Aortic & peripheral vascular diseaseSecondary analysis

Drug-Eluting Resorbable Scaffold Versus Balloon Angioplasty for Below-the-Knee Peripheral Artery Disease: 2-Year Results From the LIFE-BTK Trial

CirculationPublished

  • Secondary analysis of the LIFE-BTK randomised trial
  • multicentre
  • subject-blinded
  • 2:1 randomisation
  • 2-year follow-up

Authors' conclusion

At 2 years, the Esprit BTK DRS demonstrated improved efficacy compared with PTA in maintaining arterial patency, preventing restenosis, and reducing revascularization rates while maintaining a comparable safety profile.

Study context

Population
Patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) and infrapopliteal disease
Participants
261 patients
Comparison
DRS vs percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA)
Primary endpoint
Freedom from target limb amputation, target vessel occlusion, clinically driven target lesion revascularization or binary restenosis (revised primary efficacy end point)
Follow-up
2 years

Primary result

As reported in the abstract

Primary efficacy end point

P = 0.0004

Further findings

Limb salvage · 2 years

P = 0.34

Binary restenosis · 2 years

P = 0.005

Clinically driven target lesion revascularization · 2 years

P = 0.034

OutcomeORP value
Scaffold treatment as predictor of efficacy · independent predictor0.27P = 0.0003

Subgroups

Consistent efficacy across various patient populations

Safety

Primary safety end point: freedom from major adverse limb events and perioperative death · 2 years

P = 0.16

Original publication

Drug-Eluting Resorbable Scaffold Versus Balloon Angioplasty for Below-the-Knee Peripheral Artery Disease: 2-Year Results From the LIFE-BTK Trial. Circulation. Published 10 September 2025. doi:10.1161/circulationaha.125.075080

Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it