Role of Invasive Strategy for Non-ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have traditionally been excluded from randomized trials. We aimed to compare percutaneous coronary intervention versus conservative management, and early intervention (EI; within 24 hours of admission) versus delayed intervention (DI; after 24 to 72 hours of admission) in patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and concomitant CKD. An electronic literature search was performed to search for studies comparing invasive management to conservative management or EI versus DI in patients with NSTEMI with CKD. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality; secondary outcomes were acute kidney injury (AKI) or dialysis, major bleeding, and recurrent MI. Hazard ratios (HRs) for the primary outcome and odds ratios for secondary outcomes were pooled in random-effects meta-analyses. Eleven studies (140,544 patients) were analyzed. Invasive management was associated with lower mortality than conservative management (HR 0.62, 95% confidence interval 0.57 to 0.67, p <0.001, I2 = 47%), with consistent benefit across all CKD stages, except CKD 5. There was no significant mortality difference between EI and DI, but subgroup analyses showed significant benefit for EI in stage 1 to 2 CKD (HR 0.75, 95% confidence interval 0.58 to 0.97, p = 0.03, I2 = 0%), with no significant difference in stage 3 and 4 to 5 CKD. Invasive strategy was associated with higher odds of AKI or dialysis and major bleeding, but lower odds of recurrent MI compared with conservative management. In conclusion, in patients with NSTEMI and CKD, an invasive strategy is associated with significant mortality benefit over conservative management in most patients with CKD, but at the expense of higher risk of AKI and bleeding. EI appears to benefit those with early stages of CKD. Trial Registration: PROSPERO CRD42023405491.

An Updated Meta-Analysis on the Clinical Outcomes of Percutaneous Left Atrial Appendage Closure Versus Direct Oral Anticoagulation in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation.

The availability of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) with known lower bleeding risk compared with warfarin have raised questions about the role of left atrial appendage closure (LAAC). We aimed to perform a meta-analysis to compare the clinical outcomes for LAAC versus DOACs. All studies directly comparing LAAC with DOACs up to January 2023 were included. The outcomes studied included the combined major adverse cardiovascular (CV) events outcomes, ischemic stroke and thromboembolic events, major bleeding, CV mortality, and all-cause mortality. Hazard ratios (HRs) and their 95% confidence interval were extracted or estimated from the data and pooled together with a random-effects model. A total of 7 studies (1 randomized controlled trial, 6 propensity-matched observational studies) were finally included, with a pooled population of 4,383 patients who underwent LAAC and 4,554 patients on DOACs. There were no significant differences between patients who underwent LAAC and patients on DOACs in terms of baseline age (75.0 vs 74.7, p = 0.27), CHA2DS2-VASc score (5.1 vs 5.1, p = 0.33), or HAS-BLED score (3.3 vs 3.3, p = 0.36). After a mean weighted follow-up of 22.0 months, LAAC was associated with significantly lower rates of combined major adverse CV event outcomes (HR 0.73 [0.56 to 0.95], p = 0.02), all-cause mortality (HR 0.68 [0.54 to 0.86], p = 0.02), and CV mortality (HR 0.55 [0.41 to 0.72], p<0.01). There were no significant differences in the rates of ischemic stroke or systemic embolism (HR 1.12 [0.92 to 1.35], p = 0.25), major bleeding (HR 0.94 [0.67 to 1.32], p = 0.71), or hemorrhagic stroke (HR 1.07 [0.74 to 1.54], p = 0.74) between LAAC and DOAC. In conclusion, percutaneous LAAC was found to be as efficacious as DOACs for stroke prevention, with lower all-cause and CV mortality. The rates of major bleeding and hemorrhagic stroke were similar. LAAC has a potential role to play in stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation in the era of DOACs, but further randomized data are needed.

