Health-related quality of life and healthcare costs of symptoms and cardiovascular disease events in patients with atrial fibrillation: a longitudinal analysis of 27 countries from the EURObservational Research Programme on Atrial Fibrillation general long-term registry.

AIMS: We examine the effects of symptoms and cardiovascular disease (CVD) events on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and healthcare costs in a European population with atrial fibrillation (AF). METHODS AND RESULTS: In the EURObservational Research Programme on AF long-term general registry, AF patients from 250 centres in 27 European countries were enrolled and followed for 2 years. We used fixed effects models to estimate the association of symptoms and CVD events on HRQOL and annual healthcare costs. We found significant decrements in HRQOL in AF patients in whom ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) [-0.075 (95% confidence interval -0.144, -0.006)], angina or non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) [-0.037 (-0.071, -0.003)], new-onset/worsening heart failure [-0.064 (-0.088, -0.039)], bleeding events [-0.031 (-0.059, -0.003)], thromboembolic events [-0.071 (-0.115, -0.027)], mild symptoms [0.037 (-0.048, -0.026)], or severe/disabling symptoms [-0.090 (-0.108, -0.072)] occurred during the follow-up. During follow-up, annual healthcare costs were associated with an increase of €11 718 (€8497, €14 939) in patients with STEMI, €5823 (€4757, €6889) in patients with angina/NSTEMI, €3689 (€3219, €4158) in patients with new-onset or worsening heart failure, €3792 (€3315, €4270) in patients with bleeding events, and €3182 (€2483, €3881) in patients with thromboembolic events, compared with AF patients without these events. Healthcare costs were primarily driven by inpatient costs. There were no significant differences in HRQOL or healthcare resource use between EU regions or by sex. CONCLUSION: Symptoms and CVD events are associated with a high burden on AF patients and healthcare systems throughout Europe.

Cardiovascular disease burden due to productivity losses in European Society of Cardiology countries.

OBJECTIVE: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death across Europe. We estimated lost earnings (productivity losses) associated with premature mortality due to CVD, and separately for its main sub-categories of coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease, across 54 country members of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). METHODS AND RESULTS: We used a standardized approach to estimate working years and earnings lost due to premature death resulting from CVD across the 54 ESC member countries in 2018. Our population-based approach was based on national data on the number of deaths, employment rates, and earnings by age group and sex. We discounted future working years and earnings lost to present values using a 3.5% annual rate. In 2018, there were 4.4 million deaths due to CVD across the 54 countries, with 7.1 million working years lost. This represented productivity losses due to premature death of €62 billion in 2018. Deaths due to coronary heart disease accounted for 47% (€29 billion) of all CVD costs, and cerebrovascular disease accounted for 18% (€11 billion). Approximately 60% (€37 billion) of all productivity losses occurred in the 28 European Union member states, despite accounting for only 42% (1.8 million) of deaths and 21% (1.5 million) of working years lost across the 54 countries. CONCLUSION: Our study provides a snapshot of the economic consequences posed by premature mortality due to CVD across 54 countries in 2018. The considerable variation across countries highlights the potential gains from policies targeting prevention and care of cardiovascular diseases.

Economic burden of cardiovascular diseases in the European Union: a population-based cost study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) impacts significantly health and social care systems as well as society through premature mortality and disability, with patients requiring care from relatives. Previous pan-European estimates of the economic burden of CVD are now outdated. This study aims to provide novel, up-to-date evidence on the economic burden across the 27 European Union (EU) countries in 2021. METHODS: Aggregate country-specific resource use data on morbidity, mortality, and health, social and informal care were obtained from international sources, such as the Statistical Office of the European Communities, enhanced by data from the European Society of Cardiology Atlas programme and patient-level data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. Country-specific unit costs were used, with cost estimates reported on a per capita basis, after adjustment for price differentials. RESULTS: CVD is estimated to cost the EU €282 billion annually, with health and long-term care accounting for €155 billion (55%), equalling 11% of EU-health expenditure. Productivity losses accounted for 17% (€48 billion), whereas informal care costs were €79 billion (28%). CVD represented a cost of €630 per person, ranging from €381 in Cyprus to €903 in Germany. Coronary heart disease accounted for 27% (€77 billion) and cerebrovascular diseases for 27% (€76 billion) of CVD costs. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides contemporary estimates of the wide-ranging impact of CVD on all aspects of the economy. The data help inform evidence-based policies to reduce the impact of CVD, promoting care access and better health outcomes and economic sustainability.

