Risk Score for Prediction of Dialysis After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

BACKGROUND

Dialysis is a rare but serious complication after transcatheter aortic valve replacement. We analyzed the large multicenter TRITAVI (transfusion requirements in transcatheter aortic valve implantation) registry in order to develop and validate a clinical score assessing this risk.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A total of 10 071 consecutive patients were enrolled in 19 European centers. Patients were randomly assigned (2:1) to a derivation and validation cohort. Two scores were developed, 1 including only preprocedural variables (TRITAVIpre) and 1 also including procedural variables (TRITAVIpost). In the 6714 patients of the derivation cohort (age 82±6 years, 48% men), preprocedural factors independently associated with dialysis and included in the TRITAVIpre score were male sex, diabetes, prior coronary artery bypass graft, anemia, nonfemoral access, and creatinine clearance <30 mL/min per m2. Additional independent predictors among procedural features were volume of contrast, need for transfusion, and major vascular complications. Both scores showed a good discrimination power for identifying risk for dialysis with C-statistic 0.78 for TRITAVIpre and C-statistic 0.88 for TRITAVIpost score. Need for dialysis increased from the lowest to the highest of 3 risk score groups (from 0.3% to 3.9% for TRITAVIpre score and from 0.1% to 6.2% for TRITAVIpost score). Analysis of the 3357 patients of the validation cohort (age 82±7 years, 48% men) confirmed the good discrimination power of both scores (C-statistic 0.80 for TRITAVIpre and 0.81 for TRITAVIpost score). Need for dialysis was associated with a significant increase in 1-year mortality (from 6.9% to 54.4%; P=0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

A simple preprocedural clinical score can help predict the risk of dialysis after transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Temporal trends in evidence supporting therapeutic interventions in heart failure and other European Society of Cardiology guidelines

AIMS

This study aimed to determine whether any change occurred over time in level of evidence (LoE) of therapeutic interventions supporting heart failure (HF) and other European Society of Cardiology guideline recommendations.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We selected topics with at least three documents released between 2008 and April 2022. Classes of recommendations (CoR) and supporting LoE related to therapeutic interventions within each document were collected and compared over time. A total of 1822 recommendations from 18 documents on 6 topics [median number per document = 112, 867 (48%) CoR I] were included in the analysis. There was a trend towards a reduction over time in the percentage of CoR I in HF (46-36-34%), non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI; 78-58-54%), and pulmonary embolism (PE; 65-50-39%) guidelines, with a decrease in the total number of recommendations for HF only. Percentage of CoR I was stable over time around 40% for valvular heart disease (VHD) and atrial fibrillation (AF), and around 60% for cardiovascular prevention (CVP), with an increase in the total number of recommendations for VHD and CVP and a decrease for AF. Among CoR I, 319 (37%) were supported by LoE A, with a decrease over time for HF (56-46-42%), an increase for NSTEMI (29-38-48%) and AF (28-31-36%), a bimodal distribution for PE and CVP, and a lack for VHD.

CONCLUSIONS

LoE supporting therapeutic recommendations in contemporary European guidelines is generally low. Physicians should be aware of these limitations, and scientific societies promote a greater understanding of their significance and drive future research directions.

Comparison of different percutaneous revascularisation timing strategies in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation

BACKGROUND

The optimal timing to perform percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) patients remains unknown.

AIMS

We sought to compare different PCI timing strategies in TAVI patients.

METHODS

The REVASC-TAVI registry is an international registry including patients undergoing TAVI with significant, stable coronary artery disease (CAD) at preprocedural workup. In this analysis, patients scheduled to undergo PCI before, after or concomitantly with TAVI were included. The main endpoints were all-cause death and a composite of all-cause death, stroke, myocardial infarction (MI) or rehospitalisation for congestive heart failure (CHF) at 2 years. Outcomes were adjusted using the inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW) method.

RESULTS

A total of 1,603 patients were included. PCI was performed before, after or concomitantly with TAVI in 65.6% (n=1,052), 9.8% (n=157) or 24.6% (n=394), respectively. At 2 years, all-cause death was significantly lower in patients undergoing PCI after TAVI as compared with PCI before or concomitantly with TAVI (6.8% vs 20.1% vs 20.6%; p<0.001). Likewise, the composite endpoint was significantly lower in patients undergoing PCI after TAVI as compared with PCI before or concomitantly with TAVI (17.4% vs 30.4% vs 30.0%; p=0.003). Results were confirmed at landmark analyses considering events from 0 to 30 days and from 31 to 720 days.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with severe aortic stenosis and stable coronary artery disease scheduled for TAVI, performance of PCI after TAVI seems to be associated with improved 2-year clinical outcomes compared with other revascularisation timing strategies. These results need to be confirmed in randomised clinical trials.

Efficacy of SGLT2-inhibitors across different definitions of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

AIMS

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) have been evaluated in phase 3 randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) that enrolled individuals with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) based on detailed clinical, biochemical, and echocardiographic criteria (hereafter HF-RCTs), and in cardiovascular outcomes trials (CVOTs) in diabetic patients, in which the diagnosis of HFpEF relied on medical history.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We performed a study-level meta-analysis of the efficacy of SGLT2i across different definitions of HFpEF. Three HF-RCTs (EMPEROR-Preserved, DELIVER, and SOLOIST-WHF) and four CVOTs (EMPA-REG OUTCOME, DECLARE-TIMI 58, VERTIS-CV, and SCORED) were included, for a total of 14 034 patients. SGLT2i reduced the risk of cardiovascular death or heart failure hospitalization (HFH) in all RCTs pooled together [risk ratio 0.75, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.63-0.89, NNT 19], in HF-RCTs (risk ratio 0.71, 95% CI 0.52-0.97, NNT 13), and in CVOTs (risk ratio 0.78, 95% CI 0.60-0.99, NNT 26). SGLT2i also decreased the risk of HFH in all RCTs (risk ratio 0.81, 95% CI 0.73-0.90, NNT 45), in HF-RCTs (risk ratio 0.81, 95% CI 0.72-0.93, NNT 37), and in CVOTs (risk ratio 0.78, 95% CI 0.61-0.99, NNT 46). By contrast, SGLT2i were not superior to placebo for cardiovascular death or all-cause death in all RCTs, HF-RCTs, or CVOTs. Results were comparable after excluding one RCT at a time. Meta-regression analysis confirmed that the type of RCT (HF-RCT vs. CVOT) did not influence the SGLT2i effect.

CONCLUSIONS

In RCTs, SGLT2i improved the outcomes of patients with HFpEF regardless of how the latter was diagnosed.

Supra-renal aortic atheroma extent and composition predict acute kidney injury after transcatheter aortic valve replacement: A three-dimensional computed tomography study

OBJECTIVE

Acute kidney injury (AKI) may complicate transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and could be linked to atheroembolization associated with catheter manipulation in the supra-renal (SR) aorta. We sought to determine the impact of SR aortic atheroma burden (SR-AAB) and composition, as well as of the aortic valve calcium score (AV-CS), measured at pre-operative multislice computed tomography (PO-MSCT), on AKI-TAVR.