Coronary Intravascular Lithotripsy Versus Rotational Atherectomy in an Asian Population: Clinical Outcomes in Real-World Patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We compared real-world clinical outcomes of patients receiving intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) versus rotational atherectomy (RA) for heavily calcified coronary lesions. METHODS: Fifty-three patients who received IVL from January 2017 to July 2020 were retrospectively compared to 271 patients who received RA from January 2017 to December 2018. Primary endpoints were in-hospital and 30-day major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). RESULTS: IVL patients had a higher prevalence of acute coronary syndrome (56.6% vs 24.4, p<0.001), multivessel disease (96.2% vs 73.3%, p<0.001) and emergency procedures (17.0% vs 2.2%, p<0.001) compared to RA. In-hospital MACE (11.3% vs 5.9%, p=0.152), MI (7.5% vs 3.3%, p=0.152), and mortality (5.7% vs 3.0%, p=0.319) were not statistically significant. 30-day MACE was higher in the IVL cohort vs RA (17.0% vs 7.4%, p=0.035). Propensity score adjusted regression using IVL was also performed on in-hospital MACE (odds ratio [OR], 1.677; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.588-4.779) and 30-day MACE (OR, 1.910; 95% CI, 0.774-4.718). CONCLUSIONS: These findings represent our initial IVL experience in a high-risk, real-world cohort. Although the event rate in the IVL arm was numerically higher compared to RA, the small numbers and retrospective nature of this study preclude definitive conclusions. These clinical outcomes are likely to improve with greater experience and better case selection, allowing IVL to effectively treat complex calcified coronary lesions.

Elderly Asian Patients Have Lower Revascularisation Rates and Poorer Outcomes for ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Compared to Younger Patients.

INTRODUCTION: There is limited information on elderly patients presenting with ST- elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). This study aimed to study the outcomes of elderly Asian patients with STEMI compared to younger patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study utilised data from 2007 to 2012 from the Singapore Myocardial Infarction Registry, a mandatory national population-based registry. Elderly patients were defined as ≥80 years of age, middle-aged to old (MAO) patients were defined as 45-80 years of age and young patients were defined as ≤45 years of age. The primary outcome of the study was 1-year mortality and secondary outcomes included in-hospital complications and mortality. RESULTS: There were 12,409 STEMI patients with 1207 (9.7%) elderly patients, 10,093 (81.3%) MAO patients and 1109 (8.9%) young patients. Elderly patients had more cardiovascular risk factors and lower rates of total percutaneous coronary intervention (26.0% vs 72.4% vs 85.5%, respectively; P <0.0001) compared to MAO and young patients. They had higher 1-year mortality (60.6% vs 18.3% vs 4.1%, respectively; P <0.0001) when compared to MAO and young patients. CONCLUSION: Elderly patients with STEMI have poorer outcomes than MAO and young patients. This is potentially attributable to a myriad of factors including age, higher burden of comorbidities and a lesser likelihood of receiving revascularisation and guideline-recommended medical therapy.

Ascertainment of silent myocardial infarction in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (from the GLOBAL LEADERS Trial)

Abstract: Q-wave myocardial infarction (QWMI) comprises 2 entities. First, a clinically evident MI, which can occur spontaneously or be related to a coronary procedure. Second, silent MI which is incidentally detected on serial electrocardiographic (ECG) assessment. The prevalence of silent MI after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the drug-eluting stent era has not been fully investigated. The GLOBAL LEADERS is an all-comers multicenter trial which randomized 15,991 patients who underwent PCI to 2 antiplatelet treatment strategies. The primary end point was a composite of all-cause death or nonfatal new QWMI at 2-years follow-up. ECGs were collected at discharge, 3-month and 2-year visits, and analyzed by an independent ECG core laboratory following the Minnesota code. All new QWMI were further reviewed by a blinded independent cardiologist to identify a potential clinical correlate by reviewing clinical information. Of 15,968 participants, ECG information was complete in 14,829 (92.9%) at 2 years. A new QWMI was confirmed in 186 (1.16%) patients. Transient new Q-waves were observed in 28.5% (53 of 186) of them during the follow-up. The majority of new QWMI (78%, 146 of 186) were classified as silent MI due to the absence of a clinical correlate. Silent MI accounted for 22.1% (146 of 660) of all MI events. The prevalence of silent MI did not differ significantly between treatment strategies (experimental vs reference: 0.88% vs 0.98%, p = 0.5027). In conclusion, we document the prevalence of silent MI in an all-comers population undergoing PCI in this large-scale randomized trial. (AU)

Ascertainment of Silent Myocardial Infarction in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (from the GLOBAL LEADERS Trial).

