Trends in acute myocardial infarction mortality in the European Union, 2012-2020

AIMS

To assess the sex- and age-specific trends in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) mortality in the modern European Union (EU-27) member states between years 2012 and 2020.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Data on cause-specific deaths and population numbers by sex for each country of the EU-27 were retrieved through a publicly available European Statistical Office (EUROSTAT) dataset for the years 2012 to 2020. AMI-related deaths were ascertained when codes for AMI (ICD-10 codes I21.0-I22.0) were listed as the underlying cause of death in the medical death certificate. Deaths occurring before the age of 65 years were defined as premature deaths. To calculate annual trends, we assessed the average annual percent change (AAPC) with relative 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using joinpoint regression. During the study period, 1 793 314 deaths (1 048 044 males and 745 270 females) occurred in the EU-27 due to of AMI. The proportion of AMI-related deaths per 1000 total deaths decline from 5.0% to 3.5% both in the entire population (P for trend < 0.001) and in males or females, separately. Joinpoint regression analysis revealed a continuous linear decrease in age-adjusted AMI-related mortality from 2012 to 2020 among EU-27 members [AAPC: -4.6% (95% CI: -5.1 to -4.0), P < 0.001]. The age-adjusted mortality rate showed a plateau in some Eastern European countries and was more pronounced in EU-27 females and in subjects aged ≥65 years.

CONCLUSION

Over the last decade, the age-adjusted AMI-related mortality has been continuously declining in most of the in EU-27 member states. However, some disparities still exist between western and eastern European countries.

Gender differences in long-term outcome after primary percutaneous intervention for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND

Previous studies on gender differences in outcome in patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) have been performed, but most of those are from before the current era of PCI technique and medical therapy and have a short duration of follow-up. The objective of our study is to assess the influence of gender on long-term outcome in patients with STEMI who underwent primary percutaneous intervention (PCI) between January 2006 and May 2008.

METHODS

Two-year follow-up data from 202 female and 668 male patients undergoing primary PCI for STEMI were available from the DEBATER (A Comparison of Drug Eluting and Bare Metal Stents for Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with or without Abciximab in ST-segment elevation Myocardial Infarction: The Eindhoven Reperfusion Study) trial database. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACE), defined as the composite of death, myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization.

RESULTS

Women were older (64.7 ± 11.7 vs. 59.0 ± 10.7; P < 0.001), and had more often diabetes mellitus (15% vs. 9%; P = 0.01) and hypertension (44% vs. 25%; P < 0.001). At two years, the rate of MACE was significantly higher in women (21% vs. 14%; P = 0.02). The mortality rate in women was 8% versus 2.6% in men (P < 0.001). However, multivariate analysis after adjustment for age and the baseline characteristics hypertension, smoking, diabetes mellitus, stent diameter, and time between onset of symptoms and arrival of the ambulance showed similar MACE and mortality rates in men and women.

CONCLUSION

Women have higher rates of both MACE and mortality after primary PCI for STEMI compared to men because of higher age with higher baseline risk profiles.