FFR-Guided Complete or Culprit-Only PCI in Patients with Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND: The benefit of fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided complete revascularization in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and multivessel coronary artery disease remains unclear. METHODS: In this multinational, registry-based, randomized trial, we assigned patients with STEMI or very-high-risk non-STEMI (NSTEMI) and multivessel disease who were undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of the culprit lesion to receive either FFR-guided complete revascularization of nonculprit lesions or no further revascularization. The primary outcome was a composite of death from any cause, myocardial infarction, or unplanned revascularization. The two key secondary outcomes were a composite of death from any cause or myocardial infarction and unplanned revascularization. RESULTS: A total of 1542 patients underwent randomization, with 764 assigned to receive FFR-guided complete revascularization and 778 assigned to receive culprit-lesion-only PCI. At a median follow-up of 4.8 years (interquartile range, 4.3 to 5.2), a primary-outcome event had occurred in 145 patients (19.0%) in the complete-revascularization group and in 159 patients (20.4%) in the culprit-lesion-only group (hazard ratio, 0.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.74 to 1.17; P = 0.53). With respect to the secondary outcomes, no apparent between-group differences were observed in the composite of death from any cause or myocardial infarction (hazard ratio, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.87 to 1.44) or unplanned revascularization (hazard ratio, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.56 to 1.04). There were no apparent between-group differences in safety outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with STEMI or very-high-risk NSTEMI and multivessel coronary artery disease, FFR-guided complete revascularization was not shown to result in a lower risk of a composite of death from any cause, myocardial infarction, or unplanned revascularization than culprit-lesion-only PCI at 4.8 years. (Funded by the Swedish Research Council and others; FULL REVASC ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02862119.).

Microaxial Flow Pump or Standard Care in Infarct-Related Cardiogenic Shock.

BACKGROUND: The effects of temporary mechanical circulatory support with a microaxial flow pump on mortality among patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) complicated by cardiogenic shock remains unclear. METHODS: In an international, multicenter, randomized trial, we assigned patients with STEMI and cardiogenic shock to receive a microaxial flow pump (Impella CP) plus standard care or standard care alone. The primary end point was death from any cause at 180 days. A composite safety end point was severe bleeding, limb ischemia, hemolysis, device failure, or worsening aortic regurgitation. RESULTS: A total of 360 patients underwent randomization, of whom 355 were included in the final analysis (179 in the microaxial-flow-pump group and 176 in the standard-care group). The median age of the patients was 67 years, and 79.2% were men. Death from any cause occurred in 82 of 179 patients (45.8%) in the microaxial-flow-pump group and in 103 of 176 patients (58.5%) in the standard-care group (hazard ratio, 0.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.55 to 0.99; P = 0.04). A composite safety end-point event occurred in 43 patients (24.0%) in the microaxial-flow-pump group and in 11 (6.2%) in the standard-care group (relative risk, 4.74; 95% CI, 2.36 to 9.55). Renal-replacement therapy was administered to 75 patients (41.9%) in the microaxial-flow-pump group and to 47 patients (26.7%) in the standard-care group (relative risk, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.27 to 3.09). CONCLUSIONS: The routine use of a microaxial flow pump with standard care in the treatment of patients with STEMI-related cardiogenic shock led to a lower risk of death from any cause at 180 days than standard care alone. The incidence of a composite of adverse events was higher with the use of the microaxial flow pump. (Funded by the Danish Heart Foundation and Abiomed; DanGer Shock ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01633502.).

Burden of cardiac arrhythmias in patients with acute myocardial infarction and their impact on hospitalization outcomes: insights from China acute myocardial infarction (CAMI) registry.

