Impact of betablockers on general and local outcome in patients hospitalized for lower extremity peripheral artery disease: The COPART Registry.

Lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD) is one manifestation of atherosclerosis. Patients with PAD have an increased rate of mortality due to concurrent coronary artery disease and hypertension. Betablockers (BB) may, therefore, be prescribed, especially in case of heart failure. However, BB safety in PAD is controversial, because of presumed peripheral hemodynamic consequences of BB that could lead to worsening of symptoms in patients with PAD. In this context, we aimed to determine the impact of BB on all-cause and cardiovascular mortality and amputation rate at 1 year after hospitalization for PAD from the COPART Registry population. This is a prospective multicenter observational study collecting data from consecutive patients hospitalized for PAD in vascular medicine departments of 4 academic hospitals in France. Patients with, either claudication, critical limb ischemia or acute lower limb ischemia related to a documented PAD were included. We compared the outcomes of patients with BB versus those without BB in their prescription list at hospital discharge. The mean age of the study population was 70.9 years, predominantly composed of males (71%). Among the 1267 patients at admission, 28% were treated by BB for hypertension, prior myocardial infarction or heart failure. During their hospital stay, 40% underwent revascularization (including bypass surgery 29% and angioplasty 74%), 17% required an amputation, and 5% died. In a multivariate analysis, only prior myocardial infarction was found associated with BB prescription with an odds ratio (OR) of 3.11, P < 0.001. Conversely, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or PAD with ulcer impeded BB prescription (OR: 0.57 and 0.64, P = 0.007; P = 0.001, respectively). One-year overall mortality of patients with BB did not differ from those without (23% vs. 23%, P = 0.95). The 1-year amputation rate did not differ either (4% vs. 6%, P = 0.14). Patients hospitalized for PAD with a BB in their prescription did not worsen their outcome at 1 year compared to patients without BB. Based on these safety data, prospective study could be conducted to assess the effect of BB on long-term mortality and amputation rate in patients with mild, moderate, and severe PAD.

Comparison of one-year prognosis of patients classified as chronic critical lower limb ischaemia according to TASC II or European consensus definition in the COPART cohort.

BACKGROUND: We compared one-year amputation and survival rates in patients fulfilling 1991 European consensus critical limb ischaemia (CLI) definition to those clas, sified as CLI by TASC II but not European consensus (EC) definition. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients were selected from the COPART cohort of hospitalized patients with peripheral occlusive arterial disease suffering from lower extremity rest pain or ulcer and who completed one-year follow-up. Ankle and toe systolic pressures and transcutaneous oxygen pressure were measured. The patients were classified into two groups: those who could benefit from revascularization and those who could not (medical group). Within these groups, patients were separated into those who had CLI according to the European consensus definition (EC + TASC II: group A if revascularization, group C if medical treatment) and those who had no CLI by the European definition but who had CLI according to the TASC II definition (TASC: group B if revascularization and D if medical treatment). RESULTS: 471 patients were included in the study (236 in the surgical group, 235 in the medical group). There was no difference according to the CLI definition for survival or cardiovascular event-free survival. However, major amputations were more frequent in group A than in group B (25 vs 12 %, p = 0.046) and in group C than in group D (38 vs 20 %, p = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Major amputation is twice as frequent in patients with CLI according to the historical European consensus definition than in those classified to the TASC II definition but not the EC. Caution is required when comparing results of recent series to historical controls. The TASC II definition of CLI is too wide to compare patients from clinical trials so we suggest separating these patients into two different stages: permanent (TASC II but not EC definition) and critical ischaemia (TASC II and EC definition).

Changes in hospitalization rates for acute coronary syndrome after a two-phase comprehensive smoking ban.

