Association between comorbidities and absence of chest pain in acute coronary syndrome with in-hospital outcome

Symptomology, Outcomes and Risk Factors of Acute Coronary Syndrome Presentations without Cardiac Chest Pain: A Scoping Review

For patients experiencing acute coronary syndrome, early symptom recognition is paramount; this is challenging without chest pain presentation. The aims of this scoping review were to collate definitions, proportions, symptoms, risk factors and outcomes for presentations without cardiac chest pain. Full-text peer reviewed articles covering acute coronary syndrome symptoms without cardiac chest pain were included. MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus and Embase were systematically searched from 2000 to April 2023 with adult and English limiters; 41 articles were selected from 2,954. Dyspnoea was the most reported (n=39) and most prevalent symptom (11.6-72%). Neurological symptoms, fatigue/weakness, nausea/ vomiting, atypical chest pain and diaphoresis were also common. Advancing age appeared independently associated with presentations without cardiac chest pain; however, findings were mixed regarding other risk factors (sex and diabetes). Patients without cardiac chest pain had worse outcomes: increased mortality, morbidity, greater prehospital and intervention delays and suboptimal use of guideline driven care. There is a need for structured data collection, analysis and interpretation.

Closing the sex gap in cardiovascular mortality by achieving both horizontal and vertical equity

Addressing sex differences and disparities in coronary heart disease (CHD) involves achieving both horizontal and vertical equity in healthcare. Horizontal equity in the context of CHD means that both men and women with comparable health statuses should have equal access to diagnosis, treatment, and management of CHD. To achieve this, it is crucial to promote awareness among the general public about the signs and symptoms of CHD in both sexes, so that both women and men may seek timely medical attention. Women often face inequity in the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Current guidelines do not differ based on sex, but their applications based on gender do differ. Vertical equity means tailoring healthcare to allow equitable care for all. Steps towards achieving this include developing treatment protocols and guidelines that consider the unique aspects of CHD in women. It also requires implementing guidelines equally, when there is not sex difference rather than inequities in application of guideline directed care.

The Role of Vasospasm and Microcirculatory Dysfunction in Fluoropyrimidine-Induced Ischemic Heart Disease

Cardiovascular diseases and cancer are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Cardiotoxicity from chemotherapeutic agents results in substantial morbidity and mortality in cancer survivors and patients with active cancer. Cardiotoxicity induced by 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) has been well established, yet its incidence, mechanisms, and manifestation remain poorly defined. Ischemia secondary to coronary artery vasospasm is thought to be the most frequent cardiotoxic effect of 5-FU. The available evidence of 5-FU-induced epicardial coronary artery spasm and coronary microvascular dysfunction suggests that endothelial dysfunction or primary vascular smooth muscle dysfunction (an endothelial-independent mechanism) are the possible contributing factors to this form of cardiotoxicity. In patients with 5-FU-related coronary artery vasospasm, termination of chemotherapy and administration of nitrates or calcium channel blockers may improve ischemic symptoms. However, there are variable results after administration of nitrates or calcium channel blockers in patients treated with 5-FU presumed to have myocardial ischemia, suggesting mechanisms other than impaired vasodilatory response. Clinicians should investigate whether chest pain and ECG changes can reasonably be attributed to 5-FU-induced cardiotoxicity. More prospective data and clinical randomized trials are required to understand and mitigate potentially adverse outcomes from 5-FU-induced cardiotoxicity.

Characteristic differences of chest pain in male and female patients with acute coronary syndrome: A pilot study

Background: The typical sign or main symptom in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients is chest pain, which is an initial benchmark or early sign for diagnosis. Certain factors, such as gender differences, the presence of diabetes mellitus or other clinical conditions, may make the patient not realize they have ACS. Therefore, this study aims to identify the characteristics of chest pain symptoms in male and female patients with ACS.

Design and Methods: This is a non-experimental quantitative study, namely analytical observation using a cross-sectional approach within 4 months (January-April 2019). Furthermore, the samples were 53 ACS patients (28 male and 25 female).