BACKGROUND: The coexistence of cardiac arrhythmias in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) usually exhibits poor prognosis. However, there are few contemporary data available on the burden of cardiac arrhythmias in AMI patients and their impact on in-hospital outcomes. METHODS: The present study analyzed data from the China Acute Myocardial Infarction (CAMI) registry involving 23,825 consecutive AMI patients admitted to 108 hospitals from January 2013 to February 2018. Cardiac arrhythmias were defined as the presence of bradyarrhythmias, sustained atrial tachyarrhythmias, and sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias that occurred during hospitalization. In-hospital outcome was defined as a composite of all-cause mortality, cardiogenic shock, re-infarction, stroke, or heart failure. RESULTS: Cardiac arrhythmia was presented in 1991 (8.35%) AMI patients, including 3.4% ventricular tachyarrhythmias, 2.44% bradyarrhythmias, 1.78% atrial tachyarrhythmias, and 0.73% ≥2 kinds of arrhythmias. Patients with arrhythmias were more common with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (83.3% vs. 75.5%, P < 0.001), fibrinolysis (12.8% vs. 8.0%, P < 0.001), and previous heart failure (3.7% vs. 1.5%, P < 0.001). The incidences of in-hospital outcomes were 77.0%, 50.7%, 43.5%, and 41.4%, respectively, in patients with ≥ 2 kinds of arrhythmias, ventricular tachyarrhythmias, bradyarrhythmias, and atrial tachyarrhythmias, and were significantly higher in all patients with arrhythmias than those without arrhythmias (48.9% vs. 12.5%, P < 0.001). The presence of any kinds of arrhythmia was independently associated with an increased risk of hospitalization outcome (≥ 2 kinds of arrhythmias, OR 26.83, 95%CI 18.51-38.90; ventricular tachyarrhythmias, OR 8.56, 95%CI 7.34-9.98; bradyarrhythmias, OR 5.82, 95%CI 4.87-6.95; atrial tachyarrhythmias, OR4.15, 95%CI 3.38-5.10), and in-hospital mortality (≥ 2 kinds of arrhythmias, OR 24.44, 95%CI 17.03-35.07; ventricular tachyarrhythmias, OR 13.61, 95%CI 10.87-17.05; bradyarrhythmias, OR 7.85, 95%CI 6.0-10.26; atrial tachyarrhythmias, OR 4.28, 95%CI 2.98-6.16). CONCLUSION: Cardiac arrhythmia commonly occurred in patients with AMI might be ventricular tachyarrhythmias, followed by bradyarrhythmias, atrial tachyarrhythmias, and ≥ 2 kinds of arrhythmias. The presence of any arrhythmias could impact poor hospitalization outcomes. REGISTRATION: Clinical Trial Registration: Identifier: NCT01874691.

Hypertension, microvascular obstruction and infarct size in patients with STEMI undergoing PCI: Pooled analysis from 7 cardiac magnetic resonance imaging studies.

BACKGROUND: Mortality after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is increased in patients with hypertension. The mechanisms underlying this association are uncertain. We sought to investigate whether patients with STEMI and prior hypertension have greater microvascular obstruction (MVO) and infarct size (IS) compared with those without hypertension. METHODS: We pooled individual patient data from 7 randomized trials of patients with STEMI undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in whom cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was performed within 1 month after reperfusion. The associations between hypertension and MVO, IS, and mortality were assessed in multivariable adjusted models. RESULTS: Among 2174 patients (61.3 ± 12.6 years, 76% male), 1196 (55.0%) had hypertension. Patients with hypertension were older, more frequently diabetic and had more extensive coronary artery disease than those without hypertension. MVO and IS measured as percent LV mass were not significantly different in patients with and without hypertension (adjusted differences 0.1, 95% CI -0.3 to 0.6, P = .61 and -0.2, 95% CI -1.5 to 1.2, P = .80, respectively). Hypertension was associated with a higher unadjusted risk of 1-year death (hazard ratio [HR] 2.28, 95% CI 1.44-3.60, P < .001), but was not independently associated with higher mortality after multivariable adjustment (adjusted HR 1.04, 95% CI 0.60-1.79, P = .90). CONCLUSION: In this large-scale individual patient data pooled analysis, hypertension was not associated with larger IS or MVO after primary PCI for STEMI.

