Marco Zimarino
@unich.it
Dipartimento Cuore - UOC Cardiologia – UTIC di Chieti e Ortona
ASL 2 Abruzzo – Lanciano Vasto Chieti
Dr. Zimarino is a clinical and interventional cardiologist, with >30 years of working experience in Italy, France, USA, and Canada.
He has been invited as faculty in major international and national clinical and interventional cardiology congresses.
He edited 3 monographs, and coauthored 12 chapters of books in Italian, English, and French.
He has >180 manuscripts currently referenced on Pubmed.
He is the director of CCU and Cardiology Department at "SS. Annunziata" Hospital in Chieti (ASL 2 Abruzzo).
EDUCATION
1982-1988 School and Degree in Medicine at the “G. d’Annunzio” University - Chieti (Italy)
1988-1992 Resident in Cardiology at "Alma Mater” University - Bologna (Italy)"
1992-1993 Fellow in Interventional Cardiology at Parly 2 (Paris, France)
2003-2006 PhD at the "G. d’Annunzio” University - Chieti (Italy)
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Marco Zimarino performs coronary intervention (particular interest in imaging, complex lesions, and adjunctive drug treatment) and structural intervention (aortic and mitral valve, closure of PFO).
Scopus Publications
Scopus Publications
Elena Bacigalupi, Francesco Pelliccia, and Marco Zimarino
Elsevier BV
Vincenzo Pasceri, Francesco Pelliccia, Roxana Mehran, George Dangas, Italo Porto, Francesco Radico, Fausto Biancari, Fabrizio D'Ascenzo, Francesco Saia, Giampaolo Luzi,et al.
Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Background Dialysis is a rare but serious complication after transcatheter aortic valve replacement. We analyzed the large multicenter TRITAVI (transfusion requirements in transcatheter aortic valve implantation) registry in order to develop and validate a clinical score assessing this risk. Methods and Results A total of 10 071 consecutive patients were enrolled in 19 European centers. Patients were randomly assigned (2:1) to a derivation and validation cohort. Two scores were developed, 1 including only preprocedural variables (TRITAVIpre) and 1 also including procedural variables (TRITAVIpost). In the 6714 patients of the derivation cohort (age 82±6 years, 48% men), preprocedural factors independently associated with dialysis and included in the TRITAVIpre score were male sex, diabetes, prior coronary artery bypass graft, anemia, nonfemoral access, and creatinine clearance <30 mL/min per m 2 . Additional independent predictors among procedural features were volume of contrast, need for transfusion, and major vascular complications. Both scores showed a good discrimination power for identifying risk for dialysis with C‐statistic 0.78 for TRITAVIpre and C‐statistic 0.88 for TRITAVIpost score. Need for dialysis increased from the lowest to the highest of 3 risk score groups (from 0.3% to 3.9% for TRITAVIpre score and from 0.1% to 6.2% for TRITAVIpost score). Analysis of the 3357 patients of the validation cohort (age 82±7 years, 48% men) confirmed the good discrimination power of both scores (C‐statistic 0.80 for TRITAVIpre and 0.81 for TRITAVIpost score). Need for dialysis was associated with a significant increase in 1‐year mortality (from 6.9% to 54.4%; P =0.0001). Conclusions A simple preprocedural clinical score can help predict the risk of dialysis after transcatheter aortic valve replacement.
Elena Bacigalupi, Francesco Pelliccia, and Marco Zimarino
Elsevier BV
Giuseppe Andò, Francesco Pelliccia, Francesco Saia, Giuseppe Tarantini, Chiara Fraccaro, Fabrizio D'Ascenzo, Marco Zimarino, Mario Di Marino, Giampaolo Niccoli, Italo Porto,et al.
