BackgroundThe TALOS-AMI study highlighted the effectiveness of a de-escalation strategy shifting from ticagrelor to clopidogrel 1 month after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), resulting in significant reduction in clinical events, primarily attributed to a substantial decrease in bleeding events. Nevertheless, the impact of this strategy on outcomes based on sex remains unclear.MethodsThis was a post-hoc analysis of the TALOS-AMI study. At 1 month after PCI, patients who remained adherent to aspirin and ticagrelor without experiencing major adverse events were randomized into either the de-escalation group (clopidogrel plus aspirin) or the active control group (ticagrelor plus aspirin) for an additional 12 months. The primary endpoint encompassed a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and Bleeding Academic Research Consortium bleeding type 2 or greater at 12 months after randomization.ResultsAmong the 2,697 patients included in this study, 454 (16.8%) were women. Women, characterized by older age and a higher prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, impaired renal function, and non-ST-segment myocardial infarction, exhibited a lower primary endpoint at 12 months compared to men [adjusted hazards ratio (HR), 0.60; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.37–0.95; P = 0.03]. Compare to the active control group, the de-escalation group demonstrated a reduced risk of the primary endpoint in both women (adjusted HR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.15–0.95; P = 0.039) and men (adjusted HR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.40–0.79; P = 0.001) (interaction P = 0.46).ConclusionsIn stabilized patients post-PCI with drug-eluting stents for acute myocardial infarction, the primary endpoint was lower among women compared to men. In this cohort, the benefits of an unguided de-escalation strategy from ticagrelor to clopidogrel were comparable in women and men.

Abstract Purpose The safety and efficacy of drug-coated balloon (DCB) treatment of de novo lesions in unprotected left main (LM) coronary arteries remain an unresolved issue. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of DCB-only treatment for unprotected LM coronary artery disease. Methods This retrospective registry study comprised a total of 42 consecutive patients diagnosed with unprotected de novo LM disease and stable hemodynamic conditions. A satisfactory pre-balloon angioplasty was defined as visual residual stenosis ≤ 30% without flow-limiting dissection and was followed by DCB treatment. Patients who did not meet these criteria were treated with a drug-eluting stent (DES). Results Among the cohort of 42 patients, 23 individuals received DCB-only treatment, while 19 patients were treated DES based on the results of pre-balloon angioplasty. Notably, no instances of bailout stenting or emergency coronary bypass surgery were observed following DCB treatment. Additionally, there were no reported cases of mortality or myocardial infarction within the DCB-only group during both hospitalization and the one-year follow-up period. Two patients (8.7%) experienced target lesion revascularization, all of whom presented with stable angina. A luminal increase was observed in 46.7% of cases, and the mean late lumen loss in the DCB-only treatment group was measured as 0.07 ± 0.45 mm. Conclusion DCB treatment of unprotected LM disease may be a safe and effective alternative to DES in carefully selected patients who have achieved satisfactory predilation results. (Impact of Drug-Coated Balloon Treatment in De Novo Coronary Lesion; NCT04619277)

Background Clopidogrel monotherapy was more effective in reducing the risk of adverse clinical events than aspirin monotherapy in patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug‐eluting stent (DES), according to the HOST‐EXAM (Harmonizing Optimal Strategy for Treatment of Coronary Artery Stenosis–Extended Antiplatelet Monotherapy) trial. However, it remains unknown whether these effects differ based on sex. Methods and Results This was a prespecified secondary analysis of HOST‐EXAM in South Korea. Patients who maintained dual antiplatelet therapy without adverse clinical events for 6 to 18 months after PCI with DES were included. The primary end point was a composite of all‐cause mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke, acute coronary syndrome, or Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) bleeding type ≥3 at 24 months after randomization. The bleeding end point was BARC types 2 to 5. The primary end point was comparable between the sexes (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.79 [95% CI, 0.62–1.02]; P =0.067), and the bleeding end point (adjusted HR, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.54–1.17]; P =0.240) was also similar. Compared with aspirin, clopidogrel was associated with lower risk of primary composite end point (adjusted HR, 0.70 [95% CI, 0.55–0.89]; P =0.004) and bleeding end point (adjusted HR, 0.65 [95% CI, 0.44–0.96]; P =0.031) in men but not in women. Conclusions The primary composite end point and bleeding events were comparable between the sexes during chronic maintenance antiplatelet monotherapy after PCI with DES. Clopidogrel monotherapy, compared with aspirin, significantly reduced the risk of the primary composite end point and bleeding events in men. However, the beneficial effect of clopidogrel on the primary end point and bleeding events was mitigated in women. Registration Information clinicaltrials.gov . Identifier: NCT02044250.

