Long-term outcome of early percutaneous coronary intervention in diabetic patients with acute coronary syndrome: insights from the BASE ACS trial

Abstract

Background: The BASE ACS trial demonstrated an outcome of titanium-nitride-oxide-coated bioactive stents (BAS) that was non-inferior to everolimus-eluting stents (EES) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We performed a post-hoc analysis of diabetic versus non-diabetic patients from the trial.

Methods: We randomised 827 patients (1:1) with ACS to receive either BAS or EES. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACE): a composite of cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI) or ischaemia-driven target lesion revascularisation (TLR). Follow-up was planned yearly through 7 years.

Results: Of 827 patients, 140 (16.9%) were diabetic; of these, 36 (25.7%) were insulin-treated. Mean follow-up duration was 4.2 ± 1.9 years. MACE was more frequent in diabetics versus non-diabetics (23.6% versus 13.7%, respectively, p = 0.003), mainly driven by more frequent cardiac death (7.9% versus 2.2%, respectively, p = 0.002). The rates of non-fatal MI, ischaemia-driven TLR were comparable (p > 0.05 for all). In diabetic patients, MACE was comparable between the two stent arms (18.5% versus 28.0%, for BAS versus EES, respectively, p = 0.18).

Conclusions: Diabetic patients treated with early percutaneous coronary intervention for ACS had worse long-term outcome, compared with non-diabetics, mainly driven by more frequent cardiac death. The long-term outcome of BAS was comparable to EES in diabetics.

Key Messages

• Diabetic patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome who were treated with early percutaneous coronary intervention had worse long-term clinical outcome, compared with non-diabetics, mainly driven by a high incidence of cardiac death.

• Age independently predicted both major adverse cardiac events and cardiac death in diabetic patients.

• The long-term clinical outcome of titanium-nitride-oxide-coated bioactive stents was comparable to that of everolimus-eluting stents in the diabetic, as well as in the non-diabetic subgroup.

Keywords:

• Acute coronary syndrome
• diabetes mellitus
• everolimus-eluting stents
• titanium-nitride-oxide-coated stents

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Tuija Vasankari, Eija Niemelä, and Minna Ampio, for their support in the conduct of this study.

Disclosure statement

None of the authors declared any conflict of interests.