Impact of renin-angiotensin system inhibitors on mortality during the COVID Pandemic among STEMI patients undergoing mechanical reperfusion: Insight from an international STEMI registry.

BACKGROUND: Concerns have been raised on a potential interaction between renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (RASI) and the susceptibility to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). No data have been so far reported on the prognostic impact of RASI in patients suffering from ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) during COVID-19 pandemic, which was the aim of the present study. METHODS: STEMI patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) and enrolled in the ISACS-STEMI COVID-19 registry were included in the present sub-analysis and divided according to RASI therapy at admission. RESULTS: Our population is represented by 6095 patients, of whom 3654 admitted in 2019 and 2441 in 2020. No difference in the prevalence of SARSCoV2 infection was observed according to RASI therapy at admission (2.5% vs 2.1%, p = 0.5), which was associated with a significantly lower mortality (adjusted OR [95% CI]=0.68 [0.51-0.90], P = 0.006), confirmed in the analysis restricted to 2020 (adjusted OR [95% CI]=0.5[0.33-0.74], P = 0.001). Among the 5388 patients in whom data on in-hospital medication were available, in-hospital RASI therapy was associated with a significantly lower mortality (2.1% vs 16.7%, OR [95% CI]=0.11 [0.084-0.14], p < 0.0001), confirmed after adjustment in both periods. Among the 62 SARSCoV-2 positive patients, RASI therapy, both at admission or in-hospital, showed no prognostic effect. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to investigate the impact of RASI therapy on the prognosis and SARSCoV2 infection of STEMI patients undergoing PPCI during the COVID-19 pandemic. Both pre-admission and in-hospital RASI were associated with lower mortality. Among SARSCoV2-positive patients, both chronic and in-hospital RASI therapy showed no impact on survival.

Long-term prognostic impact of non-invasive follow-up with computed tomography angiography in patients with left main coronary artery stenting.

BACKGROUND: Left main coronary artery (LMCA) stenting is an evolving technique. Whether follow-up computed tomography angiography (CTA) might have clinical impact in these patients is controversial. The aim of present study is to compare clinical outcomes of patients with LMCA stenting followed with CTA versus patients with conventional clinical follow-up. METHODS: From 2003 to 2014 all consecutive patients with unprotected LMCA stenosis treated with single DES implantation were prospectively included. Since 2009 all patients underwent CTA at 6-month after LMCA stenting. Therefore, the non-CTA group included all patients treated from 2003 to 2009 and the CTA group included patients treated from 2009 to 2014. Patients with 6-month cardiac events, renal dysfunction or atrial fibrillation were excluded. All patients underwent at least 2-year clinical follow-up. The primary endpoint was a composite of cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and LMCA revascularization. RESULTS: A total of 236 patients were included (119 in the non-CTA and 117 in the CTA group). Nine event-free patients presented with in-stent restenosis as assessed by CTA at 6 months; 5 had angiographic confirmation and were revascularized. At 2 years, the primary end-point was observed in 15.1% and 7.3% of patients of the non-CTA and CTA groups, respectively (P=0.07). All-cause mortality was higher in the non-CTA group (8.4% vs. 2.6%; P=0.05). Euroscore and CTA were found independent predictors of the primary end-point in the multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Elective 6-month CTA after LMCA stenting is associated with better outcomes compared to conventional clinical follow-up.