BACKGROUND Data on drug-coated balloon (DCB) treatment in the context of multivessel coronary artery disease (CAD) are limited. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of DCB-based treatment on percutaneous coronary intervention for multivessel CAD. METHODS A total of 254 patients with multivessel disease successfully treated with DCBs or in combination with drug-eluting stents (DES) were retrospectively enrolled (DCB-based group) and compared with 254 propensity-matched pa-tients treated with second-generation DES from the PTRG-DES (Platelet Function and Genotype-Related Long-Term Prognosis in Drug-Eluting Stent-Treated Patients With Coronary Artery Disease) registry (n =13,160) (DES-only group). Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) comprised cardiac death, myocardial infarction, stroke, stent thrombosis, target vessel revascularization, and major bleeding at 2 years. RESULTS Baseline clinical characteristics were comparable between the groups. In the DCB-based group, 34.3% of patients were treated with DCBs only and 65.7% were treated with the DES hybrid approach. The number of stents and total stent length were significantly reduced by 65.4% and 63.7%, respectively, in the DCB-based group compared with the DES-only group. Moreover, the DCB-based group had a lower rate of MACE than the DES-only group (3.9% and 11.0%; P = 0.002) at 2-year follow-up. The DES-only group had a higher risk for cardiac death and major bleeding. CONCLUSIONS The DCB-based treatment approach showed a significantly reduced stent burden for multivessel percuta-neous coronary intervention and led to a lower rate of MACE than the DES-only treatment. This study shows that DCB-based treatment approach safely reduces stent burden in multivessel CAD, and improved long-term outcomes may be expected by reducing stent-related events. (Impact of Drug-Coated Balloon Treatment in De Novo Coronary Lesion; NCT04619277) (J Am Coll Cardiol Intv 2023;16:292-299) & COPY; 2023 by the American College of Cardiology Foundation.

A biodegradable stent is a novel concept designed to prevent restenosis within blood vessels over six months, ultimately being completely absorbed within 3-5 years. In other words, biodegradable stents aim to address acute occlusion caused by intimal damage and detachment that often occurs after balloon dilation. They also seek to prevent negative remodeling by maintaining the inner diameter of the blood vessel for approximately six months and possess antiproliferative properties. The controlled release of a drug helps prevent excessive intimal growth and the subsequent occurrence of restenosis. Ongoing research is focused on developing biodegradable stents with thinner strut thicknesses, potentially allowing them to re-enter the market. Consequently, large-scale clinical trials for more advanced biodegradable stents are imperative to build upon existing studies and address reported side effects and risks, which may have arisen due to small reference diameters and misalignment of positions. Additionally, meticulous device optimization techniques, including intravascular imaging, are essential to mitigate potential side effects and risks associated with biodegradable stents. This study aims to analyze the side effects of Drug-Eluting Stents (DES) used for vascular diseases, explore current trends in clinical research related to biodegradable stents, and discuss the potential clinical applications of these innovative medical devices.

Genoss drug‐eluting stent (DES) (Genoss Company Limited) is a new ultrathin sirolimus‐eluting stent with an abluminal biodegradable polymer and a cobalt–chromium platform.

https://e-kcj.org A 65-year-old man was admitted for chronic coronary syndrome. He had been treated with a drug-coated balloon (DCB) for two stenotic lesions of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery 3-year prior. The previous LAD lesions exhibited good patency with an increased luminal diameter (Figure 1C, Supplementary Video 1). Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was performed on the LAD with the patient’s consent. Three years prior, there were 2 stenotic tandem lesions in the middle LAD (Figure 1A, Supplementary Video 2). A dissection occurred after balloon angioplasty in the upper but not the lower lesion (Figure 1B, Supplementary Video 3). Both lesions were treated with a long DCB (3.0×30 mm). At the time of the index percutaneous coronary intervention, OCT revealed a plaque detached from the media of the upper part of the lesion (Figure 1D and E). However, only a minimal dissection was observed in the lower lesion (Figure 1F, Supplementary Video 4). After 3-year, OCT revealed significant plaque regression and luminal enlargement at the most severe dissection site (Figure 1G and H). However, no luminal enlargement was observed at the minimal dissection site (Figure 1I, Supplementary Video 5).

