Comparative assessment of clinical profile and outcomes after primary percutaneous coronary intervention in young patients with single vs multivessel disease

Young hearts at risk: Unveiling novel factors in myocardial infarction susceptibility and prevention

The increasing incidence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) among the young population represents a significant and emerging health concern, contributing substantially to both mortality and morbidity. Unlike myocardial infarctions occurring in older individuals, traditional risk factors such as diabetes and hypertension exhibit a weaker association in the younger demographic. Consequently, there is a pressing need for a deeper understanding of novel risk factors that contribute to AMI in young patients. In this review, we explore distinct risk factor profiles associated with young-onset AMI in comparison to older patients. Special attention is given to novel risk factors, examining their susceptibility factors and exploring preventive measures. The comprehensive risk profile of extremely young South Asians who develop early coronary arterial disease is not yet fully understood. There are many novel evolving risk factors associated with young AMI which need intervention to reduce morbidity and mortality. It has been seen that established inflammatory markers like lipoprotein (a), dyslipidaemia, long COVID, and new emerging risk factors like air pollution (micro- and nanoplastics), periodontitis, acute stress, energy drinks, misuse of recreational drugs may increase risk and influence treatment, and outcomes of AMI in this young population. Screening of emerging novel risk markers and their optimization is important in preventing young patients with AMI. The role of conventional risk factors should not be overlooked and should be treated aggressively. Sex and geographic-specific base approaches are required to reduce risk factors and prevent AMI in young. More prospective studies are needed to evaluate the increasing incidence of young AMI and its associated novel risk factors.

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction in Young Patients: A Single-Center Experience

Objective This study aimed to examine the clinical characteristics, risk factors, and outcomes of patients aged ≤45 years with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). Methods From January 2018 to March 2020, this retrospective observational study took place at a tertiary cardiac center in Bahrain. We included patients aged ≤45 years who were admitted with STEMI and had primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). Results In this study, 510 patients with STEMI receiving pPCI were included, of whom 95 (18%) were younger than 45 years. The young age group had more smokers (57.9% vs. 40.5%, p = 0.003), newly diagnosed dyslipidemia (41.1% vs. 25.5%, p = 0.004), and a positive family history of early coronary artery disease (CAD) (14.7% vs. 4.3%, p = <0.001). Traditional cardiovascular risk factors, such as diabetes mellitus, systemic hypertension, and dyslipidemia, were significantly less common in young patients. Major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) were also significantly less common in young patients at the one-year follow-up (2.1 vs. 8.4%, p = 0.05). Conclusion Young patients with STEMI are more often smokers with undiagnosed dyslipidemia and have a family history of CAD. MACCE at one year is significantly lower as compared to older patients, but it is not negligible. Public health efforts are needed to reduce the prevalence of modifiable risk factors among the susceptible population.

Percutaneous coronary intervention versus coronary artery by-pass grafting in premature coronary artery disease: What is the evidence? -A narrative review

Coronary artery disease (CAD) remains one of the leading causes of death globally. In the United States of America, in 2016, 19% of all patients under the age of 65 died of cardiovascular disease despite improvements in primary prevention. The premature clinical onset of symptoms in the young population (<60 years) is much more aggressive than in the older population, and the overall long-term prognosis is poor. CAD appears to have a rapidly progressive form in those under the age of 60 due to genetic predisposition, smoking, and substance abuse, however, the ideal management strategy is still yet to be established. The two primary methods of establishing coronary revascularization are percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). Despite the increasing prevalence of CAD in the young population, they are consistently underrepresented in major randomized clinical trials of each revascularization strategy. Both CABG and PCI are known to have similar survival rates, but PCI is associated with higher repeat revascularization rate. Many argue this may be due to the progressive nature of CAD combined with the vessel patency time required in a patient under 60 with potentially another 20-30 years of life. There is little in literature regarding the outcomes of these various revascularization strategies in populations under 60 years with CAD. This review summarises the current evidence for each revascularisation strategy in patients under the age of 60 and suggests future avenues of research for this unique age group.