AIMS: The impact of a comprehensive stepwise smoking ban (2007 and 2008) was assessed by analysing the hospitalization rate for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in France, between 2003 and 2009. METHODS AND RESULTS: Between 2003 and 2009, 867,164 hospitalizations for ACS were observed among about 23 million administrative reports. The age-and gender-standardized hospitalization rates were calculated and their variation before and after the smoking ban implementation was investigated by Poisson regression that included the ACS seasonal variations and the historical trend. The hospitalization rate decreased by 12.8% (from 269 to 235/100,000) with a significant historical trend reduction (p < 0.10(-3)) in all groups, but in young women. After adjusting for linear trend, reductions linked to the ban remained not significant in all groups: relative risk (RR) from 0.96 (95% CI 0.91-1.01) in men older than 55 years to 0.99 (95% CI 0.93-1.04) in men aged 55 years or less after the first phase, and from 0.96 (95% CI 0.89-1.04) in men older than 55 years to 1.03 (95% CI 0.94-1.12) in women older than 65 years after the second phase of the ban. CONCLUSIONS: This study did not demonstrate a significant effect of a two-phases smoking ban on ACS hospitalization rate. A steadily decrease of this rate over the 7-year period, the past preventive measures in France leading to low levels of passive smoking, and the significant increase in active smoking during the studied period may explain this result. Our study highlights the difficulty of proving an effect of smoking bans in a country with an already low ACS incidence.

Chronic kidney disease and the short-term risk of mortality and amputation in patients hospitalized for peripheral artery disease.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and its prognostic value in patients hospitalized for lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD). METHODS: Data from the COhorte des Patients ARTériopathes registry, a prospective multicenter, observational study of consecutive patients hospitalized for PAD in academic hospitals of southwestern France, were analyzed. All the subjects were in Rutherford grade ≥ 3, and 55.6% were in grade ≥ 5-6. Associations between CKD and 1-year mortality, as well as amputation rates, were evaluated by Cox analysis. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were analyzed according to estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). RESULTS: From May 2004 to January 2009, we enrolled 1010 patients. They were classified into four groups according to the eGFR: 21.7% were in group 1 (≥ 90 mL/min per 1.73 m(2)), 34% in group 2 (60-89 mL/min per 1.73 m(2)), 32.2% in group 3 (30-59 mL/min per 1.73 m(2)), and 12.1% in group 4 (<30 mL/min per 1.73 m(2) including dialysis). All-cause mortality was 25.1% at 1 year. The rate of major amputation was 26.3%. Mortality rates were, respectively, at 16%, 18%, 31.7%, and 44.3% (P < .0001) in groups 1 to 4. The major amputation rates were at 23.7%, 21.5%, 28%, and 40.2% (P = .0006), respectively. The presence of severe CKD (group 4) was associated with all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 1.84; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-3.32; P = .044). In contrast, the risk of amputation was not associated with CKD after adjustments to risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of CKD in patients hospitalized for PAD is high. CKD is an independent predictor of 1-year mortality, but is not an independent predictor of limb amputation.

Novel risk factors for premature peripheral arterial occlusive disease in non-diabetic patients: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of genetic and environmental vascular risk factors in non diabetic patients with premature peripheral arterial disease, either peripheral arterial occlusive disease or thromboangiitis obliterans, the two main entities of peripheral arterial disease, and to established whether some of them are specifically associated with one or another of the premature peripheral arterial disease subgroups. METHODS AND RESULTS: This study included 113 non diabetic patients with premature peripheral arterial disease (diagnosis <45-year old) presenting either a peripheral arterial occlusive disease (N = 64) or a thromboangiitis obliterans (N = 49), and 241 controls matched for age and gender. Both patient groups demonstrated common traits including cigarette smoking, low physical activity, decreased levels of HDL-cholesterol, apolipoprotein A-I, pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (active form of B6 vitamin) and zinc. Premature peripheral arterial occlusive disease was characterized by the presence of a family history of peripheral arterial and carotid artery diseases (OR 2.3 and 5.8 respectively, 95% CI), high lipoprotein (a) levels above 300 mg/L (OR 2.3, 95% CI), the presence of the factor V Leiden (OR 5.1, 95% CI) and the glycoprotein Ia(807T,837T,873A) allele (OR 2.3, 95% CI). In thromboangiitis obliterans group, more patients were regular consumers of cannabis (OR 3.5, 95% CI) and higher levels in plasma copper has been shown (OR 6.5, 95% CI). CONCLUSIONS: According to our results from a non exhaustive list of study parameters, we might hypothesize for 1) a genetic basis for premature peripheral arterial occlusive disease development and 2) the prevalence of environmental factors in the development of thromboangiitis obliterans (tobacco and cannabis). Moreover, for the first time, we demonstrated that the 807T/837T/873A allele of platelet glycoprotein Ia may confer an additional risk for development of peripheral atherosclerosis in premature peripheral arterial occlusive disease.