METHODS

All TAVR-patients 3 January-2018 to December-2020 were included. A three-dimensional analysis of PO-MSCT was performed, calculating percentage SR-AAB (%SR-AAB) as [(absolute SR-AAB volume)*100/vessel volume]. Types of plaque were defined according to Hounsfield unit (HU) intensity ranges. Calcified plaque was subcategorized into 3 strata: low- (351-700 HU), mid- (701-1000 HU), and high‑calcium (>1000 HU, termed 1 K-plaque).

RESULTS

The study population included 222 patients [mean age 83.3 ± 5.7 years, 95 (42.8%) males], AKI-TAVR occurred in 67/222 (30.2%). Absolute SR-AAB (41.3 ± 16.4 cm³ vs. 32.5 ± 10.7 cm³,p < 0.001) and %SR-AAB (17.6 ± 5.1% vs. 13.9 ± 4.3%,p < 0.001) were significantly higher in patients developing AKI-TAVR. Patients who developed AKI-TAVR had higher mid‑calcium (6.9 ± 3.8% vs. 4.2 ± 3.5%,p < 0.001) and 1 K-plaque (5.4 ± 3.7% vs. 2.4 ± 2.4%,p < 0.001) with no difference in AV-CS (p = 0.691). Adjusted multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that %SR-AAB [OR (x%increase): 1.12, 95%CI: 1.04-1.22,p = 0.006] and %SR-calcified plaque [OR (x%increase): 5.60, 95%CI: 2.50-13.36,p < 0.001] were associated with AKI-TAVR. Finally, 3-knots spline analyses identified %SR-AAB >15.0% and %SR-calcified plaque >7.0% as optimal thresholds to predict an increased risk of AKI-TAVR.

CONCLUSIONS

Suprarenal aortic atheroma, when highly calcified, is associated with AKI-TAVR. Perioperative-MSCT assessment of aortic atherosclerosis may help in identification of patients at high-risk for AKI-TAVR, who could benefit from higher peri-operative surveillance.

1113 EFFICACY OF SODIUM-GLUCOSE COTRANSPORTER 2 INHIBITORS IN HEART FAILURE WITH PRESERVED EJECTION FRACTION ACROSS DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS: A META-ANALYSIS OF PHASE 3 RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS

Background

Sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) have been shown to improve the prognosis of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) in phase 3 randomized controlled trials (RCTs). However, a granular definition of HF was adopted only in the most recent RCTs (hereafter, HF RCTs). In earlier studies, which assessed cardiovascular (CV) outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes (CV outcomes trials, CVOTs), HF status was assigned based on medical history.

Methods

We searched for RCTs evaluating SGLT2i vs placebo in HFpEF and published from inception to Aug. 31st 2022, irrespective of whether additional criteria were used to define HFpEF besides left ventricular ejection fraction ≥50%. Heterogeneity between studies was examined by the Cochran's Q test and Higgins and Thompsons’ I2 statistics. Risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) and number needed to treat (NNT) were calculated with a random-effects model (moderate-to-high heterogeneity) or a Mantel-Haenszel fixed-effect model (low heterogeneity) using R 4.2.1.

Results

Seven RCTs were included in the meta-analysis: 3 HF RCTs (EMPEROR-Preserved, DELIVER, and SOLOIST-WHF) and 4 CVOTs (EMPA-REG OUTCOME, DECLARE-TIMI58, VERTIS-CV, and SCORED). The overall population included 14,644 patients, and the mean follow-up was 29.8±14.5 months (range: 9.0-50.4 months). The risk of the composite outcome of CV death or HF hospitalization (HFH) was significantly reduced by SLGT2i as compared with placebo (RR 0.75, 95%CI 0.63-0.89, I2=59.7%, NNT 19). The benefit was confirmed in HF RCTs (RR and 95%CI displayed in the Figure; I2=75.7%, NNT 13) and CVOTs (Figure; I2=56.9%, NNT 26). Based on the available data (i.e., only some of the selected studies), SGLT2i also had a positive effect on HFH (RR 0.81, 95%CI 0.73-0.90, I2=18.1%, NNT 45), which was maintained in both HF RCTs (Figure; I2=18.1%, NNT 37) and CVOTs (Figure; I2=0.0% and NNT 46, respectively). The effect on CV or all-cause death was neutral in all RCTs (RR 0.94, 95%CI 0.85-1.04, I2=36.0%; and RR 1.00, 95%CI 0.92-1.08, I2=0.0%, respectively), and in HF RCTs or CVOTs considered separately (Figure).

Conclusions

The efficacy of SGLT2i was consistent across RCTs with a stricter or simpler definition of HFpEF, supporting an extensive clinical use.

Efficacy of new medical therapies in patients with heart failure, reduced ejection fraction, and chronic kidney disease already receiving neurohormonal inhibitors: a network meta-analysis

AIMS

We assessed the efficacy of the drugs developed after neurohormonal inhibition (NEUi) in patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and concomitant chronic kidney disease (CKD).

METHODS AND RESULTS

The literature was systematically searched for phase 3 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving ≥90% patients with left ventricular ejection fraction <45%, of whom <30% were acutely decompensated, and with published information about the subgroup of estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m2. Six RCTs were included in a study-level network meta-analysis evaluating the effect of NEUi, ivabradine, angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI), sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), vericiguat, and omecamtiv mecarbil (OM) on a composite outcome of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for HF. In a fixed-effects model, SGLT2i [hazard ratio (HR) 0.78, 95% credible interval (CrI) 0.69-0.89], ARNI (HR 0.79, 95% CrI 0.69-0.90), and ivabradine (HR 0.82, 95% CrI 0.69-0.98) decreased the risk of the composite outcome vs. NEUi, whereas OM did not (HR 0.98, 95% CrI 0.89-1.10). A trend for improved outcome was also found for vericiguat (HR 0.90, 95% CrI 0.80-1.00). In indirect comparisons, both SLGT2i (HR 0.80, 95% CrI 0.68-0.94) and ARNI (HR 0.80, 95% CrI 0.68-0.95) reduced the risk vs. OM; furthermore, there was a trend for a greater benefit of SGLT2i vs. vericiguat (HR 0.88, 95% CrI 0.73-1.00) and ivabradine vs. OM (HR 0.84, 95% CrI 0.68-1.00). Results were comparable in a random-effects model and in sensitivity analyses. Surface under the cumulative ranking area scores were 81.8%, 80.8%, 68.9%, 44.2%, 16.6%, and 7.8% for SGLT2i, ARNI, ivabradine, vericiguat, OM, and NEUi, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Expanding pharmacotherapy beyond NEUi improves outcomes in HFrEF with CKD.

