AimThis open-label, randomized, and multicentre trial tested the hypothesis that, on a background of aspirin, continuing clopidogrel would be superior to stopping clopidogrel at 12 months following drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation. Methods and resultsPatients (N ¼ 1799) who had undergone placement of ≥1 DES for stable coronary artery disease or acute coronary syndrome were included in 58 French sites (January 2009-January 2013. Patients (N ¼ 1385) free of major cardiovascular/cerebrovascular events or major bleeding and on aspirin and clopidogrel 12 months after stenting were eligible for randomization (1:1) between continuing clopidogrel 75 mg daily (extended-dual antiplatelet therapy, DAPT, group) or discontinuing clopidogrel (aspirin group). The primary outcome was net adverse clinical events defined as the composite of death, myocardial infarction, stroke, or major bleeding. Follow-up was planned from a minimum of 6 to a maximum of 36 months after randomization. Owing to slow recruitment, the study was stopped after enrolment of 1385 of a planned 1966 patients. Median follow-up after stenting was 33.4 months. The primary outcome occurred in 40 patients (5.8%) in the extended-DAPT group and 52 in the aspirin group (7.5%; hazard ratio 0.75, 95% confidence interval 0.50 -1.28; P ¼ 0.17). Rates of death were 2.3% in the extended-DAPT group and 3.5% in the aspirin group (HR 0.65, 95% CI 0.34 -1.22; P ¼ 0.18). Rates of major bleeding were identical (2.0%, P ¼ 0.95). ... .... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... .. ConclusionsExtended DAPT did not achieve superiority in reducing net adverse clinical events compared to 12 months of DAPT after DES placement. The power of the OPTIDUAL trial was however low and reduced by premature termination of enrolment. ClinicalTrials.gov number

A randomised trial of 367 patients with acute myocardial infarction was performed to determine whether an invasive strategy combining thrombolysis with recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rTPA), heparin, and acetylsalicylic acid, and immediate percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) would be superior to a noninvasive strategy with the same medical treatment but without immediate angiography and PTCA. Intravenous infusion of 100 mg rTPA was started within 5 h after onset of symptoms (median 156 min). Angiography was performed 6-165 min later in 180 out of 183 patients allocated to the invasive strategy; 184 patients were allocated to the non-invasive strategy. Immediate PTCA reduced the percentage stenosis of the infarct-related segment, but this was offset by a high rate of transient (16%) and sustained (7%) reocclusion during the procedure and recurrent ischaemia during the first 24 h (17%). The clinical course was more favourable after non-invasive therapy, with a lower incidence of recurrent ischaemia within 24 h (3%), bleeding complications, hypotension, and ventricular fibrillation. Mortality at 14 days was lower in patients allocated to non-invasive treatment (3%) than in the group allocated to invasive treatment (7%). No difference between the treatment groups was observed in infarct size estimated from myocardial release of alpha-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase or in left ventricular ejection fraction after 10-22 days. Since immediate PTCA does not provide additional benefit there seems to be no need for immediate angiography and PTCA in patients with acute myocardial infarction treated with rTPA.

Good functional results were observed 5 years after successful percutaneous mitral commissurotomy in a large series of varied patients. The analysis of predictive factors may provide useful indications for follow-up results in patients undergoing this technique.