Q-wave myocardial infarction (QWMI) comprises 2 entities. First, a clinically evident MI, which can occur spontaneously or be related to a coronary procedure. Second, silent MI which is incidentally detected on serial electrocardiographic (ECG) assessment. The prevalence of silent MI after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the drug-eluting stent era has not been fully investigated. The GLOBAL LEADERS is an all-comers multicenter trial which randomized 15,991 patients who underwent PCI to 2 antiplatelet treatment strategies. The primary end point was a composite of all-cause death or nonfatal new QWMI at 2-years follow-up. ECGs were collected at discharge, 3-month and 2-year visits, and analyzed by an independent ECG core laboratory following the Minnesota code. All new QWMI were further reviewed by a blinded independent cardiologist to identify a potential clinical correlate by reviewing clinical information. Of 15,968 participants, ECG information was complete in 14,829 (92.9%) at 2 years. A new QWMI was confirmed in 186 (1.16%) patients. Transient new Q-waves were observed in 28.5% (53 of 186) of them during the follow-up. The majority of new QWMI (78%, 146 of 186) were classified as silent MI due to the absence of a clinical correlate. Silent MI accounted for 22.1% (146 of 660) of all MI events. The prevalence of silent MI did not differ significantly between treatment strategies (experimental vs reference: 0.88% vs 0.98%, p = 0.5027). In conclusion, we document the prevalence of silent MI in an all-comers population undergoing PCI in this large-scale randomized trial.

Building a Longitudinal National Integrated Cardiovascular Database　- Lessons Learnt From SingCLOUD.

Background: Real world data on clinical outcomes and quality of care for patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) are fragmented. We describe the rationale and design of the Singapore Cardiovascular Longitudinal Outcomes Database (SingCLOUD). Methods and Results: We designed a health data grid to integrate clinical, administrative, laboratory, procedural, prescription and financial data from all public-funded hospitals and primary care clinics, which provide 80% of health care in Singapore. Here, we explain our approach to harmonize real-world data from diverse electronic medical and non-medical platforms to develop a robust and longitudinal dataset. We present pilot data on patients with myocardial infarction (MI) treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) between 2012 and 2014. The initial data set had 53,395 patients. Of these, 35,203 had CAD confirmed on coronary angiography, of whom 21,521 had PCI. Eventually, limiting to 2012-2014, 3,819 patients had MI with PCI, while 5,989 had MI. Compared with the quality improvement registry, Singapore Cardiac Data Bank, which had 189 fields for analysis, the SingCLOUD platform generated an additional 313 additional data fields, and was able to identify an additional 250 heart failure events, 664 major adverse cardiovascular events at 2 years, and low-density lipoprotein levels to 1 year for 3,747 patients. Conclusions: By integrating multiple incongruent data sources, SINGCLOUD enables in-depth analysis of real-world cardiovascular "big data".

Advanced analyses of computed tomography coronary angiography can help discriminate ischemic lesions.

BACKGROUND: Computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) image analysis enables plaque characterization and non-invasive fractional flow reserve (FFR) calculation. We analyzed various parameters derived from CTCA images and evaluated their associations with ischemia. METHODS: 49 (61 lesions) patients underwent CTCA and invasive FFR. Lesions with diameter stenosis (DS) ≥ 50% were considered obstructive. CTCA image processing incorporating analytical and numerical methods were used to quantify anatomical parameters of lesion length (LL) and minimum lumen area (MLA); plaque characteristic parameters of plaque volume, low attenuation plaque (LAP) volume, dense calcium volume (DCV), normalized plaque volume (NP Vol), plaque burden, eccentricity index and napkin-ring (NR) sign; and hemodynamic parameters of resistance index, stenosis flow reserve (SFR) and FFRB. Ischemia was defined as FFR ≤ 0.8. RESULTS: Plaque burden and plaque volume were inversely related to FFR. Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified the best anatomical, plaque and hemodynamic predictors, respectively, as DS (≥50% vs <50%; OR: 8.0; 95% CI: 1.6-39.4), normalized plaque volume (NP Vol) (≥4.3 vs <4.3; OR: 3.9; 95% CI: 1.1-14.0) and NR Sign (0 vs 1; OR: 13.6; 95% CI: 1.3-146.1), and FFRB (≤0.8 vs >0.8; OR: 44.4; 95% CI: 8.8-224.8). AUC increased from 0.70 with DS as the sole predictor to 0.81 after adding NP Vol and NR Sign; further addition of FFRB increased AUC to 0.93. CONCLUSION: Normalized plaque volume, napkin-ring derived from plaque analysis, and FFRB from numerical simulations on CTCA images substantially improved discrimination of ischemic lesions, compared to assessment by DS alone.