Results: The chest pain characteristics that have a significant relationship with gender differences in ACS patients are shown based on the aspects of location, pain duration and quality. Male patients are more likely to feel pain at the left or middle chest, the duration is between <20 to >20 min with moderate pain quality, which tends to become severe, while females are more likely to feel pain at the chest which radiates to the neck and chin, the duration is usually >20 min, with mild to moderate pain quality.

Conclusions: The result showed a significant difference in chest pain characteristics in male and female patients with ACS. Regarding location, duration and quality of chest pain, male ACS patients mostly have more typical symptoms, while females’ symptoms are atypical.

Gender Differences in Residual Risk Factors for Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events Following ACS and How to Bridge the Gap

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The review aims to describe the differences between men and women in those factors that can influence a worse prognosis in women after an acute cardiovascular event.

RECENT FINDINGS

Women adequately treated with current evidence-based medications for acute myocardial infarction and for conventional cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypertension, diabetes, smoking, and dyslipidemia, still have an extra risk of death compared with men. Additional factors that increase the risk of poor prognosis for the index event have been identified. The residual risk can be due to factors affecting the prognosis of the women from outside (they are external to the patient's body) and also to factors that, on the contrary, belong to the female body (female being/female sex). The review will give an update on those residual risk factors, including young age, vulnerability for de novo heart failure, time from symptom onset to treatment, heath care delivered during the weekend, and depression, which generally negatively influence the outcome of women with an acute myocardial infarction.

Comparison of Outcomes in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome Presenting With Typical Versus Atypical Symptoms

Although typical chest pain is an important clinical feature required for diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), many patients present with atypical complaints. The full extent and implication of this presentation is largely unknown. The study aim was to evaluate possible relations and temporal trends between presenting symptoms and outcomes in patients with ACS. Data was obtained from the Acute Coronary Syndrome Israeli Survey on patients presenting with typical chest pain versus atypical complaints, including dyspnea, nonspecific chest pain, palpitations or other. Temporal trends analysis examined the early (2000 to 2006) versus the late (2008 to 2016) period. During 2000 to 2016, 14,722 patients with ACS were enrolled; 11,508 (79%) presented with typical chest pain and 3,214 (21%) with atypical complaints. Patients with atypical complaints were older, majority female, and had more co-morbidities (p <0.001 for each). The 30-day major adverse cardiac events, 30-day mortality, and 1-year mortality rate were significantly higher in patients presenting with atypical complaints, (18% vs 13.5%, 7.7% vs 3.6%, and 15.6% vs 7.5%, respectively, p <0.001 for each). Although 1-year mortality decreased significantly over the years in patients with typical chest pain, there were no significant changes in patients who presented with atypical complaints. These results were consistent in STEMI and non-STE-ACS patients. In conclusion, ACS patients who present with atypical complaints have a less favorable outcome compared with patients who present with typical chest pain, and failed to show an improvement in mortality over the past 2 decades. Identification and utilization of guideline-recommended therapies in these high-risk patients may improve their future outcome.

Prognostic implications of troponin I elevation in emergency department patients with tachyarrhythmia

Background

Tachyarrhythmias are very common in emergency medicine, and little is known about the long‐term prognostic implications of troponin I levels in these patients.

Hypothesis

This study aimed to investigate the correlation of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) levels and long‐term prognosis in patients admitted to the emergency department (ED) with a primary diagnosis of tachyarrhythmia.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted between January 2012 and December 2013, enrolling patients admitted to the ED with a primary diagnosis of tachyarrhythmia and having documented cTnI measurements. Clinical characteristics and 5‐year all‐cause mortality were analyzed.