The predictive value of the HALP score for no-reflow phenomenon and short-term mortality in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVE: ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is a medical emergency demanding immediate intervention, and primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) is the standard of care for this condition. While PCI has proven highly effective, a subset of patients experience the devastating no-reflow phenomenon, and some face increased short-term mortality. The Hemoglobin, Albumin, Lymphocyte, and Platelet (HALP) score, a novel biomarker-based tool, has recently surfaced as an innovative predictor of these adverse outcomes. This study aims to investigate the groundbreaking findings that designate a low HALP score as a robust risk factor for no-reflow and short-term mortality in STEMI patients. METHODS: 1817 consecutive STEMI patients who underwent pPCI were included in this retrospective study, and the patients were divided into two groups according to whether no-reflow developed or not, and the HALP scores of the groups were compared. In addition, short-term mortality was compared between the study groups according to their HALP score values. The predictive ability of the HALP score for no-reflow was evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic curve. RESULTS: No-reflow developed in 198 (10.1%) of the patients included in the study. HALP score value was found to be significantly lower in the no-reflow group (27 ± 13 vs 47 ± 24, p < 0.001). After multivariable adjustment, the HALP score was an independent predictor of no-reflow (OR, 0.923, 95% CI, 0.910-0.935, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the HALP score showed good discrimination for no-reflow (AUC, 0.771, 95% CI, 0.737-0.805, p < 0.001). In addition, HALP score was determined to be an independent predictor for short-term mortality (HR, 0.955, 95% CI, 0.945-0.966, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: HALP score can independently predict the development of no-reflow and short-term mortality in STEMI patients undergoing pPCI.

Age shock index as an early predictor of cardiovascular death in acute coronary syndrome patients.

BACKGROUND: The shock index (SI), reflecting heart rate (HR) to SBP ratio, is established for predicting adverse outcomes in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. Exploring the age shock index (ASI), obtained by multiplying SI with age, could offer further insights into ACS prognosis. OBJECTIVES: Assess ASI's effectiveness in predicting in-hospital death in individuals with ACS. METHODS: This study encompassed patients with acute myocardial infarction, drawn from a national registry spanning October 2010 to January 2022. The optimal ASI threshold was established using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: A total of 27 312 patients were enrolled, exhibiting a mean age of 66 ±â€…13 years, with 72.3% being male and 47.5% having ST-elevation myocardial infarction. ROC analysis yielded an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.80, identifying the optimal ASI cutoff as 44. Multivariate regression analysis, adjusting for potential confounders, established ASI ≥ 44 as an independent predictor of in-hospital death [hazard ratio: 3.09, 95% confidence interval: 2.56-3.71, P  < 0.001]. Furthermore, ASI emerged as a notably superior predictor of in-hospital death compared to the SI (AUC ASI  = 0.80 vs. AUC SI  = 0.72, P  < 0.0001), though it did not outperform the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) score (AUC ASI  = 0.80 vs. AUC GRACE  = 0.85, P  < 0.001) or thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) risk index (AUC ASI  = 0.80 vs. AUC TIMI  = 0.84, P  < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The ASI offers an expedient mean to promptly identify ACS patients at elevated risk of in-hospital death. Its simplicity and effectiveness could render it a valuable tool for early risk stratification in this population.

The impact of the site of myocardial infarction on in-hospital outcomes for patients with STEMI.

BACKGROUND: The territory and vessel involved in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is an important and there are limited contemporary studies from the national perspective. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was undertaken of national representative hospital admission in the National Inpatient Sample with a diagnosis of anterior or non-anterior STEMI between 2017 and 2020. Multiple logistic regression and multiple linear regressions were used to determine if there are any differences in in-hospital mortality, length of stay (LOS) and cost for anterior and non-anterior STEMI. RESULTS: A total of 655 915 admissions with STEMI were included in the analysis (267 920 anterior STEMI, and 387 995 non-anterior STEMI). Non-anterior STEMI was associated with a significant reduction in mortality (OR 0.91 95% CI 0.89-0.99, P  = 0.011) and LOS (coefficient -0.15 95% CI -0.22 to -0.08, P  < 0.001) compared to anterior STEMI but there was no significant difference in healthcare costs (-297 95% CI -688 to 74). Analyses considering the infarct-related artery showed that the worse outcomes were associated with left main lesions and left-sided lesions had worse outcomes than right coronary artery lesions. CONCLUSION: Non-anterior STEMI is associated with reduced mortality and LOS compared to anterior STEMI. Left-sided coronary lesions had worse outcomes, compared to right coronary lesions. STEMI should be considered in terms of the vessel or territory affected, in relation to outcomes and healthcare costs.

