Simplified echocardiographic assessment of regional left ventricular wall motion pattern in patients with takotsubo and acute coronary syndrome: The randomized blinded Two-chamber Apical Kinesis Observation (TAKO) study.

BACKGROUND: Differentiating Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) from acute coronary syndrome involving the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD-ACS) is difficult due to left ventricular apical wall motion abnormality pattern in both and typically requires an invasive coronary angiography (ICA) study for diagnostic confirmation. OBJECTIVES: To identify differences in the regional wall motion abnormality (RWMA) pattern using a comprehensive comparative analysis of the transthoracic echocardiographic (TTE) findings in patients with TTC versus LAD-ACS. METHODS: This was a retrospective, randomized, blinded comparison study including a derivation cohort of 105 patients with TTC (N=52) or LAD-ACS (N=53) with concomitant TTE and ICA identified from our institutional database. A comprehensive echocardiographic wall motion analysis was performed (unblinded) to search for subtle differences in RWMA patterns by marking the exact locations of the end-systolic hinge points (HP) - defined as the intersection between the normal and abnormal regional myocardial thickening - in all apical views. The HP location relative to mitral annulus in each apical view was compared for symmetry and the apical 2-chamber (A2C) view was identified as having the most consistent, quantitative difference between TTC and LAD-ACS. This A2C quantitative model was then prospectively studied in a randomized, blinded, validation cohort of 30 subjects with either TTC or LAD-ACS by eight echocardiographic readers with all levels of clinical experience. RESULTS: In the unblinded derivation cohort, the A2C view showed that the ratio (1.02) and the absolute distance between the anterior HP (3.57 cm) and the inferior HP (3.53 cm) in TTC was significantly different than the ratio (0.761) and the absolute differences between the AHP (4.5 cm) and the IHP (5.93 cm) in LAD-ACS. An AHP: IHP of 0.96 for men and 0.84 for women was able to correctly categorize 84.8% of male and 91.7% of female patients. When applied to the validation cohort, the model showed fairly accurate results with a 74% prediction rate in diagnosing TTC in female patients. CONCLUSION: We propose a relatively simple 2-D TTE diagnostic tool emphasizing subtle differences in the RWMA pattern in the A2C view alone as a semi-quantitative imaging parameter to help differentiate TTC from LAD-ACS.

Comprehensive assessment of systemic arteriosclerosis in relation to the ocular resistive index in acute coronary syndrome patients.

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between ocular vascular resistance parameters, evaluated by laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG), and systemic atherosclerosis, renal parameters and cardiac function in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. We evaluated 53 ACS patients between April 2019 and September 2020. LSFG measured the mean blur rate (MBR) and ocular blowout time (BOT) and resistivity index (RI). 110 consequent patients without a history of coronary artery disease who visited ophthalmology as a control group. Significant positive correlations were observed between ocular RI and systemic parameters in ACS patients, including intima-media thickness (r = 0.34, P = 0.015), brachial-ankle pulse-wave velocity (r = 0.41, P = 0.002), cystatin C (r = 0.32, P = 0.020), and E/e' (r = 0.34, P = 0.013). Ocular RI was significantly higher in the ACS group than in the control group in male in their 40 s (0.37 ± 0.02 vs. 0.29 ± 0.01, P < 0.001) and 50 s (0.36 ± 0.02 vs. 0.30 ± 0.01, P = 0.01). We found that the ocular RI was associated with systemic atherosclerosis, early renal dysfunction, and diastolic cardiac dysfunction in ACS patients, suggesting that it could be a useful non-invasive comprehensive arteriosclerotic marker.

Sex-differences in the management and clinical outcome among patients with acute coronary syndrome.