BackgroundAlthough coronary artery aneurysm (CAA) is an uncommon complication of drug-coated balloon (DCB) treatment, the incidence and mechanisms CAA formation after DCB intervention for chronic total occlusion (CTO) remains to be clarified. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of CAA after DCB intervention for the treatment of CTO of coronary arteries.Materials and methodsThis was a retrospective analysis of 82 patients, contributing 88 vessels, who underwent successful DCB-only treatment for de novo CTO lesions. Follow-up angiography was performed in all cases, at a mean 208.5 (interquartile range [IQR]: 174.8 to 337.5) days after the index procedure.ResultsCAA was identified in seven vessels, in seven patients, at the site of previous successful DCB-only treatment. Of these, six were fusiform in shape and one saccular, with a mean diameter of 4.2 ± 1.0 mm and length of 6.7 ± 2.6 mm. Six CAAs developed at the CTO inlet site, and all CAAs occurred at the lesions following dissection immediately after DCB treatment. CAAs were not associated with an increased risk of major clinical events over the median follow-up of 676.5 (IQR: 393.8 to 1,304.8) days.ConclusionThe incidence of CAA after DCB-only treatment for CTO lesions was 8.0% in this study. Further research is warranted, using intravascular imaging, to clarify the mechanism of DCB-related CAA formation and prognosis.

Stents are medical devices that treat various types of vascular diseases. The global market for stents has grown due to the increase in vascular diseases caused by complications of adult diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. Among them, the peripheral vascular stent market is a high value-added industry that is expected to continue to grow due to the increase in patients with peripheral arterial disease. This increase has been influenced by the aging population and increased treatment demand in emerging markets. The global market for peripheral vascular stents is expected to grow from $10,301 million in 2021 to $13,368 million in 2026 at an average annual growth rate of 5.3%. North America currently occupies the largest market share, but it is expected to grow significantly in the future, centering on the markets of the Asia-Pacific region. Demand for peripheral vascular stents is also growing in Korea as the number of patients with peripheral vascular disease and health insurance costs continuously increase. Accordingly, the importance of market entry by domestic companies with stent manufacturing technology is increasing. In this study, we confirmed the competitive situation based on the industrial structure and market analysis of the biodegradable drug-eluting stent. This technology has a lower risk of thrombosis and a lower possibility of reoperation than the previously commercialized metal-based peripheral vascular stent. Based on our analysis, we presented a commercialization strategy for domestic companies with stent manufacturing technology.

We sought to assess the impact of sex on in-hospital mortality of patients with COVID-19 infection in South Korea. The study recruited 5,628 prospective consecutive patients who were hospitalized in South Korea with COVID-19 infection, and enrolled in the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) dataset between January 20, 2020, and April 30, 2020. The primary endpoint was in-hospital death from COVID-19. The cohort comprised of 3,308 women (59%) and 2,320 men (41%). In-hospital death was significantly lower in women than men (3.5% vs. 5.5%, hazard ratio (HR): 0.61; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.47 to 0.79, p <0.001). Results were consistent after multivariable regression (HR: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.41 to 0.85, p = 0.023) and propensity score matching (HR: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.30 to 0.86, p = 0.012). In South Korea, women had a significantly lower risk of in-hospital death amongst those patients hospitalized with COVID-19 infection.