Timing of Complete Revascularization with Multivessel PCI for Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND: In patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) with multivessel coronary artery disease, the time at which complete revascularization of nonculprit lesions should be performed remains unknown. METHODS: We performed an international, open-label, randomized, noninferiority trial at 37 sites in Europe. Patients in a hemodynamically stable condition who had STEMI and multivessel coronary artery disease were randomly assigned to undergo immediate multivessel percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI; immediate group) or PCI of the culprit lesion followed by staged multivessel PCI of nonculprit lesions within 19 to 45 days after the index procedure (staged group). The primary end point was a composite of death from any cause, nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke, unplanned ischemia-driven revascularization, or hospitalization for heart failure at 1 year after randomization. The percentages of patients with a primary or secondary end-point event are provided as Kaplan-Meier estimates at 6 months and at 1 year. RESULTS: We assigned 418 patients to undergo immediate multivessel PCI and 422 to undergo staged multivessel PCI. A primary end-point event occurred in 35 patients (8.5%) in the immediate group as compared with 68 patients (16.3%) in the staged group (risk ratio, 0.52; 95% confidence interval, 0.38 to 0.72; P<0.001 for noninferiority and P<0.001 for superiority). Nonfatal myocardial infarction and unplanned ischemia-driven revascularization occurred in 8 patients (2.0%) and 17 patients (4.1%), respectively, in the immediate group and in 22 patients (5.3%) and 39 patients (9.3%), respectively, in the staged group. The risk of death from any cause, the risk of stroke, and the risk of hospitalization for heart failure appeared to be similar in the two groups. A total of 104 patients in the immediate group and 145 patients in the staged group had a serious adverse event. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients in hemodynamically stable condition with STEMI and multivessel coronary artery disease, immediate multivessel PCI was noninferior to staged multivessel PCI with respect to the risk of death from any cause, nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke, unplanned ischemia-driven revascularization, or hospitalization for heart failure at 1 year. (Supported by Boston Scientific; MULTISTARS AMI ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03135275.).

Predictive value of combining leucocyte and platelet counts for mortality in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients after percutaneous coronary intervention treatment in Chinese population: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Risk stratification is challenging in patients with acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We investigated the prognostic value of a novel score system combining leucocyte and platelet counts (COL-P) scores for in-hospital and long-term adverse outcomes. DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients with STEMI. SETTING: First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 854 STEMI patients with primary PCI were included in this study from November 2009 and December 2015. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs). METHODOLOGY: The patients were divided into three groups according to the COL-P scores (0, 1 and 2). Cox regression analysis was used to investigate the relation between adverse outcomes and the COL-P score in patients with STEMI. RESULTS: A total of 44 patients died in hospital, and 99 within 3-year follow-up after discharge. The in-hospital and 3-year mortality and MACEs were higher in patients with higher COL-P score. Multivariable Cox regression indicated COL-P score was independently associated with long-term mortality (COL-P 1 vs COL-P 0: HR 2.07, 95% CI 1.016 to 5.567, p=0.005; COL-P 2 vs COL-P 0: HR 5.02, 95% CI 1.990 to 9.041, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The COL-P score was a useful risk system for stratifying high-risk patients with STEMI after primary PCI.

Persistent mortality and heart failure burden of anterior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction following primary percutaneous coronary intervention: real-world evidence from the US Medicare Data Set.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to compare the temporal trends in the incidence of death and rehospitalisation for congestive heart failure (CHF) following anterior ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in a Medicare cohort of beneficiaries treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in 2005 (n=1479) with those treated in 2016 through quarter (Q) 2 of 2017 (n=22 432). DESIGN: This retrospective analysis examined outcomes using both descriptive and regression analysis to control for differences in patient clinical characteristics over time. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcomes are 1 year and 2 year rates of mortality and re-hospitalisation for CHF. RESULTS: The 1 year mortality rate was numerically higher in the 2016 cohort at 10.3% (95% CI 9.9 to 10.7) versus 8.9% (CI 7.4 to 10.3; p=0.068). The 2 year mortality rate was significantly higher in the 2016 cohort at 14.5% (CI 13.9 to 15.1) versus 11.4% (CI 9.2 to 13.6; p<0.01). The 1 year rehospitalisation for CHF was lower in the 2016 cohort at 10.6% (CI 10.0 to 11.2) versus 16.7% (CI 14.0 to 19.4; p<0.001), but the 2 year rate was not significantly different at 19.3% (CI 17.7 to 20.9) versus 20.7% (CI 16.4 to 24.9; p=0.55). After adjustment for covariates with two models, the 1 year mortality increased by 2.3% (CI 0.8 to 3.7; p<0.01) and 4.1% (CI 2.6 to 5.6; p<0.001) in the 2016 cohort. The 2 year adjusted mortality also increased by 4.2% (CI 2.0 to 6.4; p<0.001) and 6.5% (CI 4.2 to 8.7; p<0.001) in the 2016 cohort. The risk adjusted trends for rehospitalisation for CHF were similar to the unadjusted findings. CONCLUSIONS: Despite prior improvements in STEMI outcomes in the reperfusion era related to the broad adoption of timely PCI, there is a persistent high mortality and CHF burden in Medicare beneficiaries with anterior STEMI. New strategies that address reperfusion injury and enhance myocardial salvage are needed.