BACKGROUND: The current study was to compare the management and clinical outcome between women and men with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). METHOD: This was a retrospective study. Patients with ACS presented to the emergency department were enrolled. Management and clinical outcomes (including mortality and acute decompensated heart failure [ADHF]) were compared between women and men. RESULTS: A total of 686 patients were included and women accounted for 38.5% (n = 264). Women were less likely to receive ticagrelor at the emergency department (18.2% vs 25.1%). Duration from arrival at the emergency department to undergo electrocardiogram was longer in women (7.5 min vs 5.3 min). The duration from symptom onset to undergo percutaneous coronary intervention was longer in women (14.4 h vs 7.2 h). After adjusting for covariates, odds ratio (OR) for cardiovascular mortality was 0.42 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.37-1.02) and ADHF was 0.63 (95% CI 0.55-1.01) for women vs men. Socioeconomic status, duration from symptom onset to arrive at the emergency department, and management at the emergency department were the important factors contributing to the sex-differences in clinical outcome. CONCLUSION: Among ACS patients undergoing PCI, there was no sex-difference in in-hospital clinical outcome after adjusting for covariates. Future studies are needed to evaluate whether improving management at the emergency department can improve clinical outcomes in women and men with ACS.

SARS-CoV 2 Infection (Covid-19) and Cardiovascular Disease in Africa: Health Care and Socio-Economic Implications.

The current pandemic of SARS-COV 2 infection (Covid-19) is challenging health systems and communities worldwide. At the individual level, the main biological system involved in Covid-19 is the respiratory system. Respiratory complications range from mild flu-like illness symptoms to a fatal respiratory distress syndrome or a severe and fulminant pneumonia. Critically, the presence of a pre-existing cardiovascular disease or its risk factors, such as hypertension or type II diabetes mellitus, increases the chance of having severe complications (including death) if infected by the virus. In addition, the infection can worsen an existing cardiovascular disease or precipitate new ones. This paper presents a contemporary review of cardiovascular complications of Covid-19. It also specifically examines the impact of the disease on those already vulnerable and on the poorly resourced health systems of Africa as well as the potential broader consequences on the socio-economic health of this region.

A novel risk assessment model of contrast-induced nephropathy after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with diabetes.

The purpose of our study was to develop a simple clinical pre-procedure risk model based on clinical characteristics for the prediction of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) and major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with diabetes. A total of 1113 patients with diabetes who underwent PCI with contrast exposure were randomized into a development group (n = 742) and a validation group (n = 371) in a 2:1 ratio. CIN was defined as an increase of either 25% or 0.5 mg/dL (44.2 µmol/L) in serum creatinine within 72 hours after contrast infusion. A simple CIN risk score based on independent predictors was established. Four variables were identified for our risk score model: LVEF < 40%, acute coronary syndrome (ACS), eGFR < 60, and contrast volume > 300 mL. Based on this new CIN risk score, the incidence of CIN had a significant trend with increased predicting score values of 5.9%, 32.9% and 60.0%, corresponding to low-, moderate- and high-risk groups, respectively. The novel risk assessment exhibited moderate discrimination ability for predicting CIN, with an AUC of 0.759 [95% CI 0.668-0.852, P = .001] in the validation cohort. It also had similar prognostic values for one-year follow-up MACE (C-statistic: 0.705 and 0.606 for new risk score and Mehran score, respectively). This novel risk prediction model could be effective for preventing nephropathy in diabetic patients receiving contrast media during surgical procedures.

Combined stress myocardial CT perfusion and coronary CT angiography as a feasible strategy among patients presenting with acute chest pain to the emergency department.

BACKGROUND: A combined approach of myocardial CT perfusion (CTP) with coronary CT angiography (CTA) was shown to have better diagnostic accuracy than coronary CTA alone. However, data on cost benefits and length of stay when compared to other perfusion imaging modalities has not been evaluated. Therefore, we aim to perform a feasibility study to assess direct costs and length of stay of a combined stress CTP/CTA and use SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (SPECT-MPI) as a benchmark, among chest pain patients at intermediate-risk for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) presenting to the emergency department (ED). METHODS: This is a prospective two-arm clinical trial (NCT02538861) with 43 patients enrolled in stress CTP/CTA arm (General Electric Revolution CT) and 102 in SPECT-MPI arm. Mean age of the study population was 65 â€‹± â€‹12 years; 56% were men. We used multivariable linear regression analysis to compare length of stay and direct costs between the two modalities. RESULTS: Overall, 9 out of the 43 patients (21%) with CTP/CTA testing had an abnormal test. Of these 9 patients, 7 patients underwent invasive coronary angiography and 6 patients were found to have obstructive coronary artery disease. Normal CTP/CTA test was found in 34 patients (79%), who were discharged home and all patients were free of major adverse cardiac events at 30 days. The mean length of stay was significantly shorter by 28% (mean difference: 14.7 â€‹h; 95% CI: 0.7, 21) among stress CTP/CTA (20 â€‹h [IQR: 16, 37]) compared to SPECT-MPI (30 â€‹h [IQR: 19, 44.5]). Mean direct costs were significantly lower by 44% (mean difference: $1535; 95% CI: 987, 2082) among stress CTA/CTP ($1750 [IQR: 1474, 2114] compared to SPECT-MPI ($2837 [IQR: 2491, 3554]). CONCLUSION: Combined stress CTP/CTA is a feasible strategy for evaluation of chest pain patients presenting to ED at intermediate-risk for ACS and has the potential to lead to shorter length of stay and lower direct costs.

