title: Clinical outcomes of transradial unprotected left main coronary artery stenting in the elderly.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the long-term results in elderly patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents for unprotected left main coronary artery disease by transradial approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study took place in Qinhuangdao First Hospital, Hebei Medical University, Hebei, China between October 2006 and December 2009. Seventy-nine elderly patients with unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) stenosis, aged >70 years, that underwent drug-eluting stent were evaluated. The occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) (death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, stroke or target lesion revascularizations) was recorded after 3 years of follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 3 years follow-up, the MACE free survival rate was 72.2%. Cardiac deaths occurred in 7.6% of patients. Myocardial infarction occurred in 5.1%, and target lesion revascularization in 13.9% of patients. Age and left main distal bifurcation were favorable predictors of MACE.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Percutaneous coronary intervention can be performed with good angiographic and clinical results through a transradial approach in the elderly. The long term survival suggests that PCI in ULMCA patients ≥ 70 years is safe and efficacious.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Qinhuangdao First Hospital, Hebei Medical University, Hebei, China. E-mail. qhdtanqiang@aliyun.com.
authors.forename: Qingsheng
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Dongtian
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hongmei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Lixiang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015607:Stents; D016896:Treatment Outcome