Sex associations and computed tomography coronary angiography-guided management in patients with stable chest pain.

AIMS: The relative benefits of computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA)-guided management in women and men with suspected angina due to coronary heart disease (CHD) are uncertain. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this post hoc analysis of an open-label parallel-group multicentre trial, we recruited 4146 patients referred for assessment of suspected angina from 12 cardiology clinics across the UK. We randomly assigned (1:1) participants to standard care alone or standard care plus CTCA. Fewer women had typical chest pain symptoms (n = 582, 32.0%) when compared with men (n = 880, 37.9%; P < 0.001). Amongst the CTCA-guided group, more women had normal coronary arteries [386 (49.6%) vs. 263 (26.2%)] and less obstructive CHD [105 (11.5%) vs. 347 (29.8%)]. A CTCA-guided strategy resulted in more women than men being reclassified as not having CHD {19.2% vs. 13.1%; absolute risk difference, 5.7 [95% confidence interval (CI): 2.7-8.7, P < 0.001]} or having angina due to CHD [15.0% vs. 9.0%; absolute risk difference, 5.6 (2.3-8.9, P = 0.001)]. After a median of 4.8 years follow-up, CTCA-guided management was associated with similar reductions in the risk of CHD death or non-fatal myocardial infarction in women [hazard ratio (HR) 0.50, 95% CI 0.24-1.04], and men (HR 0.63, 95% CI 0.42-0.95; Pinteraction = 0.572). CONCLUSION: Following the addition of CTCA, women were more likely to be found to have normal coronary arteries than men. This led to more women being reclassified as not having CHD, resulting in more downstream tests and treatments being cancelled. There were similar prognostic benefits of CTCA for women and men.

Guiding Therapy by Coronary CT Angiography Improves Outcomes in Patients With Stable Chest Pain.

BACKGROUND: Within the SCOT-HEART (Scottish COmputed Tomography of the HEART Trial) trial of patients with stable chest pain, the use of coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) reduced the rate of death from coronary heart disease or nonfatal myocardial infarction (primary endpoint). OBJECTIVES: This study sought to assess the consistency and mechanisms of the 5-year reduction in this endpoint. METHODS: In this open-label trial, 4,146 participants were randomized to standard care alone or standard care plus coronary CTA. This study explored the primary endpoint by symptoms, diagnosis, coronary revascularizations, and preventative therapies. RESULTS: Event reductions were consistent across symptom and risk categories (p = NS for interactions). In patients who were not diagnosed with angina due to coronary heart disease, coronary CTA was associated with a lower primary endpoint incidence rate (0.23; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.13 to 0.35 vs. 0.59; 95% CI: 0.42 to 0.80 per 100 patient-years; p < 0.001). In those who had undergone coronary CTA, rates of coronary revascularization were higher in the first year (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.46; p = 0.042) but lower beyond 1 year (HR: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.38 to 0.90; p = 0.015). Patients assigned to coronary CTA had higher rates of preventative therapies throughout follow-up (p < 0.001 for all), with rates highest in those with CT-defined coronary artery disease. Modeling studies demonstrated the plausibility of the observed effect size. CONCLUSIONS: The beneficial effect of coronary CTA on outcomes is consistent across subgroups with plausible underlying mechanisms. Coronary CTA improves coronary heart disease outcomes by enabling better targeting of preventative treatments to those with coronary artery disease. (Scottish COmputed Tomography of the HEART Trial [SCOT-HEART]; NCT01149590).

Routine use of fluoroscopic guidance and up-front femoral angiography results in reduced femoral complications in patients undergoing coronary angiographic procedures: an observational study using an Interrupted Time-Series analysis.

