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The optimal noninvasive diagnostic imaging strategy for patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) is widely debated. Computed Tomography Coronary Angiography (CTCA) and functional imaging are both guideline-recommended, although comparative effectiveness in patients with intermediate-high pretest likelihood (PTL) is limited. Primary Hypothesis: We aim to establish if a personalized investigation strategy compared to CTCA first-line for allcomers, leads to improved patient outcomes. In a multi-center, randomized trial, 4,000 patients newly referred for the investigation of suspected cardiac chest pain will be recruited and randomized (1:1) to either personalized care (first-line CTCA or functional imaging based on PTL) or CTCA first-line for allcomers. The primary endpoint is time to a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or unobstructed coronary arteries on invasive angiography. Follow up will occur at 6 and 12 months and then annually for up to 4 years for symptoms, quality of life, and guideline directed medical therapy usage. A cost-effectiveness analysis will be performed capturing impacts on health, measured in quality adjusted life years (QALYs) using the EQ-5D-5L, and costs (including investigations, procedures, procedural complications, medical treatment costs and any future hospital admissions) calculated. It will be possible for the whole trial pathway to be conducted remotely with the option to perform non-face-to-face consent, randomization, and follow-up data collection including health-related quality of life. About 20 UK sites. First site opened April 2022 and recruitment is due to complete by July 2025, with an average recruitment of 135 patients a month to date. About 3,407 patients recruited and randomized by the end of February 2025 This trial will address whether, in patients with suspected cardiac chest pain, a strategy of personalized investigation according to pretest likelihood (PTL), compared to CTCA for allcomers, leads to improved patient outcomes, quality of life and cost-effectiveness.

Whether a conservative strategy of medical therapy alone or a strategy of medical therapy plus invasive treatment is more beneficial in older adults with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) remains unclear. We conducted a prospective, multicenter, randomized trial involving patients 75 years of age or older with NSTEMI at 48 sites in the United Kingdom. The patients were assigned in a 1:1 ratio to a conservative strategy of the best available medical therapy or an invasive strategy of coronary angiography and revascularization plus the best available medical therapy. Patients who were frail or had a high burden of coexisting conditions were eligible. The primary outcome was a composite of death from cardiovascular causes (cardiovascular death) or nonfatal myocardial infarction assessed in a time-to-event analysis. A total of 1518 patients underwent randomization; 753 patients were assigned to the invasive-strategy group and 765 to the conservative-strategy group. The mean age of the patients was 82 years, 45% were women, and 32% were frail. A primary-outcome event occurred in 193 patients (25.6%) in the invasive-strategy group and 201 patients (26.3%) in the conservative-strategy group (hazard ratio, 0.94; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.77 to 1.14; P = 0.53) over a median follow-up of 4.1 years. Cardiovascular death occurred in 15.8% of the patients in the invasive-strategy group and 14.2% of the patients in the conservative-strategy group (hazard ratio, 1.11; 95% CI, 0.86 to 1.44). Nonfatal myocardial infarction occurred in 11.7% in the invasive-strategy group and 15.0% in the conservative-strategy group (hazard ratio, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.57 to 0.99). Procedural complications occurred in less than 1% of the patients. In older adults with NSTEMI, an invasive strategy did not result in a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular death or nonfatal myocardial infarction (the composite primary outcome) than a conservative strategy over a median follow-up of 4.1 years. (Funded by the British Heart Foundation; BHF SENIOR-RITA ISRCTN Registry number, ISRCTN11343602.).

BackgroundDespite the increasing use of non-invasive imaging, DSA remains the gold standard for cerebrovascular imaging. However, trends in DSA utilization are poorly understood. The goal of this study was to describe DSA utilization in a large claims database in the US over a 13 year period.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study assessed a nationwide database of privately insured individuals from 2005 to 2018 for patients undergoing cranial CT angiography (CTA), MR angiography (MRA), and DSA. We assessed trends in the overall use of and indications for each modality. For DSA, we examined the types of performing proceduralists.ResultsAmong patients undergoing DSA in 2018, median age was 52 years, and 60% were women. MRA and DSA use decreased, from 289 to 275 claims, and from 38 to 29 claims per 100 000 enrollees, respectively, while CTA use increased from 31 to 286 claims per 100 000 enrollees. These trends differed by geographic region and indication. Nearly half of DSA procedures but <25% of non-invasive imaging were inpatient studies. DSA performed by neurosurgeons increased from 0.5 to 4.1 while those performed by radiologists decreased from 7.2 to 4.0 studies per 100 000 enrollees.ConclusionsDSA use decreased slightly while CTA use increased by ninefold. The reasons for this change are likely complex and may reflect more aggressive imaging for stroke, increased detection of incidental findings, and increased quality of non-invasive imaging. Over time, the proportion of DSA procedures performed by neurosurgeons overtook that performed by radiologists.