Association of changes in clinical characteristics and management with improvement in survival among patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

CONTEXT: The contemporary decline in mortality reported in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) has been attributed mainly to improved use of reperfusion therapy. OBJECTIVE: To determine potential factors-beyond reperfusion therapy-associated with improved survival in patients with STEMI over a 15-year period. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: Four 1-month French nationwide registries, conducted 5 years apart (between 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010), including a total of 6707 STEMI patients admitted to intensive care or coronary care units. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Changes over time in crude 30-day mortality, and mortality standardized to the 2010 population characteristics. RESULTS: Mean (SD) age decreased from 66.2 (14.0) to 63.3 (14.5) years, with a concomitant decline in history of cardiovascular events and comorbidities. The proportion of younger patients increased, particularly in women younger than 60 years (from 11.8% to 25.5%), in whom prevalence of current smoking (37.3% to 73.1%) and obesity (17.6% to 27.1%) increased. Time from symptom onset to hospital admission decreased, with a shorter time from onset to first call, and broader use of mobile intensive care units. Reperfusion therapy increased from 49.4% to 74.7%, driven by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (11.9% to 60.8%). Early use of recommended medications increased, particularly low-molecular-weight heparins and statins. Crude 30-day mortality decreased from 13.7% (95% CI, 12.0-15.4) to 4.4% (95% CI, 3.5-5.4), whereas standardized mortality decreased from 11.3% (95% CI, 9.5-13.2) to 4.4% (95% CI, 3.5-5.4). Multivariable analysis showed a consistent reduction in mortality from 1995 to 2010 after controlling for clinical characteristics in addition to the initial population risk score and use of reperfusion therapy, with odds mortality ratios of 0.39 (95%, 0.29-0.53, P <.001) in 2010 compared with 1995. CONCLUSION: In France, the overall rate of cardiovascular mortality among patients with STEMI decreased from 1995 to 2010, accompanied by an increase in the proportion of women younger than 60 years with STEMI, changes in other population characteristics, and greater use of reperfusion therapy and recommended medications.

Improved outcome of cardiogenic shock at the acute stage of myocardial infarction: a report from the USIK 1995, USIC 2000, and FAST-MI French nationwide registries.

AIM: The historical evolution of incidence and outcome of cardiogenic shock (CS) in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients is debated. This study compared outcomes in AMI patients from 1995 to 2005, according to the presence of CS. METHOD AND RESULTS: Three nationwide French registries were conducted 5 years apart, using a similar methodology in consecutive patients admitted over a 1-month period. All 7531 AMI patients presenting ≤48 h of symptom onset were included. The evolution of mortality was compared in the 486 patients with CS vs. those without CS. The incidence of CS tended to decrease over time (6.9% in 1995; 5.7% in 2005, P = 0.07). Thirty-day mortality was considerably higher in CS patients (60.9 vs. 5.2%). Over the 10-year period, mortality decreased for both patients with (70-51%, P = 0.003) and without CS (9-4%, P < 0.001). In CS patients, the use of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) increased from 20 to 50% (P < 0.001). Time period was an independent predictor of early mortality in CS patients (OR for death, 2005 vs. 1995 = 0.45; 95% CI: 0.27-0.75, P = 0.005), along with age, diabetes, and smoking status. When added to the multivariate model, PCI was associated with decreased mortality (OR = 0.38; 95% CI: 0.24-0.58, P < 0.001). In propensity-score-matched cohorts, CS patients with PCI had a significantly higher survival. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiogenic shock remains a clinical concern, although early mortality has decreased. Improved survival is concomitant with a broader use of PCI and recommended medications at the acute stage. Beyond the acute stage, however, 1-year survival has remained unchanged.