Transradial access is increasingly used for coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention, however, femoral access remains necessary for numerous procedures, including complex high-risk interventions, structural procedures, and procedures involving mechanical circulatory support. Optimising the safety of this approach is crucial to minimize costly and potentially life-threatening complications. We initiated a quality improvement project recommending routine fluoroscopic guidance (femoral head), and upfront femoral angiography should be performed to assess for location and immediate complications. We assessed the effect of these measures on the rate of vascular complications. Data were collected prospectively on 4534 consecutive patients undergoing femoral coronary angiographic procedures from 2015 to 2017. The primary end-point was any access complication. Outcomes were compared pre and post introduction including the use of an Interrupted Time-Series (ITS) analysis. 1890 patients underwent angiography prior to the introduction of routine fluoroscopy and upfront femoral angiography and 2644 post. All operators adopted these approaches. Baseline characteristics, including large sheath use, anticoagulant use and PCI rates were similar between the 2 groups. Fluoroscopy-enabled punctures were made in the 'safe zone' in over 91% of cases and upfront femoral angiography resulted in management changes i.e. procedural abandonment prior to heparin administration in 21 patients (1.1%). ITS analysis demonstrated evidence of a reduction in femoral complication rates after the introduction of the intervention, which was over and above the existing trend before the introduction (40% decrease RR 0.58; 95% CI: 0.25-0.87; P < 0.01). Overall these quality improvement measures were associated with a significantly lower incidence of access site complications (0.9% vs. 2.0%, P < 0.001). Routine fluoroscopy guided vascular access and upfront femoral angiography prior to anticoagulation leads to lower vascular complication rates. Thus, study shows that femoral intervention can be performed safely with very low access-related complication rates when fluoroscopic guidance and upfront angiography is used to obtain femoral arterial access.

Coronary CT Angiography and 5-Year Risk of Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND: Although coronary computed tomographic angiography (CTA) improves diagnostic certainty in the assessment of patients with stable chest pain, its effect on 5-year clinical outcomes is unknown. METHODS: In an open-label, multicenter, parallel-group trial, we randomly assigned 4146 patients with stable chest pain who had been referred to a cardiology clinic for evaluation to standard care plus CTA (2073 patients) or to standard care alone (2073 patients). Investigations, treatments, and clinical outcomes were assessed over 3 to 7 years of follow-up. The primary end point was death from coronary heart disease or nonfatal myocardial infarction at 5 years. RESULTS: The median duration of follow-up was 4.8 years, which yielded 20,254 patient-years of follow-up. The 5-year rate of the primary end point was lower in the CTA group than in the standard-care group (2.3% [48 patients] vs. 3.9% [81 patients]; hazard ratio, 0.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.41 to 0.84; P=0.004). Although the rates of invasive coronary angiography and coronary revascularization were higher in the CTA group than in the standard-care group in the first few months of follow-up, overall rates were similar at 5 years: invasive coronary angiography was performed in 491 patients in the CTA group and in 502 patients in the standard-care group (hazard ratio, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.88 to 1.13), and coronary revascularization was performed in 279 patients in the CTA group and in 267 in the standard-care group (hazard ratio, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.91 to 1.27). However, more preventive therapies were initiated in patients in the CTA group (odds ratio, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.19 to 1.65), as were more antianginal therapies (odds ratio, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.05 to 1.54). There were no significant between-group differences in the rates of cardiovascular or noncardiovascular deaths or deaths from any cause. CONCLUSIONS: In this trial, the use of CTA in addition to standard care in patients with stable chest pain resulted in a significantly lower rate of death from coronary heart disease or nonfatal myocardial infarction at 5 years than standard care alone, without resulting in a significantly higher rate of coronary angiography or coronary revascularization. (Funded by the Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office and others; SCOT-HEART ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01149590 .).

Multimorbidity and survival for patients with acute myocardial infarction in England and Wales: Latent class analysis of a nationwide population-based cohort.

BACKGROUND: There is limited knowledge of the scale and impact of multimorbidity for patients who have had an acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Therefore, this study aimed to determine the extent to which multimorbidity is associated with long-term survival following AMI. METHODS AND FINDINGS: This national observational study included 693,388 patients (median age 70.7 years, 452,896 [65.5%] male) from the Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project (England and Wales) who were admitted with AMI between 1 January 2003 and 30 June 2013. There were 412,809 (59.5%) patients with multimorbidity at the time of admission with AMI, i.e., having at least 1 of the following long-term health conditions: diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma, heart failure, renal failure, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, or hypertension. Those with heart failure, renal failure, or cerebrovascular disease had the worst outcomes (39.5 [95% CI 39.0-40.0], 38.2 [27.7-26.8], and 26.6 [25.2-26.4] deaths per 100 person-years, respectively). Latent class analysis revealed 3 multimorbidity phenotype clusters: (1) a high multimorbidity class, with concomitant heart failure, peripheral vascular disease, and hypertension, (2) a medium multimorbidity class, with peripheral vascular disease and hypertension, and (3) a low multimorbidity class. Patients in class 1 were less likely to receive pharmacological therapies compared with class 2 and 3 patients (including aspirin, 83.8% versus 87.3% and 87.2%, respectively; ß-blockers, 74.0% versus 80.9% and 81.4%; and statins, 80.6% versus 85.9% and 85.2%). Flexible parametric survival modelling indicated that patients in class 1 and class 2 had a 2.4-fold (95% CI 2.3-2.5) and 1.5-fold (95% CI 1.4-1.5) increased risk of death and a loss in life expectancy of 2.89 and 1.52 years, respectively, compared with those in class 3 over the 8.4-year follow-up period. The study was limited to all-cause mortality due to the lack of available cause-specific mortality data. However, we isolated the disease-specific association with mortality by providing the loss in life expectancy following AMI according to multimorbidity phenotype cluster compared with the general age-, sex-, and year-matched population. CONCLUSIONS: Multimorbidity among patients with AMI was common, and conferred an accumulative increased risk of death. Three multimorbidity phenotype clusters that were significantly associated with loss in life expectancy were identified and should be a concomitant treatment target to improve cardiovascular outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03037255.