Management of Myocardial Revascularization in Patients With Stable Coronary Artery Disease Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation

BACKGROUND

The best management of stable coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is still unclear due to the marked inconsistency of the available evidence.

METHODS

The REVASC-TAVI registry (Management of Myocardial Revascularization in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation With Coronary Artery Disease) collected data from 30 centers worldwide on patients undergoing TAVI who had significant, stable CAD at preprocedural work-up. For the purposes of this analysis, patients with either complete or incomplete myocardial revascularization were compared in a propensity score matched analysis, to take into account of baseline confounders. The primary and co-primary outcomes were all-cause death and the composite of all-cause death, stroke, myocardial infarction, and rehospitalization for heart failure, respectively, at 2 years.

RESULTS

Among 2407 patients enrolled, 675 pairs of patients achieving complete or incomplete myocardial revascularization were matched. The primary (21.6% versus 18.2%, hazard ratio' 0.88 [95% CI, 0.66-1.18]; P=0.38) and co-primary composite (29.0% versus 27.1%, hazard ratio' 0.97 [95% CI, 0.76-1.24]; P=0.83) outcome did not differ between patients achieving complete or incomplete myocardial revascularization, respectively. These results were consistent across different prespecified subgroups of patients (< or >75 years of age, Society of Thoracic Surgeons score > or <4%, angina at baseline, diabetes, left ventricular ejection fraction > or <40%, New York Heart Association class I/II or III/IV, renal failure, proximal CAD, multivessel CAD, and left main/proximal anterior descending artery CAD; all P values for interaction >0.10).

CONCLUSIONS

The present analysis of the REVASC-TAVI registry showed that, among TAVI patients with significant stable CAD found during the TAVI work-up, completeness of myocardial revascularization achieved either staged or concomitantly with TAVI was similar to a strategy of incomplete revascularization in reducing the risk of all cause death, as well as the risk of death, stroke, myocardial infarction, and rehospitalization for heart failure at 2 years, regardless of the clinical and anatomical situations.

Acute Kidney Injury After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Mediates the Effect of Chronic Kidney Disease

Background Acute kidney injury (AKI) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is associated with increased mortality. However, it is controversial whether AKI affects prognosis per se, being linked to baseline chronic kidney disease (CKD) and bleeding complications. The aim of this study was to disentangle, applying mediation analysis, the association between AKI and clinical outcome, considering CKD and bleedings. Methods and Results Consecutive patients undergoing TAVR were prospectively enrolled at 5 high-volume centers in Italy. AKI was defined according to Valve Academic Research Consortium-3 consensus, whereas bleeding with Bleeding Academic Research Consortium. Primary outcome was all-cause mortality after 1-year follow-up. Among 2621 patients undergoing TAVR, AKI occurrence was associated with 1-year mortality. This association of AKI with the primary end points remained significant after adjusting for baseline risk estimators, either Society of Thoracic Surgeons score (hazard ratio [HR], 2.78 [95% CI, 1.95-3.80], P<0.001) or EuroSCORE-II (HR, 1.85 [95% CI, 1.35-2.56], P<0.001). Both AKI and CKD significantly and independently affected primary outcome (HR, 3.06 [95% CI, 2.01-4.64], P<0.001 and HR, 1.82 [95% CI 1.27-2.65], P<0.01, respectively). The estimated proportion of the total effect of CKD mediated via AKI was, on average, 15%, 95% CI, 4%-29%, P<0.001. The significant effect of Bleeding Academic Research Consortium 2-5 bleedings on the primary outcome was not mediated by AKI. Conclusions AKI occurs in 1 out of 6 patients and significantly mediates one fifth of the effect of baseline CKD on all-cause mortality after TAVR. Our analysis supports a systematic effort to prevent AKI during TAVR, which may potentially translate into improved patients' 1-year survival.

Network meta-analysis of medical therapy efficacy in more than 90,000 patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction

BACKGROUND

Following the availability of new drugs for chronic heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), we sought to provide an updated and comparative synthesis of the evidence on HFrEF pharmacotherapy efficacy.

METHODS

We performed a Bayesian network meta-analysis of phase 2 and 3 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of medical therapy in HFrEF patient cohorts with more than 90% of the participants with left ventricular ejection fraction less than 45% and all-cause mortality reported.

RESULTS

Sixty-nine RCTs, accounting for 91,741 subjects, were evaluated. The step-wise introduction of new drugs progressively decreased the risk of all-cause death, up to reaching a random-effects hazard ratio (HR) of 0.43 (95% credible intervals [CrI] 0.27-0.63) with beta blockers (BB), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi), and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA) versus placebo. The risk was further reduced by adding sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i; HR 0.38, 95% CrI 0.22-0.60), ivabradine (HR 0.39, 95% CrI 0.21-0.64), or vericiguat (HR 0.40, 95% CrI 0.22-0.65) to neurohormonal inhibitors, and by angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI), BB, and MRA (HR 0.36, 95% CrI 0.20-0.60). In a sensitivity analysis considering the ARNI and non-ARNI subgroups of SGLT2i RCTs, the combination SGLT2i + ARNI + BB + MRA was associated with the lowest HR (0.28, 95% CrI 0.16-0.45 vs. 0.40, 95% CrI 0.24-0.60 for SGLT2i + BB + ACEi + MRA). Consistent results were obtained in sensitivity analyses and by calculating surface under the cumulative ranking area, as well as for cardiovascular mortality (information available for 56 RCTs), HF hospitalization (45 RCTs), and all-cause hospitalization (26 RCTs).

CONCLUSIONS

Combination medical therapy including neurohormonal inhibitors and newer drugs, especially ARNI and SGLT2i, confers the maximum benefit with regard to HFrEF prognosis.

The Incidence and Impact of In-Hospital Bleeding in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic increased the complexity of the clinical management and pharmacological treatment of patients presenting with an Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS). Aim: to explore the incidence and prognostic impact of in-hospital bleeding in patients presenting with ACS before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We evaluated in-hospital Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) major and minor bleeding among 2851 patients with ACS from 17 Italian centers during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., March–April 2020) and in the same period in the previous two years. Results: The incidence of in-hospital TIMI major and minor bleeding was similar before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. TIMI major or minor bleeding was associated with a significant threefold increase in all-cause mortality, with a similar prognostic impact before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions: the incidence and clinical impact of in-hospital bleeding in ACS patients was similar before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. We confirmed a significant and sizable negative prognostic impact of in-hospital bleeding in ACS patients.

654 Fragility of functional/symptomatic endpoints to assess the efficacy of drugs for pulmonary arterial hypertension

Aims

Drugs for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) have historically been evaluated for their efficacy in improving functional capacity and decreasing symptoms. However, these measures of treatment effect are approximate and subject to substantial variability, and therapeutic choices based on them may be aleatory.

