Optimizing Post-Acute Coronary Syndrome Dyslipidemia Management: Insights from the North American Acute Coronary Syndrome Reflective III.

INTRODUCTION: Despite contemporary practice guidelines, a substantial number of post-acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients fail to achieve guideline-recommended LDL-C thresholds. Our study aimed to investigate this guideline recommendations-to-practice care gap. Specifically, we aimed to identify opportunities where additional lipid-lowering therapies are indicated and explore reasons for the non-prescription of guideline-recommended therapies. METHODS: ACS patients with LDL-C ≥1.81 mmol/L (70 mg/dL) despite maximally tolerated statin ± ezetimibe therapy (including those intolerant of ≥2 statins) were enrolled 1-12 months post-event from 27 Canadian and US sites from September 2018 to October 2020 and followed up for three visits during the 12 months post-event. We determined the proportion of patients who did not achieve Canadian/US guideline-recommended LDL-C thresholds, the number of patients who would have been eligible for additional lipid-lowering therapies, and reasons behind lack of escalation in lipid-lowering therapies when indicated. Individual patient and aggregate practice feedback, including guideline-recommended intensification suggestions, were provided to each physician. RESULTS: Of the 248 patients enrolled in the pilot study (median age 64 [57, 73] years, 31.5% female and STEMI 27.4%), 75.4% were on high-intensity statins on the first visit. A total of 18.5% of those who attended all 3 visits had an LDL-C measured only at the first visit which was above the threshold. After 1 year of follow-up, 51.9% of patients achieved LDL-C thresholds at either visit 2 or 3. In the context of feedback reminding physicians about guideline-directed LDL-C-modifying therapy in their individual participating patients, we observed an increase in the use of ezetimibe and PCSK9 inhibitor therapy at 3-12 months. This was associated with a significant lowering of the mean LDL-C (from 2.93 mmol/L [baseline] to 2.09 mmol/L [3-6 months] to 1.87 mmol/L [6-12 months]) and a significantly greater proportion of patients (from 0% [baseline] to 38.6% [3-6 months] to 53.4% [6-12 months]) achieving guideline-recommended LDL-C thresholds. The most prevalent reasons behind the non-intensification of LDL-C-lowering therapy with ezetimibe and/or PCSK9i were LDL-C levels being close to target, the pre-existing use of other lipid-lowering therapies, patient refusal, and cost. CONCLUSION: Although most patients post-ACS were on high-intensity statin therapy, almost 50% failed to achieve guideline-recommended LDL-C thresholds by 1-year follow-up. Furthermore, additional lipid-lowering therapies in this high-risk group were underprescribed, and this might be linked to several factors including potential gaps in physician knowledge, treatment inertia, patient refusal, and cost.

Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia in a 24-Year-Old Patient With COVID-19 Complicated by Secondary Cryptococcemia and Acute Necrotizing Encephalitis: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

Since the initial reported outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), many unique case reports have been published in the medical literature. Here we report a complicated clinical course of a young patient with COVID-19 who presented initially with recurrent autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA). He subsequently developed bilateral pulmonary emboli, and ultimately succumbed to encephalitis and cryptococcemia in the context of being treated with high dose immunosuppression for the AIHA. Combining immunosuppression with active COVID-19 infection presents some truly challenging diagnostic and management scenarios which this case summarizes and highlights very well. Based on this case, we propose some strategies on how to approach these difficult decisions while also recognizing the significant gaps that exist in such an evolving topic. Lastly, this case also represents a potentially novel presentation of secondary fungal infection of the central nervous system (CNS) related to COVID-19.