International Prospective Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes in Patients With COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Published data suggest worse outcomes in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients and concurrent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Mechanisms remain unclear. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to report the demographics, angiographic findings, and in-hospital outcomes of COVID-19 ACS patients and compare these with pre-COVID-19 cohorts. METHODS: From March 1, 2020 to July 31, 2020, data from 55 international centers were entered into a prospective, COVID-ACS Registry. Patients were COVID-19 positive (or had a high index of clinical suspicion) and underwent invasive coronary angiography for suspected ACS. Outcomes were in-hospital major cardiovascular events (all-cause mortality, re-myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke, unplanned revascularization, or stent thrombosis). Results were compared with national pre-COVID-19 databases (MINAP [Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project] 2019 and BCIS [British Cardiovascular Intervention Society] 2018 to 2019). RESULTS: In 144 ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and 121 non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) patients, symptom-to-admission times were significantly prolonged (COVID-STEMI vs. BCIS: median 339.0 min vs. 173.0 min; p < 0.001; COVID NSTE-ACS vs. MINAP: 417.0 min vs. 295.0 min; p = 0.012). Mortality in COVID-ACS patients was significantly higher than BCIS/MINAP control subjects in both subgroups (COVID-STEMI: 22.9% vs. 5.7%; p < 0.001; COVID NSTE-ACS: 6.6% vs. 1.2%; p < 0.001), which remained following multivariate propensity analysis adjusting for comorbidities (STEMI subgroup odds ratio: 3.33 [95% confidence interval: 2.04 to 5.42]). Cardiogenic shock occurred in 20.1% of COVID-STEMI patients versus 8.7% of BCIS patients (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In this multicenter international registry, COVID-19-positive ACS patients presented later and had increased in-hospital mortality compared with a pre-COVID-19 ACS population. Excessive rates of and mortality from cardiogenic shock were major contributors to the worse outcomes in COVID-19 positive STEMI patients.

The pattern of risk-factor profile in Egyptian patients with acute coronary syndrome: phase II of the Egyptian cross-sectional CardioRisk project.

BACKGROUND: Egypt is the most populous country in the Middle East and North Africa and has more than 15% of the cardiovascular deaths in the region, but little is known about the prevalence of traditional risk factors and treatment strategies in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients across Egypt. METHODS: From November 2015 to August 2017, data were collected from 1 681 patients with ACS in 30 coronary care centres, covering 11 governorates across Egypt, spanning the Mediterranean coast, Nile Delta and Upper Egypt, with a focus on risk factors and management strategies. RESULTS: Women constituted 25% of the patients. Premature ACS was common, with 43% of men aged less than 55 years, and 67% of women under 65 years. Most men had ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) (49%), while a larger percentage of women had unstable angina and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) (32% each; p < 0.001). Central obesity was present in 80% of men and 89% of women, with 32% of men and women having atherogenic dyslipidaemia. Current smoking was reported by 62% of men and by 72% of men under 55 years. A larger proportion of women had type 2 diabetes (53 vs 34% of men), hypertension (69 vs 49%), dyslipidaemia, and obesity (71 vs 41%) (p < 0.001 for all). There were no gender differences in most diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, but among STEMI patients, 51% of men underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention compared to 46% of women (p = 0.064). CONCLUSIONS: Central obesity and smoking are extremely prevalent in Egypt, contributing to an increased burden of premature ACS, which warrants tailored prevention strategies. The recognised tendency worldwide to treat men more aggressively was less pronounced than expected.