterogeneity.

RESULTS

In the overall population, the study showed that two ICIs (nivolumab plus ipilimumab and pembrolizumab) and one TKI (sunitinib) were superior to the placebo, whereas both TKIs and mTORIs were inferior. As we assessed DFS as the primary endpoint for the adjuvant comparison, the overall survival benefit remains unknown.

CONCLUSIONS

This novel approach to investigating survival has allowed us to conduct all indirect head-to-head comparisons between these agents in a context where no "real" comparative trials have been conducted.