Elsevier BV
Francesco Pelliccia, Giuseppe Andò, and Marco Zimarino
Elsevier BV
Vincenzo De Marzo and Marco Zimarino
Elsevier BV
Francesco Pelliccia, Giuseppe Andò, and Marco Zimarino
Elsevier BV
Marco Zimarino, Matteo Perfetti, and Luca Scorpiglione
Elsevier BV
Marco Zimarino, Matteo Perfetti, and Luca Scorpiglione
Elsevier BV
Mohil Garg, Hector M. Garcia-Garcia, Andrea Teira Calderón, Jaytin Gupta, Shrayus Sortur, Molly B. Levine, Puneet Singla, Andrea Picchi, Gennaro Sardella, Marianna Adamo,et al.
Elsevier BV
Marco Zimarino, Luca Scorpiglione, and Matteo Perfetti
Europa Digital & Publishing
Francesco Pelliccia, Marco Zimarino, Giampaolo Niccoli, Doralisa Morrone, Giuseppe De Luca, Fabio Miraldi, and Raffaele De Caterina
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Abstract Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has evolved significantly over the past four decades. Since its inception, in-stent restenosis (ISR)—the progressive reduction in vessel lumen diameter after PCI—has emerged as the main complication of the procedure. Although the incidence of ISR has reduced from 30% at 6 months with bare-metal stents to 7% at 4 years with drug-eluting stents (DESs), its occurrence is relevant in absolute terms because of the dimensions of the population treated with PCI. The aim of this review is to summarize the emerging understanding of the biological pathways that underlie ISR. In-stent restenosis is associated with several factors, including patient-related, genetic, anatomic, stent, lesion, and procedural characteristics. Regardless of associated factors, there are common pathophysiological pathways involving molecular phenomena triggered by the mechanical trauma caused by PCI. Such biological pathways are responses to the denudation of the intima during balloon angioplasty and involve inflammation, hypersensitivity reactions, and stem cell mobilization particularly of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). The results of these processes are either vessel wall healing or neointimal hyperplasia and/or neo-atherosclerosis. Unravelling the key molecular and signal pathways involved in ISR is crucial to identify appropriate therapeutic strategies aimed at abolishing the ‘Achille’s heel’ of PCI. In this regard, we discuss novel approaches to prevent DES restenosis. Indeed, available evidence suggests that EPC-capturing stents promote rapid stent re-endothelization, which, in turn, has the potential to decrease the risk of stent thrombosis and allow the use of a shorter-duration dual antiplatelet therapy.
Andrea Ottaviani, Davide Mansour, Lorenzo V. Molinari, Kristian Galanti, Cesare Mantini, Mohammed Y. Khanji, Anwar A. Chahal, Marco Zimarino, Giulia Renda, Luigi Sciarra,et al.
MDPI AG
Sarcomeric hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a prevalent genetic disorder characterised by left ventricular hypertrophy, myocardial disarray, and an increased risk of heart failure and sudden cardiac death. Despite advances in understanding its pathophysiology, treatment options for HCM remain limited. This narrative review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of current clinical practice and explore emerging therapeutic strategies for sarcomeric HCM, with a focus on cardiac myosin inhibitors. We first discuss the conventional management of HCM, including lifestyle modifications, pharmacological therapies, and invasive interventions, emphasizing their limitations and challenges. Next, we highlight recent advances in molecular genetics and their potential applications in refining HCM diagnosis, risk stratification, and treatment. We delve into emerging therapies, such as gene editing, RNA-based therapies, targeted small molecules, and cardiac myosin modulators like mavacamten and aficamten, which hold promise in modulating the underlying molecular mechanisms of HCM. Mavacamten and aficamten, selective modulators of cardiac myosin, have demonstrated encouraging results in clinical trials by reducing left ventricular outflow tract obstruction and improving symptoms in patients with obstructive HCM. We discuss their mechanisms of action, clinical trial outcomes, and potential implications for the future of HCM management. Furthermore, we examine the role of precision medicine in HCM management, exploring how individualised treatment strategies, including exercise prescription as part of the management plan, may optimise patient outcomes. Finally, we underscore the importance of multidisciplinary care and patient-centred approaches to address the complex needs of HCM patients. This review also aims to encourage further research and collaboration in the field of HCM, promoting the development of novel and more effective therapeutic strategies, such as cardiac myosin modulators, to hopefully improve the quality of life and outcome of patients with sarcomeric HCM.