Differences in Treatment Patterns and Outcomes of Acute Myocardial Infarction for Low- and High-Income Patients in 6 Countries.

Importance: Differences in the organization and financing of health systems may produce more or less equitable outcomes for advantaged vs disadvantaged populations. We compared treatments and outcomes of older high- and low-income patients across 6 countries. Objective: To determine whether treatment patterns and outcomes for patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction differ for low- vs high-income individuals across 6 countries. Design, Setting, and Participants: Serial cross-sectional cohort study of all adults aged 66 years or older hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction from 2013 through 2018 in the US, Canada, England, the Netherlands, Taiwan, and Israel using population-representative administrative data. Exposures: Being in the top and bottom quintile of income within and across countries. Main Outcomes and Measures: Thirty-day and 1-year mortality; secondary outcomes included rates of cardiac catheterization and revascularization, length of stay, and readmission rates. Results: We studied 289 376 patients hospitalized with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and 843 046 hospitalized with non-STEMI (NSTEMI). Adjusted 30-day mortality generally was 1 to 3 percentage points lower for high-income patients. For instance, 30-day mortality among patients admitted with STEMI in the Netherlands was 10.2% for those with high income vs 13.1% for those with low income (difference, -2.8 percentage points [95% CI, -4.1 to -1.5]). One-year mortality differences for STEMI were even larger than 30-day mortality, with the highest difference in Israel (16.2% vs 25.3%; difference, -9.1 percentage points [95% CI, -16.7 to -1.6]). In all countries, rates of cardiac catheterization and percutaneous coronary intervention were higher among high- vs low-income populations, with absolute differences ranging from 1 to 6 percentage points (eg, 73.6% vs 67.4%; difference, 6.1 percentage points [95% CI, 1.2 to 11.0] for percutaneous intervention in England for STEMI). Rates of coronary artery bypass graft surgery for patients with STEMI in low- vs high-income strata were similar but for NSTEMI were generally 1 to 2 percentage points higher among high-income patients (eg, 12.5% vs 11.0% in the US; difference, 1.5 percentage points [95% CI, 1.3 to 1.8 ]). Thirty-day readmission rates generally also were 1 to 3 percentage points lower and hospital length of stay generally was 0.2 to 0.5 days shorter for high-income patients. Conclusions and Relevance: High-income individuals had substantially better survival and were more likely to receive lifesaving revascularization and had shorter hospital lengths of stay and fewer readmissions across almost all countries. Our results suggest that income-based disparities were present even in countries with universal health insurance and robust social safety net systems.