High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin I and the Diagnosis of Coronary Artery Disease in Patients With Suspected Angina Pectoris.

BACKGROUND: We determined whether high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I can improve the estimation of the pretest probability for obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with suspected stable angina. METHODS AND RESULTS: In a prespecified substudy of the SCOT-HEART trial (Scottish Computed Tomography of the Heart), plasma cardiac troponin was measured using a high-sensitivity single-molecule counting assay in 943 adults with suspected stable angina who had undergone coronary computed tomographic angiography. Rates of obstructive CAD were compared with the pretest probability determined by the CAD Consortium risk model with and without cardiac troponin concentrations. External validation was undertaken in an independent study population from Denmark comprising 487 patients with suspected stable angina. Higher cardiac troponin concentrations were associated with obstructive CAD with a 5-fold increase across quintiles (9%-48%; P<0.001) independent of known cardiovascular risk factors (odds ratio, 1.35; 95% confidence interval, 1.25-1.46 per doubling of troponin). Cardiac troponin concentrations improved the discrimination and calibration of the CAD Consortium model for identifying obstructive CAD (C statistic, 0.788-0.800; P=0.004; χ2=16.8 [P=0.032] to 14.3 [P=0.074]). The updated model also improved classification of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association pretest probability risk categories (net reclassification improvement, 0.062; 95% confidence interval, 0.035-0.089). The revised model achieved similar improvements in discrimination and calibration when applied in the external validation cohort. CONCLUSIONS: High-sensitivity cardiac troponin I concentration is an independent predictor of obstructive CAD in patients with suspected stable angina. Use of this test may improve the selection of patients for further investigation and treatment. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01149590.

Diagnostic and prognostic benefits of computed tomography coronary angiography using the 2016 National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance within a randomised trial.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic benefits of CT coronary angiography (CTCA) using the 2016 National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines for the assessment of suspected stable angina. METHODS: Post hoc analysis of the Scottish COmputed Tomography of the HEART (SCOT-HEART) trial of 4146 participants with suspected angina randomised to CTCA. Patients were dichotomised into NICE guideline-defined possible angina and non-anginal presentations. Primary (diagnostic) endpoint was diagnostic certainty of angina at 6 weeks and prognostic endpoint comprised fatal and non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI). RESULTS: In 3770 eligible participants, CTCA increased diagnostic certainty more in those with possible angina (relative risk (RR) 2.22 (95% CI 1.91 to 2.60), p<0.001) than those with non-anginal symptoms (RR 1.30 (1.11 to 1.53), p=0.002; pinteraction <0.001). In the possible angina cohort, CTCA did not change rates of invasive angiography (p=0.481) but markedly reduced rates of normal coronary angiography (HR 0.32 (0.19 to 0.52), p<0.001). In the non-anginal cohort, rates of invasive angiography increased (HR 1.82 (1.13 to 2.92), p=0.014) without reducing rates of normal coronary angiography (HR 0.78 (0.30 to 2.05), p=0.622). At 3.2 years of follow-up, fatal or non-fatal MI was reduced in patients with possible angina (3.2% to 1.9%%; HR 0.58 (0.34 to 0.99), p=0.045) but not in those with non-anginal symptoms (HR 0.65 (0.25 to 1.69), p=0.379). CONCLUSIONS: NICE-guided patient selection maximises the benefits of CTCA on diagnostic certainty, use of invasive coronary angiography and reductions in fatal and non-fatal myocardial infarction. Patients with non-anginal chest pain derive minimal benefit from CTCA and increase the rates of invasive investigation. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01149590;post results.

