Acute myocardial infarction due to left main coronary artery disease in men and women: does ST-segment elevation matter?

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention of Left Main Disease: Outcome After 1-year Follow-up at a Tertiary Hospital in Vietnam

Background

Left main (LM) coronary artery disease (CAD) is a severe condition that can lead to severe outcomes. Treatment options include medication, coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Recent advancements in PCI techniques position it as a viable alternative to CABG for LM revascularisation.

Methods

This prospective observational study evaluated outcomes after PCI for LM CAD, encompassing in-hospital and post-discharge mortality, in a single-centre registry in Vietnam.

Results

Our research involved 59 patients who underwent PCI for LM lesions, with an average age of 66.7 ±1.5 years, who were divided into two groups based on presentation diagnosis - acute coronary syndrome or chronic coronary syndrome. After PCI, one individual was diagnosed with contrast-induced nephropathy and one with cardiac shock. There were two cases of in-hospital mortality in the acute coronary syndrome group and one in the chronic coronary syndrome group giving a rate of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) of 5.1%. After a 12-month follow-up, the MACCE rate increased to 18.6%. Triple vessel coronary artery disease and troponin I elevation exhibited significant associations with adverse in-hospital outcomes (p<0.05).

Conclusion

PCI for LM coronary artery disease is considered a safe treatment option, demonstrating relatively favourable in-hospital and mid-term outcomes. It presents a viable alternative for patients in need of revascularisation, particularly in cases where CABG is not the preferred choice. Clinical indicators, such as triple vessel coronary artery disease and elevated troponin I levels, may serve as predictors of adverse outcomes during hospitalisation.

Clinical Outcomes after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Cardiogenic Shock Secondary to Total Occlusive Unprotected Left Main Coronary Artery Lesion-Related Acute Myocardial Infarction

BACKGROUND

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with occlusion of an unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) is a rare condition with a high mortality. The literature on clinical outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for cardiogenic shock secondary to ULMCA-related AMI is scarce.

METHODS

In this retrospective analysis, all consecutive patients undergoing PCI for cardiogenic shock secondary to total occlusive ULMCA-related AMI were included between January 1998 and January 2017. The primary endpoint was 30-day mortality. The secondary endpoints were long-term mortality and 30-day and long-term major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. The differences in clinical and procedural variables were assessed. A multivariable model was created to search for independent predictors of survival.

RESULTS

Forty-nine patients were included, and the mean age was 62 ± 11 years. The majority of patients suffered cardiac arrest prior or during PCI (51%). Thirty-day mortality was 78%, of which 55% died within 24 h. The median follow-up of patients who survived 30 days (n = 11) was 9.9 years (interquartile range 4.7-13.6), and long-term mortality was 84%. Long-term all-cause mortality was independently associated with cardiac arrest prior or during PCI (hazard ratio [HR] 2.02, 95% confidence interval 1.02-4.01, p = 0.043). Patients who survived to the 30-day follow-up with severe left ventricular dysfunction had a significantly higher risk of mortality compared to patients with moderate to mild dysfunction (p = 0.007).

CONCLUSIONS

Cardiogenic shock secondary to total occlusive ULMCA-related AMI carries a very high 30-day all-cause mortality. Thirty-day survivors with a severe left ventricular dysfunction have a poor long-term prognosis.

Gender divides in the clinical profiles of patients with acute myocardial infarction at a tertiary care center in South India

BACKGROUND:

Early identification of myocardial infarction (MI) is a determinant in the provision of appropriate treatment modalities. The focus of the present study is on the identification of gender-based differences in risk factors, clinical manifestations, and coronary angiography findings in patients presenting with MI.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

A cross-sectional study was conducted among patients admitted with MI at a tertiary care center in South India during March 2016 to June 2017. Selected 120 male and 120 female consecutive patients admitted with acute MI, who had survived and been stabilized. Data was collected using a pre-tested structure data sheet. Appropriate parametric and nonparametric tests were used to analyze the data.

RESULTS:

Participants were homogenous as regards age (P < 0.107); majority of men and women were from the rural areas. About 32.5% of the men interpreted the pain as due to a cardiac problem or indigestion, whereas 60.8% of the women thought it was fatigue/muscle pain. The self-interpretation or perception of pain in both genders was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Compared to the men, the females increasingly presented with atypical symptoms (P = 0.005). Regarding ST-elevated MI, male preponderance was noted (P = 0.004)). Considering the anatomical location of MI, the presentation of Inferior Wall Myocardial Infarction (IWMI) was predominant in females compared to men (P = 0.003). The majority of men had increased presentation of single-vessel disease compared to women (P = 0.02), whereas normal coronaries and double-vessel disease were found statistically significantly higher in females (P = 0.03 and P = 0.008, respectively).

CONCLUSION:

Public education is needed on the atypical presentations which are common with women than in men. The public should, therefore, be informed of those symptoms and how to recognize them so that they may seek medical care promptly.

Two-Year Outcomes after Left Main Coronary Artery Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Patients Presenting with Acute Coronary Syndrome

Objectives

We aim to evaluate long-term outcomes after left main coronary artery (LMCA) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Background

PCI of the LMCA has been an acceptable revascularization strategy in stable coronary artery disease. However, limited studies on long-term clinical outcomes of LMCA PCI in ACS patients are available.