Methods and results

We reviewed the articles reporting the results of phase 3 PAH randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and calculated the fragility index (FI) for the outcomes exploring functional capacity and symptoms. The FI corresponds to the number of events that need to be added to the arm with the smallest number of events to make a significant result non-significant: the lower the FI, the fragile the trial with respect to the endpoint examined. For RCTs with non-significant results, we calculated the FI as the number of events that need to be removed from the investigational drug (ID) group to reach a P-value &lt;0.05. When possible, we also computed the FI for PAH hospitalization. Data about the rate of functional/symptomatic improvement were available for 22 (63%) of 35 RCTs (Table). The ID was superior to placebo or comparator with P &lt; 0.05 in 10 (45%) of these 22 studies. The median FI was 2 [interquartile range (IQR): 6.5], with 4 RCTs having a FI = 1 and only 2 &gt; 10 (Table). For the 12 RCTs in which the effect of the ID was neutral (P &gt; 0.05), the median FI was 6 (IQR 4.25) (Table). The hospitalization FI was determined for 17 (77%) of the 22 RCTs and was overall higher than the one for the functional/symptomatic outcome (median 6, IQR 8).

Conclusions

Accessible information about the effects of PAH drugs on functional capacity and/or symptoms is published for 6 in 10 RCTs, in which very few events in one arm could have flipped the results from non-significant to significant or, more remarkably, from significant to non-significant. The evidence supporting the reduction of PAH hospitalizations as a treatment goal appears to be more robust.

607 Comparison of incidence and predictors of new left bundle branch block and permanent pacemaker implantation in a large multicentre contemporary TAVI registry using the Evolut R/pro system vs. the accurate neo valve

Aims

Conduction disorders and permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) continue to be an important issue in patients who undergo transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence and clinical outcomes of new left bundle branch block (LBBB) and PPI after TAVI in a comparison between two self-expandable supra-annular transcatheter valves.

Methods and results

We report the data from an international, retrospective registry including 3862 consecutive patients who underwent TAVI with two self-expanding transcatheter heart valves (Medtronic Evolut R/PRO and Boston ACURATE neo). Patients with pre-existing left or right bundle branch block, any atrioventricular blocks or previous pacemaker implantation were excluded. Finally, we performed a propensity score matched analysis (PSM) to match the patients and overcome pre-procedural differences reaching 427 couples. New-onset Left Bundle Branch Block (LBBB) occurred with a rate of 13.1% (56/427) in the ACURATE group and 18.7% (80/427) in the Evolut group (P = 0.031). The incidence of new permanent pacemaker implantation was 16.4% (70/427) in the Evolut group and 6.8% (29/427) in the ACURATE group, respectively (P &lt; 0.001). In the multivariate regression analysis, we found the valve recapture [odds ratio (OR): 4.66, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08–23.75, P = 0.042] as significant predictors for LBBB, and male sex (OR: 1.59, CI: 1.03–2.46, P = 0.036), ACURATE valve (OR: 0.34, CI: 0.20–0.57, P &lt; 0.001) and post-procedure LBBB (OR: 4.38, CI: 2.78–6.85, P &lt; 0.001) for PPI.

Conclusions

In our large multi-centre contemporary cohort of patients, new LBBB and PPI occurred more frequently in patients following TAVI with Evolut R/PRO vs. ACURATE valve. However, the choice of the valve seemed to influence only the rate of pacemaker implantation and not the incidence of new LBBB. Further data is required to clarify the impact of valve design on conduction abnormalities.

612 Comparison of two self-expandable supra-annular bioprosthesis: a propensity score-matched analysis

Aims

Limited data reported the comparison of bioprostheses for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) among devices of supra-annular design. The aim of this study is to compare the clinical outcomes of the ACURATE neo and Evolut R/PRO valves for TAVI in a propensity score-matched analysis (PSM).

Methods and results

We performed a propensity score-matched analysis equalizing almost all the patient’s risk factors, anatomical and procedural characteristics, and assessing the predictive value of the remaining features. Our data were derived from a large, real-world, contemporary, multicentre, international, retrospective registry of 3862 consecutive patients undergoing TAVI using two different self-expandable supra-annular valves (Medtronic Evolut R/PRO and Boston ACURATE neo). We reached a matched population of 713 couples for each device group with a medium follow-up of 456.5 days. In the comparison of the clinical outcomes between the Evolut and the ACURATE patients, no difference occurred in mortality (9.8% vs. 9.0%, P = 0.650), heart failure hospitalization (9.6% vs. 6.0%, P = 0.076), myocardial infarction (0.7% vs. 0.4%, P = 0.718), stroke (2.4% vs. 1.4%, P = 0.239), major bleeding (3.3% vs. 3.4%, P = 1.000), vascular complications (13.7% vs. 10.9%, P = 0.126), endocarditis (1.1% vs. 0.6%, P = 0.568), sepsis (0.9% vs. 0.5%, P = 0.605), acute kidney injury (0.9% vs. 0.5%, P = 0.605), and new left bundle branch block (17% vs. 13.5%, P = 0.187). The only outcome with a significant difference between the groups was the need of pacemaker implantation in favour of the ACURATE valve (5.3% vs. 12.9% for the Evolut, P &lt; 0.001).

Conclusions

In our PSM cohort, the comparison between the Evolut and the ACURATE valve showed no significant differences in the multiple outcomes evaluated, except for the rate of new pacemaker implantation. This data confirmed the recent literature, but it needs further dedicated investigation using the following devices generations.

579 Pre-operative computed tomography evaluation of suprarenal aortic burden predicts post-procedural acute kidney injury after transcatheter aortic valve replacement: the spread-AKI study

Aims

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a potential complication of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Athero-embolization linked to catheter manipulation in the supra-renal aorta is a possible pathogenetic mechanism of AKI after TAVR. We sought to determine the impact of supra-renal aortic atheroma burden (AB) on AKI, and the potential role of pre-operative multislice computed tomography (PO-MSCT) in evaluating the supra-renal aortic atherosclerosis and the pre-operative risk of AKI.