ß-Blockers and Mortality After Acute Myocardial Infarction in Patients Without Heart Failure or Ventricular Dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: For acute myocardial infarction (AMI) without heart failure (HF), it is unclear if ß-blockers are associated with reduced mortality. OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to determine the association between ß-blocker use and mortality in patients with AMI without HF or left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD). METHODS: This cohort study used national English and Welsh registry data from the Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project. A total of 179,810 survivors of hospitalization with AMI without HF or LVSD, between January 1, 2007, and June 30, 2013 (final follow-up: December 31, 2013), were assessed. Survival-time inverse probability weighting propensity scores and instrumental variable analyses were used to investigate the association between the use of ß-blockers and 1-year mortality. RESULTS: Of 91,895 patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and 87,915 patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, 88,542 (96.4%) and 81,933 (93.2%) received ß-blockers, respectively. For the entire cohort, with >163,772 person-years of observation, there were 9,373 deaths (5.2%). Unadjusted 1-year mortality was lower for patients who received ß-blockers compared with those who did not (4.9% vs. 11.2%; p < 0.001). However, after weighting and adjustment, there was no significant difference in mortality between those with and without ß-blocker use (average treatment effect [ATE] coefficient: 0.07; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.60 to 0.75; p = 0.827). Findings were similar for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (ATE coefficient: 0.30; 95% CI: -0.98 to 1.58; p = 0.637) and non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (ATE coefficient: -0.07; 95% CI: -0.68 to 0.54; p = 0.819). CONCLUSIONS: Among survivors of hospitalization with AMI who did not have HF or LVSD as recorded in the hospital, the use of ß-blockers was not associated with a lower risk of death at any time point up to 1 year. (ß-Blocker Use and Mortality in Hospital Survivors of Acute Myocardial Infarction Without Heart Failure; NCT02786654).

Symptoms and quality of life in patients with suspected angina undergoing CT coronary angiography: a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: In patients with suspected angina pectoris, CT coronary angiography (CTCA) clarifies the diagnosis, directs appropriate investigations and therapies, and reduces clinical events. The effect on patient symptoms is currently unknown. METHODS: In a prospective open-label parallel group multicentre randomised controlled trial, 4146 patients with suspected angina due to coronary heart disease were randomised 1:1 to receive standard care or standard care plus CTCA. Symptoms and quality of life were assessed over 6 months using the Seattle Angina Questionnaire and Short Form 12. RESULTS: Baseline scores indicated mild physical limitation (74±0.4), moderate angina stability (44±0.4), modest angina frequency (68±0.4), excellent treatment satisfaction (92±0.2) and moderate impairment of quality of life (55±0.3). Compared with standard care alone, CTCA was associated with less marked improvements in physical limitation (difference -1.74 (95% CIs, -3.34 to -0.14), p=0.0329), angina frequency (difference -1.55 (-2.85 to -0.25), p=0.0198) and quality of life (difference -3.48 (-4.95 to -2.01), p<0.0001) at 6 months. For patients undergoing CTCA, improvements in symptoms were greatest in those diagnosed with normal coronary arteries or who had their preventative therapy discontinued, and least in those with moderate non-obstructive disease or had a new prescription of preventative therapy (p<0.001 for all). CONCLUSIONS: While improving diagnosis, treatment and outcome, CTCA is associated with a small attenuation of the improvements in symptoms and quality of life due to the detection of moderate non-obstructive coronary artery disease. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT01149590.

Excess mortality and guideline-indicated care following non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Adherence to guideline-indicated care for the treatment of non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) is associated with improved outcomes. We investigated the extent and consequences of non-adherence to guideline-indicated care across a national health system. METHODS: A cohort study ( ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02436187) was conducted using data from the Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project ( n = 389,057 NSTEMI, n = 247 hospitals, England and Wales, 2003-2013). Accelerated failure time models were used to quantify the impact of non-adherence on survival according to dates of guideline publication. RESULTS: Over a period of 1,079,044 person-years (median 2.2 years of follow-up), 113,586 (29.2%) NSTEMI patients died. Of those eligible to receive care, 337,881 (86.9%) did not receive one or more guideline-indicated intervention; the most frequently missed were dietary advice ( n = 254,869, 68.1%), smoking cessation advice ( n = 245,357, 87.9%), P2Y12 inhibitors ( n = 192,906, 66.3%) and coronary angiography ( n = 161,853, 43.4%). Missed interventions with the strongest impact on reduced survival were coronary angiography (time ratio: 0.18, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.17-0.18), cardiac rehabilitation (time ratio: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.48-0.50), smoking cessation advice (time ratio: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.51-0.57) and statins (time ratio: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.55-0.58). If all eligible patients in the study had received optimal care at the time of guideline publication, then 32,765 (28.9%) deaths (95% CI: 30,531-33,509) may have been prevented. CONCLUSION: The majority of patients hospitalised with NSTEMI missed at least one guideline-indicated intervention for which they were eligible. This was significantly associated with excess mortality. Greater attention to the provision of guideline-indicated care for the management of NSTEMI will reduce premature cardiovascular deaths.

