This study demonstrates the feasibility, safety, and high technical success of R-PCI for the treatment of complex coronary disease. Furthermore, comparable clinical outcomes, without an adverse effect on stent use or fluoroscopy time, were observed with R-PCI and M-PCI.

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), a rare consequence of an acute pulmonary embolism, is a disease that is underdiagnosed, and surgical pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE) remains the preferred therapy. However, determination of operability is multifactorial and can be challenging. There is growing excitement for the percutaneous treatment of inoperable CTEPH with data from multiple centers around the world showing the clinical feasibility of balloon pulmonary angioplasty. Riociguat remains the only approved medical therapy for CTEPH patients deemed inoperable or with persistent pulmonary hypertension after PTE. We recommend that expert multidisciplinary CTEPH teams be developed at individual institutions. Additionally, optimal and standardized techniques for balloon pulmonary angioplasty need to be developed along with dedicated interventional equipment and appropriate training standards. In the meantime, the percutaneous revascularization option is appropriate for patients deemed inoperable in combination with targeted medical therapy, or those who have failed to benefit from surgery.

Elevated plasma fibrinogen (> or =375 mg/dl) in the presence of diabetes mellitus and increased BMI (> or =25 kg/m(2)) are associated with lower PI with clopidogrel in patients with CVD.

BackgroundElevated fibrinogen is associated with short‐term major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) after percutaneous coronary intervention, but the relation with late MACE is unknown.Methods and ResultsBaseline demographics and 2‐year MACE were recorded among subjects undergoing nonemergent percutaneous coronary intervention. A total of 332 subjects (66.6±19.5 years, 69.9% male, 25.3% acute coronary syndrome) were enrolled. Two‐year MACE (periprocedural myocardial infarction 9.0%, rehospitalization 6.3%, revascularization 12.7%, non–periprocedural myocardial infarction 4.5%, stent thrombosis 0.9%, stroke 1.8%, and death 0.6%) were associated with higher fibrinogen (352.8±123.4 mg/dL versus 301.6±110.8 mg/dL; P<0.001), longer total stent length (40.1±25.3 mm versus 32.1±19.3 mm; P=0.004), acute coronary syndrome indication (38.7% versus 17.8%; P<0.001), number of bare‐metal stents (0.5±1.1 versus 0.2±0.5; P=0.002), and stent diameter ≤2.5 mm (55.8% versus 38.4%, P=0.003). No relation between platelet reactivity and 2‐year MACE was observed. Fibrinogen ≥280 mg/dL (odds ratio [OR] 3.0, confidence interval [CI], 1.6–5.4, P<0.001), total stent length ≥32 mm (OR 2.2, CI, 1.3–3.8, P<0.001), acute coronary syndrome indication (OR 4.1, CI, 2.3–7.5, P<0.001), any bare‐metal stents (OR 3.2, CI, 1.6–6.1, P<0.001), and stent diameter ≤2.5 mm (OR 2.0, CI, 1.2–3.5, P=0.010) were independently associated with 2‐year MACE. Following a landmark analysis excluding periprocedural myocardial infarction, fibrinogen ≥280 mg/dL remained strongly associated with 2‐year MACE (37.0% versus 17.4%, log‐rank P<0.001).ConclusionsElevated baseline fibrinogen level is associated with 2‐year MACE after percutaneous coronary intervention. Acute coronary syndrome indication for percutaneous coronary intervention, total stent length implanted, and use of bare‐metal stents or smaller‐diameter stents are also independently associated with 2‐year MACE, while measures of on‐thienopyridine platelet reactivity are not.

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