Methods and results

We collected PO-MSCT, as well as baseline, procedural, and post-procedural characteristics of 222 consecutive patients who underwent TAVR from January 2018 to December 2020 at a single, high-volume, Italian centre. PO-MSCT was performed using a dedicated TAVR protocol with an ECG-triggered high-pitch spiral acquisition. The non-contrast aortic valve calcium score (AV-CS) was calculated by a dedicated software. Angiographic data were analysed on a dedicated 3D workstation. Bidimensional measurements, total renal volume (TRV), and presence of significant (≥50%) renal artery stenosis (RAS) were recorded. The supra-renal AB was quantified using a ‘plaque analysis’ module that automatically segments the entire aortic root, from the sino-tubular junction to the renal arteries, by drawing a centreline across the aortic lumen and delineating the inner and outer vessel walls (including the plaque). Manual correction was applied. A set of Hounsfield unit (HU) intensity ranges were defined and mapped to a color overlay to visualize the various elements of atherosclerotic lesion by using the plaque density classification of the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (necrotic core, fibro-fatty, fibrous, and calcified plaque); calcified plaque were subcategorized on a voxel-level basis into three strata: low- (351–700 HU), mid- (701–1000 HU), and high-calcium (&gt;1000 HU, termed 1K plaque). Post-procedural complications were defined according to Valve Academic Research Consortium (VARC-3) criteria. Mean age was 83.3 ± 5.7 years, and 95 (42.8%) patients were males. AKI occurred in 67/222 (30.2%). Patients who developed AKI had higher supra-renal AB (17.6 ± 5.1% vs. 13.9 ± 4.3%, P &lt; 0.001), TRV indexed for body surface area (TRVBSA; 153.7 ± 43.1 vs. 134.9 ± 38.7, P = 0.002), mid-calcium plaque (2.2 ± 1.5% vs. 1.3 ± 1.1%, P &lt; 0.001), 1K plaque (5.4 ± 3.7% vs. 2.4 ± 2.4%, P &lt; 0.001) and suffered more post-procedural major/life-threatening (severe) bleedings [9/67 (13.4%) vs. 5/155 (3.2%), P = 0.004], whereas there was no difference in AV-CS (P = 0.691) and RAS (P = 0.077). Multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusted for other univariate predictors (male sex, baseline eGFR, baseline ejection fraction, baseline mean aortic gradient, and RAS) showed percent supra-renal AB (HR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.06–1.26, P = 0.002), mid-to-high calcium plaque (HR: 5.67, 95% CI: 2.49–13.77, P &lt; 0.001), severe bleedings (HR: 4.93, 95% CI: 1.09–24.69, P = 0.043), and TRVBSA (HR: 1.015, 95% CI: 1.01–1.02, P = 0.021) as independent predictors of AKI. Finally, a 3-knots spline curve analysis identified percent of supra-renal AB &gt; 15.0% as the optimal threshold to predict an increased risk of AKI.

Conclusions

Suprarenal AB is associated with the occurrence of AKI, and this association is strengthened as the percentage of calcified plaque increases. Quantitative and qualitative pre-operative MSCT assessment of aortic atherosclerosis may help in early identification of patients at high-risk for AKI who could benefit from higher peri-operative surveillance.

633 Efficacy of additional medical therapies in patients with heart failure, reduced ejection fraction, and chronic kidney disease already receiving neurohormonal inhibitors: a network meta-analysis

Aims

We assessed the efficacy of add-on drugs in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and concomitant chronic kidney disease (CKD) already receiving neurohormonal inhibition (NEUi).

Methods and results

The literature was systematically searched for phase 3 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving ≥90% patients with left ventricular ejection fraction &lt;45%, of whom &lt;30% were acutely decompensated, and with published information about the subgroup of estimated glomerular filtration rate &lt;60 ml/min/1.73 m2. Six RCTs were included in a study-level network meta-analysis evaluating the effect of NEUi, ivabradine, angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI), sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), vericiguat, and omecamtiv mecarbil (OM) on a composite outcome of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure. In a fixed-effects model, SGLT2i (HR: 0.78, 95% CrI: 0.69–0.89), ARNI (HR: 0.79, 95% CrI: 0.69–0.90), and ivabradine (HR: 0.82, 95% CrI: 0.69–0.98) decreased the risk of the composite outcome vs. NEUi, whereas OM did not (HR: 0.98, 95% CrI: 0.89–1.10). A trend for improved outcome was also found for vericiguat (HR: 0.90, 95% CrI: 0.80–1.00). In indirect comparisons, both SLGT2i (HR: 0.80, 95% CrI: 0.68–0.94) and ARNI (HR: 0.80, 95% CrI: 0.68–0.95) reduced the risk vs. OM; furthermore, there was a trend for a greater benefit of SGLT2i vs. vericiguat (HR: 0.88, 95% CrI: 0.73–1.00) and ivabradine vs. OM (HR: 0.84, 95% CrI: 0.68–1.00). Results were comparable in a random-effects model and in sensitivity analyses. SUCRA scores were 81.8%, 80.8%, 68.9%, 44.2%, 16.6%, and 7.8% for SGLT2i, ARNI, ivabradine, vericiguat, OM, and NEUi, respectively.

Conclusions

Expanding pharmacotherapy beyond NEUi improves outcomes in HFrEF with CKD.

692 Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on in-hospital outcomes for patients with acute coronary syndrome: a propensity-weighted, multicentre study

Aims

Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic has dramatically changed the management and the prognosis of patients experiencing acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Several scientific societies have highlighted the need for dedicated paths to deliver better and faster care to improve outcomes. Nevertheless, data depicting the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on ACS in Italy are still poor. To perform a propensity weighted analysis on a multicentre Italian registry involving patients with ACS managed before vs. during COVID-19 pandemic, taking into account baseline patients characteristics, clinical presentation, procedural aspects, and in-hospital outcomes (death, bleeding, stent thrombosis, myocardial infarction, stroke/transient ischaemic attack, mechanical complication, and arrhythmic complication).

Methods and results

We included all consecutive patients who have suffered from ACS during two periods before (March/April 2018, March/April 2019) vs. the period of COVID-19 pandemic (March/April 2020). A generalized boosted non-parsimonious regression was used to estimate the propensity scores of having an ACS in 2020 (year of COVID-19) vs. 2018/2019 using an average treatment effect and balancing for all baseline confounders. We included 2851 patients admitted to hospital with ACS in 17 Italian centres: 1079 (37.8%) during 2018, 1056 (37.0%) in 2019, and 716 (25.1%) during the first COVID-19 wave of 2020. Seventy (2.5%) patients had a positive swab for SARS-CoV-2 at admission. During 2020 there were higher time-to-emergency-call (P = 0.028) and less diagnosis of unstable angina (P = 0.029) and MINOCA (P = 0.004); none of the admission symptoms differ significantly across the years (P > 0.05) except for fever that was more prevalent in 2020 (P < 0.001). Patients suffering from ACS had lower admission EF (P = 0.006). After PS weighting, multivariate Cox regression analysis showed age (P < 0.001), night admission (P = 0.017), cardiocirculatory arrest before cath-lab (P = 0.041), worst Killip class (P = 0.039), admission EF (P = 0.026), and need for left-ventricle mechanical support (P = 0.011) as independent predictors of in-hospital death. After propensity weighted analysis none of the in-hospital outcomes differed significantly across the years of investigation (all P > 0.05).

Conclusions

During COVID-19 pandemic in Italy the characteristics and management of ACS was slightly different than the past. However, the rates of ‘hard’, in-hospital outcomes (e.g. deaths) are almost similar to the past, suggesting appropriate care and well-organized emergency-paths for ACS.