Results

Of a total of 222 subjects with a primary diagnosis of tachyarrhythmia, 73 patients had elevated levels of cTnI (32.9%). Patients with elevated cTnI levels were older and presented significantly more cardiovascular risk factors. At the 5‐year follow‐up, mortality was higher among patients with elevated cTnI levels (log‐rank test P < 0.001). In the multivariable Cox regression analysis, elevated cTnI was an independent predictor of all‐cause death (hazard ratio, 1.95, 95% confidence interval: 1.08‐3.50, P = 0.026), in addition to age and prior heart failure.

Conclusion

Patients admitted to the ED with a primary diagnosis of tachyarrhythmia and high cTnI levels have higher long‐term mortality rates than patients with low cTnI levels. cTnI is thus a biomarker with predictive capacity for mortality in late follow‐up, conferring utility in the risk stratification of this population.

Prognostic implications of peripheral artery disease in coronary artery disease

Prevalence of peripheral arterial disease in patients with coronary artery disease is considerably higher than in the general population. A graded increase in the risk of major cardiovascular events in a variety of clinical settings is associated with the number of arterial beds affected by peripheral arterial disease. This is not surprising, considering that both coronary artery disease and peripheral arterial disease are linked to a higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and a greater incidence of atherosclerotic burden. Aggressive lipid lowering therapy is associated with less coronary and peripheral arterial disease progression and greater regression. On the contrary, blood pressure therapy should be carefully managed, considering the association of both high and low values of pressure with adverse outcomes.

Atypical presentation of acute coronary syndrome (ACS): a case report

CASE

A 45-year-old man presented at the emergency department (ED) with stomach pain since eight days. The patient was not worried about his symptoms and requested only pain relief. The emergency physician requested a consult of the gastroenterologist. Clinical examination was unremarkable. However, 12-lead ECG and ischemic markers were suggestive of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) which led to admission at the cardiology department. Despite delayed presentation, the patient was still referred for urgent coronary angiogram after receiving heparin, ticagrelor and acetylsalicylic acid because of persistent pain. An acute occlusion of the posterior descending artery was visualized and a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with implantation of a drug-eluting stent was performed.

DISCUSSION

Atypical presentation of ACS can range from non-chest pain to an epileptic seizure. Risk factors for atypical presentation include female gender, old age, comorbidities and severe mental illness. Troponin testing plays a central role when confronted with ACS but has only limited added-value with non-chest pain ACS. In cohort studies 1-2.2% of diagnosis of ACS is missed by emergency physicians. Possible explanations include atypical symptoms, non-diagnostic ECG and failure to interpret subtle ECG changes. ACS without chest pain frequently gets underdiagnosed and undertreated, which leads to more complications and a higher in-hospital mortality rate.

Determinants of clinical presentation on outcomes in older patients with myocardial infarction

AIM

Myocardial infarction without chest pain misleads the clinician, resulting in a diagnosis delay and an increase of mortality. The main objective of the present study was to determine the risk factors of atypical presentation in older patients with myocardial infarction.

METHODS

All consecutive patients aged ≥75 years presenting with myocardial infarction and hospitalized in the cardiology intensive care unit were included in the present prospective multicenter observational study. All patients benefited from both specialized cardiac management and geriatric assessment.

RESULTS

A total of 215 consecutive patients were included. The mean age was 85 ± 6 years. A total of 142 patients (66%) had a typical presentation (i.e. chest pain) and 73 patients (34%) had an atypical clinical presentation (i.e. no chest pain). A total of 29 (13.5%) patients died within 30 days of the index hospitalization. Higher Cumulative Illness Rating Score-Geriatric severity index score (P = 0.019) and initial atrial fibrillation (P = 0.022) were predictive of 30-day all-cause mortality. Typical presentation (P = 0.010) was a protective factor of 30-day all-cause mortality. A Cumulative Illness Rating Score for Geriatrics total score increase (P = 0.0003) and residing in a nursing home (P = 0.024) emerged as independent risk factors for atypical presentation.

CONCLUSIONS

In "real-life" elderly patients, comorbidities influence the prognosis of myocardial infarction, but also clinical presentation. Identification of patients at risk of atypical presentation; that is, patients with multiple comorbid conditions, might help refine the prognostic value in older patients with myocardial infarction. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 1591-1596.

