TY - JOUR
T1 - Updated standardized endpoint definitions for transcatheter aortic valve implantation
T2 - The valve academic research consortium-2 consensus document (varc-2)
AU - Kappetein, Arie Pieter
AU - Head, Stuart J.
AU - Généreux, Philippe
AU - Piazza, Nicolo
AU - Van Mieghem, Nicolas M.
AU - Blackstone, Eugene H.
AU - Brott, Thomas G.
AU - Cohen, David J.
AU - Cutlip, Donald E.
AU - Van Es, Gerrit Anne
AU - Hahn, Rebecca T.
AU - Kirtane, Ajay J.
AU - Krucoff, Mitchell W.
AU - Kodali, Susheel
AU - Mack, Michael J.
AU - Mehran, Roxana
AU - Rodés-Cabau, Josep
AU - Vranckx, Pascal
AU - Webb, John G.
AU - Windecker, Stephan
AU - Serruys, Patrick W.
AU - Leon, Martin B.
PY - 2012/11
Y1 - 2012/11
N2 - Objectives: The aim of the current Valve Academic Research Consortium (VARC)-2 initiative was to revisit the selection and definitions of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) clinical endpoints to make them more suitable to the present and future needs of clinical trials. In addition, this document is intended to expand the understanding of patient risk stratification and case selection. BACKGROUND: A recent study confirmed that VARC definitions have already been incorporated into clinical and research practice and represent a new standard for consistency in reporting clinical outcomes of patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing TAVI. However, as the clinical experience with this technology has matured and expanded, certain definitions have become unsuitable or ambiguous. METHODS AND Results: Two in-person meetings (held in September 2011 in Washington, DC, USA, and in February 2012 in Rotterdam, Netherlands) involving VARC study group members, independent experts (including surgeons, interventional and non-interventional cardiologists, imaging specialists, neurologists, geriatric specialists, and clinical trialists), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and industry representatives, provided much of the substantive discussion from which this VARC-2 consensus manuscript was derived. This document provides an overview of risk assessment and patient stratification that need to be considered for accurate patient inclusion in studies. Working groups were assigned to define the following clinical endpoints: mortality, stroke, myocardial infarction, bleeding complications, acute kidney injury, vascular complications, conduction disturbances and arrhythmias, and a miscellaneous category including relevant complications not previously categorized. Furthermore, comprehensive echocardiographic recommendations are provided for the evaluation of prosthetic valve (dys)function. Definitions for the quality of life assessments are also reported. These endpoints formed the basis for several recommended composite endpoints. Conclusions: This VARC-2 document has provided further standardization of endpoint definitions for studies evaluating the use of TAVI, which will lead to improved comparability and interpretability of the study results, supplying an increasingly growing body of evidence with respect to TAVI and/or surgical aortic valve replacement. This initiative and document can furthermore be used as a model during current endeavours of applying definitions to other transcatheter valve therapies (for example, mitral valve repair). Published on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. The article has been co-published in the European Heart Journal, EuroIntervention, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, and Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. All rights reserved.
AB - Objectives: The aim of the current Valve Academic Research Consortium (VARC)-2 initiative was to revisit the selection and definitions of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) clinical endpoints to make them more suitable to the present and future needs of clinical trials. In addition, this document is intended to expand the understanding of patient risk stratification and case selection. BACKGROUND: A recent study confirmed that VARC definitions have already been incorporated into clinical and research practice and represent a new standard for consistency in reporting clinical outcomes of patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing TAVI. However, as the clinical experience with this technology has matured and expanded, certain definitions have become unsuitable or ambiguous. METHODS AND Results: Two in-person meetings (held in September 2011 in Washington, DC, USA, and in February 2012 in Rotterdam, Netherlands) involving VARC study group members, independent experts (including surgeons, interventional and non-interventional cardiologists, imaging specialists, neurologists, geriatric specialists, and clinical trialists), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and industry representatives, provided much of the substantive discussion from which this VARC-2 consensus manuscript was derived. This document provides an overview of risk assessment and patient stratification that need to be considered for accurate patient inclusion in studies. Working groups were assigned to define the following clinical endpoints: mortality, stroke, myocardial infarction, bleeding complications, acute kidney injury, vascular complications, conduction disturbances and arrhythmias, and a miscellaneous category including relevant complications not previously categorized. Furthermore, comprehensive echocardiographic recommendations are provided for the evaluation of prosthetic valve (dys)function. Definitions for the quality of life assessments are also reported. These endpoints formed the basis for several recommended composite endpoints. Conclusions: This VARC-2 document has provided further standardization of endpoint definitions for studies evaluating the use of TAVI, which will lead to improved comparability and interpretability of the study results, supplying an increasingly growing body of evidence with respect to TAVI and/or surgical aortic valve replacement. This initiative and document can furthermore be used as a model during current endeavours of applying definitions to other transcatheter valve therapies (for example, mitral valve repair). Published on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. The article has been co-published in the European Heart Journal, EuroIntervention, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, and Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. All rights reserved.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84872686855&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/ejcts/ezs533
DO - 10.1093/ejcts/ezs533
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84872686855
SN - 1010-7940
VL - 42
SP - S45-S60
JO - European Journal of Cardio-thoracic Surgery
JF - European Journal of Cardio-thoracic Surgery
IS - 5
ER -