In patients with coronary bifurcation lesions, optical coherence tomography–guided PCI was associated with a lower incidence of major adverse cardiac events at a median 2 years of follow-up than angiography-guided PCI.

ObjectivesTo evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic benefits of CT coronary angiography (CTCA) using the 2016 National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines for the assessment of suspected stable angina.MethodsPost hoc analysis of the Scottish COmputed Tomography of the HEART (SCOT-HEART) trial of 4146 participants with suspected angina randomised to CTCA. Patients were dichotomised into NICE guideline-defined possible angina and non-anginal presentations. Primary (diagnostic) endpoint was diagnostic certainty of angina at 6 weeks and prognostic endpoint comprised fatal and non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI).ResultsIn 3770 eligible participants, CTCA increased diagnostic certainty more in those with possible angina (relative risk (RR) 2.22 (95% CI 1.91 to 2.60), p<0.001) than those with non-anginal symptoms (RR 1.30 (1.11 to 1.53), p=0.002; pinteraction <0.001). In the possible angina cohort, CTCA did not change rates of invasive angiography (p=0.481) but markedly reduced rates of normal coronary angiography (HR 0.32 (0.19 to 0.52), p<0.001). In the non-anginal cohort, rates of invasive angiography increased (HR 1.82 (1.13 to 2.92), p=0.014) without reducing rates of normal coronary angiography (HR 0.78 (0.30 to 2.05), p=0.622). At 3.2 years of follow-up, fatal or non-fatal MI was reduced in patients with possible angina (3.2% to 1.9%%; HR 0.58 (0.34 to 0.99), p=0.045) but not in those with non-anginal symptoms (HR 0.65 (0.25 to 1.69), p=0.379).ConclusionsNICE-guided patient selection maximises the benefits of CTCA on diagnostic certainty, use of invasive coronary angiography and reductions in fatal and non-fatal myocardial infarction. Patients with non-anginal chest pain derive minimal benefit from CTCA and increase the rates of invasive investigation.Trial registration numberClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01149590;post results.

In a trial involving 10,003 patients with suspected coronary artery disease, clinical outcomes at 2 years were not improved with an initial strategy of CT angiography, as compared with functional testing (exercise ECG, nuclear stress testing, or stress echocardiography). New-onset, stable chest pain is a common clinical problem that results in approximately 4 million stress tests annually in the United States in ambulatory patients without diagnosed heart disease. 1 Despite advances in cardiac testing, there is scant information on health-related outcomes and little consensus about which noninvasive test is preferable. 2 – 4 As a result, current patterns of care have been questioned, including the testing of very-low-risk populations 5 and the catheterization of patients who do not have obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). 6 – 8 The development of coronary computed tomographic angiography (CTA) and its application in this context has the potential to . . .

ObjectivesTo determine resource utilisation according to age and gender-specific subgroups in two large randomized diagnostic trials.MethodsWe pooled patient-specific data from ACRIN-PA 4005 and ROMICAT II that enrolled subjects with acute chest pain at 14 US sites. Subjects were randomized between a standard work-up and a pathway utilizing cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA) and followed for the occurrence of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and resource utilisation during index hospitalisation and 1-month follow-up. Study endpoints included diagnostic accuracy of CCTA for the detection of ACS as well as resource utilisation.ResultsAmong 1240 patients who underwent CCTA, negative predictive value of CCTA to rule out ACS remained very high (≥99.4%). The proportion of patients undergoing additional diagnostic testing and cost increased with age for both sexes (p < 0.001), and was higher in men as compared to women older than 60 years (43.1% vs. 23.4% and $4559 ± 3382 vs. $3179 ± 2562, p < 0.01; respectively). Cost to rule out ACS was higher in men (p < 0.001) and significantly higher for patients older than 60 years ($2860–5935 in men, p < 0.001).ConclusionsCCTA strategy in patients with acute chest pain results in varying resource utilisation according to age and gender-specific subgroups, mandating improved selection for advanced imaging.Key Points• In this analysis, CAD and ACS increased with age and male gender.• CCTA in patients with acute chest pain results in varying resource utilisation.• Significant increase of diagnostic testing and cost with age for both sexes.• Cost to rule out ACS is higher in men and patients >60 years.• Improved selection of subjects for cardiac CTA result in more resource-driven implementation.