Association of Medicare Advantage vs Traditional Medicare With 30-Day Mortality Among Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Importance: Medicare Advantage health plans covered 37% of beneficiaries in 2018, and coverage increased to 48% in 2022. Whether Medicare Advantage plans provide similar care for patients presenting with specific clinical conditions is unknown. Objective: To compare 30-day mortality and treatment for Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction (MI) from 2009 to 2018. Design, Setting, and Participants: Retrospective cohort study that included 557 309 participants with ST-segment elevation [acute] MI (STEMI) and 1 670 193 with non-ST-segment elevation [acute] MI (NSTEMI) presenting to US hospitals from 2009-2018 (date of final follow up, December 31, 2019). Exposures: Enrollment in Medicare Advantage vs traditional Medicare. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was adjusted 30-day mortality. Secondary outcomes included age- and sex-adjusted rates of procedure use (catheterization, revascularization), postdischarge medication prescriptions and adherence, and measures of health system performance (intensive care unit [ICU] admission and 30-day readmissions). Results: The study included a total of 2 227 502 participants, and the mean age in 2018 ranged from 76.9 years (Medicare Advantage STEMI) to 79.3 years (traditional Medicare NSTEMI), with similar proportions of female patients in Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare (41.4% vs 41.9% for STEMI in 2018). Enrollment in Medicare Advantage vs traditional Medicare was associated with significantly lower adjusted 30-day mortality rates in 2009 (19.1% vs 20.6% for STEMI; difference, -1.5 percentage points [95% CI, -2.2 to -0.7] and 12.0% vs 12.5% for NSTEMI; difference, -0.5 percentage points [95% CI, -0.9% to -0.1%]). By 2018, mortality had declined in all groups, and there were no longer statically significant differences between Medicare Advantage (17.7%) and traditional Medicare (17.8%) for STEMI (difference, 0.0 percentage points [95% CI, -0.7 to 0.6]) or between Medicare Advantage (10.9%) and traditional Medicare (11.1%) for NSTEMI (difference, -0.2 percentage points [95% CI, -0.4 to 0.1]). By 2018, there was no statistically significant difference in standardized 90-day revascularization rates between Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare. Rates of guideline-recommended medication prescriptions were significantly higher in Medicare Advantage (91.7%) vs traditional Medicare patients (89.0%) who received a statin prescription (difference, 2.7 percentage points [95% CI, 1.2 to 4.2] for 2018 STEMI). Medicare Advantage patients were significantly less likely to be admitted to an ICU than traditional Medicare patients (for 2018 STEMI, 50.3% vs 51.2%; difference, -0.9 percentage points [95% CI, -1.8 to 0.0]) and significantly more likely to be discharged to home rather than to a postacute facility (for 2018 STEMI, 71.5% vs 70.2%; difference, 1.3 percentage points [95% CI, 0.5 to 2.1]). Adjusted 30-day readmission rates were consistently lower in Medicare Advantage than in traditional Medicare (for 2009 STEMI, 13.8% vs 15.2%; difference, -1.3 percentage points [95% CI, -2.0 to -0.6]; and for 2018 STEMI, 11.2% vs 11.9%; difference, 0.6 percentage points [95% CI, -1.5 to 0.0]). Conclusions and Relevance: Among Medicare beneficiaries with acute MI, enrollment in Medicare Advantage, compared with traditional Medicare, was significantly associated with modestly lower rates of 30-day mortality in 2009, and the difference was no longer statistically significant by 2018. These findings, considered with other outcomes, may provide insight into differences in treatment and outcomes by Medicare insurance type.

Race-Ethnic Differences of ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction: Findings from a New York Health System Registry.

Background: Race and ethnicity are major considerations in the incidence, management, and long-term outcome of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in the United States, but there is limited existing comparative data. Methods: We assembled a registry in a health system serving Bronx, NY of STEMI patients from 2008-2014 and analyzed differences in presentation, treatment and mortality between Hispanic/Latino (H/L), non-Hispanic Black (NHB) and non-Hispanic White (NHW). Upon discharge post-treatment for STEMI, all patients were followed for a median of 4.4 years (interquartile range 2.5, 6.0). Out of 966 STEMI patients, mean age was 61 years, 46% were H/L and 65% were male. H/Ls and NHBs had a higher prevalence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus than their NHW counterparts, coinciding with a lower socioeconomic status (SES). Results: The number of critically diseased vessels found at cardiac catheterization and mean troponin levels did not vary by race-ethnicity; neither did the adjusted hazard ratios (HR) for death. However, age-sex adjusted rates of general hospital readmission were higher in NHBs vs NHWs (HR 1.30, P=.03). Age-sex adjusted cardiovascular readmissions rates were higher in H/Ls than NHWs (HR 1.42, P=.03). Age-sex adjusted heart failure readmissions were increased for both H/Ls (HR 2.14, P=.01) and NHBs (HR 2.12, P=.02) over NHWs. Conclusions: Among STEMI patients, a higher prevalence of modifiable cardiovascular risk factors and a lower SES was seen among NHBs and H/Ls compared to NHWs. Despite similar coronary disease severity and in-hospital death, NHBs and H/Ls had a greater risk of general, cardiovascular and heart failure readmissions post-STEMI compared to NHWs.

