Abstract
BACKGROUND: Results from the Distal vs Conventional Radial Access (DISCO RADIAL) trial confirmed distal radial access (DRA) as a valid alternative to conventional transradial access, with equally low rates of radial artery occlusion (RAO), yet higher crossovers but shorter hemostasis. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to investigate whether patient anthropometric measures influence the effect of randomized access on key secondary outcomes. METHODS: DISCO RADIAL was an international, multicenter, randomized controlled trial in which patients with indications for percutaneous coronary procedure using a 6-F Slender sheath were randomized to DRA (n = 650) or transradial access (n = 657) implementing best practices to reduce RAO. The primary endpoint of the trial was incidence of forearm RAO, which was extremely uncommon. Secondary endpoints, including sheath insertion time, radial artery spasm, crossover (failure to obtain access through assigned access site), hemostasis time, and access site complications, were the focus of the current analysis. Regression models (linear for continuous and logistic for binary outcomes) were used to determine whether anthropometric measures (weight, height, body mass index, and body surface area) influenced the effect of randomized access on outcomes. RESULTS: Across tertiles of weight, height, body mass index, and body surface area, both before and after adjustment for sex and age, the main effect of vascular access on radial artery spasm, crossover, hemostasis time, and access site complications remained, with no significant interaction effect. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this exploratory analysis are consistent with the main findings of the trial and support the use of DRA in all patients, regardless of anthropometric measures.