Long after myocardial revascularization guidelines had established no medical reason justifies the use of bare metal stents (BMS), along comes this study to refresh the old trials comparing drug eluting vs bare metal stents in the context of primary PCI. The problem for many countries is that primary PCI obviously occurs in the context of<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2019/07/15/des-with-bioresorbable-polymer-vs-bare-metal-stents-in-primary-pci/" title="Read more" >...</a>
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in low-risk patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis appears to be safe at one year. In a follow-up using computerized tomography (TC), hypoattenuated leaflet thickening was observed in a minority of patients, but it did not have a long-term hemodynamic impact. It should be noted that the management strategy for<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2019/06/13/low-risk-tavr-trending-in-all-papers/" title="Read more" >...</a>
Non-adherence to dual antiplatelet therapy varies with age and patients older than 75 years old are those who discontinue treatment most frequently. However, this characteristic in elderly patients was not associated with more cardiovascular events. Treatment compliance protected patients younger than 75 years old from events, while there was increased cardiovascular risk among this population<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2019/06/12/cardiovascular-risk-dual-antiplatelet-therapy-and-age-what-should-we-know/" title="Read more" >...</a>
1- Surprising EXCEL Outcomes in Diabetics with Main Left Stenosis This study especially designed to compare PCI vs. CABG in patients with left main coronary artery disease and low to intermediate Syntax score showed that 30-day and 3 -year outcomes of PCI with everolimus eluting stents vs CABG were consistent both in diabetic and non-diabetic<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2019/06/06/the-most-read-articles-of-may-in-interventional-cardiology/" title="Read more" >...</a>
A small number of highly selected patients presents good outcomes with new bioresorbable scaffold MeRes, but much more evidence is necessary to bring back the concept. The MeRes-1 study tested the newest generation of the Meril Life Sciences bioresorbable scaffold, a device featuring thinner struts compared with Absorb (from 150 µm in Absorb to only<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2019/05/30/europcr-2019-meres-1-bioresorbable-scaffolds-return-with-renewed-strength/" title="Read more" >...</a>
This device, an abluminal groove-filled biodegradable-polymer sirolimus-eluting stent manufactured in China, showed very similar efficacy and safety to the “gold standard” everolimus eluting Xience at 2-year follow up, according to the TARGET outcomes, presented yesterday at the EuroPCR 2019 and simultaneously published in J Am Coll Cardiol Intv. The device, which is manufactured in China<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2019/05/27/europcr-2019-stent-firehawk-continues-to-show-good-results-at-2-years-vs-xience/" title="Read more" >...</a>
This angiographic substudy supports the safety of drug-coated balloons in small vessels. Despite better angiographic outcomes, there were eight cases of stent thrombosis among drug-eluting stent (DES) patients, while there was none with drug-coated balloons. In patients with small vessels, using a drug-coated balloon appears safe and comparable to DES, with favorable angiographic outcomes at<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2019/05/27/europcr-2019-basket-small-2-drug-coated-balloons-vs-des-in-small-vessels/" title="Read more" >...</a>
Data from randomized studies are also supported by the SCAAR registry, in which ultrathin-strut stents show real-world advantages. Patients with small vessels who received ultrathin-strut stents are less likely to undergo revascularization at 3 years than those who received first-generation thin-strut devices, according to the BIO-RESORT trial, presented during the first day of the annual<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2019/05/23/europcr-2019-bio-resort-and-scaar-registry-ultrathin-struts-also-in-small-vessels-pequenos/" title="Read more" >...</a>
1- What to Do with Blood Pressure Levels Between 130/80 and 139/89 mmHg The decision to be made with a treatment-free patient with systolic blood pressure over 160 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure over 100 mmHg is an easy one. All guidelines agree: treatment should be started immediately alongside lifestyle changes. Read more 2-<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2019/04/22/the-most-read-articles-of-march-in-interventional-cardiology/" title="Read more" >...</a>
Patients who undergo complex angioplasty are at higher ischemic risk, but only benefit from extended dual antiplatelet therapy if there are no factors for high bleeding risk. These data suggest that the bleeding risk must weigh more than the ischemic risk on the determination of dual antiplatelet therapy duration. Complex angioplasty is associated with higher<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2019/04/05/balancing-bleeding-risk-vs-thrombotic-risk-to-define-dual-antiplatelet-therapy-duration/" title="Read more" >...</a>