Risks and benefits of optimised medical and revascularisation therapy in elderly patients with angina - on-treatment analysis of the TIME trial

Aim To assess treatment effects of optimised medical therapy and PCI or CABG surgery on one-year outcome in patients ⩾75 years old with chronic angina. Methods and Results On-treatment analysis of the TIME data: all re-vascularised patients (REVASC \batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} $n=174$ \end{document}: 112 randomised to revascularisation and 62 to drugs with late revascularisation) were compared to all patients on continued drug therapy (MED \batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} $n=127$ \end{document}: 86 randomised to drugs and 41 to revascularisation only). Baseline characteristics of both groups were similar (age 80±4 years). Risk of death at one year (adjusted hazard ratio (HR)=1.31; 95%-CI: 0.58-2.99; \batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} $P=0.52$ \end{document}) and of death/infarction (adjusted hazard ratio=1.77; 95%-CI 0.91-3.41; \batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} $P=0.09$ \end{document}) were comparable between REVASC and MED patients. Furthermore, the risk of death within 30 days was even slightly lower among REVASC patients (unadjusted hazard ratio=0.73; 95%-CI: 0.21-2.53; \batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} $P=0.98)$ \end{document}. Overall, REVASC patients had greater improvements in symptoms and well-being than MED patients \batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} $(P{<}0.01)$ \end{document}. Surgical patients had similar mortality rates as angioplasty patients, but they also had greater symptomatic improvements \batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} $(P{<}0.01)$ \end{document}. Conclusion Treated medically, elderly patients with chronic angina have a similarly high 30-day and one-year mortality as patients of the same age being re-vascularised; however, they can expect lower improvements in symptoms and well bein

Left ventricular mass regression following implantation of MIRA bileaflet valves in patients with severe aortic stenosis

The aim of this study was to evaluate the factors that determine the course of left ventricular mass regression in a homogeneous group of patients following aortic valve replacement by use of the mechanical Edwards MIRA bileaflet prosthesis. Furthermore, we examined if the 19-mm valve leads to an equally good outcome when compared with larger 21- and 23-mm valves. We included 79 patients (49 men) with a mean age of 65+/-9 years operated on for isolated aortic valve replacement with the MIRA valve prosthesis. The analyses included preoperative and postoperative echocardiograms during a follow-up of at least 18 months (995+/-439 days) after valve surgery. Indication for valve replacement was aortic stenosis in 59 and combined disease (aortic stenosis and regurgitation) in 20 patients. Concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting was performed in 28 patients. Left ventricular mass index declined from 155.6+/-47 g/m(2) to 128.8+/-35 g/m(2) (P>0.001) at final visit and normalized in 49% of the patients. Female sex and a preoperatively highly elevated left ventricular mass index were identified as risk factors for residual hypertrophy. However, age and valve size did not have a predictive value for completeness of left ventricular mass regression. This study supports the evidence that an extensive preoperative left ventricular hypertrophy results in an incomplete postoperative mass regression in patients with aortic bileaflet valves. It shows that the slightly elevated pressure gradient in MIRA 19-mm valves does not affect left ventricular mass regression