Background:Drug-coated balloons (DCBs) offer an effective treatment for in-stent restenosis (ISR). The Genoss DCB is a novel paclitaxel-coated balloon with a shellac plus vitamin E excipient that enhances drug delivery to the target lesion, minimizing restenosis. Objectives:This study aimed to investigate the angiographic efficacy, clinical safety, and effectiveness of the novel shellac plus vitamin E-based DCB in a randomized controlled trial designed to enable regulatory approval of this new device in South Korea. Methods:This noninferiority trial randomized patients experiencing their first ISR to the novel shellac plus vitamin E-based DCB or the reference SeQuent Please iopromide-based DCB in a 1:1 ratio. All patients underwent planned angiographic and clinical follow-up at 6 months. The study was powered for the primary endpoint of 6 months in-segment late lumen loss (LLL). Results:A total of 82 patients from 7 centers were randomized to either the novel shellac plus vitamin E-based DCB group (n = 41) or the reference iopromide-based DCB group (n = 41). The 6-month in-segment LLL was 0.15 ± 0.43 mm with the novel DCB compared with 0.24 ± 0.39 mm with the reference device. The 1-sided 97.5% upper confidence limit of the difference was 0.13 mm, lower than the noninferiority limit of 0.29 mm, achieving noninferiority (P for noninferiority = 0.001). Major cardiovascular events were comparable between 2 groups at 6 months (7.7% for the novel DCB vs 10.3% for the reference DCB; P = 0.692). Conclusions:In this multicenter, head-to-head comparison randomized trial, the novel shellac plus vitamin E-based DCB showed a comparable result to the reference iopromide-based device for the primary endpoint of 6-month in-segment LLL for the treatment of coronary ISR. (Compare the Safety and Efficacy of Genoss® DCB and SeQuent® Please in Korean Patient With Coronary In-stent Restenosis; NCT04405063).

BackgroundThe safety and efficacy of drug-coated balloon (DCB) treatment for de novo coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) remain uncertain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of DCB only treatment for de novo CTO.MethodsIn this retrospective study, 101 vessels with de novo CTO lesions dilated by balloon angioplasty with thrombolysis in myocardial infarction flow grade 3 were included. Among them, 93 vessels successfully treated with DCB only treatment were analyzed. The study endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACE) at 2 years, a composite of cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), target vessel revascularization (TVR), and target vessel thrombosis. The secondary endpoint was late lumen loss (LLL) on follow-up coronary angiography.ResultsAll 84 patients were followed up clinically, and 67 vessels underwent scheduled coronary angiography after 6 months. There were no procedural complications, and three vessels required bailout-stenting. The median follow-up was 720 days (interquartile range [IQR]; 406–1,268 days). MACE occurred in 8.3% of the patients after 1 year, including cardiac death (1.2%), TVR (7.1%), and no non-fatal MI and target vessel thrombosis. Two years after treatment, MACE occurred in 16.7% of the patients, including cardiac death (2.4%), non-fatal MI (3.6%), TVR (13.1%), and no target vessel thrombosis. The mean LLL was 0.03 ± 0.53 mm. Binary restenosis occurred in 14.9% of the treated vessels, and 3.0% of the vessels had late re-occlusion on follow-up coronary angiography.ConclusionsIf the result of revascularization using balloon angioplasty is good, the clinical outcomes of DCB only treatment of de novo CTOs at the 2-year follow-up are encouraging, with a low rate of hard endpoints and acceptable MACE rates (Clinical Trial Registration Information; Impact of Drug-coated Balloon Treatment in de novo Coronary Lesion; NCT04619277).