Sex differences in presenting symptoms of acute coronary syndrome: the EPIHeart cohort study

OBJECTIVES

Prompt diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remains a challenge, with presenting symptoms affecting the diagnosis algorithm and, consequently, management and outcomes. This study aimed to identify sex differences in presenting symptoms of ACS.

DESIGN

Data were collected within a prospective cohort study (EPIHeart).

SETTING

Patients with confirmed diagnosis of type 1 (primary spontaneous) ACS who were consecutively admitted to the Cardiology Department of two tertiary hospitals in Portugal between August 2013 and December 2014.

PARTICIPANTS

Presenting symptoms of 873 patients (227 women) were obtained through a face-to-face interview.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Typical pain was defined according to the definition of cardiology societies. Clusters of symptoms other than pain were identified by latent class analysis. Logistic regression was used to quantify differences in presentation of ACS symptoms by sex.

RESULTS

Chest pain was reported by 82% of patients, with no differences in frequency or location between sexes. Women were more likely to feel pain with an intensity higher than 8/10 and this association was stronger for patients aged under 65 years (interaction P=0.028). Referred pain was also more likely in women, particularly pain referred to typical and atypical locations simultaneously. The multiple symptoms cluster, which was characterised by a high probability of presenting with all symptoms, was almost fourfold more prevalent in women (3.92, 95% CI 2.21 to 6.98). Presentation with this cluster was associated with a higher 30-day mortality rate adjusted for the GRACE V.2.0 risk score (4.9% vs 0.9% for the two other clusters, P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

While there are no significant differences in the frequency or location of pain between sexes, women are more likely to feel pain of higher intensity and to present with referred pain and symptoms other than pain. Knowledge of these ACS presentation profiles is important for health policy decisions and clinical practice.

Acute Coronary Syndrome: The Risk to Young Women

BACKGROUND

Although acute coronary syndrome (ACS) mainly occurs in patients >50 years, younger patients can be affected as well. We used an age cutoff of 45 years to investigate clinical characteristics and outcomes of "young" patients with ACS.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Between October 2010 and April 2016, 14 931 patients with ACS were enrolled in the ISACS-TC (International Survey of Acute Coronary Syndromes in Transitional Countries) registry. Of these patients, 1182 (8%) were aged ≤45 years (mean age, 40.3 years; 15.8% were women). The primary end point was 30-day all-cause mortality. Percentage diameter stenosis of ≤50% was defined as insignificant coronary disease. ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction was the most common clinical manifestation of ACS in the young cases (68% versus 59.6%). Young patients had a higher incidence of insignificant coronary artery disease (11.4% versus 10.1%) and lesser extent of significant disease (single vessel, 62.7% versus 46.6%). The incidence of 30-day death was 1.3% versus 6.9% for the young and older patients, respectively. After correction for baseline and clinical differences, age ≤45 years was a predictor of survival in men (odds ratio, 0.24; 95% confidence interval, 0.10-0.58), but not in women (odds ratio, 1.35; 95% confidence interval, 0.50-3.62). This pattern of reversed risk among sexes held true after multivariable correction for in-hospital medications and reperfusion therapy. Moreover, younger women had worse outcomes than men of a similar age (odds ratio, 6.03; 95% confidence interval, 2.07-17.53).

CONCLUSION

ACS at a young age is characterized by less severe coronary disease and high prevalence of ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction. Women have higher mortality than men. Young age is an independent predictor of lower 30-day mortality in men, but not in women.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

URL: http://clinicaltrials.gov/. Unique identifier: NCT01218776.

Outcomes in Patients With Chest Pain Discharged After Evaluation Using a High-Sensitivity Troponin T Assay

BACKGROUND

Most patients with chest pain are discharged from the emergency department (ED) with the diagnosis "unspecified chest pain." It is unknown if evaluation with a high-sensitivity troponin T (hsTnT) assay affects prognosis in this large population.