Cloridrato de Prasugrel para redução de eventos aterotrombóticos em pacientes diabéticos com síndrome coronariana aguda que realizaram angioplastia coronariana primária / Prasugrel hydrochloride to reduce atherothrombotic events in diabetic patients with acute coronary syndrome who underwent primary coronary angioplasty

INTRODUÇÃO: A síndrome coronariana aguda (SCA) é um termo abrangente para: infarto agudo do miocárdio (IAM) com supradesnivelamento do segmento ST, IAM sem supradesnivelamento do segmento ST e angina instável (1,2). A incidência é muito variável entre diferentes países e regiões do mundo (3­8). De acordo com a Organização Mundial da Saúde, doenças isquêmicas do coração foram responsáveis por 12% das mortes observadas em países de média e baixa renda, e aproximadamente 16% das mortes em países da alta renda em 2008 (9). Em particular, pacientes com diabetes mellitus (DM) possuem maior potencial pró-trombótico (3,4) e consequente maior potencial de beneficiarem-se de antiagregantes plaquetários (aspirina, clopidogrel) após uma angioplastia. O prasugrel é um anti-agregante plaquetário da mesma classe do clopidogrel, hoje incorporado ao SUS, e do ticagrelor, cuja incorporação foi rejeitada pela CONITEC. PERGUNTA: O prasugrel é eficaz, seguro e custo-efetivo em relação ao clopidogrel para a redução de eventos cardiovasculares em pacientes com síndrome coronariana aguda (SCA) e diabetes mellitus (DM) que realizaram angioplastia? EVIDÊNCIAS CIENTÍFICAS: Um único ensaio clínico randomizado (TRITON TIMI 38) avaliou prasugrel versus clopidogrel, 23% dos participantes eram diabéticos. Estudo patrocinado pelo demandante. Baixo risco de viés. A análise em pacientes diabéticos é baseada em uma análise de subgrupo. A qualidade da evidência é limitada pois não houve randomização para diabéticos e o estudo não foi controlado para o tipo e gravidade da doença. Ainda, a interação para diabetes não foi significativa (P = 0,09), ou seja, a análise deste subgrupo como um grupo independente não é adequada. A razão de chances, que no estudo pivotal era de 0,76 para redução de infarto foi recalculada para 0,60 no subgrupo de diabéticos. Analisando os resultados do subgrupo de pacientes diabéticos para o desfecho primário composto de morte cardiovascular, infarto e AVC, foram observados eventos em 17,0% no grupo clopidogrel e 12,2% no grupo prasugrel (HR=0,70; IC 0,58 - 0,85). Para morte cardiovascular, 4,2% no grupo clopidogrel e 3,4% no grupo prasugrel (HR=0,85; IC 0,58 - 1,24); IAM não fatal: 13,2% no grupo clopidogrel e 8,2% no grupo prasugrel (HR=0,60; IC 0,48 - 0,76); Trombose de stent: 3,6% no grupo clopidogrel e 2,0% no grupo prasugrel (HR=0,52; IC 0,33 - 0,84). O prasugrel apresentou maior risco de sangramentos não relacionada à cirurgia de revascularização miocárdica: 4,3% no grupo clopidogrel e 5,3% no grupo prasugrel (HR=1,30; IC 0,92 - 1,82). AVALIAÇÃO ECONÔMICA: A avaliação econômica do prasugrel apresentada pelo demandante baseou-se nos resultados do estudo pivotal e em um modelo de custo-efetividade e custo-utilidade utilizado previamente no NICE. Como resultados, prasugrel demonstrou-se ser mais efetivo e com maior custo em relação ao clopidogrel, apresentando uma razão de custo-utilidade incremental (RCEI) de R$ 9.325,00 mil/QALY. O modelo foi refeito pelo parecerista externo, obtendo um novo valor de RCEI de R$ 12.324,53/QALY e com 100% das simulações com valor igual ou inferior a R$ 15.591,13/QALY. RECOMENDAÇÃO PRELIMINAR DA CONITEC: A Conitec, em sua 89ª reunião ordinária, no dia 06 de agosto de 2020, recomendou a não incorporação no SUS de prasugrel para tratamento de pacientes diabéticos com síndrome coronariana aguda pós angioplastia. A recomendação levou em consideração que a população alvo foi mal definida, gerando incertezas no impacto orçamentário e na proposta de redução de preços. A operacionalização da proposta de redução de preços necessita de esclarecimentos. RECOMENDAÇÃO PRELIMINAR DA CONITEC: A Conitec, em sua 89ª reunião ordinária, no dia 06 de agosto de 2020, recomendou a não incorporação no SUS de prasugrel para tratamento de pacientes diabéticos com síndrome coronariana aguda pós angioplastia. A recomendação levou em consideração que a população alvo foi mal definida, gerando incertezas no impacto orçamentário e na proposta de redução de preços. A operacionalização da proposta de redução de preços necessita de esclarecimentos. RECOMENDAÇÃO FINAL DA CONITEC: Os membros da CONITEC presentes na 92ª reunião ordinária, no dia 05 de novembro de 2020, deliberaram por recomendar a não incorporação no SUS do cloridrato de prasugrel para pacientes diabéticos com síndrome coronariana aguda submetidos à angioplastia primária. Os membros presentes entenderam que o medicamento atenderia um subgrupo de pacientes específico e que ainda há incertezas quanto ao seu benefício e segurança. Foi assinado o Registro de Deliberação nº 573.