Use of Coronary Computed Tomographic Angiography to Guide Management of Patients With Coronary Disease.

BACKGROUND: In a prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled trial, 4,146 patients were randomized to receive standard care or standard care plus coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA). OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to explore the consequences of CCTA-assisted diagnosis on invasive coronary angiography, preventive treatments, and clinical outcomes. METHODS: In post hoc analyses, we assessed changes in invasive coronary angiography, preventive treatments, and clinical outcomes using national electronic health records. RESULTS: Despite similar overall rates (409 vs. 401; p = 0.451), invasive angiography was less likely to demonstrate normal coronary arteries (20 vs. 56; hazard ratios [HRs]: 0.39 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.23 to 0.68]; p < 0.001) but more likely to show obstructive coronary artery disease (283 vs. 230; HR: 1.29 [95% CI: 1.08 to 1.55]; p = 0.005) in those allocated to CCTA. More preventive therapies (283 vs. 74; HR: 4.03 [95% CI: 3.12 to 5.20]; p < 0.001) were initiated after CCTA, with each drug commencing at a median of 48 to 52 days after clinic attendance. From the median time for preventive therapy initiation (50 days), fatal and nonfatal myocardial infarction was halved in patients allocated to CCTA compared with those assigned to standard care (17 vs. 34; HR: 0.50 [95% CI: 0.28 to 0.88]; p = 0.020). Cumulative 6-month costs were slightly higher with CCTA: difference $462 (95% CI: $303 to $621). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with suspected angina due to coronary heart disease, CCTA leads to more appropriate use of invasive angiography and alterations in preventive therapies that were associated with a halving of fatal and non-fatal myocardial infarction. (Scottish COmputed Tomography of the HEART Trial [SCOT-HEART]; NCT01149590).

The impact of socio-economic status on all-cause mortality after percutaneous coronary intervention: an observational cohort study of 13,770 patients.

AIMS: The relation between socio-economic status (SES) and outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has not been established. We sought to determine whether or not socio-economic status impacts on prognosis after PCI. METHODS AND RESULTS: This was an observational cohort study of 13,770 consecutive patients who underwent PCI at a single centre between 2005 and 2011. Patient socio-economic status was defined by the English Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) score, according to residential postcode. Patients were analysed by quintile of IMD score (Q1, least deprived; Q5, most deprived). Median follow-up was 3.7 (IQR: 2.0-5.1) years and the primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Patients in Q5 (most deprived) were younger, more commonly South Asian, and had higher rates of smoking, diabetes mellitus, renal impairment, previous MI, and previous PCI than patients in Q1. Rates of long-term mortality increased progressively across the five quintiles of IMD score in a linear fashion (p=0.0004), as did rates of recurrent MI, target vessel revascularisation, and CABG. The difference in mortality rates persisted after adjustment for other potential confounding factors after multivariate analysis (Q5 vs. Q1: HR 1.93, 95% CI: 1.38-2.69). CONCLUSIONS: In this large contemporary cohort of patients receiving PCI, socio-economic status was associated with prognosis in a linear fashion.

Defining disease phenotypes using national linked electronic health records: a case study of atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: National electronic health records (EHR) are increasingly used for research but identifying disease cases is challenging due to differences in information captured between sources (e.g. primary and secondary care). Our objective was to provide a transparent, reproducible model for integrating these data using atrial fibrillation (AF), a chronic condition diagnosed and managed in multiple ways in different healthcare settings, as a case study. METHODS: Potentially relevant codes for AF screening, diagnosis, and management were identified in four coding systems: Read (primary care diagnoses and procedures), British National Formulary (BNF; primary care prescriptions), ICD-10 (secondary care diagnoses) and OPCS-4 (secondary care procedures). From these we developed a phenotype algorithm via expert review and analysis of linked EHR data from 1998 to 2010 for a cohort of 2.14 million UK patients aged ≥ 30 years. The cohort was also used to evaluate the phenotype by examining associations between incident AF and known risk factors. RESULTS: The phenotype algorithm incorporated 286 codes: 201 Read, 63 BNF, 18 ICD-10, and four OPCS-4. Incident AF diagnoses were recorded for 72,793 patients, but only 39.6% (N = 28,795) were recorded in primary care and secondary care. An additional 7,468 potential cases were inferred from data on treatment and pre-existing conditions. The proportion of cases identified from each source differed by diagnosis age; inferred diagnoses contributed a greater proportion of younger cases (≤ 60 years), while older patients (≥ 80 years) were mainly diagnosed in SC. Associations of risk factors (hypertension, myocardial infarction, heart failure) with incident AF defined using different EHR sources were comparable in magnitude to those from traditional consented cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: A single EHR source is not sufficient to identify all patients, nor will it provide a representative sample. Combining multiple data sources and integrating information on treatment and comorbid conditions can substantially improve case identification.