Índice leucoglucémico en pacientes con infarto miocárdico con elevación del ST / Leuko-glycemic index in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction

Introducción: la mortalidad asociada a infarto del miocardio (IM) no solo se debe a complicaciones cardiovasculares, sino también a complicaciones intrahospitalarias no cardiovasculares (CIHNC). El índice leuco-glucémico (ILG) se ha utilizado como un marcador pronóstico para el desarrollo de complicaciones cardiovasculares en el IM. Centramos este estudio en identificar el punto de corte de ILG para el desarrollo de CIHNC en pacientes con infarto de miocardio con elevación del segmento ST (IAMCEST). Material y métodos: en este diseño de un solo centro y transversal, incluimos pacientes con IAMCEST. El análisis bioquímico incluyó glucosa y leucocitos; se calculó ILG. Se realizaron análisis univariados y bivariados, curva ROC y análisis multivariado para el desarrollo de IAMCEST. Resultados: incluimos 1294 pacientes, 79.8% hombres y 20.2% mujeres. Las principales comorbilidades fueron: hipertensión arterial sistémica, diabetes mellitus y dislipidemia. Seiscientos cuarenta y cuatro pacientes (49.8%) presentaron CIHNC. El ILG > 1200 con área bajo la curva (AUC) 0.817 predice el desarrollo de CIHNC en pacientes con IAMCEST. Las variables que aumentaron el desarrollo de CIHNC fueron: ILG > 1200, creatinina > 0.91 mg/dL, diabetes mellitus y edad > 65 años. La neumonía intrahospitalaria y las complicaciones cardiovasculares aumentaron el riesgo de muerte entre los pacientes con IAMCEST. Conclusión: un LGI > 1200 aumentó más de nueve veces el riesgo de desarrollo de CIHNC en pacientes con IAMCEST.

Background: The myocardial infarction-associated (MI) mortality is not only due cardiovascular complications, but intrahospital non-cardiovascular complications (IHnCVCs). The leuko-glycemic index (LGI) has been used as a prognostic marker for the development of cardiovascular complications in MI. We focused this study on identifying the cut-off point of LGI for the IHnCVCs development in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).Material and methods: In this single-center and cross-sectional design, we included patients with STEMI. The biochemical analysis included glucose and leucocytes; with them we calculated the LGI. Receiver operating characteristic curve, univariate and bivariate analysis, and multivariate analysis for IHnCVCs development were performed. A p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: We included 1294 patients, 79.8% were men and 20.2% women. The main comorbidities were hypertension, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia. Six hundred forty-four (49.8%) patients presented IHNCVCs. The LGI > 1200 (AUC 0.817) predict the IHNCVCs development in STEMI patients. The variables that increased the IHNCVCs development were LGI > 1200, creatinine > 0.91 mg/dL, diabetes mellitus and age > 65 years. Hospital acquired pneumonia and cardiovascular complications increase the risk of death among STEMI patients. Conclusion: A LGI > 1200 increased, just over nine times, the risk of IHnCVC development in STEMI patients.

Prognostic Value of Normal Thyroid Stimulating Hormone in Long-Term Mortality in Patients With STEMI.

Background: Although within the normal range, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels are associated with cardio-metabolic disorders and have an effect on the cardiovascular system. The aim of our study was to assess the prognostic value of normal TSH on long-term mortality in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods: Consecutive STEMI patients who had a TSH level within the normal range (0.55-4.78 µIU/ml) were enrolled from November 2013 to December 2018. Patients were stratified into three groups depending on the tertile of TSH level, and all-cause mortality and cardiac death were compared. TSH concentrations associated with risk of all-cause mortality were evaluated in a continuous scale (restricted cubic splines) and the Cox proportional hazards regression model. Results: A total of 1,203 patients with STEMI were eligible for analysis. During a median follow-up of 39 months, patients in the 3rd tertile group had higher all-cause mortality (20.1% vs. 12.2% and 14.3%, p = 0.006) and cardiac death (15.4% vs. 7.7% and 12.3%, p = 0.001) as compared to the 1st and 2nd tertile groups. The Cox proportional hazards model showed that TSH was an independent predictor on long-term all-cause mortality (HR: 1.248, 95% CI: 1.046-1.490, p = 0.014). However, subgroup analysis indicated that TSH (HR: 1.313, 95% CI: 1.063-1.623, p = 0.012) was only significantly associated with long-term all-cause mortality in the patients without emergency reperfusion therapy. Restricted cubic spline analyses showed a linear relationship between TSH concentrations and all-cause mortality (P for non-linearity = 0.659). Conclusions: A Higher TSH level - even in a normal range is associated with long-term mortality in patients with STEMI, proposing an additional indication to identify STEMI patients with poor prognosis.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Patients Without COVID-19 With Acute Myocardial Infarction and Heart Failure.