Assessment of Vascular Dysfunction in Patients Without Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease: Why, How, and When.

Ischemic heart disease secondary to coronary vascular dysfunction causes angina and impairs quality of life and prognosis. About one-half of patients with symptoms and signs of ischemia turn out not to have obstructive coronary artery disease, and coronary vascular dysfunction may be relevant. Adjunctive tests of coronary vasomotion include guidewire-based techniques with adenosine and reactivity testing, typically by intracoronary infusion of acetylcholine. The CorMicA (Coronary Microvascular Angina) trial provided evidence that routine management guided by an interventional diagnostic procedure and stratified therapy improves angina and quality of life in patients with angina but no obstructive coronary artery disease. In this paper, the COVADIS study group provide a comprehensive review of why, how, and when coronary vascular dysfunction should be assessed invasively. They discuss the rationale through a shared understanding of vascular pathophysiology and clinical evidence. They propose a consensus approach to how an interventional diagnostic procedure is performed with focus on practical aspects. Finally, the authors discuss the clinical scenarios in patients with stable and acute coronary syndromes in which measurement of coronary vascular function may be helpful for patient care.

Fisiopatología, perfil epidemiológico y manejo terapéutico en el síndrome coronario agudo / Pathophysiology, epidemiological profile and therapeutic management in acute coronary syndrome

Las enfermedades cardiovasculares siguen siendo ampliamente la primera causa de muerte en el mundo actual. La cardiopatía isquémica conlleva a una importante carga de gastos de Salud Pública, por lo cual es importante conocer la prevalencia, epidemiología, fisiopatología y el manejo diagnóstico y terapéutico adecuado del síndrome coronario agudo (SCA). Los hallazgos recientes indican que los primeros pasos en la aterosclerosis son esencialmente inflamatorios. Una respuesta inflamatoria sistémica a menudo acompaña al SCA, y la documentación de su presencia ha sido ampliamente reconocida como un indicador de eventos coronarios a repetición. La medicina basada en la evidencia sugiere fuertemente la importancia de la etiología inflamatoria en el SCA. Los factores tradicionales de riesgo coronario terminan en un pasaje final común que desarrolla un proceso inflamatorio en la pared arterial. El entendimiento mejorado y la comprensión adecuada de la influencia de los procesos inflamatorios en el SCA pueden llevar no solo a una mejor utilización de la terapéutica actualmente disponible sino también al desarrollo de nuevas herramientas terapéuticas. Sin duda alguna los refinamientos constantes en las diferentes estrategias terapéuticas del SCA, sumados a la combinación del entendimiento científico en el uso adecuado de los marcadores inflamatorios, los nuevos agentes farmacológicos y las nuevas técnicas de intervención coronaria percutánea con los nuevos stents y otros dispositivos intracoronarios van a aclarar nuestras dudas y mejorar nuestro manejo diagnóstico y terapéutico del síndrome coronario agudo basado en la evidencia científica