Comparative analysis of recurrent events after presentation with an index myocardial infarction or ischaemic stroke.

Aims: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and stroke are important causes of mortality and morbidity. Our aims are to determine the comparative epidemiology of AMI and ischaemic stroke; and examine the differences in cardiovascular outcomes or mortality occurring after an AMI or stroke. Methods and results: The Singapore National Registry of Diseases Office collects countrywide data on AMI, stroke, and mortality. Index events of AMI and ischaemic stroke between 2007 and 2012 were identified. Patients were then matched for occurrences of subsequent AMI, stroke, or death within 1-year of the index event. There were 33 222 patients with first-ever AMI and 20 982 with first-ever stroke. AMI patients were significantly more likely to be men (66.3% vs. 56.9%), non-Chinese (32.1% vs. 24.1%), and smokers (43.1% vs. 38.6%), but less likely to have hypertension (65.6% vs. 79%) and hyperlipidaemia (61.1% vs. 65.5%), compared with stroke patients. In total 6.8% of the AMI patients had recurrent AMI, whereas 4.8% of the stroke patients had recurrent stroke within 1 year; 31.7% of the AMI patients died, whereas 17.1% of the ischaemic stroke patients died within 1 year. Older age, Malay ethnicity, and diabetes mellitus were statistically significant risk factors for all-cause mortality and for the composite endpoint of AMI, stroke, and all-cause mortality, at 1 year. Conclusions: Risk profiles of patients with AMI and stroke are significantly different. Patients suffer recurrent events in vascular territories similar to the index event. Age and diabetes mellitus are significant predictors of recurrent vascular events and mortality.

Reperfusion treatment delays amongst patients with painless ST segment elevation myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVE: Early reperfusion therapy in the treatment of ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients can improve outcomes. Silent myocardial infarction is associated with poor prognosis, but little is known about its effect on treatment delays. We aimed to characterize STEMI patients presenting without complaints of pain to the emergency departments (EDs) in Singapore. METHODS: Retrospective data were requested from the Singapore Myocardial Infarction Registry (SMIR), a national level registry in Singapore. Painless STEMI was defined as the absence of pain (chest, back, shoulder, jaw, and epigastric pain) during ED presentation. The primary outcome was door-to-balloon (D2B) time, defined as the earliest time a patient arrived in the ED to balloon inflation. Secondary outcomes were 1-month and 1-year mortality and occurrence of adverse events. RESULTS: From January 2010 to December 2012, the SMIR collected 6412 cases; 10.9% of patients presented without any pain. These patients were older (median age =75 v. 58 years old), more likely to be females (39.9% v. 16.1%), Chinese (74.9% v. 62.7%), obese (median body mass index [BMI] =24.5 v. 22.1), and with history of hypertension (71.1% v. 54.6%), diabetes mellitus (48.6% v. 37.0%), and acute myocardial infarction (20.0% v. 12.3%). They had a longer median D2B (80.5 v. 63 minutes, p<0.001) and a higher occurrence of 30-day (38.4% v. 5.7%) and 1-year mortality rates (47.3% v. 8.5%). CONCLUSION: A small proportion of STEMI patients presented without any pain to the ED. They tended to have a higher D2B and risks of mortality. Targeted effort is required to improve diagnostic and treatment efficiency in this group.

Symptom-to-door delay among patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction in Singapore.

