Effect of chronic statin treatment on vascular remodeling determined by intravascular ultrasound in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Early statin treatment of patients with acute coronary syndrome results in vascular changes and improved clinical outcomes. However, the influence of chronic statin treatment on the culprit vessel in acute coronary syndrome is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the morphologic features of the culprit vessel in acute myocardial infarction by comparing patients with and without chronic statin treatment. We enroled consecutive patients with AMI, who had hyperlipidemia and primary percutaneous coronary intervention guided by intravascular ultrasound within 24 hours of symptom onset. Of 155 patients, 73 patients were stratified to the chronic statin group and 82 to the nonstatin group. Intravascular ultrasound in both the groups showed that positive remodeling was significantly less frequent in the chronic statin group (46.6%) compared with the nonstatin group (70.7%; p = 0.001). Necrotic core area was significantly smaller in the chronic statin group (2.2 ± 1.3 mm(2)) compared with the nonstatin group (3.2 ± 2.1 mm(2); p <0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that chronic statin treatment was significantly associated with less positive remodeling (odds ratio 0.283, 95% confidence interval 0.111 to 0.723, p = 0.008). In conclusion, chronic statin treatment reduced positive remodeling in the culprit lesions of patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Contrast echocardiography for the diagnosis of left ventricular thrombus in anterior myocardial infarction.

Although detecting left ventricular thrombus in anterior myocardial infarction is important for the prevention of embolic events, imaging of apical thrombus is often difficult using conventional echocardiography. We examined whether contrast echocardiography improves sensitivity and specificity in detecting thrombus in the left ventricle in comparison with conventional echocardiography alone in patients with anterior myocardial infarction. Participants in this single-center prospective study comprised 392 patients with anterior myocardial infarction admitted between 2000 and 2006. After conventional echocardiography, all patients underwent contrast echocardiography (left ventricular opacification and myocardial contrast echocardiography) during intravenous drip infusion of contrast media at rest. Left ventricular thrombus was diagnosed based on left ventriculography or multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT). Mural left ventricular thrombus was confirmed by left ventriculography and/or MDCT in 32 of 393 patients (8 %). Sensitivity and specificity of conventional echocardiography alone were 88 % and 96 %, respectively, compared with 100 % each with contrast echocardiography. Among the 32 patients with left ventricular thrombus, 25 patients (78 %) showed no perfusion in the anterior wall on myocardial contrast echocardiography, even with a four-beat interval. In conclusion, contrast echocardiography offers a clinically feasible and useful method for noninvasively evaluating left ventricular thrombus in anterior myocardial infarction.

Transient no reflow following primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

No reflow following primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a serious complication in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction. No reflow in some patients is reversible (transient no reflow), whereas no reflow in others persists until the end of the procedure (persistent no reflow). The aim of this study was to identify clinical features of transient no reflow following primary PCI. Consecutive patients with no reflow (n = 123) were enrolled following primary PCI. Among them, 59 patients were in the transient group and 64 in the persistent group. We compared clinical features and hospital outcomes between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the determinants of transient no reflow. The transient group had a lower rate of in-hospital cardiac death than the persistent group (0 vs. 6.4 %, relatively, P = 0.018). There was a trend for a shorter length of hospital stay in the transient group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified initial thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow grade 3 (OR 6.239, 95 % CI 1.727-22.541, P = 0.005) and a higher estimated glomerular filtration rate (OR 1.204, 95 % CI 1.006-1.440, P = 0.042) as independent predictors of transient no reflow. Transient no reflow tended to be associated with TIMI thrombus grade ≤3 (OR 2.879, 95 % CI 0.928-8.931, P = 0.067). In conclusion, initial TIMI flow grade 3 and preserved renal function were associated with recovery from no reflow. Initial angiographic finding such as TIMI flow or TIMI thrombus grade might be an important predictor of recovery from the no-reflow phenomenon.

Prognostic stratification of patients with vasospastic angina: a comprehensive clinical risk score developed by the Japanese Coronary Spasm Association.

OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to develop a comprehensive clinical risk score for vasospastic angina (VSA) patients. BACKGROUND: Previous studies demonstrated various prognostic factors of future adverse events in VSA patients. However, to apply these prognostic factors in clinical practice, the assessment of their accumulation in individual patients is important. METHODS: The patient database of the multicenter registry study by the Japanese Coronary Spasm Association (JCSA) (n = 1,429; median 66 years; median follow-up 32 months) was utilized for score derivation. RESULTS: Multivariable Cox proportional hazard model selected 7 predictors of major adverse cardiac events (MACE). The integer score was assigned to each predictors proportional to their respective adjusted hazard ratio; history of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (4 points), smoking, angina at rest alone, organic coronary stenosis, multivessel spasm (2 points each), ST-segment elevation during angina, and beta-blocker use (1 point each). According to the total score in individual patients, 3 risk strata were defined; low (score 0 to 2, n = 598), intermediate (score 3 to 5, n = 639) and high (score 6 or more, n = 192). The incidences of MACE in the low-, intermediate-, and high-risk patients were 2.5%, 7.0%, and 13.0%, respectively (p < 0.001). The Cox model for MACE between the 3 risk strata also showed prognostic utility of the scoring system in various clinical subgroups. The average prediction rate of the scoring system in the internal training and validation sets were 86.6% and 86.5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We developed a novel scoring system, the JCSA risk score, which may provide the comprehensive risk assessment and prognostic stratification for VSA patients.

Clinical features of myocardial infarction in young Japanese patients.

Clinical features and outcomes of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the young have been poorly investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical features and hospital outcomes of AMI in young Japanese. We conducted a case-control study. A total of 53 consecutive AMI patients whose age was ≤ 45 years old were assigned to the young group and 106 AMI patients whose age was > 45 years old were assigned to the non-young group. We compared the clinical features and hospital outcomes between the two groups. Compared with the non-young group, the young group was associated with male sex, hyperlipidemia, current smoking, being overweight, single vessel disease, and Killip class I on admission. There were no differences in the length of hospital stay or major adverse cardiac events between the groups. However, mortality and ventricular rupture were slightly lower in the young. In conclusion, young AMI patients had clinical characteristics different to those of the non-young patients. Compared to non-young patients, modifiable risk factors such as smoking, hyperlipidemia, and being overweight were associated with young AMI patients.

Gender differences in the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with vasospastic angina--a report from the Japanese Coronary Spasm Association.

BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidence has demonstrated the gender differences in the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with ischemic heart disease. However, it remains to be elucidated whether it is also the case for vasospastic angina (VSA). METHODS AND RESULTS: We enrolled a total of 1,429 VSA patients (male/female, 1090/339; median age 66 years) in our nationwide multicenter registry by the Japanese Coronary Spasm Association. As compared with male patients, female patients were characterized by older age (median 69 vs. 66 years), lower incidence of smoking (20% vs. 72%) and less significant organic stenosis (9% vs. 16%) (all P=0.001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the predictors of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were considerably different by genders; women were more associated with age and electrical abnormalities, whereas men with structural abnormalities. Overall 5-year MACE-free survival was comparable between both genders. However, when the patients were divided into 3 groups by age [young (<50 years), middle-aged (50-64 years) and elderly (≥65 years)], the survival was significantly lower in the young female group (young 82%, middle-aged 92%, elderly 96%, P<0.01), where a significant interaction was noted between age and smoking. In contrast, the survival was comparable among the 3 age groups of male patients. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that there are gender differences in the characteristics and outcomes of VSA patients, suggesting the importance of gender-specific management of the disorder.

Long-term follow-up on cardiac function following fulminant myocarditis requiring percutaneous extracorporeal cardiopulmonary support.

