Context High on-treatment platelet reactivity is associated with atherothrombotic events following coronary stent implantation. Objective To evaluate the capability of multiple platelet function tests to predict clinical outcome. Design, Setting, and Patients Prospective, observational, single-center cohort study of 1069 consecutive patients taking clopidogrel undergoing elective coronary stent implantation between December 2005 and December 2007. On-treatment platelet reactivity was measured in parallel by light transmittance aggregometry, VerifyNow P2Y12 and Plateletworks assays, and the IMPACT-R and the platelet function analysis system (PFA-100) (with the Dade PFA collagen/adenosine diphosphate [ADP] cartridge and Innovance PFA P2Y). Cut-off values for high on-treatment platelet reactivity were established by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.Main Outcome Measurement The primary end point was defined as a composite of all-cause death, nonfatal acute myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, and ischemic stroke. The primary safety end point included TIMI (Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction) criteria major and minor bleeding.Results At 1-year follow-up, the primary end point occurred more frequently in patients with high on-treatment platelet reactivity when assessed by light transmittance aggregometry (11.

Among patients in whom a decision had already been made to obtain CCA, 64-slice CTCA was reliable for ruling out significant CAD in patients with stable and unstable anginal syndromes. A positive 64-slice CTCA scan often overestimates the severity of atherosclerotic obstructions and requires further testing to guide patient management.

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Background-We have previously reported a virtual absence of neointimal hyperplasia 4 months after implantation of sirolimus-eluting stents. The aim of the present investigation was to determine whether these results are sustained over a period of 1 year. Methods and Results-Forty-five patients with de novo coronary disease were successfully treated with the implantation of a single sirolimus-eluting Bx VELOCITY stent in São Paulo, Brazil (nϭ30, 15 fast release [group I, GI] and 15 slow release [GII]) and Rotterdam, The Netherlands (15 slow release, GIII). Angiographic and volumetric intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) follow-up was obtained at 4 and 12 months (GI and GII) and 6 months (GIII). In-stent minimal lumen diameter and percent diameter stenosis remained essentially unchanged in all groups (at 12 months, GI and GII; at 6 months, GIII). Follow-up in-lesion minimal lumen diameter was 2.28 mm (GIII), 2.32 mm (GI), and 2.48 mm (GII). No patient approached the Ն50% diameter stenosis at 1 year by angiography or IVUS assessment, and no edge restenosis was observed. Neointimal hyperplasia, as detected by IVUS, was virtually absent at 6 months (2Ϯ5% obstruction volume, GIII) and at 12 months (GIϭ2Ϯ5% and GIIϭ2Ϯ3%). Key Words: angiography Ⅲ drugs Ⅲ stents Ⅲ restenosis Ⅲ ultrasonics D espite major technological advances in the past decades, of which the coronary stent is one of the most important, the percutaneous treatment of coronary artery disease is still hampered by a 20% to 30% incidence of restenosis. The list of candidate therapies and devices for prevention of restenosis after angioplasty is long and ever expanding. However, few if any have substantially improved the result of stenting for the treatment of de novo lesions. Intracoronary radiation has so far proven to be effective for the treatment of in-stent restenosis but not for the treatment of de novo lesions. 1 As a result of their ability to deliver prolonged and sufficient intramural drug concentrations to the target coronary segment, drug-eluting stents have emerged as a potential solution for restenosis. Our group has recently reported an almost complete absence of neointimal hyperplasia 4 months after implantation of sirolimus-eluting Bx VELOCITY stents. 2 The local release of sirolimus (rapamycin, Rapamune), a natural macrocyclic lactone with potent immunosuppressive action, 3 resulted in elimination of restenosis in this first series of patients. Comparable results have only been observed after the implantation of high-activity ␤-emitting stents (9 mm 3 of neointimal hyperplasia at 6-month follow-up). 4 However, a worrying late progression of in-stent neointimal hyperplasia was observed between 6 months and 1 year after implantation of radioactive stents. 5 Conclusions-This See p 1996The aim of the present investigation was to determine whether sirolimus-eluting stents produce a sustained suppression of the neointimal proliferation over a period of 1 year or merely delay the restenosis process. Methods Study PopulationForty-five patients with nati...

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BACKGROUND The roles of anticoagulation alone or with an antiplatelet agent after transcatheter aortic-valve implantation (TAVI) have not been well studied. METHODS We performed a randomized trial of clopidogrel in patients undergoing TAVI who were receiving oral anticoagulation for appropriate indications. Patients were assigned before TAVI in a 1:1 ratio not to receive clopidogrel or to receive clopidogrel for 3 months. The two primary outcomes were all bleeding and non-procedurerelated bleeding over a period of 12 months. Procedure-related bleeding was defined as Bleeding Academic Research Consortium type 4 severe bleeding, and therefore most bleeding at the puncture site was counted as non-procedure-related. The two secondary outcomes were a composite of death from cardiovascular causes, non-procedure-related bleeding, stroke, or myocardial infarction at 12 months (secondary composite 1) and a composite of death from cardiovascular causes, ischemic stroke, or myocardial infarction (secondary composite 2), both tested for noninferiority (noninferiority margin, 7.5 percentage points) and superiority. RESULTS Bleeding occurred in 34 of the 157 patients (21.7%) receiving oral anticoagulation alone and in 54 of the 156 (34.6%) receiving oral anticoagulation plus clopidogrel (risk ratio, 0.63; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.43 to 0.90; P = 0.01); most bleeding events were at the TAVI access site. Non-procedure-related bleeding occurred in 34 patients (21.7%) and in 53 (34.0%), respectively (risk ratio, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.92; P = 0.02). Most bleeding occurred in the first month and was minor. A secondary composite 1 event occurred in 49 patients (31.2%) receiving oral anticoagulation alone and in 71 (45.5%) receiving oral anticoagulation plus clopidogrel (difference, −14.3 percentage points; 95% CI for noninferiority, −25.0 to −3.6; risk ratio, 0.69; 95% CI for superiority, 0.51 to 0.92). A secondary composite 2 event occurred in 21 patients (13.4%) and in 27 (17.3%), respectively (difference, −3.9 percentage points; 95% CI for noninferiority, −11.9 to 4.0; risk ratio, 0.77; 95% CI for superiority, 0.46 to 1.31). CONCLUSIONS In patients undergoing TAVI who were receiving oral anticoagulation, the incidence of serious bleeding over a period of 1 month or 1 year was lower with oral anticoagulation alone than with oral anticoagulation plus clopidogrel. (Funded by the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development; POPular TAVI EU Clinical Trials Register number, 2013-003125-28; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02247128.

EAT is strongly related to vascular risk factors and coronary calcification. Our findings support the hypothesis that EAT affects coronary atherosclerosis and possibly coronary risk.