Cardiovascular diseases are still widely the leading cause of death in the world today. Ischemic heart disease leads to a significant burden of public health expenses, which is why it is important to know the prevalence, epidemiology, pathophysiology and the adequate diagnostic and therapeutic management of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Recent findings indicate that the first steps in atherosclerosis are essentially inflammatory. A systemic inflammatory response often accompanies ACS, and the documentation of its presence has been widely recognized as an indicator of recurrent coronary events. Evidence based medicine strongly suggests the importance of the inflammatory etiology in ACS. The traditional coronary risk factors end in a common final passage that develops an inflammatory process in the arterial wall. Improved and adequate understanding of the influence of inflammatory processes in ACS can lead not only to a better use of currently available therapeutics but also to the development of new therapeutic tools. Undoubtedly the constant refinements in the different therapeutic strategies of the ACS, combined with the addition of scientific understanding in the proper use of inflammatory markers, new pharmacological agents and new techniques of percutaneous coronary intervention with newer stents and other intracoronary devices will clarify our doubts and improve our diagnostic and therapeutic management of acute coronary syndrome based on scientific evidence

[Invasive functional assessment of coronary artery stenosis using fractional flow reserve]. / Valutazione funzionale invasiva delle stenosi coronariche mediante riserva frazionale di flusso coronarico.

The presence of myocardial ischemia significantly affects prognosis of patients with coronary artery disease. The fractional flow reserve (FFR) allows interventional cardiologists to evaluate whether an equivocal coronary artery stenosis is associated or not with myocardial ischemia, and therefore deserve to be properly treated. The present article has the purpose to provide the readers with an overview about the role of FFR in the diagnosis and management of coronary artery disease, as well as the potential related controversies. The coronary physiology on the basis of this tool is also provided together with all the procedural aspects useful in the catheterization laboratory. In addition, the landmark trials on the basis of the FFR application in different clinical settings and coronary anatomies will be described, together with the main improvements aiming at favoring a more extensive use of this invasive tool.

[Relevance of complete blood count parameters in the assessment of acute coronary syndromes: a combined hematological and cardiological perspective]. / Alterazioni dell'emocromo nella sindrome coronarica acuta: ematologi e cardiologi a confronto.

The aim of this review is to explore the available evidence concerning the relationship between the different parameters of the complete blood count, its pathophysiological changes and cardiovascular disease, specifically focusing on the acute ischemic setting. Erythrocytes, leukocytes and platelets undergo significant and more or less durable changes over time in response to conditions of systemic inflammatory, infectious and neoplastic disease. This is the reason why blood cell count parameters can (and should) be implemented in the global assessment of the patient with acute coronary syndrome.From the literature review it emerges that anemia and thrombocytopenia have an independent negative prognostic role in the medium and long term, being markers of the overall frailty of patients with ischemic heart disease. On the other hand, essential thrombocythemia and polycythemia vera, two chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms, are characterized by an important increase in thrombotic risk. Both conditions are given a brief description for the particular importance of the close collaboration between cardiologists and hematologists in the diagnosis and treatment of these diseases in the context of ischemic heart disease.