599 Gender-based differences in TAVI outcomes: report from a large contemporary real-world population of self-expandable valves

Aims

Small sub-study data derived from randomized clinical trials suggest a gender-based disparity in TAVI outcomes. However, large real-world contemporary data is missing. The aim of this study is to compare the risk factors, procedural characteristics and clinical outcomes of male and female patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) using two next-generation self-expandable bioprostheses (ACURATE neo and Evolut R/Pro valves).

Methods

We performed a first unmatched comparison and a propensity score-matched analysis (PSM) to assess the outcomes derived by the sex difference beyond the impact of pre-procedural risk factors in a large, contemporary, real-world, multicentre, international, retrospective registry of 3862 consecutive patients. The primary endpoint was a composite of all-cause death or any stroke (disabling and non-disabling) at 1 year.

Results

Sixty-four per cent (2162/3353 patients) of the study cohort was female and was older (mean age 82.3 years vs. 81.1 years for men (P&lt;0.001)) had a higher BMI (27.7±5.7 for women vs. 27.2±4.5 for men), and lower prevalence of dyslipidaemia (50.2% vs. 54.7, P=0.037), diabetes (26.8% vs. 33.7, P&lt;0.001), smoking (10.0% vs. 24.3%, P&lt;0.001), COPD (17.4% vs. 21.9%, P=0.002), pacemaker/ICD (9.6% vs. 14.0%, P&lt;0.001), previous cardiac surgery (8.6% vs. 18.8%, P&lt;0.001), previous PCI (23.0% vs. 36.8%, P&lt;0.001). Mean STS score for women was higher 5.2±3.9% vs. 4.5±3.4% (P&lt;0.001). Women had higher mean valve gradients (45.4±17.1 vs. 42.7±14.7 mmHg; P&lt;0.001), smaller valve areas (mean 0.7 cm2 vs. 0.9 cm2, P=0.037) and smaller annular perimeters (56.8±23.0 vs. 62.0±23.8, P&lt;0.001). The primary endpoint was resulted in a rate of 7.9% vs. 6.9% (P=0.337) in the unmatched population and 9.4% vs. 6.0% (P=0.014) after the PSM, respectively for women and for men. Independently, there was no difference in mortality (5.9% vs. 5.6%; P=0.786) and stroke (2.5% vs. 1.8%; P=0.243) rates between women and men in the un-matched groups. Rates of cardiac tamponade (1.5% vs. 0.4%, P=0.008), major vascular complications (7.7% vs. 4.1%, P&lt;0.001), life-threatening bleeding (2.8% vs. 1.4%, P=0.016), major bleeding (5.1% vs. 2.9%, P=0.004), need of transfusion (8.9% vs. 4.6%, P&lt;0.001) and acute kidney injury (8.5% vs. 5.7%, P=0.009), were all significantly higher in women. After PSM, mortality was similar between the two groups (11.3% for women vs. 9.5% for men, P=0.264) but strokes were more prevalent in women (2.8% vs. 1.2%, P&lt;0.024). Furthermore, in the matched population, major vascular complications (6.8% vs. 4.1%, P=0.024), need of transfusion (9.1% vs. 4.6%, P&lt;0.001) and acute kidney injury (8.7% vs. 5.6%, P=0.009) remained significantly different between women and men, respectively.

Conclusions

In this large real-world contemporary TAVI registry, female gender was associated with higher rates of stroke, vascular complications, major bleeding, and acute kidney injury. Further studies are required to explore the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms for these observations.

426 Percutaneous or surgical access for transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation: a propensity matched analysis of a multicentre registry

Aims

The transfemoral (TF) approach appeared to be the safest and the broadest used approach in TAVI, characterized by a lower rate of periprocedural bleedings and vascular complications and is currently recommended by the guidelines as a first line approach when feasible. If in the early experience TF access was achieved using a surgical cutdown approach, through the last years, there has been increasing evidence of the safety and efficacy of a fully percutaneous approach over a surgical access, albeit available evidences are controverting and mostly including first generation prostheses and high risk patients. The aim of the study is to compare percutaneous and surgical access in a large, real-word, multicentre of TF TAVI.

Methods and results

Consecutive patients undergoing successful TF TAVI were prospectively enrolled in local clinical registries of five high volume centres in Italy: IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino (Genoa), IRCCS Policlinico San Donato (Milan), Città Della Salute e della Scienza, (Turin), Ospedale Niguarda Ca’ Granda (Milan), Magna Graecia University, (Catanzaro), between January 2014 to December 2019. Univariate and multivariate analysis using IPTW were performed. A total of 1946 TF TAVI patients (female 42.8%) were prospectively included. Patients underwent surgical access had a significantly higher surgical risk (STS score of 8.9 vs. 6.4, P &lt; 0.001, and EuroSCORE of 15.1 vs. 8.7, P &lt; 0.001, respectively). Overall survival was comparable between the two groups (HR: 1.14, 95% CI: 0.76–1.71). Patients who underwent surgical access experienced more VARC-2 major and VARC-2 minor vascular complications (13% vs. 7%, P = 0.003 and 11% vs. 6.1%, P = 0.007, respectively) and more VARC-2 major/life threatening and minor bleeding (27.4% vs. 17.8, P = 0.001, and 9.6% vs. 2.1%, P &lt; 0.001, respectively). After IPTW adjustment, surgical access was associated with an increased risk of major vascular complications (HR: 3.32, 95% CI: 1.84–5.97), minor bleeding (HR: 4.24, 95% CI: 1.16–15.54) and stage 2–3 AKI (HR: 2.60, 95% CI: 1.07–6.33).

Conclusions

The performance of the percutaneous transfemoral TAVI approach was safe and feasible and resulted in fewer major vascular complications, bleedings and AKI than the surgical femoral isolation. Procedural time and hospital length were also lower in the percutaneous group. Routine application of the percutaneous approach might reduce acute complications in patients undergoing transfemoral TAVI and reduce procedural time and hospital length.

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing in COVID-19 patients at 3 months follow-up

Background

Long-term effects of Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) are of utmost relevance.

We aimed to determine: 1) the functional capacity of COVID-19 survivors by cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET); 2) the characteristics associated with cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) performance; 3) the safety and tolerability of CPET.

Methods

We prospectively enrolled consecutive patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 from Azienda Sanitaria Locale 3, Genoa. Three months after hospital discharge a complete clinical evaluation, trans-thoracic echocardiography, CPET, pulmonary function tests, and dominant leg extension (DLE) maximal strength measurement were performed.

Results

From the 225 patients discharged alive from March to November 2020, we excluded 12 incomplete/missing cases and 13 unable to perform CPET, leading to a final cohort of 200. Median percent-predicted peak oxygen uptake (%pVO2) was 88% (78.3–103.1).

Ninety-nine (49.5%) patients had %pVO2 below, whereas 101 (50.5%) above the 85% predicted value.

