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Published on: May 28, 2019
Safety of drug-eluting stents in patients with left ventricular dysfunction undergoing percutaneous coronary
Annunziata Nusca1, Michael J Lipinski, Amit Varma
1VCU Pauley Heart Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA. aabbate@mcvh-vcu.edu
Insights
Drug-eluting stents (DES) are safe for patients with reduced left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF). This study found favorable long-term survival rates in patients with LV dysfunction receiving DES, suggesting their safety in this high-risk group.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Interventional Cardiology
- Cardiovascular Research
Background:
- Drug-eluting stents (DES) are associated with increased late stent thrombosis.
- Reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is a known risk factor for stent thrombosis.
- The safety of DES in patients with impaired left ventricular function requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of DES implantation in patients with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction.
- To assess the incidence of all-cause mortality in patients with LVEF <45% treated with DES.
- To compare outcomes of DES versus bare-metal stents (BMS) in patients with LV dysfunction.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of patients with LVEF <45% who received at least one DES.
- Data collection on all-cause mortality using Social Security Database and hospital records.
- Comparison with a historical cohort of patients with LV dysfunction treated with BMS.
Main Results:
- 121 patients with mean LVEF of 36±8% received DES; 16% had LVEF ≤25%.
- 3-year survival rates were 88% (95% CI 80-96%), demonstrating favorable outcomes.
- DES implantation was off-label in 83% of patients, highlighting use in a high-risk population.
Conclusions:
- Drug-eluting stents (DES) demonstrate a favorable safety profile in patients with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction.
- Long-term survival rates are encouraging, supporting the use of DES in this patient cohort.
- Further research may explore optimal DES selection and management strategies for patients with LV dysfunction.
Abstract:
Recent studies have reported a higher incidence of late stent thrombosis in patients undergoing drug-eluting stent (DES). Reduced left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) is considered a risk factor for this complication after both bare-metal stent (BMS) and DES implantation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of DES on long-term follow-up in patients with LV dysfunction undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. We retrospectively selected all patients with an EF <45% undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention with implantation of > or =1 sirolimus- or paclitaxel-eluting stent at our institution. The primary endpoint of the study was all-cause mortality, retrieved using both Social Security Database and hospital records. We also compared the results of this group with a historical cohort of patients with LV dysfunction undergoing BMS implantation; 121 patients who received > or =1 DES were enrolled. The mean LVEF was 36 +/- 8%, with 20 patients (16%) with a LVEF < or =25%; 36 patients (30%) had diabetes mellitus, and DES implantation was considered off-label in 100 patients (83%). Survival at 1-, 2-, and 3-year follow-up was 94% (95% confidence interval [CI] 88 to 100), 90% (95% CI 82 to 98) and 88% (95% CI 80 to 96), respectively. In conclusion, the favorable results of this study demonstrate the safety of DES in patients with LV dysfunction.
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