Long-term Efficacy Of Drug-eluting Stents Research Articles

Inverse Relationship between Serum VEGF Levels and Late In-Stent Restenosis of Drug-Eluting Stents.

Late in-stent restenosis (ISR) has raised concerns regarding the long-term efficacy of drug-eluting stents (DES). The role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the pathological process of ISR is controversial. This retrospective study aimed to investigate the relationship between serum VEGF levels and late ISR in patients with DES implantation. A total of 158 patients who underwent angiography follow-up beyond 1 year after intervention were included. The study population was classified into ISR and non-ISR groups. The ISR group was further divided according to follow-up duration and Mehran classification. VEGF levels were significantly lower in the ISR group than in the non-ISR group [96.34 (48.18, 174.14) versus 179.14 (93.59, 307.74) pg/mL, p < 0.0001]. Multivariate regression revealed that VEGF level, procedure age, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were independent risk factors for late ISR formation. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that VEGF levels were even lower in the very late (≥5 years) and diffuse ISR group (Mehran patterns II, III, and IV) than in the late ISR group (1–4 years) and the focal ISR group (Mehran pattern I), respectively. Furthermore, significant difference was found between diffuse and focal ISR groups. Serum VEGF levels were inversely associated with late ISR after DES implantation.

Safety and efficacy with drug‐eluting stent in st‐segment elevation and non‐ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction

Drug-eluting stents (DES) have been shown to reduce the need for repeat revascularization compared with bare metal stents (BMS). However, there is little information regarding the safety and long-term efficacy of DES in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of DES in patients with AMI. Data from 211 consecutive patients with AMI treated with DES were compared with those from 228 consecutive patients with AMI treated with BMS. All patients were treated within 7 days of symptom onset. The incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events ([MACE]: death, reinfarction, and target vessel revascularization) was evaluated at 30 days and 1 year. Baseline clinical and angiographic characteristics were similar for both stent groups. However, patients who received DES had longer lesion lengths (23.0 +/- 12.7 vs. 18.8 +/- 10.6 mm, respectively; p < 0.001) and smaller reference diameters (2.97 +/- 0.52 vs. 3.19 +/- 0.63 mm, respectively, p < 0.001). At 30 days, the incidence rates of MACE (DES vs. BMS: 2.2 vs. 1.9%, p = 1.000) and stent thrombosis (BMS vs. DES: 0.9 vs. 1.7%; p = 0.434) did not differ significantly between the groups. At 1 year, patients with DES had a lower rate of MACE (BMS vs. DES: 14.0 vs. 6.6%; p = 0.011) primarily due to a lower target vessel revascularization rate (BMS vs. DES: 9.6 vs. 4.8%; p = 0.028). The DES appear to be superior to the BMS in reducing the risk of MACE in patients with AMI.