Long-term survival in patients undergoing percutaneous interventions with or without intracoronary pressure wire guidance or intracoronary ultrasonographic imaging: a large cohort study.

IMPORTANCE: Intracoronary pressure wire-derived measurements of fractional flow reserve (FFR) and intravascular ultrasonography (IVUS) provide functional and anatomical information that can be used to guide coronary stent implantation. Although these devices are widely used and recommended by guidelines, limited data exist about their effect on clinical end points. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect on long-term survival of using FFR and IVUS during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). DESIGN AND SETTING: Cohort study based on the pan-London (United Kingdom) PCI registry. In total, 64,232 patients are included in this registry covering the London, England, area. PARTICIPANTS: All patients (n = 41,688) who underwent elective or urgent PCI in National Health Service hospitals in London between January 1, 2004, and July 31, 2011, were included. Patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (n = 11,370) were excluded. INTERVENTIONS: Patients underwent PCI guided by angiography (visual lesion assessment) alone, PCI guided by FFR, or IVUS-guided PCI. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary end point was all-cause mortality at a median of 3.3 years. RESULTS: Fractional flow reserve was used in 2767 patients (6.6%) and IVUS was used in 1831 patients (4.4%). No difference in mortality was observed between patients who underwent angiography-guided PCI compared with patients who underwent FFR-guided PCI (hazard ratio, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.67-1.16; P = .37). Patients who underwent IVUS had a slightly higher adjusted mortality (hazard ratio, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.09-1.78; P = .009) compared with patients who underwent angiography-guided PCI. However, this difference was no longer statistically significant in a propensity score-based analysis (hazard ratio, 1.33; 95% CI, 0.85-2.09; P = .25). The mean (SD) number of implanted stents was lower in the FFR group (1.1 [1.2] stents) compared with the IVUS group (1.6 [1.3]) and the angiography-guided group (1.7 [1.1]) (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this large observational study, FFR-guided PCI and IVUS-guided PCI were not associated with improved long-term survival compared with standard angiography-guided PCI. The use of FFR was associated with the implantation of fewer stents.

Mortality in South Asians and Caucasians after percutaneous coronary intervention in the United Kingdom: an observational cohort study of 279,256 patients from the BCIS (British Cardiovascular Intervention Society) National Database.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to compare baseline characteristics and medium-term prognosis in South Asian and Caucasian patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether South Asians undergoing PCI have worse outcomes than Caucasians. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of 279,256 patients undergoing PCI from 2004 to 2011 from the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society national database, of whom 259,318 (92.9%) were Caucasian and 19,938 (7.1%) were South Asian (South Asian includes patients of Pakistani, Indian, Bangladeshi, or Sri Lankan ethnic origin). The main outcome measures were in-hospital major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events and all-cause mortality during a median follow-up of 2.8 years (interquartile range: 1.5 to 4.5 years). RESULTS: South Asians were younger (59.69 ± 0.27 years vs. 64.69 ± 0.13 years, p > 0.0001); more burdened by cardiovascular risk factors, particularly diabetes mellitus (42.1 ± 1.2% vs. 15.4 ± 0.4%, p > 0.0001); and more likely to have multivessel coronary disease than Caucasians. In-hospital rates of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events were similar for South Asians and Caucasians (3.5% vs. 2.8%, p = 0.40). Unadjusted Kaplan-Meier estimates of all-cause mortality showed better survival for South Asians compared with Caucasians, after PCI for either acute myocardial infarction or angina. Age-adjusted analysis revealed increased mortality (hazard ratio: 1.24; 95% confidence interval: 1.18 to 1.30), but after adjustment for the substantial variation in baseline risk factors including diabetes, there was no significant difference between South Asians and Caucasians (hazard ratio: 0.99; 95% confidence interval: 0.94 to 1.05). CONCLUSIONS: In this large, contemporary cohort of patients treated by PCI, South Asians were younger but had more extensive disease and major risk factors, particularly diabetes. However, after correcting for these differences, in-hospital and medium-term mortality of South Asians was no worse than that of Caucasians. This suggests that in South Asians, the high prevalence of diabetes exerts an adverse influence on mortality, but ethnicity itself is not an independent predictor of outcome.

