Mortality in Patients Hospitalized With Acute Myocardial Infarction Without Standard Modifiable Risk Factors: The ARIC Study Community Surveillance.

Background Prevention strategies targeting standard modifiable cardiovascular risk factors (SMuRFs; diabetes, hypertension, smoking, hypercholesterolemia) are critical to improving cardiovascular disease outcomes. However, acute myocardial infarction (AMI) among individuals who lack 1 or more SMuRFs is not uncommon. Moreover, the clinical characteristics and prognosis of SMuRFless individuals are not well characterized. Methods and Results We analyzed AMI hospitalizations from 2000 to 2014 captured by the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Community) study community surveillance. AMI was classified by physician review using a validated algorithm. Clinical data, medications, and procedures were abstracted from the medical record. Main study outcomes included short- and long-term mortality within 28 days and 1 year of AMI hospitalization. Between 2000 and 2014, a total of 742 (3.6%) of 20 569 patients with AMI were identified with no documented SMuRFs. Patients without SMuRFs were less likely to receive aspirin, nonaspirin antiplatelet therapy, or beta blockers and less often underwent angiography and revascularization. Compared with those with one or more SMuRFs, patients without SMuRFs had significantly higher 28-day (odds ratio, 3.23 [95% CI, 1.78-5.88]) and 1-year (hazard ratio, 2.09 [95% CI, 1.29-3.37]) adjusted mortality. When examined across 5-year intervals from 2000 to 2014, the incidence of 28-day mortality significantly increased for patients without SMuRFs (7% to 15% to 27%), whereas it declined for those with 1 or more SMuRFs (7% to 5% to 5%). Conclusions Individuals without SMuRFs presenting with AMI have an increased risk of all-cause mortality with an overall lower prescription rate for guideline-directed medical therapy. These findings highlight the need for evidence-based pharmacotherapy during hospitalization and the need to discover new markers and mechanisms for early risk identification in this population.

Management of STEMI during the COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons learned in 2020 to prepare for 2021.

As the prevalence of asymptomatic COVID-19 continues to increase, there is an increasing possibility that patients with COVID-19 may presen with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). With social distancing and restricted access to preventive healthcare and emergency services, the management of acute cardiac emergencies such as myocardial infarction has suffered collateral damage. Thus far, global trends suggest a decrease in STEMI activations with possible worse outcomes due to delayed presentation and management. In this review, we discuss the challenges to STEMI management in the COVID-19 era and provide potential solutions for adherence to evidence-based therapies as the pandemic progresses into the year 2021.

Cost-utility of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation in patients with cardiac arrest.

BACKGROUND: Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) is a resource-intensive tool that provides haemodynamic and respiratory support in patients who have suffered cardiac arrest. In this study, we investigated the cost-utility of ECPR (cost/QALY) in cardiac arrest patients treated at our institution. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of patients who received ECPR following cardiac arrest between 2012 and 2018. All medical care-associated charges with ECPR and subsequent hospital admission were recorded. The quality-of-life of survivors was assessed with the Health Utilities Index Mark II. The cost-utility of ECPR was calculated with cost and quality-of-life data. RESULTS: ECPR was used in 32 patients (15/32 in-hospital, 47%) with a median age of 55.0 years (IQR 46.3-63.3 years), 59% male and 66% African American. The median duration of ECPR support was 2.1 days (IQR 0.9-3.8 days). Survival to hospital discharge was 16%. The median score of the Health Utilities Index Mark II at discharge for the survivors was 0.44 (IQR 0.32-0.52). The median operating cost for patients undergoing ECMO was $125,683 per patient (IQR $49,751-$206,341 per patient). The calculated cost-utility for ECPR was $56,156/QALY gained. CONCLUSIONS: The calculated cost-utility is within the threshold considered cost-effective in the United States (<$150,000/QALY gained). These results are comparable to the cost-effectiveness of heart transplantation for end-stage heart failure. Larger studies are needed to assess the cost-utility of ECPR and to identify whether other factors, such as patient characteristics, affect the cost-utility benefit.