Use of a technique called the quantitative flow ratio to precisely identify and measure the severity of artery blockages can lead to improved outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention, according to a study published Nov. 4 in The Lancet.
Researchers, including Mount Sinai faculty, conducted a trial of 3,825 participants in China undergoing PCI between Dec. 25, 2018, and Jan. 19, 2020.
Patients had either had a heart attack 72 hours prior, or had at least one coronary artery with one or more blockages. Half underwent the standard angiography-guided procedure while the other half underwent the QFR-guided strategy.
Key findings:
- Patients in the QFR group had lower one-year rates of heart attack compared to the angiography-only group (65 patients vs. 109 patients) and a lesser chance of needing additional PCI (38 patients vs. 59 patients) with similar survival.
- At the one-year mark 5.8 percent of patients who underwent the QFR procedure had either died, had a heart attack, or needed repeat revascularization in patients compared to 8.8 percent of patients undergoing the standard angiography-guided procedure.