Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty in patients more than 75 years old: early and long-term results

Management of older persons after myocardial infarction

OBJECTIVE

To review the management of the older person after myocardial infarction (MI).

DATA SOURCES

A computer-assisted search of the English language literature (MEDLINE database) followed by a manual search of the bibliographies of pertinent articles.

STUDY SELECTION

Studies on the management of persons after MI were screened for review. Studies in persons older than 60 years and recent studies were emphasized.

DATA EXTRACTION

Pertinent data were extracted from the reviewed articles. Emphasis was on studies involving older persons. Relevant articles were reviewed in depth.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Available data about therapy of persons after MI, including control of risk factors, use of aspirin and beta-blockers, and indications for use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, long-term anticoagulant therapy, nitrates, calcium channel blockers, hormone replacement therapy, antiarrhythmic drugs, the automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, and revascularization, with emphasis on studies involving older persons, were summarized.

CONCLUSIONS

Risk factors for coronary artery disease should be controlled after MI in older persons. A serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol >125 mg/dL after MI should be treated with lipid-lowering drug therapy to decrease the serum LDL cholesterol to <100 mg/dL. Aspirin in a dose of 160 mg to 325 mg daily should be given indefinitely. Indications for long-term anticoagulant therapy with warfarin after MI to maintain an international normalized ratio between 2.0 and 3.0 include secondary prevention of MI in persons unable to tolerate daily aspirin, persistent atrial fibrillation, and left ventricular thrombus. Beta-blockers should be given indefinitely. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors should be given to persons who have congestive heart failure, an anterior MI, or a left ventricular ejection fraction < or = 40%. Calcium channel blockers should not be used unless there is persistent angina pectoris despite beta-blockers and nitrates. Antiarrhythmic drugs other than beta-blockers should not be used. An automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator should be used in persons who have a history of ventricular fibrillation or serious sustained ventricular tachycardia or who are at very high risk for developing sudden cardiac death. Until data from the Heart Estrogen/ Progestin Replacement Study are available, use of an estrogen/progestin regimen is recommended in the treatment of postmenopausal women after MI unless they are at increased risk for developing breast cancer. The two indications for revascularization in older persons after MI are prolongation of life and relief of unacceptable symptoms despite optimal medical management.

One-month results of coronary stenting in patients > or = 75 years of age

Coronary artery bypass operations are associated with increased morbidity and mortality in the elderly. Similarly, it has been shown that coronary angioplasty is associated with a higher risk of complications in the elderly than in younger patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the 1-month outcome of elderly patients (>75 years old) who were included in the Stenting without Coumadin French Registry. From December 1992 to March 1995, 2,900 patients (mean age 61+/-11 years) were included in this registry. All patients were treated with ticlopidine (250 to 500 mg/day) for 1 month from the day of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, aspirin (100 to 250 mg/day) for >6 months, and low-molecular-weight heparin (antiXa 0.5 to 1 IU/ml) for 1 month in phase II, 15 days in phase III, and 7 days in phase IV. No heparin was given in phase V. The study group included 233 patients (8.0%) > 75 years old (mean age 79+/-4), 44 (18%) of whom were women. All patients underwent dilatation of a native coronary vessel. One hundred seventeen had unstable angina (50.2%), 20 had postmyocardial infarction ischemia (8.6%), and 6 had acute myocardial infarction (2.6%). Indications for stenting were de novo lesion in 63 patients (27.0%), restenosis in 38 (16.3%), suboptimal result in 48 (20.6%), nonocclusive dissection in 56 (24.0%), and occlusive dissection in 28 (12.0%), respectively. Stented coronary arteries were the left anterior descending in 109 (46.8%), the right in 80 (34.3%), the left circumflex in 40 (17.2%), and the left main in 4 (1.7%). Palmaz-Schatz stents were used in 228 patients (82.0%), AVE microstents in 38 (13.7%), and other stents in 12 (4.3%). More than 1 stent was used in 48 patients (17.3%). The mean diameter of the balloon used for stenting was 3.31+/-0.38 mm and maximal inflation pressure was 12.2+/-2.9 atm. At one-month follow-up, vascular complications occurred in 5 patients, requiring surgery in 2 (1.3%), acute closure occurred in 1 (0.4%), subacute closure in 3 (1.3%), emergency or planned coronary artery bypass graft surgery in none, acute myocardial infarction in 4 (1.7%), stroke in 1 (0.4%), and death in 8 (3.4%). The composite end point of a major cardiac event was observed in 13 cases (5.6%). Coronary stenting using ticlopidine and aspirin appears to be a particularly safe approach in this high-risk subset.

Angioscopic predictors of early adverse outcome after coronary angioplasty in patients with unstable angina and non-Q-wave myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND

Clinical and angiographic criteria have a limited ability to predict adverse outcome in patients with unstable angina who are undergoing percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). We investigated whether the use of angioscopy can improve prediction of early adverse outcome after PTCA.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Angioscopic characterization of the culprit lesion was performed before PTCA in 32 patients with unstable angina and 10 with non-Q-wave infarction. Seven patients (17%) had an adverse outcome (myocardial infarction, repeat PTCA, or need for coronary artery bypass graft surgery) within 24 hours after PTCA. Six of 18 patients with a yellow culprit lesion had an adverse outcome compared with 1 of 24 in whom the culprit lesion was white (P = .03). Six of 20 patients with plaque disruption suffered an adverse outcome compared with 1 of 22 with nondisrupted plaques (P = .04). Six of 17 patients with intraluminal thrombus had an adverse outcome, whereas only 1 of 25 patients without thrombus suffered an adverse outcome (P = .01). Yellow color, disruption, and thrombus at the culprit lesion site were associated with an eightfold increase in risk of adverse outcome after PTCA. The prediction of PTCA outcome based on characteristics of the plaque that were identifiable by angioscopy was superior to that estimated by the use of angiographic variables.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with unstable angina and non-Q-wave infarction, angioscopic features of disruption, yellow color, or thrombus at the culprit lesion site can identify patients at high risk of early adverse outcome after PTCA. Angioscopy was superior to angiography for prediction of PTCA outcome.