OBJECTIVES

The aim was to investigate whether the introduction of an hsTnT assay is associated with reduced incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) and cardiovascular (CV) risk profile in patients with chest pain discharged from the ED.

METHODS

The study included 65,696 patients with "unspecified chest pain" discharged from 16 Swedish hospital EDs between 2006 and 2013 in which an hsTnT assay was introduced as the clinical routine. Patients evaluated with a conventional and an hsTnT assay were compared regarding the occurrence of 30-day MACE and CV risk profile based on information from national registries. Patients directly discharged and those discharged after an initial admission were analyzed separately.

RESULTS

Fewer directly discharged patients experienced a MACE when evaluated with an hsTnT compared with a conventional assay (0.6% vs. 0.9%; odds ratio [OR]: 0.7; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.57 to 0.83). In contrast, more patients discharged after an initial admission experienced a MACE when evaluated with an hsTnT (7.2% vs. 3.4%; OR: 2.18; 95% CI: 1.76 to 2.72). Admitted patients had a higher general CV risk profile when evaluated with hsTnT, whereas directly discharged patients had a lower general CV risk profile with the same test.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients directly discharged from the ED with unspecified chest pain experienced fewer MACEs and had a better risk profile when evaluated with hsTnT. Our findings suggest that more true at-risk patients were identified and admitted. The implementation of hsTnT assays in Swedish hospitals has improved evaluations in the ED.

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention in octogenarians

BACKGROUND

Limited data are available on the outcome of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in octogenarian patients, as the elderly are under-represented in randomized trials. This study aims to provide insights on clinical characteristics, management and outcome of the elderly and very elderly presenting with STEMI.

METHODS

2225 STEMI patients ≥70years old (mean age 76.8±5.1years and 53.8% men) were admitted into the network of the ISACS-TC registry. Of these patients, 72.8% were ≥70 to 79years old (elderly) and 27.2% were ≥80years old (very-elderly). The primary end-point was 30-day mortality.

RESULTS

Thirty-day mortality rates were 13.4% in the elderly and 23.9% in the very-elderly. Primary PCI decreased the unadjusted risk of death both in the elderly (OR: 0.32, 95% CI: 0.24-0.43) and very-elderly patients (OR: 0.45, 95% CI 0.30-0.68), without significant difference between groups. In the very-elderly hypertension and Killip class ≥2 were the only independent factors associated with mortality; whereas in the elderly female gender, prior stroke, chronic kidney disease and Killip class ≥2 were all factors independently associated with mortality. Factors associated with the lack of use of reperfusion were female gender and atypical chest pain in the very-elderly and in the elderly; in the elderly, however, there were some more factors, namely: history of diabetes, current smoking, prior stroke, Killip class ≥2 and history chronic kidney disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Age is relevant in the prognosis of STEMI, but its importance should not be considered secondary to other major clinical factors. Primary PCI appears to have beneficial effects in the octogenarian STEMI patients.

Tempos de acesso a serviços de saúde face ao infarto do miocárdio

Resumo Objetivo Analisar os tempos relacionados ao acesso de homens e mulheres com infarto do miocárdio a hospitais referência em cardiologia e a correlação entre eles. Métodos Pesquisa transversal, com 100 pessoas com infarto entrevistadas em hospitais referência em cardiologia. Dados analisados por estatística descritiva e inferencial, adotando-se significância estatística. Resultados Os tempos foram elevados (decisão para atendimento, chegada ao primeiro serviço de saúde, permanência na rede de atenção e admissão em hospitais referência em cardiologia), exceto o de transporte, sobretudo para mulheres. Houve maior contribuição do tempo de decisão na composição do tempo de chegada ao primeiro serviço de saúde e do tempo de permanência na rede na composição do tempo de chegada aos hospitais referência em cardiologia. Conclusão A longa espera por atenção especializada reflete a falta de estrutura dos serviços de saúde, e o tempo de decisão elevado reflete a falta do não reconhecimento do infarto pelos participantes.