Prognostic impact of anaemia on patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction treated by primary PCI.

AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of baseline anaemia on the outcome in patients treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) for ST-elevation myocardial infarction. METHODS: This study was a retrospective cohort study of 2418 patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction treated by PPCI between January 2004 and August 2010 at a single centre. We investigated the outcome in patients with anaemia compared with that in patients with a normal haemoglobin (Hb) level. Anaemia was defined according to the WHO definition as an Hb level less than 12 g/dl for female individuals and less than 13 g/dl for male individuals. We also calculated hazard ratios using a stratified model according to the Hb level. RESULTS: A total of 471 (19%) patients were anaemic at presentation. The anaemic cohort was older (72.2 vs. 62.4 years, P<0.0001) and had a higher incidence of diabetes (28 vs. 16%, P<0.0001), hypertension (57 vs. 43%, P=0.01), hypercholesterolaemia (48 vs. 40%, P=0.007), previous PCI (15 vs. 9%, P<0.0001), previous myocardial infarction (23 vs. 12%, P=0.002), and cardiogenic shock (12 vs. 5%, P<0.0001). Over a mean follow-up period of 3 years there was significantly higher all-cause mortality in the anaemic group compared with the normal Hb group (20.4 vs. 13.5%, P<0.0001). However, after adjustment for all variables using multivariate analysis, anaemia (on the basis of the WHO definitions) was found not to be an independent predictor of mortality or major adverse cardiac events over the follow-up period. Further, when we used a model stratified by g/dl, we found that there was an increased risk for adverse outcomes among men with low Hb levels. There appeared to be a threshold value of Hb (13 g/dl) associated with increased risk. Although a similar trend was observed among women, no significant difference was observed. CONCLUSION: Patients with anaemia undergoing PPCI are at a higher risk of an adverse outcome. Anaemia is a simple and powerful marker of poor prognosis. Although anaemia (based on the WHO definitions) does not appear to be an independent predictor of all-cause mortality or major adverse cardiac events after PPCI on multivariate analysis, there appears to be a threshold value of Hb among men, below which there is an associated increased risk for PPCI.

Contemporary analysis of incidence and outcomes of stent thrombosis presenting as ST elevation myocardial infarction in a primary percutaneous coronary intervention cohort.

There are limited data about the effectiveness of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) for stent thrombosis treatment. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence and outcomes of PPCI in patients with ST elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) due to stent thrombosis, and comparing the outcomes with patients treated for de novo coronary thrombosis. This was an observational cohort study of 2,935 patients who underwent PPCI from 2003 to 2011 with follow-up for a median of 3.0 years (interquartile range 1.2 to 4.6). The primary end point was the first major adverse cardiac event (MACE) defined as death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke, or target vessel revascularization. Stent thrombosis overall accounted for 6.6% (194 of 2,935) of all STEMIs with a proportion that increased over time (3.3% in 2004 to 9.4% in 2011). A total of 34.5% were early, 30.9% late stent thrombosis, and 34.5% were very late stent thrombosis. Indications for the original intervention were elective in 27.8%, after acute coronary syndrome (non-STEMI or unstable angina) in 21.1%, and after PPCI in 51.1%. Patients with stent thrombosis had higher rates of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, renal dysfunction, and previous myocardial infarction or coronary artery bypass surgery compared with patients with native artery occlusion. MACE rates were higher in patients with stent thrombosis compared with patients with native artery occlusions (40.9%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 31.1 to 50.6 vs 15.1%, 95% CI 12.5 to 18.3; p <0.0001). The poor outcome of stent thrombosis was particularly associated with early and late stent thromboses. Very late stent thrombosis appears to be a relatively less serious event, with similar outcomes to native vessel thromboses (MACE very late stent thrombosis 16.5%, 95% CI 8.2 to 28.6 vs native 15.1%, 95% CI 12.5 to 18.3, p = 0.245). In conclusion, stent thrombosis accounts for an increasing proportion of STEMI and is associated with worse outcomes compared with native artery occlusion.