Abstract
In patients with myocardial infarctions (MI) and multivessel coronary artery disease (CAD), the effect of fractional flow-reserve (FFR)-guided complete revascularization during index hospitalization versus culprit-only revascularization remains unclear. Our objective is to determine whether FFR-guided complete revascularization during index hospitalization reduces major adverse cardiac events (MACE) among patients with MI and multivessel CAD. We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing FFR-guided complete versus culprit-only revascularization in patients with MI and multivessel CAD. The primary outcome was MACE, as defined by a composite endpoint of all-cause death, MI or unplanned revascularization, at a minimum 1-year follow-up. Count data were pooled across trials using random-effects models to estimate risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A total of 3 RCTs ( n = 3,054) were included. The majority (77.5%) of participants were male. The pooled RR of MACE for FFR-guide complete versus culprit-only revascularization was 0.63 (95% CI: 0.37-1.05; I 2 = 90%). FFR-guided complete revascularization was associated with reduced unplanned revascularization events, with a pooled RR 0.43 (95% CI: 0.21-0.87; I 2 = 88%). There was no significant difference in the risk of recurrent MI (RR: 0.9; 95% CI: 0.61-1.33; I 2 =30%). The risk of major bleeding was low in both FFR-guided complete (23/1373) and culprit-only (29/1681) revascularization groups across the 3 trials. In conclusion, in patients with MI and multivessel CAD, FFR-guided complete revascularization during the index hospitalization reduces the risk of unplanned revascularizations and may reduce the risk of MACE compared to culprit-only revascularization.
Myocardial infarction (MI), which encompasses high-risk non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. It affects approximately 605,000 individuals and contributes to over 100,000 deaths annually. Among patients with MI, specifically STEMI, approximately half present with noninfarct related multivessel coronary artery disease (CAD). ,, The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines recommend the use of complete revascularization during index hospitalization as it significantly reduces major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in patients with MI and multivessel CAD. Furthermore, in the stable CAD population, fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided complete revascularization has been demonstrated a reduced risk of MACE compared to angiographically-guided complete revascularization. However, the benefits of FFR-guided complete revascularization remain unclear in patients with multivessel disease. Our systematic review and meta-analysis seek to determine whether FFR-guided complete revascularization reduces MACE in patients with MI and multivessel CAD.
Methods
Our systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs was conducted per the Peer Review of Electronic Search Strategies 2015 guidelines and following a prespecified protocol registered on the Open Science Framework. The study is reported following the Preferred Reporting Items Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and checklist. Data were retrieved from previously published trials. Thus, per TriCouncil Policy Statement (2022), article 2.2, no ethics approval was required to conduct our study.
We systematically searched MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE (via Ovid), and the Cochrane Library from inception to July 18, 2024 for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Our search strategy used MeSH terms (for PubMed), EMTREE terms (for EMBASE), and keywords for the following concepts: FFR, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), STEMI, MI, and multivessel CAD. The details of our database-specific search strategies can be found in Supplemental Tables 1-3 . To identify trials not included in the electronic search, reference lists of relevant articles and clinicaltrial.gov were manually examined by 2 independent investigators (T.S. and A.D.A).
The publications identified in our search were imported to Covidence, a cloud-based systematic review software. Duplicate citations were automatically removed with human supervision. Two independent investigators (T.S. and A.D.A.) screened the titles and abstracts of identified publications while adhering to the predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria outlined in our preregistered protocol. Each reviewer obtained and assessed the full text of any citation considered potentially eligible for our study. Disagreements were resolved by consensus or a third reviewer (T.Z.).
The included trials randomized patients with STEMI or high-risk NSTEMI within 24 hours of symptom onset and multivessel CAD to receive FFR-guided complete revascularization within the index hospitalization or culprit-only PCI. We included RCTs that reported components of our predefined primary outcome of interest at a minimum of one-year follow-up. Crossover trials, abstracts, conference proceedings, observational studies, case reports, and case series were excluded.
Data extraction
Data were extracted following an intention-to-treat approach in Covidence. The investigators resolved disagreements through consensus or by third review (T.Z.). Data obtained from the studies were study characteristics, study design, baseline demographics of the enrolled population, infarct characteristics, procedural or treatment characteristics, and details of the interventions performed in each arm.
Outcomes
The primary outcome was MACE, defined as a composite endpoint of all-cause mortality, MI and unplanned revascularization, at a minimum one-year follow-up. This endpoint was estimated by manually combining the reported number of events for the individual components of this composite endpoint. To address the potential of double counting patients experiencing multiple components of MACE, we conducted additional analysis using the primary outcome reported by the individual RCTs. Our prespecified secondary outcomes were the individual components of MACE, death from cardiovascular cause, all-cause revascularization, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and stent thrombosis at one-year follow-up or later. Safety outcomes included cerebrovascular events, major bleeding events, rehospitalization due to heart failure and unstable angina, contrast-associated events, and periprocedural MI.
