Clinical characteristics predict benefits from eptifibatide therapy during coronary stenting: insights from the Enhanced Suppression of the Platelet IIb/IIIa Receptor With Integrilin Therapy (ESPRIT) trial.
OBJECTIVE
In order to determine a differential benefit from treatment, we compared the long-term outcome of high-risk versus low-risk patients and evaluated survival free from death or myocardial infarction at one year.


BACKGROUND
Newer anticoagulant strategies during percutaneous coronary intervention have necessitated a reanalysis of the role of intravenous GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors. The Enhanced Suppression of the Platelet IIb/IIIa Receptor with Integrilin Therapy trial randomized 2,064 patients undergoing nonurgent coronary stent implantation to eptifibatide or placebo.


METHODS
High-risk characteristics were defined as age >75 years, diabetes, elevated cardiac markers, ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction within 7 days, or unstable angina within 48 h of randomization. Age <5 years, absence of diabetes, and any other reason for admission were considered low risk characterstics.


RESULTS
There were 1,018 patients in the high-risk group (50.8% eptifibatide, 49.2% placebo) and 1,045 patients in the low-risk group (50.0% eptifibatide, 50.0% placebo). Baseline demographics were similar in both groups except for more hypertension (63% vs. 55%, respectively), peripheral vascular disease (8.2% vs. 5.2%, respectively), prior stroke (5.5% vs. 3.2%, respectively), and female gender (33% vs. 22%, respectively) in the high-risk than the low-risk group. At one year, the composite end point of death or myocardial infarction occurred in 15.89% of placebo patients and 7.99% of eptifibatide patients in the high-risk group and 9.02% of the placebo and 8.11% of eptifibatide patients in the low-risk group.


CONCLUSIONS
Although eptifibatide treatment improved outcomes for all patients, preprocedural clinical characteristics can define a subgroup of patients who may derive greatest benefit from its use during coronary stent placement.
New York Methodist Hospital-Cornell Heart Center, Brooklyn New York 11215, USA. joepuma1@aol.com
Joseph A
JA
Puma
Lesan T
LT
Banko
Karen S
KS
Pieper
Terrence J
TJ
Sacchi
J Conor
JC
O'Shea
Jean Pierre
JP
Dery
James E
JE
Tcheng
D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D000077542:Eptifibatide; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000401:mortality; D010455:Peptides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019039:Platelet Glycoprotein GPIIb-IIIa Complex / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors; D015607:Stents; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D010455:Peptides; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D019039:Platelet Glycoprotein GPIIb-IIIa Complex; D000077542:Eptifibatide