Fulminant myocarditis is a rapidly progressive, life-threatening disease with severe impairment of systolic left ventricle function in the acute phase. However, the long-term prognosis of patients who survive the acute phase with percutaneous extracorporeal cardiopulmonary support (PCPS) is not established. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the long-term follow-up on chronic cardiac function and long-term outcome. Twenty consecutive patients with fulminant myocarditis in the acute phase supported by PCPS were enrolled between January 1995 and March 2010. Echocardiography was performed at least three times; acute phase (within 3 days from onset), predischarge (days 3-30), and chronic phase (>6 months, 2.67 ± 2.19 years, mean ± SD). The clinical events were queried by their medical record and questionnaires. Eight patients (40%) died in the acute phase. The time course of ejection fraction (%) by echocardiography was 22.7 ± 9.8, 53.1 ± 7.2, and 57.2 ± 9.6 in acute, predischarge, and chronic phase, respectively. Diastolic dimension (mm) was 46.8 ± 7.4, 51.3 ± 2.9, and 50.4 ± 1.8, and systolic dimension (mm) was 41.4 ± 7.7, 36.8 ± 4.0, and 35.2 ± 3.3 in acute, predischarge, and chronic phase, respectively. There was no recurrence or admission related to heart failure during the follow-up period. The cardiac function of patients with fulminant myocarditis recovers rapidly during their stay in hospital. The cardiac function of predischarge patients remains unchanged in the chronic phase. The long-term survival of fulminant myocarditis appears favorable in the chronic phase.

Clinical implications of provocation tests for coronary artery spasm: safety, arrhythmic complications, and prognostic impact: multicentre registry study of the Japanese Coronary Spasm Association.

AIMS: Provocation tests of coronary artery spasm are useful for the diagnosis of vasospastic angina (VSA). However, these tests are thought to have a potential risk of arrhythmic complications, including ventricular tachycardia (VT), ventricular fibrillation (VF), and brady-arrhythmias. We aimed to elucidate the safety and the clinical implications of the spasm provocation tests in the nationwide multicentre registry study by the Japanese Coronary Spasm Association. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 1244 VSA patients (M/F, 938/306; median 66 years) who underwent the spasm provocation tests were enrolled from 47 institutes. The primary endpoint was defined as major adverse cardiac events (MACEs). The provocation tests were performed with either acetylcholine (ACh, 57%) or ergonovine (40%). During the provocation tests, VT/VF and brady-arrhythmias developed at a rate of 3.2 and 2.7%, respectively. Overall incidence of arrhythmic complications was 6.8%, a comparable incidence of those during spontaneous angina attack (7.0%). Multivariable logistic regression analysis demonstrated that diffuse right coronary artery spasm (P < 0.01) and the use of ACh (P < 0.05) had a significant correlation with provocation-related VT/VF. During the median follow-up of 32 months, 69 patients (5.5%) reached the primary endpoint. The multivariable Cox proportional hazard model revealed that mixed (focal plus diffuse) type multivessel spasm had an important association with MACEs (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.84; 95% confidence interval, 1.34-6.03; P < 0.01), whereas provocation-related arrhythmias did not. CONCLUSION: The spasm provocation tests have an acceptable level of safety and the evaluation of spasm type may provide useful information for the risk prediction of VSA patients.

Left ventricular apical aneurysm following primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Left ventricular apical aneurysm (LVAA) is a serious complication of acute anterior myocardial infarction (MI). The purpose of our study was to investigate the clinical features of LVAA in the primary PCI era. A total of 161 acute anterior MI patients who had primary PCI and had an echocardiogram on chronic phase were included. The development of LVAA was reviewed on chronic phase. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the predictors of LVAA. Primary stenting was performed in 160 patients (99.4 %). Procedural success was obtained in all patients with a final TIMI flow grade 3 obtained in 142 patients (88.2 %). LVAA developed in the chronic phase in 29 patients (18.0 %). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that peak CK (500 mU/ml increase; OR 1.24, 95 % CI 1.09-1.41, p = 0.001), heart rate at discharge (5/min increase; OR 1.39, 95 % CI 1.03-1.87, p = 0.03), final TIMI flow grade ≤2 (vs. TIMI 3; OR 6.95, 95 % CI 1.70-28.36, p = 0.01) and final myocardial brush grade (MBG) ≤2 (vs. MBG 3; OR 4.33, 95 % CI 1.06-17.66, p = 0.04) were significantly associated with the development of LVAA. The initial TIMI flow grade or the grade of collateral flow was not associated with LVAA. In conclusion, peak CK, heart rate, and final TIMI flow grade or final MBG ≤2 were significantly associated with the development of LVAA. Achieving a TIMI flow grade 3 by primary PCI may be important for preventing LVAA.