OBJECTIVES: Symptom-to-door time (S2D) is one of the important components of ischaemic time, which might affect the infarct size and outcomes of acute myocardial infarction. The aim of the present study was to identify patients' characteristics associated with delayed symptom-onset-to-arrival at EDs in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients in Singapore. METHODS: Retrospective data of STEMI patients presenting to the ED of all public hospitals with onsite primary percutaneous coronary intervention facilities between 2010 and 2012 were obtained from the Singapore Myocardial Infarction Registry. Based on the S2D of 120 min, characteristics of patients were compared between short S2D (≤120 min) and long S2D (>120 min). Multivariate logistic and linear regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: Out of 3848 patients, 1682 patients had an S2D of ≤120 min, and 2166 had an S2D >120 min. In the multivariate analyses, older age, Malay ethnicity, diabetes mellitus, presenting symptoms of back and epigastric pain were independently associated with long S2D. Patients who utilised the emergency medical services, presented after office hours and with symptoms of chest pain, breathlessness, diaphoresis and past history of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty/primary percutaneous coronary intervention, were independently associated with short S2D. Patients with long S2D had lower probability of receiving reperfusion treatment with delayed symptom-to-balloon and door-to-balloon time and higher probabilities of complications and mortality. CONCLUSION: The present study shows that longer S2D was associated with older age, ethnicity, diabetes mellitus, delay in receiving early reperfusion treatment and poorer prognosis.

The SYNERGY II Everolimus elutiNg stent In patients Older than 75 years undergoing coronary Revascularisation associated with a short dual antiplatelet therapy (SENIOR) trial: rationale and design of a large-scale randomised multicentre study.

AIMS: In the elderly population, bare metal stents (BMS) are often preferred over drug-eluting stents (DES) because of the longer duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) associated with the latter. The SENIOR trial is designed to determine whether one of the latest generation of DES can reduce major cardiovascular events compared to BMS, despite a similar short DAPT duration. METHODS AND RESULTS: The SENIOR trial is a multicentre, single-blind, prospective, randomised trial comparing the latest generation DES (SYNERGY™ II; Boston Scientific, Marlborough, MA, USA) to BMS (Rebel™; Boston Scientific) in 1,200 patients ≥75 years old. DAPT will be given for one or six months according to clinical presentation, irrespective of stent type. The primary outcome is the composite of all-cause mortality, non-fatal myocardial infarction, stroke or ischaemia-driven target lesion revascularisation at one year. Secondary endpoints include the rate of major bleedings and the rate of stent thrombosis at one year. CONCLUSIONS: This trial is designed to evaluate a new revascularisation strategy combining DES and short duration DAPT in elderly patients. It has the potential to decrease the need for target lesion revascularisation without a significant DAPT-related increase in bleeding compared to BMS.

Influence of Ethnicity, Age, and Time on Sex Disparities in Long-Term Cause-Specific Mortality After Acute Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND: We examined the influence of sex, ethnicity, and time on competing cardiovascular and noncardiovascular causes of death following acute myocardial infarction in a multiethnic Asian cohort. METHODS AND RESULTS: For 12 years, we followed a prospective nationwide cohort of 15 151 patients (aged 22-101 years, median age 63 years; 72.3% male; 66.7% Chinese, 19.8% Malay, 13.5% Indian) who were hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction between 2000 and 2005. There were 6463 deaths (4534 cardiovascular, 1929 noncardiovascular). Compared with men, women had a higher risk of cardiovascular death (age-adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.3, 95% CI 1.2-1.4) but a similar risk of noncardiovascular death (HR 0.9, 95% CI 0.8-1.0). Sex differences in cardiovascular death varied by ethnicity, age, and time. Compared with Chinese women, Malay women had the greatest increased hazard of cardiovascular death (HR 1.4, 95% CI 1.2-1.6) and a marked imbalance in death due to heart failure or cardiomyopathy (HR 3.4 [95% CI 1.9-6.0] versus HR 1.5 [95% CI 0.6-3.6] for Indian women). Compared with same-age Malay men, Malay women aged 22 to 49 years had a 2.5-fold (95% CI 1.6-3.8) increased hazard of cardiovascular death. Sex disparities in cardiovascular death tapered over time, least among Chinese patients and most among Indian patients; the HR comparing cardiovascular death of Indian women and men decreased from 1.9 (95% CI 1.5-2.4) at 30 days to 0.9 (95% CI 0.5-1.6) at 10 years. CONCLUSION: Age, ethnicity, and time strongly influence the association between sex and specific cardiovascular causes of mortality, suggesting that health care policy to reduce sex disparities in acute myocardial infarction outcomes must consider the complex interplay of these 3 major modifying factors.