The clinical utility of circulating cell division control 42 in small-vessel coronary artery disease patients undergoing drug-coated balloon treatment

BACKGROUND

Cell division control 42 (CDC42) regulates atherosclerosis, blood lipids, and inflammation and thus affects coronary artery disease (CAD), but its utility in drug-coated balloon (DCB)-treated small-vessel CAD (SV-CAD) patients is unclear. This study intended to evaluate the change and prognostic role of CDC42 in SV-CAD patients underwent DCB.

METHODS

Serum CDC42 was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 211 SV-CAD patients underwent DCB at baseline, day (D) 1, D3, and D7, as well as in 50 healthy controls (HCs).

RESULTS

CDC42 was decreased in SV-CAD patients compared to HCs (P < 0.001), and it was negatively associated with total cholesterol (P = 0.015), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P = 0.003), C-reactive protein (P = 0.001), multivessel disease (P = 0.020), and American college of cardiology/American heart association type B2/C lesions (P = 0.039) in SV-CAD patients. Longitudinally, CDC42 decreased from baseline to D1 and then gradually increased to D7 (P < 0.001) in SV-CAD patients after DCB. Interestingly, high CDC42 (cut-off value = 500 pg/mL) at baseline (P = 0.047), D3 (P = 0.046), and D7 (P = 0.008) was associated with a lower accumulating target lesion failure (TLF) rate; high CDC42 at D3 (P = 0.037) and D7 (P = 0.041) was related to a lower accumulating major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) rate in SV-CAD patients underwent DCB. Importantly, CDC42 at D7 (high vs. low) independently predicted lower accumulating TLF (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.145, P = 0.021) and MACE (HR = 0.295, P = 0.023) risks in SV-CAD patients underwent DCB.

CONCLUSIONS

Circulating CDC42 level relates to milder disease conditions and independently estimates lower risks of TLF and MACE in SV-CAD patients underwent DCB, but further validation is still needed.

Risk factors, lab parameters, angiographic characteristics and outcomes of coronary artery disease in young South Asian patients: a systematic review

This systematic review provides a qualitative summary of the risk factors, angiographic characteristics, treatment, and complications of young South Asians with coronary artery disease (CAD). PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar were searched to identify research articles published between 1 January 2010 and 13 November 2022. Studies in patients aged 18 to 45 years that were conducted in South Asian countries, were published in the English language, and included information on patients' clinical profiles and at least two risk factors for young CAD were included in the review. Smoking, dyslipidemia, high body mass index, increased high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and hyperhomocysteinemia were observed in high proportions in young patients with CAD. Single-vessel disease was more common than multi-vessel disease in young CAD. The complications of CAD such as arrhythmias, cardiogenic shock, and heart failure were also commonly observed in young patients. Large-scale health promotion activities that curb modifiable risk factors such as smoking, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle should be conducted in South Asian countries.

A Systematic Review on the Risk Modulators of Myocardial Infarction in the "Young"-Implications of Lipoprotein (a)

The presence of a myocardial infarction at a younger age is of special interest, considering the psychological and socioeconomic impact, as well as long-term morbidity and mortality. However, this group has a unique risk profile, with less traditional cardiovascular risk factors that are not well studied. This systematic review aims to evaluate traditional risk factors of myocardial infarction in the "young", highlighting the clinical implications of lipoprotein (a). We performed a comprehensive search using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) standards; we systematically searched the PubMed, EMBASE, and Science Direct Scopus databases, using the terms: "myocardial infarction", "young", "lipoprotein (a)", "low-density lipoprotein", "risk factors". The search identified 334 articles which were screened, and, at the end, 9 original research articles regarding the implications of lipoprotein (a) in myocardial infarction in the "young" were included in the qualitative synthesis. Elevated lipoprotein (a) levels were independently associated with an increased risk of coronary artery disease, especially in young patients, where this risk increased by threefold. Thus, it is recommended to measure the lipoprotein (a) levels in individuals with suspected familial hypercholesterolaemia or with premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and no other identifiable risk factors, in order to identify patients who might benefit from a more intensive therapeutic approach and follow-up.