Fabrizio Ricci, Mohammed Y. Khanji, Giandomenico Bisaccia, Alberto Cipriani, Annamaria Di Cesare, Laura Ceriello, Cesare Mantini, Marco Zimarino, Artur Fedorowski, Sabina Gallina,et al.
American Medical Association (AMA)
ImportanceThe clinical utility of stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) in stable chest pain is still debated, and the low-risk period for adverse cardiovascular (CV) events after a negative test result is unknown.ObjectiveTo provide contemporary quantitative data synthesis of the diagnostic accuracy and prognostic value of stress CMR in stable chest pain.Data SourcesPubMed and Embase databases, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, PROSPERO, and the ClinicalTrials.gov registry were searched for potentially relevant articles from January 1, 2000, through December 31, 2021.Study SelectionSelected studies evaluated CMR and reported estimates of diagnostic accuracy and/or raw data of adverse CV events for participants with either positive or negative stress CMR results. Prespecified combinations of keywords related to the diagnostic accuracy and prognostic value of stress CMR were used. A total of 3144 records were evaluated for title and abstract; of those, 235 articles were included in the full-text assessment of eligibility. After exclusions, 64 studies (74 470 total patients) published from October 29, 2002, through October 19, 2021, were included.Data Extraction and SynthesisThis systematic review and meta-analysis adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.Main Outcomes and MeasuresDiagnostic odds ratios (DORs), sensitivity, specificity, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), odds ratio (OR), and annualized event rate (AER) for all-cause death, CV death, and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) defined as the composite of myocardial infarction and CV death.ResultsA total of 33 diagnostic studies pooling 7814 individuals and 31 prognostic studies pooling 67 080 individuals (mean [SD] follow-up, 3.5 [2.1] years; range, 0.9-8.8 years; 381 357 person-years) were identified. Stress CMR yielded a DOR of 26.4 (95% CI, 10.6-65.9), a sensitivity of 81% (95% CI, 68%-89%), a specificity of 86% (95% CI, 75%-93%), and an AUROC of 0.84 (95% CI, 0.77-0.89) for the detection of functionally obstructive coronary artery disease. In the subgroup analysis, stress CMR yielded higher diagnostic accuracy in the setting of suspected coronary artery disease (DOR, 53.4; 95% CI, 27.7-103.0) or when using 3-T imaging (DOR, 33.2; 95% CI, 19.9-55.4). The presence of stress-inducible ischemia was associated with higher all-cause mortality (OR, 1.97; 95% CI, 1.69-2.31), CV mortality (OR, 6.40; 95% CI, 4.48-9.14), and MACEs (OR, 5.33; 95% CI, 4.04-7.04). The presence of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) was associated with higher all-cause mortality (OR, 2.22; 95% CI, 1.99-2.47), CV mortality (OR, 6.03; 95% CI, 2.76-13.13), and increased risk of MACEs (OR, 5.42; 95% CI, 3.42-8.60). After a negative test result, pooled AERs for CV death were less than 1.0%.Conclusion and RelevanceIn this study, stress CMR yielded high diagnostic accuracy and delivered robust prognostication, particularly when 3-T scanners were used. While inducible myocardial ischemia and LGE were associated with higher mortality and risk of MACEs, normal stress CMR results were associated with a lower risk of MACEs for at least 3.5 years.
Paolo Calabrò, Carmen Spaccarotella, Arturo Cesaro, Giuseppe Andò, Raffaele Piccolo, Salvatore De Rosa, Marco Zimarino, Massimo Mancone, Felice Gragnano, Elisabetta Moscarella,et al.
Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
After percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs), patients remain at high risk of developing recurrent cardiovascular events. Despite advances in interventional cardiology, the correct management of residual low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) risk continues to be crucial for improving long-term outcomes after PCI. However, several observational studies have demonstrated suboptimal LDL-C control, poor adherence to statin therapy, and underutilization of high-intensity statins, ezetimibe, and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors in real-world clinical practice despite a strong endorsement from international guidelines. Recent studies have shown that early intensive lipid-lowering therapy stabilizes atheromatous plaque and increases fibrous cap thickness in patients with acute coronary syndrome. This finding emphasizes the importance of achieving therapeutic targets by establishing an effective treatment as early as possible. The aim of this expert opinion paper of the Interventional Cardiology Working Group of the Italian Society of Cardiology is to discuss the management of lipid-lowering therapy in patients undergoing PCIs according to Italian reimbursement policies and regulations, with a particular focus on the discharge phase.
Plinio CIRILLO, Luigi DI SERAFINO, Habib GAMRA, Marco ZIMARINO, Emanuele BARBATO, Carlo BRIGUORI, Ignatio J. AMAT-SANTOS, Alaide CHIEFFO, Andrejs ERGLIS, Robert J. GIL,et al.
Edizioni Minerva Medica
BACKGROUND
Optimal duration of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy (DAPT) following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of a bifurcation stenosis is still debated. We evaluated the impact of DAPT duration on clinical outcomes in all-comers patients undergoing bifurcation PCI included in the European Bifurcation Club (EBC) registry.
METHODS
We enrolled 2284 consecutive patients who completed at least 18 months follow-up. The cumulative occurrence of Major Adverse Cardiac and Cardiovascular Events (MACCE), defined as a composite of overall-death, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), target vessel revascularization (TVR) and stroke were evaluated. Bleedings classified as BARC ≥ 3 were evaluated too.
RESULTS
Patients were divided into 3 groups: Short DAPT (<6-months, n=375); Standard DAPT (≥6-months but ≤12-months, n=636); Prolonged DAPT (>12- months, n=1273). At 24 months follow-up MACCE-free survival was significantly lower in Short DAPT patients (Log-Rank: 45.23, p for trend <0.001). MACCE occurred less frequently in the Prolonged DAPT group (148 (11.6%)) as compared with both the Short (83 (22.1%) HR:0.48 (0.37-0.63), p<0.001) and Standard DAPT groups (137 (21.5%) HR:0.51 (0.41-0.65), p<0.001). These differences remain after propensity score adjustment (respectively, HR: 0.27 (0.20-0.36) and HR: 0.44 (0.34-0.57)). Such finding was consistent in patients presenting with both acute and chronic coronary syndromes. BARC ≥ 3 bleedings were 0.3% in the Standard DAPT, 1.6% in Short and 1.9% in Prolonged DAPT groups.
CONCLUSIONS
In the "real-world" EBC registry of patients undergoing PCI of coronary artery bifurcation stenosis, a prolonged DAPT duration was associated with a significantly lower risk of MACCE and a potential increased risk of major bleedings.
Lili Liu, Fenghua Ding, Ying Shen, Shengxian Tu, Junqing Yang, Qiuyang Zhao, Miao Chu, Weifeng Shen, Ruiyan Zhang, Marco Zimarino,et al.
