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

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.