Arterial ultrasound screening as a tool for coronary risk assessment in asymptomatic men and women.

One of the imaging tests most commonly used to assess cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in daily practice is Doppler ultrasonography of the carotid and femoral arteries. We included 2709 participants with no history or symptoms of CVD; they had a risk factor assessment and a carotid and femoral ultrasonography at baseline. Incident cases of definite coronary events were recorded during a median follow-up of 6 years. Approximately, 63% of the sample presented abnormalities (carotid stenosis >50%, carotid plaque, femoral plaque, increased intima-media thickness [IMT]). A moderately increased IMT (>0.63 mm) or the presence of carotid or femoral artery plaque was related to prognosis. The associations persisted after adjustment for pretest risk, treatment with statins, and other Doppler ultrasonography abnormalities. The hazard ratio increased significantly with the number of abnormalities (varying from 2.35 [1.16-4.74] to 14.83 [6.47-33.9]).

Impact of type of preadmission sulfonylureas on mortality and cardiovascular outcomes in diabetic patients with acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: The impact of antidiabetic medications on clinical outcomes in patients developing acute myocardial infarction (MI) is controversial. We sought to determine whether in-hospital outcomes in patients who were on sulfonylureas (SUs) when they developed their MIs differed from that of diabetic patients not receiving SUs and whether clinical outcomes were related to the pancreatic cells specificity of SUs. METHODS AND RESULTS: We analyzed the outcomes of the 1310 diabetic patients included in the nationwide French Registry of Acute ST-Elevation and Non-ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction in 2005. Medications used before the acute episode were recorded. In-hospital complications were analyzed according to prior antidiabetic treatment. Mortality was lower in patients previously treated with SUs (3.9%) vs. those on other oral medications (6.4%), insulin (9.4%), or no medication (8.4%) (P = 0.014). Among SU-treated patients, in-hospital mortality was lower in patients receiving pancreatic cells-specific SUs (gliclazide or glimepiride) (2.7%), compared with glibenclamide (7.5%) (P = 0.019). Arrhythmias and ischemic complications were also less frequent in patients receiving gliclazide/glimepiride. The lower risk in patients receiving gliclazide/glimepiride vs. glibenclamide persisted after multivariate adjustment (odds ratio 0.15; 95% confidence interval 0.04-0.56) and in propensity score-matched cohorts. CONCLUSION: In this nationwide registry of patients hospitalized for acute MI, no hazard was associated with the use of SUs before the acute episode. In addition, patients previously receiving gliclazide/glimepiride had improved in-hospital outcomes, compared with those on glibenclamide.

Impact of polyvascular disease on baseline characteristics, management and mortality in acute myocardial infarction. The Alliance project.