Sex Differences in Instantaneous Wave-Free Ratio or Fractional Flow Reserve-Guided Revascularization Strategy.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to evaluate sex differences in procedural characteristics and clinical outcomes of instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR)- and fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided revascularization strategies. BACKGROUND: An iFR-guided strategy has shown a lower revascularization rate than an FFR-guided strategy, without differences in clinical outcomes. METHODS: This is a post hoc analysis of the DEFINE-FLAIR (Functional Lesion Assessment of Intermediate stenosis to guide Revascularization) study, in which 601 women and 1,891 men were randomized to iFR- or FFR-guided strategy. The primary endpoint was 1-year major adverse cardiac events (MACE), a composite of all-cause death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or unplanned revascularization. RESULTS: Among the entire population, women had a lower number of functionally significant lesions per patient (0.31 ± 0.51 vs. 0.43 ± 0.59; p < 0.001) and less frequently underwent revascularization than men (42.1% vs. 53.1%; p < 0.001). There was no difference in mean iFR value according to sex (0.91 ± 0.09 vs. 0.91 ± 0.10; p = 0.442). However, the mean FFR value was lower in men than in women (0.83 ± 0.09 vs. 0.85 ± 0.10; p = 0.001). In men, an FFR-guided strategy was associated with a higher rate of revascularization than an iFR-guided strategy (57.1% vs. 49.3%; p = 0.001), but this difference was not observed in women (41.4% vs. 42.6%; p = 0.757). There was no difference in MACE rates between iFR- and FFR-guided strategies in both women (5.4% vs. 5.6%, adjusted hazard ratio: 1.10; 95% confidence interval: 0.50 to 2.43; p = 0.805) and men (6.6% vs. 7.0%, adjusted hazard ratio: 0.98; 95% confidence interval: 0.66 to 1.46; p = 0.919). CONCLUSIONS: An FFR-guided strategy was associated with a higher rate of revascularization than iFR-guided strategy in men, but not in women. However, iFR- and FFR-guided strategies showed comparable clinical outcomes, regardless of sex. (Functional Lesion Assessment of Intermediate Stenosis to guide Revascularization [DEFINE-FLAIR]; NCT02053038).

Cost-minimisation analysis alongside a pilot study of early Tissue Doppler Evaluation of Diastolic Dysfunction in Emergency Department Non-ST Elevation Acute Coronary Syndromes (TEDDy-NSTEACS).

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the cost implications of early angiography for patients with suspected non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTEACS) using tissue Doppler imaging (TDI). DESIGN: A decision tree model was used to synthesise data from the pilot study and literature sources. Sensitivity analyses tested the impact of assumptions incorporated into the analysis. SETTING: Emergency department (ED), Brisbane, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with suspected NSTEACS. INTERVENTIONS: TDI as a diagnostic tool for triaging patients within 4 hours of presentation in addition to conventional risk stratification, compared with conventional risk stratification alone. DATA SOURCES: Resource used for diagnosis and management were recorded prospectively and costed for 51 adults who had echocardiography within 24 hours of admission. Costs for conventional care were based on observed data. Cost estimates for the TDI intervention assumed patients classified as high risk at TDI (E/e'>14) progressed early to angiography with an associated 1-day reduction in length of stay. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Costs until discharge from the Australian healthcare perspective in 2016-2017 prices. RESULTS: Findings suggest that using TDI as a diagnostic tool for triaging patients with suspected NSTEACS is likely to be cost saving by $A1090 (95% credible interval: $A573 to $A1703) per patient compared with conventional care. The results are mainly driven by the assumed reduction in length of stay due to the inclusion of early TDI in clinical decision-making. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study indicates that compared with conventional risk stratification, triaging patients presenting with suspected NSTEACS with TDI within 4 hours of ED presentation has potential cost savings. Findings assume a reduction in hospital stay is achieved for patients considered to be high risk at TDI. Larger, comparative studies with longer follow-up are needed to confirm the clinical effectiveness of TDI as a diagnostic strategy for NSTEACS, the assumed reduction in hospital stay and any cost saving.

Baseline indicators of coronary artery disease burden in patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome.