VM Media Group sp. z o.o
Background Assessment of collaterals physiology in chronic total occlusions (CTO) currently requires dedicated devices, adds complexity, and increases the cost of the intervention. This study sought to derive collaterals physiology from flow velocity changes (ΔV) in donor arteries, calculated with artificial intelligence-aided angiography. Methods Angiographies with successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in 2 centers were retrospectively analyzed. CTO collaterals were angiographically evaluated according to Rentrop and collateral connections (CC) classifications. Flow velocities in the primary and secondary collateral donor arteries (PCDA, SCDA) were automatically computed pre and post PCI, based on a novel deep-learning model to extract the length/time curve of the coronary filling in angiography. Parameters of collaterals physiology, Δcollateral-flow (Δφcoll) and Δcollateral-flow-index (ΔCFI), were derived from the ΔV pre-post. Results The analysis was feasible in 105 out of 130 patients. Flow velocity in the PCDA significantly decreased after CTO-PCI, proportionally to the angiographic collateral grading (Rentrop 1: 0.02 ± 0.01 m/s; Rentrop 2: 0.04 ± 0.01 m/s; Rentrop 3: 0.07 ± 0.02 m/s; p < 0.001; CC0: 0.01 ± 0.01 m/s; CC1: 0.04 ± 0.02 m/s; CC2: 0.06 ± 0.02 m/s; p < 0.001). Δφcoll and ΔCFI paralleled ΔV. SCDA also showed a greater reduction in flow velocity if its collateral channels were CC1 vs. CC0 (0.03 ± 0.01 vs. 0.01 ± 0.01 m/s; p < 0.001). For each individual patient, ΔV was more pronounced in the PCDA than in the SCDA. Conclusions Automatic assessment of collaterals physiology in CTO is feasible, based on a deep-learning model analyzing the filling of the donor vessels in angiography. The changes in collateral flow with this novel method are quantitatively proportional to the angiographic grading of the collaterals.
Tobias Rheude, Giuliano Costa, Flavio Luciano Ribichini, Thomas Pilgrim, Ignacio J. Amat Santos, Ole De Backer, Won‐Keun Kim, Henrique Barbosa Ribeiro, Francesco Saia, Matjaz Bunc,et al.
Europa Digital & Publishing
BACKGROUND
The optimal timing to perform percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) patients remains unknown.
AIMS
We sought to compare different PCI timing strategies in TAVI patients.
METHODS
The REVASC-TAVI registry is an international registry including patients undergoing TAVI with significant, stable coronary artery disease (CAD) at preprocedural workup. In this analysis, patients scheduled to undergo PCI before, after or concomitantly with TAVI were included. The main endpoints were all-cause death and a composite of all-cause death, stroke, myocardial infarction (MI) or rehospitalisation for congestive heart failure (CHF) at 2 years. Outcomes were adjusted using the inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW) method.
RESULTS
A total of 1,603 patients were included. PCI was performed before, after or concomitantly with TAVI in 65.6% (n=1,052), 9.8% (n=157) or 24.6% (n=394), respectively. At 2 years, all-cause death was significantly lower in patients undergoing PCI after TAVI as compared with PCI before or concomitantly with TAVI (6.8% vs 20.1% vs 20.6%; p<0.001). Likewise, the composite endpoint was significantly lower in patients undergoing PCI after TAVI as compared with PCI before or concomitantly with TAVI (17.4% vs 30.4% vs 30.0%; p=0.003). Results were confirmed at landmark analyses considering events from 0 to 30 days and from 31 to 720 days.
CONCLUSIONS
In patients with severe aortic stenosis and stable coronary artery disease scheduled for TAVI, performance of PCI after TAVI seems to be associated with improved 2-year clinical outcomes compared with other revascularisation timing strategies. These results need to be confirmed in randomised clinical trials.
Federico Archilletti, Fabrizio Ricci, Francesco Pelliccia, George Dangas, Livio Giuliani, Francesco Radico, Matteo Perfetti, Serena Rossi, Sabina Gallina, Nicola Maddestra,et al.
Elsevier BV
Giuliano Costa, Thomas Pilgrim, Ignacio J. Amat Santos, Ole De Backer, Won-Keun Kim, Henrique Barbosa Ribeiro, Francesco Saia, Matjaz Bunc, Didier Tchetche, Philippe Garot,et al.
Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Background: The best management of stable coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is still unclear due to the marked inconsistency of the available evidence. Methods: The REVASC-TAVI registry (Management of Myocardial Revascularization in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation With Coronary Artery Disease) collected data from 30 centers worldwide on patients undergoing TAVI who had significant, stable CAD at preprocedural work-up. For the purposes of this analysis, patients with either complete or incomplete myocardial revascularization were compared in a propensity score matched analysis, to take into account of baseline confounders. The primary and co-primary outcomes were all-cause death and the composite of all-cause death, stroke, myocardial infarction, and rehospitalization for heart failure, respectively, at 2 years. Results: Among 2407 patients enrolled, 675 pairs of patients achieving complete or incomplete myocardial revascularization were matched. The primary (21.6% versus 18.2%, hazard ratio‚ 0.88 [95% CI, 0.66–1.18]; P =0.38) and co-primary composite (29.0% versus 27.1%, hazard ratio‚ 0.97 [95% CI, 0.76–1.24]; P =0.83) outcome did not differ between patients achieving complete or incomplete myocardial revascularization, respectively. These results were consistent across different prespecified subgroups of patients (< or >75 years of age, Society of Thoracic Surgeons score > or <4%, angina at baseline, diabetes, left ventricular ejection fraction > or <40%, New York Heart Association class I/II or III/IV, renal failure, proximal CAD, multivessel CAD, and left main/proximal anterior descending artery CAD; all P values for interaction >0.10). Conclusions: The present analysis of the REVASC-TAVI registry showed that, among TAVI patients with significant stable CAD found during the TAVI work-up, completeness of myocardial revascularization achieved either staged or concomitantly with TAVI was similar to a strategy of incomplete revascularization in reducing the risk of all cause death, as well as the risk of death, stroke, myocardial infarction, and rehospitalization for heart failure at 2 years, regardless of the clinical and anatomical situations.
Melissa Foglietta, Francesco Radico, Marianna Appignani, Roberta Aquilani, Maria Di Fulvio, and Marco Zimarino
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Abstract Current evidence supports device-based transcatheter interventions for the management of patients with structural heart disease, proving well their safety and efficacy; transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) of mitral or tricuspid valves, and left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) are expanding their role in contemporary practice. Currently, guidelines recommend performing TAVI in ‘Heart Valve Center’ with interventional cardiology and institutional on-site cardiac surgery (iOSCS), while no site limitation has been defined for TEER and LAAO. The growing number of candidates for transcatheter interventions generates long waiting times with negative consequences on mortality, morbidity, hospitalization, and functional deterioration. Therefore, a debate on the feasibility of TAVI in centres without iOSCS has been set up. Data from randomized controlled trials and registries failed to document any difference in outcomes and in conversion rate to emergent surgical bailout in centres with or without iOSCS; on the other hand, a direct relationship with TAVI complications has been clearly documented for learning curve and centre volume. Therefore, the role of iOSCS for TAVI, as well as for other transcatheter interventions, should be carefully explored.
Marco Lombardi, Michela Molisana, Eugenio Genovesi, Carlo De Innocentiis, Ugo Limbruno, Leonardo Misuraca, Luciano Moretti †, Luca Di Vito, Giulia Renda, Marco Zimarino,et al.
Europa Digital & Publishing
BACKGROUND
Contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) is prognostically relevant in invasive cardiological and radiological procedures. The administration of sodium bicarbonate has controversial effects. It has been hypothesised that bicarbonate is ineffective when unable to achieve adequate urine alkalinisation.
AIMS
We tested the hypothesis that alkaline urine status with oral or intravenous (i.v.) bicarbonate on top of hydration alone prevents CI-AKI.
METHODS
In a prospective, randomised, parallel-group, open-label trial, we compared 1) saline hydration alone (n=81); 2) i.v. bicarbonate (n=82); and 3) oral bicarbonate (n=78), in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) scheduled for the intra-arterial administration of contrast medium. The primary endpoint was the incidence of CI-AKI according to alkaline urine status achieved immediately before angiography. Secondary endpoints were the mean change of urine pH up to the time of angiography and the incidence of CI-AKI in the three groups.
