The American journal of cardiology
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Comparative Study
Impact of long-term statin therapy on postprocedural myocardial infarction in patients undergoing nonemergency percutaneous coronary intervention.
Periprocedural statin therapy has been shown to decrease the rate of myocardial infarctions (MIs) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, the impact of long-term statin therapy on postprocedure MI remains unknown. We examined the impact of long-term statin therapy on cardiac enzyme (cardiac troponin I [cTnI] and creatine kinase-MB [CK-MB]) increases after PCI in patients undergoing nonemergency PCI. ⋯ The greatest benefit in decrease of MIs after PCI was seen in patients with unstable angina receiving long-term high-dose statin therapy. In conclusion, long-term statin therapy did not decrease the incidence of periprocedural MI in patients with stable coronary artery disease undergoing nonemergency PCI. In patients with unstable coronary syndromes, long-term statin therapy may be beneficial, particularly at a high dose.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Safety and efficacy of transition from systemic prostanoids to inhaled treprostinil in pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a disease characterized by increased pulmonary pressures and chronic right heart failure. Therapies for moderate and severe PAH include subcutaneous (SQ) and intravenous (IV) prostanoids that improve symptoms and quality of life. However, treatment compliance can be limited by severe side effects and complications related to methods of drug administration. ⋯ Before transition 15 patients had been receiving IV or SQ treprostinil (mean dose 73 ng/kg/min) and 3 patients had been on IV epoprostenol (mean dose 10 ng/kg/min) for an average duration of 113 ± 80 months. Although most patients who transitioned to inhaled treprostinil demonstrated no statistically significant worsening of hemodynamics or 6-minute walk distance, a minority demonstrated worsening of New York Heart Association functional class over a 7-month period. In conclusion, although transition of patients from IV/SQ prostanoids to inhaled treprostinil appears to be well tolerated in clinically stable patients, they should remain closely monitored for signs of clinical decompensation.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Comparative one-year effectiveness of percutaneous coronary intervention versus coronary artery bypass grafting in patients <75 versus ≥75 years with unprotected left main disease (from the CUSTOMIZE Registry).
There is a lack of knowledge on the interaction between age and left main coronary artery revascularization. The aim of this study was to investigate the comparative effectiveness of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with left main coronary artery disease aged <75 versus ≥75 years. Of a total of 894 patients included, 692 (77.4%) were aged <75 years and 202 (23.6%) ≥75 years. ⋯ Target lesion revascularization occurred more frequently in patients aged <75 years treated with PCI compared to CABG (AHR 5.1, 95% confidence interval 1.9 to 13.6, p = 0.001) but not in those aged ≥75 years. A significant interaction between age and treatment with regard to major adverse cardiac events was identified (adjusted p for interaction = 0.034). In conclusion, compared to younger patients, elderly patients with left main disease are likely to derive the maximal gain from a less invasive procedure such as PCI.
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This study evaluated the relation between apolipoprotein B (apoB) decrease and coronary heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular disease risk. Bayesian random-effects meta-analysis was used to evaluate the association of mean absolute apoB decrease (milligrams per deciliter) with relative risk of coronary heart disease (nonfatal myocardial infarction and coronary heart disease death), stroke (nonfatal stroke and fatal stroke), or cardiovascular disease (coronary heart disease, stroke, and coronary revascularization). Analysis included 25 trials (n = 131,134): 12 on statin, 4 on fibrate, 5 on niacin, 2 on simvastatin-ezetimibe, 1 on ileal bypass surgery, and 1 on aggressive versus standard low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and blood pressure targets. ⋯ In the 12 statin trials, apoB and non-HDL cholesterol decreases similarly predicted cardiovascular disease risk; apoB improved coronary heart disease prediction when added to non-HDL cholesterol/LDL cholesterol decrease (BF 3.33) but did not improve stroke risk prediction when added to non-HDL cholesterol/LDL cholesterol decrease (BF 1.06). In conclusion, across all drug classes, apoB decreases did not consistently improve risk prediction over LDL cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol decreases. For statins, apoB decreases added information to LDL cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol decreases for predicting coronary heart disease but not stroke or overall cardiovascular disease risk decrease.
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Review Meta Analysis
Meta-analysis of safety and efficacy of uninterrupted warfarin compared to heparin-based bridging therapy during implantation of cardiac rhythm devices.
Optimal management of perioperative anticoagulation in patients undergoing pacemaker or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator implantation is not yet established. We performed a meta-analysis of the published literature to assess the safety and efficacy of perioperative heparin-based bridging therapy versus uninterrupted warfarin therapy in patients undergoing pacemaker or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator implantation. We performed a systematic review of MEDLINE (1950 to 2012), EMBASE (1988 to 2012), Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (fourth quarter 2011), and reports presented at scientific meetings (1994 to 2011). ⋯ There was no significant difference in risk of thromboembolic events between these 2 strategies (odds ratio 0.65, 95% confidence interval 0.14 to 3.02, p = 0.58). In conclusion, strategy of uninterrupted warfarin therapy throughout pacemaker or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator implantation is associated with decreased risk of bleeding without increasing risk of thromboembolic events. This strategy is a viable alternative to heparin-based bridging therapy.