Effect of high-intensity statin therapy on atherosclerosis in non-infarct-related coronary arteries (IBIS-4): a serial intravascular ultrasonography study

Aim The effect of long-term high-intensity statin therapy on coronary atherosclerosis among patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is unknown. The aim of this study was to quantify the impact of high-intensity statin therapy on plaque burden, composition, and phenotype in non-infarct-related arteries of STEMI patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods and results Between September 2009 and January 2011, 103 STEMI patients underwent intravascular ultrasonography (IVUS) and radiofrequency ultrasonography (RF-IVUS) of the two non-infarct-related epicardial coronary arteries (non-IRA) after successful primary PCI. Patients were treated with high-intensity rosuvastatin (40 mg/day) throughout 13 months and serial intracoronary imaging with the analysis of matched segments was available for 82 patients with 146 non-IRA. The primary IVUS end-point was the change in per cent atheroma volume (PAV). After 13 months, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) had decreased from a median of 3.29 to 1.89 mmol/L (P < 0.001), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels had increased from 1.10 to 1.20 mmol/L (P < 0.001). PAV of the non-IRA decreased by −0.9% (95% CI: −1.56 to −0.25, P = 0.007). Patients with regression in at least one non-IRA were more common (74%) than those without (26%). Per cent necrotic core remained unchanged (−0.05%, 95% CI: −1.05 to 0.96%, P = 0.93) as did the number of RF-IVUS defined thin cap fibroatheromas (124 vs. 116, P = 0.15). Conclusion High-intensity rosuvastatin therapy over 13 months is associated with regression of coronary atherosclerosis in non-infarct-related arteries without changes in RF-IVUS defined necrotic core or plaque phenotype among STEMI patient

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) presents a life-threatening condition, prevalent among young women, comprising up to 35% of acute coronary syndrome cases. It involves sudden, trauma-free splitting of coronary artery walls, reducing blood flow and mimicking symptoms of acute myocardial infarction. Despite recent attention, treatment remains debated. Hormonal changes, stress, migraines, physical and psychological aspects impact the prognosis. Ongoing research aims to refine diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, addressing long-term outcomes. In this review, we have summarised current aspects of SCAD to increase awareness of the condition

Contemporary trends in use of mechanical circulatory support in patients with acute MI and cardiogenic shock

Objectives To describe the contemporary trends in the use of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) in patients with acute myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock (AMICS). To evaluate survival benefit with early application of intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) or Impella CP. Methods A cohort study of all consecutive patients with AMICS undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) &lt;24 hours of symptom onset (early PCI) in southeastern Denmark from 2010 to 2017. A matched case-control study comparing 30-day mortality between patients receiving early-IABP or early-Impella CP and their respective control group. Controls were matched on age, left ventricular ejection fraction, arterial lactate, estimated glomerular filtration rate and cardiac arrest before PCI. Early-IABP/Impella CP was defined as applied before PCI if shock developed pre-PCI, or immediately after PCI if shock developed during PCI. Results 903 patients with AMICS undergoing early PCI were identified. Use of MCS decreased from 50% in 2010 to 25% in 2017, p for trend of &lt;0.001. The IABP was abandoned in 2012 and replaced mostly by Impella CP. Patients receiving MCS in 2013-2017 had more compromised haemodynamics compared with patients receiving MCS in 2010-2012. 40 patients received early IABP, and 40 patients received early Impella CP. Only the group receiving early Impella CP was associated with lower 30-day mortality compared with their matched control group (30-day mortality 40% vs 77.5%, plog-rank of&lt;0.001). Conclusion Use of MCS decreased by 50% from 2010 to 2017. Patients receiving MCS had more compromised haemodynamics in recent years. Early application of Impella CP was associated with reduced 30-day mortality compared with a matched control group.</p

Data on association between QRS duration on prehospital ECG and mortality in patients with confirmed STEMI

Data presented in this article relates to the research article entitled âAssociation between QRS duration on prehospital ECG and mortality in patients with suspected STEMIâ (Hansen et al., in press) [1].Data on the prognostic effect of automatically recoded QRS duration on prehospital ECG and presence of classic left and right bundle branch block in 1777 consecutive patients with confirmed ST segment elevation AMI is presented. Multivariable analysis, suggested that QRS duration >111 ms, left bundle branch block and right bundle branch block were independent predictors of 30 days all-cause mortality. For interpretation and discussion of these data, refer to the research article referenced above

Sex differences in long-term outcomes in older adults undergoing invasive treatment for non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome : An ICON-1 sub-study