Among the 99 patients with reduced %pVO2, 61 (61%) had a normal anaerobic threshold: of these, 9(14.8%) had respiratory, 21(34.4%) cardiac, and 31(50.8%) non-cardiopulmonary reasons for exercise limitation. Inerestingly, 80% of patients experienced at least one disabling symtpom, not related to %pVO2 or functional capacity.

Multivariate linear regression showed percent-predicted forced expiratory volume in one-second(β = 5.29,p = 0.023), percent-predicted diffusing capacity of lungs for carbon monoxide(β = 6.31,p = 0.001), and DLE maximal strength(β = 14.09,p = 0.008) to be independently associated with pVO2.

No adverse event was reported during or after CPET, and no involved health professional developed COVID-19.

Conclusions

At three months after discharge, about 1/3rd of COVID-19 survivors show functional limitations, mainly explained by muscular impairment, calling for future research to identify patients at higher risk of long-term effects that may benefit from careful surveillance and targeted rehabilitation.

Atrial fibrillation and Alzheimer's disease: A conundrum

During ageing, the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and of cardiovascular disease CVD) increases. Our aim is to investigate the relationship between AD and CVD and its risk factors, with a view to explaining the underlying mechanisms of this association. This review is based on the material obtained via MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase and Clinical Trials databases, from January 1980 until May 2019. The search term used was "Alzheimer's disease", combined with "cardiovascular disease", "hypertension", "dyslipidaemia", "diabetes mellitus", "atrial fibrillation", "coronary artery disease", "heart valve disease", "heart failure". Out of the 1328 papers initially retrieved, 431 duplicates and 216 records in languages other than English were removed; thus, only 98 papers were included in our research material. We have found that AD and CVD are frequently associated, while both of them, alone may be considered deleterious to health, the study of their combination constitutes a clinical challenge. Further research will help to clarify the real impact of CVD and its risk factors on AD, in order to better comprehend the effects of subclinical and clinical cardiovascular diseases on the brain. It may be hypothesized that there are various mechanisms underlying the association between AD and CVD, the main ones being: hypoperfusion and emboli, atherosclerosis, furthermore in both the heart and brain of AD patients, amyloid deposits may be present, thus causing damage to these organs. We need to clarify the real impact of these underlying hypothesized mechanisms and to investigate gender issues.

BMI and acute kidney injury post transcatheter aortic valve replacement: unveiling the obesity paradox

AIMS

Acute kidney injury (AKI) may complicate transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) leading to higher mortality. The relationship between AKI, obesity, and mortality, however, is controversial. We sought to investigate the impact of body habitus on the prognostic value of AKI in TAVR.

METHODS

Among the 645 patients who underwent successful TAVR in a single high-volume centre, we retrospectively evaluated the association between AKI-TAVR and 30-day, 6-month, and 1-year mortality, and whether this relationship was affected by BMI. AKI was defined according to the Valve Academic Research Consortium-2 criteria. Patients were categorized into three groups by BMI: low-to-normal weight (<25 kg/m2), overweight (25-30 kg/m2), obese (>30.0 kg/m2).

RESULTS

Three-hundred and twenty-four (50.2%) patients were low-to-normal weight, 223 (34.6%) overweight, and 98 (15.2%) obese. AKI occurred in 141 (21.9%), similarly across BMI groups. Thirty-day, 6-month, and 1-year mortality rates were 2.2, 3.7, and 7.9%, without differences across BMI groups. Among patients who developed AKI-TAVR, 30-day (8.7 vs. 2.0 vs. 0.0%), 6-month (13.0 vs. 6.1 vs. 4.3%), and 1-year (20.3 vs. 12.2 vs. 4.3%) mortality showed a decreasing trend across increasing BMI categories (all P < 0.05); the same trend was not observed for patients without AKI-TAVR. In multivariate models, AKI was associated with 30-day [odds ratio (OR): 2.46, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.70-8.67], 6-month (OR: 2.75, 95% CI: 1.32-7.59), and 1-year mortality (OR: 1.84, 95% CI: 1.22-3.71, all P < 0.05). The interaction between AKI and BMI, when added to the models, was consistently significant (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Higher BMI is associated with better survival in TAVR patients who develop AKI.

[Bileaflet mechanical valve dysfunction related to fibrous pannus: the role of cine-fluoroscopy]

We report the case of a 72-year-old female patient admitted for worsening heart failure. The patient had undergone aortic valve replacement with a mechanical prosthesis 28 years before and since then she had several acute heart failure episodes, with a progressive increase in transprosthetic gradients, without identifying a specific cause.We describe the diagnostic tools used to reach a diagnosis, with particular emphasis on the use of cine-fluoroscopy that allowed to make the decisively diagnosis of prosthetic valve dysfunction, subsequently confirmed by cardiac computed tomography (CT). By cine-fluoroscopy, a widespread, easy, low-cost, and safe tool (no need for medium contrast and low radiation dose), it is possible to precisely define the function of the valve leaflets and measure their opening and closing angles, comparing them to the specific reference angles. To make the correct diagnosis we also performed a cardiac CT demonstrating a sub-aortic fibrous pannus. However, although cardiac CT is highly accurate for the identification of valve leaflet neoformations and abnormalities and for the discrimination between thrombotic formations and fibrous pannus, it is burdened by high costs, use of contrast medium, and limited available dedicated devices.

Impact of bioprosthetic valve type on peri-procedural myocardial injury and mortality after transcatheter aortic valve replacement

Peri-procedural myocardial injury (PPMI) is a common complication after transcatheter valve replacement (TAVR), often remaining clinically silent. The role of valve type on PPMI and the association between PPMI and mortality are still unclear. We sought to evaluate predictors and outcome of PPMI after TAVR, and the impact of self-expandable valve (SEV) vs. balloon-expandable valve (BEV) deployment on PPMI. Consecutive patients who underwent successful TAVR in a single-center from January 2014 to December 2019 were included. PPMI was defined according to a modified Valve Academic Research Consortium (VARC)-2 definition as a post-procedure elevation of troponin (with a peak value ≥ 15-times the upper-reference limit) < 72 h after TAVR. We included 596 patients, of whom 258 (43.3%) were men. Mean age was 83.4 ± 5.5 years. We deployed 368 (61.7%) BEV and 228 (38.3%) SEV. PPMI was observed in 471 (79.0%) patients. At multivariable analysis, SEV (OR 2.70, 95% CI 1.64-4.55, p < 0.001), creatinine clearance (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.97-1.00, p = 0.011), and baseline ejection fraction (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.02-1.07, p < 0.001) were independent predictors of PPMI; these findings were also confirmed using a propensity-weighted analysis. Thirty-day and 1-year all-cause mortality rates were 2.5% and 8.1%, respectively. No associations between PPMI and 30-day (p = 0.488) or 1-year (p = 0.139) all-cause mortality were found. Independent predictors of 30-day mortality were increasing EUROSCORE II (HR 1.16 per score point, 95% CI 1.08-1.19, p < 0.001) and life-threatening/major bleeding complications (HR 5.87, 95% CI 1.28-26.58, p = 0.019), whereas EUROSCORE II (HR 1.08, 95% CI 1.04-1.13, p = 0.031) and acute kidney injury (HR 2.59, 95% CI 1.20-5.35, p = 0.020) were related to 1-year mortality. PPMI is frequent after TAVR, but it does not affect 30-day or 1-year all-cause mortality. SEV implantation is associated with an increased frequency of PPMI.