Quality assessment
Two reviewers (T.S. and A.D.A.) independently assessed the quality of the included RCTs using the second version of the Cochrane Collaboration’s tool for assessing the risk of bias in randomized trials (RoB 2). Any disagreements were resolved through consensus or via a third reviewer (T.Z.). We included all eligible studies in the manuscript regardless of their quality.
Statistical analysis
We used DerSimonian and Laird random effects meta-analytic models with inverse variance weighing and Jackson and modified Knapp-Hartung method extensions to pool crude count data across all included RCTs and obtain risk ratios (RRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The primary comparison was the risk of MACE at a minimum one-year follow-up in patients with MI and multivessel CAD randomized to FFR-guided complete versus culprit-only revascularization. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I 2 and Tau 2 statistics. All data were analyzed using Review Manager Cochrane software.
Results
Following our predetermined exclusion criteria, our electronic search identified 443 potentially eligible records ( Figure 1 ). After removing duplicates, 260 records were screened. A total of 3 RCTs ( n = 3,054 participants) published between 2015 and 2024 met our inclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis.
PRISMA flow diagram of study selection for randomized controlled trials of fractional flow reserve-guided revascularization versus culprit-only revascularization for MI and multivessel coronary artery disease. Abbreviations: PRISMA = preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis; STEMI = ST-elevation myocardial infarction.
Study and baseline characteristics
Details on the characteristics of included RCTs are reported in Table 1 . The 3 included RCTs were multicenter trials conducted exclusively in European countries, except for the FULL-REVASC trial which also included centers in Australia and New Zealand. ,, Participants were randomized to receive either FFR-guided complete revascularization ( n = 1,373) or culprit-only revascularization ( n = 1,681). Of note, COMPARE-ACUTE used a 1:2 randomization scheme while the other 2 trials randomized participants in a 1:1 manner. Across the 3 trials, participants randomized to FFR-guided complete revascularization required flow limitation of FFR ≤ 0.8 in noninfarct related arteries (IRA) to receive stenting. The median follow-up period ranged from 1.0 to 4.7 years across the 3 RCTs.
Table 1
Characteristics of included randomized controlled trials comparing fractional flow reserve-guided revascularization to culprit-only revascularization
| Trial | Sample size | Countries enrolled | Study design | Inclusion criteria | Randomization (FFR-guided complete: culprit-only) | Revascularization | Median follow-up (IQR)– Years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FFR-Guided complete | Culprit-only | |||||||
|
FULL REVASC
April 2024 |
1542 |
Sweden
Denmark Finland Latvia Serbia Australia New Zealand |
Multicenter |
Adults (>18 years) with either STEMI, rescue PCI, very high risk NSTEMI or risk evaluation following successful thrombolysis
Symptoms indicating MI ≤ 24h prior to randomization One or more non-culprit lesions |
1:1 |
FFR-guided complete revascularization is performed either during index procedure or later during index hospitalization
PCI of non-culprit lesions was recommended for FFR ≤ 0.8 |
Culprit-only revascularization
No further revascularization during index hospitalization |
4.8 (4.3-5.2) |
|
COMPARE-ACUTE
March 2017 |
885 |
The Netherlands
Germany Sweden Norway Singapore Czech Republic Hungary Poland |
Multicenter |
Adults (18-85 years), inclusive, presenting with STEMI
Treated with PCI in < 12 h after onset of symptoms Must have at least one stenosis of >50% in a non-IRA and judged feasible for treatment with PCI |
1:2 |
FFR-guided complete revascularization PCI was performed during index procedure or index hospitalization (within 72 hours) PCI of non-culprit lesions was recommended for FFR ≤ 0.8 |
Culprit-lesion only revascularization
FFR measurements were obtained but did not guide decision on whether PCI of non-IRA was appropriate Elective, clinically indicated revascularization (guided by angiography) was performed within 45 days of primary intervention |
1.0 |
|
DANAMI-3-PRIMULTI
August 2015 |
627 | Denmark | Multicenter |
Adults (≥18 years) with STEMI
Acute onset of chest pain of < 12 hours Culprit lesion in a major native vessel Multivessel coronary disease Successful primary PCI |
1:1 |
Revascularization of all coronary lesions not related to initial infarct related artery with FFR ≤ 0.8 in addition to visually estimated stenoses > 90%
CABG procedures was considered for lesions deemed unsuitable for PCI |
Culprit-lesion only revascularization | 2.25 (1.0-3.67) |
Abbreviations: CABG = Coronary artery bypass grafting FFR = fractional flow reserve; IRA = infarct related artery; MI = myocardial infarction; NSTEMI = non-ST elevation myocardial infarction; PCI = percutaneous coronary intervention; STEMI = ST-elevation myocardial infarction.