BACKGROUND Drug-coated balloons (DCBs) offer an effective treatment for in-stent restenosis (ISR). The Genoss DCB is a novel paclitaxel-coated balloon with a shellac plus vitamin E excipient that enhances drug delivery to the target lesion, minimizing restenosis. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to investigate the angiographic efficacy, clinical safety, and effectiveness of the novel shellac plus vitamin E-based DCB in a randomized controlled trial designed to enable regulatory approval of this new device in South Korea. METHODS This noninferiority trial randomized patients experiencing their first ISR to the novel shellac plus vitamin E-based DCB or the reference SeQuent Please iopromide-based DCB in a 1:1 ratio. All patients underwent planned angiographic and clinical follow-up at 6 months. The study was powered for the primary endpoint of 6 months in-segment late lumen loss (LLL). RESULTS A total of 82 patients from 7 centers were randomized to either the novel shellac plus vitamin E-based DCB group (n = 41) or the reference iopromide-based DCB group (n = 41). The 6-month in-segment LLL was 0.15 f 0.43 mm with the novel DCB compared with 0.24 f 0.39 mm with the reference device. The 1-sided 97.5% upper confidence limit of the difference was 0.13 mm, lower than the noninferiority limit of 0.29 mm, achieving noninferiority (P for noninferiority = 0.001). Major cardiovascular events were comparable between 2 groups at 6 months (7.7% for the novel DCB vs 10.3% for the reference DCB; P = 0.692). CONCLUSIONS In this multicenter, head-to-head comparison randomized trial, the novel shellac plus vitamin E-based DCB showed a comparable result to the reference iopromide-based device for the primary endpoint of 6-month in-segment LLL for the treatment of coronary ISR. (c) 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier on behalf of the American College of Cardiology Foundation. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Purpose: Although drug-coated balloon (DCB) treatment is known to be effective for de novo lesions, the influence of sex on angiographic and clinical outcomes remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the angiographic and clinical impact of DCB treatment in patients with de novo coronary lesions according to sex. Materials and Methods: A total of 227 patients successfully treated with DCB were retrospectively enrolled and divided into two groups according to sex. The primary endpoint was late lumen loss (LLL) at 6-month angiography, and the secondary endpoint was target vessel failure (TVF), which included cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction, target lesion revascularization, and target vessel thrombosis. Results: The study enrolled 60 women (26.4%) and 167 men (73.6%). Compared to men, women had a smaller vessel size, larger DCB to reference vessel ratio, and more dissections after DCB treatment (55.0% vs. 37.1%, p=0.016). Women also had a significandy higher LLL compared to men (0.12 +/- 0.26 mm vs. 0.02 +/- 0.22 mm, p=0.012) at the 6-month follow-up angiography. During a median follow-up of 3.4 years (range 12.7-28.9 months), TVF was similar (women 6.7% vs. men 7.8%, p=0.944). In multivariable analysis, women were independently associated with a higher LLL. Conclusion: LLL was higher in women, but there was no difference in TVF between women and men. Based on multivariable analysis, the women sex was an independent predictor of higher LLL (Impact of Drug-coated Balloon Treatment in de Novo Coronary Lesion; NCT04619277).

Although drug-eluting stents (DES) have become the mainstay of percutaneous coronary intervention, late and very late stent thrombosis remains a concern. Drug-coated balloons (DCB) have the advantage of preserving the anti-restenotic benefits of DES while minimizing potential long-term safety concerns. Currently the two methods to ensure successful DCB treatment of a stenotic lesion are angiography or physiology-guided DCB application. This review will evaluate these two methods based on previous evidence and make suggestions on how to perform DCB treatment more efficiently and safely.

Abstract The study aimed to investigate the impact of angiographic and clinical outcomes of the drug-coated balloon (DCB)-only treatment for de novo coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO). One hundred one vessels with de novo CTO lesions dilated by balloon angioplasty with thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow-grade 3 were assigned. Among them, we analyzed 93-vessel treated using DCB-only treatment. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACE), a composite of cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), target vessel revascularization (TVR), and target vessel thrombosis. The secondary endpoint was late lumen loss (LLL) on follow-up coronary angiography. All 84-patient were followed up clinically, and 67-vessel underwent scheduled coronary angiography after 6-month. There were no procedural complications, and three vessels required bailout-stenting. MACE occurred in 14 patients, including 2 cardiac deaths, 3 non-fatal MIs, and 11 TVRs. There was no target vessel thrombosis. The mean LLL was 0.03 ± 0.53mm. Binary restenosis occurred in 10 and re-occlusion in 2 vessels. The results from a 2-year follow-up with DCB-only treatment are encouraging, with a low rate of hard endpoints and acceptable MACE rates. It may offer an alternative to the implantation of a drug-eluting stent if the CTO lesions have TIMI flow-grade 3 after pre-dilation.

