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Patients with STEMI were assigned to primary PCI with or without thrombectomy. At 180 days, there was no significant between-group difference in the primary outcome of death or cardiovascular events. Patients in the thrombectomy group had a higher rate of stroke at 30 days. Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), when available, is the most effective method of achieving reperfusion in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). 1 However, a major limitation of primary PCI is the possibility of distal embolization of thrombus and failure to restore flow at the microvascular level. Measures of microvascular tissue reperfusion, such as the degree of ST-segment resolution or angiographic myocardial blush grade, have been shown to predict the rate of death after primary PCI. 2 , 3 Removal of the thrombus by manual thrombectomy before stent deployment has the potential of reducing distal embolization and improving microvascular perfusion. Small, randomized . . .

In the AVERROES study, apixaban, a novel factor Xa inhibitor, reduced the risk of stroke or systemic embolism in patients with atrial fibrillation who were at high risk of stroke but unsuitable for vitamin K antagonist therapy. We aimed to investigate whether the subgroup of patients with previous stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA) would show a greater benefit from apixaban compared with aspirin than would patients without previous cerebrovascular events. In AVERROES, 5599 patients (mean age 70 years) with atrial fibrillation who were at increased risk of stroke and unsuitable for vitamin K antagonist therapy were randomly assigned to receive apixaban (5 mg twice daily) or aspirin (81–324 mg per day). The mean follow-up was 1·1 years. The primary efficacy outcome was stroke or systemic embolism; the primary safety outcome was major bleeding. Patients and investigators were masked to study treatment. In this prespecified subgroup analysis, we used Kaplan-Meier estimates of 1-year event risk and Cox proportional hazards regression models to compare the effects of apixaban in patients with and without previous stroke or TIA. AVERROES is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00496769. In patients with previous stroke or TIA, ten events of stroke or systemic embolism occurred in the apixaban group (n=390, cumulative hazard 2·39% per year) compared with 33 in the aspirin group (n=374, 9·16% per year; hazard ratio [HR] 0·29, 95% CI 0·15–0·60). In those without previous stroke or TIA, 41 events occurred in the apixaban group (n=2417, 1·68% per year) compared with 80 in the aspirin group (n=2415, 3·06% per year; HR 0·51, 95% CI 0·35–0·74). The p value for interaction of the effects of aspirin and apixaban with previous cerebrovascular events was 0·17. Major bleeding was more frequent in patients with history of stroke or TIA than in patients without (HR 2·88, 95% CI 1·77–4·55) but risk of this event did not differ between treatment groups. In patients with atrial fibrillation, apixaban is similarly effective whether or not patients have had a previous stroke or TIA. Given that those with previous stroke or TIA have a higher risk of stroke, the absolute benefits might be greater in these patients. Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer.

A major limitation of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) for the treatment of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is impaired microvascular perfusion due to embolization and obstruction of microcirculation with thrombus. Manual thrombectomy has the potential to reduce distal embolization and improve microvascular perfusion. Clinical trials have shown mixed results regarding thrombectomy. The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of routine upfront manual aspiration thrombectomy during PPCI compared with percutaneous coronary intervention alone in patients with STEMI. This is a multicenter, prospective, open, international, randomized trial with blinded assessment of outcomes. Patients with STEMI undergoing PPCI are randomized to upfront routine manual aspiration thrombectomy with the Export catheter (Medtronic CardioVascular, Santa Rosa, CA) or to percutaneous coronary intervention alone. The primary outcome is the composite of cardiovascular death, recurrent myocardial infarction, cardiogenic shock, or new or worsening New York Heart Association class IV heart failure up to 180 days. The trial uses an event-driven design and will recruit 10,700 patients. The TOTAL trial will determine the effect of routine manual aspiration thrombectomy during PPCI on clinically important outcomes.

Low dose rivaroxaban with aspirin reduced major cardiovascular events (MACE) compared to aspirin alone in patients with cardiovascular disease although effects on total events are unknown. The COMPASS clinical trial randomized 27,395 participants with chronic coronary and/or peripheral artery disease to rivaroxaban 2.5 mg twice daily plus aspirin 100 mg daily, rivaroxaban 5 mg twice daily alone, or aspirin 100 mg daily. We analyzed total (first and recurrent) MACE outcomes of cardiovascular death, stroke, or myocardial infarction, and the primary safety outcome of major bleeding. Exploratory analyses included on-treatment and net clinical benefit. Total MACE and safety events were modeled for each treatment. MACE events were lowest in rivaroxaban with aspirin (379 first MACE, 432 total MACE) compared with rivaroxaban (448 first, 508 total) or aspirin alone (496 first, 574 total). Rivaroxaban and aspirin reduced total MACE events compared with aspirin alone [HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.66-0.85, P < .0001, number needed to treat for 2 years (NNT2y) of 63]. Total major bleeding was higher for rivaroxaban with aspirin compared to aspirin, but severe bleeding was not increased. The net clinical benefit of rivaroxaban plus aspirin was 20% higher compared with aspirin alone [HR 0.80 (95% CI 16.3%-31.6%)]. Rivaroxaban alone had no benefit on MACE outcomes compared with aspirin alone. MACE outcomes were similar for those on and off randomized treatment. Low dose rivaroxaban with aspirin significantly reduces first and total cardiovascular events compared with aspirin alone with a NNT2y of 63 and a 20% net clinical benefit. NCT01776424. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01776424

Abstract Aims To analyse whether the benefits and risks of rivaroxaban plus aspirin vary in patients with comorbidities and receiving multiple drugs. In patients with coronary or peripheral artery disease, adding low-dose rivaroxaban to aspirin reduces cardiovascular events and mortality. Polypharmacy and multimorbidity are frequent in such patients. Methods and results We describe ischaemic events (cardiovascular death, stroke, or myocardial infarction) and major bleeding in participants from the randomized, double-blind COMPASS study by number of cardiovascular medications and concomitant medical conditions. We compared event rates and hazard ratios (HRs) for rivaroxaban plus aspirin vs. aspirin alone by the number of medications and concomitant conditions, and tested for interaction between polypharmacy or multimorbidity and the antithrombotic regimen. The risk of ischaemic events was higher in patients with more concomitant drugs (HR 1.7, 95% confidence interval 1.5–2.1 for >4 vs. 0–2) and with more comorbidities (HR 2.3, 1.8–2.1 for >3 vs. 0–1). Multimorbidity, but not polypharmacy, was associated with a higher risk of major bleeding. The relative efficacy, safety, and net clinical benefit of rivaroxaban were not affected by the number of drugs or comorbidities. Patients taking more concomitant medications derived the largest absolute reduction in the net clinical outcome with added rivaroxaban (1.1% vs. 0.4% reduction with >4 vs. 0–2 cardiovascular drugs, number needed to treat 91 vs. 250). Conclusion Adding low-dose rivaroxaban to aspirin resulted in benefits irrespective of the number of concomitant drugs or comorbidities. Multiple comorbidities and/or polypharmacy should not dissuade the addition of rivaroxaban to aspirin in otherwise eligible patients. Graphical Abstract Graphical Abstract Graphical summary of findings