Comparison of Long-Term Mortality of Patients Aged ≤40 Versus >40 Years With Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Young patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) have a more favorable prognosis than older patients with MI. However, there are limited data comparing the prognosis of young patients with MI with young population controls. Comparison with an age-matched background population could unmask residual mortality risk in young patients with MI that would otherwise not be apparent when merely comparing the mortality risk of young and older patients with MI. We studied 15,151 patients with AMI from 2000 to 2005, of which 601 patients were ≤40 years (young MI). The relative survival ratio (RSR) was calculated as the ratio of the observed survival of patients with MI divided by the expected survival, estimated from the background population (n = 3,771,700) matched for age, gender, and follow-up year. An RSR of <1.0 or >1.0 indicates poorer or better survival, respectively, than the background population. The 12-year all-cause and cardiovascular mortality of young versus older patients was 12.8% versus 50.7% (p <0.001) and 9.2% versus 34.5% (p <0.001), respectively. The adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality comparing young with older patients was 0.20 (0.16 to 0.27) and 0.27 (0.20 to 0.36), respectively. The RSR (95% confidence interval) of young and older patients was, respectively, 0.969 (0.950 to 0.980) and 0.804 (0.797 to 0.811) at 1 year, 0.942 (0.918 to 0.960) and 0.716 (0.707 to 0.726) at 5 years, and 0.908 (0.878 to 0.938) and 0.638 (0.620 to 0.654) at 9 years. In conclusion, despite a fivefold lower long-term mortality than older patients with MI, young patients with MI remain at significantly greater risk of long-term mortality than an age-matched background population.

Percutaneous transcatheter aortic valve implantation for degenerated surgical bioprostheses: the first case series in Asia with one-year follow-up.

INTRODUCTION: Percutaneous transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has become an established therapy for inoperable and high-surgical-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis. Although TAVI in patients with degenerated surgical aortic bioprostheses (i.e. valve-in-valve TAVI) is increasingly reported in Western studies, such data is lacking in Asian patients. We describe the initial experience of valve-in-valve TAVI in Asia. METHODS: Eight patients who underwent valve-in-valve TAVI due to degenerated aortic bioprostheses were enrolled. The mechanism of bioprosthetic valve failure was stenotic, regurgitation or mixed. All procedures were performed via transfemoral arterial access, using the self-expanding CoreValve prosthesis or balloon-expandable SAPIEN XT prosthesis. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 71.6 ± 13.2 years and five were male. Mean duration to surgical bioprosthesis degeneration was 10.2 ± 4.1 years. Valve-in-valve TAVI was successfully performed in all patients. CoreValve and SAPIEN XT prostheses were used in six and two patients, respectively. There were no deaths, strokes or permanent pacemaker requirement at 30 days, with one noncardiac mortality at one year. All patients experienced New York Heart Association functional class improvement. Post-procedure mean pressure gradients were 20 ± 11 mmHg and 22 ± 8 mmHg at 30 days and one year, respectively. Residual aortic regurgitation (AR) of more than mild severity occurred in one patient at 30 days. At one year, only one patient had mild residual AR. CONCLUSION: In our experience of valve-in-valve TAVI, procedural success was achieved in all patients without adverse events at 30 days. Good clinical and haemodynamic outcomes were sustained at one year.

Emergency Medical Services Utilization among Patients with ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction: Observations from the Singapore Myocardial Infarction Registry.