Methods

A total of 6429 consecutive patients with ACS undergoing PCI in Fuwai Hospital in 2013 were enrolled. Patients are divided into LMCA group and Non-LMCA group according to whether the target lesion was located in LMCA. Prognosis impact on 2-year major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) is analyzed.

Results

155 (2.4%) patients had target lesion in LMCA, while 6274 (97.6%) patients belong to the non-LMCA group. Compared with non-LMCA patients, LMCA patients have generally more comorbidities and worse baseline conditions. Two-year follow-up reveals that LMCA patients have significantly higher rate of cardiac death (2.6% vs. 0.7%, p = 0.034), myocardial infarction (7.1% vs. 1.8%, p < 0.001), in-stent thrombosis (4.5% vs. 0.8%, p < 0.001), and stroke (7.1% vs. 6.4%, p = 0.025). After adjusting for confounding factors, LMCA remains independently associated with higher 2-year myocardial infarction rate (HR = 2.585, 95% CI = 1.243-5.347, p = 0.011).

Conclusion

LMCA-targeted PCI is an independent risk factor for 2-year myocardial infarction in ACS patients.

Associations of changes in patient characteristics and management with decrease in mortality rates of men and women with ST-elevation myocardial infarction - a propensity score-matched analysis

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this study is to estimate how much of the recent decrease in mortality among patients with myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation (STEMI) can be attributed to improved treatment strategies, and how much it is related to changes in baseline clinical characteristics, and to compare these findings for men and women.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This was a retrospective analysis of 32,790 patients with STEMI from the Polish Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes PL-ACS hospitalised in 2005 and 2011. Changes in treatment strategies including pharmacotherapy were analysed. Observed in-hospital and 12-month mortality rates were compared with the outcomes in the groups matched on the propensity scores.

RESULTS

There was a substantial improvement in STEMI patient management between 2005 and 2011 in Poland. It included greater use of percutaneous coronary interventions and other guideline-based adjunctive therapies, and it was associated with a significant decline in in-hospital mortality. Relative 12-month mortality reduction rates were less pronounced and more related to changes in patients' clinical characteristics. Higher mortality risk reductions were observed in women and were driven by relatively more positive changes in their baseline risk profiles when compared to men.

CONCLUSIONS

The progress in the treatment strategies has helped to achieve better survival rates in STEMI patients. However, the ongoing changes in clinical characteristics of patients also played an important role, especially in women. Clinicians should focus on modifiable risk factors and post-discharge management to possibly prolong the positive aspects of in-hospital efforts.

Prevalence and association of medication nonadherence with major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with myocardial infarction

Current study was to evaluate the prevalence of guideline recommended medications adherence in myocardial infarction (MI) patients postpercutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and the association of medication nonadherence and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs).MI patients who underwent PCI in the last 12 months were enrolled. Demographic and clinical characteristics were collected and guideline recommended medications were evaluated. Patients were divided into with and without MACEs groups.Compared to patients without MACEs, those with MACEs were older (54.8 ± 16.4 vs 51.1 ± 15.2 years), more likely to be smoker (40.2% vs 31.9%), have higher body mass index (BMI; 25.0 ± 6.1 vs 23.8 ± 5.7 kg/m), diabetes (47.5% vs 37.8%), ischemic stroke (34.4% vs 25.6%), and estimated lower glomerular filtration rate (85.4 ± 9.6 vs 92.6 ± 10.7 mL/minute/1.73 m). Patients with MACEs were also more likely to present with ST-elevation MI (STEMI; 54.1% vs 48.4%) and to undergo urgent PCI (62.3% vs 56.3%). Furthermore, patients with MACEs were less likely to adhere to dual antiplatelet therapy (77.9% vs 85.9%), renin-angiotensin system inhibitor (62.3% vs 69.7%), and beta-blocker (69.7% vs 72.8%) treatment. In unadjusted model, medication nonadherence was associated with 2-fold higher odds of MACEs. After adjustment for demographics, risk factors, comorbidities, and peri-PCI characteristics, medications nonadherence remained independently associated with MACEs, with odds ratio of 1.40 (95% confidence interval: 1.29-1.87).Medications adherence rate among MI patients post-PCI is suboptimal in China, which is independently associated with MACEs.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Potential Risk Factor for Coronary Artery Disease

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a higher incidence of coronary artery disease (CAD) compared with the general population. Left main coronary artery (LMCA) thrombosis constitutes a very rare but catastrophic manifestation of acute coronary syndrome. Case reports describing young patients with IBD and LMCA thrombosis are scarce. Most importantly, patients with a positive family history of thrombotic events and those with significant genetic or acquired risk factors such as the antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, advanced age, immobilization, pregnancy, oral contraceptive use, obesity, diabetes, and cigarette smoking may have a higher risk of thrombosis among those with active IBD. We describe a 28-year-old man who was admitted for coronary angiography (CA) due to ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. He had a recent exacerbation of ulcerative colitis. The patient was a smoker without a family history of CAD. Proximal total occlusion of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery and left circumflex (LCX) artery with massive thrombus was shown on CA, whereas a normal dominant right coronary artery delivered collaterals to the LAD artery.