Early infections after successful transcatheter aortic valve replacement are associated with increased short- and long-term mortality: A single-center study

BACKGROUND

We reviewed frequency, microbiological pattern, predictors, and outcomes of early infections following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

METHODS

Five hundred thirty-nine patients who underwent successful TAVR at a single, high-volume center between January 2014 and December 2019 were enrolled. We defined early infections as occurring within 30-day from TAVR.

RESULTS

Mean age was 83.5 ± 5.4 years; 230 (42.7%) patients were men. Median follow-up was 12.0 (5.7-18.3) months; 30-day and 1-year death rates were 8/539 (1.5%) and 30/539 (5.6%), respectively. Early infections occurred in 61/539 (11.3%) patients, of whom 2 had infections in two sites. Of the 63 infections, 10 were bloodstream infections (BSI), 5 urinary tract, 27 pulmonary (2 with sepsis), 6 access site infections, 1 enterocolitis, and 14 were clinically diagnosed (no specific site). We observed 31/63 (49.2%) microbiologically-documented infections: Gram+ bacteria were isolated in 12/31 (38.7%), Gram- in 17/31 (54.3%), both Gram+ and Gram- in 2/31 (6.5%); in thirty-two infections no specific pathogen could be isolated (clinically-documented infections). Early infections were more prevalent in patients who died within 30-day (8.2% vs. 0.6%, p < 0.001) or 1-year (14.8% vs. 4.4%, p < 0.001) from TAVR. At multivariable analysis, early infections were independently associated with 30-day (HR: 8.82, 95% CI: 1.11-19.83, p = 0.035) and 1-year mortality (HR: 2.10, 95%CI: 1.28-6.21, p = 0.041). The predictive value for 1-year mortality was maintained even restricting the analysis to documented infections only, or to more severe infections (BSI and pneumonia only) (all p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Early infections occur in 1/10th of TAVR and are associated with increased short- and long-term mortality. Whereas a causal relationship between early infections and the risk of death cannot be unequivocally proven, careful surveillance of infected patients may improve TAVR results.

Hard Events AfteR Orsiro Sirolimus-Eluting Stent (HEROES) in STEMI: A Multicenter Registry

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the Orsiro sirolimus-eluting stent (Biotronik) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). Specific drug-eluting stent (DES) platforms might influence pPCI success rate in the mid-to-long term. Orsiro, a hybrid sirolimus DES with thin struts and a biodegradable polymer, may potentially cause less stent malapposition, stent-induced inflammation, and mechanical damage, improving clinical outcomes.

METHODS

We retrospectively enrolled all patients who received 1 or more Orsiro DES in the target vessel of pPCI at 9 Italian centers from January 2012 to March 2016. The primary endpoint was a device-oriented composite endpoint (DOCE) of cardiac death, any myocardial infarction clearly attributable to the intervention culprit vessel (TVMI), and ischemic-driven target-lesion revascularization (ID-TLR) at 1-year follow-up. Secondary endpoints were: (1) DOCE at 6-month and 3-year follow-up; (2) any definite/probable stent thrombosis; and (3) any major bleeding.

RESULTS

The study cohort comprised 353 patients. At 1-year follow-up, we observed a 3.7% cumulative incidence of DOCE, consisting of 11 cardiac deaths (3.1%), 2 TVMIs (0.6%), and 2 ID-TLRs (0.6%). There was only 1 definite stent thrombosis (0.3%) and 8 bleedings (2.4%). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed DOCE-free survival rates of 96.6% at 6 months, 96.3% at 1 year, and 93.8% at 3 years.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings support the real-world safety and efficacy of the Orsiro stent for pPCI.

Duration of dual antiplatelet therapy and subsequent monotherapy type in patients undergoing drug eluting stent implantation: a network Meta-analysis

AIMS

To compare safety and efficacy of very short (≤3 months), short (6 months), standard (12 months) and extended (>12 months) DAPT, and subsequent monotherapies, after DES.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Twenty-two RCT (n = 110059 patients/year) were selected and included in a Bayesian network meta-analysis. The primary efficacy endpoint (PEP) was a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI) and stent thrombosis (ST), the primary safety endpoint was major bleeding. Compared to standard, we found lower rate of MI (OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.44-0.77) in extended DAPT; lower rate of major bleeding (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.39-0.87) in very short and lower rate of any bleeding (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.38-0.90) in short DAPT. All DAPT durations were comparable regarding the secondary efficacy endpoints. Very short followed by P2Y12 inhibition was the treatment of choice to reduce both major bleeding and myocardial infarction. In the ACS subgroup, extended (as compared to standard DAPT) reduced PEP and ST (but not MI).

CONCLUSION

The efficacy of short and very short is comparable with that of standard DAPT after DES implantation, whereas extended DAPT reduces MI rate. Very short DAPT reduces haemorrhagic events and, followed by a P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy, may be preferred in order to pursue a trade-off between major bleeding and ischemia.

Very short vs. long dual antiplatelet therapy after second generation drug-eluting stents in 35 785 patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

AIM

To provide an updated assessment of the efficacy-safety profile of very short (1 or 3 months) dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) compared with long (12 months) DAPT in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs).

METHODS AND RESULTS

Seven randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing very short vs. long DAPT in 35 785 patients undergoing PCI were selected. The primary efficacy endpoint was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and the primary safety endpoint trial-defined major bleeding through at least 1 year. Compared with longer duration, very short DAPT yielded comparable rates of MACE [odds ratio (OR) 0.93, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.84-1.03, P = 0.19], all-cause mortality (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.80-1.06, P = 0.25), myocardial infarction (OR 1.01, 95% CI 0.88-1.15, P = 0.91), stroke (OR 1.04, 95% CI 0.72-1.50, P = 0.83), stent thrombosis (OR 1.05, 95% CI 0.80-1.37, P = 0.73), target vessel revascularization (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.82-1.18, P = 0.89), and comparable net clinical benefit (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.84-1.01, P = 0.08). Very short DAPT was associated with reduced rates of major bleeding (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.40-0.94, P = 0.03) or any bleeding (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.47-0.90, P = 0.009). Subgroup analyses showed consistent results for 1 vs. 3 month DAPT and for aspirin vs. P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy following very short DAPT.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with long DAPT, very short DAPT did not increase the odds of ischaemic complications, while reducing the odds of major or any bleeding by over 30%.