RESULTS
The incidence of CI-AKI was not significantly different in the three treatment arms (20% in the hydration group, 21% in the oral bicarbonate group and 22% in the i.v. bicarbonate group; p=0.94). Patients achieving a pH >6 before angiography (n=145) had a significantly lower incidence of CI-AKI compared with the others (n=96; OR 0.48, 95% CI: 0.25-0.90; p=0.023, primary study hypothesis). The proportion of patients achieving a pH >6 was higher in the i.v. and oral bicarbonate groups compared with hydration alone.
CONCLUSIONS
Urinary pH before administration of contrast medium is an inverse correlate of CI-AKI incidence, and bicarbonate is superior to hydration alone in achieving urinary alkalinisation. Since, however, bicarbonate did not reduce the incidence of CI-AKI, we conclude that urinary pH is a marker and not a mediator of CI-AKI (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02980003).
Saverio Venza, Matteo Perfetti, and Marco Zimarino
Elsevier BV
Francesco Pelliccia, Vincenzo Pasceri, Marco Zimarino, Giuseppe De Luca, Raffaele De Caterina, Roxana Mehran, and George Dangas
Elsevier BV
Fabrizio Ricci, Johannes T. Neumann, Nicole Rübsamen, Nils A. Sörensen, Francisco Ojeda, Ivana Cataldo, Tanja Zeller, Sarina Schäfer, Tau S. Hartikainen, Maria Golato,et al.
Frontiers Media SA
BackgroundThe instant, single-sampling rule-out of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is still an unmet clinical need. We aimed at testing and comparing diagnostic performance and prognostic value of two different single-sampling biomarker strategies for the instant rule-out of AMI.MethodsFrom the Biomarkers in Acute Cardiac Care (BACC) cohort, we recruited consecutive patients with acute chest pain and suspected AMI presenting to the Emergency Department of the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. We compared safety, effectiveness and 12-month incidence of the composite endpoint of all-cause death and myocardial infarction between (i) a single-sampling, dual-marker pathway combining high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) and ultra-sensitive copeptin (us-Cop) at presentation (hs-cTnI ≤ 27 ng/L, us-Cop &lt; 10 pmol/L and low-risk ECG) and (ii) a single-sampling pathway based on one-off hs-cTnI determination at presentation (hs-cTnI &lt; 5 ng/L and low-risk ECG). As a comparator, we used the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) 0/1-h dual-sampling algorithm.ResultsWe enrolled 1,136 patients (male gender 65%) with median age of 64 years (interquartile range, 51–75). Overall, 228 (20%) patients received a final diagnosis of AMI. The two single-sampling instant rule-out pathways yielded similar negative predictive value (NPV): 97.4% (95%CI: 95.4–98.7) and 98.7% (95%CI: 96.9–99.6) for dual-marker and single hs-cTnI algorithms, respectively (P = 0.11). Both strategies were comparably safe as the ESC 0/1-h dual-sampling algorithm and this was consistent across subgroups of early-comers, low-intermediate risk (GRACE-score &lt; 140) and renal dysfunction. Despite a numerically higher rate of false-negative results, the dual-marker strategy ruled-out a slightly but significantly higher percentage of patients compared with single hs-cTnI determination (37.4% versus 32.9%; P &lt; 0.001). There were no significant between-group differences in 12-month composite outcome.ConclusionsInstant rule-out pathways based on one-off determination of hs-cTnI alone or in combination with us-Cop are comparably safe as the ESC 0/1 h algorithm for the instant rule-out of AMI, yielding similar prognostic information. Instant rule-out strategies are safe alternatives to the ESC 0/1 h algorithm and allow the rapid and effective triage of suspected AMI in patients with low-risk ECG. However, adding copeptin to hs-cTn does not improve the safety of instant rule-out compared with the single rule-out hs-cTn at very low cut-off concentrations.