Contrast induced exacerbation of renal dysfunction in the advanced chronic kidney disease.

Contrast media affects renal function, especially in the patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of contrast induced exacerbation of renal dysfunction in the patients with advanced CKD (estimated glomerular filtration rate <30 ml/min/1.73 m(2)). We enrolled 102 advanced CKD patients who underwent cardiac catheterization. Delta creatinine (post-catheterization creatinine minus pre-catheterization creatinine) were calculated. The patients were divided into three groups according to delta creatinine. The highest tertile of the delta creatinine was defined as the exacerbation group. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to find the characteristics of the exacerbation group. Anemia (odds ratio (OR): 15.53, 95% Confidence Interval (95%CI): 1.81-133.27, p = 0.01) and proteinuria (OR: 5.91, 95%CI: 1.64-21.28, p < 0.01) were significant characteristics of the exacerbation group after adjusting confounding factors. In conclusion, anemia and proteinuria were associated with contrast induced exacerbation of renal dysfunction in the advanced CKD patients.

Beta-blocker use is not associated with slow flow during rotational atherectomy.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between beta-blocker use and slow flow during rotational atherectomy (RA). BACKGROUND: RA is often performed as part of percutaneous coronary interventions for the treatment of calcified lesions; however, the procedure can be complicated by slow flow. Previous reports suggested that the use of beta-blockers was associated with slow flow during RA. METHODS: A total of 186 patients who received RA were included, and 87 patients were on beta-blockers. The occurrence of slow flow was compared between the beta-blocker group (n = 87) and the non-beta-blocker group (n = 99). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate whether the use of beta-blockers was associated with slow flow. RESULTS: The occurrence of slow flow was not different between the beta-blocker group (29.9%) and the non-beta-blocker group (24.2%; P=.39). The use of beta-blockers was not significantly associated with slow flow (odds ratio, 0.75; 95% confidence interval, 0.34-1.68; P=.49) after controlling for all potential confounding factors. CONCLUSIONS: There was no definitive association between slow flow and the use of beta-blockers during RA. There is no need to discontinue beta-blockers in patients receiving RA.

Mid-term clinical outcomes of ACS and non-ACS patients treated with everolimus-eluting stents.

Drug-eluting stents (DES) have proven to be effective for reducing the rate of restenosis, whereas stent thrombosis (ST) after DES implantation has raised safety concerns. Everolimus-eluting stents (EES) are a new generation of DES that have demonstrated safety and efficacy compared with first-generation DES. However, the use of EES in patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) has not been adequately investigated. We compared the clinical outcomes between the ACS and non-ACS groups treated with EES. A total of 335 consecutive patients who received EES implantation between January 2010 and January 2011 were investigated (ACS; n = 172, non-ACS; n = 163). Clinical outcome data were obtained for 94.3% of the patients. Follow-up angiography was performed in 58.5% of all patients. The median follow-up period was 8 months in both groups. Clinical outcomes were not statistically different between the groups. The rate of target lesion revascularization (TLR) was 2.5% in the ACS group and 3.8% in the non-ACS group (P = 0.37). MACE occurred in 8.2% of the ACS group and 10.2% of the non-ACS group (P = 0.54). A definite ST was identified in one patient in each group (P = 0.75). The unadjusted cumulative event rates estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test showed no significant difference between the groups for TLR, target vessel revascularization (TVR), all-cause death, or MACE. In conclusion, EES was safe and efficacious for patients presenting with ACS, as well as for those with non-ACS during a mid-term follow-up period.

Comparison of long-term clinical outcomes between sirolimus-eluting stents and paclitaxel-eluting stents following rotational atherectomy.