Objectives Although drug-coated balloons (DCBs) are established for de-novo lesions in small coronary arteries, the impact of DCB treatment according to the reference vessel diameter (RVD) remains poorly defined. This study aimed to evaluate the angiographic and long-term clinical outcomes of DCB treatment for de-novo coronary lesions according to RVD. Methods and results A total of 227 patients were retrospectively enrolled and stratified according to an RVD >2.5 mm [nonsmall vessel disease (NSVD) group, n = 100] and ≤2.5 mm [small vessel disease (SVD) group, n = 127]. The primary endpoint was late lumen loss (LLL) at a 6-month follow-up, and the secondary endpoint was target vessel failure (TVF, a composite of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction, target vessel revascularization and target vessel thrombosis). The LLL among the 206 patients (90.8%) returning for scheduled angiography at 6 month was similar (NSVD, 0.03 ± 0.22 mm vs. SVD, 0.06 ± 0.25 mm; P = 0.384). TVF was also comparable in both groups at a median follow-up of 3.4 years (NSVD, 7.0 vs. SVD, 7.9 %; P = 0.596). At baseline, there were numerically more dissections in the SVD group compared to the NSVD group (47.2 vs. 35.0 %; P = 0.064); however, most of these had disappeared in both groups at a 6-month follow-up. In a multivariable analysis, the presence of dissection was not associated with LLL or TVF in either group. Conclusions The safety and efficacy of DCB treatment for de-novo coronary lesions, in terms of LLL and TVF, was unrelated to RVD.

Background: The contribution of sex and initial clinical presentation to the long-term outcomes in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is still debated. Methods: Individual patient data from 5 Korean-multicenter drug-eluting stent (DES) registries (The GRAND-DES) were pooled. A total of 17,286 patients completed 3-year follow-up (5216 women and 12,070 men). The median follow-up duration was 1125 days (interquartile range 1097–1140 days), and the primary endpoint was cardiac death at 3 years. Results: The clinical indication for PCI was stable angina pectoris (SAP) in 36.8%, unstable angina pectoris (UAP) or non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) in 47.4%, and ST-segment elevation myocardial (STEMI) in 15.8%. In all groups, women were older and had a higher proportion of hypertension and diabetes mellitus compared with men. Women presenting with STEMI were older than women with SAP, with the opposite seen in men. There was no sex difference in cardiac death for SAP or UAP/NSTEMI. In STEMI patients, the incidence of cardiac death (7.9% vs. 4.4%, p = 0.001), all-cause mortality (11.1% vs. 6.9%, p = 0.001), and minor bleeding (2.2% vs. 1.2%, p = 0.043) was significantly higher in women. After multivariable adjustment, cardiac death was lower in women for UAP/NSTEMI (HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.53–0.89, p = 0.005), while it was similar for STEMI (HR 0.97, 95% CI 0.65–1.44, p = 0.884). Conclusions: There was no sex difference in cardiac death after PCI with DES for SAP and UAP/NSTEMI patients. In STEMI patients, women had worse outcomes compared with men; however, after the adjustment of confounders, female sex was not an independent predictor of mortality.

Background: Early identification of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who are at high risk of mortality is of vital importance for appropriate clinical decision making and delivering optimal treatment.We aimed to develop and validate a clinical risk score for predicting mortality at the time of admission of patients hospitalized with COVID-19.Methods: Collaborating with the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), we established a prospective consecutive cohort of 5,628 patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection who were admitted to 120 hospitals in Korea between January 20, 2020, and April 30, 2020.The cohort was randomly divided using a 7:3 ratio into a development (n = 3,940) and validation (n = 1,688) set.Clinical information and complete blood count (CBC) detected at admission were investigated using Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) and logistic regression to construct a predictive risk score (COVID-Mortality Score).The discriminative power of the risk model was assessed by calculating the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic curves.Results: The incidence of mortality was 4.3% in both the development and validation set.A COVID-Mortality Score consisting of age, sex, body mass index, combined comorbidity, clinical symptoms, and CBC was developed.AUCs of the scoring system were 0.96 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.85-0.91)and 0.97 (95% CI, 0.84-0.93) in the development and validation set, respectively.If the model was optimized for > 90% sensitivity, accuracies were 81.0% and 80.2% with sensitivities of 91.7% and 86.1% in the development and validation set, respectively.The optimized scoring system has been applied to the public online risk calculator (https://www.diseaseriskscore.com). Conclusion:This clinically developed and validated COVID-Mortality Score, using clinical data available at the time of admission, will aid clinicians in predicting in-hospital mortality.

https://e-kcj.org A 58-year-old man with hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and history of smoking was admitted with stable angina. His treadmill exercise test was positive. Coronary angiography showed a sub-total occlusion in the mid left circumflex artery with thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow grade 2 (Figure 1A). The patient declined stent implantation but agreed to treatment with drug-coated balloon (DCB). The lesion was carefully assessed and informed consent was obtained.