Changing outcome of angioplasty in the elderly

OBJECTIVES

This study sought to determine whether in-hospital and intermediate-term posthospital outcomes have changed in elderly patients undergoing percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty from the period 1980 through 1989 to the period 1990 through 1992.

BACKGROUND

Although elderly patients have a higher incidence of procedure-related deaths and late recurrence of angina after coronary angioplasty, recent complication rates for angioplasty seem to be lower.

METHODS

From 1980 to 1989, 982 patients > or = 65 years old underwent nonemergent coronary angioplasty (group A). They were compared with 768 similar patients who had coronary angioplasty from 1990 to 1992 (group B).

RESULTS

Patients in group B were older than those in group A and had a higher mean concomitant disease score, a higher proportion of men and a greater proportion of patients with a previous myocardial infarction and previous coronary artery bypass surgery. Despite the increased complexity of the group B cohort, procedural success rates were higher, and rates of important in-hospital complications were much lower than those in group A. For group A versus group B, respectively, the technical success rate was 88.1% versus 93.5% (p < 0.001), in-hospital death rate 3.3% versus 1.4% (p = 0.014), emergency bypass surgery rate 5.5% versus 0.65% (p < 0.001) and incidence of in-hospital death or myocardial infarction 6.3% versus 3.4% (p < 0.005). However, intermediate-term posthospital event-free rates in hospital survivors did not decrease. The rate of death or myocardial infarction at 6 months was 4.7% in group A versus 7.1% in group B (p < 0.05). Survival free of acute myocardial infarction, bypass surgery, repeat coronary angioplasty or severe angina at 1 year was 66.7% in group A versus 54.9% in group B (p < 0.001). The combined in-hospital death/myocardial infarction rate plus that for the first 6 months after hospital dismissal was essentially equivalent for the two groups (10.3% vs. 9.9%, p = NS).

CONCLUSIONS

An increase in technical success rates and a reduction in short-term complication rates for coronary angioplasty in the elderly in recent years have not translated into an improved event-free survival rate, which continues to be influenced by important baseline characteristics of these high risk patients.

Long-term follow-up after coronary angioplasty in patients younger than 40 years of age

Over an 11-year period, the initial and late outcomes of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) were studied in 140 consecutive patients younger than 40 years of age (mean, 34 +/- 3 years; range, 23 to 39 years; 132 men). Before the procedure, 28% of the patients had unstable angina, and 44% had a history of prior myocardial infarction. Mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 64% +/- 10%, and 75% of the patients had one-vessel disease. Primary success was 86% (77% for the first 70 patients vs 93% for the last 70, p < 0.02). Complications were nine periprocedural myocardial infarctions, eight emergency coronary surgical procedures, and no deaths. During follow-up (mean, 6 +/- 3 years; range, 1 to 12 years), 39 (28%) of the 104 patients who had repeat coronary angiography had angiographic restenosis (all < 6 months after PTCA). Late events were 13 elective coronary surgical procedures (11 for restenosis, one for failed PTCA, and one for progression of coronary artery disease), 13 PTCAs on a new site, five deaths, and four nonfatal myocardial infarctions. Ten-year survival was 96% +/- 1%, and 10-year event-free survival (without myocardial infarction, elective coronary surgery, or repeat PTCA) was 58% +/- 6%. Among survivors, 88% were free of angina, and 93% had returned to work. In patients younger than 40 years of age, PTCA yields excellent long-term survival, provided that the eventuality of repeat procedures during the first months is accepted. In addition, PTCA for progression on a new site is not unusual after several years.

Predicting early and intermediate-term outcome of coronary angioplasty in the elderly

BACKGROUND

Although the technical success rate of coronary angioplasty in the elderly in high, very old patients have increased risk of procedure-related death and late recurrence of severe angina. We proposed to determine baseline variables that predict early and intermediate-term failure of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) in patients more than 65 so we could effectively stratify risk.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We studied 982 patients at least 65 years old who had urgent or elective PTCA (1980 through 1990). Follow-up (mean, 25 months) was obtained for all patients. Multiple baseline variables were analyzed with univariate and multivariate logistic regression to select independent ones to fit predictive models for in-hospital death or myocardial infarction (overall rate, 6.3%), total in-hospital adverse outcome (overall rate, 18.7%), cumulative survival free of myocardial infarction (overall rate, 15% at 3 years), and cumulative survival free of late nonfatal myocardial infarction, bypass surgery, repeat PTCA, or recurrent severe angina (overall rate, 47% at 3 years). The most heavily weighted parameter in the probability regression equation for each end point was the number of diseased coronary artery segments with at least 70% stenosis. Advanced age was less important. The number of concomitant medical illnesses was predictive of late outcome but not early in-hospital events. Lowest risk quintile versus highest risk quintile event rate was 2.9% versus 14% for acute myocardial infarction or death and 17.2% versus 29% for cumulative in-hospital events. For posthospital events at 3 years' follow-up, lowest risk quintile death or myocardial infarction rate was 4% versus 33% for highest risk quintile. For cumulative late adverse events at 3 years, the event rate was 28% versus 63% for the highest risk quintile.

CONCLUSIONS

These results stratify patients at high and low risk of early and intermediate-term success after PTCA and identify elderly patients in whom PTCA is most appropriate.