Rotational atherectomy (RA) can facilitate smooth stent delivery and stent expansion through lesion modification for a calcified coronary lesion. Several studies reported that sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) implantation following RA showed a lower rate of revascularization compared with bare-metal stents (BMS). However, there are limited data that compared the clinical outcomes between SES and paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES) after RA. We compared the long-term clinical outcomes of SES and PES following RA. Two hundred and thirty-three consecutive patients (SES n = 179, PES n = 54) who were treated with SES or PES following RA between 10th September 2004 and 13th April 2010 were investigated. Follow-up data for clinical outcomes were obtained in 91.4% of all subjects. The median follow-up period was 630 days (interquartile range, 300 to 1170 days) in the SES group, and 625 days (interquartile range, 285 to 900 days) in the PES group. Clinical outcomes including target lesion revascularization (TLR) (SES 4.9% versus PES 9.8%, P = 0.31), target vessel revascularization (TVR) (SES 6.8% versus PES 11.8%, P = 0.25), and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) (SES 14.8% versus PES 13.7%, P = 0.8) were not statistically different between the groups. The unadjusted cumulative event rates estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test showed no significant differences between the two groups for time to event for TLR, cardiovascular death, all-cause death, or MACE. In conclusion, there was no significant difference in the long-term clinical outcomes between SES and PES following RA.

Transradial percutaneous coronary intervention for acute myocardial infarction reduces CCU stay in patients 80 or older.

Transradial percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), which is less invasive than transfemoral PCI, may facilitate early rehabilitation of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The aim of our study was to investigate whether transradial PCI is associated with a shorter coronary care unit (CCU) stay in very elderly AMI patients (≥ 80 years old). We enrolled 116 AMI patients aged ≥ 80 years. There were 39 patients in the transradial group and 77 patients in the non-transradial group. The length of CCU stay, the length of hospital stay, in-hospital mortality, the day of the monitored sitting and standing test, and the occurrence of delirium were compared between the two groups. The duration of CCU stay in the transradial and non-transradial groups was 3.6 ± 1.5 days and 5.0 ± 3.2 days, respectively (P = 0.001). The duration of hospital stay in the transradial and non-transradial groups was 13.3 ± 7.4 days and 19.2 ± 11.1 days, respectively (P = 0.001). In-hospital mortality was not different between the two groups (7.7% versus 2.6%, P = 0.20). The day of the monitored standing test in the transradial and non-transradial groups was 3.2 ± 0.7 and 4.6 ± 2.3, respectively (P < 0.0001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified a transradial approach as an independent predictor of short (≤ 3 days) CCU stay (OR: 3.01, 95%CI: 1.16-7.83, P = 0.02). In conclusion, transradial PCI was associated with a shorter CCU stay in AMI patients ≥ 80 years old. Furthermore, transradial PCI facilitated early rehabilitation in this high risk population.

Complications of temporary vena cava filter placement.

BACKGROUND: Temporary vena cava filters have been used for protection from potentially fatal pulmonary embolism. However, recent reports suggested that they may be associated with serious adverse complications including filter-related thrombosis. The purpose of this study was to examine the clinical complications of temporary vena cava filter placement. METHODS: We enrolled 40 consecutive patients from January 2006 to December 2010 who underwent percutaneous temporary vena cava filter insertion in Saitama Medical Center, Jichi Medical University. RESULTS: Major filter complications related to temporary vena cava filters were filter thrombosis in 4 patients (10.2%), filter dislocation in 4 (10.2%), and catheter-related infection in 3 (7.7%). Massive pulmonary embolism and cardiogenic shock was observed in one case (2.5%) at the time of retraction. CONCLUSION: Temporary filter placement was associated with a high incidence of device-related complications. The benefit of temporary filter placement should be judiciously weighed against the risk of complications.

Comparison of frequency of complications with on-label versus off-label use of rotational atherectomy.