BACKGROUND: A substantial number of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have polyvascular disease (PolyVD), defined as cerebrovascular disease (CVD), peripheral arterial disease (PAD) or both. AIM: To investigate the impact of PolyVD on baseline characteristics, management and outcomes. METHODS: The Alliance project is a multicentre, cross-sectional database of patients with myocardial infarction throughout France from 2000 to 2005. A pooled analysis of individual patient data was performed by aggregating data from five registries, representing 9783 patients hospitalized for acute coronary syndromes. Data were collected on history of PAD and CVD and correlated to baseline characteristics, management and hospital outcomes. RESULTS: Eight thousand nine hundred and four patients had full datasets for this analysis (13% with a history of CVD or PAD, 87% without). Patients with PolyVD were older (72 vs 65 years, p<0.0001), had a more frequent history of AMI (26% vs 15%, p<0.0001), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), renal insufficiency (12% vs 3%, p<0.0001) and consistently more risk factors for atherosclerosis (hypertension, dyslipidaemia, smoking, diabetes), but less frequently a body mass index>30 kg/m(2) (14.0% vs 20.1%, p<0.0001) compared to patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) alone. Killip class, left-ventricular ejection fraction and GUSTO risk score were all worse among patients with PolyVD. Management of patients with PolyVD was less aggressive (with later admission and less frequent use of in-hospital angiography or evidence-based therapies at discharge). Mortality of patients with PolyVD was consistently higher than in those with CAD alone, regardless of age. Multivariable analysis, adjusting for age, showed that both PAD (odds ratio 1.36 95% confidence interval 1.03-1.79) and history of CVD (odds ratio 1.74, 95% confidence interval 1.27-2.40) were independent predictors of hospital mortality relative to patients with CAD only. CONCLUSION: Patients with PolyVD represented a substantial group among AMI patients, at particularly high risk of death, yet were managed less aggressively than patients with CAD alone. This was associated with markedly higher in-hospital mortality. Further research is warranted to design and test strategies to decrease mortality in this high-risk subset.

Association of influenza vaccination with reduced risk of venous thromboembolism.

Influenza vaccination can reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with coronary heart disease, but its impact on the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) has not been studied. It was the aim of this study to investigate whether influenza vaccination reduces the risk of VTE. We conducted a case-control study involving 1,454 adults enrolled in 11 French centers between 2003 and 2007, comprising 727 consecutive cases with a first documented episode of VTE and 727 age- and sex-matched controls. In the case and control groups 202 (28.2%) and 233 (32.1%) subjects, respectively, had been vaccinated against influenza during the previous 12 months. After multivariate regression analysis, the odds ratios (OR) for VTE associated with vaccination were 0.74 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.57-0.97) and 0.52 (95% CI, 0.32-0.85), respectively, for the whole population and for subjects aged 52 years or less. The protective effect of vaccination was similar for deep venous thrombosis (OR 0.9, 95% CI, 0.60-1.35) and pulmonary embolism (OR 0.71, 95% CI, 0.53-0.94) and for both provoked (OR 0.71, 95% CI, 0.53-0.97) and unprovoked VTE (OR 0.85, 95% CI, 0.59-1.23). This case-control study suggests that influenza vaccination is associated with a reduced risk of VTE.

Additional prognostic value of physical examination, exercise testing, and arterial ultrasonography for coronary risk assessment in primary prevention.

BACKGROUND: The choice of noninvasive tests used in primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases must be based on medical evidence. The aim of this study was to assess the additional prognostic value, over conventional risk factors, of physical examination, exercise testing, and arterial ultrasonography, in predicting a first coronary event. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted between 1996 and 2004 (n = 2,709), with follow-up in 2006 (response rate 96.6%). Participants had no history or symptoms of cardiovascular disease and had a standardized physical examination, a cardiac exercise testing, and carotid and femoral ultrasonography at baseline. Incident cases of definite coronary events were recorded during follow-up. RESULTS: Over the Framingham risk score, femoral bruit, positive exercise test, intima-media thickness >0.63 mm, and a femoral plaque provided significant additional information to the prediction model. The addition of the exercise test to the traditional risk factors, then the intima-media thickness and lastly the presence of femoral plaques, produces incremental increases in the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (0.73-0.78, P = .02) and about a 50% increase in the positive predictive value (15.8%-31.4%), with no effect on the negative predictive value (96.4%-96.9%). CONCLUSION: Physical examination, exercise testing, and arterial ultrasonography provide incremental information on the risk of coronary event in asymptomatic adults. Exercise testing and femoral ultrasonography also improve the accuracy of the risk stratification.

Prevalence of unknown peripheral arterial disease in patients with coronary artery disease: data in primary care from the IPSILON study.