De-Escalation Dual Antiplatelet Therapy Prevail over Potent P2Y12 Inhibitor Monotherapy in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome Undergone Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Network Meta-Analysis

Background

Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with potent P2Y12 inhibitor is the cornerstone of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) management. Balancing the effects of different strategies of antiplatelet therapy including DAPT de-escalation, potent P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy, and conventional DAPT is a hot topic.

Methods

A systematic search was conducted from the MEDLINE, PubMed, and Embase through October 2021 to identify various DAPT strategies in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for treatment of ACS patients after undergoing PCI with drug-eluting stent (DES). The network meta-analysis was performed to investigate the net clinic benefit of the DAPT de-escalation, potent P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy, as well as conventional DAPT. The primary outcome was net adverse clinical events, defined as a composite of major bleeding and cardiac death, myocardial infarction, stroke, stent thrombosis, or target-vessel revascularization. The secondary outcomes include major adverse cardiac events and trial-defined major or minor bleeding.

Results

A total of 14 RCTs with 63,982 patients were included. The DAPT de-escalation was associated with a lower risk of the primary outcome compared with potent P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy (De-escalation vs monotherapy odds ratio (OR): 0.72 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.55-0.96), and other antiplatelet strategies (De-escalation vs clopidogrel + aspirin OR: 0.49 95% CI: 0.39-0.63; De-escalation vs prasugrel + aspirin OR: 0.76 95% CI: 0.59-0.98; De-escalation vs ticagrelor + aspirin OR: 0.76 95% CI: 0.55-0.90). There were no statistical differences in the incidence of bleeding (DAPT de-escalation vs P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy OR: 0.73 95% CI: 0.47-1.12) and major adverse cardiac events (DAPT de-escalation vs P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy OR: 0.79 95% CI: 0.59-1.08) between DAPT de-escalation and potent P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy.

Conclusions

This network meta-analysis showed that DAPT de-escalation would reduce the net adverse clinical events, compared with potent P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy, for ACS patients undergone PCI treatment.

Genotyping of interleukins-18 promoters and their correlation with coronary artery stenosis in Saudi population

BACKGROUND

Complex coronary atherosclerotic lesions often lead to coronary occlusion, clinically represented as a single-vessel disease (SVD) and multivessel disease (MVD). These occlusions could hinder the blood flow in coronary arteries that affects appropriate management of the CVD. The current study intended to genotype interleukin (IL)-18 promoter's hotspots (rs187238, rs1946518, and rs1946519) and their possible association with coronary artery stenosis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The IL-18 promoter genotyping was performed by the Sanger method along with the examination of biochemical parameters in 125 study subjects categorized into three groups, viz. controls, SVD and MVD.

RESULTS

The current study observed a significant association of diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia between the studied group's viz. healthy controls, SVD, and MVD. Fasting blood sugar and glycosylated hemoglobin (HBA1C) were also significantly enhanced from 4.82 vs. 8.01 and 4.33 vs. 8.27, in SVD, and MVD respectively. Despite the visible differences in the pattern of genotypic and allelic expressions, the current study did not show any statistically significant correlation with IL-18 promoter polymorphism at its hotspots with controls, SVD, and MVD subjects. The only exception of the above results was the distribution of allelic frequency at the rs1946519 hotspot, where a significant change (P < 0.05) was observed.

CONCLUSION

This study is of additional value to our previous reports, revealing the pattern of genotypes and allelic frequency of IL-18 promoters in a small cohort of Saudi ethnicity. Further investigations on larger sample size are recommended to envisage the presence of functional mutations in the IL-18 gene that could establish or rule out the possible association of IL-18 polymorphism with SVD and MVD.