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Importance Despite antirestenotic efficacy of coronary drug-eluting stents (DES) compared with bare metal stents (BMS), the relative risk of stent thrombosis and adverse cardiovascular events is unclear. Although dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) beyond one year provides ischemic event protection following DES, ischemic event risk is perceived to be less following BMS and the appropriate duration of DAPT following BMS is unknown. Objective To compare: (1) rates of stent thrombosis and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE; composite of death, myocardial infarction, or stroke) after 30 vs. 12 months of thienopyridine in patients treated with BMS taking aspirin; and (2) treatment duration effect within the combined cohorts of randomized DES or BMS-treated patients as prespecified, secondary analyses of the Dual Antiplatelet Therapy Study. Design, Setting, Participants International, multicenter, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial, comparing extended (30 months) thienopyridine versus placebo in aspirin-treated patients who completed 12 months of DAPT without bleeding or ischemic events post-stenting. Study initiation August 2009 with last follow-up visit May 2014. Exposure/Intervention Continued thienopyridine or placebo at months 12-30 after stenting, in 11648 randomized patients treated with aspirin, of whom 1687 received BMS and 9961 DES. Main Outcome and Measures Stent thrombosis, MACCE, moderate/severe bleeding. Results Among 1687 BMS-treated patients randomized to continued thienopyridine vs. placebo, rates of stent thrombosis were 0.5% vs. 1.11%, (N=4 vs. 9, hazard ratio 0.49, 95% CI 0.15-1.64, P=0.24), MACCE 4.04% vs. 4.69%, (N=33 vs. 38, hazard ratio 0.92, 95% CI 0.57-1.47, P=0.72) and moderate/severe bleeding 2.03% vs. 0.90% (N=16 vs. 7, P=0.07), respectively. Among all 11,648 randomized patients (both BMS- and DES-treated), stent thrombosis rates were 0.41% vs. 1.32%, (N=23 vs. 74, hazard ratio 0.31, 95% CI 0.19-0.50, P<0.001), MACCE 4.29% vs. 5.74% (N=244 vs. 323, hazard ratio 0.73, 95% CI 0.62-0.87, P<0.001), and moderate/severe bleeding 2.45% vs. 1.47% (N=135 vs. 80, P<0.001). Conclusions and Relevance Among patients undergoing coronary stenting with BMS and who tolerated 12 months of thienopyridine, continuing thienopyridine for an additional 18 months compared with placebo did not result in statistically significant differences in rates of stent thrombosis, MACCE, or moderate/severe bleeding. However, the BMS subset may have been underpowered to identify such differences and further trials are suggested. (DAPT ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT00977938).

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TAVI provides improved QoL and effectively relieves symptoms.

Background— Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) are at high risk for recurrent ischemic events after coronary stenting. We assessed the effects of continued thienopyridine among patients with DM participating in the Dual Antiplatelet Therapy (DAPT) Study as a prespecified analysis. Methods and Results— After coronary stent placement and 12 months treatment with open-label thienopyridine plus aspirin, 11 648 patients free of ischemic or bleeding events and who were medication compliant were randomly assigned to continued thienopyridine or placebo, in addition to aspirin, for 18 more months. After randomization, patients with DM (n=3391), in comparison with patients without DM (n=8257), had increased composite outcome of death, myocardial infarction (MI), or stroke (6.8% versus 4.3%, P <0.001), increased death (2.5% versus 1.4%, P <0.001), and MI (4.2% versus 2.6%, P <0.001). Among patients with DM, in a comparison of continued thienopyridine versus placebo, rates of stent thrombosis were 0.5% versus 1.1%, P =0.06, and rates of MI were 3.5% versus 4.8%, P =0.058; and among patients without DM the rates were 0.4% versus 1.4%, P <0.001 (stent thrombosis, P interaction=0.21) and 1.6% versus 3.6%, P <0.001 (MI, P interaction=0.02). Bleeding risk with continued thienopyridine was similar among patients with or without DM (interaction P =0.61). Conclusions— In patients with DM, continued thienopyridine beyond 1 year after coronary stenting is associated with reduced risk of MI, although this benefit is attenuated in comparison with patients without DM. Clinical Trial Registration— URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT00977938.

DES-treated subjects have long-term rates of stent thrombosis that are lower than BMS-treated subjects. (The Dual Antiplatelet Therapy Study [DAPT study]; NCT00977938).

BAV is a useful procedure in high-risk AS patients, where achieved effects can be sufficient in bridging patients for TAVI/AVR. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The study aimed to assess procedural complications, patient flow and clinical outcomes after balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) as rescue or bridge therapy, based on data from our registry. A total of 382 BAVs in 374 patients was performed. The main primary indication for BAV was a bridge for TAVI (n = 185, 49.4%). Other indications included a bridge for AVR (n = 26, 6.9%) and rescue procedure in hemodynamically unstable patients (n = 139, 37.2%). The mortality rate at 30 days, 6 and 12 months was 10.4%, 21.6%, 28.3%, respectively. In rescue patients, the death rate raised to 66.9% at 12 months. A significant improvement in symptoms was confirmed after BAV, after 30 days, 6 months, and in survivors after 1 year (p < 0.05 for all). Independent predictors of 12-month mortality were baseline STS score [HR (95% CI) 1.42 (1.34 to 2.88), p < 0.0001], baseline LVEF <20% [HR (95% CI) 1.89 (1.55–2.83), p < 0.0001] and LVEF <30% at 1 month [HR (95% CI) 1.97 (1.62–3.67), p < 0.0001] adjusted for age/gender. In everyday clinical practice in the TAVI era, there are still clinical indications to BAV a standalone procedure as a bridge to surgery, TAVI or for urgent high risk non-cardiac surgical procedures. Patients may improve clinically after BAV with LV function recovery, allowing to perform final therapy, within limited time window, for severe AS which ameliorates long-term outcomes. On the other hand, in patients for whom an isolated BAV becomes a destination therapy, prognosis is extremely poor.