BACKGROUND: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a marker of increased risk of cardiovascular events and of poor prognosis in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). The prevalence of unknown PAD among patients with CAD varies between studies according to the mode of diagnosis. AIMS: To evaluate the prevalence of unknown PAD, diagnosed using the ankle-brachial index (ABI), in patients from the IPSILON study with a CAD diagnosis; to assess the profile of these patients; and to determine predictors of PAD. METHODS: IPSILON was an observational, cross-sectional study. General practitioners measured ABI in 5679 consecutive adults aged 55 years or over with signs or symptoms suggestive of PAD (21.3%), a history of an atherothrombotic event (42.1%) or two or more cardiovascular risk factors (36.6%). This analysis focuses on the subgroup of patients with CAD and no other known overt atherothrombotic disease. RESULTS: A total of 1340 patients presented with isolated CAD. PAD (ABI<0.90) was diagnosed in 26.6% of these patients; 16.2% were asymptomatic. Older age, symptoms suggestive of PAD and cardiovascular risk factors were found to be independent predictors of PAD in multivariable analysis. CONCLUSION: Over 26% of patients with CAD present with unknown PAD, as diagnosed using ABI measurement. More than half of these patients are asymptomatic. Screening for PAD in patients with CAD will allow detection of a subpopulation at particularly high cardiovascular risk. An aggressive medical treatment strategy could help to improve their outcome.

Heart rate distribution and predictors of increased heart rate among French hypertensive patients with stable coronary artery disease. Data from the LHYCORNE cohort.

BACKGROUND: Heart rate is a key determinant of both myocardial ischaemia and prognosis in patients with coronary disease. Reducing heart rate is known to relieve ischaemia and improve cardiovascular prognosis. Currently there is no information about heart rate distribution and predictors of high heart rate in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: The L'Hypertendu Coronarien Vu En Médecine Générale (LHYCORNE) cohort was a prospective observational study involving consecutive stable CAD patients with treated hypertension. Patients with atrial fibrillation were excluded from the analysis. Heart rate distribution and factors independently associated with heart rate above that of the cohort mean were analysed. RESULTS: The study population comprised 8922 stable CAD patients in sinus rhythm (76% were men; mean age 66+/-11 years; mean systolic/diastolic blood pressures 141/82mmHg; 26% had diabetes). The mean resting heart rate was 70+/-6 bpm; the distribution was: 7% for <60 bpm, 38% for 60-69, 38% for 70-79bpm, 14% for 80-89bpm, and 2% for>90bpm. The mean resting heart rate of the patients on beta-blockers (62% of the population) was 69+/-8bpm versus 73+/-8bpm in subjects not on beta-blockers (p<0.001). Eight independent predictors of heart rate>/=70bpm were identified. CONCLUSION: Data from this large cohort demonstrate that few patients meet recommendations to lower heart rate to <60bpm. Over 50% of stable CAD patients had a heart rate>/=70bpm, presenting a particularly high-risk profile. Given the therapeutic and prognostic role of resting heart rate in CAD patients, our findings emphasize the need to consider heart rate in these high-risk patients.

Determinants and prognostic impact of compliance with guidelines in reperfusion therapy for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: results from the ESTIM Midi-Pyrénées Area.

BACKGROUND: Early reperfusion therapy has proven benefit in reducing mortality in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Expert guideline committees have defined recommendations to improve the management of patients with STEMI and decrease their mortality rates. AIMS: To identify predictors of compliance with American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines for reperfusion therapy in STEMI and to determine the prognostic impact of compliance. METHODS: ESTIM Midi-Pyrénées was a multidisciplinary, prospective registry in patients with STEMI, conducted between June 2001 and June 2003 in French hospitals. Data were analysed from 1277 patients managed by emergency physicians in the prehospital system or emergency room and/or cardiologists in interventional or non-interventional cardiology departments. RESULTS: A revascularization strategy was performed in 89.4% of patients; treatment complied with the guidelines in 61.1% of patients. After multivariable analysis, factors associated with compliance were age less or equal than 75years (odds ratio [OR] 1.56, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.18-2.08), symptom onset during the day (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.12-1.82), typical electrocardiographic symptoms of STEMI (OR 3.2, 95% CI 2.19-4.5), and initial medical contact. After adjustment for confounders, 1-month mortality was significantly lower in patients managed according to guideline recommendations (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.40-0.92). CONCLUSION: A number of factors can be used to identify STEMI patients who are less likely to be managed according to guidelines. Training focused on these factors should improve management and clinical outcomes of STEMI.

