BACKGROUNDAdvanced age independently predicts early and late mortality and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Randomized clinical trials indicate that sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) implantation reduces target lesion revascularization (TLR), but there are limited data on the impact of age on outcomes following SES implantation in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) in real-world practice.

METHODSA total of 333 CAD patients with 453 lesions were enrolled in this study. Subjects were divided into two groups according to age: a young group (< 65 years old, 244 patients with 369 lesions) and elderly group (= 65 years old, 89 patients with 113 lesions). Clinical follow-up and quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) were performed seven months after PCI.

RESULTSBaseline clinical, demographic, angiographic, and procedural chararcteristics were similar in both groups, except that there were more female patients in the elderly group (21.3% vs 9.8%, P = 0.006). Primary success rate was similar in both groups (96.5% in young group vs 95.7% in elderly group, P > 0.05). During angiographic follow-up at 7 months, binary in-stent restenosis and in-segment restenosis rates were not significantly different between the two groups (4.7% vs 1.8%; 9.7% vs 8.8%, P > 0.05 respectively). Both sub-acute and late thrombosis rates were similar in the two groups (0.3% vs 0.9% and 1.2% vs 0.9%, P > 0.05 respectively). TLR was not significantly different between the two groups (6.5% vs 3.5%; P = 0.246). The rates of bleeding, stroke, angina rehospitalization during the follow-up period were also similar in both groups (P > 0.05 respectively).

CONCLUSIONDespite a high-risk clinical profile, coronary SES implantation can be safely and effectively performed in elderly patients with a similar procedural success rate, a low complication rate, and excellent 7-month outcomes.