BACKGROUND: We sought to investigate whether baseline characteristics of patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTEACS) may predict their coronary artery disease (CAD) burden. METHODS: Baseline clinical, ECG and laboratory data were compared with angiographic findings of 693 consecutive NSTEACS patients. According to the angiography result all patients were assigned to one of the three groups with: significant stenosis of left main and/or three-vessel CAD (LM-3VD, N.=114), single- or two-vessel CAD (1-2VD, N.=335) or without significant CAD (noVD, N.=244). RESULTS: Baseline characteristics of compared groups were different. By multivariable logistic regression necrotic enzyme negative ACS (odds ratio [OR] 5.57, 95% CI: 3.74-8.29), female gender (OR=2.23, 95% CI: 1.54-3.24), no previous myocardial infarction (OR=2.06, 95% CI: 1.38-3.08), no diabetes mellitus (OR=1.53, 95% CI: 1.04-2.25), no peripheral arterial disease (OR=1.77, 95% CI: 1.05-2.99) and hematocrit level (0.95 per 1%, 0.91-0.99) independently predicted noVD (χ2=145.8, P<0.0001) with c-statistics of 0.80. All independent predictors were ranked according to the results of multivariable model and the new score for prediction of noVD was introduced with the area under the ROC curve of 0.77 (95% CI: 0.73-0.80, P<0.0001) and sensitivity of 70% and specificity of 66% for <5 points. Also, independent predictors of LM-3VD (age, male gender, diabetes mellitus, peripheral arterial disease, necrotic enzyme positive ACS and baseline Killip Class 3/4) were determined, however their predictive accuracy was moderate with the area under the ROC curve of 0.69 (95% CI: 0.64-0.75). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with NSTEACS, baseline characteristics are useful in predicting a lack of significant CAD, whereas their correlations with multivessel CAD remain moderate.

Comparing the effects of depression, anxiety, and comorbidity on quality-of-life, adverse outcomes, and medical expenditure in Chinese patients with acute coronary syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Depression and anxiety have been correlated with elevated risks for quality-of-life (QOL), adverse outcomes, and medical expenditure in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, the relevant data are lacking for Chinese ACS populations, especially regarding different effects of major depression, anxiety, and comorbidity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the dynamic changes of depression and/or anxiety over 12 months and examine the effects of depression, anxiety, and comorbidity on QOL, adverse outcomes, and medical expenditure in Chinese patients with ACS. METHODS: For this prospective longitudinal study, a total of 647 patients with ACS were recruited from North China between January 2013 and June 2015. Among them, 531 patients (82.1%) completed 12-month follow-ups. Logistic regression model was utilized for analyzing the association of baseline major depression, anxiety, and comorbidity with 12-month all-cause mortality, cardiovascular events, QOL, and health expenditure. RESULTS: During a follow-up period of 12 months, 7.3% experienced non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI) and 35.8% cardiac re-hospitalization. Baseline comorbidity, rather than major depression/anxiety, strongly predicted poor 12-month QOL as measured by short-form health survey-12 (odds ratio [OR]: 1.77, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.22-2.52, P = 0.003). Regarding 12-month non-fatal MI and cardiac re-hospitalization, baseline anxiety (OR: 2.83, 95% CI: 1.33-5.89, P < 0.01; OR: 4.47, 95% CI: 1.50-13.00, P < 0.01), major depression (OR: 2.58, 95% CI: 1.02-6.15, P < 0.05; OR: 5.22, 95% CI: 1.42-17.57, P < 0.03), and comorbidity (OR: 6.33, 95% CI: 2.96-13.79, P < 0.0001, OR: 14.08, 95% CI: 4.99-41.66, P < 0.0001) were all independent predictors, and comorbidity had the highest predictive value. Number of re-hospitalization stay, admission frequency within 12 months and medical expenditure within 2 months were the highest in patients with ACS with comorbidity. CONCLUSIONS: Major depression and anxiety may predict 12-month non-fatal MI and cardiac re-hospitalization. However, comorbidity has the highest predictive value with greater medical expenditure and worse QOL in Chinese patients with ACS. And depression with comorbid anxiety may be a new target of mood status in patients with ACS.

