Proximal Left Anterior Descending Artery Treatment Using a Bioresorbable Polymer Coating Sirolimus‐Eluting Stent: Real‐World Outcomes From the Multicenter Prospective e‐Ultimaster Registry

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 &lt;0.001) and 2‐fold more bifurcations lesions (18.8% versus 9.2%; P &lt;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. </jats:sec

Animal Models of Hypertension: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association

Hypertension is the most common chronic disease in the world, yet the precise cause of elevated blood pressure often cannot be determined. Animal models have been useful for unraveling the pathogenesis of hypertension and for testing novel therapeutic strategies. The utility of animal models for improving the understanding of the pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment of hypertension and its comorbidities depends on their validity for representing human forms of hypertension, including responses to therapy, and on the quality of studies in those models (such as reproducibility and experimental design). Important unmet needs in this field include the development of models that mimic the discrete hypertensive syndromes that now populate the clinic, resolution of ongoing controversies in the pathogenesis of hypertension, and the development of new avenues for preventing and treating hypertension and its complications. Animal models may indeed be useful for addressing these unmet needs.</jats:p

Evaluation of the 3M™ Petrifilm™ Rapid <i>E. coli</i>/Coliform Count Plate for the Enumeration of <i>E. coli</i> and Coliforms: Collaborative Study, First Action: 2018.13

Abstract Background The 3M™ Petrifilm™ Rapid E. coli/Coliform Count Plate is a selective and differential sample-ready-culture medium designed for the rapid enumeration of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and coliforms in the food and beverage industries. Objective The 3M Petrifilm Rapid E. coli/Coliform Count Plate was compared to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM) Chapter 4 Enumeration of Escherichia coli and the Coliform Bacteria, the International Organization of Standards (ISO) 4832:2006 Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration of coliforms—Colony-count technique, and ISO 16649-2:2017 Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs—Horizontal method for the enumeration of beta-glucuronidase-positive Escherichia coli—Part 2 Colony-count technique at 44 degrees C using bromo-4-chloro-3- indolyl beta-D-glucuronide methods for the enumeration of E. coli and coliforms in dry dog kibble. Method The candidate method was evaluated using two diluents, Butterfield's phosphate buffered diluent and peptone salt solution, in a paired study design with each reference method in a multi-laboratory collaborative study following the current AOAC Validation Guidelines. Three target contamination levels and an uninoculated control level were evaluated. Results The candidate and reference methods were not statistically different at each contamination level. Reproducibility values obtained during the collaborative study were similar between the candidate and reference methods. Conclusion These results demonstrate that the candidate method is equivalent to the reference methods. Highlight 3M Petrifilm Rapid E. coli/Coliform Count Plate was recommended for Official First Action status for enumeration of E. coli and coliforms in a broad range of foods and environmental surfaces. </jats:sec