OBJECTIVE: Early activation of emergency medical services (EMS), rapid transport, and treatment of patients experiencing ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) can improve outcomes. The Singapore Myocardial Infarction Registry (SMIR) is a nation-wide registry that collects data on STEMI. We aimed to determine the prevalence, predictors, and outcomes of EMS utilization among STEMI patients presenting to Emergency Departments (ED) in Singapore. METHODS: We analyzed STEMI patients enrolled by SMIR from January 2010 to December 2012. We excluded patients who were transferred, developed STEMI in-hospital or suffered cardiac arrest out-of-hospital or in the ED. Primary outcome was process-of-care timings. Secondary outcomes included the occurrence of cardiac complications. Multivariate analysis was used to examine independent factors associated with EMS transport. RESULTS: 6412 patients were enrolled into the study; 4667 patients were eligible for analysis. 49.8% of patients utilized EMS transport. EMS transport was associated with higher rate of reperfusion therapy (74.3% vs. 65.1%, p < 0.01), shorter median symptom-to-door time (119 vs. 182 minutes, p < 0.01), door-to-balloon time (59 vs. 70 minutes, p < 0.01), and symptom-to-balloon time (185 vs. 233 minutes, p < 0.01). EMS transport had more patients with Killip Class 4 (7.5% vs 4.0%, p < 0.01) and was associated with greater presentation of heart failure, arrhythmias, and complete heart block. Independent predictors of EMS transport were age, syncope and Killip score; after-office-hour presentation was a negative predictor. CONCLUSION: Less than half of STEMI patients utilized EMS and EMS patients had faster receipt of initial reperfusion therapies. Targeted public education to reduce time to treatment may improve the care of STEMI patients.

Clinical Outcomes of Bioresorbable Scaffold in Coronary Artery Disease: A Systematic Literature Review.

OBJECTIVES: We aim to perform a systematic literature review on all studies reporting the clinical outcomes of the use of bioresorbable scaffolds (BRS) in different settings of coronary artery disease (CAD). BACKGROUND: BRS are designed to provide early support of the vessel wall postangioplasty, deliver antiproliferative agents to prevent excessive hyperplastic healing responses and finally "disappear" when no longer required. Emerging data have provided evidence of their use in specific clinical scenarios. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was performed by 2 independent reviewers utilizing MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases. The only 2 CE marked BRS: everolimus-eluting Bioresorbable vascular scaffold ABSORB BVS and the myolimus-eluting DESolve Bioresorbable Coronary Scaffold (BCS) System were included. RESULTS: The studies were categorized into: ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), stable CAD, and "all-comers" group. Thirty-one studies were included; 8 in STEMI patients (all ABSORB), 15 in stable CAD patients. In the STEMI group (n = 606), acute procedural success ranged from 96% to 100%, cardiac mortality 0-9.1%, recurrent MI and stent thrombosis rates were 0-4.3%. In the stable CAD group, the 13 ABSORB studies (n = 3259) demonstrated cardiac mortality rate of 0-0.6%, recurrent MI rate 0-4.5%, and stent thrombosis rate 0-4.3% CONCLUSIONS: Current clinical data suggest the BRS, especially the ABSORB BVS, may represent a reasonable alternative to DES in uncomplicated coronary anatomy.

Venous Access Closure Using the Double-ProGlide Preclose Technique After MitraClip Implantation: Long-Term Clinical and Duplex Ultrasound Outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates the safety and efficacy of the double-ProGlide preclose technique to secure hemostasis in patients with 24 Fr venous access. METHODS: Consecutive patients with severe mitral regurgitation undergoing the MitraClip procedure were included. All patients underwent the double-ProGlide preclose technique for closure of the femoral vein access site. Duplex ultrasound was performed at 1 month to 1 year after the procedure. The primary study outcome was a composite of major vascular complications, including: (1) the presence of >50% stenosis of the femoral vein; (2) presence of proximal deep vein thrombosis (DVT); and (3) significant venous bleeding as evidenced by >1 unit packed red blood cell transfusion within 48 hours of the procedure. RESULTS: A total of 42 patients (age, 72.5 ± 9.8 years; 26 males) were included. The device was successfully deployed in all cases with successful hemostasis. No transfusions were required and no major vascular complications were noted. Thirty-five patients (83%) underwent duplex ultrasound. No femoral vein stenosis was noted on duplex ultrasound. CONCLUSIONS: Off-label use of the double-ProGlide preclose technique after MitraClip therapy for closure of large-caliber femoral vein sites is both safe and efficacious.

