Objectives We aimed to investigate long-term survival of paclitaxel DCB for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Background Safety concerns have been raised over the use of paclitaxel devices for peripheral artery disease recently, following a meta-analysis suggesting increased late mortality. With regard to drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty for coronary artery intervention however, there is limited data to date regarding possible late mortality relating to paclitaxel. Methods We compared all-cause mortality of patients treated with paclitaxel DCB to those with non-paclitaxel secondgeneration drug-eluting stents (DES) for stable, de novo coronary artery disease from 1st January 2011 till 31st December 2018. To have homogenous groups allowing data on safety to be interpreted accurately, we excluded patients with previous PCI and patients treated with a combination of both DCB and DES in subsequent PCIs. Data were analysed with Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression statistical models. Results We present 1517 patients; 429 treated with paclitaxel DCB and 1088 treated with DES. On univariate analysis, age, hypercholesterolaemia, hypertension, peripheral vascular disease, prior myocardial infarction, heart failure, smoking, atrial fibrillation, decreasing estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) [and renal failure (eGFR < 45)] were associated with worse survival. DCB intervention showed a non-significant trend towards better prognosis compared to DES (p = 0.08). On multivariable analysis age, decreasing eGFR and smoking associated with worse prognosis. Conclusion We found no evidence of late mortality associated with DCB angioplasty compared with non-paclitaxel secondgeneration DES in up to 5 years follow-up. DCB is a safe option for the treatment of de novo coronary artery disease.
Objective
We aimed to investigate the safety of drug-coated balloon (DCB)-only angioplasty compared to drug-eluting stent (DES), as part of routine clinical practice.
Background
The recent BASKETSMALL2 trial demonstrated the safety and efficacy of DCB angioplasty for de novo small vessel disease. Registry data have also demonstrated that DCB angioplasty is safe; however, most of these studies are limited due to long recruitment time and a small number of patients with DCB compared to DES. Therefore, it is unclear if DCB-only strategy is safe to incorporate in routine elective clinical practice.
Methods
We compared all-cause mortality and major cardiovascular endpoints (MACE), including unplanned target lesion revascularisation (TLR) of all patients treated with DCB or DES for first presentation of stable angina due to de novo coronary artery disease between 1st January 2015 and 15th November 2019. Data were analysed with Cox regression models and cumulative hazard plots.
Results
We present 1237 patients; 544 treated with DCB and 693 treated with DES for de novo, mainly large-vessel coronary artery disease. On multivariable Cox regression analysis, only age and frailty remained significant adverse predictors of all-cause mortality. Univariable, cumulative hazard plots showed no difference between DCB and DES for either all-cause mortality or any of the major cardiovascular endpoints, including unplanned TLR. The results remained unchanged following propensity score-matched analysis.
Conclusion
DCB-only angioplasty, for stable angina and predominantly large vessels, is safe compared to DES as part of routine clinical practice, in terms of all-cause mortality and MACE, including unplanned TLR.
Graphic abstract
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