Although rotational atherectomy (RA) is used for complex lesions in percutaneous coronary intervention, there are several contraindications and precautions. The purpose of our study was to compare complications between off-label and on-label use of RA. We identified 250 consecutive patients who underwent RA. Off-label characteristics included saphenous vein graft lesions, presence of thrombus, unprotected left main stenosis, coronary artery dissection, acute myocardial infarction (MI), left ventricular dysfunction, 3-vessel disease, long lesion (≥ 25 mm), or angulated lesion (≥ 45°). Patients who had ≥ 1 off-label characteristic were assigned to the off-label group (156 patients), and patients who had no off-label characteristics were assigned to the on-label group (94 patients). Occurrence of slow flow or periprocedural MI in the off-label group was higher than that in the on-label group (slow flow 30% vs 18%, p = 0.06; MI 8.8% vs 2.1%, p = 0.04), whereas severe complications such as burr entrapment, transection of the guidewire, or perforation were rare in the 2 groups. In conclusion, compared to the on-label group, the off-label group had a higher incidence of slow flow and periprocedural MI. Severe complications such as burr entrapment, transection of the guidewire, or perforation were rare in the 2 groups.

Congestive heart failure in the elderly: comparison between reduced ejection fraction and preserved ejection fraction.

BACKGROUND: Little has been known about clinical features and prognosis of very old patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFPEF). The aim of this study was to compare clinical features and clinical outcomes between HFPEF and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFREF) in patients older than 80 years. METHODS: We enrolled a total of 113 patients over 80 years old, who were admitted for heart failure between 2006 and 2009. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical features including laboratory data and echocardiography parameters. RESULTS: In 53 patients (49%) left ventricular ejection fraction was preserved. The clinical characteristics and treatment between HFPEF and HFREF showed that anemia was one of the risk factors for HFPEF, and the long-term outcomes of HFPEF in this population were not different from that of HFREF. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that anemia is one of the important risk factors for HFPEF in the very elderly.

Aortic dissection is associated with intermittent hypoxia and re-oxygenation.

Aortic dissection is a life-threatening cardiovascular disease with high in-hospital mortality. However, the risk factors of aortic dissection have not been fully elucidated. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been increasingly recognized as an independent cardiovascular risk factor. Among the underlying mechanisms to explain the association between OSA and cardiovascular morbidity, previous studies reported that intermittent hypoxia and re-oxygenation (IHR) might induce cardiovascular diseases via atherosclerosis. However, little is known about an association between aortic dissection and IHR. The aims of the study were to investigate the prevalence of nocturnal IHR among patients with aortic dissection and compared with that in subjects without aortic dissection, and to investigate whether there is an independent association between aortic dissection and IHR. We enrolled 29 patients with aortic dissection and 59 control subjects. We performed sleep studies and compared the results between the groups. Frequency of IHR is expressed as 3% oxygen desaturation index (ODI). Multivariate analysis was performed to identify determinants of aortic dissection. The percentage of either moderate-to-severe IHR or severe IHR was significantly higher in the aortic dissection group (p = 0.04 and <0.001, respectively) than in the control group. The mean 3% ODI of patients with aortic dissection was significantly higher than that of control subjects (34.8 ± 23.1 and 19.0 ± 14.1, p = 0.003). In multivariate analysis, 3% ODI was significantly associated with aortic dissection (odds ratio 1.44; 95% confidence interval 1.08-1.91; p = 0.01). The present study showed the close association between aortic dissection and, IHR, a major component of OSA.

Determinants of in-hospital death in patients with postinfarction ventricular septal perforation.

Ventricular septal perforation (VSP) is a serious complication associated with acute myocardial infarction (MI). The purpose of this study was to investigate the determinants of in-hospital death in patients with postinfarction VSP. Between January 1990 and April 2010, we identified 37 patients from our hospital records. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to find the determinants of in-hospital death. In-hospital mortality was 35% (13/37 patients). History of hypertension (P = 0.03), percutaneous coronary intervention (P = 0.04), and preoperative percutaneous cardiopulmonary support (P = 0.04) were associated with in-hospital death, whereas history of hyperlipidemia was associated with in-hospital survival. The interval from MI to VSP in survivors was significantly longer than that in nonsurvivors (P < 0.01). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, a shorter interval from MI to VSP (odds ratio 0.57, 95% confidence interval 0.34-0.95, P = 0.03) was found to be an independent predictor of in-hospital death. In conclusion, in-hospital mortality was high in patients with postinfarction VSP. A shorter interval from MI to VSP was a significant independent predictor of in-hospital death.