Patterns of statin prescription in acute myocardial infarction: the French registry of Acute ST-elevation or non-ST-elevation Myocardial Infarction (FAST-MI).

OBJECTIVE: Early use of high-dose statins in acute coronary artery disease is controversial. Our aim was to use the French registry of Acute ST-elevation and non-ST-elevation Myocardial Infarction (FAST-MI) to analyse patterns of statin prescription during the acute phase of myocardial infarction, and to identify factors associated with prescription strategies. METHODS: We analysed statin prescription in 2509 patients with an acute myocardial infarction enrolled at 223 hospitals in France who were enrolled in the FAST-MI study and survived to hospital discharge. Patients were subdivided into four groups: never prescribed statins (n=304); only prescribed statins at hospital discharge (n=293); prescribed statins in the first 48 h of hospitalization and at discharge (n=1318); prescribed statins before hospitalization, in the first 48 h of hospitalization and at discharge (n=594). RESULTS: Multivariable analysis showed that the presence of notable coronary lesions was significantly associated with all three statin prescription categories (P<0.001). History of hypercholesterolaemia (P<0.001) and prescription of evidence-based therapies for myocardial infarction in the first 48 h of hospitalization (P

Six-item self-administered questionnaires in the waiting room: an aid to explain uncontrolled hypertension in high-risk patients seen in general practice.

We designed a cross-sectional study to determine whether 6-item self-administered questionnaires addressing difficulties in taking treatment provide independent and relevant information on uncontrolled hypertension in high-risk cardiovascular patients seen in general practice. Patients with both treated hypertension and a history of vascular diseases-myocardial infarction, stroke, or peripheral artery disease-were included. Risk factors, treatment, history of vascular diseases, blood pressure, and difficulties in taking treatment were assessed by 6-item self-administered questionnaires and recorded. Each positive response to the questions was weighted by 1 and each negative response by 0. Individual item scores were added together to produce 1 composite score for all 6 questions. A total of 11,096 patients were analyzed. Among them, 5,288 (51.4%) were controlled at 140/90 mm Hg threshold. In multivariate analysis, in addition to age, male gender, treated diabetes, peripheral artery disease, treatment, and alcohol consumption, the adherence score was negatively and independently associated with hypertension control (odds ratio score >/= 3, 0.73; [95% confidence interval, 0.65-0.81; P < .0001]. This study overwhelmingly confirms on a very large scale the effectiveness of this self-administered questionnaire in identifying difficulties in taking treatment in general practice. This questionnaire constitutes an inexpensive and timesaving tool capable of helping general practitioners to understand why hypertension is not controlled in patients at high cardiovascular risk. Whether the use of this questionnaire will improve hypertension control remains to be established.

Persistence of combination of evidence-based medical therapy in patients with acute coronary syndromes.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse long-term adherence persistence of evidence-based medical therapy in 'real-world' patients with coronary disease. METHODS: Cardiologists recruited the first three consecutive patients seen in either hospital clinics or private practice in 2006 who had been hospitalized for an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in 2005 in France. Demographic characteristics, medical history, current treatments and medications at hospital discharge were recorded. The primary outcome was the persistence of the combination therapy comprising a beta-blocker, an antiplatelet, a statin and an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor (BASI). RESULTS: A total of 1700 patients were included in this French observational study. The mean time from hospital discharge to consultation was 14+/-4 months. At hospital discharge, BASI had been prescribed in 46.2% of patients, 80.2% of whom were still taking the combination at the consultation. Non-persistence was associated with severe noncardiovascular disease, atrial fibrillation and lack of significant coronary artery stenosis. When analysed separately, beta-blockers, antiplatelets, statins and ACE inhibitors had been prescribed at hospital discharge in 82.4, 98.9, 89.2 and 58%, respectively. Persistence over the 14-months period was greater than 86% for each of the drug classes. After hospital discharge, BASI was initiated in 8.5% of patients. Fourteen months after hospitalization for an ACS, 45.6% of patients were taking BASI. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term persistence of BASI remained high after hospital discharge for an ACS, whereas the combination was started in a minority of those not discharged on this treatment. Fourteen months after an ACS, only half of the patients were receiving BASI, mainly due to failure to prescribe an ACE inhibitor at discharge. Our results highlight the importance of hospital prescription of BASI to obtain long-term persistence in ACS.