Sex Differences in In-Hospital Management and Outcomes of Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Coronary heart disease is a leading cause of mortality among women. Systematic evaluation of the quality of care and outcomes in women hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome (ACS), an acute manifestation of coronary heart disease, remains lacking in China. METHODS: The CCC-ACS project (Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China-Acute Coronary Syndrome) is an ongoing nationwide registry of the American Heart Association and the Chinese Society of Cardiology. Using data from the CCC-ACS project, we evaluated sex differences in acute management, medical therapies for secondary prevention, and in-hospital mortality in 82 196 patients admitted for ACS at 192 hospitals in China from 2014 to 2018. RESULTS: Women with ACS were older than men (69.0 versus 61.1 years, P<0.001) and had more comorbidities. After multivariable adjustment, eligible women were less likely to receive evidence-based acute treatments for ACS than men, including early dual antiplatelet therapy, heparins during hospitalization, and reperfusion therapy for ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction. With respect to strategies for secondary prevention, eligible women were less likely to receive dual antiplatelet therapy, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers, statins at discharge, and smoking cessation and cardiac rehabilitation counseling during hospitalization. In-hospital mortality rate was higher in women than in men (2.60% versus 1.50%, P<0.001). The sex difference in in-hospital mortality was no longer observed in patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (adjusted odds ratio, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.41; P=0.057) and non-ST-segment elevation ACS (adjusted odds ratio, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.66 to 1.06; P=0.147) after adjustment for clinical characteristics and acute treatments. CONCLUSIONS: Women hospitalized for ACS in China received acute treatments and strategies for secondary prevention less frequently than men. The observed sex differences in in-hospital mortality were mainly attributable to worse clinical profiles and fewer evidence-based acute treatments provided to women with ACS. Specially targeted quality improvement programs may be warranted to narrow sex-related disparities in quality of care and outcomes in patients with ACS. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT02306616.

Female sex as a biological variable: A review on younger patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Although acute coronary syndrome (ACS) mainly occurs in individuals >60 years, younger adults can be affected as well. Women continue to be at higher risk of 30-day mortality after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) even in the current era of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Importantly, the excess mortality among women is only significant at younger ages. Previous work has suggested that the reason for the differences in outcome is likely multifactorial and may partially be explained by some of the following factors: atypical presentation, delayed presentation, under-recognition of STEMI at initial medical contact, and underuse of medications because of concern regarding increased risk of bleeding. While these hypotheses may be true in some occasions, recent studies pointed out that the proportion of women presenting within 2 h after symptom onset was greater in the younger than in older cohorts. In addition, sex differences in administration of adjunctive medical therapies were greater in the older than in the younger cohort. Thus, there is not any one of the abovementioned factors able to explain the increase in mortality in the young women. Disparities alone could not account for the gap in mortality across sexes. Unless the effects of sex are studied, we will continue to have gaps in the knowledge of potential different mechanisms leading young women and men to die after ACS, which may result in missed opportunities for implementing a better health in our community. Randomizing or balancing the sexes as well as powering studies to detect sex differences is warranted in future research.

Measures of low lung function and the prediction of incident COPD events and acute coronary events.

BACKGROUND: Although reduced lung function is associated with both COPD and coronary events (CE), the pattern of lung function impairment could be different for the two outcomes. We examined different measures of lung function in relation to incident COPD events and CE in a population-based cohort. METHODS: Baseline spirometry and lung clearance index (LCI) were assessed in 672 men aged 55 years. Outcomes included incident COPD events and CE (hospitalisation or mortality). Cox regression was used to obtain HRs per 1-standard deviation (SD) decrement in baseline lung function. The Lunn-McNeil competing risks approach was used to assess if differences in risks for incident COPD events and CE were significant. RESULTS: Over 44 years follow-up there were 85 incident COPD events and 266 incident CE. Low FEV1 and FEV1/VC and high LCI showed significantly stronger relationships with COPD events than CE (adjusted HRs per 1SD decrement and p-value for equal associations: FEV1; HRCOPD: 2.11 (1.66-2.68), HRCE: 1.30 (1.13-1.49) p < 0.001, FEV1/VC; HRCOPD 1.95 (1.60-2.36), HRCE 1.11 (0.98-1.26) p < 0.0001, LCI; HRCOPD: 1.58 (1.26-1.98), HRCE: 1.14 (1.00-1.31) p = 0.015. Low VC was significantly associated with both COPD and CE, but HRs were not significantly different between the outcomes (p-value for equal associations = 0.706). CONCLUSIONS: Low FEV1 and FEV1/VC and high LCI at baseline show significantly stronger relationships with future COPD events than CE. Low VC at baseline is similarly associated with future COPD events and CE. This indicates differences but also an important similarity in the "lung function profile" for developing incident COPD events or incident CE later in life.