Background: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality for females globally, yet females are underrepresented in studies of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Studies investigating sex-related differences in clinical outcomes of patients with non-ST elevation ACS (NSTEACS) have reported divergent results, and it is unknown whether long-term outcomes for older people with NSTEACS differ between males and females. Methods: The multi-centre prospective cohort study, ICON-1, consisted of patients aged ≥75 years undergoing coronary angiography following NSTEACS. The primary composite endpoint was all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, unplanned revascularisation, stroke, and bleeding. We report outcomes at five-years by sex. Results: Of 264 patients, 102 (38.6%) females and 162 (61.4%) males completed the five-year follow-up and were included in the analytic cohort. At admission, females were older than males (82 ± 4.3 years vs 80.0 ± 4.1 years p = 0.018). Co-morbidity profile and GRACE score were similar between the groups. There were no differences in the provision of invasive or pharmacological treatments between sexes. At five-years, there were no association between sex and the primary outcome. Conclusion: In older adults with invasive treatment of NSTEACS, provision of guideline-indicated care and long-term clinical outcomes were similar between males and females

Five-year clinical outcomes in patients with frailty aged ≥75 years with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome undergoing invasive management

Aim: Frailty is associated with adverse outcomes in older patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The impact of frailty on long-term clinical outcomes following invasive management of non-ST elevation ACS (NSTEACS) is unknown. Methods and results: The multi-centre Improve Clinical Outcomes in high-risk patieNts with ACS 1 (ICON-1) prospective cohort study consisted of patients aged >75 years undergoing coronary angiography following NSTEACS. Patients were categorized by frailty assessed by Canadian Study of Health and Ageing Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) and Fried criteria. The primary composite endpoint was all-cause mortality, unplanned revascularization, myocardial infarction, stroke, and bleeding. Of 263 patients, 33 (12.5%) were frail, 152 (57.8%) were pre-frail, and 78 (29.7%) were robust according to CFS. By Fried criteria, 70 patients (26.6%, mean age 82.1 years) were frail, 147 (55.9%, mean age 81.3 years) were pre-frail, and 46 (17.5%, mean age 79.9 years) were robust. The composite endpoint was more common at 5 years among patients with frailty according to CFS (frail: 22, 66.7%; pre-frail: 81, 53.3%; robust: 27, 34.6%, P  = 0.003), with a similar trend when using Fried criteria (frail: 39, 55.7%; pre-frail: 72, 49.0%; robust: 16, 34.8%, P  = 0.085). Frailty measured with both CFS and Fried criteria was associated with the primary endpoint [age and sex-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) compared with robust groups. CFS: 2.22, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.23-4.02, P  = 0.008; Fried: HR 1.81, 95% CI 1.00-3.27, P  = 0.048]. Conclusion: In older patients who underwent angiography following NSTEACS, frailty is associated with an increased risk of the primary composite endpoint at 5 years. Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01933581

Invasive mechanical ventilation in cardiogenic shock complicating acute myocardial infarction:A contemporary Danish cohort analysis

Purpose: Invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) is widely used in patients with cardiogenic shock following acute myocardial infarction (AMICS), but evidence to guide practice remains sparse. We sought to evaluate trends in the rate of IMV utilization, applied settings, and short term-outcome of a contemporary cohort of AMICS patients treated with IMV according to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) at admission. Methods: Consecutive AMICS patients receiving IMV in an intensive care unit (ICU) at two tertiary centres between 2010 and 2017. Data were analysed in relation to OHCA. Results: A total of 1274 mechanically ventilated AMICS patients were identified, 682 (54%) with OHCA. Frequency of IMV increased during the study period, primarily due to higher occurrence of OHCA admissions. Among 566 patients with complete ventilator data, positive-end-expiratory pressure, inspired oxygen fraction, and minute ventilation during the initial 24 h in ICU were monitored. No differences were observed between 30-day survivors and non-survivors with OHCA. In non-OHCA, these ventilator requirements were significantly higher among 30-day non-survivors (P for all&lt;0.05), accompanied by a lower PaO2/FiO2 ratio (median 143 vs. 230, P &lt; 0.001) and higher arterial lactate levels (median 3.5 vs. 1.5 mmol/L, P &lt; 0.001) than survivors. Physiologically normal PaO2 and pCO2 levels were achieved in all patients irrespective of 30-day survival and OHCA status. Conclusion: In the present contemporary cohort of AMICS patients, physiologically normal blood gas values were achieved both in OHCA and non-OHCA in the early phase of admission. However, increased demand of ventilatory support was associated with poorer survival only in non-OHCA patients.</p