CHICAGO, March 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Use of a special catheter that sucks out, or aspirates, bits of plaque and blood clot that break loose during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) significantly enhances blood flow deep in the heart muscle in patients who are experiencing a heart attack, according to a recently published study. Now, a new analysis of the Thrombus Aspiration during Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Acute Myocardial Infarction (TAPAS) study has shown that the link between deep myocardial perfusion and better clinical outcomes that was apparent at 30 days is still strong after one year.

CHICAGO, March 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) -- which uses a combination of catheter-mounted balloons and stents to open a completely blocked coronary artery and restore blood flow to the heart -- is the best treatment for heart attack when performed rapidly. However, few hospitals can meet the 90-minute treatment goal unless they have a cardiac catheterization laboratory on site.

CHICAGO, March 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Although drug-eluting stents have become widely used for the treatment of stable coronary artery disease, many cardiologists choose bare-metal stents for patients with heart attack, or myocardial infarction (MI), citing conflicting data about the safety and effectiveness of drug-eluting stents in this patient group. Such concerns are being challenged by an analysis of a large Massachusetts database.

CHICAGO, March 30 /PRNewswire/ -- A device that catches bits of plaque and blood clot that break loose during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has failed to show that it can reduce rates of major cardiovascular complications in patients with acute coronary syndromes, a condition that encompasses unstable angina and a type of heart attack known as non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Although the EZ FilterWire captured debris in the bloodstream in nearly half of patients, it did not reduce damage to the heart muscle.

CHICAGO, March 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The investigational antiplatelet drug prasugrel plus aspirin produced a marked and highly statistically significant reduction in the risk of coronary stent thrombosis (ST) - a major concern for physicians and patients with potentially fatal consequences - in patients who received a stent as compared to standard therapy with clopidogrel (Plavix(R)) plus aspirin (1.13 percent vs. 2.35 percent, p<0.0001), according to a stent analysis from the head-to-head TRITON-TIMI 38 trial.

CHICAGO, March 29 /PRNewswire/ -- When a clot develops inside a coronary stent, it can block blood flow to the heart, potentially causing a heart attack or even death. A single incident of stent thrombosis is bad enough, but a new study suggests that one in six patients can expect to experience at least one repeat episode. According to the Dutch Stent Thrombosis Study, among the strongest predictors of recurrent stent thrombosis is implantation of an additional stent during emergency treatment of the first episode.

CHICAGO, March 29 /PRNewswire/ -- When stenting is performed for an arterial narrowing at the branchpoint of two coronary arteries -- or a bifurcation lesion -- it can be challenging to achieve full coverage of both vessels without blocking the opening to the side branch. A new study will provide interventional cardiologists with new information on which of two techniques produces the best long-term results when used with a drug-eluting stent.

CHICAGO, March 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Prasugrel has been shown to block platelet activity in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) more effectively than clopidogrel, and to cut by more than half the risk of thrombosis, or blood clotting, inside the coronary stent. Now a new analysis of data from the Trial to Assess Improvement in Therapeutic Outcomes by Optimizing Platelet Inhibition with Prasugrel (TRITON-TIMI 38) reveals that the investigational drug maintains its edge over clopidogrel regardless of the type of stent, the amount of time since the stenting procedure, or the way stent thrombosis is defined.

CHICAGO, March 29 /PRNewswire/ -- A large randomized trial will shed light on the ideal combination of medications for preventing unwanted blood clotting during and shortly after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Specifically, study investigators expect to determine whether bivalirudin, a direct inhibitor of the clotting protein thrombin, is better than unfractionated heparin, an indirect thrombin inhibitor, in patients who have also been treated with high-dose clopidogrel.

CHICAGO, March 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) can be performed safely and successfully in medical centers without on-site cardiac surgical back-up, provided programs are well-organized, highly skilled and committed to quality. These are the findings of the largest clinical study ever to compare PCI programs that have on-site cardiac surgery to PCI programs that transfer patients to a surgical hospital in case of emergency.