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Published on: March 15, 2022
A meta-analysis of 17 randomized trials of a percutaneous coronary intervention-based strategy in patients with
Albert Schömig1, Julinda Mehilli, Antoinette de Waha
1Deutsches Herzzentrum München, Technische Universität, Munich, Germany. aschoemig@dhm.mhn.de
Insights
Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) may improve long-term survival for stable coronary artery disease patients compared to medical treatment alone. This invasive strategy showed a reduced risk of all-cause death in a meta-analysis of randomized trials.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Interventional Cardiology
- Clinical Trials
Background:
- The long-term prognostic impact of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in stable coronary artery disease (CAD) remains uncertain.
- Existing evidence does not definitively establish the benefits of an invasive PCI strategy over optimal medical therapy for patients with stable ischemic heart disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effect of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared to medical treatment on long-term mortality.
- To assess the impact of an invasive PCI strategy versus a conservative medical approach in patients presenting with symptoms of myocardial ischemia but without acute coronary syndrome.
Main Methods:
- A meta-analysis of 17 randomized controlled trials involving 7,513 patients with stable coronary artery disease.
- Comparison of a PCI-based invasive strategy against a medical treatment-only strategy.
- Primary endpoint was all-cause mortality, with an average follow-up of 51 months.
Main Results:
- Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was associated with a 20% reduction in the odds ratio of all-cause death (OR: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.64 to 0.99).
- A nonsignificant 26% reduction in cardiac death was observed with PCI (OR: 0.74; 95% CI: 0.51 to 1.06).
- Rates of nonfatal myocardial infarction were similar between the PCI and medical treatment groups (OR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.66 to 1.23).
Conclusions:
- An invasive strategy utilizing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) may enhance long-term survival in patients with stable coronary artery disease.
- These findings suggest that PCI could be a beneficial treatment option for selected patients with stable ischemic heart disease.
Objectives:
This study assessed the impact on long-term mortality of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) versus medical treatment in patients with symptoms or signs of myocardial ischemia but no acute coronary syndrome.
Background:
The impact of PCI on the long-term prognosis of patients with stable coronary artery disease has not been established.
Methods:
We identified 17 randomized trials comparing a PCI-based invasive treatment strategy with medical treatment in 7,513 patients with symptoms or signs of myocardial ischemia but no acute coronary syndrome. Of these patients, 3,675 were assigned to the PCI group and 3,838 to the medical treatment group. The primary end point was all-cause death. The length of follow-up was in the range between 12 and 122 months, 51 months on average.
Results:
In the PCI group, 271 patients died compared with 335 patients in the medical treatment group, which corresponds to a 20% reduction in the odds ratio (OR) of all-cause death (OR: 0.80; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.64 to 0.99, p = 0.263 for heterogeneity across the trials). Allocation to the PCI group was associated with a nonsignificant 26% reduction in the OR of cardiac death (OR: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.51 to 1.06). In the PCI group, 319 patients had a nonfatal myocardial infarction after randomization compared with 357 patients in the medical treatment group (OR: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.66 to 1.23).
Conclusions:
These findings suggest that a PCI-based invasive strategy may improve long-term survival compared with a medical treatment-only strategy in patients with stable coronary artery disease.
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