Circadian Dependence of Infarct Size and Acute Heart Failure in ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

OBJECTIVES: There are conflicting data on the relationship between the time of symptom onset during the 24-hour cycle (circadian dependence) and infarct size in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Moreover, the impact of this circadian pattern of infarct size on clinical outcomes is unknown. We sought to study the circadian dependence of infarct size and its impact on clinical outcomes in STEMI. METHODS: We studied 6,710 consecutive patients hospitalized for STEMI from 2006 to 2009 in a tropical climate with non-varying day-night cycles. We categorized the time of symptom onset into four 6-hour intervals: midnight-6:00 A.M., 6:00 A.M.-noon, noon-6:00 P.M. and 6:00 P.M.-midnight. We used peak creatine kinase as a surrogate marker of infarct size. RESULTS: Midnight-6:00 A.M patients had the highest prevalence of diabetes mellitus (P = 0.03), more commonly presented with anterior MI (P = 0.03) and received percutaneous coronary intervention less frequently, as compared with other time intervals (P = 0.03). Adjusted mean peak creatine kinase was highest among midnight-6:00 A.M. patients and lowest among 6:00 A.M.-noon patients (2,590.8±2,839.1 IU/L and 2,336.3±2,386.6 IU/L, respectively, P = 0.04). Midnight-6:00 A.M patients were at greatest risk of acute heart failure (P<0.001), 30-day mortality (P = 0.03) and 1-year mortality (P = 0.03), while the converse was observed in 6:00 A.M.-noon patients. After adjusting for diabetes, infarct location and performance of percutaneous coronary intervention, circadian variations in acute heart failure incidence remained strongly significant (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: We observed a circadian peak and nadir in infarct size during STEMI onset from midnight-6:00A.M and 6:00A.M.-noon respectively. The peak and nadir incidence of acute heart failure paralleled this circadian pattern. Differences in diabetes prevalence, infarct location and mechanical reperfusion may account partly for the observed circadian pattern of infarct size and acute heart failure.

Impact of the joint association between sex, age and diabetes on long-term mortality after acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: The role of sex, and its joint effect with age and diabetes mellitus, on mortality subsequent to surviving an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) beyond 30 days are unclear. The high prevalence of diabetes mellitus in an ethnically diverse Asian population motivates this study. METHODS: The study population comprised of a nationwide cohort of Asian patients with AMI, hospitalized between 2000 to 2005, who survived the first 30 days post-admission and were followed prospectively until death or 12 years. RESULTS: Among the 13,389 survivors, there were fewer women (25.5%) who were older than men (median 70 vs. 58 years) and a larger proportion had diabetes mellitus at admission (51.4% vs. 31.4%). During follow-up 4,707 deaths (women 13.2%; men 22.0%) occurred, with women experiencing higher mortality than men with an averaged hazard ratio (HR): 2.08; 95% confidence interval : 1.96-2.20. However the actual adverse outcome, although always greater, reduced over time with an estimated HR: 2.23 (2.04-2.45) at 30 days to HR: 1.75; (1.47-2.09) 12 years later. The difference in mortality also declined with increasing age: HR 1.80 (1.52-2.13) for those aged 22-59, 1.26 (1.11-1.42) for 60-69, 1.06 (0.96-1.17) and 0.96 (0.85-1.09) for those 70-79 and 80-101 years. Significant two-factor interactions were observed between sex, age and diabetes (P < 0.001). Diabetic women <60 years of age had greater mortality than diabetic men of the same age (adjusted HR: 1.44; 1.14-1.84; P = 0.003), while diabetic women and men ≥60 years of age had a less pronounced mortality difference (adjusted HR: 1.12; 0.99-1.26). CONCLUSIONS: One in two women hospitalized for AMI in this Asian cohort had diabetes and the sex disparity in post-MI mortality was most pronounced among these who were <60 years of age. This underscores the need for better secondary prevention in this high-risk group.