X-ray coronary angiography is the most common tool for the diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease. It involves the injection of contrast agents into coronary vessels using a catheter to highlight the coronary vessel structure. Typically, multiple 2D X-ray projections are recorded from different angles to improve visualization. Recent advances in the development of deep-learning-based tools promise significant improvement in diagnosing and treating coronary artery disease. However, the limited public availability of annotated X-ray coronary angiography image datasets presents a challenge for objective assessment and comparison of existing tools and the development of novel methods. To address this challenge, we introduce a novel ARCADE dataset with 2 objectives: coronary vessel classification and stenosis detection. Each objective contains 1500 expert-labeled X-ray coronary angiography images representing: i) coronary artery segments; and ii) the locations of stenotic plaques. These datasets will serve as a benchmark for developing new methods and assessing existing approaches for the automated diagnosis and risk assessment of coronary artery disease.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is highly prevalent in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).Objective: The outcome following revascularization using contemporary technologies (new-generation abluminal sirolimus-eluting stents with thin struts) in patients with CKD (i.e., glomerular filtration rate of < 60 mL/min/1.73m²) and in patients with hemodialysis (HD) is unknown.Methods: e-Ultimaster is a prospective, single-arm, multi-center registry with clinical follow-up at 3 months and 1 year.Results: A total of 19,475 patients were enrolled, including 1466 patients with CKD, with 167 undergoing HD. Patients with CKD had a higher prevalence of overall comorbidities, multiple/small vessel disease (≤ 2.75 mm), bifurcation lesions, and more often left main artery treatments (allp < 0.0001) when compared with patients with normal renal function (reference). CKD patients had a higher risk of target lesion failure (unadjusted OR, 2.51 [95% CI 2.04–3.08]), target vessel failure (OR, 2.44 [95% CI 2.01–2.96]), patient-oriented composite end point (OR, 2.19 [95% CI 1.87–2.56]), and major adverse cardiovascular events (OR, 2.34 [95% CI 1.93–2.83,pfor all < 0.0001]) as reference. The rates of target lesion revascularization (OR, 1.17 [95% CI 0.79–1.73],p = 0.44) were not different. Bleeding complications were more frequently observed in CKD than in the reference (allp < 0.0001).Conclusion: In this worldwide registry, CKD patients presented with more comorbidities and more complex lesions when compared with the reference population. They experienced higher rate of adverse events at 1-year follow-up.Graphic

Background: Guidelines recommend heart team discussion and coronary artery bypass graft consideration in patients with proximal left anterior descending ( LAD ) artery stenosis. Evidence suggests that outcomes of proximal LAD angioplasty might not differ from treatment of nonproximal LAD locations. We aim to determine clinical outcomes of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention in the proximal LAD segment in comparison with nonproximal LAD angioplasty, using a thin‐strut drug‐eluting stent. Methods and Results: In this analysis of the e‐Ultimaster registry, patients undergoing angioplasty in the proximal LAD territory were compared with those treated in nonproximal LAD locations. Multivariate analysis and propensity score were used to adjust for differences among the groups. The primary outcome was target lesion failure: a composite of cardiac death, target‐lesion–related myocardial infarction, and/or clinically driven target lesion revascularization at 1‐year follow‐up. Of the 17 805 patients (mean age, 64.2±11; 76% male), 5452 (30.6%) underwent proximal LAD and 12 353 (69.4%) nonproximal LAD percutaneous coronary intervention. Patients in the proximal LAD group had more multivessel disease (48.7% versus 43.5%; P <0.001) and 2‐fold more bifurcations lesions (18.8% versus 9.2%; P <0.0001). After propensity‐weighted adjustment, target lesion failure did not differ between the groups (3.3% versus 2.9%; P =0.17 for proximal LAD versus nonproximal LAD angioplasty, respectively). In multivariate analysis, proximal LAD treatment was not an independent predictor of target lesion failure (odds ratio, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.88–1.31; P =0.48). Conclusions: At 1‐year follow‐up, patients had similar clinical outcomes independent of stenting location, questioning whether proximal LAD treatment should be regarded differently from stenting in any other coronary artery territory.

The Official Journal of EuroPCR and the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI)

Background: Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) remains a standard revascularization strategy for patients with advanced coronary artery disease (CAD). However, a considerable proportion of patients experience recurrent ischemia requiring repeat revascularization. Residual platelet reactivity (RPR) and dyslipidemia are recognized as key factors contributing to graft failure and disease progression. Methods: This observational study was conducted at a tertiary cardiology center in Kazakhstan. A total of 195 post-CABG patients who underwent repeat coronary angiography between 2023 and 2024 recruitment period for recurrent ischemic symptoms within 6–36 months after surgery were included. Clinical characteristics, comorbidities, lipid profiles, and antiplatelet response were analyzed. RPR was measured using the VerifyNow P2Y12 assay when available. Dyslipidemia was defined according to the 2019 and 2021 European guidelines. Results: Elevated RPR was identified in 45% of patients (n = 90) despite dual antiplatelet therapy (p < 0.01). Poor lipid control was frequent among those who underwent repeat percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), particularly elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and total cholesterol (p < 0.05). Both elevated RPR and dyslipidemia were independently associated with native coronary disease progression and graft failure (RPR: OR = 2.8; 95% CI 1.4–5.6; p = 0.003; dyslipidemia: OR = 2.2; 95% CI 1.1–4.3; p = 0.02). The use of ezetimibe was independently associated with a significantly lower risk of repeat stenting (OR = 0.12; 95% CI 0.02–0.75; p = 0.023). Smokers were younger, had lower blood pressure, and less frequently presented with diabetes or chronic kidney disease, demonstrating a pattern consistent with the “smoker’s paradox.” Conclusions: Residual platelet reactivity and dyslipidemia are common and clinically relevant predictors of repeat revascularization after CABG. Optimization of antiplatelet and lipid-lowering therapy should be prioritized in secondary prevention for this high-risk population. These findings are particularly important in Kazakhstan, where post-CABG management strategies warrant further improvement.

Background: Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a standard treatment for ad-vanced coronary artery disease (CAD). Despite its effectiveness, many patients devel-op recurrent ischemia requiring repeat revascularization. Residual platelet reactivity (RPR) and dyslipidemia are considered important contributors to graft failure and dis-ease progression. This study investigated the association of RPR and dyslipidemia with repeat revascularization in post-CABG patients. Methods: A observational cohort study was performed at a tertiary cardiology center in Kazakhstan. A total of 200 patients with prior CABG who underwent repeat coro-nary angiography between 2023 and 2024 for recurrent ischemic symptoms were in-cluded. Clinical data, comorbidities, lipid profiles, and antiplatelet response were ana-lyzed. RPR was measured with the VerifyNow P2Y12 assay where available. Dyslipidemia was defined according to current European guidelines, 2019/2021. Results: Elevated RPR was found in 45% (n = 90) of patients despite dual antiplatelet therapy. Poor lipid control, especially increased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and total cholesterol was common among patients undergoing repeat percu-taneous coronary intervention (PCI). Both RPR and dyslipidemia were independently associated with native coronary disease progression and graft failure. Conclusions: RPR and dyslipidemia are frequent and clinically relevant predictors of repeat revascularization after CABG. Optimizing antiplatelet and lipid-lowering ther-apy should be a priority in secondary prevention for this high-risk group. These results are particularly important in the Central Asian setting, where post-CABG management strategies require further improvement.