Background Excess mortality from cardiovascular disease during the COVID-19 pandemic has been reported. The mechanism is unclear but may include delay or deferral of care, or differential treatment during hospitalization because of strains on hospital capacity. Methods and Results We used emergency department and inpatient data from a 12-hospital health system to examine changes in volume, patient age and comorbidities, treatment (right- and left-heart catheterization), and outcomes for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and heart failure (HF) during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with pre-COVID-19 (2018 and 2019), controlling for seasonal variation. We analyzed 27 427 emergency department visits or hospitalizations. Patient volume decreased during COVID-19 for both HF and AMI, but age, race, sex, and medical comorbidities were similar before and during COVID-19 for both groups. Acuity increased for AMI as measured by the proportion of patients with ST-segment elevation. There were no differences in right-heart catheterization for patients with HF or in left heart catheterization for patients with AMI. In-hospital mortality increased for AMI during COVID-19 (odds ratio [OR], 1.46; 95% CI, 1.21-1.76), particularly among the ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction subgroup (OR, 2.57; 95% CI, 2.24-2.96), but was unchanged for HF (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.89-1.16). Conclusions Cardiovascular volume decreased during COVID-19. Despite similar patient age and comorbidities and in-hospital treatments during COVID-19, mortality increased for patients with AMI but not patients with HF. Given that AMI is a time-sensitive condition, delay or deferral of care rather than changes in hospital care delivery may have led to worse cardiovascular outcomes during COVID-19.

Acute Myocardial Infarction and Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: What does the Epidemiological Data of the Last Years Indicate?

Abstract Background: ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) is a pathological process that involves cardiac muscle tissue death. Intravenous thrombolysis with fibrinolytics or primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), an invasive technique, can be performed for tissue revascularization. PCI has been preferred as compared to non-invasive methods, although few studies have described its use in Brazil. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to analyze data on the use of primary PCI and investigate the relevance of hospitalizations for the treatment of STEMI in the country. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional analysis of data from the Brazilian Unified Health system (SUS) Department of Informatics (DATASUS) from 2010 to 2019 was conducted. Results: Hospitalizations for STEMI represented 0.6% of all hospital admissions in Brazil in the analyzed period, 0.9% of hospital costs, and 2.1% of deaths. The number of hospitalizations due to STEMI was 659,811, and 82,793 for PCIs. Length of hospital stay was 36.0% shorter and mortality rate was 53.3% lower in PCI. The mean cost of PCI was 3.5-fold higher than for treatment of STEMI. Conclusions: Data on hospitalizations for STEMI treatment in Brazil revealed high hospitalization and mortality rates, elevated costs, and long hospital stay. Although primary PCI is a more expensive and less used technique than other methods, it can reduce the length of hospital stay and mortality in the treatment of STEMI.

Reasons for reperfusion delay in ST-elevation myocardial infarction and their impact on mortality.

AIMS: The impact of reperfusion delay in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is well known. We aimed to describe the specific reasons for delay to primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI), and their impact on mortality after adjusting for confounders, using the first-medical-contact-to-device (FMCTD) time to measure the delay. METHODS: Between January 2006 and December 2019, 2149 STEMI patients underwent pPCI at our centre. Delayed pPCI was defined as FMCTD > 90 min or > 120 min in the case of inter-hospital transfer. The causes of delay were classified as system-related (related to the network organization) or patient-related (related to the clinical condition of the patient). Primary outcome was 1-year all-cause mortality. RESULTS: The pPCI was timely in 69.9% of patients, delayed for system-related causes in 16.4% or for patient-related causes in 13.7%. Different patient-related causes induced variable median FMCTD time (from 114 min for technically difficult pPCI to 159 min for ECG and/or symptom resolution). By multivariable Cox-regression models, the main independent risk factors for mortality were delay due to comorbidities [hazard ratio (HR) 2.19 (1.22-3.91)], or hemodynamic instability [HR 2.05 (1.25-3.38)], after adjusting for Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events risk score tertiles and angiographic success. The difference in risk of mortality is maintained over the entire spectrum of time from symptom onset. CONCLUSIONS: Different causes of delay had different impacts on mortality, generally more important than the length of the delay. Causes of delay such as hemodynamic instability and comorbidities should prompt specific programs of performance improvement. Timely pPCI maintains prognostic advantages after several hours from symptom onset, mandating prompt reperfusion also in late-presenter patients.