Comparison of thrombolysis followed by broad use of percutaneous coronary intervention with primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-segment-elevation acute myocardial infarction: data from the french registry on acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (FAST-MI).

BACKGROUND: Intravenous thrombolysis remains a widely used treatment for ST-elevation myocardial infarction; however, it carries a higher risk of reinfarction than primary PCI (PPCI). There are few data comparing PPCI with thrombolysis followed by routine angiography and PCI. The purpose of the present study was to assess contemporary outcomes in ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients, with specific emphasis on comparing a pharmacoinvasive strategy (thrombolysis followed by routine angiography) with PPCI. METHODS AND RESULTS: This nationwide registry in France included 223 centers and 1714 patients over a 1-month period at the end of 2005, with 1-year follow-up. Sixty percent of the patients underwent reperfusion therapy, 33% with PPCI and 29% with intravenous thrombolysis (18% prehospital). At baseline, the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events score was similar in thrombolysis and PPCI patients. Time to initiation of reperfusion therapy was significantly shorter in thrombolysis than in PPCI (median 130 versus 300 minutes). After thrombolysis, 96% of patients had coronary angiography, and 84% had subsequent PCI (58% within 24 hours). In-hospital mortality was 4.3% for thrombolysis and 5.0% for PPCI. In patients with thrombolysis, 30-day mortality was 9.2% when PCI was not used and 3.9% when PCI was subsequently performed (4.0% if PCI was performed in the same hospital and 3.3% if performed after transfer to another facility). One-year survival was 94% for thrombolysis and 92% for PPCI (P=0.31). After propensity score matching, 1-year survival was 94% and 93%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: When used early after the onset of symptoms, a pharmacoinvasive strategy that combines thrombolysis with a liberal use of PCI yields early and 1-year survival rates that are comparable to those of PPCI.

Accuracy of the screening physical examination to identify subclinical atherosclerosis and peripheral arterial disease in asymptomatic subjects.

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the accuracy of the screening vascular physical examination for predicting asymptomatic peripheral arterial disease (PAD) or subclinical atherosclerosis in asymptomatic and apparently healthy subjects. METHODS: A standardized physical examination and a carotid and femoral ultrasonography were administered to 2736 men and women aged 20 to 90 years old, with no personal history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and no complaint of neurologic, coronary, or lower limb symptom. We assessed the accuracy of auscultation for bruits and pulse palpation for identifying the presence of significant carotid stenosis, carotid plaque, femoral plaque, and ankle-brachial index (ABI) <0.9 at ultrasonography. RESULTS: The presence of a femoral bruit provided information on the presence of both an ABI <0.9 (positive likelihood ratio [+LR], 2.90; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.63 to 5.16) and a femoral plaque (+LR, 3.23; 95% CI, 2.22 to 4.71), and this information was independent from the cardiovascular risk factors. The absence of both pedal pulses also provided additional information, beyond risk factors, on the presence of an ABI <0.9 (+LR, 3.57; 95% CI, 1.93 to 6.60). The presence of a carotid bruit did not affect the likelihood of carotid stenosis, plaque, or intima-media thickness above the median. CONCLUSION: Unlike carotid auscultation, pulse palpation and auscultation for femoral bruits provided valuable information on the presence of asymptomatic PAD and underlying atherosclerosis in apparently healthy subjects.