The baseline characteristics of included participants are presented in Table 2 . The majority of participants (77.5%) were male, and the mean age ranged from 61 to 66 years. Overall, baseline characteristics across the 3 trials were well-balanced. Less than 10% of participants in both treatment arms had a history of previous MI. Only 2 of the 3 included trials reported previous PCI among participants, which showed no difference between treatment groups. , The FULL-REVASC trial was the only RCT to also enroll high-risk NSTEMI patients (8.6%). The most common comorbidity across included RCTs was hypertension (48.5%), and 40.4% of enrolled participants were actively smoking. Infarct-related baseline characteristics are provided in Supplemental Table 4 . In all 3 trials, the inferior wall was the most observed infarct location, with the FULL-REVASC trial specifically identifying the right coronary artery as the culprit vessel.
Table 2
Baseline characteristics of patients randomized to fractional flow reserve-guided complete revascularization or culprit-only revascularization
| Trial | Age (Mean) | Male sex | Medical History (%) | High-risk NSTEMI (%) | Killip class II-IV (%) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Previous MI | Current smoker | Hypertension | Diabetes | Previous PCI | |||||
| FULL-REVASC | |||||||||
| FFR-Guided Complete * | 65.0 ± 10.3 | 601 (78.7%) | 72 (9.4%) | 266 (34.8%) | 384 (50.2%) | 122 (16.0%) | 71 (9.3%) | 68 (9.0%) | 34 (4.5%) |
| Culprit-Only * | 65.7 ± 10.6 | 576 (74.0%) | 53 (6.8%) | 251 (32.3%) | 405 (52.1%) | 127 (16.3%) | 63 (8.1%) | 63 (8.1%) | 37 (4.8%) |
| COMPARE-ACUTE | |||||||||
| FFR-Guided Complete * | 62.0 ± 10 | 233 (79.0%) | 22 (7.5%) | 120 (40.7%) | 136 (46.1%) | 43 (14.6%) | 25 (8.5%) | 0.0 | 15 (5.1) |
| Culprit-Only * | 61.0 ± 10 | 450 (76.3%) | 48 (8.1%) | 287 (48.6%) | 282 (47.8%) | 94 (15.9%) | 44 (7.5%) | 0.0 | 30 (5.1) |
| DANAMI-3-PRIMULTI | |||||||||
| FFR-Guided Complete ⁎⁎ | 64.0 (37-94) | 251 (79.9%) | 17 (5.4%) | 160 (51.0%) | 130 (41.4%) | 29 (9.2%) | – | 0.0 | 22 (7.0%) |
| Culprit-Only ⁎⁎ | 63.0 (34-92) | 255 (81.5%) | 27 (8.6%) | 151 (48.2%) | 146 (46.6%) | 42 (13.4%) | – | 0.0 | 20 (6.4%) |
Treatment characteristics
Treatment characteristics, stent characteristics, median length of hospital stay, mean volume of contrast used during index PCI and medical management at discharge, are presented in Table 3 . Stent diameter and total length and number used were evenly distributed across both treatment groups in all 3 trials. In all 3 RCTs, the ratio of number of stents used per patient during index hospitalization was 2:1 for FFR-guided complete versus culprit-only revascularization. Of note, FFR-guided revascularization increased contrast use by 20mL in 2 trials and by over 100 mL in the DANAMI-3-PRIMULTI trial, compared to the culprit-only arms. ,, Additionally, FFR-guided complete revascularization was associated with longer index procedure duration than culprit-only revascularization. Participants in all 3 trials had a median length of stay of 4 days.
Table 3
Procedural characteristics of patients randomized to fractional flow reserve guided-revascularization or culprit-only revascularization
| Trial | Length of index Procedure (minutes) * | Time from ECG to index procedure (hours) | Volume of contrast material used during index PCI (Ml) * | Dimension of stents * | Number of stents during index hospitalization per patient * | Median length of hospital stays (Days) * | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stent length (mm) | Stent diameter (mm) | ||||||
| FULL-REVASC | |||||||
| FFR-Guided Complete | – | 1.13 (0.78-1.72) | 140 (110-180) | 43.0 (26.0-66.0) | 4.0 (3.0-6.0) | 2.0 (1.0-3.0) | 4.7 ± 3.4 |
| Culprit-Only | – | 1.12 (0.75-1.63) | 125 (100-160) | 28.0 (19.0-38.0) | 3.0 (3.0-3.0) | 1.0 (1.0-2.0) | 4.0 ± 3.4 |
| COMPARE-ACUTE | |||||||
| FFR-Guided Complete | 65±31 | – | 224 ± 104 | 34.3 ± 21.0 | 2.9 ± 0.4 | 1.6 ± 0.9 | 4.0 |
| Culprit-Only | 59±28 | – | 202 ± 75 | – | – | – | 4.0 |
| DANAMI-3-PRIMULTI | |||||||
| FFR-Guided Complete | 76 (56-100) | – | 280 (215-365) | 33 (18-51) | 3.0 (2.8-3.5) | 2.0 (1.0-2.0) | 4.0 (4.0-5.0) |
| Culprit-Only | 42 (31-59) | – | 170 (125-220) | 18 (15-28) | 3.5 (2.8-3.5) | 1.0 (1.0-1.3) | 4.0 (4.0-5.0) |
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